《Hello! "Mr. Tree": A domestic masterpiece that has been ignored by the public and features Wang Baoqiang's extraordinary performance.

01

I have to admit that the more movies you watch, the more difficult it will be to choose, especially in the current booming movie market.

With hundreds of new movies released every year, most people have unknowingly developed the same movie-watching habits: first, listen to word-of-mouth, second, check the ratings on Douban Maoyan, and third, check the directors and actors.

There is no way, this is determined by the current reality of the mixed quality of films. Faced with a huge number of movies, without the above steps, you have no idea whether the movie you take time and spend money to watch will be "The Wandering Earth" or "Shanghai Fortress".

It is my ten-year habit of selecting films that has prevented me from falling into the trap of bad films many times. However, it is precisely this kind of paranoia that caused me to miss many excellent Chinese-language films.

Just like you told me, there is such an excellent domestic film: it was released eight years ago, the Douban score is not very high, the director is unknown, the actors are unknown except for Wang Baoqiang, and even more There is a name that makes people feel very pretentious...

Do you want to see it?

In the past, I can tell you clearly: I am bored to death and would rather watch "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf" to kill time than take a look at that movie.

......

I'm sorry, I broke my promise.

There is really such a Chinese-language film that has more than one "shortcoming" but makes people regret seeing it too late - the feature film "Hello!" released in 2011, directed by Han Jie and starring Wang Baoqiang! Mr. Tree".

——“It smells so good!”

02

The story takes place in a village in Jilin. Due to over-exploitation of nearby coal mines, the villagers' houses have become dilapidated and dangerous houses that are about to collapse. A new community has been built on the mine, and the villagers are called on to move in quickly.

Throughout the beginning, the picture takes on a Jia Zhangke-esque "yellow" tone. Especially seeing that the producer is Chief Jia, it made me think that this would be a movie similar to "The Good Man from Three Gorges".

Also at the beginning, the director used only one exquisite long shot to clearly explain the background of the above story.

The camera pans to the auto repair shop. The young man named "Shu" played by Wang Baoqiang is a car mechanic. It can be seen from the conversation that he is not a down-to-earth car mechanic.

However, he has quite good popularity in the village - he has all kinds of friends, and when he meets him, he will warmly and affectionately call out: "Hello, Brother Shu!"

It is not difficult to infer that Shu is probably this kind of person - just like many young people in his hometown more than ten years ago: he left school early and had no ideals; he found a so-so job and never went to work in a down-to-earth manner. ; He has various little problems, but they are not annoying; he values ??love and justice and has many friends.

However, the tree does not live as carefree as it appears. The tree has something on its mind. In Shu's monologue, we learned that Shu's father accidentally strangled Shu's brother to death when he was teaching his rebellious brother a lesson. Such a family tragedy caused Shu Lao to dream about his dead father and even hallucinate in reality. This also seems to pave the way for the transformation behind the tree.

The reason why Shu looks carefree and aloof from the world is also because he selectively ignores some things. Faced with the unfair fact that Erzhu, the village chief's brother-in-law, had invaded his family's land, he swallowed his anger and said nothing. He even sat down with Erzhu and exchanged glasses with each other amidst everyone's teasing.

A tree is like a contradictory complex entity. On the one hand, he has justice in mind and a strong sense of personal heroism; on the other hand, he is like a coward, cowardly and incompetent. The two scenes in the film also perfectly demonstrate this opposition:

First, Shishu saw the children fighting together on the road. He rushed forward without hesitation to stop and educate the children. The little boy returned happily, as if he had won a battle; secondly, his friend Xiaozhuang accidentally bumped into Erzhu's car while riding his bicycle. After he was being choked by Erzhu while trying to mediate, he stood silently and looked like a wilted child. A soft persimmon.

Unsatisfactory life comes one after another. Shu injured his eye in a maintenance accident, lost his job, and wandered around the village doing nothing all day long. But fate seemed to play a joke on him. At this moment, Shu fell in love with a girl.

The beginning of love comes from such a casual glance. My friend's second aunt took her daughter back to the city in Er Leng's car. They chatted with Er Leng in the car in the tree, saying that they had something to do, and declined Er Leng's invitation to go to the city. But when the car started, Shu chased him from behind and got into the car. In Er Leng's words, "Why is your personality so unstable!"

After returning from the city, Shu went to inquire about the girl's information. Of course, Shu also knows that the girl named "Xiaomei" is a deaf-mute girl.

But the tree seemed to find the meaning of life all of a sudden. He started looking for matchmakers and got a pair of glasses to change his appearance, as if he was preparing for a new life.

But when Shu stood solemnly in the optical shop, staring at himself in the mirror, everything felt out of place.

Shu finally went to Xiaomei’s house. In Xiaomei's room, the communication between the two was not easy and smooth. Since one couldn't speak and the other didn't know sign language, the whole blind date process was extremely awkward.

Shu likes Xiaomei, but he can’t express it. He can neither stand nor sit. He is full of uneasiness but doesn’t know what to do, just like his pair of eyes that can never be placed in the right position and cannot be placed in the right position. Hands placed everywhere.

In this scene of just a few minutes, Wang Baoqiang showed amazing acting skills. It is no exaggeration to say that he has appeared in so many film and television dramas and created so many classic roles. The peak of his acting skills has never been his "true appearance" in "A World Without Thieves" and "The Blind Shaft", nor has it been "Jonky Road" or "Chinatown". The comedy master in "Detective" is the calm Mr. Tree in front of us!

The blind date with Xiaomei ended in the embarrassment of being unable to communicate. Shu hesitated and said to the matchmaker, "It's a pity. I just can't speak. Let's think about it again."

03

Returning to the village was a great joy for the children. One day, the tree comes to help friends. It is also here that the classic smoking scene is comparable to the scene in "A Better Tomorrow" where Ponyboy lights a cigarette with dollar bills and the scene where his brother smokes in a taxi in "Happy Together".

My friend got married. Shu was very happy and drank a little too much. With the help of Jiu Jin, he went to Erzhu to discuss the land occupation. He finally toughened up and said to Erzhu what he had always wanted to say in front of a table of people, "You are pretending to be awesome because your brother-in-law is the village chief, right?"

< p> Seeing this, I thought: What a joy! Shu, who had been cowardly for so long, finally got tough. Er Zhu, the bully, should be "killed" by Shu this time. Shu did what the whole village wanted to do but didn't dare to do. He was a man who dared to resist authority and injustice. A real man!

However, within a few minutes, the director responded to everyone with a brutal reality: In this world, it is never easy to be a hero. Shu, who had hardened his temper for a while, ended up kneeling down to Erzhu in front of everyone.

Yes, you read that right. Shu showed the audience that he was not a hero, he was still the weakling - he really knelt down and was decisive and direct. Looking at his limp and falling body, at that moment I just wished that he was really drunk and unconscious...

After waking up, Shu planned to leave the village. He changed into clothes that he felt decent about, and got on the bus to Changchun, the provincial capital, without bringing anything.

Shu came here to find a friend who teaches a Mathematical Olympiad class. In Shu's eyes, this friend named "Yixin" is a successful person with a decent job and a virtuous wife. Perhaps in his heart, Yi Xin is the kind of person he has always longed to be.

The tree stayed here to work. He had no special skills and could only do the work of setting tables and sweeping floors. But he is happy. Seeing Yixin and his wife enjoying themselves, he suddenly thought of Xiaomei. He tried sending a text message to Xiaomei.

This is one of the most beautiful love words I have ever heard:

Do you know?

The moment we look at each other,

is the most beautiful moment in the world.

Even if I am given the title of village chief, I am not worthy!

This love story may sound "earthy", but it is very touching. As for Shu, his education level is not high and he has no ideal pursuit. In his mind, "being the village chief" was the highest honor and the most beautiful thing he could think of in life. But even so, even this kind of thing that makes him laugh even in his dreams is not uncommon to him compared to Xiaomei.

In the film, the director did not show us the scene of Xiaomei receiving this message. But it can be imagined that Xiaomei must be happy in her heart. For Xiaomei, she is a deaf-mute. She obeys all the arrangements of her parents and fate, and love is no exception. Perhaps in her entire life, no one has ever said such sincere and warm words to her; on the contrary, it is not difficult to imagine that she spent more than twenty years of her life with a colored look and a lot of ridicule.

Although the text message came from an unfamiliar number, Xiaomei must know in her heart that this person must be Shu. However, she still replied:

Who is it?

——Tree.

——Hello! Mr. Tree

At this moment, the film really points out the name of the movie. This is also the first time someone has officially called a tree "Mr. Tree". The director's intentions are self-evident.

Shu still stayed in the training class. But as his relationship with Yixin became closer and closer, he discovered that his seemingly decent friend had an unknown side - this man who shared the joys and sorrows with his wife and was loving and harmonious was secretly engaging in... With extramarital affairs. Later, the secret was finally discovered by his wife.

The war inevitably broke out one night. The tree was sandwiched between the couple and they were embarrassed.

In this scene, Wang Baoqiang still showed impeccable acting skills. Those hands still can't find the right place, just like his life has nowhere to put it.

After that, Shu left Changchun and made an important decision - he wanted to take Xiaomei as his wife.

04

The day to marry Xiaomei came quickly, and finally it was the day before the wedding. Although Shu's home is dilapidated, it is also bustling with activity. The place was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the house was full of guests and friends. Everything was filled with festive beauty, as if it heralded the happy life of the newlyweds who finally got together.

I thought this would be the ending of the film: Although Shu’s life was unsatisfactory, he still got the warmth of love in the end; Shu and Xiaomei lived a plain but happy life from then on. In the end, the film falls into Jia Zhangke-style blandness.

However, director Han Jie never follows the routine.

This festive and lively day did not calm down at night. Instead, the atmosphere reached its highest point with the quarrel between the two brothers, and it also reached the highest point of the film's dramatic tension.

Here’s the thing. Shu had previously told his brother, who drives a taxi, that he would lend his boss's Crown car as a wedding car on his wedding day. The younger brother said that there was no guarantee, so he could only try. In the evening, Shu was very drunk and was very angry when he saw his younger brother coming back in a Passat (this car was also borrowed with great difficulty). So the night before they went to pick up the bride, the two got into a fight and even set the makeshift shed on fire.

Seeing this, I suddenly realized that there is such a problem - Shu Shu has many shortcomings, but why can't he hate him?

He is lazy and cowardly, not enterprising, and only wants money from his brother who works hard to drive a taxi. When he hurt his eyes, his younger brother came to see him and paid for his medical expenses; he asked his younger brother for money for glasses and blind dates; even the wedding car was arranged by his younger brother. Even so, he was still full of dissatisfaction with this younger brother.

No one should like such a person. However, somehow, I don't hate this kind of tree at all, but I feel full of sympathy.

The reason why Shu never forgets the "Crown Car" and fights with his brother because of this may be because of his strong self-esteem. Family tragedies such as his father accidentally strangling his brother to death; his weakness in the face of oppression and injustice; his ability to marry a deaf-mute girl but not being able to take her home in a graceful manner. One bad thing after another has wiped out his self-esteem as a man. Completely destroyed.

As mentioned before, trees have a complex of personal heroism, and the more heroic they are, the more they care about dignity and face. But now, the Crown wedding car that could have saved some dignity and face has come to nothing. Although Xiaomei once told Shu that she never needed any conditions. But in Shu's heart, being able to give the person he likes a beautiful wedding is probably more important than anything else, and this is one of the few things he can give to Xiaomei.

After a hysterical fight, Shu lay there blankly, as if he was drunk and lost consciousness.

In fact, the tree knew very well in its heart that everything no longer existed, just like the shed that was set on fire outside the window, and disappeared into ashes...

The farce-like wedding eve was over, and the tree seemed to have lost its soul. The film also tells what happened next in a completely different narrative style than before: Shu began to have frequent dreams, always dreaming of squatting on the bare tree at the entrance of the village, dreaming of his dead father and brother; and In reality, the tree is still as if it has lost its soul, with a serious smile and dull eyes. The tree got married like a zombie and lived a married life like a zombie.

Along with being "possessed by evil" is also the ability to "channel". There is a kind of mystery in the state of the tree walking zombie. He seems to be able to predict the future, although in the eyes of many people, he is just crazy and stupid. However, the tree miraculously foresees "the occurrence of the mining disaster", "the water supply in the village is cut off", and "the troubles of the two pigs". He has become a great fairy in the eyes of everyone, a veritable "Mr. Tree"...

That's right: the second half of the film changes its realistic style and suddenly becomes a bit surreal. This made it difficult for many viewers to understand, wondering why the director handled it this way and what he wanted to express. This is also the reason why this movie has mixed praise and praise, and its ratings are polarized.

But no matter how much some people dislike this film, what cannot be ignored in the second half of the film is that Wang Baoqiang contributed an actor-level performance. Even those viewers who had very low evaluations of the film did not hesitate to praise it when talking about it: "He single-handedly held up the entire drama."

05

Unknowingly, I have written the last part. In fact, I have always believed that aesthetics is a very personal matter. Everyone sees the same movie differently, and there is never any standard movie review or answer. I am also very disgusted with those people who think that only they understand a certain movie and no one else understands it, and they forcefully impose their own views and concepts on others. Little do they know that this behavior is extremely childish and ridiculous.

Regardless of whether I understand it or not, I don’t think this will hinder my enjoyment of this movie at all. For a beautiful thing, I am more than happy to share it with others. For me, if you can find a little bit of value in these clumsy words, I will feel great joy.

Let’s get down to business. In the second half of the film, the plot alternates between reality and fantasy. The surrealist approach makes a cold tragic story add a touch of absurdity. These absurd elements not only weaken the tragedy, but also achieve what director Han Jie wanted. The purpose is to make every viewer think more about what the film wants to express.

If the narrative style in the second half of the story remains the same as the previous one, then what is finally presented to the audience is a tragic ending that is as cold as a bone:

On the big day, Shu turned against his younger brother. A big fight;

"Regardless of past grudges", he got into the crown wedding car of Erzhu, who bullied his neighbor and made him kneel down;

He was injured and hung up on the ground to pick up the bride Xiaomei;

The mother left with her younger brother, and Xiaomei left without saying goodbye;

The whole village was moved away, leaving the tree alone, helpless and gradually declining and dilapidated. In the village...

How should Shu face all this soberly? His most cherished family relationship (which is why he always dreams about his brother and father) has now been completely cut off by this bad life. He seemed to only fall into infinite madness and numbness, and it was as if all this had never happened. Only in this state can he be the "Mr. Tree" respected by everyone, with dignity and happiness...

Just like at the end of the film, the tree standing at the head of the village Under the big tree that I often dream of, I am intoxicated in my own world: Xiaomei is back, with the little life that is about to be born. The two of them support her home and plan to move to a new community where there is a mother and a younger brother. , have a family, have family ties, have love...

As for the theme that the film wants to express, it is a matter of opinion, and it actually doesn't matter. Director Han Jie wants to convey a lot, and there are also many obscure scenes and plots in the film. Therefore, you might as well regard them as treasures, take some time, and watch this excellent Chinese film.

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