1. Technology or Magic?
When we look at the definition of "Fantasy" in the Oxford Dictionary of Literary, we find that the word "fantasy" basically excludes technology. In the literary category of fantasy, we often see the existence of magicians. These mages sometimes use strange ingredients to cast their magic, but more importantly, the memory of the spell. More importantly, the word "magic" itself has a rather ambiguous relationship with nature. Masters all want to transcend the limitations of nature, but they have to resort to the help of various elements in nature. They hold a delicate balance between man and nature, like a tightrope walker, whoever leans too far will lead to their own destruction. The opposite of "Fantasy" should be "Science Fiction". In science fiction, technology is the absolute dominance of the entire world, and it is the only "true god" in the entire world who is constantly challenged. In other words, fantasy is mainly about groups of people who were tied to trees and burned to death as early as the seventeenth century, while science fiction was born in modern times, when human ambitions were expanding and throwing God into memory. After the abyss.
The reason why I spend so much time wrestling with this somewhat boring question is that The Sorcerer's Apprentice reflects an attempt to combine the above two very different genres and ideas. It's an interesting inclination, and an attempt at something different in this film. But frankly, integration can be a thankless job, and whether David's final victory was due to a blood similar to Merlin or because he was originally a physics student is really confusing. . The entire film tries to strike a new balance by mixing modern technology with ancient inventions. In general, courage is to be encouraged, but attempts are unsuccessful. Because technology is material, it can be seen and touched, while magic is spiritual, which cannot be touched and can only be felt with the beating heart. Perhaps today’s film and drama worlds have been exhausted by these two completely different and constantly competing forces, we can still use Jesus’ words two thousand years ago to solve this problem: “What is God’s, belongs to God, what should be Caesar's belongs to Caesar." But in any case, let's give this whimsical effort a big round of applause.
The woman cut in half
Packing the witch's soul into a delicate doll has been the goal of men's continuous efforts for hundreds of years. The mystery and danger inherent in "witches", especially the threat they may pose to male society, make men want to banish this group from civilization. Let's think back to the fairy tales that have a profound impact on children. Those witches either live in dark castles or lie in ambush in dense forests. Moreover, all witches are always old and fading, married, and worried about their appearance. The old woman and the young woman are the opposites in the male society: Snow White and the vicious queen, Cinderella and the selfish stepmother, Sleeping Beauty and the evil fairy... Compared with the innocent and pure young women, Older women are always vicious and evil. The same is true in The Apprentice. Veronica and Morgana, one stands on the opposite side of the world and humanity, while the other sacrifices his life to defend the prosperous world. Old women are always the destroyers of the world and order, while young women use their plump bodies as weapons of war. As with all fairy tales, in such a battle that has lasted hundreds of thousands of years, it is always the young woman who has the upper hand. Because we always want the world to keep moving forward, the capabilities of young women are so important. Older women have lost the ability to reproduce, and thus lose the reason for women to survive in a male society. Perhaps they themselves are aware of this, and they will continue to try to change the world's standards. Of course, such attempts have never been successful. But for the complacent young women and the men who always save everything, it is still necessary to remain vigilant, because the rebellion that lurks in the deepest part of every woman's soul will quietly raise its head with tousled hair at some point.
Overall, The Sorcerer's Apprentice is an old movie with old elements, old ideas, old themes. But we can still see the continuous efforts and unremitting attempts of modern people. Perhaps the battle between technology and fantasy, like the battle between young women and old women, is a topic that will run through a century, but at least, there is a struggle, and there will be continuous development.
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