The first time I saw this movie, I just saw a paragraph, and that paragraph was about alma telling elizabeth a story of her unfortunate past. At the time, I just thought that this paragraph was too explicit, and even made people shy and scared; I didn't really understand why alma was talking, but beth was silent. At that time, the teacher asked us to study a one-man show. I didn't understand the monologue, let alone the plot. But now, it seems that this is obviously the fault of the teacher at that time. This movie is definitely not able to understand and feel just by watching one paragraph.
The second time I saw it, last week, was also in a class that taught "Experimental Movie Scripting".
"Characters and Titles"
There are still no subtitles, but I can actually feel the connection, fusion, and transformation between the two heroines. This movie needs to be relived and watched over and over again. Because the story told by the lines is actually not the most important. The most important thing is the identity of the two heroines. The translation of the name "Masquerade" is good, but it is not good. persona represents an identity. Beth was an excellent actress until she was admitted to the hospital; she played different roles throughout her life. Because of the wrong line, he was silent. It was as if a character had been hit the pause button. As a nurse at the hospital, alma has a cheerful disposition and is very concerned about beth when she speaks out. What the two of them showed, one was indifference and the other active. Alma is very expressive and tells us the story of his life through his lines. And beth either ignored it, or just showed a little bit of expression. The beginning and end of the film about the little boy tell us about a final fusion between the two heroines. Therefore, I think, alma symbolizes a role of beth, an identity. But after all, it is only one of his acting career, so the name "Masquerade" is all about the stripping of identity. This kind of character structure seems to take our inner self and outer image style out.
"Lens and Elements"
The most impressive scene in this film: when alma fell into a deep sleep, beth was wearing a white dress, smiling like a ghost floating into her room. Afterwards, beth kisses alma. The light should come from outside the window, but the interior is really dark. The three rooms are connected in the shape of a V, as if the room where alma is located is the backstage, and the room with a lot of light is the stage of our life.
There is another scene that is impressive in another way, a visual shock: the two heroines stand in tandem, Beth's hair wrapped around alma's face - alma's face is covered, But Beth's is exposed. Is this a kind of alternation of identities? Who am I, where am I, in what way, or should I let out my inner self.
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