We all live in empty houses

Abbie 2022-04-21 09:02:43

Living in this world, we often have to become a two-faced person. The A side on the outside is strong and tenacious, and ignores the setbacks, defeats and unfairness of the outside world, and doesn't care; while the B side on the inside has been polished and vulnerable. As described in the movie "The Empty House", the heroine and her husband are the epitome of everyone. Her husband, who wanders in the outside world, suffers from work and social pressure, still maintains the attitude of a successful businessman, with an impressive face; while the heroine often stays at home and rarely communicates with the outside world. There is communication, silently enduring the bullying and abuse of the husband, hiding behind the door and secretly crying, this is our B side. The house they live in is actually our inner world, full of paradoxes. This is where the first layer of metaphors in our films comes from.
The main thread that runs through the film is the empty house, or the inner world of each of us. In this story, the male protagonist does not have his own house, so he often steals into other people's houses to live briefly. The living habits of the male protagonist are very unique. He regards himself as the real owner of the house. He cleans the room, cleans clothes, repairs things, cooks for himself in the kitchen, and occasionally watches boring TV shows with pillows and pajamas. The habitable time is always so short. In just a few days, the hero has to find a new place to live. The male protagonist represents our inner desire to reveal our true selves. Although everyone has closed off their senses and thoughts for a long time, there will always be a few days when they relax and want to find their truest self. Unfortunately, we have never been able to get out of the real world we live in. Even if we sometimes feel tired, after a few days of catharsis, we will still pick up the mask and become a double-faced person again.
The turning point of the story is that the heroine discovers the hero. Just like the fragile side of our hearts, under the long-term torture, the desire to explode and show the true self. When the husband came back again, the heroine had decided not to endure his torture and escaped with the hero. This is also our life. We have endured the pressure from the outside world, and when we can no longer bear it, we will throw everything away and leave. It is confirmed in the movie that the husband was taught a lesson by the male protagonist with golf. The golf ball, as a prop, is crucial in the movie. The golf ball is the hero's vehicle for venting grievances, a way of letting go of the grievances we've built up when we crave truth but are not satisfied. It seemed to work, the husband was kneeling in pain from being golfed, corresponding to our shredding of false appearances, hearty. But some nights, without finding a house to live in, the male protagonist can only play golf under the night light to relieve his depression. In many cases, the appearance of hypocrisy is too hard and thick, the truth is difficult to penetrate, and there is nowhere to stay. Golf venting, in effect, alludes to our own indulgence in the face of stress. Just like some people are often so drunk that they don’t have to touch the world every day, just like some people bury themselves in their work every day, trying to forget all their emotions. The heroine realizes the problem and tries to stop the hero. As most of the time, we already know in our hearts that this will not help, but we have to vent in this way. But this doesn't really solve the problem. Sometimes it hurts itself, but more often it hurts the innocent people around. One day, the golf ball broke free and took an innocent life. The male protagonist stood at the scene for a long time, repenting of his mistakes. One day we will find that our indulgence only exacerbates the problem, and even scars the people around us who love us. Golf indulgence is the film's second metaphor.
The hero and heroine set out to find a way to survive. They have been to the home of an art collector, the home of a boxer, and the home of a loving couple who are keen on flowers, plants, insects and fish. However, this is not the life they desire, and hiding temporarily is never the long-term solution. Until they came to the last family, an old man who had passed away but no one knew about it. They buried the old man, thinking that they could live here permanently and "openly". The death of the old man, to some extent, implies that we will one day leave the society we hate, and it seems that we can easily and safely return to our true selves. What we don't realize, however, is that we can't get out of our own family, and we end up succumbing to the mundane and returning to the empty house. In the movie, the children of the old man go home to visit relatives, and call the police to arrest the hero and heroine who trespassed in the house: the hero was sent to prison, and the heroine was sent home.
The male protagonist is in prison, and he reflects and recognizes the reality. He cannot live in an empty house for a long time, and hiding himself is a viable life. This is also a kind of extreme helplessness in our life. Since we cannot truly live for ourselves, we hide ourselves behind our backs and prevent others from seeing them. After being released from prison, the male protagonist came to the female protagonist's house again. This time, he no longer lived "positively" when no one was there, but "hidden" in the world of two people. Just as we feel the return of reality again after washing away the lead, we cry with joy at our own shadow. Although the heroine's husband noticed the difference, he never knew of his existence. The gentleness of the wife in front of him made him let go of his inner concerns. At the end of the film, the heroine stretches her arms back and hugs the hero—some things are a kind of happiness even if we can't see them. The metaphor of the film's third layer is slowly revealed: hiding who you really are is the only way reality promises their existence.
The most moving detail in the movie is that from beginning to end, the hero and heroine never communicate with each other. Even the lines, the heroine is only three sentences. However, this also tells us that truth is instinct, and we don't need to learn or imitate. Even in a false world, we can still breathe and feel a ray of fresh air.

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