The film's distributor and director Ang Lee even had a disagreement over the broadcast format due to the unsatisfactory response to the preview. Distributors want to reduce the number of films played in the original 4k/120 fps UHD format and focus on the normal format. And Ang Lee still insisted on using the revolutionary ultra-high-definition format, which resulted in a dispute between the two sides.
So, as critics say, does the technical innovation of this film actually hinder the development of the plot and the emotional introduction? Amid such skepticism, the film kicked off its North American release in New York and Los Angeles. New York's Lincoln Center Cinema uses ultra-high-definition media, giving the audience a chance to see the film's true colors, and also testing the waters for a full-scale release in North America.
Immersion
From the first second of the film, viewers are amazed at how clear the screen is. Unlike other 3D films that tend to have a clear foreground and sacrifice secondary details, this film achieves a completely different level of detail presentation. The subtle expressions and movements of the characters and all kinds of the surrounding environment are all in the eyes. Everything on the screen seems to really happen in front of the audience. In other words, the ultra-HD format of the film gives the audience a completely "immersive" experience.
The way the film is shot seems unpretentious: the photography often uses ordinary front and back shots, the close-up describes the interaction and dialogue between the characters, the soundtrack has almost no sense of presence, and the use of montage is quite satisfactory. However, all of these designs are dedicated to achieving one goal: to allow the audience to understand the real experience of the protagonist Billy to the greatest extent possible, not from the perspective of bystanders, but from the direct perception of Billy himself. Sometimes the camera is Billy's eyes, and he can see everything in the camera, observing everything that is happening around him, from sudden changes in the environment to the subtle emotions of others. Sometimes the camera is directed at Billy, capturing his expressions and body language to help viewers understand what's going on inside him at the moment.
In this way, the film faithfully recorded Billy's one-day experience, without exaggeration, without pretense, just to convey the information to the audience sincerely. Billy and his company became national heroes because they were accidentally caught on camera helping their comrades on the battlefield in Iraq. They were invited to return home briefly for the rugby halftime show. For Billy and his comrades-in-arms, this should have been a routine task. However, as the events unfolded, the ordinary encounters around them continued to accumulate strength, making the deep and surging memories and emotions uncovered little by little. To be more precise, they, especially Billy, had to face the unbearable trauma and difficult life choices under the stimulation of the outside world.
At first glance, the film’s rhythm even seems slow, with flashbacks interspersed with random matchdays and battlefields. In fact, every flashback follows a rigorous logic: every recall of Billy is due to the unconscious association of external stimuli. The process of the film is actually led by Billy's heart. For example, he recalled his driving accident on the way to the car dealership, and even admitted his original intention of enlisting in the army when he was fined to the limit. Such as seeing hearty food and ordinary Texans in restaurants, recalling the pain and despair of the Iraqi people, and so on.
The most painstaking foreshadowing into the
film is that Billy is forced to recall the scene of a life-and-death struggle on the battlefield. It's no coincidence that this scene coincides with the climax of the halftime show in the film. Before the performance, Billy was asked several times (by reporters, football players, favorite cheerleaders, etc.) what it was like to fight the enemy hand-to-hand, but there were no flashbacks. Because when his reason could control his emotions, he didn't want to recall this dark scene at all, so he just avoided it with words, perfunctory others, and paralyzed himself at the same time. When the performance was approaching, the outside world kept stimulating him, such as being forced to change into a camouflage uniform (closer to the battlefield), the loud noises around him, the continuous fireworks (very similar to the battlefield), and the physical contact of the staff, making the Billy and his teammates are on fire. They were even more overwhelmed by the complicated instructions given to them by the live director.
At this time, the on-site director's sentence is extremely critical: "No matter what happens around you, you must stay still until the end of the show!" For live directors and ordinary audiences, this is a very common task. However, for Billy and his comrades, who are clearly showing symptoms of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and their nerves are extremely tense, this is their ultimate test, their purgatory.
In this context, the film entered a real climax. The film will also be "immersed" and sublimated here, because the viewing experience at this time is no longer the ordinary bystander's sympathy for the character, but the audience's entry into Billy's soul, or Billy's entry into the audience's soul, Empathy arose. The difference between sympathy and empathy determines the audience's perception of the midfield show. From the perspective of an onlooker, it seems that the special effects are not enough and not exciting enough, and even Beyonce is a false back. However, from Billy's point of view (which is where the camera is located), from his eyes and heart, the loud noise and the flying artillery destroyed his sanity, the memory was no longer in control, the scene of the battlefield It happened again before my eyes. When he was awakened from a nightmare, his stunned face was left on the huge screen of the stage, and all the comrades behind him slumped on the ground, because they were also witnesses to the same nightmare.
Expressing inner emotional conflict is a consistent theme in Ang Lee's films. As for how to convey the most turbulent emotions, the director has repeatedly "leaked secrets" on different occasions: "Because I am fragile, I can sympathize with the fragility of others. And drama is the art of testing human nature. Strong things are not easy to move. When you are vulnerable, everyone will worry about you and help you act. This is the most moving moment. I often say to actors, "If you act so much, you don't need sympathy from others at all. Your role is to make Others help you worry and act for you, because no matter how much you act, the audience's brains will not act well." The handling here in this film is exactly a puzzle the director gave the audience. Once the audience understands it, they will Deeply shaken. When Billy stood still on the stage, the audience may have been unable to control their emotional fluctuations and burst into tears. Does beauty arise when a work of art is completed, or when the work of art is appreciated? When there is a chemical reaction in the hearts of people? Ang Lee may be inclined towards the latter.
Unlike previous films, technological innovations help audiences get more comprehensive information and richer details. This may be the reason why Ang Lee experimented and stuck with the Ultra HD format. And these information and details still depend on the audience to absorb, digest, substitute into the character's situation, and empathize with them. There are many subtleties in the film worth pondering: Billy initially enlisted for his sister, but he was gradually recognized in the military camp and tasted the taste of self-realization; the lack of a strong father role in the family (the father is paralyzed, the mother is more majestic). ) compared to the brotherly camaraderie of father and son in the military camp; the subtle camaraderie between certain comrades (which the audience “just” targets when provoked); the huge gap between rich and poor; Billy’s constant need for painkillers The cure for hangovers (being a hero may also be a fantasy to him); the brutality of the battlefield versus Billy's fantasies of home life (lover, garden, dog); patriotic zeal and Billy's sexual desire as a virgin Overlap when the national anthem is played. These complex factors are at war in Billy's mind, making his choice even more difficult. In the end, he chose to stay with his comrades. The conflict that eventually erupted left Billy's recollections intact and a temporary release from the wounds of the soldiers. The camera is Billy's eyes again: everyone says their love to each other, then looks away from each other, secretly hiding their tears.
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