In 1986, directed by John Woo and starring Di Lung, Chow Yun-fat, and Leslie Cheung, The True Color of Heroes is a shootout film based on the background of gangsters, mainly about the brotherhood of Mark, Song Zihao and Song Zijie. In addition to the violent aesthetics under Woo's lens and the film's well-known "Hong Kong gangster hero film", the fate of the character, Mark, is also fascinating.
Mark and Song Zihao were born and died for many years. In his heart, he and Song Zihao have long been in love. Even after Song Zihao was arrested in an accident, Mark would spare his life to avenge Song Zihao. His life-and-death friendship with Song Zihao is far more complicated than the biological brotherhood between Song Zihao and Song Zijie. But no matter how complicated it is, the brotherhood with blood relationship is after all better than him. What's more, Song Zihao had no doubts about his younger brother Song Zijie. And this also puts Mark in a disadvantaged position in the relationship between the three.
If it is said that "gangsters and police" is the direct reason for the breakup of the Song brothers, then the death of Song's father is the fundamental reason for their breakup. After Song's father's death, Song Zijie, a big boy who was innocent and sunny, instantly grew into a black-and-white extreme police officer who hates evil and hates evil. This estrangement at the cost of the blood of the closest relatives pushed the Song brothers' relationship into a bottomless abyss. Therefore, only the repayment at the cost of the blood of the closest relatives can resolve the deep hatred and contradictions.
That is to say, whether starting from the theme of the movie or the three protagonists as the center, the final direction is to take the reconciliation of the Song brothers as the sublimation. How can I be forgiven? How to let go of grievances to truly reunite? Only Mark, the brother-like person between the two Song brothers, died. Before his death, Mark entrusted the wish that the Song brothers would be reconciled. This act of risking his life to protect the two not only shocked Song Zihao, but also made Song Zijie finally let go of his old prejudice against his brother.
The Song brothers, although there was a estrangement between the gang police and Song's father's death, but fortunately, Song Zihao's unremitting efforts and Mark's death were repaired, and the two were finally reconciled.
Brother Pony's death is undoubtedly a necessity, and it has also made countless fans feel sad, but it is precisely because of this that this legend has been achieved.
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I accidentally discovered the viewing notes when I watched "The True Color of Heroes", and I will add here:
I feel that the relationship between Song Zihao, Song Zijie and Brother Pony in "The True Color of Heroes" is tangled and twisted. This "twist" is not derogatory, but a kind of charm and wonder of the characters. How should I put it, Brother Xiaoma protects Zihao, and Zihao protects Zijie. With this kind of friendship + his own personality, even if Xiaoma doesn't like Zijie, he will protect him (so in the end, Xiaoma's sacrifice has become inevitable). But in fact, in terms of relationship, Ma Hao's brotherhood from birth to death is more intimate than the brotherhood of heroes who are blood relatives. The brotherhood of these three is a concept of sacrifice, sacrifice and achievement, ignorance and growth. One person's sacrifice and sacrifice for another person finally achieves one person's eternity and two people's growth. Maybe there is some kind of hatred mixed in it? Zijie hated Zihao, but in the end these hatreds were no match for the love of his brother who had protected him for many years. Another very interesting point is Zihao's brotherhood towards Tan Cheng. This is a kind of morality that Zihao himself adheres to. Even after being betrayed by Tan Cheng, he still adheres to it, which is also a rare and precious thing. (2021.11.18)
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