People who watch the depression regain their sense of life little by little. It's beautiful like watching the melting of snow and ice.
In 2017, when "CMBYN" and "120 hits per minute" are filled with expectations, I believe there are still many people like me who have been waiting for this low-key British production-"The Kingdom of God". It swept the four major awards at the British Independent Film Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, and Best Sound Effects. Rotten Tomatoes continued to have a 99% favorable rate in the media. Because of its poetic lens language and Shepherd’s similar settings, it was also called the "British version of Brokeback Mountain".
Its scores on multiple scoring sites in North America even surpassed Brokeback Mountain.
It is difficult not to associate the two in the plot and core, so this article will involve spoilers for both films:)
The Kingdom of God was first used to refer to Wicklow Mountain in British culture, and later developed to refer to Yorkshire, the largest county in the United Kingdom. Yorkshire is the place where the story of the film takes place, and it is also the hometown of director Francis Lee. The story largely comes from his personal experience.
Johnny was a young sheep shepherd in Yorkshire, England. His family divorce and his father had a stroke forced him to give up his free life early and stay on the farm to take care of the sheep. So Johnny was decadent and reckless all day, venting himself through hangovers and jungle cannons, just like a little wolfdog lying in the dark, using a cold shell to resist the status quo of dissatisfaction, and suffocating his fire.
Georgi was an immigrant worker from Romania. He lost his family farm due to business difficulties and became a nomad full of European workers. This winter, he came to Johnny’s farm as a temporary worker. Georgi had fluffy curly hair and a thick beard, and he wore a floppy sweater. He worked slowly and looked like a big sheep at first glance. In fact, he is soft on the outside and strong on the inside. He has a mature understanding and plan for life. His arrival is like a light shining into a cold place.
Like Jack and Ennis in "Brokeback Mountain", the love between Johnny and Georgi germinated because of herding sheep together. God, I almost naively believe that if two restless teenagers are thrown into the mountains to put sheep for a week, love will be hatched.
When the cold night came, the shepherd lay down guarding the flock. I can’t tell whether it’s cold or dry. Everyone didn’t fall asleep, but tried their best to act as if they were asleep, like two cautious males, listening to the subtle and audible breathing in the air, intercepting each other’s emotions and intentions. , Waiting for an opportunity. The lack of dialogue makes every temptation tense, restrained and craving.
The two also paid tribute to Brokeback Mountain in many places during their days on the mountain. For example, when Johnny turned a deaf ear to Georgi, who was rubbing himself behind him, he was actually slapped to death in his heart:
And the young man's heart, can scuffle without saying a word:
In the end, it's not about being naked in the mountains and having sex/love:)
This also reminds me of Ellio and Oliver who happen to be lingering in the mountains ("Call Me by Your Name").
Probably good love is similar, and unfortunate love has its own misfortune.
The bottom of Brokeback Mountain in 1963 was the bane of heresy , and the kingdom of heaven in 2015 was the death of reality . The euro's decline has intensified, agricultural subsidies have decreased, livestock input costs have been too high, and profits have fallen sharply. According to the annual report on farm income that year, the total income of British farms in 2015 has fallen to the lowest value in the past ten years. At this time, the United Kingdom is still embarking on Brexit, which will obviously deal a heavy blow to traditional agriculture and animal husbandry that has long been integrated into the European market.
This is why Georgi always emphasized that "the farm cannot survive." The two had differences on this issue and parted ways with each other. This film reflects the reality of the British farm economy, immigration and other practical issues in a small way. Even the identity and relationship of the two male protagonists can be seen as an allusion of Brexit.
Fortunately, the following plot did not repeat the same-sex tragedies. This is also the most gratifying part of the movie:
Two men, with a small house, run a common farm, and graze sheep together every day.
This was Jack's lifelong wish in Brokeback Mountain, but he was beaten to death by anti-comers with this wish that could never be realized.
So "Brokeback Mountain" became a lingering pain in the audience's heart. Twelve years later, "The Kingdom of Heaven" made up for this pain in a gentle way.
There are still mountains, flocks of sheep, campfires, canned beans stewed on the fire, and young people who have sex with bare butts in the dirt. The difference is that the time has changed from winter to summer, and wild flowers are quietly blooming at the foot of the mountain. The gypsy warm man said I am willing.
When Johnny had exactly the same wishes as Jack back then, he drove to Georgi, perhaps only a few tens of miles away, but what he had crossed was the changing trajectory of LGBT living conditions for more than half a century.
When the two male protagonists can be in the brightest place on the construction site, they can talk to each other without fear of others, kiss with tears, and embrace each other for a long, long time. On the bus returning home, he fell into a sweet dream with his shoulder without burden, with a smile on his lips. This is something Jack and Ennis will never be able to do.
It is not so much personal courage as it is the courage of the times.
At this point, I realized that the essence of "The Kingdom of God" lies in two words- change . Johnny turned from depravity to light, father-son relationship from tense to peaceful, social relationship from chaos to bright, life, farm, and secularity were all changing for the better. The arc of the characters is also the arc of the times.
Although it is impossible to surpass "Brokeback Mountain", "The Kingdom of God" is still a precious movie. Its preciousness lies in beauty.
As the saying goes, every age has a Brokeback Mountain, and the endings on the mountain are different. They echoed each other like the spreading flames, telling the world:
It gets better.
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[This article was first published in the Barcelona movie app]
A supplement:
I want to specifically introduce the ending song of this film, The Days-Patrick Wolf. The lyrics are so touching:
Have we gone too far or did we get too close? Forgive me, Father, I've no son, here come, ghost Forgive me, Father, I've no son, here come, ghost I promise I' ll meet you I promise that I will continue the front with you I'll meet you at the end of the days I'll meet you at the end of the days The days, passing days Won't you meet me at the end of the days?
The creator Xiaolang is also a very talented all-rounder. From ukulele to viola, violin and accordion, there are almost no instruments he can't know. The style combines modern electronic music and classical chamber music, often with a bard-like texture. Regarding sexuality, Xiaolang tends to double, but he doesn’t care about these categories at all. He once replied: “Just like I don’t know whether my next album will be death metal or a nursery rhyme, I don’t know whether I will end up with A horse, a woman, or a man. Can we make it simple?". Super cool. Read and recite well.
(PS is really puzzled by our company's behavior of not signing the author. Anyway feels like this film review and just click [useful] to let me know, thanks to Dingga who read here)
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