At first, I didn't like this rigid, bitter-looking man too much. Especially the way he's overwhelmed and silly when he's messing around with his wife, Sylvia, makes me think this man is too suffocated. I also admire Cuan Fu's performance, he made me completely unable to associate him with the arrogant Shen Xia who speaks as fast as a train in the play. In comparison, Xiao Xia is a simple, rambunctious big boy, while Christopher is a restrained and mature man. He knows that he does not belong to that era, but he insists on his own values. Christopher represents the values of an era, which are integrity, self-denial, loyalty and responsibility. This value may seem pedantic, but it is also beautiful. But in the process of the industrial revolution, in the context of World War I, when the old and the new alternated, Britain was in chaos, and human nature was lost. In a new era, new values will inevitably emerge, replacing old traditions. Therefore, this play-Parade's End, the end of the queue, can also be translated as the end of honor, which actually refers to an era, the end of a value.
In fact, he really loves his wife. Especially when he looked at her flirting with others in the crowd, although he didn't look, his eyes were clearly painful and forbearance. Especially when he was sniffing his wife's nightgown, the attachment was written on his face. The most moving is when the wife told him that she had not touched other men for five years for him, and that she had been waiting for him, the fragility, surprise, and emotion on his face exploded in an instant, this is me. My favorite scene in the whole show, but it was a pity that it was ruined by the men who were thinking about fooling around with his wife. He never knew how to love her. He thinks that his wife's debauchery is because of being hurt by a man, so he wants to take revenge on another man, which is understandable, but he doesn't know that his wife is so noisy to get his attention. What she wanted was his anger, but he gave her forbearance and tolerance.
She also loves him, if not, she will not tease him in front of him, she will not be proud of her husband before and after, saying that he is the last decent man in England. It's a pity she doesn't know how to get along with him. She knew that her husband had a noble soul, knowledge and wisdom, but she didn't understand and didn't cherish what he thought was beautiful. She has never calmed down and walked into his world, to listen and appreciate. What's more, the tree he loved, the cedar that represented family, tradition, beauty and dreams, she just cut it down! Finally pushed her husband who loved her but didn't understand her to the woman he loved and understood.
He also loves Valentine, who is similar to him and has the same heart. For her, he knows how to pay, but because of his family and marriage responsibilities, he wants to love but cannot love her. I still remember that in the thick fog, V and him happened to touch each other. He could have kissed her, but he restrained it; the night before returning to the battlefield, the two had already made an appointment, but they ran outside for a walk because of an uninvited guest. C has always been restrained and did not go to the hotel to open a room, which should be considering V's reputation and the honor of the family.
What an awkward man he is! Just because he had a relationship with Sylvia on the train, even if he wasn't sure whose child S was pregnant with, even if he deduced that he was the one she was looking for, he thought he was responsible for marrying her, and he went his own way. Doted on her, even let her come back after she eloped. He was gentle and attentive to the child who did not know who his father was, because he was separated from the child with tears in his eyes; he gave generously to the lack of friends without asking for anything in return; when friends and mistresses poured dirty water on him, he did not scold him. Although the heart is like a mirror. He obviously had no mistress, and he clearly had no pro-morality (during the First World War), but he did not defend the slander of others. For this reason, he lost his right to inherit and lived a poor life, but he was willing to do so, but he was sad that his father did not trust him. Seeing him suffer from pneumonia, his face is pale, and he is still carrying it in the trenches, pity his subordinates, pity his horses, and make a bet with his comrades that he will write a sonnet in three minutes for his subordinates to dare to confront his superiors, when he sniffs his wife's nightgown , when he finally broke out into a small universe and hugged his wife in the hotel (this scene is so charming, but unfortunately too short), when he missed V in the bugle sound, his charm gradually exuded, this aggrieved man, in fact, has a chest There is great love.
Too many people don't understand him, thinking that he is hypocritical, rigid, and stupid. In fact, he is a knight who understands that he does not belong to this era, but insists on his beliefs. He's not Don Quixote, he knows what's going on. He just loves the good things of tradition too much. He would rather be broken jade than full of tiles. In fact, I like him as much as Cunfu. Because of honor, loyalty, diligence, tolerance, love, and responsibility, there is no era that does not need it. Maybe the form will change, but it would be so sad if it did end.
I can understand Sylvia, but I am even more fortunate that he met V, the woman who went to march for women's rights, but knew that her happiness had nothing to do with it. She was willing to exchange her whole life for C's one hour of happiness. I was truly relieved when she said that.
I am also amazed at Cuan Fu's acting skills. He used his understanding and interpretation to make the audience wrestle with him.
Cumford said he was in love with Christopher, saying:
"I love Christopher's character more than any other character I've played. I sympathize with his love, responsibility and virtue in the face of hypocrisy, selfish mediocrity The wisdom of his generation, his appreciation for the good things and his loyalty to his country. He is deeply sentimental about the way of life corrupted by money, intrigue and politicians, the ineffective military system and the unscrupulousness of the industrialization process. He is A noble man, an accidental hero who fought for the right, a man who was out of step with the times, struggling with political and economic injustice."
-- Benedict Cumberbatch
"I have such a huge affection for Christopher, more so than almost any other character I've ever played. I sympathise with his care, sense of duty and virtue, his intelligence in the face of hypocritical, self serving mediocrity, his appreciation of quality and his love for his country. He mourns a way of life that is being eroded by money, schemers and politicians, ineffectual military boobies and the carelessness of man's industrialised progress. He is a noble if accidental hero fighting for relevance, a man out of time who is struggling with political and economic injustice.
And I, too, fell in love with this twisted man.
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