Loneliness, I believe everyone has experienced it personally. You can't see it, you can't grasp it, it's invisible but it's real. On a deserted street in the middle of the night, on a bored Sunday, or even in a cheering crowd, we can always feel the presence of loneliness.
"The Mountain of the Virgin" shows us another way of deducing loneliness.
Fúsi is an Icelandic film. When you mention Iceland, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Nordic island country? Polar landscape? Or the beautiful and capable former Prime Minister of Iceland who led a lady of the same sex to visit China?
No matter which picture, it adds a mysterious and free romantic color to Iceland, which makes people yearn for it.
The name of the hero of the film is Fúsi (Fossi). As an Icelander, he is neither mysterious nor romantic. He is an airport porter who is over a year old and lives between the airport and his home every day. Monotonous life. Let's refine keywords for Fúsi's people: uncle, fat man, dead house, single dog.
He combines all the characteristics of an older single dog, sloppy, taciturn, dull... oh, yes, I need to add another one, and he still lives with his mother to this day.
Fúsi has only two hobbies after living for so long: 1. Playing the World War II sand table model with his only good friend; 2. Driving alone to the lake, sitting in the car and watching the scenery while listening to heavy metal music. The radio guys all remember him and his preferences.
He protects himself with kindness and responds to doubts with silence. Nothing seemed to hurt him, nothing seemed to really invade his world.
Then, will he feel lonely when he is so ignorant to the outside world? - Yes, he will.
He felt it when he saw unused utensils on the opposite side of the table in a Thai restaurant he frequented.
Not understood, no one to talk to, always alone... very lonely.
After watching the entire film, I often wonder why Fúsi, who is used to one person, suddenly became interested in getting to know and get along with another person, probably because of Sjofin's sunflower-like smile, which made him unconscious. want to get close, want to make some changes for her. Stupidly, he would actually order a lyrical and romantic song for her, "Island in the River" sung by the American country music evergreen Dolly Parton.
When everything seems to be going well, the movie is reluctant to meet audience expectations for a happy ending. The reality is that everyone must have his troubles, even those who seem bright on the surface.
And when Sjoffin finally got out of depression, they spent a sweet night together. The next morning, when the sun shone through the pink curtains on the two of them, Fúsi felt that something had changed quietly.
However, life is always full of "yet"s.
Sjofin's feelings for Fúsi are not love, but the inertia of people who choose to rely on the people around them when they are vulnerable. Fúsi is so warm and harmless, asking for nothing in return, she relies on him, appreciates him, but doesn't love him. Our hero just dropped his luggage in such a dramatic way, picked it up again and left.
But instead of blaming her, he gave her the usual, milky, warm hug.
Seeing this, many people may think that Fúsi is too stupid and paid so much for being used as a spare tire. In fact, he is not only helping others, but also helping himself. He found redemption in Sjofin, a redemption for his previously closed soul. Now, he can finally open his heart and embrace the world.
On the flight to the outside world, Fúsi finally smiled.
At this point, the film "The Mountain of the Virgin" is over. The tone of the whole movie is very quiet, and the background music and lines are few compared to other plot movies, especially the male lead Fúsi who can't speak without speaking.
Therefore, in such a quiet background, we can hear Fúsi's breathing and chewing, the rubbing of the clothes when the characters move, and even the sound of breathing and freezing outdoors...
There are no breathless and tearful eyes, some just A touch of emotion, as well as the perception of examining life. It is such a bland and quiet daily life, such an ordinary and silent male protagonist, who found himself at the age of forty, and began to be willing to face the outside world, accept others, and strive for what he really wanted.
The film's director and screenwriter, Dag Kali, was born in Paris, France, and settled in Iceland with his parents at the age of 3. This kind of life experience makes his works often show the coldness of Northern Europe and the romance of Western Europe at the same time. The two elements combine into a wonderful sense of beauty—cold but with a steady stream of warmth oozing out.
I recommend another high-scoring Icelandic film "Icebergs to Tropical Islands" written and directed by him. If "The Virgin Mountain" tells the story of lonely middle-aged change, then "Icebergs to Tropical Islands" is about loneliness The youth's growth journey is a mixture of sadness and optimism, and Dag Cali's own style is undoubtedly revealed in this film.
What Dag Kali wants to express is never loneliness and sentimentality. He wants to tell the audience through the film that loneliness is never something that others can help overcome. As long as you want, you can be full at any time, full of longing and hope for the future. .
Are you in front of the screen also touched, ready to go out for a walk to meet your Sjoffin?
Finally, God bless the single dog!
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