Wen/Yefeixue
In 1976, the Cold War was not over yet. Britain, Italy and West Germany jointly shot a film called "Cassandra Bridge". The audience named it a "disaster film". The filming technique and content of the film became the classic mode of disaster films since then.
The story is actually quite simple. Two terrorists tried to blow up the World Health Organization Experimental Center in Geneva. The operation failed. One of them was shot dead, and the other was infected with the laboratory-contaminated pneumonic plague and escaped to Sweden. Train. In order to ensure that the germs would not spread, the relevant authorities ordered the train to be blocked, and the train was diverted to the Cassandra Bridge, which was in disrepair, artificially creating a rollover accident to conceal the truth.
If people understand the background of the film, they will see subtle things from the story, such as the scheduled journey and the route after the diversion, as well as the various characters who appear on the scene. Although 30 years have passed, we will find many mysteries that do not go by with time. The history is always similar. The reason why this film is great is that it tells us some conventional philosophies. , Including politics that we ordinary people are afraid to avoid.
Let’s take a look at two driving routes: the
original route: Geneva (Switzerland) → Basel (Switzerland) → Paris (France) → Brussels (Belgium) → Amsterdam (Netherlands) → Copenhagen (Denmark) → Stockholm (Sweden)
. Route: Geneva (Switzerland) → Nuremberg (former East Germany) → Cassandra Bridge (Poland).
The two routes are completely unconnected. The original route goes north, but the diverted train goes east. The direction of the diversion is so incredibly different. What is the reason that the train can be ordered to go to the unfamiliar east regardless of the opinions of more than 1,000 passengers?
We have to go back to the beginning of the film. With the sound of the sirens in the World Health Organization building, it was not a Geneva security guard who walked in, but a professional American soldier with the status of a colonel. It turned out that the pneumonic plague bacteria contaminated by terrorists was secretly studied by the United States. They thought that biochemical research in the laboratory of the World Health Organization would not be disturbed, but they did not expect it to be overturned by two intruders. The scandal of the secret development of biological and chemical weapons by the United States must not be leaked. This is the only reason to dominate the fate of the chariot.
We know that the Cold War in 1976 is not over yet. On the vast European continent, countries formed two alliances according to their respective interests: NATO and Warsaw Pact. The rest are neutral countries. The train originally departed from the neutral country of Switzerland to the neutral country of Sweden, but the sudden disaster caused the alliance to collapse suddenly-Basel, Paris, Brussels successively refused the train to stop in their territories, even France and Belgium that belong to NATO are no exception. The train could not disappear out of thin air. The colonel thought of distant Poland. He had an important person who could trade privately. Poland belongs to the Warsaw Pact and is in an extraordinary period of hostility with the United States. But Poland agreed to the colonel's request to allow the train to bypass the Kalba Thousand Mountains, cross the Cassandra Bridge, and arrive at Jarno's isolation zone.
When the news reached the Mercedes-Benz train, the passengers were still chatting about love in a leisurely manner. Let’s take a look at these important figures
who appeared separately: Colonel McCarthy-American soldier, representing politics, military and national interests,
doctor Schena-germ researcher, representing WHO
doctor Chamberlain-saving patients hero, representing conscience and Humanitarian
writer Jennifer-Chamberlain's clever ex-wife, representing love and recording the
old Jewish businessman-representing a generation of survivors of the concentration camp massacre, the
arms dealer wife-representing the powerful class
drug dealer Robbie who made a fortune from war -a former mountaineer , The lover of the arms dealer’s wife, represents the revolutionary speculator, the
black policeman-represents the
sick little girl of the citizen protector under the normal procedures -represents the hope
The infected terrorist came into contact with a large number of people in the compartment. When he died in the luggage room, other passengers had a tendency to become ill. What is interesting is that these two terrorists came from a neutral country of Sweden. If it were today, thirty years later, they must be from Central Asia and speak Arabic.
The doctors Schenna and Chamberlain quickly found a way to control the germs, but the colonel was unwilling to stop the car. The crash in Kadrasan was his decision not to change. The sensitive female writer learned from the suffering of the Jewish old man that Kadrasan is a bridge that cannot bear the weight. But the soldiers guarding the train cut off the idea of stopping, and the passengers on the train could only save themselves. The way of self-rescue was extremely tragic. With a pistol of a black police officer, the passengers fought against the soldiers under the leadership of Chamberlain. Drug dealer Robbie and the black policeman died in battle, and finally the last few carriages were exploded in the self-immolation of the old Jewish man. When the carriage in front rushed through Cassandra, the bridge collapsed and the train fell into the river causing a big explosion. The dead bodies of innocent people floated on the river.
The train did not arrive at the Jarno quarantine area, and the surviving people escaped freely with the germs. The film chose Jarno as the end of the trip because there is the cruelest concentration camp in history. The old Jewish wife and children died there. He ran away for a lifetime and did not want to return to Poland, but he still buried Arno, so he said, "This is fate." The
film wants to express too much, no matter which clue will be Arouse people's questioning and pain. At the end, Colonel McCarthy said to Dr. Schenna: "You have to cherish yourself." This sentence came from kindness, and his painful expression had anticipated the fate of himself and Schenna from now on. Sure enough, the military phone told the audience that the colonel and the doctor were already under military surveillance. Earlier, when McCarthy faced Schena’s reproach, he replied: “Although it is disgraceful to be a soldier now, it’s better to be a soldier now.” And what we know is that the Auschwitz massacre was an important executor. Eichmann defended himself in a court in Jerusalem in 1961: “I execute orders from my superiors. It is the duty of a soldier to execute orders. My hands have no blood stains.” Similar to the incompetence of the World Health Organization, in the U.S. military The front is fragile and vulnerable. A neutral country cannot guarantee the safety of the people, and the laboratory that was supposed to save the dead has become an ideological accomplice. Everything is full of irony, yet so sad.
Twenty years have passed since the end of World War II. Who gave Colonel McCarthy the right to destroy 1,000 innocent people? The plan is so thorough, if it were not for the weak and the people to rise up, the Arno would add more grievances. Producers and directors from Italy, Britain, and West Germany boldly drove trains to Nazi concentration camps, and it goes without saying that they were implying that the American military was no different from the Nazi nature. As long as there is a country, ethnic conflict, and a contest of interests, any life can be sacrificed. This is a fact that we will always face. This fact has nothing to do with war and peace. War and peace are always relative. Under the calm appearance, terrorism and disasters follow each other, and the ultimate injured must be the unarmed people. The more innocent, the more blood will be shed. The final disaster in the film is not pneumonic plague but a political conspiracy. Doctors can control the disease, but they cannot cure the evil of politics.
The bridge to Cassandra really collapsed, how could it not collapse? The dilapidated bridge cannot bear the rolling wheels from the west. The journey to the East was bleak and gloomy. The relocated houses, collapsed churches, and deserted tombs all showed political sequelae. After 1991, Poland quickly joined NATO, and East and West merged into one. I will definitely not choose Poland when I make a disaster film next time.
Just as politics cannot be avoided, we cannot avoid viruses in nature. What comforts people a little is the true feelings in adversity. When the small people face the unavoidable disaster, the only ones who can embrace are the relatives around them. When SARS was raging in 2003, I found that there were more people getting married in Shenzhen. The couples who were planning to hold off for a few years wore wedding rings overnight. Dr. Chamberlain and the writer Jennifer reunited at the time of their deaths, presumably they will not be divorced for the third time. Love is always shown on special occasions. Although drug dealer Robbie has been using the arms dealer’s wife to sell drugs all over Europe, he entrusted her to Jennifer at the moment before jumping the window. This brief sentence is enough to make today’s faith in love lost. Lovers were moved to tears.
The black police gave their lives to save the sick little girl, which heralded a good hope-maybe the world is desperate, but after all, the future is waiting. Van Loon wrote at the end of "Tolerance": "When intolerance like the massacre of innocent prisoners, the burning of widows, and the blind worship of a piece of writing become absurd, the day of tolerance and unity of the world will come. This may take a while. Ten thousand years, it may take one hundred thousand years. However, this day will definitely come, and it will follow the first victory of mankind-the historical victory of conquering one's own fear." But In the reprinted postscript in 1940, he again played a pessimistic tone, "This world is not happy", "Our age is not free from hatred, cruelty, and paranoia!"
I dare not have too much of human nature. Expect that the world is always controlled by evil. When East Germany was disintegrated, the declassified several-kilometer-long file shocked the world. If the CIA releases its secrets to the world one day, it may drive everyone crazy and desperate. How weak and innocent individuals are in the face of the powerful and crazy state apparatus. But we are living in such an age, and there is no other way but to look to God. The doctor said, "The infection rate of germs is 60%. Those who don’t get sick are dependent on their own immunity." The suicide note. I have always insisted not to go to the hospital and let no one know. I am more afraid of the isolation ward than I believe in my own immunity after graduating from medical school. Advance the cremation room. Fortunately, God sheltered me.
No matter what kind of disaster they face, ordinary people have lost their right to choose. Under the dominance of all kinds of evil forces, where can the speeding train go except to the inevitably collapsed Cassandra Bridge?
Thoughts on watching the movie "Kadesangla Bridge" on May 14, 2006
View more about The Cassandra Crossing reviews
