one. Labov's narrative analysis mode
1. Abstract point & Orientation points to the
narrative background: The story takes place in Greece in the late 1980s. The siblings of a single-parent family, Vera and Alexander, live with their mother.
The origin of the narrative: The mother told the siblings that their father lives in Germany. The younger brother Alexander always dreamed of his father in his dreams, and the two siblings decided to embark on the path of finding their father.
The metaphor of the theme idea: The film begins to recite the "Bible-Genesis" story to the younger brother in the dark. It began to emerge from the sea, then rivers and lakes emerged. Then mountains began to appear, followed by flowers and trees, animals were also made one after another, and birds began to sing..." A
metaphor for the theme of the film-a question about the search for life The story of origin.
The truth is revealed: the siblings were taken off the train by the flight attendant because they did not have a train ticket, tossed around, and handed over to their uncles. From the uncle’s mouth, they learned that "Father is in Germany" was just a lie of the mother. The truth is that they are just this. The illegitimate child of a man in the world.
Facing the truth, the attitude adopted by the sisters and brothers: insist on going to Germany to find the father.
Obstacles encountered on the road: ① Money: no money to buy train tickets and was taken off the bus by the flight attendants; no money and no food, to endure hunger; the troupe had no money to rent theater performances, and ultimately could not make a living, had to sell costumes to disband the troupe; Austrian Lesters sells his beloved motorcycle and sells his body in a gay bar.
② Threats from strangers: Vera was raped by a truck driver and lost her virginity; from initially distrusting Orestes to seeking his help, Vera had a delicate relationship with the enthusiastic and handsome Ao, but she Her first love ended in Ou's betrayal, which deepened Vera's distrust of humanity.
③ Threats to shake faith: the police chase, the child's behavior is not supported; the disclosure of the truth, shakes the belief in finding the father; the indifference of the world; the hardship of the journey.
Growth: ① Vera: After experiencing the psychological process of giving up and being firm, I understand that it is shameful to betray your beliefs. In
after she was raped, the body is very tired psychology was hit, had to give up Finding Father read
head. Alexander was strongly opposed, and accused her of betraying her, she felt ten
points ashamed.
Deeply understand the importance of money, and learned how to trade money. In order to obtain two
train tickets through the border , she made a request to a strange man, exchanging beauty for money.
② Alexander: Selling labor to the restaurant owner in exchange for hot dogs.
Learned to take care of my sister during the journey. At the end of the story, they arrived in Germany. He comforted his
sister and told her the story of "Bible-Genesis"
that the film began to be heard by her sister .
2. Complication Dispute & Evaluation Comment on the
beautiful fantasy: the first time I got on the train to find my father, the brothers and sisters embraced and celebrated happily.
On the train, Vera wrote to his father in his heart: telling his missing father to his father whom he had never met, expressing his firmness in the ideal of seeking a father.
Blocked for the first time: Taken off the car because he didn't have the money to buy a ticket.
Second time blocked: I learned the truth from my uncle, and without a German father, they were just illegitimate children. And taken
to the police station, they will be sent home.
Get rid of the shackles of reality: Escaped smoothly at the police station, and the two brothers and sisters held hands and ran towards their faith bravely.
On the train, Alexander wrote to his father in his heart: expressing his firm belief in meeting his father.
Blocked for the third time: Behind them are people celebrating the wedding with cheerful songs and happy dances, and there is a dying horse lying in front of them. Feeling death for the first time, feeling the cruel contrast of reality.
Encountered a stranger for the first time: Orestes-warm, friendly, gentle, young and handsome, Vera never trusted him to trust, and then longed to get warmth and support from him, but finally left sad . There is a desperate and confused heart hidden under Orestes' youthful appearance.
When the troupe couldn’t find the theater, Orestes said: “They are very sad. The times are different. All people and things have
changed. Over time, they have been broken and replaced. The whole of Greece is like this... The same drama"
blocked for the fourth time (meeting a stranger for the second time): Vera was raped by a truck driver and lost her virginity.
Vera wrote to her father on the train for the second time: her conviction was shaken and she began to doubt whether it made sense. But Alexander was accused of betraying his younger brother, and he was ashamed.
Fifth blocked: The police pursued, escaped smoothly with the help of Orestes, and developed ignorant
feelings with him .
Counterattack: Vera wants to exchange his body for the train ticket to Germany.
3. Resolution outcome
Vera and Alexander cross the German border, illegal immigration to the other side.
The outdated Greek theatre company became a seller and became a distribution.
4. Code responded
that they reached the other side in the thick fog. Through the thick fog, they saw a tree on the other shore. The siblings rushed over to hug the tree tightly. The tree-symbolizes that they have found the origin of life.
2. Explanation of important details
1. The two children boarded the long-distance train, with cheerful music, they hugged each other to celebrate their success. A good starting point placed their long-cherished dreams to come true. At this moment, they would not know that the road to Germany is very long...
2. At the police station, there was a heavy snow outside, and people ran out to watch the snow. . A mad woman said, "The rope around his neck fell." After that, Vera and Alexander escaped from the police station and ran together in the heavy snow.
It is a metaphor that the siblings got rid of the shackles of the reality and rushed to their faith bravely.
3. Wedding and death, the cruel contrast of reality, the happy and holy songs of the wedding and the happy dancing people. The dead horse on the side of the road and Alexander's sad cries. It expresses the powerlessness and compassion of the children, and the people of joy are indifferent to this and no one cares about it.
4. Alexander relied on the labor of tidying up the restaurant in exchange for a hot dog, Alexander's growth performance.
5. The seaside theater troupe happily rehearsed and waited for the announcement of the theater performance. As a result, the theater owner ran to tell them that the show had been cancelled and the theater was only rented out to dancers at a high price. The siblings witnessed all this and made them feel the importance of money in this era.
6. Vera was raped by a truck driver. In the long, long shot, one-third of the still picture occupies the back of the truck. Under Vera's skirt was left the blood symbolizing a woman's virginity. She touched the blood with her fingers and gently smeared the shape of her hand with the blood on the wall of the car. So far, Vera lost her virginity on the way to find her father. It is a sign of her growth.
7. Vera has ignorant feelings for Orestes. But he was ashamed to express, and didn't know how to express. A man squatted by the sea and wept.
At the station, with eager eyes, I hope Orestes can stay with her for a while.
At night, wearing pajamas, walked quietly into Orestes' room.
8. Vera held Orestes and wept bitterly. After receiving Orestes' comfort, he quietly left him. Shows Vera's fragile side as a woman. I was traumatized by my heart, and I was sad to die. When I cried, I found that everything would pass, and no matter how great the pain was, it would be healed. It is also a sign of Vera's growth.
9. Vera knew that if he had no ticket at the border, he would be taken off the train, so he used his body as a bargaining chip to trade with the man for the price of two tickets. The man was ashamed and finally gave up. Shows Vera's maturity and knows how to deal with the beauty of money.
10. Finally, Vera and Alexander finally reached the border of Germany, as long as they crossed a river to reach Germany. There is a small boat on the shore. Before getting on the boat, Vera asked Alexander "Are you afraid?" his brother replied, "Not afraid." The best proof that Vera and Alexander have grown up!
3. Explanation of key symbols
1. Long shot-silence creates an atmosphere of depression and sadness
2. Fog-symbolizes children's eyes to see the world. The fog conceals the cruelty of reality. The process of children's growth is to see life through the fog. process.
3. Melancholic blue-the blue of the sea and the sky not only creates visual sadness, but also symbolizes
the marine civilization that originated in Greece . It
is a bit far-fetched to say that the theme of the film is to express the feelings for the decline of "Greek civilization" , but I have to admit that the overall narrative of the film is
unfolded under this social background, and people are cast with sentimental feelings.
4. Father-symbolizes faith, but also symbolizes the origin of life and the origin of culture.
5. The obsolete Greek theatre company-the obsolete Greek culture, and its embarrassing situation.
6. It is snowing-a beautiful symbol.
7. The storm-a huge obstacle.
8. The dead horse-a child's powerless heart of compassion.
9. Negative film-symbolizes empty and unrealistic ideals.
10. The river smuggling across Germany-symbolizing the ferry where Vera and Alexander grew up. After crossing the river, they escaped from childhood obscurity and reached the other side of "adults".
4. The binary opposition in the film
1. The beauty of children's ignorance-the cruel reality of growing up
2. The recollection and retention of Greek civilization-the irreversible background of the times
3. The idealization of beliefs-the cruel reality
4. The society regards the preciousness of virginity-growing society will inevitably seize virginity
5. Children's innocence-the evil of adults
6. The pursuit of the beautiful essence of human nature-the distortion of human nature under the cruel social reality
7. The desire for God-doubting God Psychology of whether it exists.
5. The overall analysis.
In an article commemorating the Polish film master Kieslowski, “
A Glimpse of Fragments of Love ”, Liu Xiaofeng said that “Angelopoulos is a A narrative thinker that surpasses ordinary artists.
He is like an ancient Greek poet or philosopher, using his own lens language to record the joys and sorrows of the world, and
think about the unchanging situation of human beings on the earth. He takes the life of the times. The sensibility of hard thinking is like a
ray of compassionate sunlight penetrating through the damp and misty fog. "Yes, Angelopoulos
tells a story about growth, belief, and civilization of the times with the sentimental compassion of a Greek poet . He
expressed his thoughts on growth in modern society from a sentimental perspective .
Everyone can feel the suffering that Vera and Alexander experienced when they grew up. Their
silence is like the loneliness experienced in their youth. Silent and stubborn teenagers-little lone rangers, their hearts desire to communicate with others but are afraid of contact with others. Even in the face of the hurt in growing up, he still chooses to accept silently. The red blood shed under Vera's skirt, and the ceremony of coming of age memorialized her in a unique way, deeply imprinting the cruelty of growth.
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