"Through time and space" and "parallel universe", two astronomical terms, are used repeatedly in love movies. The core is the question of confronting Socrates: if time can be reversed, there is still room for love.
The French love movie "To My Strange Lover" (formerly known as "Goodbye Love") tells a story of goodbye love in a parallel time and space. Known as the French version of "Want to See You", it was released in France on April 3, 2019, and has been confirmed for release in mainland China.
In an unexpected time travel, the successful best-selling author Raphael becomes a mediocre middle school Chinese teacher, and his wife Olivia turns from a housewife to a famous pianist. In the new time and space, the two people have never met each other. Huge identity gap, different social status, the protagonist in the process of looking for his wife, also awakened the sleeping love and realized the true meaning of life.
1. The premise of love is to believe
Borges has a profound description of the parallel universe in "The Garden of Forking Paths", "Most of the time, we do not exist; at some times, there is you without me; at other times, there is me And without you; in some time, you and I both exist." The author expresses strong pessimism in the book, the world is uncertain, choices are meaningless, and fate is elusive.
The values of "To My Strange Lover" are quite the opposite. There may be countless timelines, but I am still sure that you will fall in love with me.
This strong view of the world is the charm of love. Just like the ancient Chinese poem, "What is love? It teaches life and death." become sunny.
The protagonist travels to a different universe, convinced that the pianist will fall in love with him again. He said: "I know everything about her. She likes Hardy's "Love Time" best. Love Woody Allen. Hate pepito. Love the little madeleines in the green packaging. Love the espresso unsweetened black coffee. When the nerves were tense, she would tremble. She always changes her mind at the last minute. She likes to sleep wrapped in a duvet. If she kisses his ear after a fight, it means she forgives him.
It is said that love makes people stupid, which is rooted in this blind optimism. The male protagonist's overconfidence leads to self-defeating, and staged scenes that are ridiculous. When the male protagonist approached the female protagonist pretending to be a biographer, he found that the female protagonist did not like the little madeleine cake, and did not like the espresso and unsweetened black coffee.
The excellence of the film is that it does not stop at ridicule, but reveals the belief that love will change habits, that is, "Love House and Wu". Only then did the husband understand that the wife likes it because the husband likes it. She changed her hobbies for him in that world, and he took everything for granted.
2. The essence of love is art
Why does the hero go to great lengths to return to his original world? There, he was a best-selling author, repeatedly appeared on the cover of fashion magazines, and his fans were clamoring for him, and he was a veritable success. As Raphael became famous, he believed that he had created money for the family and improved the family situation, so he should be accommodated by his wife. The fact that we want the other to change for us implicitly implies that humans use themselves as an exchangeable commodity.
The film records the sweet romance of the two people in condensed footage. At that time, they achieved each other, but they were in love with each other in poverty. When we get used to each other's giving and force each other to give more, love will collapse.
Coming to the new world, the film splits two main lines. The bright line is to find a window to return to the old world, and the dark line is to save the love that exists in name only. Here, the protagonist has to learn that love is not something to be taken for granted. Love is not only a whole-hearted devotion, but also the ability to pursue one's self.
Everyone goes through this transformation throughout their lives.
In the movie "Charlotte Trouble", the male protagonist suffered repeated setbacks in real life. After returning to the past, he reached the pinnacle of his life through music, and he also had the coveted school flower Qiuya. However, he was not happy. Before his death, he discovered that love has nothing to do with material wealth. Love is essentially an act of will, a commitment to another person with one's own life.
In fact, "going back to the past to change the original" and "crossing parallel time and space" are the same. The former is essentially dissatisfaction with one’s own status quo, implying that if one insisted on a certain choice, the life situation would definitely be different; the latter is an enlarged treatment of choice phobia, and we do not know what consequences our decision will have. , guessing that the outcome might be better if chosen that way.
The film deliberately criticizes this notion of alienation of man. Whether the other party is an obscure middle school teacher or a brilliant writer, the heroine doesn't care, he appreciates an interesting soul. This person can accompany her to cry, accompany her to wander the world, accompany her to swim in the sea, and accompany her to share the ups and downs of life.
The foundation of love is respect
Seeing the two fall in love again, the audience has a question in their hearts. In order to return to his own world, the male protagonist tried his best to "fall in love with each other". Is this true love?
At the end of the movie, Raphael, who was winning, just had to wait for a heavy snow. Sure enough, snowflakes that had traveled through time and space floated in the sky. If the movie stops abruptly here, then it is an ordinary soap opera, and the male protagonist is a cheating "scumbag".
At the end, there is a piano session again, and the male protagonist comes to the female protagonist's concert and listens carefully to "Fourth Chopin Impromptu". What a long-lost scene. The first time I met in high school, my wife played this piece of music. They ran across the campus together, tasted food together, traveled the world together, spent spring, summer, autumn and winter together... The beautiful scenes of the past flashed before us, and the tears finally couldn't stop flowing.
Until this moment, Raphael completely realized love. His wife played the piano just for him, and he was the only audience in his heart. Every time she participated in a concert, her eyes searched for her husband. It's a pity that he forgot these, and she gave up her career.
Fromm said in "The Art of Love" that falling in love with someone is not just a strong feeling, but a decision, a judgment, a commitment.
The male protagonist decides to give up and return, he completes the breakup with material desires, and he devotes himself to this love once again.
The movie ends beautifully, with the wife rushing out of the recital hall and the two lovers hugging each other tightly.
As a romantic comedy, "To My Strange Lover" is great for couples to watch. Its language is lively, the dialogue is interesting, with a unique French romance, and it also condenses the French view of love.
Love is not a once-and-for-all battle, but a lifetime of cultivation. In the long married life, remind us to firmly believe that "falling in love with you is my luckiest thing".
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