Sad and Great Gypsy Ballad

Dolores 2022-10-28 21:59:22

Personal interest in the Gypsy (now known as Roma) nation probably begins with Notre Dame. Esmeralda's beauty, kindness, deceit and tragic ending seemed to set the tone for my understanding of this nation.
And the irrepressible desire to start anew to explore the nation's past may have begun in the "underground" of Kusturica. Although the nation did not appear in earnest, the gypsy music and the way the Wanderers performed as one of its highlights did give me a very strong feeling. After watching Kusturica positive description of the Gypsies in two films: as a comedy "Black Cat and White Cat" and as a tragedy "Song of the Wanderer". In my eyes, the former is a skit-style tragicomedy of Gypsy life, and the latter is a heavy Gypsy epic, which is quite different. And the charm of gypsy music also reached its peak in "Song of the Wanderer".
One of the great things about this work is that most of the actors are native gypsies. The grandma with her thoughts written on her face, the good neighbors (these two are also the protagonists of "Black Cat and White Cat"), the foolish protagonist, the uncle who is not successful but still a little warm, and the protagonist's shrew mother-in-law, and everyone. Their acting skills cannot be evaluated because their performances are all real. What I felt the most was the first two tears my grandmother shed, which were completely real and uncontrived performances. Even I, a viewer in front of a TV, in that kind of music, in that parting scene, thinking about the history of the gypsies, got a bit of a sore nose.
Another great thing about this work is the music. The celebratory gypsy music that has appeared many times in Kusturica's films is rare, and the two most vocal pieces appear here. One is the background music during the celebration, and the other is the song performed by the small neighborhood band during parting. Grandma was crying twice, I don't know if it was a coincidence or intentional. Both songs show the high-pitched characteristics of gypsy music, and what I hear in this high-pitched music is sadness and helplessness of resignation, and maybe a little happiness in the wandering life. Satisfied, I don't know if it is preconceived relationships.
Another point I want to say is the inheritance of the Gypsies history shown in the film. I don’t know if the inheritance of the form is a metaphor in the film. At the beginning of the film, the protagonist, who had no parents at a very young age, lived with his grandmother and his second-rate uncle; at the end of the film, the son of the protagonist, who had no parents at a very young age, lived with his "grandmother" and a lame aunt. The inheritance of this tragic life, no matter who is responsible, is an issue that history should reflect on.
At the end of the day, I suddenly thought of my grandmother's smile. Her smile was exaggerated, as if she hadn't laughed in a long time. She really couldn't close her mouth. She laughed so much that nothing on the screen no longer existed in my eyes. Go see this movie, you will find that even grandma's laugh can make you move.

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