"Revolutionary Past" is the first step in Leonardo's past trilogy, but it is the last one I read. A few years ago at the China Film Archive, I heard Yang Dalin talk eloquently about Morricone's film music. The film I watched was "1900" ("The Pianist at Sea"), but it mainly talked about the soundtrack of the trilogy. I believe that all viewers who have watched the trilogy of the past will not forget the shocking effect that the melancholy and sad soprano's light woo brought to the whole film. The girl in "Once Upon a Time in America" boarded the platform of the Hollywood train, whistling, white smoke, and the soprano's soft whimper --; in "Once Upon a Time in the West" the beautiful widow stepped off the train and shuttled through the desolate station, unable to find a place to pick her up Husband, Huangsha, Gufeng, the soprano's soft woo--; there are also the classic passages in "Revolutionary Past", handsome men and beautiful convertibles, soprano's soft woo--. Because I watched too many clips, and listened to and read many comments, there was always something latent when I watched and wrote, so I put it off again and again, until I finished watching the film on a gloomy afternoon in the rain in Hangcheng. .
Americans translated A Fistful of Dynamite into Once Upon a Time... the Revolution, and the Chinese became "Revolutionary Past"; and the title of "A Bomb" is obviously a bit joking, just like A Fistful of Dollars "A handful of gold coins" ”, it doesn’t seem so solemn. There are revolutions in the film, of course, and more than one. A past Irish revolution, an ongoing Mexican revolution. Revolution is a topic that is too hot, bloody, and tense, so people don't know where to start, so maybe starting from the four flashbacks in the film can be regarded as a beginning.
Sean's Revolution
In the first paragraph, Juan, the head of the cottage robbery, saw Sean's professional blasting ability, and asked Sean to go to Mesa Verde to rob a bank with him. Juan and John, "That's... um... oh... ah, God's will." In Juan's opinion, these two names are natural partners, and they should be born together to make a fortune together. Then there are Sean's memories: a young gentleman with handsome friends who are also young, driving a convertible, behind a beautiful girl, the friend is driving, and the girl comes up to kiss him, the friend elbows him After hitting Sean who was kissing a few times, one leather shoe stepped on the other, and the convertible veered away and continued to drive forward. Sean recalled here saying, no.
In the second paragraph, Sean hides in the crowd and sees the betrayed doctor sitting in the car and identifying the revolutionaries. The flashback is that a friend in a hotel in Ireland identifies his partner. One by one, the companions are taken away. Sean turns his back to his friend. But friends can see Sean in the mirror. The soldier's mouth is probably asking "Is he?" The camera closes up the face of Sean in the mirror, that nervous and twisted face. Maybe there are too many such tensions and twists. The meaning of : Betray the anger of your companions, "should not betray your friends", etc., etc., perhaps people's psychology is completely confused at that moment! Then, in the mirror, he saw his friend nod slowly, slowly. The tense and twisted face was even more painful, and at this time it was probably more resentment for betrayal. Then Sean turned around and pointed the gun at the enemy.
In the third paragraph, Sean confronted the doctor, and the doctor argued: Do you want me to commit suicide? I am alive now and still continue the revolution. I've been beaten, so I know. The flashback is: the friend's bruised face, those eyes for survival, the hands in the pockets, the slightly twitching lips. Sean pulled the trigger in pain, and the friend collapsed with his face and mouth contorted.
In the fourth paragraph, before Sean died, he recalled the scene where he chased and played with his friends and girlfriends. Sean chased after the girl, kissed the girl lightly, and then a friend came over and watched them kiss, Sean turned his back and didn't look at his friend, and then the friend kept slapping Sean on the shoulder, Sean looked back at his friend, then With an indescribable look, he kissed the girl lightly, moved away, and finally settled on an embarrassed smile.
In these flashbacks, the girl has no special expression to the two men, and their expressions are all cheerful. But in the first flashback, in the convertible the girl kisses Sean. The three may be good friends, and both men and girls like it. But how strange, a girl can only like one, how can she like two at the same time? Sean's embarrassed smile was probably speechless. In the end, he and the battlefield turned into ashes, leaving Juan alone. What would Juan be, "General." Sean said.
The revolutionary kiss
Sean at the beginning of the revolution believed in everything, in love, in friendship, and in revolution. However, in the revolution, friendship was betrayed, and love did not know where. So he stopped believing in revolution, and even stopped fighting for the "girl's" kiss. He no longer took the lead in the revolution, but stood behind Juan. There are at least three scenes where he pushes Juan to the front and lets the crowd hold him up, and Juan is a hero who doesn't want to be a hero, he just wants money. Finally, he said Juan "my friend" and you would be the general. Sean in the flashback, watching his friend kiss the girl, that awkward smile showing his gums, is destined for him to no longer compete for the revolutionary kiss.
At first, the girl's kiss made the shoes of the two men begin to compete with each other, and the convertible veered off the track, but it was still driving. However, the moment he saw his friend nod slowly in the mirror, the anger of betraying his friendship made him pull the trigger, even if he saw his friend's survival eyes and the corners of his mouth twitching. No matter who it is, the betrayal or the betrayed, it is pain. Killing a friend - even though the friend has betrayed him, this in itself has distorted the ego. So, when Sean confronts the betrayed doctor, he says "I don't judge you" because judgment is also pain. The doctor chose to commit suicide, and Sean told Juan that he died great.
For that one kiss, the best of human nature is distorted. Discord of friends; betrayal of friends; even myself, have become at a loss. Should the traitor be judged, or something else?
The kiss that came up
Juan didn't want revolution, he just wanted money. He took his family to rob, just for more money. Like a child, he fantasized about robbing Mesa Verde and getting lots and lots of gold. But he's taken advantage of by Sean, who storms the bank, frees the political prisoner, and becomes a hero of the revolution from ignorance.
During the revolution, all his sons, even the youngest, were killed. He had nothing, just to leave, with the tears he was about to shed, and even this tear was destroyed by a piece of bird shit. For revenge, he killed the Mexican consul, and then he became a hero. But you must know that when he killed the consul, he was playing with the consul's gold and silver jewelry. Then he was cheered by the hordes of people. He was lying in the luxurious box at a loss, while Sean was lying on the big bed with disdain. The revolution was just a change of people in the box. It was that group of people before, it is this group of people now.
The people who organized the revolution betrayed the revolution and reorganized it, and only Juan stood there at a loss, not knowing how to organize, and yet he became the leader. Sean said, you'll be a general. Juan said, I don't want to be a general. Robbing banks and gold is what Juan wants, but apparently, he can't get away anymore.
In the first flashback, the girl sitting in the back row took the initiative to come forward and kiss Sean. This unexpected kiss made Sean intoxicated and obsessed. However, in the midst of obsession, a friend steps on your foot and the car veers off course.
As for Juan's arrival, the revolutionary kiss was offered by the girl just like the girl, but he was not prepared. He said to Sean, "What would I do without you?"
What is a revolution?
Juan said: "The revolution, I know what's going on, people who have read books tell those who haven't read it is time to change, so those poor people who haven't studied will do it, but no matter whether the revolution is successful or not , in the end there is only one ending, and the people who die are the poor who have not read books. Then do it again."
Leonard quoted Mao's words at the beginning of the film: Revolution is not a dinner party, a fuss, a painting or embroidery, Can't be so elegant, so calm, gentle, so gentle and courteous. A revolution is an insurrection, a violent act of one class overthrowing another.
The final voice of the revolution is that softly humming soprano, sweet, ecstatic, fascinated, yet so sad!
Those funny twists and turns in "Once Upon a Time", especially Juan's lovely eyes, and the "Oh my god, are you sure this is Mesa Verde?" In English, one just wants to say: Oh, a bomb!
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