The film mainly discusses the cultural environment of contemporary society, and at the same time brings up interesting topics such as the discussion of genius in art theory. I personally have a natural preference for such films with literature or art as an important element. The director's "Synonym" which won the highest award in Berlin this year is the most typical representative of it. However, my understanding of "Synonym" is not enough to support a long review, so I can only mention it here.
Synonyms is an allegorical text in which literature and words appear as important symbols. I am fascinated by this use and the way the characters view and discuss literature. In this film "Kindergarten Teacher", although it also has strong textuality and expression, it is more "people-friendly" than "Synonyms", and poetry also appears as a narrative element rather than a symbol itself, which adds to the A bit of fun.
The film is told through Lisa's point of view, focusing on the relationship between her mediocre talent and the gifted five-year-old Jimmy. This approach reminds me of Foreman's Mozart, although the two films are not the same.
The film as a whole has a sad and slightly desperate temperament. In addition to the exquisite audio-visual settings, the most impressive thing is the director's lighting method. We can find that the lighting strategy of this film is to "use natural light as much as possible". Needless to say, for outdoor scenes, in the indoor scenes, except for a few scenes that must use lights, a large number of indoor scene directors use natural light sources to shoot. For example, in a kindergarten classroom that never turns on the lights, most scenes at home do not turn on the lights.
This kind of treatment makes most of the shots appear cold and dark, lacking vitality, which is very suitable for the mood of the protagonist. Especially the last scene in the hotel, the dim interior, the foggy mountain forest outside the window... It is worth mentioning that among all the scenes with artificial light source design, the teacher's reading session was the most complicated one. The whole scene is created with a mysterious and elegant sense of ritual, which contrasts with other dull scenes.
The most important expression of this film is that in modern society, the increasingly enthusiastic consumerism and entertainmentism are eroding people, and the increasingly entertaining cultural atmosphere has eroded the growth soil of art. In the scene where Lisa and her daughter had a dispute over marijuana, we can know that her daughter is actually a gifted child. She has a bright mind and does not need to work hard to get good grades, but such a promising child has Bewitched by sensuality; in the last scene of the film, Jimmy is sitting in the car and says he has a poem, but no one answers...
There are many similar and clear details in the film, but the most important thing is the portrayal of Lisa. The scene where she ends up with Jimmy in front of the bathroom door is very real, and she tries to take Jimmy away, tries to protect his talent, but at the same time reluctantly knows it's useless. So what is the cause of this desperation? She once said that "this talent is rare and fragile." That's true, but what makes this talent seem especially vulnerable today?
When discussing such a subject, it is difficult to escape the discussion of the theoretical question of genius. This kind of discussion has never stopped since the day when art took root, and most philosophers and aestheticians have put forward their own views on this issue. Kant said that the word genius applies only to art, and I agree in part, and since artistic talent is "an innate sensitivity manifested under certain artistic rules", different art, because of its artistic The rules are different, and the characteristics of their talents are also different.
It is more difficult to bear artistic talents such as poetry and music. Such time art has a more direct expressive nature, so it is easier to manifest it at a very young age. Such extraordinary sensitivity will make children with endowments unmanageable and unbearable, so they also need more careful care and cultivation.
For more comprehensive arts such as literature and film, it often requires the creator to make a lot of accumulation and observation before it can be reflected. In this process, the creator's mind gradually matures, and it is easier to control the talent. Speaking of which, the question of art creation and art appreciation is also uninvited...
This movie is really easy to think of various problems, which all depend on the director's precise control. This sense of harmonious design is similar to "The Sunshine", different from "Deeper than the Sea".
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