The long shot of staring at the floor at the beginning of the film undoubtedly sets the overall tone for "Roma". Under the soothing and calm surface, there is a surging tide of joy and sadness. Black and white images and neat composition give individual emotional stories a dignified epic temperament. At first, we thought that director Alfonso Cuaron's discussion would involve class or society, but in fact, like the youth in "Your Mom, Too", the film only wants to show the strength and greatness of women.
The film originated from the director's childhood memories, and he was one of the children. In order to recreate the scene at that time, he even spent years collecting furniture and furnishings that matched his childhood memories. On the basis of adequate preparation, he maintains the taciturn and plain scenes and the lens style of panning and looking at the medium and close shots. The tone of the film has been told in a low voice, which is naturally in line with the role of the family nanny, and also in line with each of us' memories and perceptions of childhood. Because of the distance, this objectivity and certainty is not indifference, but a deep impression left in my heart after the passage of time.
Two clues support the narrative of "Roma", the family accident of the employer Sofia and the tragic story of the maid Cleo, who are in the middle class and the bottom of the society, share the same living space, and can only experience when facing women. emotional ups and downs and life dilemmas.
Husband Antonio's adaptation to marriage and family life is suggested by a set of shots of driving into the garage. He controls the car to move around, striving to achieve harmony with the environment, but under the seemingly harmonious and silent appearance, the man ambitions are just around the corner. Finally, after a farewell on the excuse of a business trip, he never returned. Sophia took all the pain and grievances by herself and continued to live with her four children and a large family.
And Cleo met her boyfriend Fermin, who didn't even have the courage to adapt to life. After hearing that Cleo was pregnant, he ran away in a hurry, even forgetting to take his coat. Cleo gave birth to a new life alone, silently endured the pressure of reality and Fermin's abandonment, and faced the heavy blow from the stillbirth. In the end, the two women and their children regrouped, hugged and cuddled on the choppy beach, and continued their mediocre life, waiting to meet the changes or blows that may occur at any time in the journey of life.
In addition to the ups and downs of individual fate and emotional fluctuations, there is the turmoil and noise of the entire society. The director's memory stems from Mexico in 1968, where the Olympic Games were held. At the same time, the country's society was also experiencing fluctuations and fission. The director uses dialogue, characters and a few shots to explain the background of the times. They provide a desolate background and realistic footnotes for the tragic stories of female characters, and also confirm the epic temperament presented by the pictures.
In stark contrast to the women, it is the childishness and cowardice of the male characters. Fermin's performance is extremely typical. He has a heart for the world, advocates force, is cold and fierce, and actively participates in various social activities. He looks very brave, but in the face of Cleo's feelings, he flees in a panic in the face of the responsibilities he needs to take. , simply unable to face the real real pressure and family responsibilities.
While Fermin was holding a pistol and causing trouble with his companions on the streets and shopping malls, Cleo just hid in the corner silently, gritted his teeth and completed the task of gestation and production. In the same way, when Antonio abandoned his family and faced the children without face, Sofia, as a mother, changed the car and went back to work. While cheering herself up, she spread her wings like a female bird to protect the whole family, showing positivity and optimism. , to pass on kindness, not hatred, to children.
This is the great power of motherhood, and it is this flexibility and strength that keeps the world going. Let naive men create disputes and rush and collide on the social stage. Women just watch everything, keep forbearance and tolerance of suffering and pain, but continue to advance the most essential and basic core tasks of life.
From the subtitle of "Dedicated to Childhood Family Nanny Libo" at the end of the film, we can feel that the director's intention is not to promote the superiority and inferiority of the sexes, but to express his respect for women from the bottom of his heart, and to give the deepest quality of being a mother. compliment.
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