hin wrote a long time ago
The film tells the story of a German-Jewish family who took refuge in Kenya during World War II. The time span covers the entire World War II, and describes the growth of the three members of the family in this era and their different views on the family.
During World War II, the Jewish nation suffered an almost devastating blow. Many later films about Jews were hugely successful. Most of them describe the history of Jewish suffering in World War II, and the feelings they bring to the audience are all gloomy and tragic. In this film, the most brutal part of the war is greatly weakened. The family is in faraway Africa, and only understands the tragedy that happened in Germany at that time through radio waves and letters. These news and events have had an impact on their psyche, making a huge difference in their lives. The director mapped the crisis and turmoil in the world at that time through the growth and changes of the small family.
It is mentioned in the movie that a large reason for anti-Semitism is because of religious conflicts. Most countries in Europe believe in Christianity, and the Jews refuse to recognize Jesus as the savior because they adhere to the teachings of Judaism. Christians also believe that the Jewish whistleblower killed Jesus. Coupled with the fact that Jews are usually engaged in business or finance, they have considerable wealth and are easily hated by others. In most people's minds, the Jews are the image of a cheapskate who cares deeply, and this prejudice was widespread at the time. When the situation was bad, this kind of prejudice was guided and held hostage by people with intentions, and it became the mainstream concept of the public, using Jews as scapegoats to gain economic and political benefits. Such anti-Semitism became genocide, promoted by Nazi racists.
In fact, the parents in the movie are not traditional Jews. Judaism is not important to them. They are used to German culture and language and have been assimilated by Germany. However, due to their bloodline, they and their families could not escape the catastrophe.
The whole movie has gone through ten years. During these ten years, we can see the growth of the daughter, the change of the mother's mentality and the gradual maturity of the love between the parents.
My daughter is undoubtedly the fastest in the family to integrate into African life. It is not difficult to see from the description of the film that most people, even Regina's friends in Germany, have a prejudice against Africa: in their eyes, Africa is an extremely barren, uncivilized land, where people are are barbarians. Fortunately, Xiaolei's knowledge of Africa is still blank. When she first came to Africa, she said that black people made her feel like dark chocolate. This is a child's most simple and straightforward impression of Africa. It is because Xiaolei has no fear or vigilance about this strange land, that makes her friends with Owa and the local children, accepts African culture, learns the language here, loves the animals, humans, and other people here. Grass and trees. In the eyes of children, the world is always bright, open, and without class divisions. Although their religions and the gods they believe in are different, in the eyes of simple children, these are all the same.
But when Xiaolei came to the school's civilized environment, he was differentiated from other children, without praying, like a bystander. After returning to the farm, Xiaolei told her friends that she would not take off her clothes, she was no longer a child, but when juwa said that it was the stupid child who soiled the school uniform, she still took off her clothes naturally. . It can be seen from this that Xiaolei has a deep cultural identity with Africa. This is her home.
And this kind of integration is very difficult for parents.
Ye Ti:
A family of three came to Africa as a refugee. Their first residence after coming to Africa was the log cabin on the farm where my father worked. For my father, this was the place to live at work, but the arrival of his wife and daughter made it feel like home. . For mothers who have just arrived in Africa and do not understand the domestic situation, it is just a temporary place to live. The surrounding barren land, poor living conditions, and the farm owner's reprimand to her husband made the mother realize that they were not the masters here. At that time, the relationship between Waite and Ye Ti was immature.
Waite was a lawyer when he was in Germany, and the husband and wife lived a prosperous life in Germany. Ye Ti was a wealthy wife at that time, so she gave up after receiving the warning from her husband's letter. The necessities brought china and bought dresses. And Waite was mediocre because he could not pursue his ideal career after arriving in Africa. Ye Ti couldn't bear to see such a husband. She refused to be close to him because she felt that it was her husband's choice that made her suffer here.
There is an intention here, the fire in the farm. Owa said you have to watch the fire , especially after it has been asleep for a long time. The fire here is like a lurking conflict between husband and wife; Waite said it was just a normal wildfire and would not burn the house; but Yeti was terrified, and this wildfire inspired her dissatisfaction with life in Africa for days . Waite also tried to improve their lives, but in his attempts he found that Ye Ti's dissatisfaction with life in Africa permeated all aspects. Waite began to reflect on their marriage, and Ye Ti's unacceptable reality made him a burden to Waite.
In the early days of coming to Africa, their marriage was full of crisis due to dissatisfaction with each other's real life.
In addition, Ye Ti also poured out the humiliation brought by Germany to black people. She is prejudiced against black people. This can be seen from her attitude towards Owa. She refuses to learn the local language, so Owa only uses German. Communicate with her, and do not let Xiaolei play with local children, for fear of her contracting epidemic diseases. Even though she herself has been oppressed by the Nazis in Germany, when she came to Africa, she added such discrimination to others. Discrimination and prejudice are everywhere.
After the war between England and Germany, their relatives were persecuted, and their experience of being detained changed the couple.
After receiving advice from others, Ye Ti finally woke up like a dream, finally recognized her role, planned for the family, ran around, and even sacrificed her body to gain freedom and work for her father. When the living space is suppressed to the limit, forget the pursuit of the illusory life and become a farmer down-to-earth. She began to understand the culture of the local people and communicated with them equally and friendly. She began to take off her top on the farm like an African woman. This echoes the previous scene of Xiaolei taking off her top, showing that Ye Ti accepts the local culture. In addition, she also began to mature and became a woman with an independent personality. Instead of leaving the farm with Waite, she took over and started to manage the farm and find her own value. From a wealthy wife who didn't stick to the sun with her five fingers, to a farm manager later, Ye Ti should be the one with the biggest transformation in the triple room.
In fact, it is not too obvious from the movie whether she really loves this land, but at least Africa gave her asylum at the most dangerous time. She understood the truth of harmony and difference, and began to call Africa home.
In the last dialogue, the black woman sold bananas to Ye Ti, who stuck her head out of the train. Ye Ti said that she was as poor as a monkey. The woman smiled and said, I will give the monkey a banana. . At this time, Ye Ti became the object of charity by black women, which once again reflected the simple and cheerful nature of Africans and made people feel the spirit of tolerance and equality.
Waite:
Before leaving, Owa said to Xiaolei: You have to take care of Dad, he lives like a child.
Waite has always lived in his dream. Although he was the first person in his family to come to Africa, he never had a real sense of belonging to Africa. He learned the language here and made friends with the people here, all for the purpose of Live on, go back to Germany and become a lawyer again. Owa returned the robe to him and said that to Xiao Lei before saying goodbye because Owa saw it through. When Waite and Xiaolei discussed leaving, Xiaolei asked her father why he had to go back to Germany, why he couldn't stay in Africa like other German families, or get a British passport and become British. Waite's answer to Xiaolei was that even if they obtained a British passport, they would not be considered British if they did not integrate into British society. This answer is actually extremely contradictory. Waite and Yeti always thought they were Germans, but the reason they came to Africa was because of Germany's exile to them. Such prejudice is also deeply ingrained in Waite, but he has never seen it through himself. He has been blaming Ye Ti for being prejudiced against Africa and unable to forget the good old days. In fact, he himself is the one who can never forget the past. For him, life in Africa is just a fragment of his life.
For Waite, Germany was his homeland, the only place where his identity could be recognized, his home. For Ye Ti, Germany is a place that tortured her close relatives and abandoned her. Her trust in Germany has been wiped out, and it is no longer her home. For Xiaolei, Germany is cold and unfamiliar, and letters from there always make her parents sad, and it is not home.
As the family faces a choice, a natural disaster changes their minds. This opportunity made Waite finally decide to give up the opportunity to return to China, because he could not lose his wife; and this experience of sharing weal and woe also moved Ye Ti, and finally decided to return to China with her husband. At this time, the relationship between husband and wife has gradually matured. Both of them know how to love each other and their family better. The power of family makes it impossible for them to let go of each other. As Germany's former Wetter's father said to Ye Ti, home is about sticking to the person he loves the most.
Oval:
For black people like Owa, Africa is their home, but white people are the mainstay here. They are mainly white people, and they are content to support their families with meager wages. When he left, Owa returned the black robe to Waite. Waite had found the direction of his life, but Owa had not yet. The next chapter of his life is nothing but continued enslavement. He is standing in his own country, but he is not the real master, and he does not realize that he has no home at all.
Compared with the Jews, although they have never belonged to their own country, their beliefs are very strong. Religion and national consciousness guide them, so that they have a spiritual destination and know the direction of their home, even when they are trying to survive in the cracks. Never give up the pursuit of knowledge, from this point of view, they have always had a family. They did eventually build Israel.
Nowhere for Home This film does not have a high entry point, but it projects the multi-faceted life plight of the Jewish people at that time. The characters in the film are psychologically portrayed, and the emotional interaction is simple, especially the interaction between the protagonists during parting, which is naturally touching. The bright sunshine in Africa also contrasts with the gloom of the German winter at the beginning of the film, making it feel hopeful. This land in Africa is like a blank sheet of paper, reflecting their most real emotions and lives.
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