The American film "Bodyguard" released in 1992 is a successful commercial film, starring the popular actor Kevin Costner and the female singer Whitney Houston at the time, telling the story of professional bodyguard Frank protecting the female singer Mellen Marron. story. It's a romance movie first, and an action movie second.
I have to say that, after watching the film for the first time nearly thirty years after its release, I was still attracted by the plot and by the hero and heroine. Powerful stars starring, with good looks, acting skills, plot and action, no wonder they can be successful in business - it is said that the box office ranked second in the global box office of the year.
After watching "The Bodyguard", I couldn't help thinking of another Hong Kong movie "The Bodyguard of Zhongnanhai". The latter was released in 1994, and the story is also set between a male bodyguard and his female protector, and it is also a movie I like. The emotional lines of the two films are similar, from being unpleasant to the eye to feeling good and willing to sacrifice their lives for love-perhaps the screenwriter of the latter was inspired by the former. But their emotional tone is different: one is straightforward and the other is implicit; one is extroverted and the other is restrained; one is full and the other is flawed. This may be related to the difference between Eastern and Western cultures.
In the beginning, Frank and Marron were just like Xu Zhengyang and Yang Qianer, women and men competed against each other. Because of the personal restrictions in the process of being protected and his life being affected, Marron disliked Frank. But when Frank rescued her at the concert, Marron changed his mind about Frank, and after that, he became even more fond of him after getting along continuously. Then, Marron threw out various hints, went for a walk together and went out on a date, and the relationship between the two quickly heated up and soon became skin-to-skin. In "Bodyguard", it is obvious that the emotional line between the male and female protagonists is promoted by the female protagonist, and the same is true in "Zhongnanhai Bodyguard".
Yang Qianer didn't like Xu Zhengmo at first, but after he rescued her, she said "sorry" to him, and everything changed. When it rained, Yang Qianer held an umbrella for Xu Zhengyang and deliberately stepped in the air to ask Xu to save her; she asked a lot about Xu's personal affairs, and jokingly asked if Xu was his girlfriend; she gave Xu Zhengyang a suit and watch; she also led Xu to the room, I want to express myself. At this point in the story, if Xu Zhengyang had the same love for Yang Qianer as Frank did to Marron, then "Zhongnanhai Bodyguard" wouldn't be an unforgettable movie. In fact, it is from here that the styles of the two films are markedly different. Unlike Frank, Xu Zhengyang didn't have anything to do with Yang Qianer. After hearing her say "I love you.", he just closed the door and left, and went to the pool alone to worry. He didn't dare and couldn't respond to Yang Qian'er's feelings, so he could only escape. The way he handled it was determined by the characters.
In "The Bodyguard", Frank is a neat, rational person. He developed a further relationship with Marron almost without struggle, because he was a freelancer and only responsible for himself, not subject to politics. It's up to him to decide whether to have a relationship with his employer, and even if something does happen, at most he'll stop doing the bodyguard job, and there's no big sacrifice or loss. Therefore, he is free in the emotional world, and there is no struggle, pain or trouble. And even if there is confusion, he can deal with it calmly and quickly. So, on the second day of the one-night stand with Marron, when I realized that I had crossed the border, and realized that the purpose of this trip was to protect Marron - mixing personal feelings would affect his work and not fulfill the duty of protecting Marron. , he cut through the mess quickly and offered to restore a working relationship with Marron. When it is broken, it is broken, very rational, without the slightest procrastination, it can be said to be very professional. Still, it kind of casts doubt on his feelings for Marron. In fact, the process of the male and female protagonists from being unpleasant to each other and then to one-night stand is very fast. Except for a scene where Frank is watching Marron's concert, there is no hint that Frank has feelings for Marron. This is a small flaw in "Bodyguard"'s performance of emotional progress.
"Zhongnanhai Bodyguard" does not have this problem. The relationship between Yang Qianer and Xu Zhengyang developed step by step, very natural and not abrupt at all. Xu Zhengyang is reserved and reserved. He doesn't talk much, and he basically doesn't talk about his own business. Maybe it's because of his career. But he is very reliable and gives people a sense of security, but he seems clumsy emotionally. When he saw Yang Qianer walking towards him step by step in the video, he started to panic because he realized what was going to happen. After knowing Yang Qian'er's intentions, he didn't know how to react. After leaving, he was very distressed, and he couldn't sleep in the middle of the night to eat biscuits. Xu Zhengyang couldn't be as handsome as Frank. He was assigned by the central government to protect Yang Qianer. He was a soldier with his own mission and responsibilities, that is, to complete the tasks arranged by the state. As he said, "If a policeman makes a mistake, he can be a policeman again, but if a bodyguard makes a mistake, he can no longer be a bodyguard", so he is cautious everywhere and used to restraint. Therefore, his emotions are more likely to face inner struggles and torment, not only the consideration of professional identity, but also the mission he has always had. As a Zhongnanhai bodyguard, he was destined to consider his own tasks and responsibilities first, and personal feelings second. It is unrealistic for him to accept Yang Qianer's intention to stay in Hong Kong and leave the position of Zhongnanhai bodyguard. If he was just an ordinary bodyguard, there would be no such struggle, and at best he would give up the job like Frank did. However, I believe that Americans may not understand when they watch "Zhongnanhai Bodyguard". They may think that Xu Zhengyang is so procrastinating and timid. If they like it, they can be together. If Xu Zhengyang really responded to Yang Qianer's final stay in Hong Kong, this might be another romantic love story.
Because Xu Zhengyang had no way to respond positively to Yang Qianer's feelings for him, he could only express it with actions. He voluntarily used his body to block bullets for Yang Qian'er, and he gave up his own life. The fight scene at the end of the movie elevates their love. Although Yang Qianer didn't even see Xu Zhengyang for the last time, she only received an old watch from him. But the whole film expresses the emotional line very completely. The emotional line is the most exciting part of the whole film, which is regrettable and memorable. It is a pity that they know too little about each other and their contact time is too short. The aftertaste is how the love between them was born step by step.
But "Bodyguard" does not give people a feeling of aftertaste, because the love between Frank and Marron is so straightforward and rational, and there is no regret at all. Frank is not restrained, will talk to Marron about himself, and will take her to his father's house on vacation. After a one-night stand, it's easy to say that we still separate our personal relationships from our careers, and even defending Marron in the end is more like a professional identity rather than a lack of personal relationships. In fact, he had discussed this with Marron before he was shot, saying he would block the bullet for her, out of professionalism. Although we all know it, it always seems a little shallow to say it. This kind of love, because it is too straightforward, has a little less aftertaste. Like a beautiful woman, being naked is always less attractive than half-covering.
And on the other hand, the emotional line in "Bodyguard" is further weakened by the suspense of the plot and the brilliance of the protagonist. The story of "Bodyguard" is far more exciting than "Zhongnanhai Bodyguard". The one who bought the murder of Marron was actually his sister, and the sister was killed by the gunman he found. The killer turned out to be a former colleague whom he met three times. It was only when we opened it that we realized it. "Zhongnanhai Bodyguard" knew the identity of the killer from the beginning, and there was no suspense. Speaking of the two leading actors, Whitney is a true character in the film. She plays Marron, who sings well and shines all over her body; Frank is more like omnipotent. Both of them have a strong protagonist halo, in contrast, Xu Zhengyang and Yang Qianer seem much ordinary. Xu Zhengyang said that he can't do anything except be a bodyguard; and Yang Qianer is just a primary school teacher, not a big star. There is no suspenseful plot and the protagonist's own aura distracts the audience's attention from love, and the emotional line becomes the top priority. That kind of love that is restrained and incomplete can also touch the softness of the audience's heart. As the theme song "Don't Avoid My Eyes" sings:
Don't avoid seeing through each other's eyes
Stop pretending to be calm
Don't hide from those pounding heartbeats
Like it's been said that this is true love
love willing to sacrifice life
...
The old watch became Yang Qian'er's thoughts about Xu Zhengyang, and the unsatisfactory love between them also became the audience's thoughts. Unlike "Bodyguard", Marron rushed off the plane and hugged Frank tightly, heralding a bright future. I think it is precisely because of the lack of regret, so unforgettable.
Of course, only in movies can incomplete love be meaningful. For the real life, I still hope that all lovers in the world will be married.
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