The social themes are prominent enough, but the ending of the film is degenerate, and the dramatic conflict in the second half completely dissolves the structure that was polished to the cold reality in the early stage. At the end of Budesi's "Moonlight", with the dawn of dawn, the comfort and redemption that one wants to obtain is a surrender to the powerlessness of life. The seemingly hopeful ending is further ironic, and the strength of those comforts is actually sighing. It can be said that how powerless the early stage is to reality, how perfunctory the bright ending will be in the later stage.
This is a very typical Japanese middle-class family structure, with a father who is the breadwinner of the family, a mother who maintains the family order in an orderly manner, and two sons who conflict with their parents' values. As soon as the story begins, a sense of midlife crisis hits my face. Sasaki's arrogant attitude under his passive resignation immediately put the word "dignity" on the character's delicate suit and leather shoes, and a series of subsequent actions have exacerbated the embarrassment brought about by maintaining dignity. How hard it is to maintain the image of the absolute right to speak at home, how humble it is to get together to find a job outside, live on the street and even receive a free lunch. As a traditional Japanese housewife, Keiko is full of denial and loss of self-worth in the film, with the anguish accumulated after being suppressed by power for a long time. Paradoxically, Keiko does not want the image of power constructed by money to fall. down, full of anxiety about her husband losing his job. Both Sasaki and Keiko are trying to maintain their respective roles in the family, but there is a thick wall between the two. The seemingly tacit goals are particularly ironic against the background of the values of the two sons. "Who pulled me down." Keiko lay on the sofa and raised her hands, the dull air couldn't ask for anything. This is a question to whom to ask, to God, society, government, family or self.
Two children who were struggling to grow up in such a family felt hopeful, not typical of our generation. Kenji was unwilling to be misunderstood by the teacher in class, and openly exposed the privacy of his reading Xiaohuangshu on the subway, which was a kind of resistance. After class, I went to this proud teacher with a broken soul to clarify, with a desire to be understood, and at the same time full of warm humanity. It is rare to have love in life. Whether they are learning the piano or joining the army, they are using their own methods to find the answers to life that their parents cannot give.
"I'm willing to do anything now, but why is no one willing to want us." The first half of the movie, the seemingly monotonous plot, shows the ruthless indifference of the society very well. The bravery and hard work we sing about, After unemployment, everything becomes helpless and at a loss. People with a little idealism and utopian yearning may not be able to understand such a family. The shots of the movie are not unified enough, some are calm and some are noisy, which is as contradictory as the whole movie.
Whether the occupation type can measure the thickness of this arrogant armor that everyone wears, wearing a cleaner's clothing in the shopping mall, carrying Sasaki with a huge sum of money, and running away after seeing his wife, all the efforts made for dignity at that moment are all. Broken, very ridiculous, Keiko wanted to leave with the kidnappers, going to the boundless sea, the phrase "Housewives also have happy times." It also became very bleak. Everyone is a prisoner of society who has to face difficulties every day, but some people are materially poor, and some people are spiritually poor.
When money is the most beneficial tool for manipulating members of society, the hope of redemption may still be money, and with the dawn of the morning, as promised, the stars in the sky are gradually dying out. This is definitely not a warm soothing story and ending.
The director who expresses reality and can make mediocre life extraordinarily mellow, Xu Anhua, recommends "Day and Night in Tianshui Wai", "Sister Tao" or "Forty Women". This is a complete no-blame movie. "Jingdong Sonata" is the first Kurosawa Kiyoshi, and hopefully not the last of my movie viewing career.
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