/ Organized by Fan Daming /
Time: December 17, 2011 (Saturday) 11:00-11: 30am Venue: Henglu
Art Museum Lecture Hall, 202 Nanshan Road, Hangzhou
Art Film Bar "Coen Brothers Movie Month" "Money Empire" after viewing)
Moderator: Fan Daming
Participants: (Preface) Fan Daming, Chen Xiaowei, Chen Xingsheng, Zhu Xilin, He Ji, Wang Xiling, Wu Wei, Niu Yuzhu, Liu Haiqing, Wang Shujin, Zhou Xiaofeng, Chen Jianping, Ji Boqing, Chi Yunfei, Wang Wei
Records: Liu Haiqing and Fan
Daming: Different from the black or gangster films we watched before this month, such as "Blood Maze" and "Miller's Crossroads", The Coen Brothers' "Money Empire" is based on the background of the American urban society with highly developed financial capital, exposing the secrets of the financial stock market manipulated by the rich. For the benefit of themselves or the shareholder group, the rich do not hesitate to find a mentally retarded or idiot-like person. The little person became the puppet president, but in the end the organization was all in vain. The ending can be said that the little person defeated the big one. This is a satirical comedy. Of course, there is still a sense of black humor in the spicy satire. The film reflects the director's civilian position or Said to be democratic thinking.
Chen Xiaowei: As Mr. Fan mentioned, the film has democratic ideas. The black man in the clock tower is a time messenger. Does his appearance and the battle with the devil show that the director has a good impression of the black man? But in fact, that demon is more real to me. Norwell was not hurt in the end, and I am afraid it is just the director's good wishes at work. This is a film from 1994. It is about the year 1958 and 1959. There is a strong nostalgic and warm feeling in it, similar to the old background music shown in Chaplin's films. The strong contrast between tall buildings and the insignificance of people is that the director was also influenced by German films, showing the indifference of the large industrial society.
Chen Xingsheng: After reading it, I feel that I have three experiences. One is the way of presentation: conveying serious themes in a comical tone, showing a comically absurd financial market. The second is the theme: the film begins with the boss jumping off the building, which is an inevitable product of the Great Depression in the United States. It exists in every industry. At the same time, it exposes the hypocrisy and greed of people's thinking under the economic reality. The third is my association with our reality. In fact, the reincarnation of failure and success is inevitable, so the last line said that you have to experience it in love, career, and it has practical significance. If young people look into it, they can better experience it.
Fan Daming: Thinking of the current situation of the domestic stock market, the more sluggish the stock market is, the more people who are small shareholders will invest in it. In fact, they are all manipulated by big people and big capital. Their late 1950s are still very much like ours.
Zhu Xilin: I went to an auction company once and saw with my own eyes the news of sweeping the floor, so many of them were inside information and manipulative. (Chen Xingsheng inserted: This is an open secret.) The film talks about the fate of people. I believe in the existence of different dimensions. People will fail and become depressed because they can't see a good situation. So one must have a strong will. I think some Japanese movies are very inspirational and can make you go up and up again, which is also a kind of national spirit. And what we have is the "great development of the revolutionary ranks".
Chen Xingsheng: Don't underestimate this hula hoop, bendable straws, etc. Although they are all small things, you will get rich when you think about them.
He Ji: Not in China. The invention of this little thing doesn't make a fortune because it is immediately counterfeited. U.S. stocks have risen, but Chinese stocks have fallen, which are fully utilized by the children of G cadres.
Wang Xiling: The title of "Money Empire" is very clear: people's fate is played by money in the palm of their hands. Although they can't resist, the true meaning of life still has to maintain a fundamental, and eventually stand up. To be a real natural person.
Chen Xiaowei: The props in the film are more symbolic: the Frisbee represents freedom, the teeth represent the bite of evil, and Musberg is not the last winner. Time is the cruelest master. (Liu Haiqing inserted: But the last time can also stop acridine.) So this is the director's warmth.
He Ji: In the end, the turning point that came about because of the discovery of that blue letter seems fake. It is useless whether in China or in the United States.
Fan Daming: I can't say that, this blue letter is real, it's a will with legal effect, it's a turning point, it's the key to the film's plot or the fate of the characters, and it makes Norwell return to his original position. Of course, the dead boss suddenly appears and mentions the letter to the protagonist. Of course, such a plot does not exist in reality. This is just an idealized fiction of art, and of course it is false. This is where the magic of the film comes from.
Wang Xiling: The whole movie is fictional.
Wu Wei: Well, this is the artistic expression of the film, just saying that I want to give you such an ending. In 1994, the United States was very developed, but this film was made very patiently and not in a hurry, including the development of the relationship between men and women. It's very comfortable to watch, not like the impetuousness of Hollywood blockbusters now.
Wang Xiling: Now the blockbusters are doing that deliberately.
Fan Daming: The film shows us that in a highly developed capitalist society, money is the only indicator; on the other hand, we also see the madness of newspapers and other media. In operation, you can also do whatever it takes. Of course, the purpose of doing so is entirely for your own circulation.
Niu Yuzhu: Of the Coen Brothers films, I like this one the most, it's relaxed and not depressing. It is a financial background, but it is actually normal and common. Everyone needs to find benefits for themselves, including media gimmicks and businessmen seeking profits. This film does have the feeling of German big industry, very similar to 1921's "Metropolis", the kind of very cold money empire. But in the end, Mr. Ha, who is an angel, asked the protagonist to read the will in his letter, and asked him to read the first chapter of work and the second chapter of regret. In fact, what he really wanted to talk about was love and a life that was not pale. The United States once rated 50 warm films suitable for Christmas Eve, and this one counts. There is also a "Perfect Life", the plot is also redeemed by suicide, telling the protagonist "your life is not bad". After Mr. Ha committed suicide, he returned to his normal state: money is only a part, not the whole of life. The board laughed incessantly, amplifying the satire of the film. In 1994, there was also "The Shawshank Redemption" starring Tim Robbins, as well as another "L.A. Confidential", "Forrest Gump", etc., which were all good films. The villain is Paul Newman. He and Michael Douglas in "Wall Street" are the two old villains in my mind. In addition, the dubbing of this dubbed version is not bad, with passion. In the recent six CCTV sets, the translated films of "Best Films Have an Appointment" are particularly poor, and they are described in a straightforward manner.
Wang Xiling: Maybe this is also a trend. They wonder why they should be excited.
Fan Daming: The film is ironic, and the female reporter should represent the kind of "justice" in the mind of the director.
Wu Wei: The core values are still very good: integrity. For example, the straw was actually invented by elevator workers, and how intensely was the attack on Norwell, who later became a manager!
Chen Xiaowei: Actually, it’s not about values, it’s about morality. I think it's professionalism. Justice, including journalists, is also just true to her profession.
Fan Daming: A female reporter has her own standards for her profession. Either do it, or resign, behind it is a value position, that is, a sense of justice. In this regard, the Coen brothers were never ambiguous.
He Ji: I'm surprised. We have good events here, but reporters don't report on them. The reporters have no conscience or bottom line. What professional ethics are they talking about? There are large areas of falsehood in newspapers, such as the Wu Junping incident. What we want is facts, not plastic surgery information that is bought for 500 yuan.
Liu Haiqing: I think when Nowell was promoted to manager, everyone laughed. The scene of the kid playing hula hoops without a teacher and driving a group of children is very Zhou Xingchi's feeling, exaggerated.
Chen Xiaowei: There are a lot of these in the film, and he and the elevator worker were climbing on the ground one after another.
Wang Shujin: My experience is to seek truth from facts: not to study how others are, but to be human and have a stand.
Organized on December 22-23, 2011
View more about The Hudsucker Proxy reviews
