At the beginning of the film, the male protagonist is undoubtedly a typical example of refusing to accept himself. Tom Buckley, who possesses supernatural powers, instead of showing off this, suppresses himself because he is different from the world. It may be true that there is a saying that truth is often in the hands of a few. However, those who master the truth often suffer from the loneliness of the ancient emperors, who suffer from the lack of like-minded friends, but they do not dare to speak out loudly while holding the truth. Such is the sadness of the male protagonist. In particular, the male protagonist's mother unfortunately passed away because the "misdiagnosis" of the psychic delayed the best time for treatment, and the blow he suffered was even more fatal. He fell into a deep doubt about the world. Is the superpower itself sinful, or is it the liar who assumes the false name of superpower to get money?
Professor Margaret, as a typical atheist, uses scientific theories and methods to expose one pseudo-supernatural phenomenon after another. But deep down, I think she has an empty corner where hope for the supernatural is always there. Margaret's son's accident at the age of 4 left him in a permanent vegetative state. As a pure atheist, the only thing Margaret could do was continue her son's practically meaningless life. In the long years, even she seems to have doubts, so she has a dialogue with the male protagonist in the movie: I hope that someone will tell her that there is a soul in the world, so that she can give up her son.
With different goals, Tom and Margaret embark on a long journey to discover the paranormal. Their hearts are complicated. Margaret is firm on the road of materialism, but she also has a little expectation for the soul because of her son. Tom desperately explores the paranormal, expecting to find his own kind, only to expose one liar after another. In their hearts, there seems to be a glimmer of hope that there is really a supernatural phenomenon in the world. For Margaret, she could release her love for her son and really let him go. As far as Tom is concerned, he can believe that the superpower itself is not at fault, and he can accept himself that the problem lies with the person who abuses it.
The repression of himself is as gray as the tone of the movie, until the appearance of Simon, as the most sophisticated pseudo-superpower, all the knowledge of physics, chemistry, and even psychology is used by him. Even Margaret and Tom hesitated about him. Tom was eager to get to know him, expecting that Simon was the kind he was looking for. But Margaret was holding back, worried that he was really a superpower, worried that Simon's research would eventually overthrow her scientific beliefs, and even more worried that Simon's words would completely deny Margaret's insistence on the continuation of her son's life for many years . Simon's disguise is superb, he wraps himself in everything available. Everyone's past, mind reading, mind attack, is not a superpower, but it is better than a superpower.
As the film progresses, Margaret dies of a heart attack, and Tom suffers another fatal blow in his life. If Tom's mother's death made him question supernatural powers, then Margaret's death shattered his scientific beliefs. The power of superpowers brewed in the body and began to explode: the lights in the performance hall burst, the bird flew to the glass, the home was messed up, all of which were not Simon's masterpiece, but the explosion of Tom's superpower. The superpower said to Tom angrily: Why don't you believe me, I am the solution to the problem, how long are you going to suppress me?
At the end of the story, after being beaten by Simon's disciples, Tom finally realized that the way to eliminate pseudo-supernatural phenomena is real supernatural phenomena, and he finally accepted himself. His cry shook the performance venue and also shook Simon's heart. The exposed Simon had no intention of running away or covering up, but instead shouted "How did you do it?" He didn't know that a true capable person never had to play tricks. In the face of real supernatural power, he is just a clown jumping beams, like a shadow cast by the sun, disappearing in minutes. Another gratifying thing is that at the end of the film, Tom's girlfriend also proved Simon's deception with scientific theory. Everything is fake.
Many people say that movies are incomprehensible, probably because in our hearts we have never believed in the existence of supernatural phenomena. The popularization of science makes people farther and farther on the road of materialism, and it also breaks the wings of people's belief in metaphysics, especially in my great heaven, as if all supernatural phenomena are sorcery and deception. But sorcery and deception exist just like Simon. They are brilliant, sophisticated, but ultimately fake. In the face of true science and metaphysics it will only reveal itself. Perhaps the movie is telling us that we can let go of the imprisonment of supernatural theory in our hearts, and that science and supernatural power can coexist. Such a theory is of course hard to accept, but throughout the history of science, many famous scientists have never shied away from their belief in metaphysics. Einstein said that only God knows what the world is like. Professor Qian Xuesen also began his research on paranormal science in his later years. I remember when I was in college, the analog circuit teacher said that many Western scientists have beliefs, or gods, or gods. Seemingly metaphysical beliefs have nothing to do with science, but can give the study of science a constant force. And this part is what Chinese scientists lack. Maybe science and metaphysics have always been able to coexist, just like a person's two feet, like the Chinese Taoist thought of "one yin and one yang is the Tao". Maybe what we have to do is to accept ourselves like the male protagonist, even if it seems ridiculous, don't deny ourselves, even if it is not understood. Only then can you gain peace of mind and move on.
View more about Red Lights reviews
