(Transportation of Anthropology Class Report)
Regarding Imamura Shohei, the most popular allusion is that Yasujiro Ozu asked Imamura Shohei: "Why do you always want to photograph these maggot-like people?" Imamura Shohei replied, "I will write about maggots until they die." And "Narayama Festival Exam" may be the most prestigious of all the director's works by Imamura Shohei.
The madness of the characters in the film is not only due to the so-called lack of education, lack of resources and extreme poverty, but also a normality under the established normality in a closed society. From an anthropological point of view, discussing culture should not discuss the pros and cons, but the similarities and differences. If you feel that it is appalling to fatten a dead baby, our culture also has examples of using the umbilical cord as medicine. In the final analysis, whether it is a just criticism of "cannibalism", "buried alive", "lynching", etc., or a propaganda or even aggressive dissemination of "human nature", "morality" and "rule of law", they are all of our current "majority". A sense of cultural superiority is at play. Conversely, if you think about a culture of settlement-style self-development like the "Narayama Set Kao", you might find every aspect of capitalist society puzzling.
From my personal point of view, the greatest scene in the movie is the scene where Azhi makes love with a man in the village to atone for the sin of his deceased husband. I also have to worship the god of the house." The cult of human reproduction is clearly visible in this picture. The various soils that produce reproductive worship, such as the extremely harsh natural environment, the absolute primitiveness of human cognition, and the special status of women in social operations, this small village in Narayama has all of them. Reproductive worship as the primitive religion of mankind was written into his film by Imamura Shohei and presented in an oil painting-like tone. The filthiest people at the bottom also have their warm yellow moments, and life like maggots has a day when they are painted in oil.
In a society that regards "filling the stomach" as the first goal, people's desires are inevitably simple, and their feelings are inevitably numb. But at the same time, I also believe that Jie Zuoji’s shrill cry when he saw Asong was buried alive was not just a pity for the pleasure of the body and consideration for the succession of “she has my child in her belly”, Chen Ping told his mother on the mountain The sentence "Mother! It's snowing! It's very cold!" must also imply endless reluctance and attachment. After teaching Ayu how to catch the stream fish, A Ling-po looked at her daughter-in-law with joy and pride. wrinkles, these beautiful emotions common to all human beings (even all living things) are rooted in our blood. Perhaps the most significant difference between Imamura Shohei and Ozu is that he can grow flowers on people who are born like dung. In his lens language, no one is completely dung.
Another point worth mentioning is the staggered correspondence between animals and humans. The film frequently inserts shots of snakes, frogs, mantises and other creatures. I don't dare to speculate on the director's concept of species, but at least these shots can make the audience clearly realize that after completing the excellent metaphor, human life is no higher than that of snakes and worms. Cannibalism.
And snow can wash away all sins.
A Lingpo is humble, ugly, and ignorant, but her image of clasping her hands in the snow and waiting to die has become incomparably tall. "If you have done everything before you die, you will die more peacefully than anyone else." There was a heavy snowfall, which took away all her worries. Chen Ping married a capable step-wife, Li Zhu had a full taste of sex, and her daughter-in-law learned to catch fish, and she could go on the road with peace of mind.
The white land is so clean.
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