But don't misunderstand me as a paranoid anatomy of camera language, or a sophisticated film critic. Even if there is a little bit of paranoia, it is only because of uncertainty about my emotional quotient (movie viewing experience) and IQ (language major).
I am used to watching American commercial blockbusters. I admit that I was once formatted by "Hollywood Present". For example, I rarely watch Hong Kong and Taiwan films (except classic nostalgia in the 1980s and 1990s), and even fewer domestic films. As for Japanese and Korean ones, it is almost a conditioned reflex. Generally one-vote veto (this remains unchanged to this day). But European films have never dared to be neglected. Although Europe and the United States originate from the same vein, the two are like opera and pop, like pure royal afternoon tea and instant coffee, like gorgeous Catholic cardinals and simple Puritan priests. Not eating and laughing while lying on the seat with a pack of pop corn.
It's not that I don't want to, it's that I can't.
Western Europe, especially Nordic cinema, has always been the most open and natural on the scale of sexuality. This may be closely related to their long-standing humanistic tradition, but I prefer to believe that it is Scandinavia, Iceland, and even north of the Arctic Ocean and north of the Polaris, where there is still a trace of nature and is as pure as ice and snow. Wherever you go: This scent is whiter than the snow on the top of the Alps, bluer than the waters of the Arctic Ocean, greener (crisp) than pastures and bagpipes guarded by sheepdogs, Grimm's fairy tales and Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales There are forests and elves here, there are treasures and adventures of the Viking pirate Captain Hook, there are Gothic churches and bells approaching heaven...
Look at Bergman's "Days on the Clouds", Philip Kaufman's "The Unbearable Lightness of Life" (obviously a very smooth literal translation of "the unbearable lightness of life", I don't know why it is translated into a mediocre "Love in Prague" "), Luc Besson's "Blue Sea and Blue Sky", Jean Pierre's "Amelie"... Although some film critics named it "Amelie" due to its ultra-slow camera rhythm and ambiguous storyline. It's boring." But when he saw the last scene with a calm air, he had a long aftertaste.
Because I don't understand it, I often think about it. Because it is often recalled, the memory will not be cleared after pressing the delete key.
"Farewell to the Classroom" didn't give me the "disgusting" sequelae, and some ML scenes were handled very tactfully and implicitly (especially after I watched 9 Songs). 15-year-old Sidi and 37-year-old female teacher Viona, every time they are intimate, they will sound a sacred and pure bel canto aria. (TO My Family Liancheng: Go watch it, I promise it won't be scary, it doesn't matter if you don't dare to watch nine songs, as long as you've seen any R-rated movie, you're immune)
Georg Friedrich's original soundtrack Lascia ch'io With the accompaniment of pianga, the young man who is in love and longing for passion, the mature and elegant woman who lacks sex, the moment when they touch the corner of the stairs, is the unrestrained enthusiasm and the seductive lifting of the ban. The lingering kiss, regardless of fate or calamity, regardless of the students and teachers, regardless of the 22 years of immortality, they are just the first Adam and Eve who swallowed figs.
"Men need a successful insertion to bid farewell to the cowardly teenage period, and that successful establishment will also create the formation of responsibility."
However, fantasy is beautiful because it is divorced from reality. Once the actual operation, everything is like a dream bubble. The same goes for sexual fantasies. What impressed me the most was Stie crouching and trembling as he reached out to unbutton Viona's dress. I sat in front of the screen and couldn't help but be stunned. The guilt, shame, and pleasure of that incest seemed to be able to appreciate a thing or two.
I have seen some alarmist film critics commenting on this before, such as the cruelty of youth, the enlightenment of love, the fall of morality, etc. In fact, teacher-student love is never new: Grandpa Jin Yong's "The Condor Heroes" has Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu, modern and contemporary In the history of literature, there are Lu Xun and Xu Guangping; the love between brothers and sisters is also not new, Gao Yuhan and Meng Xinghun in Gu Long's "Roaring Horses in the West Wind", Fan Yi and Zhou Ping in "Thunderstorm". Let it go and say, homosexuality, bisexuality, and even bestiality are no wonder. Perhaps this is what Jesus taught about "fraternity".
The initial goodwill turned into liking, and then sublimated into the so-called love. This is the emotional aspect. As for eroticism, it is more relaxed and casual, and physiological needs are natural human nature. Like Marilyn Monroe said: Sex is part of human nature, and I like nature. There is also Du Liniang's lyric in The Peony Pavilion: Do you know that my hobby is natural all my life? Because of the love of nature, the flowers in the dream will be easily and privately ordered for life, and they can die for it and come back to life.
But Stie's growth didn't stop there. Sex is only a small part of human nature and life. Viona helped him unravel the mystery in his fantasy, leaving a naked body in the sun, a lie repeated a thousand times becomes the truth, and make love repeated a thousand times becomes a fuck. History, war, reality, taught him more:
Brother Seeger died in WWII, from the thrill of "Face to Face with Death" (Swedish submarine Wolf);
Frankie (Viona's Husband) told him that socks made of wool, shoes made of cowhide, silk made of silkworms, nylon of America would come surging, and people would not hear sheep baa, cow moo;
when the momentary erotic pleasure died Later, Viona uses her teacher's authority to retaliate against Stie, who is no longer willing to satisfy her, and Stie rudely kicks the podium and walks away.
The ending is icy and logical.
The camera finally freezes on the picture of the boy slipping into the former classroom after being forced to repeat a grade, and carrying out two stacks of dictionaries (he first approached the teacher by staying after school every day to check the dictionary to read). I don't know if it means he's grown up and determined to work on eternal truths; or if he still has a lingering nostalgia for his teacher, even though it's all gone - All Things Fair.
【Appendix: Video Information】
"All Things Fair" 1995 Denmark/Sweden
Director: Bo Widerberg
Starring: John Widerberg, Marika
Lagercrantz Length: 129 minutes
Award: Silver Bear at the 1996 Berlin Film Festival
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