"A specter, the specter of communism, lingers on the Continent. For the holy encirclement of this specter, all the powers of old Europe, the Pope and the tsar, Metternich and Guizot, the radicals in France and the police in Germany, United." From the encounter of Marx and Engels to the drafting and publication of the communist manifesto, the young Marx's film provides us with a complete picture of the arduous history of the European bourgeois society at that time.
The tone of the entire film uses dark colors as the keynote, and the atmosphere of the picture is gloomy, like the dark clouds before the storm, which foreshadows all kinds of unease, depression, and the darkness before the revolt of the exploited proletariat in the society at that time. And it is in such a disturbing atmosphere that the story of the film unfolds.
In the film, Engels, who is an exploiting class, criticizes the factory owners and exploiters on the one hand, and at the same time, he himself is one of them, and he is suffering. And Marx, a "radical" who was not accepted by the philosophical and revolutionary circles at the time, was also suffering. When two people met for the second time, the two quickly changed from confrontation to sympathy, and only they could understand each other. Marx's talent, his ambitions and ideals, can be recognized and understood by Engels. As a factory owner, Engels went deep into the masses of the proletariat and deeply understood the plight of the workers. At the same time, due to the particularity of his identity, he had an understanding of capital that other members of the League of Justice did not have. When their thoughts collided with each other, Marx studied books on economic theory and gained a deeper understanding of value. They proposed, "So far, all philosophers have done is to explain, to explain the world, but the world needs Change." And so, they completed the transition from a utopian theory to a leading common program.
The film also shows the predicament they were facing at that time. Marx was expelled from France and lived in extreme poverty. Fortunately, Engels helped him, but Engels had intensified conflicts with his father and was not understood by those around him. The theory of the two is not as popular as imagined in the League of Justice. It is people such as Waitlin and Proudhon who are popular. Wei Trinity's speech was very provocative and won the support of many people at the bottom. However, the kindness and fraternity he proposed were all spiritual utopians, without a practical theory to guide, Wei who wisely shouted slogans. Trine was ultimately unable to lead the workers to victory. At the end of the film, Engels' speech, in the dim room, the comrades elected Engels and Marx as leaders by voting, and the Justice League eventually became the Communist League. At the same time, Engels' powerful question also echoed in our hearts. Everyone is a brother. Who is a brother? Are the capitalists of the exploiting classes also brothers? No, they are the enemy. In this way, Engels criticized Proudhon's "The Poverty of Philosophy" and Weitling's unrealistic utopian vision of socialism with his thinking, and successfully led the working class to the right path.
The portrayal of other characters in the film is also very full. The rebellious Jenny who voluntarily left the wealthy aristocratic family in pursuit of freedom is even calmer and wiser than Marx at some times. She fully understands and supports Marx, and has her own deep thoughts on communism. And Mary was unwilling to accept Engels' money even if the quality of life was controlled. As she said, it was dirty money, and she actively introduced Marx and Engels into the League of Justice. She was also an excellent proletarian revolutionary.
Capital Economics Malaysia New Youth Film Review
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