Helpless situation. An inescapable cycle. In the face of endless despair with no exit, what kind of attitude should we take to face it, how can we survive in it, and how can we struggle to reach the other side of the ideal?
The two films "Groundhog Day" and "Edge of Tomorrow" discuss similar topics. Both films tell how the protagonist of Eternal Reincarnation is unyielding to break free from fate. The protagonists have a firm belief in their ability to break free from reincarnation. They maintain an optimistic attitude, keep trying and making mistakes, fail repeatedly, die countless times, and finally win in a new attempt and break the cage of fate.
"Fifty First Loves" and "The Notebook of Love" have similar themes and different narration angles. Both films discuss the attitudes one takes as a spectator of reincarnation toward fellow mishaps in one's own life. Never give up, use his love to pull his lover back from forgetting and lost countless times, and help them find the meaning of their existence again and again.
"Aerial Killer" also tells the story of reincarnation. It also discusses the relationship between characters inside and outside the predicament, as well as the attitude towards reincarnation in the face of despair. In this film, the relationships of the characters are richer, and the attitudes and choices are heavier.
As the so-called "normal people" who are not Kildren, that is, bystanders, their attitude towards Kildren is divided into several factions.
People in the military are ruthless, and have designed all kinds of wars for Kildren, making Kildren kill each other.
The people were ignorant and hypocritical. They regarded themselves as kind and friendly. They visited and took pictures in the camp. When they faced Kildren's death, they were able to hand over a few tears, but they actually stayed away from it and watched from the sidelines.
Others, including the pilot aunt, the dust girl, the bar owner and the bartender (and the old man sitting on the doorstep?), always looked at Kildren with tender and pitying eyes. Knowing that nothing could be changed, they always tried their best to provide Kildren with the utmost care.
As the victims of this game, the Kildren, who are caught in reincarnation, a group defined by "kill" and "children", cannot escape this cruel fate. Faced with the same fate, different individuals have different attitudes and performances.
Teammate Shinoda chose to be numb. Whenever Shinoda appears, his posture is almost always Ge You lying. Ge You was lying on the sofa in the lounge. Ge You was lying on the party chair with a wine bottle in his hand. Maybe Shinoda already knows the truth, maybe he doesn't want to know, but he must know that he has nothing to do with life now, and Ge You always lies and looks up at the sky in a daze.
Roommate Tokino chose the game life. I am drunk now, hang around in brothels and bars, explore cities I have never been to, and even look for opportunities to desert when flying on duty to fight for a little more freedom. Deep down, Tokino, perhaps like Shinoda, knew that he would never be able to break free from the current cycle. But he still has the freedom to choose his current attitude, and he wants to at least make himself a little happier every day.
The positioning of the heroine Kusanagi is rather special. She is the most hopeful person in the same reincarnation to hold on to the breaking point. Kusanagi has survived for a long time, and should continue to live, maybe she can really wait until the day when the situation fundamentally changes. On the other hand, Kusanagi became a bystander for the other trapped people, suffering double the pain of the authorities and bystanders. She lost her companions countless times and watched them reborn, but she had to pretend to be expressionless and watch her companions die again and again.
For most of the movie, the expressionless Kusanagi is frantic inside. She despaired of endless reincarnation, suffocated by a hopeless fate. Kusanagi never gave up resisting by any means. She gave birth to children, intervening in the reincarnation of her companions. However, after trying countless times, Kusanagi felt more and more desperate and depressed, because struggling to live never changed, all attempts were always in vain, and only the intense pain continued.
Kusanagi still has the qualifications and experience to live, but she has almost lost the meaning of continuing her life. Kusanagi begs Yuichi to end her own current life. But in the infinite reincarnation, what's the point of ending this life?
Until Kusanagi was encouraged by Yuichi the day before his death.
In this reincarnation, the male protagonist Yuichi gradually understands the cruel truth. Youyi chose to seek benevolence and benevolence, and he became a tragic hero. In the cycle of killing each other, no one can live with hope. No one can try to challenge the current fate, because everyone who challenged the limit of the sky was shot down by the "teacher" and died.
Before leaving, Yuichi encouraged his lover Kusanagi to persevere in the pain, persevere in living, and persevere until the day when the situation changes. After going to heaven, Yuichi chose to face the challenge from the sky, betting his life to fight for the true freedom of all Kildren. Then, in this reincarnation challenge, Yuichi was shot down by the "teacher" again.
The story begins with the landing report of Youyi, and ends with the landing report of Youyi's successor. Facing the desperate predicament, Yuichi went forward and succeeded in the reincarnation, constantly sacrificed and challenged; also in the cycle of no hope, Kusanagi was always by his side, and finally got the encouragement of Yuichi. Continue to be patient in the current life, live on, and hold on to the day when hope appears.
I think that's the attitude that this film hopes to convey. In a predicament, endure the current life, but never give up the pursuit of vague ideals and hopes. The patience and perseverance among them can be achieved by the numbness of adults most of the time. However, constant struggle and pursuit are not easy. To maintain optimism and passion requires a pure heart full of childishness and vigor.
This is also the most qualified quality of Kildren, who never grows up and was born to fight. Yuu's challenge to fate failed again. However, the comrades-in-arms and ordinary people around Youyi were actually always by his side, and everyone silently supported his challenges again and again, persisted, waited, and waited for a miracle to happen. This is not the first defeat for Youyi, but it does not mean a permanent defeat. The next time, the next challenge, may be successful.
On a new day, the successor of the new Youyi came to report again. Perhaps, when this person takes off again, he can really win in the sky and break through the limit that cannot be broken. Miracles may really be born in a certain flight and battle!
(1) Helpless
(2) Deja vu
(3) expressionless
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