Yesterday afternoon, after quarreling with a black-hearted mother-in-law in our community, after dinner, I happened to see this film on TV. I remember last year when I sighed to my friend Wang Dayu that Li Ao was dead. Heavy rain said, brother, people will not die completely, you can watch "Coco Nightclub" (Taiwanese translation). Last night, a year later, I randomly pressed the remote control in my hand, came across this film, and remembered the recommendation of Heavy Rain, so I watched it, and then I understood the truth.
Apart from the relatives, forgetting, and death, this film initially reminded me of the oppression and coercion of parents against their children. For example, many doctors and lawyers in Taiwan force children to study medicine and become lawyers. Or political families, descendants must succeed the second and third generations in power. The artist may not force the children, but when the children hear it, many children also want to go and create. Musicians also seem to make children at least have to learn an instrument. In this film, the elders in the family do not let him touch music. The ending is that adults and children reconcile, and music is also accepted by adults, because everyone has music (feelings) in their hearts. The heartbreak of those adults is that they can't face history, memories, scars, haze, darkness, and ugliness. Talking like this, this film suddenly has a more serious meaning? "Transitional justice" involving history and politics ? In short, the confusion on the theme of this film is a bit messy, and the viewer can come up with various explanations, whether it is superficial, deep, extended, or symbolic. However, the multiple explanations did not add too many points to the film, because they would all become a bit of an imposed explanation. This may be the shortcoming of the work, or it may be that the viewers themselves are bored and have too much time to eat.
Just looking at the relatives, forgetting, death, emotional aspects, inheritance of family spirit, ancestor worship or ghost festival of national customs, caring for the elderly with amnesia (as I said so well), etc., is enough to move people. What about the parent-child generation gap and the theme of the previous generation oppressing the next generation is not important, it has become false, or it is not profound, and it has been avoided. The serious metaphor or symbol of "transitional justice" is reminiscent but cannot be discussed much. If you talk about it, the film is superficial. Just because the song god (Dracus) has been turned into a bad guy, justice has been given to the down-to-earth musician (Hector), justice and truth have been served, clap your hands! Long live! ~ But the question is, how can the real history be so simple? For example, when Chiang Kai-shek was pulled down from the altar, does it mean that he has no merit? The same goes for other historical figures. As far as this film is concerned, the song god (Dracus) has completely lost his historical status and value because he plagiarized other people's works and did not let his partners take away the good works? At least his singing voice and charm made the audience like it. Even he had to sacrifice the original creator because he loved art and had to protect and promote those works? (Although there is no such explanation in the film, but the plot is well done! It is a bit excusable that the singer is not described as heinous. But later he was described as heinous, and he was hit with a big fork.)
Of course viewers shouldn't be too harsh on this kind of entertainment film. Perhaps good and evil have to be simplified and superficially discussed in this kind of film. But having said that, in fact, it is still not handled like in the film. It doesn't have to be like a trial and advocacy. However, if you say that you don't have to think too much, many famous artists will indeed plagiarize other people's works! I was very happy to see that plagiarism is wrong! This also makes sense. Well, I jump out of this topic.
other aspects. The arrangement of the dog is a bit redundant in this film. Or replace it with a lizard? So it's redundant. There are many elements in the film, and it is full enough that there is no need to use this dog to add color to the adventure.
Does the movie have to use animation? Wouldn't it be better to play it with a real person? Wouldn't it be better to not use this kind of cartoonish animation, including the gorgeous celebration of the underworld? ... I can't come up with an answer to this.
Are Mexicans, Central and South Americans satisfied with the film? This is also important. Is there any point in their praise or criticism? ..."Family" has always been something that Latin people (not only Latin Americans) like to talk about. The close relationship between Spanish and Italians and their families (warmth and headaches) is somewhat similar to that of Orientals and Chinese. From this point of view, I think this film should not make the Latin people too critical, right? I don't know, I guess, at least I think the film isn't bad, even if there are a lot of flaws that can be discussed.
It's okay to think of Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude" or Almodóvar's films. Even if you think too much about it, it's okay to talk about it interestingly. Why? Because after all, we are still unfamiliar with foreign countries. If you look at 10,000 Latin American literature and films, it is still foreign, with an innate sense of mystery.
The old lady Coco, and finally the young male protagonist came to see her, which was like visiting her daughter instead of her ancestors . A climax scene of "Meet the Old Daughter" . It is equivalent to kusoing that sci-fi film, or blackening that film. But you can also say it's not black at all! It's very touching, but just borrowed the echo that was put into this film and became a god? Harmony? (I'm messing around with words). So this is wonderful! ! ! Or can it be said on the other hand, come on, "Dream Hunting Travel Notes (Coco Nightclub)" has become a science fiction film? Is "Interstellar" actually a ghost movie? …are there any similarities in nature or operation between co-authored sci-fi and ghost films?
Regarding the title mentioning "the touch of memory and forgetting", the reason why I use the word "touch" is that the sweetness of memory is usually mixed with sentimentality. When you think of something, you are actually surprised that you still remember it, and at the same time you are surprised that you have forgotten it for a long time? This is a very complex and heavy emotion. But the function of music (or cloud art) is to soothe, ease, beautify, and elevate everything while stating and manifesting this heaviness. It's like you use a paintbrush full of rich colors, but mix it with water to lightly paint it! Are you painting in Intense or Pastel? Both are. Childhood, early childhood memories are especially of this nature. "Interstellar" and "Dream Travel" hit the audience's heart in this "touch".
Li Ao will be dead for a year, and he rarely talks about a detailed thing on the show. He said a woman had told him a memory. The woman said that when she was very young, her father was an Air Force pilot who often had to fly to the mainland on missions. At that time, during the Cold War, his father flew a reconnaissance plane and did intelligence work for the United States and Taiwan. During the mission, many people will be shot down by missiles and will not be able to fly back to Taiwan. His father put a kind of cologne on his body (the flying officer's financial ability is relatively good and fashionable), every time she slept halfway through the night and smelled some kind of cologne, she knew that her father had come to say goodbye. Dad might kiss her or say something, and she's vague about it in her sleep, but clear about the smell. This short story has a homogenous touch with the song that my father sang to the little girl in "Dream Travel". A kind of parting scar, a brand of mixed feelings. Music and smells are imprints.
Regarding the Taiwanese translation of "Coco Nightclub", let me explain that the older generation of Taiwanese jokingly called the cemetery "Nightclub". There are some allusions that the older generation is used to, but the younger generation may not know.
Returning to the previous question, what evaluation or discussion do the Lao Mo and Latin people give to this film? Would you criticize it for being too American? Basically a lot of American nationals of Mexican descent in the United States. It's not difficult to get acquainted with white people or other ethnic groups, but can you get to know them well? For example, when Taiwanese talk about the Mid-Autumn Festival (Ghost Festival), not necessarily people from every province in the mainland can echo it? Perhaps without thinking too much, this film must directly involve Mexican-American artists. However, do Mexican-Americans have to understand Mexican primitive folklore? I think they get it, they're still very Mexican.
In the 2002 World Cup, when the US team played against the Mexican team, it brought a lot of topics, mainly on whether the Mexican-Americans love the United States? Because why are Mexican-Americans almost one-sided against the Mexican team? ...the simplest explanation I can give is that people have been Mexicans longer than Americans. Even a 10-year-old Mexican boy born in the United States still has a Mexican taste that has been replaced by generations, and he is very supportive of the Mexican team. Moreover, Mexico is a weaker country than the United States, and it is reasonable to support Mexico based on sympathy for the weak.
There is a master dog trainer, Cesar Millan (Spanish: César Millán Favela), a Mexican-American who understands dogs very well. on a lot. He smuggled into the United States from Mexico at the age of 21. He often said on the show that his animal knowledge and experience were the foundation laid in the Mexican countryside. The program "Reporting Dog Squad Leader" is very American. Yes, it will portray Cesamilan as an almighty "dog god". This is an American commercial marketing technique. But Cesamiran is really good at dogs and people (including dog owners and all kinds of people with three heads and six arms)! ... What I want to say is that maybe many viewers watching this show will not respect or yearn for Mexico because of this, only if this is an American show, they can't detect the taste of Mexico. But that's okay, I think.
There are all kinds of Mexican flavors, is it still too formal in this film? Or a little too smart and witty? (Like the peculiar nuances and thinking of Mexicans.) Or, no, very creative! Not just a big straw hat. This aspect must be discussed by experts, who are more powerful than experts. I can't talk seriously, I can only talk nonsense, as follows:
Mexico in my heart has its very 38 (or dead 38) side, and even surpasses (dead and alive) 38. For example, in the 2018 World Cup, the people of Mexico ran to the South Korean embassy to thank South Korea for beating Germany and allowing them to advance to the second round of the tournament. So happy, I laughed. Seriously, South Korea can blame Mexico, if you Mexico wins Sweden, or doesn't lose by as much, I South Korea can advance instead. I don't know if I've misremembered the relationship between their four teams, maybe it's not accurate. But the kind of gratitude from Mexico, you South Koreans can't care about him. There is no way to compare them to the truth or to be fake... They are real, but you can't laugh or cry and you can see them as fake intellectually. ——From the point of view of this national character, "Dream Hunting" is not crazy, out of sequence, and creative enough.
Mexico is a country with an ancient culture, a large population, and a large land area (more impressive if the part taken by the United States is included), and the economic progress in the new era has also made certain achievements, but is their self-esteem strong? I think there is some enthusiasm, strong enough, but it doesn't matter if you lose. I really care! Great look again! For many years in a row, I could only reach the round of 16, and that's it. There is an inner-world commentary who said it well, "Mexico is a demon team. It is not weak when it meets the strong, and it is not strong when it encounters the weak." The demon in its nationality and culture, this film is a little worse. I think people with brains in Mexico may be disappointed with their people and government? We foreigners say that you Mexicans are so enthusiastic and interesting. Some of them can’t say it well, alas, it’s annoying and they have no brains. I'm just guessing. Maybe some people say that Mexicans are very meticulous? Talk about the finesse of the great Mexican poets without having to move out of their way? I don't know, can't say anymore. Suddenly I thought of Cesar Milan, he was indeed meticulous, elegant, and spiritual. In addition to dog training, his programs are basically training people and coaching the dog owner's body and mind.
Finally, let me go back to Li Ao I said at the beginning. This guy likes Pharaoh selling melons a lot, ha, I admire him a lot, but sometimes it annoys me when he praises himself. Allow me to hold my own here too, to be annoying. Let me ask a question:
The film "Dream of the Dead" is lively and interesting because it refers to the Mexican folk custom "Day of the Dead", so I wonder if there are any literary and artistic works in the Chinese region that include folk customs, superstitions, supernatural beings, and ghosts and ghosts?
Yes, that is my work "Records of Daoji Qunsheng" . The title of the book "Dao Ji Qunsheng" is the plaque of the Baoan Temple in Taipei City, a temple dedicated to the worship of Baosheng the Great. The Great Emperor Baosheng is a god in southern Fujian, who was raised to heaven by a secular person, and was promoted to a god. He was a doctor, and he did his best when the plague spread. In 1975, Taiwan filmed the movie Baosheng the Great, starring Gu Minglun and Hu Yinmeng (then called Hu Yinmeng). Well, in a word, Baosheng Emperor is one of the gods worshipped in Taiwan, and "Dao Ji Qunsheng Lu" is a comedy novel closely related to Taiwanese folk customs or ancient Chinese folk customs.
I didn't mean to write a book, but from "Dream Hunter", I do think, will Chinese or Taiwanese movies appear in the future with films full of folklore? In the past, there were still many Hong Kong films, such as Qi Men Dunjia, One Eyebrow Taoist, Ghost Fighting, Temporarily Stop Breathing, etc. And whether the novel "Dao Ji Qunsheng Lu" is interesting or not, what is the difference? Please try to buy it, or look for it in the library in the Mainland. This book has been published in simplified version in mainland China, please advise, thank you.
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