Holly's Secret Garden

 
Birdman, or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, is an acclaimed American black comedy film winning the 2014 Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. Despite its genre as a comedy, it arouses such turbulent emotions as pity and fear much like a tragedy. It’s not just a story about a washed-up superhero trying to regain his power. Rather, it’s a mirror of every one of us struggling to be relevant in our time, a projection of the universal fear that we don’t exist.

There are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity  
The best quote in the film, also a thematic sentence, conveys the importance of our inner value in creating beauty and order out of the chaos of human life. Amazingly, so heavy a message can be delivered through such a lighthearted tone of the film. To me, no better words can describe the film than “entertainingly significant.” It keeps me in high spirits for the rest part of the day after watching it. In memory of this delightful experience so that it will leave some traces in my life, I write down what it is all about. Basically, it is an appealing artwork featuring a balanced structure, picturesque scenes, and thrilling suspense. But most significantly, it touches the big philosophical question---the meaning of life.    

 

 

 
本篇文章的目的在介紹「北非諜影」這部電影，為何多年來一直屹立不搖，成為美國人心目中經典中的經典。它的魅力在哪裡? 以下引述維基百科對它的註解: 「「北非諜影」是一部1942年的美國愛情電影，世界史上最成功的經典電影之一。本片榮獲1944年奧斯卡的最佳影片、最佳導演，和最佳改編劇本獎。這部電影的角色、劇情、以及主題曲 都成為了一種文化標誌。2007年美國編劇協會公佈影史「最偉大的101部電影劇本」名單，由「北非諜影」奪冠。」
 

 
前言
「莎翁情史」(Shakespeare in Love)於1998年上映，榮獲多項殊榮。它被歸類為浪漫愛情喜劇，主要內容是描繪伊莉莎白時期英國劇場的盛況，文學才子投入劇本的創作，讓劇場充滿生命力。戲劇同時也凝聚社會各階層的人民，雅俗共賞，貧冨齊聚一堂，一同徜徉在虛擬的舞台世界，應和著演員們的情緒，和他們同悲同喜，讓心靈得到替代性的滿足。這就是劇場千古不變的魅力。本片藉莎翁的一段情史，向當時的劇場致敬。另外一個重要的議題，本片也有肯定的答案。到底是戲如人生抑或人生如戲? 是藝術模仿人生還是人生模仿藝術?

Though much is taken, much abides; and though / We are not now that strength which in old days / Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; / One equal temper of heroic hearts, / Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will / To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
What made Skyfall the highest-grossing film in the UK in 2002, and win several accolades, including Outstanding British Film, Best Sound Editing and Best Original Song?

 
   
電影「魔球」(Moneyball)改編自Micahel Lewis於2003出版的小說，主要探討資金有限的棒球隊，如何借助計量經濟學(econometrics)，有效率的達到贏球的目標。此片顛覆傳統的棒球經驗，例如由球探針對個人的打擊率(batting rate)、防守率(defense rate)及人格特質(personality)來發掘球星，還有犧牲短打(bunt)、盜壘(steal base) 等常用策略，都遭到否定。本片強調棒球致勝關鍵在於在壘率(on-base rate)。一支球隊中，上壘率高的球員越多，就越容易贏球。根據這個原則，一位耶魯大學經濟系的非專業棒球小子，替奧克蘭運動家隊的總經理Billy Beane選了三位棒球專業人士眼中的爛貨，不是手肘受傷不能傳球，就是球技退化或私生活不檢點的球員。他們能雀屏中選，因為上壘率很高，又因為大型球隊都不想要，所以只需花很少的錢就能買到。只要能上壘，就有機會得分，管他是安打或四壞保送上壘的。所以只要有耐心及判斷力，不要隨意揮棒，慢慢等待保送上壘，贏球機會就變大。這樣的作戰策略，為小成本的運動家隊帶來20場連勝的輝煌戰績，也等於宣揚此經濟學理論的成功。

Introduction
Black Swan, a 2010 psychological thriller, explores the binary conflicts in human life---reason/unreason, love/hatred, repression/passion, hetero/homosexuality. The warring of the two turns out tragic in the film, for the latter overwhelms the former and leads to the death of the female protagonist.

「BJ單身日記」不只是一般的愛情喜劇，它是經典文學「傲慢與偏見」的現代版，更確切的說，是向經典文學致敬之餘，又不忘加入現代顛覆元素的戲謔仿作(parody)。劇中女主角神來一句，”It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces. “(當你的生命中某部分開始順遂，另一部分就會全盤崩壞，這是眾所承認的事實) 已昭告其戲仿經典之意圖，因「傲慢與偏見」開宗明義的第一句話就是: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” (黃金單身漢必缺一個老婆是眾所承認的事實) 前者提到生命無常起落的事實，後者則是千古不變的婚姻法則，有錢的男人必定成為眾家閨女覬覦獵取的目標。
以下分幾點來談本劇的戲仿之處:
一、 男主角的傲慢與真誠

An Indecent Proposal (桃色交易)caused much discussion back in 1993 when materialism was rampant in American society. Today, it still remains a powerful criticism of market values. It is significant not only because it predicts the irresistible invasion of money in life, but also it caters to the ideal romantic sentiment. Altogether, the movie attracts the audience with two immortal topics: money and romance.
First, let’s explore the money issue. Here is the climax when the proposal was offered: