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.    

每當教材提及阿米許 (Amish) 文化，就想到 1985 年的 ｢ 證人 ｣。 這部影片的主軸除了英雄主義以外，對邊緣的次文化也多有著墨，是不錯的教學影片。剛正不阿的警官對上貪腐的上司，最後邪不勝正，雖說是公式般的定律，但可以滿足現實生活中對正義的渴求，這是英雄片永遠存在的理由，一如浪漫愛情片，替代性的滿足大眾對永恆不朽愛情的嚮往。

片中呈現的 Amish 文化，自然樸質，是現代科技文明的反襯及反省。從服裝到家居，單純的白、黑、藍色調所表達的不僅是清教徒的自律嚴謹，更是對抗資本主義物質崇拜的一種姿態。手作的家具及食物，讓人和生存環境有了密切的聯結，不再有都會的疏離感。另外，把個人的價值，定位在對團體的貢獻上，也是避免疏離的好選擇。片中有一幕特別強調社群生活的凝聚力，男人們合力為一對新人建穀倉，女人小孩們則編織或送食物供大家享用。互助合作的生活模式大大降低了因個人主義所帶來的孤寂感，這點值得深思。在利益他人的過程中才能彰顯自己生命的價值，不管是東方的佛教或西方的耶教，對於此點，都有相同的論述。

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。

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.

The Hours examines the unique female consciousness of being. From the feminist perspective, it may be acclaimed a subtle and exquisite masterpiece. Yet, mundane viewers may decry it as a jejune bemoaning of the white, middle-class women, nothing less than a portrait of bourgeois ennui. Admittedly, the Marxist disciples are justified to criticize the three females’ lives as self-indulgent and self-conscious, because they are free from economic burdens as suffered by women in poor countries. While poverty-stricken women struggling for survival are left no extra energy to question the meaning of their life, these rich, white women have the leisure to ponder over the meaning of their existence. In proletarian view, the repeated quest of “who am I” is a sign of intellectual arrogance bred by material abundance. So, let’s explore the three women’s life and see if it’s really the bourgeois ennui that gives rise to such an unhappy life.

The only intimacy I never found to flinch or fade away was a purely intellectual one. There was none of the cant of candour in it, none of the whine of mawkish sensibility. 永不退失的親密關係是純然的知性關係，此中絕無虛矯的真誠及感傷。

(William Hazlitt, “On the Pleasure of Hating”)

In a world of disorder and disaster and fraud, sometimes only beauty can be trusted. Only artistic excellence is incorruptible. Pleasure cannot be bargained down. And sometimes the meal is the only currency that is real. 在這失序混亂的世界，有時只有美才能被信賴。只有藝術的卓越才能不朽。愉悅感不能被打折扣，有時美食才是唯一的真實貨幣。

(Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love 152)

電影「美味關係」中，有兩點頗耐人尋味。一個是美食所代表的意涵；另一是知性的親密關係。食物不僅是果腹的基本必需品，它還代表了個人成就及對異國文化的挑戰。另外，人與人之間的交往，如果以知性為後盾，這樣的關係才能永恆不變質。本文以這兩個觀點來探討這部影片。

Brothers (窒愛) is a movie about post-war trauma and sibling rivalry. Released in 2009, it tells a powerful story of two opposite brothers, Captain Sam Cahill (starring Tobey Maguire) and his younger brother, Tommy Cahill (starring Jake Gyllenhaal). Sam marries his high school sweetheart, Grace (starring Natalie Portman), with whom he has two young daughters. In the eyes of his family and colleagues, he is a respectable hero, dutifully serving his family and country, In contrast, Tommy is a drifter on parole, found guilty of robbing a bank. In a military mission in Afghanistan, Sam’s plane crashes and he is supposed dead although his body is missing. The black-sheep brother then takes on the duty to care for his family. As Grace has a deeper contact with Tommy, she becomes sympathetic with him, for she finds that lying under his degraded behavior is the sense of inferiority. Later, Sam miraculously returns from the battlefield, but he is totally changed. He is irascible and aloof, always finding fault with his family and suspecting the adultery between his wife and brother. After a fierce conflict with them, he is sent to a mental hospital. The hope of reconciliation emerges after he confesses to his wife that he has killed his comrade in Afghanistan to come back to her.

The Reader, as some critics claim, is a film about eroticism, Holocaust trauma, morality, and reconciliation. While it touches these issues, I’m most intrigued by the subtlety of the couple’s relationship. How can a middle-aged woman leave a permanent scar in a teenager’s life? In a certain sense, his whole life is haunted by the woman. Is it because the first love is always the most unforgettable? In my view, she is unforgettable not just because she is his first love but because she assumes the complicated role of a femme fatale, who torments the heart of a sensitive man.

「楚門的世界」真是一部有深度令人難忘的電影。它的原始概念來自一部驚悚科幻小說。楚門(Trueman) 從小被攝影機監控而不自覺，活到中年時，才發覺身邊所有的人都是演員，只有自己不是。他被外界不可知的力量操控著，他生命中所有的一切，包括父母、妻子、摯友等，都是導演指派的角色。當真相戳破虛偽，喚醒清明的意識時所帶來的震驚與恐懼，絕不亞於一般科幻小說的恐怖懸疑。楚門(Trueman)這個角色，隱涉真實的(true)人(man)，代表我們芸芸眾生；掌控他的導演名為Christof，意指上帝耶穌基督(Jesus Christ)，代表支配我們生命的神力。將抽象的特質，具體化為故事中的人物來呈現，是中古文學中長篇寓言(allegory)的特色，像15世紀盛行的道德劇(Morality Play)代表作Everyman，各種美德/惡行都化為劇中角色和Everyman 互動，以對話的方式探討生命的永恆價值。楚門這個角色就是Everyman，他所居住的地方名為Seahaven，表面字義為海灣鎮，真實義涵為安全的避風港，在此居住無須面對任何風險。導演Christof一如道德劇中的上帝，主宰每個人的生與死。本文擬就下面幾個面向，探討這部電影對人生的深刻反省。

The Tree of Life won the prize of Palme d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, getting polarized reactions to the director, Terrence Malick's style. Some critics uphold his artistic and technical skills while some disapprove of his fragmented and non-linear narrative. For an amateur filmgoer like me, bizarre”is the first word that comes to my mind when watching this film. Bizarre though it is, the film is unforgettable with some poetic shots leaving indelible impressions on me.

I. A Visual Manifestation of the Book of Job

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding. . . . who laid the cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Book of Job 38)

一、故事內容

電影《讓愛傳出去》(Pay It Forward) 由咪咪‧蕾德(Mimi Leder)執導，凱文‧史貝西(Kevin Spacey)、海倫‧杭特(Helen Hunt)及童星哈利‧喬‧奧斯蒙(Haley Joel Osment)主演。內容描述一位教社會學的老師尤金(凱文‧史貝西飾)，一如過往地給學生相同的作業，要他們想一個能改變世界的辦法，並將它付諸實行。"Think of an idea to change our world---and put it into action!" 他把這句話寫在黑板上，讓學生用一整個學年的時間來完成。多年的經驗讓他不期望學生會認真去做這作業，即使有也不會有何驚喜。但他的學生崔佛(哈利‧喬‧奧斯蒙飾)，提出一個「讓愛傳出去」的構想：「以我為中心，幫助三個人，不要求這三個人回報我，他們每個人必須把感恩的心情傳出去，幫助另外三個人，在這樣的連鎖效應下，兩個星期就可以有超過四百七十萬個人受惠。」崔佛在黑板上畫了一個圓圈，底下再串連三個圈，開始解釋: "That's me; that's three people.  And I'm going to help them. But it has to be somethting really big,  something they can't do by themselves. So I do it for them. And they do it for three other people. " 這不只是口頭報告，他真的付諸實行，幫助一位街頭遊民，帶他回家，給他食物，讓他洗澡，和他聊天，鼓勵他，給他錢，讓他買衣服，找工作。遊民也主動為他們修車。雖然因無法克制的毒癮再度流浪異鄉，卻因緣際會救了一位想自殺的婦女。

My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods; time will change it, . . . as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary . . .  I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am a pleasure to myself, but as my own being.  

(from Cathy's confession to Nelly)

 Is it better to live as a monster or die as a good man? 

      Despite the numerous discussions about this film, I'd like to say something exclusively impressive to me. I don't care about the theme of illusion v.s. reality or the man in mental distress. That's so obvious the intention of Martin Scorsese, who is good at depicting the plight of the desperate individuals with crazed violence against the repressive society in which they live. But Shutter Island is not of that scope. I would rather claim it as a tribute to Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

談「失落的世界」中之殖民主義

     恐龍在文學及電影的想像中，不外是一種遲緩、笨拙、怪誕及過時的龐然大物。它被賦予的抽象意義總是負面而具威脅性。以電影「侏羅紀公園」的續集「失落的世界」為例，恐龍再次成為和人類敵對的他者(the other)，讓人類陷入極大的危機與恐懼中。以商業電影而言，它的視覺特效值得讚賞，給觀眾帶來不少娛樂。享受完感官刺激之餘，再對它的意識型態稍加省思，便能發掘其中的殖民主義(colonialism)。筆者在本文中，試以西方強權的殖民經驗來解讀此影片。

Sadism is not a name finally given to a practice as old as Eros; it is a massive cultural fact ---which constitutes one of the greatest conversions of Western imagination: unreason transformed into delirium of the heart, madness of desire, the insane dialogue of love and death in the limitless presumption of appetite

(Madness and Civilization, 210)

     In the film, Quills(鵝毛筆), Marquis de Sade is portrayed as a victim of social hypocrisy. Indeed he is, in the way he is tortured by the ward guardian, who makes a fortune by publishing his writings after he dies miserably in the asylum. Analyzed from the perspective of madness, Sade means more than a victim of Christian morality. He reveals the true essence of madness, as Madeleine, his devoted reader in the film claims, “You can't be a proper writer without a touch of madness, can you?”