2007年9月23日星期日

午夜的列农

晚上在Union SquareAcross the Universe,一部穿插着Beatles songs的音乐剧。故事从英国利物浦一个造船厂开始,小工裘德决定到美国寻找自己的生父,在普林斯顿,他碰到了不愿相认的父亲和有钱的普林斯顿小子马克思。两人到1967年左右的纽约,在东村和一群波西米亚艺术家住在一起。后来马克思的妹妹露西也到纽约来加入了他们的生活,裘德和露西相爱,但是后来因政治意见不和而分手。马克思被送到越南战场,他受尽创伤归来,裘德因为签证被遣送回英国。最后,老友们在纽约重逢,一场在东村公寓楼顶举办的露天演出把裘德、露西、马克思重新聚在一起。整部电影的色彩极其漂亮,充斥着psychedelic art,绚烂到极致的颜色不可思议的、梦幻般的组合在一起。根据维基不知道的介绍,

Across the Universe is a 2007 musical film directed by Julie Taymor and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. The script is based on an original story credited to Taymor, Clement and La Frenais, which incorporates compositions written by members of The Beatles. It stars Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess. There are cameo appearances by Bono as Dr. Robert (a counter-culture shaman), Eddie Izzard as Mr. Kite (a circus ringmaster), Joe Cocker as three street characters and Salma Hayek who appears (through digital special effects) as five nurses.

The story starts in the early 1960s with a young dock worker named Jude (played by Jim Sturgess) who travels from his home town of Liverpool, England to America in search of the American G.I. father (Robert Clohessy) he has never known. While in America he befriends Max (Joe Anderson) a rebellious young man from a privileged background and his sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood). Jude and Max become roommates in a bohemian enclave in New York City where they share an apartment with other young individuals. They are joined in New York by Lucy and a romantic relationship evolves between her and Jude. When Max is drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, Lucy becomes involved in the anti-war movement - leading to strains with the comparatively apolitical Jude. The film is constructed as a musical, with the actors expressing themselves and their inner emotions by singing compositions written between 1963-1969 by the members of The Beatles.

故事的主线非常一般,裘德和露西的爱情与其说是故事的主线,不如说是本片的败笔。编剧似乎想把太多的东西放到这部电影里,包括他们对六十年代的追忆,对披头四的敬意,对当下战争的不同意见。所以整部影片好像是一部不成功的政治宣言、音乐电视和浪漫爱情片的大拼盘。露西这个角色尤其失败,一开始她由于第一任男友在越战中罹难而决定参与反战运动,后来她参与纽约的反战组织,放弃大学而全职从事反战工作。但是,她非常令人讨厌的地方在于,她觉得由于自己的左派政治立场所以她就获得了一种政治上的和道德上的优越感,由此,她就可以批评任何人,在精神上具有绝对的优势地位。这一点最终导致了她和裘德关系的失败。而且,在影片结尾处,导演由匆匆忙忙地让她目睹了反战激进分子在制造炸弹,因此她决定退出反战运动。这是非常自相矛盾的情节。相比之下,倒是一些次要人物比较出彩,比如Dana Fuchs as SadieMartin Luther as JoJo,和T.V. Carpio as PrudenceSadie类似于Janis Japin,拥有完美的低音声线和不羁的灵魂,她和吉他手Jo Jo的激情跨越了种族的界限,两人的几段对唱非常精彩。

影片的亮点是中间穿插的一些非常具有想象力的片断。比如马克思被征兵,他在幻想中被放到流水线上,被拨光了衣服,身体的各个部分被拆开来检查,被大兵们玩弄于股掌之间,然后被运到越南,他和其他小兵扛着自由女神,吟唱着She is too heavy, she is too heavy "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" Performed by Joe Anderson)。另一段有趣的情节是马克思和裘德一伙人跟着Dr.RobertBono as Dr. Robert - a shaman),他们开着一辆老旧的公车,穿行于美国大陆 ( "I Am the Walrus" Performed by Bono (accompanied by the Secret Machines))影片中应用了很多psychedelic art 中的light show的技术,制造出一个虚拟世界的感觉。我个人最喜欢的是"Strawberry Fields Forever" Performed by Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson。影片穿插于裘德在纽约的工作室和马克思的越南战场之间。裘德失恋,在万般无奈下,他将草莓订在白色的画板上,草莓的汁液留下来像是鲜血。在世界的另一头,马克思恐惧地目睹战友被打死,血流满地。两个人的世界最后重叠在一起。当然,主题曲Across the Universe 也很有想象力,露西和裘德在水中相遇,亲吻、拥抱,影片中的其他人物也漂浮在水中,亲密地相爱,世界处在一片祥和的氛围当中。

总的来说,这是一部结构松散的影片,看了之后,我们都觉得很累。其实影片可以在好几个地方结束,但是导演和编剧似乎总觉得不够完美,一定要在故事的结尾加上一个圆满的结局,achieve a reconciliation in the end。所以,最后我们听到了"All You Need is Love" Performed by Jim Sturgess, Dana Fuchs,这似乎是对当下战争的告诫。这首歌可以结束越南战争,但是我很怀疑,它能够对当下的伊拉克战争有什么作用。爱已经不是结束战争的充分和必要理由了。

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