2007年7月6日星期五
Cinderella is a joke
I never think children’s fairytale can be so cruel. But ABT’s new production of Cinderella makes me rethink about the story and its meanings. Cinderella’s two sisters are treated so badly and everyone makes fun of them. They are just human, and they are just women in love and wish to be loved by Prince Charming. What’s wrong with that?
The new production is set in 1920s, with all of its glory and luxury. But it doesn’t fit well with the story, and for the most part, the story line and the dance fall apart. Prokofiev’s music reminds me so much about Gershwin and he was so good at imitating his style—the New York City tone in twenties! It gives you a sense of pleasure of being guilty, abundant of love and lust, and a full expression of desire for material world. The stage design is colorful and overdone. There are too much everything on the stage—color, furniture, decoration, dancers.
So many kinds came to ballet with their parents. In the first Act, they were excited by the funny duet of the evil sisters. And in the long ACT II, most of them got so bored. In the long search of ACT III, the little girl next to us began to ask her dad when this story would end.
After all, I think I turn into an anti-fairytalist in the end. Because you can fit into a pair of shoes so you can win the world is too much for me. Maybe I am too cynical, but I just don’t get it as I was when I was small. I think fairytale is like religion, you should not think about it, you should just believe in it. And that is all!
2007年7月5日星期四
看不透的烟花
东河在烟雨里，
是个隐约可见的谜语，
从罗斯福岛上飘过来的，
辛纳特拉的《纽约，纽约》，
是等待烟花的人最好的注脚，
等待生命中片刻的绚烂；
与其说人们是来看烟花，
不如说他们是来表现自己如何被烟花所感动，
国庆日的烟花，
挤在布鲁克林桥上才能一睹芳容的烟花；
烟花在等待烟花的人已经精疲力竭的时候，
开始了，
在瓢泼的大雨中，
那些无与伦比的超脱尘世的精灵们，
从沉睡中醒来，
展开双翼，
冲向不可知的未来；
当你以为你抓住了烟花的片刻，
恰恰是你失去它的瞬间，
那些没法用语言来描述的色彩，
在相机的屏幕上变成了，
Psychedelic 艺术家们的light show ；
画面上没有烟花的影子，
只有光的痕迹，
无数重色彩的重叠，
无数重光影的交叉，
那种触目惊心的美，
只能来自于无有的存在，
烟花本来就是从无中生出的有，
从虚无中来，
回到虚无中去；
等待烟花，
是观看生命中希望的展开，
观看烟花，
是旁观死亡的到来；
无可避免的堕落，
是烟花的命运，
是天使的命运，
是人的命运；
没有人能不被开到涂靡的烟花所打动，
没有人能不被它们暴烈的死亡方式所震惊，
在达到高潮的瞬间死去，
跟着浮世德的灵魂飞升；
越来越稠密的烟雾中，
已经看不到任何烟花的影子，
只能从巨大的爆炸声，
猜测层层云雾后的壮观景色，
因了这烟雾的关系，
天空仿佛回到了宇宙原初的状态，
充满了爆炸、烟雾和炫目的光线，
在不可逆转的原点上，
每一秒钟新的物质都在诞生，
每一秒钟时间和空间都在膨胀；
震耳欲聋的爆炸声中，
一切都结束了，
穿过巨大的黑色的草坪，
突然回首，
发现雨后的水气升起来，
城市的种种都笼罩在朦胧的雾中，
安哲洛普罗斯的风景，
午夜飞行中的风景，
《胡笳十八拍》中的风景；
下一年不会再来看烟花，
不想再次这么亲密地接触死亡，
烟花的灿烂，
是魔鬼许诺的浮世奢靡，
我不要！
我要在自己的花园里，
种一棵向日葵，
看它春天发芽，
看它夏日开花，
看它秋天垂下羞涩的头，
冬天在被窝里享受它的种子的美妙味道。
2007年7月4日在纽约观看烟花，是为记。
2007年7月4日星期三
The fate of soulmate
I saw Sylvia on youtube yesterday night, because too much tea made me awake. The movie is beautifully made, but as described by Assia Wevill in the moive, "a hunted" experience. In the begining of the film, the director used light colors to describe the youth innocence of Sylvia and Ted. As the film went on, the color became very dark and depressing, indicating a declining stability of their marriage and mental state of sylvia. It makes people doubt about the fate of soulmates. They are experience the summit experience others can only dream about, but when they suffer, they go to the hell others can only dream about.
Sylvia Plath had a troubled mind and life. She turned it into great work of art. As a symble of confessional poet, she went through the troubled relationship with Ted Hughes and managed to write in the struggle of her life. She successfully killed herself with gas oven and in the beginning of the film, her dead body came back to life, and she said to the audience, she was the master of art of death.
Plath was born on the October 27, 1932 in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.
Plath's gravestone bears the inscription "Even amidst fierce flames the golden lotus can be planted."
In 1982, Plath became the second poet to win a Pulitzer Prize posthumously (for "The Collected Poems").
Ted hughes was never faithful to any women. His lover, Assia Wevill killed herself and their illegal daughter with gas oven just 7 years after Sylvia's suicide. In August 1970, Hughes married Carol Orchard, a nurse. They remained together (despite his continued affairs over the years), until his death. He received the Order of Merit from Queen Elizabeth II just before his death.
Assia Wevill (May 15, 1927 – March 23, 1969) was born in Berlin, the daughter of a Russian-Jewish father and a German Lutheran mother. She is best-known for her relationship with English poet (and later Poet Laureate) Ted Hughes, and for killing herself, together with her daughter by Hughes, Shaura, in 1969.
Sylvia Plath had a troubled mind and life. She turned it into great work of art. As a symble of confessional poet, she went through the troubled relationship with Ted Hughes and managed to write in the struggle of her life. She successfully killed herself with gas oven and in the beginning of the film, her dead body came back to life, and she said to the audience, she was the master of art of death.
Plath was born on the October 27, 1932 in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.
Plath's gravestone bears the inscription "Even amidst fierce flames the golden lotus can be planted."
In 1982, Plath became the second poet to win a Pulitzer Prize posthumously (for "The Collected Poems").
Ted hughes was never faithful to any women. His lover, Assia Wevill killed herself and their illegal daughter with gas oven just 7 years after Sylvia's suicide. In August 1970, Hughes married Carol Orchard, a nurse. They remained together (despite his continued affairs over the years), until his death. He received the Order of Merit from Queen Elizabeth II just before his death.
Assia Wevill (May 15, 1927 – March 23, 1969) was born in Berlin, the daughter of a Russian-Jewish father and a German Lutheran mother. She is best-known for her relationship with English poet (and later Poet Laureate) Ted Hughes, and for killing herself, together with her daughter by Hughes, Shaura, in 1969.Alexandra Ferri and Sting
I just find this incredibly beautiful piece on youtube. Alexandra Ferri just retired from ABT at age of 46 and you will catch a glance of her elegance in this MV.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi4uJsXImNE
2007年7月3日星期二
爱北京
昨天到朋友家还CD,正赶上她妈妈千里迢迢从北京来伺候她生孩子。她妈妈和我妈妈看起来简直就像是姐妹，也许所有的北京老太太看起来都差不多。曾妈妈听说我还没吃饭，二话没说就进了厨房。不一会儿工夫，端出了热腾腾的馒头、火腿肠和咸鸭蛋，还有我最馋的甜酒酿汤圆。诶呀呀，我的亲娘啊，你什么时候又把组织上的同志派来了，咋这么知道我的胃口呢！我假装客气了几句，迅速把自己调整到快速就餐状态，尽量吃的不那么贪婪。这顿饭简直就和在北京家里的早饭一模一样，我真是舍不得一下子把它们都填巴了，可是不吃干净又觉得对不起自己的五脏庙。怪不得昨天出门前在网上看黄历，发现那一天适合探亲访友。
在这儿呆久了，不知道自己的饮食水平已经下降到温饱线左右了，每天最不关心的就是如何活着。宿舍楼对面的苹果树和美人比萨饼店，不知道收取了我多少银子。有的时候连图书馆都懒得出去，就随便凑合一个三明治，把自己打发了。其实我会做饭，我的杀手锏是炸酱面。从韩国店买来各种佐料，凑合用牛肉馅代替猪肉，把黄酱、肉馅、豆腐丁、大蒜、青豆都炒到一块儿，加大量的糖和辣椒酱，就制成了我独门儿的炸酱。吃的时候，就点儿美国的老黄瓜或者豆芽菜，点上点儿意大利的葡萄醋，嘿，味道还真不赖！就凭这炸酱面，我也征服了宿舍楼八层楼各国同学们的芳心呢。可是和从北京运来的甜酒酿和咸鸭蛋相比，这就不算什么了。饭后，曾妈妈怕我没吃饱，还拿出了一堆茯苓夹饼和麻糖让我享受。我啊，什么也不说，只是默默地猛吃。什么叫爱北京，这就叫爱北京。
2007年7月1日星期日
Coney Island
康尼岛是被遗忘的回忆， 在D线的尽头， 在世界的尽头；
每一样东西都带着， 衰老的气息， 连内森家的热狗 ， 吃起来也有呛人的历史灰尘；
人造的沙滩和人为的快乐， 被烈日灼伤的皮肤， 和皮肤下层层的脂肪， 救生员橘红色的泳衣， 和调情男女的上下其手， 一切都在95度的高温下， 呈现出超现实的迷幻色彩；
游乐园的过山车， 带着肥胖的美国宝贝们呼啸而过， 原来人从一出生就有了分别， 穷人的孩子到康尼岛来享受迷你摩天轮， 富人的孩子在中央公园的儿童乐园里， 享受65块钱的门票和保姆们的呢喃；
旋转木马总是让我着迷，
音乐声一起，
旋转的木马们获得了生命，
未来世界的大门也随即打开，
时间和空间一起流动；
我不介意在某个夏日的周末， 坐两个小时的地铁， 来这里欣赏一下具有未来风格的终点站， 晒晒我的臭皮囊， 在模糊的睡眼中， 乜斜着昨天的未来和明天的过去。
香港的回归和杨德昌的逝世
昨天香港回归十周年庆典，在网上读到各种各样的反响。有趣的是纽约时报的评论，讨论香港大主教十年来首次参与回归日民主游行，要求政府给民众更多的空间。Zen对教皇6月30日发表的公开信表示不满，认为对中国政府的态度过于暧昧。他自己主张天主教领袖应该在民主问题上对中国采取更为强硬的态度。民主党领袖Martin Lee则对曾荫权赞不绝口，觉得他比董建华更为务实和灵活。大陆媒体上，一片歌舞升平的景象。
台湾导演杨德昌在美国逝世，享年60岁。他对台湾新电影的贡献我不太清楚，但是我清楚地记得自己最早接触的台湾电影就是杨德昌和侯孝贤的影片。《牯岭街杀人事件》、《恐怖分子》、《一一》，这些电影一步一步地把青春的故事展开。杨德昌死了，大概以后的年轻人要寻找新的导演和电影来作为他们青春叙事的思考了。
不知道为什么，觉得杨德昌的去世自己心里有感应。昨天去Kim’s Video 买电影，在杨德昌和王家卫的收藏那里转了很久。奇怪的事，最后买了三部Woody Allen的电影，Manhattan， Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters。前一周去Met Museum，周末的电影节放映的就是这三部关于native New Yorker 的电影。今天早晨读到杨德昌的回忆录，发现他第一次和现任太太彭铠立结识，就是通过探讨Woody Allen的电影。冥冥之中，自有安排。
Manhattan的开头，Woody Allen不停地修改他关于纽约的小说的开头。杨德昌的电影又何尝不是他对于台北体验的反复回味和更新？从这个角度来讲，他们电影的灵魂来自于对自己所处城市和社会的反思—前者是带有反讽意味的独白，而后者是类似于大岛渚的青春残酷物语。
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