The author of this article: Xiao Xuan'er
I believe you may be like me and watched the film " Determination to Break Up " with great expectations.
But after reading it, I fell into silence for a long time.
Faced with the online praise for this film, director Park Chan-wook , and Tang Wei 's acting skills,
and discussions on whether the film is a "male gaze",
these complicated voices made me a little confused
How to deal with your emotions after watching this movie.
If this is the case for you, let’s shake hands first.
So, I struggled for a long time before I made up my mind to write a manuscript.
is not to grab the spotlight or to brag about how great this movie is,
is simply to share with everyone your impressions of this movie.
Regarding the three major highlights of this film,
can be summarized as "the best director's work in Cannes" and "Tang Wei's acting masterpiece",
and the "love"-based film that is full of "detective and noir film " elements. themed movies.
I think these three major highlights: director, performance and film script, each raise three questions.
How is Park Chan-wook's directorial skills reflected in "Determination to Break Up"?
How do you evaluate Tang Wei’s performance and his portrayal of the role of Song Ruilai?
The theme of the movie is about love. How should we enter this story and how should we digest the ending?
Part 1: The Director’s Presence and Absence
To answer the first question,
let’s quickly review Park Chan-wook’s previous works.
Just in July, I re-watched Park Chan-wook's revenge trilogy on the big screen at the Toronto Film Archive (TIFF Bell Lightbox),
from " I Want Revenge", "Old Boy" to " Kindness" "Gold " is very impressive.
is also a story of revenge.
Park Chan-wook can find a different aspect and a deeper angle every time.
explores the pathology and distortion of human nature in the process of revenge.
In the story of the first "I Want Revenge",
the person who succeeded in revenge did not get back the person he cherished, but suffered even more.
even became a walking zombie driven by the action of "revenge".
was not freed until he was counterattacked.
In "Oldboy",
is also the pursuit of each other by the two Avengers.
One is in the light and the other is in the dark.
Here, in order to achieve the goal, the Avengers abnormally created another self.
And after Wu Daxiu's revenge,
faced infinite emptiness and darkness, as well as forbidden love.
In "Friendly Gold",
the subject of revenge changes from male to female, and
the behavior of revenge changes from individual to collective.
similarly explores how
resolves the emptiness caused by revenge after collective revenge.
and each family left their contact information one after another in order to get the compensation as soon as possible.
At the end of the film, we can see Jin Zi’s strong desire to be redeemed.
In "Stoke" and "Miss" after Park Chan-wook,
we can all feel the sensory stimulation brought by a strong type of movie,
by pushing the character's state to the limit in the plot, breaking through The boundaries of ethics and ,
thus allow people to get an "addictive" pleasure when watching videos.
From a director's perspective, "I Want Revenge" focuses on telling the story, and
creates dramatic tension through the actions of the characters.
When it came to "Oldboy", Park Chan-wook began to use directing techniques boldly.
gave a strong image style in terms of shots, rhythm and soundtrack, (opening, contrast editing, horizontal pictures, etc.)
The audience's attention was attracted from the first second Hold on firmly,
is the support of audio-visual language that we are familiar with.
In "Friendly Gold", Park Chan-wook's ability to control images has become more mature,
the character creation is richer, the narrative efficiency is higher, and the pleasure of watching is stronger.
You will find that Park Chan-wook, after the revenge trilogy,
in films such as "Stoke" and "Señorita",
has a different way of shooting each time.
freely controls the style of the film.
Every detail is the director's thought,
thus making each film exude a unique charm.
From 2002's " Revenge Trilogy ",
to 2022's "Determination to Break Up",
In the past 20 years, Park Chan-wook has (almost) participated in screenwriting work every time.
And in every movie related to women,
he collaborates with screenwriter Zheng Ruijing.
From 2005's "Friendly Gold,"
to 2016's "The Lady,"
to 2022's "The Decision to Break Up."
This time the two people found a new angle to tell the story of "revenge" - that is "love".
Regarding the occurrence of love, the relationship between love and being loved, and the disappearance of love,
these completely invisible and intangible things are just the emotions that quietly occur in the characters' hearts.
Park Chan-wook tried to present it in his unique way in his movies.
He said very bluntly in the interview that
this movie has no symbols or metaphors.
The audience only needs to walk into the cinema and
feel and experience the movie.
I believe that everyone must have experienced these moments related to "love" in this film
For example: the moment when love is born,
the mutual gaze between two people.
The relationship between seeing and being seen,
The relationship between monitoring and being monitored,
The relationship between listening and being listened to,
In the upper and lower parts of the movie,
has also been deliberately reversed.
In terms of image expression, in the first half of the film,
Zhang Haejun, played by Park Hae Il, his surveillance and observation of Song Ruilai, played by Tang Wei, is an investigation,
is aboveboard, naked, direct, Even intrusive.
is what we see in the film. It is both snooping like Hitchcock " Rear Window ",
and also imaginary intrusion and observation of Song Ruilai, played by Tang Wei, in the living space.
On the other hand, in the second half of the film,
Song Ruilai followed and observed Zhang Haijun secretly.
Zhang Haijun had no idea that he was in Song Ruilai's sight.
This is completely different from what Song Ruilai knew very clearly before,
and saw Zhang Haijun tracking and monitoring her.
If the image world
created by Park Chan-wook in "Determination to Break Up" has a dictionary that can be interpreted by the audience, there is no doubt that
must be the "Book of Mountains and Seas" held in Song Ruilai's hands.
Park Chan-wook's "Determination to Break Up"
From the two death incidents in the "mountains and seaside" where the plot takes place,
to the color contrast between the character's clothing "land and sea", it is very obvious.
Song Ruilai's blue sweater, windbreaker, wallpaper at home and the book in her hand,
all give this character the symbolic intention of representing the "sea" at all times.
The sea is silent, so Song Ruilai's observation of Zhang Haijun was not noticed.
The sea is also mysterious and beautiful, passionate, full of danger, and bottomless.
The corresponding mountain is exposed,
cannot hide its secret and gives people a sense of oppression.
Zhang Haijun, as a middle-aged policeman with insomnia and anxiety,
corresponds to his fragile heart and his persistent actions.
He will be excited when seeing a murder case.
He will not allow secrets to exist.
He will uncover all the mysteries with his own hands.
When he saw Song Ruilai for the first time,
he was attracted by her mysterious temperament.
But when he revealed Song Ruilai's past and present,
the way and motive of killing,
just like Song Ruilai said, his love disappeared.
At this time, Song Ruilai's love has just begun.
Such emotional dislocation
led to the second half of the story led by Song Ruilai.
After one hour of the movie, enter the second part - 13 months later.
From the "Mountain" chapter to the "Sea" chapter,
the location is changed to the misty "Riura City".
It can be said that this film is all under the control of director Park Chan-wook,
as far as the narrative structure,
as small as the camera movement,
The insertion and escape of the front and back,
design for watching and being watched,
This lens was used in "The Village of Short Cape/Short Cape Love Affair" by Varda that we talked about before. The gaze between lovers.
arrived at the director Bergman, and countless directors rewritten it with images - Ghost in the Shell.
and then to "Determination to Break Up"
Park Chan-wook deliberately gave Jang Hae-joon and Song Seo-rae,
each one of them staring at each other,
of course in their own different ways.
It can be said that the director is connecting the past and the future.
We can trace back to many film history classics.
The story and image language are extremely original.
The director has integrated his own style and ideas,
coupled with the cultural advantages full of oriental mystery. ,
No wonder the Cannes judges paid for the best director.
Part 2: The weaving of the plot and the duality of the characters
There is another very intriguing point in the plot of the film
.
In Song Ruilai’s family story,
she was born in China,
there is a house that belongs to her in South Korea. of mountains.
When she risked her life and smuggled herself to South Korea,
was constantly subjected to domestic violence. After she killed her husband and regained her freedom,
boarded the board with Zhang Haijun, who once doubted her but also fell in love with her.
After fulfilling her wish on this mountain,
she made up her mind to "break up."
In other words, the female character Song Ruilai not only represents the sea,
her heart and destiny also contain mountains.
Now looking back at the movie poster design,
completely explains this theme.
The police officer Zhang Haijun who is deeply involved is small and confused.
He seems to solve the case every time,
but cannot control his life and sleep,
even more unable to guess Song Ruilai's next step.
He gradually transformed from a monitor and intruder in Song Ruilai's life to a passive and after-conscious role.
And Song Ruilai is an "exotic" and "mysterious woman" in the eyes of men,
a "femme fatale" (femme) in the classic film noir. fatale),
gradually transitions into a person with strong personal emotions, and will take the initiative to attack when facing love.
will choose to take back the control of life even if he kills someone.
will choose to take back the control of life even if he commits suicide. Performing role.
Here we can indeed see the film's satire on
the traditional male gaze and strong roles.
Police officer Zhang Haijun's life and heart finally collapsed together.
We can also see the film's shaping and breaking of the femme fatale.
Song Ruilai has everything the femme fatale looks like,
but it is completely different on the inside.
has no interest in fame, fortune or money,
she is a person who pursues love.
When the love is no longer there and the wish is gone,
she decides to break up and choose to disappear herself.
When we judge whether a role is finally established,
it often depends on whether the person's final action is directed at the person he or she is, or whether it is to explain himself.
If Song Ruilai's death was to become an unsolved mystery in other people's lives, then this is a passive and completely tragic ending.
If Song Ruilai's death was her own choice and had nothing to do with Zhang Haijun's life, then this is a proactive, positive and happy ending.
What do you think the video shows?
For me, the biggest obstacle to watching the whole film is that I understand the film as a story of "revenge through love", especially the other translation of "Revenge Breakup"
In fact, the English name of "Determination to Break Up" is Decision to Leave – the decision to leave.
Rather than saying "Determination to Break Up" is a movie about revenge with love,
it is better to say "Determination to Break Up" is actually a story about deciding to leave.
"Leaving" includes breaking up with the man you love,
and "leaving" this disappointing world.
At the end of the film, the director portrayed Song Ruilai's suicide, that is, "leaving",
without any sadness, it can even be said to be magnificent,
Song Ruilai let go Love, the calmness after letting go of everything,
her stretched fingers overlap with the figure of Zhang Haijun who is lingering in it and can never escape.
The waves in the lens are constantly eroding the "mountain" of accumulated sand and causing it to collapse.
Only from this perspective can we understand the
film from a female perspective.
describes a love story that is not recognized by the world, but
happened.
As a viewer, I can realize that this female character is proactive.
Part 3: The beauty of Tang Wei and the charm of Song Ruilai
The views in the above two parts
are all elucidating this "Determination to Break Up" from a positive perspective.
If you look at it from another angle,
the director's presence is too obvious,
the script is too crafty and neat,
the symbols and designs are so full that they overflow the frame.
is also the main factor that made me feel alienated and unable to enter the story while watching the movie.
Those pros and cons that deliberately mislead the audience,
The way the characters are presented in a physical way,
The use of mobile translation software and Apple Watch recording,
all make the film farther and farther away from reality.
In every still of Tang Wei, her eyes are full of drama,
But as soon as she moves, the drama breaks down as soon as she speaks Chinese lines.
I think that on the one hand, Korean directors and screenwriters
really cannot guide and grasp the interpretation of Chinese lines in detail;
On the other hand, although Tang Wei is a language genius - he speaks English and Cantonese very fluently, Korean can also be used. Learn and apply now.
But it is Mandarin . For her, who was born in Zhejiang and grew up in Hangzhou, it feels like a second language.
Among her plays, the weakest ones are in Mandarin.
Good characters include Wang Jiazhi in "Lust, Caution" and Xiao Hong in " Golden Age ".
are characters that are particularly close to her own personality and temperament.
As for Song Ruilai in "The Determination to Break Up",
I can only say that Tang Wei, who clumsily speaks Korean, has a sense of character,
but as soon as she starts speaking Mandarin, the character starts to act out of character.
Of course, this is my very personal feeling,
and it may also be an obstacle for Chinese movie audiences to watch this movie.
I think there is no problem in the eyes of director Park Chan-wook and foreign movie audiences.
Finally, I would like to talk about my views on the role of Song Ruilai.
Today's pioneering shaping of female characters and reflections on the male gaze have become a major issue in mainstream culture and the film industry in recent years.
Although I like those classic noir movies,
but I really don't like the femme fatales in those movies.
While these movies have created classic female characters one after another,
they have also shaped people’s stereotypes about women for many years.
was also the most direct manifestation of the male gaze behind the camera at that time.
Women have been labeled as charming, dangerous, and chasing fame and fortune.
What’s even more frightening is that there is a type of female characters in these movies,
They are crazy, stupid, funny, hysterical,
In almost every old movie,
the female characters have to be slapped by a man. wide awake.
Take last year's representative women's film "The Worst Man in the World" as an example.
tells the story of modern women's recognition of themselves and their recognition of their own strengths and weaknesses.
So at the peak of Asian movies, women are still portrayed as a "mystery".
believes that exotic and mysterious women are the most attractive.
I feel a little behind in terms of aesthetics and values.
I absolutely do not deny Park Chan-wook's directorial skills and screenwriter's writing skills in this film,
But in the final analysis, I actually can't accept what
Song Ruilai said in the end of "The Determination to Break Up": "Maybe I want to Become Jang Haejun’s unsolved case." This line.
This is the last sentence before Song Ruilai leaves.
It means that Song Ruilai, the subject, is passive and tragic from birth to death.
Song Ruilai watched the TV series to learn Korean,
finally turned her life into a tragic ending.
Is such death beautiful?
Should we appreciate her death?
Thank you for reading this. I am Xiao Xuan'er. Welcome to leave a message about your thoughts on "The Determination to Break Up".
A good movie is like a book, worth watching over and over.
August 20, 2022 Xiao Xuan'er's Diary
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(pictures come from the Internet, the copyright belongs to the original author All)
