卧虎藏龙
马 婕
一.导演、演员介绍
1.导演
李安(Ang Lee),1954年10月23日生于中国台湾省屏东县潮州镇,籍贯江西省德安县。华语电影导演、编剧、制片人,曾获得多个主要国际电影奖项,包括两届奥斯卡金像奖、两届金球奖、两届威尼斯电影节最佳影片金狮奖以及两届柏林电影节最佳影片金熊奖。代表作品有《卧虎藏龙》《断背山》《色·戒》《少年派的奇幻漂流》等。李安在1999年执导的《卧虎藏龙》获得第73届奥斯卡最佳外语片奖。2006年和2013年则分别以《断背山》和《少年派的奇幻漂流》获得第78届奥斯卡金像奖和第85届奥斯卡金像奖“最佳导演奖”,是第一位获得该奖项的亚洲导演,也是至今唯一两度获得该奖项的亚洲导演。
2.演员
周润发(饰李慕白),1955年5月18日出生于中国香港南丫岛,籍贯广东宝安,中国香港影视男演员、摄影家。曾三次获得香港电影金像奖最佳男主角,作品分别为《英雄本色》、《龙虎风云》、《阿郎的故事》,并两次获得台湾金马奖最佳男主角。电影代表作有《英雄本色》《监狱风云》《赌神》等。
杨紫琼(饰俞秀莲),1962年8月6日出生于马来西亚霹雳州,祖籍中国福建,马来西亚籍华裔女演员、制片人。选美出身的她在香港地区和中国大陆影坛发展,成为国际巨星。近年来主演的《摘星奇缘》反映东西方婚恋文化冲突,表演十分精彩,也非常受欢迎。
章子怡(饰玉娇龙),1979年2月9日生于中国北京,中国大陆女演员和制片人。章子怡从小学习舞蹈,后考入中央戏剧学院戏剧表演系。在学期间,因主演张艺谋的电影《我的父亲母亲》成名,之后因参演《卧虎藏龙》而扬名世界。
张震(饰罗小虎),1976年10月14日出生于中国台湾省台北市,祖籍浙江余姚,中国台湾影视男演员、歌手。代表作品有《牯岭街少年杀人事件》《最好的时光》《绣春刀》等。
郑佩佩(饰碧眼狐狸),1946年1月6日出生于中国上海,中国香港影视女演员。2018年获第24届华鼎奖中国电视剧终身成就奖。代表作品有《唐伯虎点秋香》《卧虎藏龙》《花木兰》等。
郎雄(饰贝勒爷),1930年12月23日出生于江苏宿迁,中国影视男演员。2002年5月2日,郎雄病逝于台北;同年11月13日,第39届台湾电影金马奖追授郎雄终身成就奖。代表作品有《推手》《喜宴》《饮食男女》《卧虎藏龙》等。
二.电影梗概
江湖上的“一代大侠”李慕白闭关修炼结束后,生出隐退之意,因此托付红颜知己俞秀莲将自己的名剑“青冥剑”转交给朝廷的贝勒爷保管。这把已有四百年历史的古剑伤人无数,李慕白希望如此重大决断能够表明他离开江湖恩怨的决心。不料,当天夜里,宝剑就被人盗走,俞秀莲上前阻拦,与盗剑人交手数回合,但最终盗剑人在同伙的救助下逃走了。
俞秀莲经调查发现,盗贼与九门提督玉大人府有关,于是表面上登府拜访,实际在暗中查访宝剑下落。她大约猜出是玉府小姐玉娇龙一时意气所为,欲说之以理,动之以情,用旁敲侧击的方法迫使玉娇龙归还宝剑,免伤和气。谁知玉娇龙桀骜不驯、性格乖张并且不遵守江湖规矩,她持剑到俞秀莲处寻衅,还非要同李慕白一比高下。李慕白与玉娇龙正面交锋时,惊讶地发现其剑法与自己同出一门,由此发现了害死自己师傅的“碧眼狐狸”的踪迹。原来,玉娇龙自幼被隐匿于玉府的碧眼狐狸暗中收为弟子,从秘籍中习得武当派上乘武功,并且早已青出于蓝。
武功高强的玉娇龙一心向往江湖,不愿为了维护家庭的声誉而嫁给素未谋面的鲁翰林。在新疆之时,玉娇龙就与当地大盗“半天云”罗小虎情定终身,如今身在北京,父亲又要她嫁人,犹豫再三后,玉娇龙决定逃婚,浪迹江湖。任性傲气的玉娇龙在江湖上大打出手,引得各路江湖人士在俞秀莲和李慕白面前抱怨,说她“不讲江湖规矩”。李慕白爱惜玉娇龙人才难得,苦心引导,两人在竹林大战。碧眼狐狸以玉娇龙为诱饵,欲杀死李慕白,李慕白为救玉娇龙,身中毒针,命不久矣,他用最后一口气向俞秀莲表白。玉娇龙拼命去找解药解救李慕白,可为时晚矣。玉蛟龙在俞秀莲的指点下来到武当山,与罗小虎相聚,与其一夕缠绵之后,从武当山崖跳下,投入茫茫云海。
三.相关获奖、报刊评价情况
1.获奖情况
注:只列出两项全球电影界大奖的获奖情况。
2.相关评价
“这部影片牢牢地抓住了西方人的目光,仿佛为西方人量身定做了两对主角和两条线索。李慕白和于秀莲这对主角是为西方的知识分子准备的,柏拉图式的爱情、莎士比亚式的对白、崇高的人文境界都恰中要害;罗小虎和玉娇龙这种敢爱敢恨、敢打敢杀的西部牛仔性格的主角是为普通的美国观众准备的;李慕白为师傅报仇杀死碧眼狐狸的故事暗合了《基督山伯爵》的主线,而盗走青冥剑的这条线索又像极了美国的通俗剧。所以说这部电影的意义并不在于李安展示了多少中国元素,而在于如何用恰当的方式让众多美国人理解和接受这种展示。”(时光网评)
“《卧虎藏龙》在中国电影史的地位是毋庸置疑的,它将中国人的名字第一次写入了奥斯卡最佳外语片一栏。如痴如花的美景和让人眼花缭乱的打斗让人见识到了中国武侠的魅力。而此后这部电影的漫画、同名电视剧都有着不错的影响。”(英国电影杂志《帝国》评)
“2001年导演李安携《卧虎藏龙》奔赴奥斯卡,获得十项提名,并最终捧得最佳外语片等四项奖项,将华语电影带入一个口碑上的新境界,也掀起了影坛新一波武侠电影风潮。片中,李安一改其所擅长的情感伦理片风格,从更为现代的全新的角度将中国古典美学传统和情感理念诠释到一个新的高度。”(烂番茄网评)
四.评论文献综述
影片改编自王度庐的小说《卧虎藏龙》,编剧工作由美国的詹姆斯·沙慕斯和中国台湾的蔡国荣、王蕙玲共同完成,改编后的剧本既保留了东方侠义精神的特质,又将西方人难以理解的武侠纠葛变成了情感故事,让不同的观众群体从中读到不同的意蕴。(王雪,2017)
李安认为,武侠世界是一个中国人曾经寄托情感及梦想的地方,但是小说中所蕴含的东西到了港台的武侠片中,却极少能与真实情感即文化产生关联,长久以来它仍停留在感官刺激的层次,无法提升。对外国人及海外华人来说,他们通过武侠片所接触到的中国文化是比较粗俗劣质的部分,因此李安一直耿耿于怀,他希望“拍一部富有人文气息的武侠片”(转引自张靓蓓,2017),李安在《卧虎藏龙》中构建了一个融情于物的江湖意境,有人的地方才有江湖,通过不同视角去挖掘人心、人性。因此《卧虎藏龙》不是一个简单的武侠故事,更囊括了李安对武侠乃至中华文化的许多思考。(王雪,2017)
影片以一把宝剑为线索,始终贯穿着“送剑—盗剑—还剑—赠剑—弃剑”这样一条线索来展开故事情节(陈辉,2013)。围绕着这个中心线索的,是李慕白和俞秀莲、玉娇龙和罗小虎两对人的爱情纠葛。从影片中的主要人物的性格设置上来看,《卧虎藏龙》融合了传统中国伦理价值观和西方的个人主义精神。(陆文静,2014)这两对情侣的行为和处世方式恰恰成为两种文化生活方式的象征。
李慕白与俞秀莲显然是属于中国传统道德文化的典范。两人都坚持侠义大德,不仅尊师重道,而且克己宽人。所谓“克己复礼”(1) 也是他们一生感情的写照。李慕白入关修炼,却感受不到得道的喜悦,反而被一种寂寞的悲哀环绕,他说“心中一直有一些放不下的事”。他没有明说自己心中放不下的事是什么,但从影片的脉络来看,他放不下的是为师父报仇和对俞秀莲的爱,(王雪,2017)“义”与“情”是他心中的执念。俞秀莲武功高强,性格温和而坚韧,多年来行走江湖,成熟圆滑,却恪守礼教,不敢道出心中对李慕白的情感,当玉娇龙流露出对俞秀莲行走江湖的羡慕,俞秀莲却回答说:“你说的自由自在,我也渴望。但我从来没有尝过……我虽然不是出生在你们这样的官宦人家,可是一个女人一生该服从的道德和礼教并不少于你们。”(电影台词)横亘在两人之间的障碍,是为救李慕白而牺牲性命的俞秀莲的亡夫,因为中国自古有“朋友妻不可欺”之论,两个有情人因为礼教的顾虑而压抑各自感情,以求对得起“死者亡灵”。李慕白受重伤,还剩最后一口气时,俞秀莲希望李慕白用这一口气来修炼,李慕白却说:“我已经浪费了这一生,我要用这一口气对你说,我一直深爱着你。”(电影台词)两人直到生命的最后才真正互剖心意。
与李慕白、俞秀莲不同,罗小虎、玉娇龙两人对待爱情的态度是敢爱敢恨,体现了对封建礼制的反抗和强烈的个人主义精神。罗小虎敢爱敢恨,自幼在强盗之中混迹的罗小虎秉性原始,思想上没有太多的束缚,生活自由而野性。他以身犯险,拦下花轿,想带玉娇龙浪迹天涯。玉娇龙身为大家闺秀,却不拘礼法,跟随碧眼狐狸习武,向往快意恩仇、逍遥自在的江湖生活,不想接受被设计好的婚姻乃至命运。她对俞秀莲说:“结婚固然是喜事,要是能够自由自在地生活,选择自己心爱的人,用自己的方式去爱他,那才算得上是真正的幸福。”(电影台词)所以她游走于正邪之间,想要追寻真正的自我。
玉娇龙盗剑、逃婚、跳崖等一系列反叛行为,激起了影片中其他主要人物埋藏在内心深处的人性欲望:李慕白透过她,看到了曾经年轻无畏的自己;俞秀莲钦佩她追求人之所欲所求的勇气;罗小虎则与她体验了不合常理却自由自在的爱恋。玉娇龙心目中的江湖是个“很好玩”的场所,“遇到不服气的就打”,可以“自由自在”地生活。然而,师父对她所描绘的江湖和真正的江湖却相去甚远。电影的结尾,李慕白的死去,让玉娇龙明白江湖到底是什么——江湖就像是围城一般,在江湖的人总想出去,而在江湖外的人总想着进去看看。玉娇龙为了看看这个江湖,似乎害死了李慕白,害俞秀莲失去最美的爱,让自己的家族蒙羞,让自己无地再容于世界。因此,玉娇龙武当山上一跃而下,无论是看破红尘也好,为情而殉也罢,与一切作别,不带走一片云彩。
在《卧虎藏龙》中,几场重头武戏中,导演都使用了一种近景、长镜头的拍摄手法,有时甚至用跟拍的方式,突显角色由武打风格而体现出的性格特色。比如玉娇龙在盗剑时与俞秀莲的交锋,两人身轻似燕、飞檐走壁、绕墙追逐,大战多个回合。俞秀莲精通掌握武术的张弛之道,并非使用蛮力去进行交锋,而是巧妙地刚柔并济,根据对手的招数及时恰当地转化招数,从而压制对手。两人截然不同的性格在这场打戏中展露无遗:玉娇龙的功夫多是犀利、无章法的,凸显了她不羁的性格特征;俞秀莲则是在打斗时总留一手,体现其稳重、宽容的性格。镖局里的双姝对阵,俞秀莲刀钩锏剑等多般兵刃信手拈来,玉娇龙凭借宝剑之利与个性之狠旗胜一着,待到李慕白出手,她的轻巧却被李慕白的厚重所完全压制,个人武功高下与气场强弱当下立辨。
“竹林打斗”更是成为经典。竹林满目翠绿,随风舞动,借助竹林的柔韧性,玉娇龙轻身一跃,飞入林中,体态轻盈,翩若惊鸿,而李慕白则立于林尖,静看玉娇龙在林间飞蹿。电影从李慕白的视角,给了玉娇龙三个唯美的镜头:半身掠过竹叶、脸部特写在竹海中若隐若现、持剑仰卧在竹枝上(曲敬国,2013),让观众感受不到剑拔弩张,只感受到两人之间的若有若无的情感流动。二人目光交织,仿佛是在审视彼此的灵魂,在精神层面上占据彼此。
本片所揭示的“理智与情感”、“欲望与压抑”之间的矛盾纠葛,这是一个中西文化共同的永恒主题。从字面上看,所谓“卧虎藏龙”是指江湖上或社会上潜伏着各路高手,同时暗合着影片中两个主要人物的名字——罗小虎的“虎”与玉娇龙的“龙”,但实际上另有深意。(陈辉,2013)李慕白在临终前曾对俞秀莲说:“江湖上卧虎藏龙,人心中又何尝不是卧虎藏龙?”正如人世间的江湖上卧虎藏龙,充满刀光剑影;人心中的世界里也是“卧虎藏龙”,充满了矛盾纠葛。李慕白一生追求的是“得道”的最高境界,但却放不下人世间的情义,想交出宝剑退隐江湖,却因玉娇龙盗剑又卷入江湖纷争;俞秀莲武艺高强,管理镖局,在江湖上很有名望,然而这个在外人眼中看来潇洒的女侠却不敢道出心中对李慕白的情感,传统礼教观念束缚了她的行动;玉娇龙试图跳出传统礼教与江湖秩序,追求绝对自由,却被社会秩序撞击得遍体鳞伤(张云鹤,2014)……电影中几乎每个人,都有“身不由己”的无奈。(曲敬国,2013)现实生活中,不也同样如此吗?生活就像围城,我们看似自由,却身不由己;好不容易翻越过去,却发现不过进入一座更大的围城。从这个角度来说,李安将影片变成了一个人类所面临的共同的人性和文化困境的世界大片。
李安在武侠的外衣下,传达的是自己内心对于武侠世界“江湖”的理解。他所描绘的江湖,不重兵器、秘籍、帮派与宝藏,重的是情感、交流、心灵与跋涉。李安探索了江湖的深邃一面,展现了侠客的内心世界。在刀光剑影的武打场面的表面下,李安以一种细腻的方式深层刻画人的“欲望”、“精神诉求”、“道德追求”,所展现精神层面上的江湖是特别不平静的、充满纠葛的。由此,《卧虎藏龙》具备了与以往武侠片那种爱恨分明、轰轰烈烈等浓墨重彩侠客风截然不同的一种另类武侠风格。《卧虎藏龙》之所以能够引起全球观众的共鸣,可能就在于它超越了“武侠”本身,深入挖掘了对中外所共同面对的、对伦理道德的思考。
影片《卧虎藏龙》的配乐也值得一提。配乐整体上具有浓浓的中国韵味,很好地塑造了一种中华民族的神韵,同时也抓住了中西文化结合的纽带,是影视音乐中西合璧成功的典范(王寅,2011)。片头低沉忧郁的大提琴缓慢地拉出典型的东方音乐色彩的主旋律,使得西洋乐器散发出了浓浓的中国韵味,开场主题显得深邃而厚重。故事也在这样的音乐中,像一幅画卷一样渐渐铺开。深夜盗青冥剑的打斗场景中,鼓点有强有弱,或密集或间歇停顿,与画面的打斗场面配合得恰到好处,紧密的节奏烘托紧张气氛。主人公在带有弹性和张力的鼓声中你来我往,让人感到招式的灵动和剑法的轻盈。李慕白与玉娇龙竹林打斗的场景中,背景音乐主要乐器是箫,其音色古典淡雅而神秘,流淌出一种远古江湖悠然的情韵,将人、自然和刀光剑影完全融合在一起。另一场经典打戏——酒楼打斗的配乐则是竹笛和鼓点的配合。欢快轻巧的笛声配上鼓的节奏,玉娇龙招式利落洒脱,让观众感受到其内心的淡定与自信。李慕白深夜与俞秀莲的交谈场景中,缠绵忧郁的二胡与低沉浑厚的大提琴交相呼应,营造出夜的静谧,烘托出两人之间深厚的感情与浓浓愁绪。而在影片末尾,玉娇龙从武当山一跃而下,渐渐响起的背景音乐再次用到了大提琴与二胡。整部影片中,民族乐器和音乐元素的运用,无疑对影片的整体风格、场景和气氛的渲染、人物形象的塑造等都起到了很好的作用。更为特别的是,影片中的音乐还运用了新的手段和技术,结合了国际化的乐器和音乐元素,无论是中国观众还是西方观众都能从影片的音乐中找到一种亲切感,同时又耳目一新。作曲者谭盾把握到中西方文化之间的精髓和共性,在影片音乐的创作中将这种共性运用得恰到好处,让中西方音乐完美地结合在了一起。
【参考文献】
[1] 张靓蓓.十年一觉电影梦:李安传[M].人民文学出版社,2007.
[2] 陈辉.传奇现代性与武侠文化之积淀——再论李安武侠巨制《卧虎藏龙》[J].世界华文文学论坛,2013(04):62-66.
[3] 陆文静.影片《卧虎藏龙》对中西文化的择取融合[J].电影文学,2014(08):97-98.
[4] 曲敬国.剑法即人法:从剧中人物说开去——影片《卧虎藏龙》评析[J].解放军艺术学院学报,2013(03):98-102.
[5] 王雪.《卧虎藏龙》的中西融合策略解读[J].电影文学,2017(10):76-78.
[6] 王寅.中西合璧共求和谐——解读《卧虎藏龙》电影音乐中的中西融合及民族性[J].名作欣赏,2011(33):171-172.
[7] 张云鹤.重释电影《卧虎藏龙》玉娇龙之死[J].电影文学,2014(08):99-100.
五.跨文化知识点
1.武术、武侠和江湖
何谓武术?“武,止戈为武;术,思通造化、随通而行为术。”(2) 功夫,是在中国清末出现的、关于“武术”的别称,主要体现在个人在武术上的应用和造诣。《卧虎藏龙》有多处精彩的武打场面,展示了中国的武术之美。尤为特别的是片中人施展的轻功,这些轻功表现得格外诗意,具有空灵之美,与中国传统的文化精神相契合,体现了中国人的浪漫主义精神,同时也激起了观者对人能“飞”的境界的诗意向往。(陈丽金,2010)
何谓武侠?武侠是华人界特有的一种流行文化。武侠文化以各式侠客为主角,以神乎其神的武术技巧为特点,刻画宣扬侠客精神。“武”与“侠”结合的开始,早在先秦春秋时期,由“士”化分而出,即所谓“文者为儒,武者为侠”。“武”再也不是上古时代单纯的用招数、用兵器互相格斗,而成为一种伦理,一种文化,一种精神。“侠”是中华文化中一种基于儒家文化的特有价值观。侠客是中国文学中受赞扬的英雄形象。影片中以李慕白为代表的东方传统侠客对于和平的追求,体现出真正的侠客身上所拥有的正义感,及惩恶扬善、刚柔并济、行侠仗义、善武而不滥杀等优秀的侠客品质。(关冠,2019)武侠与儒家和道家在文化上有一定的联系。武侠按时间分有古代和民国武侠,按流派分有新、旧以及古仙武侠,武侠作者有20世纪的金庸、古龙、梁羽生、温瑞安等,当代的以及其他时期的作家。
“每一个当代中国人心目中都有一个武侠梦”,李安也不例外。他曾说:“我想拍武侠片,除了儿时的梦想外,其实是对‘古典中国’的一种神往。”“对武侠世界,我充满了幻想,一心向往的是儒侠、美人的侠义世界,一个中国人曾经寄托情感及梦想的世界。”(转引自张靓蓓,2017)台湾电影学者卢非易认为,武侠题材创造了“江湖的乌托邦”。
何谓江湖?江湖不是一个实际存在的场所,在武侠文化中,江湖则是侠客们的活动范围。“有人的地方,就有江湖。”著名武侠小说家古龙有言:“人在江湖,身不由己。情仇难却,恩怨无尽。”“江湖”是侠客与草莽英雄的聚集点,也是一系列恩怨情仇故事展开的幕布式背景环境。(关冠,2019)以往武侠世界里,正义与非正义,善良与邪恶,都有着尖锐的冲突。而《卧虎藏龙》构筑的江湖世界却别具一格,充满诗意。影片中唯一的恶人碧眼狐狸,又是教导玉娇龙多年的恩师。片中也很少有腥风血雨的激烈场面,仅有的几场打斗节奏有张有弛。玉娇龙在客栈大打出手,结果只是引来江湖人士向李慕白和俞秀莲告状而非纠缠报复。影片将大量的情节集中在人物的情感纠纷和心理刻画上,更侧重描绘人物“心中的江湖”。
2.书法艺术
书法是中华优秀传统文化的典型代表之一,其蕴含的丰富的结构美、整体的形态美以及墨色的组合美,极具民族特色韵味。影片中频频出现的书法作品生动展现出中华书法文化的魅力。
在《卧虎藏龙》中,在每间房舍中都装饰以书画,在繁华的京城街道,也有交易书画的商贩,这从侧面巧妙展现出:不论皇家贵族或是平民百姓,各个社会阶层都具有不俗的文化喜好,整个社会展现出崇文尚武的文化底蕴。(关冠,2019)在俞秀莲为打探青冥剑下落而拜访玉府这一情节中,玉娇龙正誊抄诗文,用的是端正的楷书,字体飘逸清秀。见有客而来,便提出要为俞秀莲题字,又用潇洒的行书写下“俞秀莲”三个字,其笔法行云流水、刚健有力。正如中国人常说“字如其人”,一笔一画均是玉娇龙真性情的表达。影片各给两种书体一个特写的镜头,两种书体的变换,暗示了主人公玉娇龙既是官宦千金,又身怀武功,同时显示了中国书法多变之妙。
3.竹、徽派民居等元素共同构建山水画意境
宋代严羽在《沧浪诗话·诗辨》中说:“言有尽而意无穷。”中国艺术审美自古以来以“含蓄美”为特征,崇尚追求言外之意,以内心体验去感受“只可意会不可言传”的性情。这种审美影响了中国的书法、绘画、音乐等艺术,其中山水画的意境更为典型。影片中多处场景构建都符合山水画的意境(张敏,2007),如经典的竹林打斗一幕,画面中的云雾、丛林、远山、仙境,这些正是典型的东方水墨画的元素,开拓出一片清净悠远的韵味,也映衬出主人公李慕白的心境,为玉娇龙内心的逐渐平静做铺垫。
“竹”在中国文化中占有一席之地。竹被誉为“岁寒三友(3) ”和“花中四君子(4) ”之一,已成为中国文化一种精神的象征。无数的文人墨客歌咏过它,以它来标榜自己。苏东坡曾说:“宁可食无肉,不可居无竹。无肉令人瘦,无竹令人俗”;《世说新语》记载,王献之曾暂居一空宅,也要种竹,人问其故,答曰:“何可一日无此君?”影片中除了经典的竹林打斗,还有一个场景展现了竹之美:李慕白与秀莲途经竹林的一座小屋。镜头先是刻画了竹林与小屋的相互映衬之美,然后便是李慕白站在小屋的方形窗口前,窗外的竹子填满了整个窗口,宛若镶在墙上的一幅画。似乎在用竹子来映衬李慕白这位侠士的高洁品质。
影片中的徽派民居,也是构成山水画意境的重要元素。电影中的许多镜头,取景于宏村——这个以徽派建筑为特色的古村落,位于安徽省黄山市黟县城西北角,被誉为“中国画里乡村”。它依山傍水,既有水的灵性,又有山的幽趣。黑眉白面,显得淡雅而庄严,简略而不缺乏生动,古朴而犹见神韵,是典型的徽派建筑艺术之标本。
影片一开始,第一个镜头正是青山碧水之间一片乌瓦白墙的民居建筑群落。这片建筑屋顶高高低低、错落有致。整体风格朴素别致、简约秀丽。在那片民居所临的水上,有一座小小的拱桥。体现中国古代建筑“依山傍水”的特点,“小桥流水”的意境更是中国园林建筑所追求的旨趣。影片两次特写了这片居民建筑,除了片首,还有一次是片中玉娇龙和俞秀莲交手后飞出房屋、飞越湖面,镜头再次呈现了建筑倒映水中时的秀美画面。
导演李安匠心独运地将以上元素融入电影之中,刻画出东方美学的内涵——“天人合一”之境,展现出东方艺术审美中的意境美。
【参考文献】
[1] 陈丽金.《卧虎藏龙》对中国文化的展现[J].电影评介,2010(04):23-24.
[2] 张靓蓓.十年一觉电影梦:李安传[M].人民文学出版社,2007.
[3] 张敏.武侠电影的中国山水画意境——从《卧虎藏龙》看另一种境界[J].电影文学,2007(23):42-43.
[4] 关冠.弘扬东方文化垒砌精神高塔——试析《卧虎藏龙》多元文化内涵[J].文艺争鸣,2019(12):190-194.
六.讨论题
1.影片中有多处镜头体现山水画的意境,你还能找到哪些?
2.主人公李慕白“心中一直有一些放不下的事”,什么事情让他放不下呢?
3.你认为电影中的两个女性人物“俞秀莲”和“玉娇龙”各有什么性格特征?
4.你如何看待主人公玉娇龙最后一跃?你如何看待“绝对自由”和“相对自由”?
5.你还看过什么武侠片?与《卧虎藏龙》相比,你更喜欢哪一部?为什么?
Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon:
Ang Lee's Epic Fable for a Global Audience
Yong Ho
Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon
(Wò Hǔ Cáng Lóng卧虎藏龙,US release: 2000)
Directed by Ange Lee李安
Visually engaging and emotionally touching,Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon,in the words of the film critic Peter Travers (2000),is “easily the best⁃acted film in the martial⁃arts canon,and the classiest” . Roger Ebert (2000),another American film critic and the only film critic with a star on Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame,calls Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon the most exhilarating martial arts movie he has ever seen.
Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon is indeed the most successful Chinese⁃language movie favorably received by a global audience. Directed by Ang Lee,the film was an instant sensation. It made history by grossing $128 million at the North American box office four months following its premiere in December,2000,the highest ever for a foreign⁃language film in the U.S. An overwhelming international success with almost universal enthusiastic reviews, Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2001,receiving the most nominations ever for a non⁃English language film in the Academy history. It ended up winning Best Foreign Language Film,Best Original Music Score,Best Cinematography,and Best Production Design.Subsequently,it won a string of over 40 honors from the Independent Spirit Awards,the Directors Guild of America,the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Golden Globes among others.
Ensconcing itself in the wu xia genre, Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon,depicts a story in the 19th century Qing Dynasty China. The charismatic swordsman Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun⁃Fat) decides that it is time to hang up his sword,a 400⁃year⁃old legendary blade known as the Green Destiny. He entrusts it to his treasured friend and woman warrior Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) to deliver to Peking as a gift for Sir Te,a family friend. This move signifies his desire to retire from the Giang Hu (Jiang Hu in pinyin) world,which is characterized by a nomadic and chivalrous outlaw's lifestyle righting wrongs and combating injustice outside the boundaries of society. Once in Peking,the sword is stolen by a nimble masked thief. Breakneck chase and dazzling fighting over the walls,treetops and rooftops ensue as a result. On the hot pursuit of the burglar by Shu Lien and subsequently joined by Li Mu Bai involving intense swordplay and hand⁃to⁃hand combat,the arch⁃nemesis Jade Fox (Pei⁃Pei Cheng) and the mysterious Jen (Zhang Ziyi),daughter of an aristocratic family,come on the scene with the trail littered with “unrequited loves,fervent passions,an unconquerable desire for freedom,and bitter loose ends.” (Riganas,2002)
The ground⁃breaking success of the film is attributable to several important factors: an international cast of actors of Chinese ethnicity from Hong Kong,Malaysia,mainland China and Taiwan Ang Lee assembled,a multinational venture involving companies in four regions. Although the actors spoke in Chinese,the film specifically targeted Western audiences with English subtitles personally edited by Ang Lee to the taste of Western audiences.
For many Western viewers, Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon may be the first Chinese⁃language film they've ever seen. The film found a ready echo in them. Rotten Tomatoes,a leading online aggregator of movie and TV show reviews from critics,reported that 97% of critics gave the film positive reviews,based on 153 reviews with an average rating of 8.6 out of 10. Its website summarizes the consensus opinion of the critics as: “The movie that catapulted Ang Lee into the ranks of upper echelon Hollywood filmmakers, Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon features a deft mix of amazing martial arts battles,beautiful scenery,and tasteful drama.” (Rotten Tomatoes)
Martial arts films have long enjoyed popularity in the West,mostly through exposure to Bruce Lee and Hong Kong movies mass produced in the 1960s⁃1970s,but Ang Lee brought the genre to a new level,turning it into a romantic epic with an intriguing plot,cinematic artistry and breathless storytelling. The film critic Elvis Mitchell (2000) called Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon a soulful action film and heaped praises on the production by using such accolades as “high adrenaline content”,“knock about,screwball comedy bounce” and ultimately “an epic that breaks the laws of gravity”.
A recurring word in the reviews by key film critics is poetry. Roger Elbert (2000) attributes the uniqueness of the film to the depth and poetry of the connecting story,which is not just a clothesline for action scenes,but has a moody,romantic and even spiritual nature. Elvis Mitchell (2000) says that Ang Lee “found a way to make even the action feel poetic and spiritual”. It is this poetry and romance that have captivated the global audience,where the barrier of language becomes irrelevant. The film is certainly enhanced by the moving music composed by Tan Dun and the hypnotic cello solo by Yo⁃Yo Ma.
A refrain of acclaims among the critics about Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon is the prominent role the film gives to female characters. As observes by Levie (2001),“it is a sign of tremendous skill on Lee's part that he manages to insert into his epic such a profound commentary on the situation of the modern woman.” Previous action films were largely dominated by male roles,but Ang Lee puts females front and center in the film with a core storyline driven by three remarkable women worriers,Yu Shu Lien,Jen Yu and Jade Fox. As a matter of fact,the “Dragon” (long in Chinese) in the film's title alludes to the female cast through its presence in Jen Yu's Chinese name: Yu Jiaolong,literally meaning Jade Dragon. Even Jade Fox,the villain of the story,is elevated as she is portrayed to have killed her master for refusing to teach her the secrets of Wudang because of her gender. As the film critic Bob Smithouser commented,“This critically acclaimed martial arts tale has a distinctly feminine core,focusing most of its attention on the relationships of its women. Blades clank. Fists blur. Emotions are shared. It's Bruce Lee meets The Joy Luck Club.”. This emphasis on female empowerment exemplifies a Western adaptation attempt by Ang Lee for the movie,which is seldom seen in Chinese action films from Hong Kong. Film critics describe the remarkable actresses in such glowing terms as “balletic grace”,“electrifying”,“lithe”,“fiercely intelligent”,“power and true romantic yearning”. What makes the women stand out and stand tall are more than their remarkable artistic skills,but their inner strength and profound affection. Levie (2001) further points out that “the film has the greatest resonance for the modern world; it reaches beyond ‘positive female role models’ to explore how they adapt in a world that does not overtly oppress them,but is nonetheless full of glass ceilings,sexual prejudices,and predefined images of masculinity and femininity.”
Through Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon,Director Ang Lee firmly established himself in the international film arena. The critic Katie Walsh (2016) commented that “Ang Lee is unmatched in depicting repressed,forbidden love against sweeping vistas (shown also in his Brokeback Mountain and Sense and Sensibility),which gave the burning heart and soul to the film.” Above all,Lee presented a dream China through the film. In his own words,“a China that probably never existed except in my boyhood fantasies.” The China that Lee presented is “an alien past in a postmodern world”,which fits Lee's long⁃term interest in the tension between tradition and modernity (Fairlamb,2007). Through the delineation of the three pairs of characters,Master Li Mu⁃bai and Yu Shu⁃lien (the two adult warriors),Jen and Jade Fox (the two renegade females),and Jen and Lo Hsiao⁃hu (the two renegade youths),we get to see the tension between the traditional values in the form of social order and moral rules,and the desire to break them in pursuit of personal freedom.In reconciling the two forces,Lee offers an epitome of Chinese culture,at once timeless and contemporary,concrete and universal. (Fairlamb,2007). For this reason,“The setting of the movie may be anachronistic,but the story is thoroughly modern”. (Levie,2001)
Behind the breathtaking cinematography and all the razzle⁃dazzle are subtle but profound allusions to classical Chinese philosophical doctrines of Confucianism,Taoism and Buddhism. Such allusions might escape some audience and even some critics. The film presents the quintessential Chinese character or value of filiality,chastity,loyalty,integrity,virtue and adherence to social and moral propriety. Of the four main characters involved in two sets of romances,three—Li Mubai,Shu Lien and Lo try to adhere to traditional norms by suppressing their passions,while Jen stands out in her attempt to pursuit her desire and happiness. Chen (2001) describes their plight as follows,“In a manner that may seem alien to Western audiences,each of these characters denies him or herself romantic fulfillment out of deference to such Confucian values. Shu Lien represses her love for Li out of fidelity to her dead fiancé,while Lo encourages Jen to leave his desert lair to return to her parents out of empathy for their distress at her disappearance. Li Mu Bai puts off his romance with Shu Lien in order to fulfill his duty to his late teacher by avenging his death and to attempt to detach Jen from Jade Fox to become his own pupil.” Almost each character in the film feels an ambivalence torn among different demands placed on them by different philosophical forces and has to struggle with painful conflicts and collisions. Horace Fairlamb's article (2007) “Romancing the Tao: how Ang Lee globalized ancient Chinese wisdom” is an excellent treatise,where he provided an in⁃depth analysis of each philosophical school at play in relation to each main character in the film.
The smashing success of Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon ushered in a slew of martial arts films in Hollywood,including its sequel Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny directed by Yuen Woo⁃ping. Although the sequel boasts of a cast pulled from Asia,America and Australia,featured similar balletic displays of martial arts and more importantly was produced entirely in English,“it doesn't come close to the original film's legacy” as seen by Katie Walsh (2016) and almost all the other critics.Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon still shines as one of its kind with its penetrating depth,poetic narration and soaring spirit.
Discussion questions:
1.What struck you differently about this martial arts film as compared with the other Chinese martial arts films you have seen before?
2.How would you describe Li Mu Bai's character? Could he have become the master that he was if he had pursued a relationship with Shu Lien?
3.“Promise me one thing: whatever path you take in life,be true to yourself.” What does Shu Lien mean when she says this to Jen?
4.The film has a distinct slant on feminist empowerment. How are you stuck by the three ladies of the cast: Shu Lien,Jen and Jade Fox? What is the path of ‘the way’ that they seem to find?
5.The final scene ends with Jen diving off a mountain into thin air. What does that leap signify?
6.What is your understanding of the Giang Hu (Jiang Hu) world as portraited in the film?
References
1.Chen,Pauline. 2001. “Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon.” In Cineaste 26 (4): 71-72.http://www.jstor.org/stable/41689409.
2.Ebert,Roger. 2000. “Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon”. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/crouching⁃tiger⁃hidden⁃dragon⁃2000
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/crouching⁃tiger⁃hidden⁃dragon⁃2000.
3.Fairlamb,Horace L. 2007. “Romancing the Tao: How Ang Lee Globalized Ancient Chinese Wisdom”. In symplokē,15(1):190-205.https://muse.jhu.edu/article/236797
4.Levie,Matthew. 2001.“Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon: The Art Film Hidden Inside the Chop⁃Socky Flick.” In Bright Lights Film Journal 33.
https://brightlightsfilm.com/crouching⁃tiger⁃hidden⁃dragon⁃art⁃film⁃hidden⁃
inside⁃chop⁃socky⁃flick/#.YJGEjbVKgzw.
5.Mitchell,Elvis. 2000. “Master the Fire of Flashing Steel,the Grace of Autumn Leaves”. In New York Times, (December 8,2000).https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/08/movies/film⁃review⁃master⁃the⁃fire⁃of⁃flashing⁃steel⁃the⁃grace⁃of⁃autumn⁃leaves.html.
6.Riganas,Nick. 2000. “Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon”. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190332/plotsummary.
7.Rotten Tomatoes. (date unspecified) “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/crouching_tiger_hidden_dragon
8.Smithouser,Bob. (date unspecified) “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. https://www.pluggedin.com/movie⁃reviews/crouching tiger hidden dragon/.
9. Walsh,Katie. 2016. “Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny Lacks the Magic of Original”. In Los Angeles Times, (February 26,2016).https://www.latimes.com/enterainment/movies/la⁃et⁃mn⁃crouching⁃tiger⁃review⁃201602
27⁃story.html.
(1) 出自《论语·颜渊》:颜渊问仁,子曰:“克己复礼为仁。一日克己复礼,天下归仁焉。为仁由己,而由乎人哉。”克制自己的私念,使自己的言行合乎礼的要求。克:克制,约束;礼:指先王之礼,即周礼。
(2) 出自许慎《说文解字》。
(3) 岁寒三友:指松树、竹子和梅花。中国传统寓意指松、竹、梅经冬不衰,因此有“岁寒三友”之称。
(4) 花中四君子,即中国古诗文中常提到的梅、兰、竹、菊。