As a gangster film, the title of "A Better Tomorrow" has also caused some controversy.
The main thing lies in the word "hero".
"I feel like this movie should be called The True Colors of Jianghu, or The True Colors of a Gangster, instead of The True Colors of a Hero. Who is considered the hero in the film? Song Zihao? The leader of a criminal gang who makes and sells counterfeit banknotes? Or a person who has served his sentence Released ex-con?
As for Brother Ma, from a legal perspective, he is simply a murderer with blood on his hands. Can such a person be considered a hero? "
"It should just be a metaphor, right? The definition of a hero is not unique. If you want to look at it from a legal perspective, then don't watch the movie. Those who robbed the rich and gave to the poor in ancient times were called thieves. According to the law, He said, that's also stealing and robbers. If you want to see great heroes, don't watch gangster movies!"
"Should "A Better Tomorrow" be viewed in the context of the story of this movie?
What background? Hong Kong Island in the 1980s. How was the society on Hong Kong Island at that time? It's definitely not the same as it is now. In that era, thieves had their ways, so why couldn't they be considered heroes? "
"If it's really that serious, then who among the martial arts heroes is considered a hero? Heroes also kill people. According to modern laws, whether they kill good or bad people, it's still murder! So what kind of hero is that?"
“Heroes in movies cannot be compared with heroes in real life.
Heroes in life generally refer to people who act bravely and risk their own lives for the safety of the country, society, and other people's lives and property.
Heroes in Hong Kong movies generally refer to people who sacrifice their personal interests or even their lives for their brothers and friends. For moviegoers, especially those who lack real friends in real life, this kind of friend is rare.
Therefore, there is indeed no point in being more serious about it! "
In fact, the public is relatively tolerant in this regard, because to be honest, everyone actually understands that heroes in movies, or in most artistic creations, and heroes in life are actually completely different things.
For this reason, there are also people who interpret this film specifically from this aspect.
""A Better Tomorrow" - What is a hero?"
"The recent new film "A Better Tomorrow" directed by Li Yi recreates Hong Kong's iconic gangster films of the 1980s. However, many people on the Internet have different definitions of the so-called "hero" in this film. Less controversial.
In fact, people have always had different definitions of the concept of "hero" from ancient times to the present, whether it is to perform chivalrous acts of justice or to rob the rich and help the poor. It seems that "hero" cannot be defined simply by using a few words. You can say that a certain knight in martial arts is a hero, or you can say that Martin Luther King, who liberated the black people, is a hero. Heroes can be people of different genders, different nationalities, different ages, and different eras. Heroes all have an indispensable quality - trustworthiness. I have to say that everyone has some faith, more or less, and faith is very subtle in life.
There is really no point in scrutinizing whether someone is a legal hero or not.
Because this is a gangster film, there is no pure black or white, good or evil in this film. Good or bad, all people have two sides, and the underworld boss is no exception. The important thing is to extract the essence of the character and sublimate the "hero" out of it, being trustworthy, loyal to one's confidants, brave, generous and light on wealth. These can be said to be the summary of "hero" or "chivalrous". In "A Better Tomorrow", it is also reflected in three important characters in some degree or in total.
It turns out that the eldest brother Song Zihao, who was a powerful figure in the underworld for a while, dominated the plot of the entire film. He has the character that the director most wanted to express to the audience. This is the director's highest praise for this innate feeling - family affection.
Most people will not become gangsters or gang bosses, nor will they shield their family members from gunfire in a gunfight, but we firmly believe that anyone would make such a choice for the sake of their family. It is in such a big environment that the director puts family love before life and death. The edge of death allows the audience to make choices as if they were on the scene, awakening the hidden emotions in their hearts. Brother Hao's dual identity is that he is Song Zijie's eldest brother. There is no choice. From the moment his younger brother was born, he was born to be the eldest brother, so for the sake of his father and younger brother, and most importantly, his younger brother's future, he is determined to He wants to change his ways, but it is easy to get into the underworld and hard to get out, but he firmly believes in his principles. Although he is a underworld person, his essence is loyalty, good deeds, and not ruthless enough.
Perhaps it is precisely because of this that the boss chooses to let Ah Cheng, who is honest on the surface but sinister on the inside, betray him and become the eldest brother. Uncle Jian from the taxi company told him to have principles, and it was precisely by adhering to his principles that he angered Ah Cheng again and again, and finally gained his brother's forgiveness.
If you want to say that the most contradictory character in "A Better Tomorrow" is Song Zijie, played by Lin Jinrong, his father died because of his brother who was involved in the underworld, and his own future was ruined because of his brother. The two brothers, one a gangster and the other a policeman, follow love and reason. I can't forgive my brother. Although many people don't like the character Ajie that much when watching the movie, because he only shows impulsiveness and paranoia, but combined with the background and context of the movie, we will actually find that, The character Song Zijie is actually the most pitiful character in the entire film.
Because he had no choice. His brother became a gangster and embarked on a criminal path. He couldn't decide. He couldn't choose his own identity. He couldn't ignore the blood relationship between them!
In the pouring rain, Zijie visited his father's grave. On the way home, he met his brother who had been released from prison. The two met not as a happy reunion but as a fight in the dark rainy night. The irritable sound of the raindrops falling to the ground was like Zijie's heart. , when Zijie shouted "Don't let me see you again!" It was Zijie's disillusionment with family ties. When the police chief asked Zijie whether he would handcuff Zihao, he said, "Ajie, be realistic."
What is reality? How realistic? Not everyone can do it in a just and righteous way. Perhaps it was this sentence that revived Zijie's family ties.
I have to mention that the most outstanding character in the film is Brother Ma!
The most attractive thing about Brother Ma in "A Better Tomorrow" is his smile, cunning, wisdom and courage. His smile is like a mask, hiding everything deeply. I have to admire Director Li Yi, as a director Director, he can fully express the role of Xiao Ma while laughing. This is one of the biggest surprises this film has brought us. Perhaps it is because he, the original creator of the story, can better understand Xiao Ma. The character of Brother Ma.
The most discussed person on the Internet is Ma Ge, and the fact is that the one who leaves the deepest impression on people in the film is the one wearing a black windbreaker and black glasses. In terms of character background, Xiao Ma is not an absolutely positive character!
But the most valuable thing about Xiao Ma is his rebellious spirit and courage.
Three years ago, as the eldest brother's deputy, he was very empathetic. When Cheng, who was still the younger brother at the time, fell ill, he always left the younger brother to the older brother when counting money. This also created a huge contrast with the attitude towards younger brother Ma when Cheng became the boss later. . The character you see when you are low is not everything, it depends on how you stand when you are high.
Secondly, there is the loyalty of the world. In order to avenge Song Zihao, he bloodbathed Maple Forest Pavilion. He injured a leg and his status in the world plummeted. When we met again three years later, Song Zihao had no regrets about everything he had done.
Three years later, Brother Hao and Brother Xiao Ma met. The close-up shot firmly locked the two people's clasped hands, showing their deep friendship and longing for each other after not seeing each other for many years. This was followed by a 30-second long shot to freeze the conversation. The two people who were arguing about whether to start over again showed a complete plot. Brother Xiao Ma is not the same Brother Ma before. There are white spots in his hair. Brother Xiao Ma is still the same Brother Xiao Ma. When Zihao asked Brother Xiao Ma to sail away alone, Brother Xiao Ma chose Xinyi. He turned the boat around to help Brother Hao, and the way he finally turned around and came back was full of brotherhood and loyalty. So when you look at people, you can't just look at the surface. At first, they said that Xiao Ma is frivolous and not able to play both sides, but he is the most touching, reassuring and down-to-earth person.
At this time, Zijie, Zihao, and Xiao Ma Ge are united in fighting Tan Cheng. It is not only the help of Zi Jie and Xiao Ma Ge, but more importantly, the return of family and friendship. Brother Ma hits the gasoline tank with a gun, and the gasoline tank explodes instantly, bursting out into a red ball of fire. This ball of fire is a metaphor for the heart full of fighting spirit and expresses the joy of the protagonist.
What is a hero? On the surface, he is cynical and plays with the world, but he always sticks to his beliefs and remains unwavering through disasters. He does not ask for anything in return, goes out of his way to help his friends, and even helps them clear the fog and get out of trouble. Xiao Ma is exactly such an ideal person. The image of a man, just as he said in Thean Hou Palace: "I am God!" Isn't such a man heroic enough?
What is commendable is that such a "Gao Daquan" character does not appear fake, which is largely due to Li Yi's acting skills.
For example, in the scene where the brothers reunited in the parking lot, when Xiao Ma saw Brother Hao, he was surprised, excited, aggrieved, and at a loss... Although there was no line, thousands of words were written on his face. It was a textbook-level performance. , maybe the Academy Awards should give him a Best Actor Award.
Perhaps it was not enough because Pony was too perfect, so he had to arrange his death. Even at the moment before his death, what he thought in his heart and said in his mouth was that he was still a brother and a friend. "
With the release of "A Better Tomorrow", a good movie and a popular movie will naturally have more interpretations, even over-interpretations.
For example, some people focused on analyzing the so-called "contrast reproduction" technique in "A Better Tomorrow".
"As the saying goes, three women perform one drama. But, "A Better Tomorrow" focuses on the story of the affection between three men. These three men can be called "heroes" because of their love and righteousness!
The director revolves around a "feeling" and extends it to the love between father and son, brotherhood, friendship between friends, and love between men and women, so the story becomes rich and colorful!
So how to express these elements? This brings us to the most commonly used technique in the film: "contrast and reproduction!"
What is "contrast reproduction"? To put it simply, it emphasizes the differences and changes between pictures through the repeated appearance of before-and-after contrasts, similar comparisons, etc.
At the beginning of the film, Xiao Ma ate rice rolls from a vendor on the roadside, and then got into Brother Hao's car. At this time, Brother Hao asked him if it tasted good. Then Xiao Ma wiped his mouth and applied it to Brother Hao's lips with his hand. He was so happy!
Later, Xiao Ma did the action of wiping his mouth again. Three years later, Brother Hao came out of prison to find Xiao Ma. Xiao Ma had been reduced to eating box lunches under the garage. When Xiao Ma saw Brother Hao again, he had mixed feelings and wiped his mouth clean again. However, the "taste" at this time was indescribably bitter. The director used a "tasteful" contrast to illustrate the changes in the situation of Brother Hao and Xiao Ma. This is the reappearance of contrast!
Then came Xiao Ma and Acheng. At the beginning, when Brother Hao and Xiao Ma went to trade counterfeit money, they saw that Acheng was coughing a little. Xiao Ma immediately went over and took out a wad of money, leaving only one for himself and giving the rest to Acheng. Yes, let him take a good look at the doctor. Later, when Ah Cheng came to power, he actually took care of his "brother" like this - he just threw a few banknotes on the ground and sent his former eldest brother away, and he did it in front of many of his subordinates. A typical villain was so proud! The director only used a small move of "giving money" to create a sharp contrast between Xiao Ma's enthusiasm and Ah Cheng's coldness, and the two decided to compete!
Then let’s talk about the brothers Hao and Ajie. The two brothers Hao and Ajie used to have a very good relationship. On Ajie’s birthday, Ahao went to school to visit Ajie. Ajie and Ajie laughed and played “Bingzhao”. Thief's game.
Later, Ajie learned that Ahao was a gangster and indirectly killed his father, so he hated Ahao very much. Later, when Ah Hao was reminiscing with his former brothers, Ajie directly pulled Ah Hao out and started the process of police interrogation of suspects. This time, "soldiers catching thieves" was no longer a game, and the relationship between brothers was no longer like that. That's the past.
Previously, when Ah Hao visited Ah Jie at the police academy, Ah Jie would play a boxing sparring game with Ah Hao.
And when Ajie saw Ahao later, in the heavy rain, Ajie, regardless of his girlfriend's obstruction, directly punched Ahao with all his strength. The director used the "fake play" and "real play" of the game to show the change in the relationship between the two brothers from "closeness" to "estrangement"!
Next is Xiao Ma and Ajie. Xiao Ma and Ajie are very exciting here, with many golden sentences. The first time they met was when Brother Hao was reminiscing with his former brothers after he was released from prison. Ajie took Ahao out for interrogation, but Xiao Ma couldn't stand it and instead taught the young Ajie a lesson. But Ajie didn't listen.
The second time Xiao Ma and Ajie met, it was already the final decisive battle. At that time, Xiao Ma hit each other with one shot until they all shrank in and dared not come out. Xiao Ma looked at the seriously injured Ahao and pulled Ajie over and started again. Taught a lesson. After this time, Ajie finally forgave Ahao, but as soon as Xiaoma said "We are brothers," he was shot and died. This one after another tells the story of Ajie from never understanding to finally forgiving Ahao. The director allows Ajie to grow up from his immaturity. As for Xiao Ma, from being pointed at the head with a gun to being hit in the head, Xiao Ma fell down, but Xiao Ma's image has been immortalized. The director is awesome!
Next, Brother Hao and Ah Cheng. At first, Ah Hao took Ah Cheng to the treasure island to make a deal but failed. He was injured and fled into a brick cave dwelling. At that time, the outside was surrounded by the police. Ah Hao did not want to injure his friends and decided to let Ah Cheng go alone, and then he surrendered himself.
The second time, at the last moment of the decisive battle, the police surrounded the pier. At this time, Ah Cheng wanted to go out and surrender, thinking that if he had money, he could get rid of his charges. Unexpectedly, Ah Hao would not let him go this time. Ahao took Ajie's gun and pointed it at the treacherous villain who killed his brother Xiaoma. He shot him several times and then went out with his head held high to surrender.
In these two surrenders, Ah Cheng was allowed to escape first and then to death; Ahao was allowed to kill Ah Cheng with his own hands, to live up to Xiao Ma's feelings, and to let Ahao handcuff himself personally, to live up to his responsibility to Ajie. In the end, Brother Hao achieved his true character of a hero who attaches great importance to love and justice. This is simply awesome! "
(End of chapter)
