前进天堂

一个人，一个国家，一个民族，探究这样的一个名词到底意味着什么？我想到的一定不同于你认为的，但有一个共性，引人注目的、赢得喝彩的必定是可以传递的文明，是进步的人类故事。 《In America》02年爱尔兰导演吉姆.谢里丹的又一作品，虽然没有赢得像他之前的作品《我的左脚》、《因父之名》那样的震撼，但不失个人拍摄风格的剧情与写实方式，让这部关注移民人群的剧情片充满了温情与希望。 是的，美国是这个世界上公认的的梦之天堂，那里有自由，有法治，有机遇，有希望，但谢里丹要做的绝不仅仅是要简单勾勒这些美景的剪影，也不是要表现一帆风顺的世袭财富可提供的温室人生。他要说的是生活这件事，如果那是人住的地方，除了随音乐舞动的喷泉，脚下也一定涌动着污秽肮脏的臭水。 来自爱尔兰的约翰尼带着妻子与两个可爱的女儿来到了美国，曼哈顿大街上的夜景就像汤姆大叔微笑的唇角，高高上扬，笑着欢迎每一个来美国寻梦的人。但当热情过后，可不要指望用汤姆大叔的拥抱来恒久地温暖你的心灵，保持你不冷的体温。因为人生的路在捉襟见肘的生活窘境里免不了风吹雨打。 没有足够的钱，就住到贫民窟去。这毫无疑问！但在自由女神的注视下，有透明的青天守护着每个人，所以那里的前路充满希望。 于是我们看到，在那里，先抑后扬的现实果真如此。约翰尼一家的邻居是打家劫舍的小混混,是偷鸡摸狗的无业游民，是吸毒贩毒的瘾君子，是搞同性恋的异装癖，是无家可归的流浪汉。有问题需要克服需要解决的人群被收纳到同一个问题盒子里了。 幸好，约翰尼的两个宝贝女儿就像两颗钻石，她们纯净耀眼的光芒放到哪里都能绚烂夺目。我想这就是童真的可贵之处！当然，约翰尼与妻子萨拉坚强而又美丽的精神世界所放射的希望之光，那对一个家庭的意义更是无需赘言的。 美国，是一个随处可鉴证奇迹的大熔炉，是地球物种可有尊严存在的模板之国。好的社会制度可遏制恶，不会像独裁国家去赤裸裸地驯化人性侵犯人权，但人类的人性与劣根性决定了，在有人生活的地方，再好的体制，也会看到瑕疵，自然没有梦想里那般甜美畅快。与本片有关的种族、偏见、歧视、不公这些问题是隐藏起来的，恰是要讨论的，有些成了约定俗成的现象，甚至让人们放大成艺术作品里的深度。影片里提到爱尔兰人在美国都是警察。的确！这是早期爱尔兰移民谋生的方式，做最危险最累的工作，薪水又少得可怜，这就是存在过的现实，又因其他原因，在进步文明的现在也在延续着。而关于有色人种，看一看影片中贫民窟里的居民，就会有所了解。也许不够全面，但对于经历过艰辛的无数移民家庭，这样的生活场景应该不会太陌生。 谢里丹独特的思维模式总能让他的影片带给不同的人不同的人生感悟。移民是为了更好的生活，约翰尼一家也有这样的祈盼。但对于这个家庭，却隐藏着更多的苦难。 夭折的儿子，是谁的过错？选择忘记过去还是勇敢地去面对？一个受了内伤的家庭，在冰冷的社会，会有人来帮助他们吗？所有的疑问，随着黑人马蒂奥的出场，有了行驶的方向。然而这个怪异的黑人也因为艾滋病，正在人生末路上与时间赛跑。 一切都会向前行进，梦也会被封上一个小口，让你以为故事圆满了。只要知道孩子是世界上最神奇，最完美的宝贝就好。就这样，离去的灵魂在星空遥望人世间，新的生命将代替所有的不幸，幸福踏歌而来。 不得不提的是，这部影片就像是吉姆.谢里丹的自传，片中多处引用了他的生活故事，现实中的他也有两个同样可爱的女儿，他的儿子也夭折了。而他在影片中引用的弗兰奇这个名字也正是他的早逝兄弟的名字。所以来自生活的故事是最动人的，虽然有时它很残酷！ 附：作为导演的吉姆.谢里丹主演过一部十五分钟超短的电影《The Carpenter and His Clumsy Wife》即《木工和他的笨妻子》。影片另类的演绎方式，得到业内的好评。但砍胳膊砍腿，再安上木胳膊木腿这样的黑色幽默还是挑战眼球的。有兴趣的可以看看。

 I have to say, after I watched the heartwarming and terrific film In America, I was deeply moved by the loving family. For a long time, I can’t get out of their struggling story. Without any glaring special effects, just through a ten-year-old girl Christine’s narration, In America beats all the American blockbuster, in my eyes.  At the beginning of the film, the shakily photographed opening scenes gives me a deep impression, which deliberately symbolizes the uncertainty of the future. Through the camcorder, the oldest daughter Christine sees the huge and brightly colored Big Apple. No one knows what’s waiting for the family, even for us… Around by the wows of the two kids in the car, let’s forget all the pains we had, facing the brand-new world.To escape from the sad memories of their little son Frankie’s death, the young couple with two adorable daughters move into the U.S illegally, with dreams of a better life for their family. They are so poor that have to live in the slum of Manhattan, which is populated by junkies, drag queens, and assorted low-lifes. The new house is just passable, but the family are excited, with their aborative decoration, the house is filled with warmth. This is the point that touched me a lot, no matter how bad the real condition is, they never lose the heart. So, to some extent, In America is actually an inspiring film. However, the loss of Frankie haunts every single one of the family. There are three plots I remember clearly until now. The first one is that when the immigration officer asks how many children they have, the dad still answers 3, in fact his son has been dead. And the second: after the mum gives birth to a new baby, she cries to the dad, looking for her lost son. The last one: before Christine gives a blood transfusion to the baby in danger, she announces seriously to her father, “Don’t ‘little girl’ me, I've been carrying this family on my back for more than a year.” Through the plots above, we can see the guilt and blame plague the couple all the time, and even their young daughters bear the family’s pain and try to heal their parents. Christine has been talking to Frankie every night, recalling the happy time when the family are in together. This is a children’s world that is often ignored by the adults. The director Jim Sheridan notices it, that’s commendable.Besides the love between the family, In America gives us a glimpse of the true friendship. On their first Halloween in the states, the two girls dare to knock on the door of “the screaming man”,a black named Motell, in their building and played “trick or treat” with him, softening the dying man’s heart. Gradually, they develop a sincere relationship. The family pull him out of his depression at the end of his life, show him their love, and make him have the last happy time. Unexpectedly, the kids’ opening arms, the whole family’s kindness finally pay off—Motell pay their debts to hospital as the last gift. We ache for him when his end comes. God bless him.Undoubtedly, In America is a tear jerker in terms of its theme, about memory, secrets, love, loss, wishes, dreams, families growing stronger, starting over, and America as the land of opportunity, etc. Also it is elevated by strong performances by everyone involved. Paddy Considine plays Johnny, excellently showing a father who is devoted, protective, compassionate, a little crazy and weighed down by grief. And, needless to say, Samantha Morton, the famous actress, gives a stunning performance driven by the despair in her eyes. She captured every emotion a grieving mother goes through, and her nervous breakdown in the hospital is so emotionally gripping. But the most surprise is the real-world sisters, the genuine article of child actors, Sarah and Emma Bolger. They seem completely transparent, not just simple ‘cute kids’, but leave the impression they are not acting at all. When Christine sings “Desperado” at a school talent show, I nearly weep. It haunts me all the week, tugging my heartstrings.And finally I want to add something else in the part of the text structure and the art of narratology. There are Christine’s three wishes and the image of ET throughout the whole film. The three wishes Christine prays to Frankie form the main frame of the film. And the image of ET emerges in the film several times, at a street fair, the dad wins an ET doll for the kids; a black man who calls himself an ET befriends the sisters; and the ET passes the moon like Santa Claus at the end of the film. In my opinion, maybe the ET represents the miracles, if you believe in hope and love, your dream will come true someday.All in all, In America gives me so many levels of human emotion, purifying my soul. If only one word to describe it, that is, bravo!http://ceh-870925.blog.163.com/blog/static/340173672008102322820365/