Global Film Emperor

Chapter 409 Film Review of "Rebirth" (5,500 words)
While Lu Ze and Mickey were discussing this matter, Lu Bo, who was traveling in London, also encountered some problems. However, these unexpected situations may have turned into a pleasant surprise for him.

“This is terrifying, honey. Why don’t we contact a travel agency right away and go to another country? We can’t stay in the UK now.”

"Where to go? Which country doesn't have protests these days? Can you guarantee you won't encounter this kind of thing in other countries? Unless you hide in Northern Europe, but didn't we just come back from Northern Europe?"

"Why did Lu Ze have to act in this piece of crap? He could have done any movie! Now he's causing chaos and everyone's panic. He can't even have fun. Do you know how hard it is for me to take a long leave?"

"What does this have to do with Lu Ze? They have their own demands for the protests. Is it wrong for them to fight for what they want? Besides, you overestimate the influence of movies. I've never heard of a war being caused by a movie."

The news was playing on TV today, showing a group of protesters blocking traffic on the side of the road and banging on the windows of passing cars, which really frightened a lot of people, including Lu Bo and his wife.

His wife watched TV, recalling the scene from back then, her face filled with lingering fear. However, Lu Bo's mind wasn't on that. Instead, he lay on the bed, shaking his head and wagging his tail, scrolling through pirated copies of the South Korean drama "Rebirth." Sometimes he would rewind to look at certain details, and sometimes he would scribble or draw something in his notebook.

"Honey! Are you still going out to play?"

"Are you kidding me? Stop talking nonsense! Go outside and have someone bang on your car window?"

"Okay, okay, I was wrong, I was wrong. I'll write something then."

The hotel they had booked included a study. Lu Bo calmed his wife, who was in a bad mood, and told her to go back to bed and rest. He promised to come back if she had a nightmare. Then he took his laptop into the study, turned it on, created a new document in the folder containing many film reviews, drew the curtains, flipped back to the first page of his notes, and began to write after a moment's thought.

"The Shackles Binding Us: A Film Review of 'Rebirth' (Contains Minor Spoilers, Please Be Gentle)"

"I was in London when Lu Ze's new movie premiered. As a die-hard fan of Lu Ze, I naturally went to support him. Fortunately, my English is good enough that I didn't have any comprehension problems. After watching it six times in the theater and then watching it for several hours, I finally dared to talk to everyone about this dark drama film, 'Rebirth,' directed by Mickey Taylor."

"Speaking of Mickey, it has to be said that he is somewhat similar to Zhuang Yu, but his films are more extreme. His way of expressing himself through the lens is more detached than Zhuang Yu's style, while Zhuang Yu's visual language is more focused on emotion. Therefore, watching Zhuang Yu's movies can easily open the floodgates of tears, while watching Mickey's movies is not easy to cry, but a chilling sense of despair will permeate your surroundings at all times."

“In Zhuang Yu’s works, there are often characters with strong humanity, that is, the so-called human touch. They are compassionate and kind-hearted. Generally speaking, these characters are the embodiment of Zhuang Yu himself in his works. Mickey is different. In his movies, the characters are mechanical, each performing a specific function, just serving as the turning point needed for each plot. Compared to Zhuang Yu’s human touch characters, the characters created by Mickey are more like real people, neither purely good nor purely evil.”

"Is the mechanization of the characters his weakness? Not at all, it is actually his strength, and this is the biggest difference between him and Zhuang Yu. He has switched from telling the story in the second person to telling the story in the third person. As viewers, we are just bystanders, and he only allows us to be bystanders."

"So the most impressive skill lies in the fact that we watch without playing any role, we can only watch from the sidelines, while these characters do the right thing at the right time. There are no surprises, no other possibilities. When they meet, the only result is this one that we have already anticipated, yet which makes us sigh. There is no other choice. Only a director who has thoroughly understood human nature can make this kind of film."

"As a film critic, if I were to evaluate Mickey, I would say that his creative ability is top-notch, his pacing is top-notch, his cinematic language is first-rate, and his color styling is third-rate. To say he's perfect would be a bit of a stretch, after all, he's not a god, and his experience isn't that extensive. But his films are the kind of personal works that only cater to a small segment of the audience, so that to some extent, it makes up for his shortcomings."

"He has flaws, so he needs someone to help him fill those gaps. That's why the Russian brothers came. As tough guys who went deep into the Siberian wilderness to shoot short documentaries, fighting against wolves, bears, and nature, one of them is a top-notch photographer and the other was a painter with an extremely sensitive eye to color and an excellent grasp of camera language. They became the best rocket fuel, helping Mickey soar to new heights. I had been following them after they won an award at Cannes, and I never expected that a few years later I would meet with Mickey and Lu Ze. This is a scene I am very happy to see."

"My sense of color is also lacking, so I'm not sensitive to the psychological cues of various sets. Therefore, the details in this area have to be analyzed by other experts. But in terms of camera language, first-person shots, first-person to first-person gaze shots, character turning shots, cut-in shots, third-person shots, direct shots to background shots, left-right space split shots, actor entering and leaving shots, front-back space split shots, and panoramic shots, all of these have been played out to perfection by Lucas, the big brother of the Russian brothers. To this, I can only say, sir, I kowtow to you. Just let me kneel. I'm not used to getting up. If Lucas doesn't win the Best Cinematography award this year, I'll hang myself."

"In addition, I have to mention the post-production editing. This kind of story segmentation with flashbacks is much more difficult than the common narrative technique of a three-part editing with a beginning, climax, and ending. It is very difficult to switch between various scenes smoothly, and it is also necessary to ensure that the plot connection does not feel abrupt. Therefore, the creators chose to use various means such as changing the scene with objects, colors, people, and sounds to switch the timeline, so that the audience can see it without any obstacles and easily understand where the timeline is. Sigh, I bow to all the big shots again."

"I don't have high-resolution images of the specific transitions right now. Once high-resolution resources are available online, I'll take screenshots and start a new thread to discuss them with everyone. I won't spoil too much."

"Then let's get back to the actors. Well, there's not much to say. Kamiya's performance was decent, his skill level is there, nothing bad. As for Lu Ze... I don't want to describe how powerful a monster is too much, lest I be accused of using 'Rebirth' to hype up 'Avengers,' although 'Avengers 6' was indeed very good..."

"Finally, let's talk about Jason, the actor. His emotions were great, and you could tell he put a lot of effort into the script. However, too much emotional expression can easily lead to overacting, and in some scenes, it did make me feel a little uncomfortable. But he's only seventeen, so I can completely understand. I can only wish him all the best in his acting career."

"And then! Let's officially start talking about the plot. To avoid spoilers, I'll only mention a few points and won't go into detail about what the characters went through, but I'll definitely talk about the final outcome, since that's what we're discussing. If you're concerned about spoilers, you can stop here and come back to the analysis after watching the pirated version. Love you all."

"First, let me talk about the plot that I've recently experienced firsthand. The timeline of Jason's generation is completely dark, with sunlight blocked by skyscrapers. Firstly, the color symbolizes the characters' fates and represents the world. This is a very obvious point, but what's even more obvious and fatal is that Britain, like the United States, doesn't have the right to sunlight! In the real world, it doesn't! If you look down at the center of London or New York City, it's basically just buildings next to buildings, and you rarely see sunlight during the day, let alone in the world of movies with its huge population. The hotel room I'm currently staying in doesn't get any sunlight all year round. This is also one of the issues that the protesters have been fighting for recently. On this point, I fully support them because only with sunlight can we have human rights."

"Secondly, one thing I care about a lot is work. The movie depicts the world of long-lived people. I can't imagine being scolded by the same leader for decades or even centuries. If it were me, I really couldn't stand it. There is no room for promotion for a long time, and the social hierarchy is very strict. You can tell from Paddington's reprimand of Parker, and then Parker's reprimand of Charles. This is the best way to show how the higher-ups can crush you."

"And countless people want to replace you, so you have to be careful about your words and actions, blah blah blah, everyone understands these things, and they are easy to understand in the movie, so I won't explain them too much."

"Let's talk about family. Parker wanted to protect his family, but he failed. In the end, there were many people like him who also failed to protect their families, resulting in the streets being full of unemployed and homeless people. The breakup of a family is an individual's misfortune, but the breakup of many families is something that society should reflect on. This point reflects reality again. The number of homeless people in the city center and on the beach at night is frightening. I think Mickey is also expressing his dissatisfaction with the reality of society because of this."

"The extreme ideas characteristic of Mickey Mouse have arrived, bringing us an ultimate reflection: What is family? What is a child? As mentioned in the trailer, families use false emotions to warm us. The film repeatedly expresses that loving children stems from a sense of responsibility rather than blood ties, and they fear the great financial loss that would result from the death of their children. Therefore, for the sake of their children's healthy growth, they can only nurture them with false love. Subsequently, we will warm our families with genuine emotions, and gradually, with the passage of time, the sense of responsibility transforms into kinship. This is the true moment when a family is born."

"This is a very extreme idea, but I don't have a good way to refute it. I love my child, which certainly includes a sense of responsibility. I must take responsibility for my child. This is a principle that society teaches everyone. As for whether there is blood ties, I think there are. But I am already a father, but I don't feel that subtle blood emotion. This is why I am powerless to refute it."

"This may be related to Mickey's family. His father is a British Chinese. There have been news reports that Mickey often argues with his father, even to the point of smashing things and throwing them from the building. Their relationship has not improved to this day. In addition, he has a daughter with his ex-girlfriend, but apart from giving his daughter living expenses, he does not contact her often. Perhaps this is the origin of a society with low desires or low sense of responsibility, a self-deprecating joke from a father with low sense of responsibility."

"As for Lisa, there's not much to say. The two have the most normal relationship of love, and it's also the most normal relationship in the whole movie. This is especially rare because it portrays a distorted concept of family affection, yet still holds beautiful expectations for love. It also served as a wake-up call for me, reminding me that love needs to be maintained, but it also can't withstand major setbacks. I'm going to buy some cosmetics for my wife later. If anyone needs a proxy purchase, feel free to contact me."

"In the movie, Parker mentions more than once that a father can only be a father and a son can only be a son. There is no friendship outside of the father-son relationship. This is quite obvious. He is dissing his father again. After all, he once said that when he was filming 'The Effect,' he kicked him out of the apartment because he disagreed with him continuing to make movies, along with Lu Ze... (trying not to laugh)." "Thinking about it this way, his father maintains the authority of a father in Chinese education, but also has the ruthlessness of Western education. After all, many Western parents do not leave their houses to their children. Instead, they sell them after retirement to enjoy life. This has nothing to do with inheritance tax. Canada does not collect inheritance tax, and the parents did not leave any inheritance to their children either."

"So... in the movie, Chinese family affection is pure, and it doesn't change because of being in a foreign country. Oh well, he's dissing his father again. Of course, we can also sense his longing for a pure Chinese or Western education. He loves without hesitation and is selfish to the fullest extent. Perhaps this is Mickey's thinking. Sigh, I really don't know what to say at this moment."

"In the next plot, Jason secretly hides a battery while racing. Considering the changes in the children as they grow up, it is worth pondering. The children in the elite school naturally develop kindness because of their high quality and excellent living conditions. Jason, on the other hand, steals things that others don't care about because of his limited family resources. At this moment, even if we don't look at Jason as a child, but understand him from the perspective of a criminal, I still feel sorry for Jason."

"When there is a huge gap between economic capacity and quality education, will we feel smug about copying others' ideas? If what we cherish is just a toy that someone carelessly discards, then what are we? So when Jason threw away the battery, I almost cheered, but when he left, I was speechless, because in doing so, we have even lost our treasures. In today's world of huge wealth disparity, this has become a reality. We still have dignity, the poor have dignity, and the dignified are poor. As for striving, can you see a way out in the movie?"

"In the film, society puts four locks on people who wish to commit suicide: first, family; second, health bracelet; third, huge fines; and fourth, prison for longevity. But there is a hidden lock at the end, which is often reflected in the film and is what Mickey criticizes in all of his movies."

"religion."

"The prayers after death are to meet in heaven, while the suicide victim can only look up at heaven. When Father Mike prayed over Jason's body, he also said that he hoped to forgive Jason's sins and take him to heaven. This is the last barrier to imprison the desire to die. If you have no family, there are three more locks waiting for you. But if you want to die regardless of everything, the only thing that can pull you back from the desire to live is faith."

"Why did Jason commit suicide? Because he was drunk. Seventy to eighty percent of people who commit suicide drink alcohol or use other things to numb their senses before doing so. That's why he escaped the four locks that were coming at him, and the fifth lock couldn't hold him back at all! Because he wasn't religious!"

"Why is Parker still alive? Because he believes..."

"Secondly, what led to his death? First, his father's decaying reprimands. As a father, he resigned himself to his fate because he was locked up, but Jason did not."

"Secondly, Jason saw his friends' futures ruined and their apathy. At that moment, he realized that he couldn't change anything and that one day he would become as apathetic as his friends in prison."

"Third, misanthropy. When hope is shattered, parents do not provide guidance, students at elite schools ridicule him for being overconfident, and he is beaten by classmates. All of this is enough to become a reason for misanthropy. Think about it... what are the reasons for the suicides of children in reality?"

"Fourth, Jenny, it wasn't because the person she liked was a stripper, nor because she had a child at nineteen. On the contrary, his living conditions were better than Jenny's. Jenny envied him because he had dreams, while she was stuck in a quagmire. Logically speaking, it should have been Jenny who wanted to die, but unfortunately, she was locked up at nineteen. Even more unfortunately, she had a sense of responsibility."

"Then why did Jason die? Because after suffering a huge blow, he was in front of a girl he liked, a mature, sexy girl who could fulfill all his sexual fantasies, especially since she made no attempt to hide her use of pornography, sex toys, and wearing almost naked lingerie, and even openly said that she could have sex with him, all while he was already drunk!"

"He still chooses to be a good kid..."

"At that moment, he discovered his own cowardice..."

"So he died, a worthy death, a death that fulfilled his wishes. As for what it might bring to his parents, why should a cowardly, desperate, drunk man think about such things?"

"In the final scene, Jenny comes to Jason's grave and calls her child Jason. Is it because of love? I don't think so. It's hard for a girl to fall in love with a boy who is younger and immature than her. Besides, she's a prostitute who spends her days singing and dancing, willing to sacrifice her body for money. Would such a girl fall in love with an immature boy? Even if she did, she has a child. She envies Jason's family background and knows she's not good enough for him. Even if they were together, she wouldn't get Jason's father's approval. Even if she loved him, with her emotional intelligence, wouldn't she choose to back out?"

“I even think that her seduction of Jason that night was not out of any emotion, but just because she wanted to play around, to play with this little boy who had never tried before, nothing more.”

"Why would she name her child Jason? I was initially very confused about that, I really couldn't figure it out, until I bought a Spider-Man comic book on the street, and later I accidentally looked up the name Spider-Man..."

Peter: Strong, independent, powerful.

"Parker: Family-oriented and responsible."

"At that moment, it dawned on me that Parker's father did not name his son Peter, but Parker. It was because he did not expect his son to become a strongman. The current difficulty of advancement made it hard for him to become a strongman. Therefore, a responsible person was what his father hoped Parker would become, and Parker did indeed live up to that."

"Then I looked up the meaning of Jason's name, and the result left me speechless."

Jason: Healing...

"So I think this story is about a person who could heal a family quietly passing away, while at the same time, another healed family is rising..."

"I don't want to say more about 'Rebirth'."

"..."

I thought it was already March, but today is actually the 29th. The two chapters I promised to share have been updated. I hope everyone will vote enthusiastically!

Actually, there are quite a few things related to the deceased, but most of them have already been mentioned in Parker's autobiography, so it's best not to go into them. I'm just going to answer some of the remaining questions that everyone has, and that's all.

I need votes!!!
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(End of this chapter)