介绍:
In the movie "White Vengeance,' director Daniel Lee once again ventures to give an alternative interpretation of an historical event. This time, he is greeted with no less sarcasm than with his previous films.
More than two-thousand years ago after China's first empire collapsed, heroes rose up from among the commoners and reconquered the Middle Kingdom. Among them, Xiang Ji and Liu Bang were the most prominent emperor candidates. Xiang Ji, the more powerful of the two warlords, had an opportunity to kill Liu Bang during a banquet at Hongmen. But reluctant to do so, he instead committed the first of a series of blunders that led to his defeat.
"White Vengeance" centers on the banquet at Hongmen. But the movie tells quite a different story from historical records, and some of the costumes, weapons and other instruments that are used in the film clearly don't belong to that era.
Of course, these aberrations can't escape the keen eyes of viewers, especially so when the director is known for fabricating history in his movies. As a result, the movie was blasted even before it was shown in cinemas. Some critics just looked at Lee's name and said, "Ah, this guy has no respect for history. Better not let him mislead the viewers." Then they gave the movie a meager rating.
We Chinese are weird, weird people. We always expect something extra out of what we do. And that extra is a big deal. For example, when ancient historians wrote history, they were not content with just recording exactly what had happened, so they embellished it to show off their literary talent. The result is that we now read these historical records as literature – good literature though – without knowing for sure what exactly happened.
Another example: When we watch a movie, we not only expect it to be entertaining, but also want it to be educational. If it's a historical film, we want it to reflect history as it was, although there is no way of ascertaining which version is the true one, because the historical records are more literary than realistic.
This unsatisfied expectation for something extra is the reason for all the sarcastic comments that Lee's films usually receive[?]. It is also what keeps some picky viewers from having a good time watching a decent movie. But history aside, "White Vengeance" is presentable. The story is intriguing and provides a thought-provoking analogy to modern events. Furthermore, all the male lead actors breathe life to their characters.
There are two ways to appreciate a decent historical movie: You either sit there relaxed and simply enjoy the action, or if you really care that much about history, make it an opportunity to tell your friends or family the TRUE story. That's educational for someone who cares.
Anyway, "White Vengeance" is a decent movie that entertains. The plot is arresting, and the actors don't disappoint. So for the debates and ideas it has sparked, it deserves a decent six out of ten.
大家还在听
