All about the Three Gorges Dam: Up the Yangtze/ Before the Flood/ Still Life
Introduction
This essay is not about the Three Gorges Dam, but about the films relating to it. Borrowing Raymond Carver’s famous sentence to see the question ‘What we talk about when we talk about the Three Gorges Dam.’ Specifically, it is more about documentary films on the issue of China’s change. Up the Yangtze is the main body to be discussed from both aesthetic and political aspects. Firstly, some metaphorical expressions will be explored, and then another documentary Before the Flood will be invited to the aesthetical analysis. What follows is the visual representation of both films, plus, the surreal style a docudrama Still Life brings in. Lastly, next comes to the exploration of political implication, mostly in Up the Yangtze. Three films connect with each other in terms of the comparison of each idiosyncrasy. Even though the Three Gorges Dam is not the major subject here, however, it is a joint point of the three films. And it is mentioned everywhere in this essay. For this reason, the title appears to be so.
Metaphorical Expression in Up the Yangtze
The idea of choosing Up the Yangtze stems from my interest in metaphorical representation in the film. The metaphors are not only aesthetical but also political, in terms of the subjects and cinematic expression. As director’s first impression toward the Three Gorges Dam area (Fengdu), it was ghostlike and mysterious, as well as reflecting famous Chinese mythology, the Gates of Hell. Therefore, the place has already provided enormous metaphorical materials at the first place. Not mention the Three Gorges Dam itself represents endless controversies and contrasts, like what director’s narrative in the beginning of the film: ‘Imagine the Grand Canyon turned into a lake.’ Despite the fact, the contrasts revealing in Up the Yangtze are simply a handful of all.
The major contrast can be found on the protagonists of the film. A sixteen year old girl Yu Shui, whose peasant family background represents those hundred millions of uneducated, extremely poor people in China. They belong to the bottom layer of social hierarchy, as well as to the old China. The other protagonist is a nineteen year old young man Chen Bo Yu, who is epitomised the One Child Policy generation from middle class families. They embrace capitalism and reckon themselves as mainstream of the new China. Even though both subjects’ backgrounds utterly differ from each other, however, their fates are collectively and deeply connected with the river and the construction of the dam, as the tagline revels: ‘The River that erased her (Yu Shui) past will write her future’.
The structure of the Up the Yangtze therefore implies that it is a film hoping to capture the change of China. The Three Gorges Dam is just an implication or metaphor as the Gates of Hell, after going through everything will change. No matter the change represents the process of moving to modernisation or capitalization, most of the films about the Three Gorges Dam issue focus on the same group of people: locals or ordinary people in bottom class of society. Like another documentary Before the Flood by two local directors, and a docudrama Still Life by iconic director Jia Zhangke, all reflect the reality of plights and struggles that the Three Gorges Dam project affected local residents have. Nevertheless, among all of these resembling topic films, structurally Up the Yangtze seems to be the most traditional and steady. According to director Yung Chang, he intended to utilise the most traditional documentary narration in order to catch the most extensive audience. On the other hand, it is also the most unusual one in terms of point of observation.
What makes Up the Yangtze unique from other films about the Three Gorges Dam is perhaps the identity of the director. His west-east mixed background places his viewpoint in a special spot of the film. Through this in-between angle to see, plus director’s sensitivity of culture difference, a few contrasts emerge even more visibly. Such as the foreigner tourists on the boat dress like Chinese emperor and empress, and Chinese boat attendants are given English names. Comparing with other films, a few more exotic elements are explored in Up the Yangtze. A sentence from Patrick Keiller’s film London, thereafter becoming a book’s title, describes about London, ‘It’s so exotic and so homemade’, actually evokes the paradoxical notion that a nation could at the same time both very familiar and strange. This concept that induces some senses of conflicting aesthetic also applies to aforementioned scenes in Up the Yangtze.
That is to say, the aesthetic contrasts embedded in several metaphors in Up the Yangtze are deeply aroused by culture and ideology differences. Like the cruise boat, a microcosm of the world, carries various layers of cultural, hierarchical and emotional representation. More than that, the existence of the cruise boat indicates a farewell journey along the Yangtze River to say goodbye to the scenery (and the old China) that later on will be swallowed by rising water when construction of the Three Gorges Dam is completed.
The element of disappearance in stories has long been considered mysterious and sometimes beautiful, although at the same time most of cases are unpleasant or even tragic. Another aesthetic contrast therefore appears in the process of farewell journey itself. To western tourists, it is a journey to catch the last gaze of the old China; to local residents, it is a journey to participate in the rising power of their own nation; to the director, it is a journey to retrieve his personal root; to audiences, it is a journey to witness the change of China. The director’s unique background includes above all the viewpoints, and placing the film in a relatively ambiguous position.
Another Documentary: Before the Flood
Unlike Up the Yangtze, another documentary Before the Flood (Yang Mo) gives out different look and viewpoint on similar theme. The latter lets the images demonstrate the direct impact to the local residents without explicit judgments. Several explosion scenes suggest how easy and fast disappearance can be, in sharp contrast to how difficult and time consuming to establish them. Indeed, it is more straightforward and powerful. However, the ambiguity of change and modernization captured in Up the Yangtze, on the other hand, provides more space to imagination. That is to say, viewer is relatively easy to interpret and reflect their own thoughts through watching Up the Yangtze. Although not many metaphorical expressions are used in Before the Flood, but as a documentary it reaches more closely to the representation of objective reality, in another words, it is more observational, as well as more attached to verité-style documentary filmmaking.
Interestingly, the English film title Before the Flood slightly differs from the original Chinese one, Yan Mo (淹沒). The direct translation means ‘to submerge’, ‘to flood’, ‘to swallow up’, and it actually suggests more layers of meanings. In many ways, the interpretation of the film therefore could be more abstractive. Although the major subject of the film is straightforwardly aiming to the force evacuation of residents before the Yangtze River rises and floods everything. But what the film truly conveys is even more and bigger than that. Excerpt for the physical things will be swallowed up, many other abstract things such as tradition or faith and so forth will too, not literally by water, but by the whole process of modernisation. From this notion, Before the Flood seems not merely talking about the Three Gorges Dam, but the whole China. Building the biggest Dam in the world at some point actually represents China’s ferociously speedy economic development, which is one of the fastest in the world. However, it causes endless conflicts and sufferings to lower class people; possibly, it is the price China needs to pay. Not only in Before the Flood, but also in Up the Yangtze can we see this so-called ‘the price of modernisation.’ On the other hand, both documentaries are likely to be the epitome of China’s development in the future. As Before the Flood director Li Yifan once addressed in an interview, ‘I’m not making a film about how the city is flooded by the Yangtze River, but a film about how the wave of modernisation and the transform of humanity will flood this place.’
In fact, we all can witness a vital element that has been represented in these two documentaries. That is change of China. In particular, the both films attempt to explore and discover the historical part of China, not only documenting but also reflecting it as a contrast to what China has become nowadays. The traditional culture aspect in both films, especially, is seen as a nostalgic introspection rather than a cultural responsibility of documentary filmmaker. Up the Yangtze starts with a quote from Confucius: “By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection which is noblest; second, by imitation which is easiest; and third, by experience which is the bitterest.” More or less it hints that the Three Gorges Dam project might be an experience and reflection for any other future development in China.
No matter how bitter it will be, one thing is assured that many things inevitably will be lost during the developing process, including the tradition itself. Take Before the Flood as example, the filming mostly took place in Fengjie, a county famous for inspiring many Chinese poets. One of the most well known Tang poetries by Li Po (generally acknowledged as the greatest poet in Chinese history) is depicting about the place. Therefore filming the dislocation in Fengjie gives out the attempt of engaging in its historical respect. More than that, Before the Flood and Fengjie eventually inspired another Chinese leading director Jia Zhangke to make one of his most renowned films Still Life, which is a docudrama attaching the theme of the Three Gorges Dam as well.
Visual Representation, Surreal style and Still Life
In the sense of visual representation and narration, Before the Flood embraces the basic documentary technique, tracking and shooting without commenting. Thus it reflects that the relationship between filmmaker and subject seems to be distant. However, from the camera works more or less leak out some information of the emotion and sense perception the filmmakers had. Such as in the beginning the shots tend to be longer and steadier, but through the force evacuation time approaches, the shots become shorter and shakier. This brings the tension to peak, meanwhile, more and more conflicts are emerging. In a comparison of Up the Yangtze, the image and picture is comparatively restless. What makes the dramatic tension in Before the Flood is the atmosphere of endless conflicts.
There are two scenes leave the most impressive aftertaste, like Werner Herzog defines what film is, ‘the agitation of mind.’ Firstly, the aging owner of coolie hostel walked down the hill trying to find a place for his alternative hostel after the old one would be flooded. The camera stays still and the old man is becoming smaller and smaller in the frame, eventually disappearing with in a large number of reinforced concrete bars. His anxiety and insignificantly small figure contrasts to the massive ‘concrete forest’, therefore drawing a picture of the relationship between him and his living environment. In spite of no comment has been made, but the image has already spoken out the fate of this old man in a very symbolic way.
The second scene that shatters emotion is the explosion of buildings. To see several houses, blocks of flats and tall buildings collapsing from different angles in a flash time is a mind blowing process. A city older than two thousand years could be torn down in a few years, even seconds. It creates a kind of visual violence, like news broadcast image or CCTV, direct and shocking. A metaphoric moment later on comes after a series of explosions. As we can see the camera stays still, dirt and dust floating in the air after the building collapsed, the sight thereafter is full of dusty air. It is seemingly bringing up a sense of ‘dust of tradition’, which on certain degree ‘floods’ our vision. Even if Before the Flood and Up the Yangtze are documentaries, however, the demolition city scenes visually seem to create a surreal atmosphere. It draws apart a distance between decaying Fengjie and the city landscape that we generally consider as.
The surreal effect also applies to another Three Gorges Dam backdrop film Still Life. Even though it is not a documentary, but the landscape and characters in the film are mostly realistic and authentic. Some critics categorise it as a docudrama, some call it ‘a breathtakingly poetic hybrid of documentary and fiction.’ Its documentary element demonstrates on human physical bodies, then immediately shows in its open scene: the camera slowly tracking along inside a long boat which is packed with local people as passengers, whose faces and bodies are like what New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis writes ‘human bodies as moving space’. Therefore simply through local people, we seem to be able to watch a portrait of life or a ‘still life’ in Fengjie.
Nevertheless, the fiction elements or surreal expression in Still Life except for those animation, are mainly focusing on the landscapes. The director Jia Zhangke manages to turn a massive rubble fields and soon to be torn down buildings into a poetic tableau. What makes the film visually surreal is that the half-decayed Fengjie in the film is like a Chinese traditional scroll landscape painting, but their contents have nothing in common. This highlights a contrast of visual representation, which is seemingly surreal, but actually real.
Political Implication
The political representation in Up the Yangtze firstly starts as a joke. A Chinese leader and an American leader both sit in a car. When facing a junction, to the left is socialism, to the right is capitalism. American leader says ‘let’s turn right’; Chinese leader says ‘OK, I will turn right, but the indicator will be turned on to the left.’ No matter whether it is China’s current political position or not, we will not laugh if it is not that true in certain degree. However, this joke actually points out a huge transition in China. Although the Three Gorges Dam project has already proposed by nation’s father Sun Yat Sen in 1919, but it did not really carried out until 1950s Mao Ze Dong embraced this idea. The archive footage of Mao swimming across the Yangtze River is put in the film as well, which stresses Mao’s belief of the existence of dam will completely change the world. And then the mega dam eventually began to be under construction from 1993. Interestingly, the start of Dam construction time is also around the time China’s economic reform direction is entirely assured.
The economic reform is like a turning point of China’s development. Before that it is like what the 16 year old girl Yu-Shui’s father describes, his mother starved to death in the Great Famine of the 1960s, around Mao’s time. Thus this could be seen a hint suggesting that communism could hardly make a nation’s economy better. However, the influence of Mao’s thoughts or communism’s propaganda is still everywhere, despite China’s economic transformation. Like the slogan of Chinese government imposed during the Three Gorges Dam project, ‘the small family must sacrifice to help the big family’ entirely presents the spirit of communism. It appears not only in both Before the Flood and Still Life, but also happens to Yu-Shui in Up the Yangtze in a personal way.
When Yu-Shui expresses her willing to take a further study, her parents exactly expect her to sacrifice herself to help the whole family. And as she says: ’’Now we are in a socialist society that demands knowledge.” In regardless of what kind of society China actually is, it is no doubt that Yu-Shui regards herself having taken part in the age of the New China. Even so it doesn’t mean Yu-Shui’s parents still represent the old China, but they seem to have no other choice in terms of coping with their fate of the relocation due to the dam construction. It is cruel but they are simply unable to catch up the pace of the New China. The director’s narrative seems to prove this: “Mao’s utopian vision of the Three Gorges Dam at some point actually has become a harsh reality now.”
Consequently, the Three Gorges Dam project symbolises the power to push China ahead to a new position both economically and politically. A little story about ‘no matter black cat or white cat, as long as being able to catch a rat then it is a good cat’, truthfully, shows Chinese government’s flexible policy toward economic reform. The implication in all three films all suggest that it is more than an economic purpose to build the biggest dam in history. It could be utterly political as well. As Rob Nixon analyses, ‘iconic structures of monumental modernity serve to concretise the idea that developing nations are catching up.’ For that reason, it is not surprising that an old man on street in Up the Yangtze claims that ‘our country becomes so strong, even being able to cut off such a big river.’ The Three Gorges Dam has turned into a national proud that is imposed in general people’s political ideology.
Unfortunately, the nation’s progression doesn’t guarantee individual’s advancement. Everyone could be political correct as long as national development doesn’t conflict with personal interest. As we can see the antique shop owner bursts into tear and grumbles about it’s difficult to be a common person, even more difficult to be a common person in China. What he meant is not only individual sacrifice but also the corruption culture in local government. Ironically, the most vested interest group from the Three Gorges Dam project might be neither common people nor the nation itself, but the local officials. In all three films we can see this bribing issue.
Therefore, whether it is the antique shop owner or Yu-Shui’s family, or the rest two million relocatees, their helpless situations constitute the most emotion affecting power. In particular, the scene that Yu-Shui’s parents are brought on the Three Gorges Dam to speak freely about the effect of the project and the glory it brings to China. Even though their home is going to be disappeared due to the Dam, they still accept it and regard its necessary benefit to the country. Sadly, their sacrifices might be only paid off as sympathy from audience instead of as much substantial aid from authority.
In addition, some political issues in Up the Yangtze are represented in a subtle and humorous way. For instance, the manager gives employees guidance of not to talk about some political taboos with tourists. ‘Never compare Canada and the United States; never call anyone old, pale or fat (plump is O.K.); never talk about politics.’ Some other political representation is about identity. As two main characters step on the cruise boat, immediately they are given English names. This concretises an idea that China’s modernisation is perhaps more likely to be part of pursuing and fusing with western type of modern society. When a person’s name is replaced to another, the shift of identity becomes the problem of self-effacement. This kind of trend might belong to post-Mao China, or it is simply the value of the new China. Thus it has become a political ambivalent or paradox. Like the car indicator joke, China is seemingly rejecting western world but actually embracing it.
Conclusion
The controversies and contrasts the Three Gorges Dam brings are like the Yangtze River’s surface, rising every year. It is an endless journey to discuss its benefits and harms. And it is particularly hard to find an appropriate answer or meaning to the existence of this massive dam. Although we still could not find the answer through documentaries, but at least we are able to find different angles to see the questions.
What Up the Yangtze, Before the Flood, and Still Life truly tend to explore is not the Three Gorges Dam itself, instead, is the change and transition of China. That is also part of the reason those tourists on luxury cruise boat come for. However, the construction of the dam becomes a paradoxical argument, even providing conflict as element to cinematic expression. Aesthetically, the artistic conception of rising water to flood the city might be poetic. But when it turns out to be reality, the perception of the picture will end up harsh.
In visual style, Still Life might be the most outstanding among the three, due to it is not a documentary most of scenes could be designed. But it truthfully depicts the empty mind and landscape in Fengjie in a poetic and surreal way. The landscape and local people in it all become a tableau. Like the usual form of expression in traditional Chinese scroll landscape painting, ‘leaving an empty space’ to imagination. That is to say, emptiness also needs to be created. The visual expression in Up the Yangtze has the similar effect. Its stately and slow camera work creates a peaceful atmosphere, and its metaphorical expression also enriches the film with layers of narration. Although director’s narratives run through the whole film, but it is not preachy, instead, his personal nostalgic connection adds some more warmth into the film. Personally, the observational style of Before the Flood gives me the most space to contemplate. Its cinematic tension is also the greatest, in terms of the reality of demolition conflict. The visual expression is relatively plain, but direct and powerful.
As to the political representation, the Three Gorges Dam symbolises the glory of China’s economic development. At the same time it also sacrifices millions of people’s interest. Neither Before the Flood nor Up the Yangtze criticise this, but simply let the images and local people speak for it. As the white cat black cat anecdote in Up the Yangtze, the political standpoint might not be that crucial in these three films. And what is believed as more important than giving out position toward politics is paying close attention to the bigger picture, which is China’s change. Although the mysterious, exotic, ancient China has disappeared and been like Fengjie, or Yu Shui’s home, forever being flooded by rising Yangtze River. But through watching these documentaries, as if we were on the luxury cruise boat as well, experiencing the journey of witnessing China’s heading to a new direction. Yet we need to farewell to it, after all, its change is still on-going. As that old saying suggests, ‘The only thing that never changes is change itself.’
《猜火車》以蘇格蘭愛丁堡為背景，以當地年輕人的生活為軸，價值觀的選擇，貫穿為全片的骨幹。片頭旁白告訴我們：想過哪種人生，取決於「選」和「不選」。只是恰好那些年輕人選擇的是海洛因，而不是大部分人奉行的正常生活。這正好抓住了青年世代對未來的失落與徬徨，吸毒只是一個手段，如主角Renton（伊旺麥奎格飾）說的，「假如維他命C違法，我們就會吸維他命C」，這是與世俗社會的消極對抗－－因為不准吸毒，所以偏要吸。
當Renton用藥物麻痺自己、掙脫社會框架，以一種連自己也不是非常明白的方式來反叛，與80年代復興的Mod青年次文化，基本上是同樣的精神：與勞工階級父母之間的代溝，造成生活壓抑，演變成追求自我的生活解放。嗑藥、濫交、流連舞廳，注重音樂與個人風格的打扮等，都是找到自我認同的方式，但矛盾的也是，看似率性而為，實則更多人迷失其中。
素以豐富文藝氣息聞名的愛丁堡，在《猜火車》中，暴露出的貧窮與青少年問題，讓美麗的城市也因此顯得醜陋起來。如同許多英國人說的，愛丁堡是個外人會喜歡，當地人會厭倦的地方，因為美好表象之下的人際疏離，以及空虛，會逐漸侵蝕人的生活與意志。而蘇格蘭人對身分認同的複雜情緒，淵源於對英格蘭人的矛盾歷史因素，是一種恨意中帶著依賴的關係。
影片中細膩刻劃的各種吸毒過程，從煙吸、燙吸、鼻嗅，口服、再到注射，讓人有種看吸毒紀錄片的錯覺。寫實的鏡頭外，導演Danny Boyle受到Francis Bacon畫作的影響，同時以超現實、迷幻的手法，呈現服用毒品後的恍惚狀態。當初也礙於拍片預算不足，很多鏡頭都在一個take搞定，使得畫面整體較為粗糙，不過也意外讓介於虛實之間的影像，成為獨樹一幟的風格。值得一提的經典畫面，大概就是那個蘇格蘭最骯髒的廁所了，當Renton全身鑽入馬桶中，找尋兩顆藥丸，至今仍成為《猜火車》影迷最難忘的一幕。
此片在1996年上映後，馬上造成英國電影界的轟動，除了爭議性十足的吸毒題材外，導演Danny Boyle創新的電影語言，功不可沒，《猜火車》無論在敘事節奏、旁白的使用、配樂的選擇、影像風格上，都顯得大膽前衛，特別是相比之前一向保守、強調寫實的英國電影，《猜火車》內容與形式上的叛逆，大量超寫實的鏡頭，都顯得令人耳目一新，也因此，1999年《猜火車》就被英國電影學會，選入百大英國電影的第十名。再加上Danny Boyle精準捕捉當代青年次文化的精神，不作任何批判的視角，也引起全世界青年的共鳴，自此成為cult film中的經典。即使至今，《猜火車》依然影響著無數正在面對成長課題，或正在反叛階段的青年世代，而那些剛經歷過的，也紛紛將其視為青春過後的一個美好眷戀。
一、悲情入心
記不清是在一冊類似《大眾電影》的雜誌上，還是在一張類似《參考消息》的報紙上，我讀到了《悲情城市》獲獎的消息，比中國人第一次拿到金獅獎更讓我震驚的是有關這部電影的介紹：1947年，為反抗國民黨政權的獨裁，臺灣爆發了大規模武裝暴動，史稱「二‧二八事件」。國民黨出動軍警鎮壓，死者將近三萬人。臺灣導演侯孝賢在影片中通過一個林姓家庭的命運，第一次描繪了臺灣人民的這一反抗事件。
《悲情城市》的介紹還沒有讀完，一片殺氣已經上了我的脖頸。大陸上演的政治事件剛剛過去，海峽對岸的臺灣卻已經將「二‧二八事件」搬上了銀幕。很多年後，有一次和戛納電影節主席雅各布聊天，他的一個觀點讓我深以為是，他說：偉大的電影往往都有偉大的預言性。1987年臺灣解嚴，1988年蔣經國逝世，1989年《悲情城市》橫空出世。能有什麼電影會像《悲情城市》這樣分秒不差地準確降臨到屬於它的時代呢？這部電影的誕生絕對出於天意，侯孝賢用「悲情」來定義他的島嶼，不知他是否知道這個詞也概括了大陸這邊無法言說的愁緒。僅憑這個動盪的故事和憂傷的片名，我把侯孝賢的名字記在了心裡。
黃昏時分一個人騎著自行車回家，對《悲情城市》的想像還是揮之不去。那天，在人來車往中看遠山靜默，心沉下來時竟然有種大丈夫立在天地之間的感覺。這是我第一次看到「悲情」這個詞，這個詞陌生卻深深感染了我。就像十二歲那年的一天晚上，父親帶回來一張報紙，上面刊登了廖承志寫給蔣經國的信，在中學當語文教師的父親看過後連聲說文筆真好，他大聲給我們朗讀：「經國吾弟：咫尺之隔，竟成海天之遙」，從小接受革命語言訓練的我們，突然發現我黨的領導人在給國民黨反動派寫信時恢復了舊社會語言，他們在信裡稱兄道弟，談事之前先談交情。這讓我對舊社會多了一些好感，政治人物感慨命運悲情時用了半文半白的語言，「咫尺之隔，竟成海天之遙」這樣聽起來文縐縐的過時語言，卻句句驚心地說出了命運之苦。這語言熟悉嗎？熟悉。這語言陌生嗎？陌生。是不是臺灣島上的軍民到現在還用這樣的方式講話？
1949年，「舊社會」、「舊語言」、「舊情義」都隨國民黨政府從大陸退守到了臺灣，出生在「新社會」的我，此刻為什麼會被「悲情」這樣一個陌生的詞打動？對，這是我們深埋心底，紅色文化從來不允許命名的情緒。就像看到侯導的名字，「孝賢」二字總讓我聯想起縣城那些衰敗院落門匾上，諸如「耕讀之家」、「溫良恭儉」的古人題字。我隱約覺得在侯孝賢的身上，在他的電影裡一定還保留著繁體字般的魅力。
再次聽到侯孝賢的名字已經到了1990年，那一年我學著寫了幾篇小說，竟然被前輩作家賞識，混進了山西省作協的讀書改稿班。改稿班的好處是常能聽到藝術圈的八卦傳聞，當時沒有網絡更沒有微博，文化信息乃至流言飛語都靠口口相傳。有一天，來自北京的編輯沒給我們上完課就匆匆離去，說要趕到離太原一百二十里的太谷縣看張藝謀拍《大紅燈籠高高掛》。出門前編輯丟下一句話：這電影是臺灣人投資的，監製侯孝賢也在。我搞不清楚監製是種什麼工作，但聽到侯孝賢的名字心裡還是一動。原本只在報紙上讀到的名字，現在人就在山西，離我一百二十里。我想問北京來的編輯能不能向侯孝賢要一盤《悲情城市》的錄像帶，話到嘴邊卻沒有出口，就連自己都覺得這個請求太幼稚。那是對電影還有迷信的時代，一百二十里的距離遠得像是在另外一個星球。
1993年，我終於上了北京電影學院，離電影好像近了一些。果然有一天在一本舊學報上偶然讀到一篇介紹侯孝賢來學院講學的文章，上面刊登了好幾張侯導的照片，這是我第一次看到侯導的樣子，他的容貌竟然與我想像的非常相近：個子不高但目光如炬，身體裡彷彿蘊藏了巨大的能量。既有野蠻生長的活力，又有學養護身的雅致，正是那種一代宗師的面相。文章講到侯導將自己一套完整作品的拷貝捐贈給了北京電影學院，這讓我一下子有了盼頭。
二、梅縣來的人
電影學院圖書館有一個港臺圖書閱覽室，書架上擺了一些港臺雜誌，可能因為這裡的書都是繁體印刷，所以來的同學少，我就把這兒當成了自己寫劇本的地方。
有一次我注意到角落裡有一個書櫃沒有上鎖，打開後發現滿櫃子都是臺版書籍，其中大部分是臺灣遠流出版社的電影圖書。突然一冊《悲情城市》入眼，封面上是梁朝偉悲憤而無奈的神情，我一頁一頁地翻著，書裡的每一幅劇照都好像同時凝聚著劇情和詩意：天光將盡時，為送兒子當兵入伍，一個龐大的家族在暮色中合影；雨中的曠野，一個出殯的家族，幾個穿黑西裝的男人懷抱著遺像看兄弟入土；無名的火車站，一對夫妻帶著孩子在寂寥無人的月臺等待著運行。這是大陸電影從來沒有出現過的筆觸：國家，政黨，家族，個人；生老病死，婚喪喜慶；黑暗中降生的嬰兒，細雨中入土的兄弟。激烈的仇殺，散淡的愛情。日本人走，國民黨來。臺語，國語，日語，上海話；本省人，外省人，江湖客。
等日後終於看到電影，當這些畫面在銀幕上運動起來以後，近三個小時的《悲情城市》讓我覺得整部電影像擺在先人畫像前的一束香火──往事如火慘烈，時光卻詩意如煙。長鏡頭下，初來的政權還在忙著建立秩序，壓抑的民眾已經走上了街頭。槍聲是否是我們的宿命？命運的法則高高在上，它卻從來不給我們答案。電影中最幽微的一筆是國民政府退守臺灣後，市面上開始流行國語，連日本人建的醫院也得組織大家學普通話，難為這些老大夫搖頭晃腦地念著：痛，肚子痛的痛。而最悲哀的一筆莫過於「二‧二八事件」發生時，本省人在列車上找外省人尋仇，會不會講臺語成了驗明正身的方法，可電影中的梁朝偉是個啞巴。這部電影複雜而多情，悠長而克制。彷彿銀幕上的一切都是我們刻骨銘心的前世經歷，這些記憶在我們轉世投生後已經遺忘，侯導的電影卻讓我們回到過往。
在中國人的世界裡，只有侯孝賢能這樣準確地拍出我們的前世。
這種感覺在看過他的《戲夢人生》《好男好女》等影片後越發得到了印證，最嘆為觀止的是《海上花》開場長達七八分鐘的長鏡頭。一群晚清男女圍桌而坐，喝酒抽菸，猜拳行令，攝影機在人群中微微移動，好時光便在談笑中溜走。華麗至腐朽，日常到驚心動魄，這電影每一格畫面都恰如其分，滿足著我對晚清上海租界生活的想像。整部影片全部內景拍攝，讓人寂寞到死。就像那些長三書寓裡凋零的女人，日子千篇一律，內心卻四季輪迴。
如果說侯孝賢能夠通靈前世，他的另一個才能就是腳踏今生了。
《風櫃來的人》完成於1983年，這電影對我有「救命之恩」。上電影學院前，現實已經讓我有千言萬語要說，可一上學還是被我們強大的電影文化迅速同化了。雖然還不至於滑向主旋律寫作，可生編亂造的傳奇故事還是大量出現在了我的劇本中，好像只有超乎常態的生活才有價值變為電影，而我們自己親身經歷的飽滿的現實，卻被我們一提起筆來就忘了。
坐在黑暗中看《風櫃來的人》，起初我連「風櫃」到底是一隻櫃子，還是一個地名都搞不清楚。但銀幕上出現的臺灣青年竟然長著跟我山西老家的朋友一樣的臉，看張世演的漁村青年，他們一大群人跑到海邊背對著洶湧的海浪跳著騷動的舞蹈。我一下子覺得離他們好近，侯導攝影機前的這幾個臺灣年輕人，似乎就是我縣城裡面的那些兄弟。他們扛著行李離鄉背井去了高雄，一進城就被騙上爛尾樓看電影，這裡沒有電影也沒有浪漫故事，透過寬銀幕一樣的窗戶眺望高雄，等待他們的是未知的未來。
原來在中國人的世界裡，只有侯孝賢才能這樣準確地拍出我們的今生。
我萬分迷惑，搞不懂為什麼明明一部臺灣電影，卻好像在拍山西老家我那些朋友的故事。我夢遊般從電影院出來，想搞清其中的原因。我跑到圖書館，開始翻看所有有關侯孝賢的書籍。侯孝賢在他的訪談裡多次提到了沈從文，提到了《從文自傳》。他說：讀完《從文自傳》我很感動。書中客觀而不誇大的敘述觀點讓人感覺，陽光底下再悲傷，再恐怖的事情，都能以人的胸襟和對生命的熱愛而把它包容。他說：我突然發現看待世界的角度，視野還有這麼多、這麼廣。我連忙借了《從文自傳》，把自己關在自習室裡，一支菸一杯茶，在青燈下慢慢隨著沈從文的文字去了民國年間的湘西，隨著他的足跡沿著湘水四處遊蕩，進入軍營看砍頭殺人，進入城市看文人爭鬥……我似乎通過侯孝賢，再經由沈從文弄懂了一個道理：個體的經驗是如此珍貴。傳達尊貴的個人體驗本應該是創作的本能狀態，而我們經過革命文藝的訓練，提起筆來心卻是空的。侯孝賢讓我了解到，對導演來說你看世界的態度就是你拍電影的方法。
侯導的一些電影頗有自傳色彩，《童年往事》的開頭便是他的畫外音：這部電影是我童年的一些記憶，尤其是對父親的印象。我父親是廣東梅縣人，在教育局當科員。侯導出生於1947年，1948年全家遷臺。「國立藝術大學」戲劇電影科畢業以後，他開始給李行當副導演並從事編劇工作。當年他獨立執導的前三部影片《就是溜溜的她》《風兒踢踏踩》《在那河畔青草青》都是臺灣賣座電影，1983年完成《風櫃來的人》之後，他自認獲得了對電影的「重新認識」。
而我也是在看完《風櫃來的人》之後，開始對電影獲得了新的認識。1997年我回到故鄉山西汾陽縣拍了處女作《小武》，開始學著用自己的方法看世界。去影展有點像闖江湖，前路不知道會碰上什麼樣的人和事。《小武》轉了一圈影展後，得到了法國南特電影節的邀請。南特電影節我不陌生，侯導的兩部影片《風櫃來的人》和《戀戀風塵》都在那裡得過最佳影片獎。
三、南特再見，南特
冬天的南特異常濕冷，電影節的人從火車站接了我，就一起驅車向酒店而去。在車裡翻看電影節的場刊，才知道這次侯孝賢也會來南特。洽逢影展二十週年慶典，侯導是專程來祝壽的。我提著行李進了酒店大堂，一眼就看到一群人眾星捧月似的圍著一個中國人。眼睛的焦點還沒有對實，我心已知那人正是侯導孝賢。我猶豫了一下，覺得還是應該打個招呼再走開，便等在一旁聽他侃侃而談。
酒店裡中國人少，侯導一邊接受採訪，一邊不時看我一眼。他當時一定很奇怪，這小子站在那裡要幹什麼？眾人散去後，我走上前去和他搭話，一時既不知道該如何稱呼他，也不知道該怎樣介紹自己。那時我已經不是學生，但慌不擇言，愚笨地說道：侯老師，我是北京電影學院來的。侯孝賢顯然不熟悉北京文藝圈的稱呼習慣，瞪眼問道：我教過你？我連忙說：喜歡您的電影。彷彿面對一個突然的闖入者，他被我搞得莫名其妙，只能挑戰性地望著我：北京電影學院的？呦！現在學生都可以出來看影展了？我連忙說：我拍了一部電影叫《小武》。侯導的眉頭又皺起來但語氣明顯平和起來，他問道：《小武》是什麼東東？我答：小武是男主角的名字，電影是在我老家拍的。侯導點了根菸，語氣已經變得友善：老家在哪？我答：山西。侯導頓時笑逐顏開：哦，半個老鄉，我丈母娘是山西人。這樣見面於我好像一次考試，侯島見了生人有股衝勁，不會輕易表現出廉價的親和，可話要投機瞬間也能變成哥們兒。我站在大堂裡看他上樓梯的背影，發現他穿了一雙年輕人愛穿的匡威球鞋。
《小武》首映完我無事可幹，一個人漫無目的地在南特街上瞎逛。路過十字路口的海鮮店，目不轉睛地望著冰上生蠔之類的海產，分辨著這都是些什麼動物。山西是內陸省份，沒有海。正想著，突然一隻手重重地拍我的肩膀。回頭一看是侯導，他和我好像已經成了熟人：小賈，剛看完你的電影。我慌了神，不知道該如何回應侯導的話。侯導說：那男的和那女的選得都不錯。我知道他是在用他的方法鼓勵我，我卻羞澀起來沒有回應一句話。我和他兩個人佇立南特街頭，都不知道再往下該說些什麼。對我來說，這一幕並不尷尬，法國人說：彼此沉默的時候，其實正有天使飛過。
那一年來南特的還有關錦鵬導演和日本的是枝裕和。每到夜晚，我們幾個亞洲人就找一家酒吧坐下來海闊天空地聊天。攜《下一站，天國》來參展的是枝裕和是侯導的故交，有人說他的處女作《幻之光》很有些侯導的影子。是枝之前在日本ＮＨＫ工作，專程去臺灣拍過侯導的紀錄片。在南特與侯導相處的日子，於我和是枝就像古代的門生弟子有機會聽老師講經論道。每天我們都有一堆問題問向侯導，他仔細聽過娓娓道來。侯導非常重視表演，他說：他是先有演員才有電影，他最關心的不是去拍什麼事，而是要去拍什麼人。我一直認為，在中國的導演裡面，侯孝賢、張藝謀跟馮小剛是最會演戲的導演，他們如果只做演員，也會非常成功。忘不了侯導在《風櫃來的人》裡面扮演的姊夫，燙了滿頭的捲髮，嚼著檳榔，打著麻將，有一搭沒一搭地說著粗話，那樣子鮮活而準確。就像忘不了張藝謀在《老井》裡面，背著沉重的石板，一搖三晃地在山谷中行走的背影。侯導從來不玩兒理論概念，他告訴我們拍戲一定要讓演員有具體的事兒幹，演員有事做才能自然。
那時候我已經在籌備第二部影片《站臺》，劇本改了又改很不滿意。我告訴侯導我創作上的困境。侯導說：這是很自然的狀況，我在拍完《風櫃來的人》之後，也有這樣的問題。你明白為什麼嗎？因為你已經不是一個處女作導演，你已經有了電影經驗，你在創作上必須面對你的過去。不用怕，每個導演都要過這一關。侯導沒有告訴我怎麼樣改劇本，他告訴我這是導演生涯裡面的共同處境。聽了他的話，我頓時覺得無比鎮定，原來連他也經歷過這樣的困惑。
南特的日子讓人難忘，但也不是日日皆歡。有一天晚上我跟幾個留學生朋友狂歡至天剛蒙蒙亮，才挾著寒風帶著酒氣回了酒店。一進大堂就發現侯導一人坐在沙發上抽著悶菸。他的神情像是在想很遠的事，我問候一聲：侯導！他只嗯了一聲答我。
可惜我是晚輩，知道他鬱悶，但又不便多言。
四、最好的時光
我見侯導多是在國外的影展上，每次見到他都是我最好的時光。在歐洲無論哪個城市，侯導總要去找中餐吃。他帶《咖啡時光》去威尼斯的那一年，和他合作過《南國再見，南國》和《海上花》的日本製片市山尚三請大家吃飯，那是一家很難訂到位的意大利餐館，侯導沒吃幾口意大利麵就把刀叉放下，吸口氣說：這哪裡是吃麵，分明在吃塑料管。他在飲食上保持著中國習慣，就像他的電影始終有種東方氣質。下午去看《咖啡時光》的首映，這部電影是為了紀念小津安二郎特意在日本拍攝的。當我們沉浸在侯導電影中的綿延時光之時，突然一隻麻雀飛進了電影院。這是最完美的放映，現實中的靈動生命和銀幕上的虛幻世界合二為一，不知誰比誰更自然。
《三峽好人》之後，《誠品好讀》的編輯安排我跟侯導在臺北對談，地點就在敦化南路的誠品書店。那天我早早到了採訪地點，侯導卻姍姍來遲，他進門先趴在桌子上，望著我說：你來臺灣了？我說：我到了。侯導定了定神兒說：有個親戚從上海來，帶了一瓶二鍋頭，剛才我們倆把它喝光了。眾人連忙問道：侯導要不要休息一下？侯導說：誰來向我提問？請趕快！編輯抓緊時間跟侯導訪談，我知道酒精在他身上發揮著作用。他要在醉倒之前的一秒，把今天的採訪完成。果然當他說完最後一句話的時候，一下子趴在桌子上立刻就睡著了。
第二天中午，林強來電話說侯導請大家今晚一起卡拉ＯＫ。晚上去了歌廳，在座的有作家朱天心，及其他幾個侯導的朋友。侯導和林強一首接一首地唱著臺語歌，兩個人不時搶著話筒，絕對是年輕人的樣子。從他的《南國再見，南國》到《千禧曼波》，侯孝賢拍都市裡的新新人類，對年輕人熟悉得彷彿在拍自己的故事。看《南國再見，南國》平溪線上的列車在重金屬搖滾樂中漸漸駛遠，再看《千禧曼波》中的舒淇在林強的電子樂中奔向新的千年，知情重意的侯導是那樣的年輕。
或許在華人世界裡，只有侯孝賢才能拍出我們的此刻，拍出我們的現在。
那夜眾人喧嘩，他把話筒讓給別人後一個人離席，靜靜地站在窗前望著外面。我跟過去站在他的身後。窗外細雨紛紛，雨中的臺北到處霓虹倒影，街上的行人奔走於不同的際遇。侯導也不看我，輕輕說道：下雨了！
這時不知誰在唱〈港都夜雨〉，這場景讓我想起《悲情城市》的開頭，朱天文的劇本是這樣寫的：
一九四五年八月十五日，日本天皇廣播宣布無條件投降。嗓音沙啞的廣播在臺灣本島偷偷流傳開來。
大哥林煥雄外面的女人為他生下一個兒子的時候，基隆市整個晚上停電，燭光中人影幢幢，女人壯烈產下一子，突然電來了，屋裡大放光明。
雨霧裡都是煤煙的港口，悲情城市。
在世界的任何一個地方的電影世界裡，人人都在談論侯孝賢。有一次在首爾，遇到跟侯導合作多年的攝影師李屏賓，他講了另外一個故事：有一天侯導拍完戲，深夜坐計程車回家。結果在車上和他跟他年紀相彷的司機聊起了政治，兩個人話不投機激烈爭辯，最後居然把車停在路邊廝打了起來。李屏賓講到這哩，瞪著眼睛說：小賈，你想想那畫面，那可是兩個五十多歲的人在街邊打架。大家都笑了，我問：然後呢？賓哥說：他倆整了整衣服上車，繼續往前開。
還是有人記得侯導給張藝謀當過監製。前年在北京參加青年導演論壇，記者會上有人提起侯導往事，問他：如何看張藝謀現在的電影？侯導沉思一下，笑著說：我們是朋友，八九十年代每次來北京都要見面聊天，後來他忙了，就不好意思再打攪了。記者會上少有的沉默，四下一片安靜。侯導突然反問記者：現在，他過得好嗎？
很喜歡侯導的兩張照片，其中一張：三十多歲的他留著八十年代的那種齊耳長髮，瞪著眼仰頭看著頭頂的一盞燈，那專注的表情彷彿把身家性命都放在電影裡。另外一張照片是法國電影評論家讓─米歇爾‧傅東編的法文版《侯孝賢》一書，封面上侯孝賢站在一張條案邊兒，雙手捧著三炷清香，正在彎腰祭拜。
祭拜中的侯孝賢，敬鬼神的侯孝賢，行古禮的侯孝賢，正是我們的侯孝賢。
