The whole movie is nothing more than a tribute to the master. Simply classifying it as comedy, suspense, adventure and plot is superficial. Actually, it's more like a documentary, a literary film. Documentaries record the classic film techniques left by Liu Bieqian, Hitchcock, Zhuo Berlin and others, while literary films focus on the spiritual connotation of the decline of European civilization.
To understand its cultural background, we have to mention two people-Walter Benjamin and Stefan Zweig.
Forget Zweig. The author's resume is too long. Let's choose a few simple and key features: he is an Austrian writer in exile, a Jew and a defender of European traditional culture. He was persecuted by Nazi Germany and finally committed suicide in Brazil. The Grand Budapest Hotel is actually talking about the decline of traditional European civilization. Specifically, it is about the history of Jewish exile. More precisely, it is an autobiography about Zweig leaving his declining spiritual home and dying of a broken heart.
German walter benjamin is the most important philosopher, critic and "the last scholar in Europe" in the 20th century. He was persecuted by Nazi Germany and finally committed suicide in Spain. I don't know why he is important. Anyway, in European academic circles, he is always regarded as a great god. Benjamin lamented the disappearance of traditional narrative techniques in the Storyteller-Essays on Nikolai Leskov's Works. The Grand Budapest Hotel adopts a four-layer storytelling structure, and always presents an immersive storytelling process. A story can't be separated from the storyteller and the listener, and it can't be separated from their simultaneous environment. This is a tribute to Benjamin's thought.
In 1930s, with the deepening of industrialization, the world war and the rise of Nazi, everything related to humanistic care, humanistic care and practical care declined rapidly, while rational, centralized, modern and fast food things rose. Europe, a land with profound cultural heritage, was ravaged by iron hoofs, raped spiritually and developed materially, but the tradition died out and lost, and human nature became indifferent. People are used to saying what others say, and no longer appreciate literature and art with their heart, let alone think, examine and explore, which directly leads to a gorgeous speech that can make countless fanatics go to war, and also leads to the sorrow of those conscientious authors. Benjamin and Zweig's suicide is a kind of martyrdom. But in wartime, these people still want to continue to write, lament and commit suicide, which is remarkable. Sometimes we will sigh that there is nothing deep, and we can't just blame the author and the system, but the nutrients and constraints of the whole soil are not enough, and then we don't ask for too much. Take director Zhang Feng as an example. If you shoot professionally, you can't understand it and there is no box office. If you just shoot it, you say it's vulgar. However, spray to spray, to Jiang Wen, Lu Chuan, Ning Hao, the masterpiece of the three great gods, or to worship, people have learned to make you a little knowledge of the edge of the ball.
In the era of novels, newspapers, telephones, telegrams and television, the relationship between people has been replaced by the media, people hide themselves behind microphones, and communication has decreased. Compared with myths, epics, fairy tales, and new communication methods and environments, the reality that writers and listeners gathered together to tell stories in the past has been changed. In the past, a story needed to be gathered together and passed on by word of mouth. This process needed to be integrated into the common experience of the storyteller and the listener. In the modern world, an isolated writer, in his isolated attic, has no emotional mass production works to meet the needs of a group. Practical nursing gradually disappeared. With the disappearance of practical care, the spiritual pillar of European culture collapsed.
The name "cloth" is actually misleading, making people think that the story took place in Hungary. Although the hotel industry in Hungary is very developed, you can rent a villa for 10 thousand forint, but "cloth" has nothing to do with Hungary in essence. The film was shot in Germany, and the original metaphor was in Austria. Austria, Little Paris, the heart of European culture and art, the cradle of European spiritual thought, is also the place where Hitler's "Crystal Night" slaughtered Jews to burn books and bury Confucianism. The scene of the story is Zweig's own country. There is indirect evidence that the policeman played by Edward Harrison Norton did not wear Hungarian uniform or German uniform, but the holster, shoulder strap, chest and epaulettes were all German. The rifle used by the guards is Mauser 98k, and the cylindrical cap is a tradition of Prussian soldiers. There's a fox on it. It's just cute. Later, the war broke out, the border was blocked, and the soldiers who got on the bus for inspection were all equipped by the SS, and the hat badge was an II. In fact, this II is embroidered on the collar of a junior officer of the German Defence Force. After the hotel was occupied, only Nazis had the habit of hanging huge national flags and wearing armbands. In the movie, the national flag and armband are ZZ patterns, the Nazis are SS, or Nazi party emblem. According to Hitler's own explanation, SS and the swastika are both double lightning, so ZZ is not a more direct metaphor for double lightning. The director can hang a swastika flag directly, but he doesn't. He can write about Vienna Hotel or Bay Sister Garden Hotel, but he must move to Budapest. This is broken glass.
Gustav, the lobby manager in the movie, is very popular with blond, elderly and sensitive customers, and uses his clever tongue and body to satisfy their roles. Gustav himself said that he might be bisexual, which also implied that his job was to meet everyone's spiritual needs. And the object of his satisfaction is the elite of this society. This is actually a self-portrait of Zweig. Before World War II, Zweig was a popular writer in Austria, and his works had profound realistic humanistic concern. The so-called care, in short, is a very positive interaction with society and tradition. This cultural interaction is reflected in the film in a vulgar way that everyone can understand and accept, and it is the best embodiment of realistic care and humanitarian care.
Apple boy is defined as the priceless treasure that killed Gustav. This painting is a legacy, a wealth left by European aristocrats to Gustav, and it was exchanged for his meticulous, considerate and enthusiastic service labor. In the Bible, apple is the fruit of desire and forbidden fruit, but in European languages, it also means the reward of labor. The metaphor of this painting is to express that the whole Jewish nation is cautious and balanced, spreading from Jerusalem to the whole world and gradually inheriting the material and spiritual wealth of Europe, which they deserve. At this time, the son and family of the deceased stood up. A pragmatist who only cares about wealth and reorganizes his inheritance only finds that the painting has been lost. He was tyrannical, crazy and rude, ignoring laws and contracts, amending wills, murdering lawyers and chasing witnesses, but he had a perverted attachment to inheritance. Is this like Hitler? As the heir of the same culture, he wanted to possess all the heritage of his ancestors, but he didn't inherit its essence at all. At the same time, he tore up the armistice treaty, resorted to war and slaughtered Jews. ......
After stealing this painting, Gustav once said to Zero on the train, I will die under this painting. Can you see how much I look like the boy in the picture? This is not a joke, but the director implies that Gustav himself is a Jew and that Apple is his legacy and wealth. However, a few minutes later, he said, I'm thinking of selling the painting. This is a true portrayal of the Jewish nation. From Exodus to Schindler's List, it shows the bitter reality that the Jewish people are too smart and too rich to be rejected by the whole world. Wealth brings jealousy and persecution, which makes them feel insecure and has been fleeing.
The chapter of cross key association is very interesting. When Gustav made a phone call, hotel professionals from all over the world came to help him at any cost. This makes people think that the Rose Cross Society and the Huanshan priory are secret societies, which are widely distributed and can reach the sky, and they are responsive among their internal members. This is a typical Jewish association. This chapter not only describes that Zweig got help from his compatriots on the way to escape Nazi persecution, but also describes the reasons why Jews are endless.
In reality, Zweig committed suicide in Brazil. However, in the movie, Gustav angrily denounced the Nazis on the train and was shot in the cold wasteland. Zweig has been challenging the Nazis all his life, so he doesn't want to stand up bravely and fight them to the end. But in reality, he didn't have the courage to do so. In movies, it's different. There are inheritors and witnesses, zero. Gustav gave his life to protect and continue this seed. Perhaps this is Zweig's ideal ending after artistic processing.
Demetrius' thug was a chilling man. He was tall, quiet, cruel and loyal to his master. His dramatic images are like Frankenstein or Kouga in 007. His play has only one content-curiosity, killing people without seeing blood. It was not until the last scene of the sleigh chasing the car that people remembered something. He parked his motorcycle, put up his sleigh and stood there drinking whiskey, almost like a soldier. Leather clothing, military posture, killing without blinking an eye, loyalty, terror and mindless execution of orders are the portrayal of the German army, especially the SS.
Gustav, who was dying on the cliff, said, "You pathetic freak." "The musket was loaded and the officer shouted with joy." This is talking about German soldiers. Otherwise, why didn't he say that Zhong Zheng, Colt or Gaikata the tortoise installed it?
In the last chapter, the gunfight in the hotel was unbearable. The metaphor can be seen from the order of appearance, the standing posture and the weapons held by everyone. At first, Dmitry rushed upstairs, saw Gustav and Zero, and then shot head-on. Dimitri is wearing a black trench coat and a pair of lightning armbands on his wrist. He shouted in a very arrogant manner: Where is the "Apple Boy"? Does this sound like Hitler's cry in 1933? Then Gustav said, "It's none of your business." So Dimitri said, I'm going to beat you up in Bruno. He took out a gun from the soles of his feet, and at this time gave a close-up of four actions: drawing, loading, raising and shooting, emphasizing PPK. PPK of karl wolther Arsenal is the most famous and advanced pistol in World War II. After the Nazi Party seized power in 193 1, a large number of such pistols were secretly distributed.
Next is the weapons exhibition. A weapon represents a country or a camp.
First, a man appeared on the opposite right 1, looking around with a probe. At this time, he couldn't see the gun clearly, but he shouted all his life: "Drop your weapon!" Then shoot Gustav. At this moment, a man came out from Dmitry's right, holding a Mao Se box gun, standing behind him and shooting with him. Mao Se box gun, also known as mauser pistol, was equipped with German military and police during World War I, and was later replaced by Ruger P08. During World War II, Mao Se mainly exported to German allies and servants, and also exported to Jiang Zhongzheng for rare metals in China. It was also widely used in the Spanish Civil War. The gun battle between these three people can be reminiscent of the fact that before the outbreak of World War II, the international column was outnumbered against the Franco regime and the Spanish fascist regime. Their gunfire soon attracted three big guys-
The next three people are all close-ups, which is very interesting. The first man holds an exaggerated long magazine, Bobosha, and the gun comes out first, then the man. He didn't shoot, he just stood there watching. This is obviously an allusion to Vienna or Poles. If a gun can't prove his identity, pay attention to his beard. Stalin had such a sexy beard.
Then brother Yan with a revolver. This gun is either Webley or enfield. During World War II, only British officers used revolvers. Also exported to the Soviet Union and the United States. At the beginning of World War II, American weapons were British. The US military used infield before the war, and developed Colt M 19 1 1 after the war. Or look at the beard, refer to the photos of theodore roosevelt.
The last person who looks like Robert De Niro holds Mao Se 19 10 or Mao Se 1934. This is a pocket version of Mao Se pistol, mainly imported from the United States, but as a follower, Yixi also wants a piece of the action.
Everyone was shooting at each other with different guns in the corridor. The director must have ulterior motives.
The structural analysis of thin films can not be summarized by simple linear structure or random structure. This structure, like its soundtrack, has a strong China and Eastern European style, because both Benjamin and Zweig are influenced by this.
This film is zigzag or doll structure.
Subtitles are issued at the beginning, especially to remind viewers to watch with a specified screen size. This is to remind the audience that what we see is the first layer-the narrative of the film. The sender of the information is the director and the receiver is the movie audience. The screen size should be as close as possible to the time when the story takes place to avoid narrative disconnection.
Then the film begins, and a woman with a book approaches the writer's sculpture, and the film ends. This is the second layer in the first layer, reminding us that what we see is the narrative structure of the novel. The sender of information is the author of the book and the receiver is the reader.
Then the screenwriter began to tell a story. He told a story. He went to the place where the story happened and communicated with Zero who was still alive. Finally, the story ends with the writer's account. This is the third level, where the author personally tells his own experience. The sender of the information is the author of the book, which can also be said to be his book, self-report and autobiography, but it is different from the third-person perspective of the second level, and this is the first-person perspective. This layer can also be merged with the previous layer.
Then Zero and the writer were in the hotel and told the writer about his common experience with Mr. Gustav, ending with Zero leaving the hotel by elevator and going back to his room. This is the core layer, which is Zero's face-to-face narrative structure and personal dictation of his own experience with Gustav. The sender of the information is zero, and the receiver is the author, but the author also added his own evaluation of zero and inner language, which is considered to be involved in the story processing.
The core is what Zero told the writer, which is the story he and Gustav personally experienced and wrote together with their lives.
Layer by layer, all give a complete beginning and end, interspersed in the middle, but the principle remains the same. It was not until the cinema lights up and the audience leaves that this narrative was completely reproduced like onion slices, and the director's story came to a successful conclusion.
The whole drama is full of big names and the cast is extremely strong. However, apart from Mr. Voldemort's scenes, a handsome guy like Jude Law and the old French opera "Bones" appeared for less than ten minutes.
In fact, it is a story of escape. Why should we arrange four floors of space and countless big names to interpret it? This is a tribute to the traditional storytelling skills. Radio and television media have had a great impact on the traditional storytelling technology. In the fast and economical era, readers don't read novels when they can post them, and don't watch movies when they can watch videos, because the fast-paced life no longer allows us to have so much time to experience the brewing process of complete beauty, but is used to the brainless stimulation of the senses. Therefore, literary and artistic creators can tell a story simply and concisely, and try not to complicate it. The audience has no patience. According to statistics, in the past half century, the use of editing shots in Hollywood movies has exceeded that of long shots by hundreds of times. Only dazzling sounds and pictures can satisfy the appetite of the audience. This is like quenching thirst by drinking poison, raising the threshold, failing to keep up with technological innovation, and the works have no soul, so we have to use technical packaging. However, the director of this drama took great pains, spent so many films and used so many actors to repeat the story, which is bravely remembering our lost traditions and habits. Everyone is used to eating fast food, and coffee and afternoon tea are hard to satisfy. The director will shock everyone's eyes with a great card, and then sit down and tell a good story. However, it is worthwhile for the big names to participate even for a minute. Only the masters can see the potential of such a masterpiece. Even if the trophy is inseparable, as long as they dedicate a moment to it, it will be enough to go down in history.
In the writer's home, the writer tells his own book; In the hotel lobby, the doorman told the writer the legend of gossip zero; In the bathhouse with obvious Qing Dynasty Zheng style, on the dessert table in the hotel restaurant, Lao Ling told the writer his legend. On the way to escape, Gustav told Zero his experience. In front of the writer's monument, girls hold novels to remember ... every time they tell stories, they can't do without the close cooperation environment and the personal participation of storytellers and listeners. This is the essence of traditional storytelling skills. However, movies also show a decline in storytelling skills. Zero and Gustav participate in and experience the story together. The screenwriter personally came to the hotel and inherited the story from scratch. Female readers can only make up stories through books; And we have to rely on movies to get a glimpse. This is the sadness brought by modernity. The director's strength lies in that even with the lens language, he can bring us an immersive nostalgic pleasure. Today, many people can't do so well except show their career lines, high technology and cuteness.
The reason why we well-informed, intelligent and intelligent audiences can experience a kind of aesthetic feeling that can only be understood but not expressed is because the essence of culture is the same as human nature and can only be perceived with the soul.
20 14, this play will be a hit, at least in the western world. Novels, plays, performances, scenes, colors and music are unparalleled. Immortal masterpieces with numerous classic qualities, such as Angel Emily, Murder on the Orient Express, Bicycle Thief, Rome Unprotected, Hi, My Fuehrer, Metropolis, Frankenstein and The Great Dictator!