Bonjour Tristesse

I live with melancholy
My friend is vague distress
I wake up every morning
And say, "Bonjour tristesse"

The street I walk is sadness
My house has no address
The letters that I write me
Begin "Bonjour tristesse"

The loss of a lover is pain
Sharp and bitter to recall
I've lost no casual lover
I have no pain from which to recover
I've lost me, that is all!

My smile is void of laughter
My kiss has no caress
I'm faithful to my lover
My bitter-sweet tristesse

---

Depuis qu'on est ensemble
Tu viens chaque matin
Me donner la première caresse
Bonjour tristesse

Amie qui me ressembles
Tu est le seul miroir
Où je peux contempler ma jeunesse
Bonjour tristesse

Tu sais le secret de ma peine
Car c'est toi qui l'a bercé
Et s'il le faut que je me souvienne
Tu viens poser ta main sur les miennes
Et toi tu n'oublies jamais
Depuis qu'on est ensemble
Tu es mon seul amour
J'ai trop de faiblesse
Pour te quitter
Bonjour tristesse

Depuis qu'on est ensemble
Tu es mon seul amour
Et j'ai trop de faiblesse
Pour te quitter
Bonjour tristesse

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Wallpapers

Vlad Gerasimov is one of my favourite digital artists. I love his wallpapers.

Tonight I am going to see Alice in Wonderland. Yes, today’s the official release day in New Zealand! Before that, let me share a set of Alice wallpapers by Vlad.

“… Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end? I wonder how many miles I’ve fallen by this time?..”

Look at the top right circle, it writes “New Zealand” and “Australia”, ya, the other side of the world, which is, this side I am in.

 

“…but, alas! Either the locks were too large, or the key was too small, but at any rate it would not open any of them…”

“…Oh,my poor little feet,I wonder who will put on your shoes and stockings for you now, dears? I’m sure I shan’t be able!..”

“… I wish I hadn’t cried so much! ” said Alice, as she swam about, trying to find her way out. “I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, by being drowned in my own tears! That will be a queer thing, to be sure! However, everything is queer today…”

This, really, makes me think.

She hastily put down the bottle, saying to herself: “That’s quite enough - I hope I shan’t grow any more - As it is, I can’t get out at the door – I do with I hadn’t drunk quite so much!

“…One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter…”

“I didn’t know that Cheshire cats always grinned; in fact, I didn’t know that cats could grin…”

In the movie Alice in Wonderland, Stephen Fry is the Cheshire cat, that should be really cool.

I really love Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, not so much Through Looking Glass though. But Lewis Carroll is always my hero. Look forward to tonight’s movie, because Tim Burton is my favourite too (yes, and Johnny Depp…).

If you’ve never read the story, you really should.

《Avatar 3D》 (2009)

看罷《Avatar》三度空間版。這是我第一次看3D電影，如果十年前在Gold Coast Sea World看了十分鐘4D片不計算在內的話（4D是那種片播到有水就真的有水灑過來的）。我一向對3D這個概念沒甚麼好感，但這齣戲又好像一定要看3D才算看過，於是我便隨隊看了3D。感覺嘛。。。就像書是要一本本的不要ebook，電影大概還是2D的合理。當然，這大概和當初電影發展到有聲音和有顏色一樣，總有些守舊如我的人要慢慢才能接受得到。

奇幻是我的喜好呢。Pandora真的是漂亮得很，尤其喜歡夜光的那一場境。獸的外型和顏色也不錯。。。基本上彩色的東西我都喜歡啦。至於劇情。。。喂喂喂，沒人進去是看劇情的吧？！

唯一叫我看得很不自然的，是Jake對著錄像機拍下紀錄的段落。原因是。。。要知道那是從錄像機的鏡頭看過去的，即就像是我們拿著錄像機拍著。。。那為甚麼是3D的啊？！！難度看向錄像機的視窗能看到3D的嗎？！不能吧！那個depth perception是怎麼一回事呢？從錄像機看去怎可能看到那種距離呢？！我非常迷惑，覺得3D大概過火了，連不該是3D的也3D了。。。不過那是2154年，難說難說。雖然錄像機看起上來沒甚麼進步，但或者已進化成3D視窗了。還是心裡有點怪怪的感覺。

算是看過了。

十月圍城 - 註

啊，對了，我想說，其實《十月圍城》只有前半真的是好片，中段開始我有一種莫名的不耐，昨天看罷我就跟小王子說一開始懾了人但後半就硬是有點問題。到現在我還是說不出為甚麼，大概要再看一次才可以清楚呢。或者你們去看時多多留意。

十月圍城 (2009)

完全沒有任何期望的去看這齣戲，懷著驚喜的心情走出來。有些歷史專長的朋友看完對此電影極其鄙夷，那大概是他忘記了這是電影吧。

懾愕的先不是劇情，是劇情以外的東西。我當然是勉強可以用僅僅學過的幾個字來說cinematography又如何，music又如何，editing又如何，mise-en-scène又如何。。。但都不蓋一句「拍得好好」吧。畢竟我只是升斗小民，電影只有好和不好，不用說太多。

是的，我是覺得「拍得好好」，甚至使我專注到對誰演誰只有點模糊的印象。大概typage就是導演的意思，革命不是你或我，革命只有一群人。看以後出現的Odessa Steps，更堅固了形態：陳少白與李重光，只是革命裡的一小個故事，在整個革命裡是不經傳的一幕，卻在電影裡放大了給我們看，原來已是這麼轟烈（連閻孝國亂插向人力車內那一段，也要這麼像Cossack那四個間斷亂砍的shots，不能說不用心良苦）。我是看完此片回家才驚覺原來是「大卡士」的。所以我眼中沒有黎明演得好不好的問題，因為我眼中沒有黎明。

然而，我不認為這是愛國電影。不，我不是說他們不愛國，只是說這不是愛國電影。反之，《十月圍城》是給人看到所謂的愛國和革命裡，其實有很多人不是為著那所謂崇高的理想而犧牲的。許多人不是為愛國，我們都是凡人，有多少人真的明白為國家為人民為其他人衣食飽足，革命之路是必須，血一定要流？文明之幸福，其實不是那麼多人明白，那麼多人看見。那些像刻意要讓人熱血沸騰的臺詞，如「欲求文明之幸福，不得不經文明之痛苦，而這痛苦就是革命」、「機器砸壞了，用木板寫，用蠟鑄，手寫」、「革命就是用我們這一代的犧牲換取重光他們一代的幸福」、「我一閉上眼，就是中國的明天」等等，對照著一眾不是為革命而獻上生命的人，難度不就是現成的一個諷刺嗎？所以說，這不是愛國電影，大家誤會了。

許多人看這片看得哭了，我不知道是在看見人死的時候還是怎樣。我這麼會哭的人倒是沒有哭過，眼泛淚光的的場面全都是眼看平靜卻帶著悽涼的。倒不是不覺得感人或心酸，只是走革命的路理當是這樣，誰有時間哭哭啼啼？死了還是要繼續的，誰也沒時間為誰傷心。電影本身就在營造這種效果：要死的人無論是為甚麼都早有覺悟，剪接和音樂也沒有給人停下來傷感的機會，那容得下哭泣。

還是說兩句有關人的。王學圻表情太好，范冰冰穿古裝也真的漂亮，超女李宇春沒甚麼特別，梁家輝一貫的演技，甄子丹一貫的打鬥，曾志偉的鬍子略嫌好笑，黎明是全片最誇張的，胡軍的樣子有夠戇。。。有點遺憾的是我沒有看出那是岑建勳啊！謝霆鋒的確做得不錯，我沒有看《証人》，也無意看《風雲Ⅱ》，對上一次在戲裡見到他已是《無極》 -- 一套你看過不會再看的電影，雖然那不是謝霆鋒的錯。據說：

《十》片中，他演王學圻的車夫，最早該角沒有找他，但他向陳可辛毛遂自薦：「只有相信愛情的人，才能演好這個角色。」當時陳看到他眼中的堅定，大為感動，「我有強烈的感覺，這男孩長大了，成為一個男人。」

看這段新聞的一刻，我倒真的有點感動。

還是據說，陳德森籌這戲籌了十年。就甚麼都不看，看這用心，也是值得的。梁家輝說十年前就答應了要拍，本練好了肌肉，等了十年，最後卻被叫去做文弱書生了，又要減掉肌肉。

有時看看這些花邊新聞，也很有趣。

題外話，到底革命成功不成功，中國是否適合民主，中國又會否有民主的一天，這些都不是我們討論的話題。結果我們想當然的談到去「浪漫」，革命與浪漫。革命就是浪漫的一種表現，革命分子都要有浪漫的情懷才能搞革命（你看孫文的妻妾還有情人一行五個）。所以你不能怪我一向覺得自己是浪漫之人，因為我年少時在家裡也像要搞革命般，喊著平等自由就是會被鞭打也在所不惜。（笑）

「十年前，衢雲兄跟我在此討論何為革命，當時我說，革命——就是為了四萬萬革命同胞人人有恆業，不啼饑，不號寒。十年過去了，我從他鄉漂泊重臨，與我志同者相繼犧牲。革命兩字與我而言不可同日而語，今日再道何為革命，我會說，欲求文明之幸福，不得不經文明之痛苦，而這痛苦就是革命！」

P.S. 我們這裡播的是第四版Trailer，震撼程度是香港版兩個Trailers沒有的，完全截然不同的感受。

唔知倒轉咗嘅香港會係點嘅呢？

 

唔睇咪徙晒！

家中有很多戲未看，多得有點過份。寫張清單出來，想想該看哪齣先好：

• Marie Antoinette (2006) : 和What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)一起收的聖誕禮物，據說「衫好靚」，我也想看看有多「靚」，希望看時會有點儀態，不要流出口水來就好。
• Volver (2006) : 趁低給納，在架上。
• Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) : 本來我是沒有打算看這齣戲的，不過減價時買了。
• Love Actually (2003) : 我大概是少數未看過這齣戲的吧。。。擁有好一段時間，就是沒有拿出來看，也不知道為甚麼。
• The Devil Wears Prada (2006) : 這套也是有點奇怪。我一直想看，所以買了，就是到現在還沒有看。
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) : 明明電影院上畫時很想去看，到出了DVD很想買，又嫌貴。跌破十元關口時買了，卻過了幾個月都未拿出來看。真神奇。
• Babí léto (2001)
• 71 Fragmente einer Chronologie des Zufalls (1994)
• Italianetz (2005)

借了Okuribito (2008)也未看。。。

還有些可能一直都不會看。。。

• The Pursuit of Happiness (2006) : 不是我買的。
• Amazing Grace (2006) : 也不是我買的。
• Brokeback Mountain (2005) : 我一點也沒印象是不是我買的。但我到現在都沒有興趣看。。。
• 色，戒 (2007) : 提起李安，我才想起，《色，戒》在我的櫃上這麼久，還是未看。。。
• Cinderella Man (2005) : 是我買的，但是我買給小王子看的，沒太大興趣。

Tim Burton's Gallery

While Tim is having his exhibition in MoMA, I am mucking around in Time Burton's Gallery online.

So where should I go first? Let's check out the Public Gallery.

Now let's check out the Private Galley.

How can you not love Time Burton? Even the website is too cool!

Now, WHY THE BOOK IS SO EXPENSIVE!!!!

一萬年

圍著飯桌坐的人想起的都是周星馳，我這個剛看完重慶森林的人，想的卻是金城武。

 

我甚麼也沒說。

重慶森林

由阿武碰倒阿菲開始，重慶森林進入了第二段。這是我喜歡的一段，應該說是王家衛戲的裡我最喜歡的故事，純粹是個人喜好，沒有可歌可泣的偉大理由。或者，是我一樣有著這樣的。。。執著／浪漫／問題／病態。。。Obsession。當然，那個是王菲，當然是沒問題了。就如我們討論所說，梁朝偉是stalker，也會是不同待遇。

順道一題，人家周小姐實在是太索了。我只是不喜歡她的樣子，太姣 - 不過某人說姣不是壞事。我也不是說是壞事，只是不喜歡而已。

My 20091121

Today is a complete relax day for me. Finally.

I woke up before 7 this morning. It’s too early, so I started watching Chungking Express.

I couldn’t finish it this morning because…

Later Little Prince left Botany. He went to Church for hymn practice. I stayed for quite a while, walked around (okay, I did spend money) and about 3pm…

The weather was so fine and I’m glad, mainly because Timothy fellowship was having BBQ today and weather is always the key element for a good BBQ gathering. Nevertheless, good weather favours me as well. So this is what I have been doing till… just now:

Just found out I am a bit too white/pale, so I should sit more under the sun. Summer is coming, guys, let’s get out and have more outdoor activities please!

Dinner time. Will finish Chungking Express later tonight.

花樣年華

À bout de souffle (Breathless) (1960)

Finally, I have watched this three times. The last time took me nearly four hours to watch it, at the same time I have written fifteen pages of notes. It’s a bit silly, because the film itself is only part of the exam question I have to write about. Guess it’s because I really like this film a lot. The third time I watched this, and the closer I watched this, I found it more and more amazing in many many ways. The shot I have cut this frame out of is one towards the end of the film, and it’s one of my favourites.

However, I am not going to praise Jean Luc Godard here. I have no intention to do that at all. Also, I am not going to talk about scenes that have been discussed heavily in all those text books, especially the murder of the cop at the beginning of the film: about the elliptical style, the close angles, the rapidity and disorientating scale of shots, and the long, wide shot of Michel fleeing across the fields… ya, I am not going to talk about those. And no, I do not talk seriously and in details like those film critics, just want to note down some things, which are… maybe minor, but who cares, I am going to list them out.

Wiping thumb across lips

Okay, if I count it right, id est, if I didn’t miss any, then there are nine times:

1. At the very beginning, when he’s about to steal a car.

2. When he makes his first phone call after he entered the city.

3. When he looks into the mirror at his girlfriend’s place. Note that this is the first time he play with his facial expression, which he repeats in Patricia’s apartment when he says sulk doesn’t suit her, and later, just before he dies.

4. The obvious one: when he’s looking at a poster of Bogart, which explains his “ritualistic” (I say) action.

5. At Patricia’s apartment, in front of the mirror, saying “What a pain. I always fall for girls who aren’t for me.” (I was thinking… LOL)

6. At Patricia’s apartment, after she says “I’ll stare at you until you stop sharing at me.”

7. At Patricia’s apartment, after she says “I want to know what’s behind your face.”

8. Just before he leaves Patricia at the entrance to the News conference.

9. After Patricia blows a kiss to him while he’s talking to Antonio and she’s talking to another guy.

Okay, of course, there is the famous tenth occurrence, but that’s by Patricia, at the end of the film.

By the way, she’s very pretty, I love her.

Iris-out and Iris-in

First of all, reminded me Looney Tunes. Apologize to people who are serious about films all the time and find cutie talking animals in cartoons are disgusting.

There are two places, Iris-out/Iris-in are used in the film:

1. When Michel walked away from Bogart’s poster, you can see the inspectors looking for him. Later it iris-in, focusing on Michel’s hand with 2 coins only, while he is promising Patricia for dinner.

2. A random guy (Godard himself, sadly, not much hair left on his forehead when he’s around 30…) recognises Michel and informs the police. And later we see the couple at the entrance of the News conference.

I like the first set a lot more than the second. Don’t bother explaining why now.

Dialogues in her apartment

I know a lot of people find this part too long and boring (well that’s what those kids say in the tutorial class), but I really like this scene. Not my favourite, but second. Purely personal preference, I like the scene in Rue Campagne Première more – told you I have weird taste.

1. About looking at each other…

There are so many instances Michel or Patricia caught looking at the other. To me, they are very romantic (you know, I am a hopeless romantic).

“Why are you looking at me?”
“Because I am.”

“I’ll stare at you until you stop staring at me.”

“We look each other in the eyes and it means nothing.”

“I’m looking at you.”
“The French are stupid too.”

“Funny I can see my reflection in your eyes.”
“A real Franco-American reconciliation.”

At the end of the bedroom scene, they kiss again when he’s lying down on her stomach. Then they remove their sunglasses, look into each other’s eyes and kiss again.

Nothing more important than eye contacts.

2. About time…

Earlier in the film Patricia makes a comment when Michel tells her to wait for a second, she says

“The French always say one second when they mean five minutes.”

Now in the bedroom, he asks her when will she know whether she loves him or not, and she says “soon”.

“When will you know?”
“Soon.”
“In a month, in a year?”
“Soon means soon".”
“A woman never wants to do in eight seconds what she’ll want to do eight days later. Eight seconds and eight days, it’s all the same. Why not eight centuries?”
“No, eight days is good.”
“A woman’s all half-measures. It gets me down.”

Again, as I said, time is a subjective phenomenon.

3. About Romeo and Juliet…

Believe it or not, I like the story of Romeo and Juliet. I mean, I like it because it’s stupid, unrealistic, a fantasy. I never take it as a love story. It’s not about love but pride and prejudice. Romeo thinks he cannot live without Juliet, and Juliet thinks she cannot live without Romeo. That’s because Juliet is becoming fourteen and Romeo is “no manlike beard there grew”. Sorry for breaking the dream of the kids, but no, I do not believe in “couldn’t live without someone”.

“I want us to be like Romeo and Juliet.”
“Just like a girl!”
“You said last night you couldn’t live without me, but you can. Romeo couldn’t live without Juliet, but you can.”
“No, I can’t live without you.”
“Just like a man!”

Michel has chosen his destiny partly bases on his love for Patricia, this is true; and at the end it leads to his death unexpectedly (well, for him). He chooses to stay (and die) rather than leave (and live). He didn’t live without her, although that’s not necessarily “couldn’t”, however effort counts, right?

4. About Scare and cigarette…

This is a rather interesting conversation.

“How do you know I am scared?”
“If a girl says she’s not scared, then can’t even light her cigarette, it means she’s scared of something. I don’t know of what, but she’s scared.”
…
“See? I’m not scared”
“I never said you were.”
“You bet, pet.”
“No.”
“But you wish you had said it. And now you’re angry.”
“I'm not talking to you anymore.”

Forget about the lighting cigarette part, but see what he says there: “But you wish you had said it. And now you’re angry.” I was totally amazed when I see this line (ya, see, mind you I cannot speak nor understand French). How many men in the world can see through that clearly, I wonder. That line itself is like a secret being revealed. It’s too honest, therefore she stands up and says she’s not talking to him anymore.

This reminds me, several times, someone read through me clearly and stated out my deepest thought, like a secret being revealed. I instantly rebutted. Logical? No. But in situation like this we always try to find something to say, just want to hide and make the one who see through you admit he’s wrong – even in the rebuttal process we have to say something that hurts him. Well, Patricia just ends the conversation temporarily.

Now go back to the relationship between scare of something and lighting cigarette. In the Rue Campagne Première scene, after Patricia tells Michel that she’s called the police and explains why she’s made that move, Michel says “You’re out of your mind. That’s a pathetic way to reason.”. He doesn’t seem angry or upset at all. Then he walks away and lights up his cigarette, quickly and easily.

Which means, he’s not scared.

Now I finally understand why someone always says my thinking is stupid, and my action is stupid. I guess, I have a pathetic way to reason as well. Same. Too bad that I do not have a pretty face, therefore, unforgivable.

Rue Campagne Première

Okay, my favourite scene. My favourite part is after she come back from buying newspaper, bottle of milk, and calling the police, then she informs Michel about it. Now she starts walking around the room talking to Michel (more to herself I’d say), while Michel is talking to her (again, more to himself I’d say) at the same time, their dialogues overlapping. It’s… a bit like… there’s a part in Masquerade that Christine and Raoul sing “You will understand in time”/“I can only hope I’ll understand in time”.

Patricia No, I’m fine. No, I’m not. I don’t want to go with you. (she’s walking around and talking some French here… … …) I don’t want to be in love with you. That’s why I called the police. I stayed with you to see if I was in love with you, or if I wasn’t in love with you. And since I’m being cruel to you, it proves I’m not in love with you. (here she has just finished a circle and back to Michel) And since I’m being cruel to you, it proves I’m not in love with you. If I loved you… It’s too complicated! I want people to leave me alone. Maybe you love me. That’ why I gave you away. Now you have no choice but to go. (again, she has just finished another circle and back to Michel)

Michel I knew it. I just talk about myself, and you, yourself. You should’ve talked about me, and me, about you. Say that again! They say there’s no happy love. On the contrary, there’s no unhappy love. I’m independent. You think you are. You’re not. I’m better than you are.

Patricia crossing the road happily

Not much I want to say about this, just, feel happy when I see this shot. It’s very cute.

I tried not to step on the gaps between concrete sections on the pedestrian roads usually, because… you know, they are snakes, they bite. :)

Champs Elysées

Ah… this is getting a bit too long. I thought I am not going to say anything major and therefore this is going to be short. Let me finish this off with the long take on the Champs Elysées.

Why people all walk in the middle of the road in those days? :D