年少轻狂时,我们事事都乐于尝试。因为觉得自己一无所有而不惧怕失去。也正因如此,我们有时会在不知不觉中走上一条不归路。
WE want to try a little of everything when we're young. We always think we've got nothing to lose. Then, sometimes, before we know it, we're already on a path where there's no turning back.
这正是台湾著名导演钮承泽的最新力作《艋舺》的剧情梗概。电影片名“艋舺”取自台北一个古老城区的名字。20世纪90年代前,艋舺都以不法行为著称。电影以20世纪80年代为背景,讲述了在兄弟会、小混混横行的社会,5个黑道少年之间的友谊、冲突和背叛的故事。
That's what Monga, the latest film by Taiwanese director Doze Niu, is about. The title refers to one of Taipei's oldest areas. It was quite well-known for its iniquity before a cleanup in the 1990s. The film is bathed in nostalgia for a time (the mid-1980s) when brotherhood, small mafias and the seedy backstreets of the area were poignant "symbols". It tells a story of friendship, conflict and betrayal among a group of five teenage gangsters.
这样的剧情或多或少会让我们回想起红极一时的香港影片《古惑仔》。剧中,类似街斗、出入妓院、粗口、歃血为盟等场景都是必不可少的。虽然影片中有不少小混混出现,但《艋舺》却并非一部警匪片。它是一部真实记录年轻人生活的影片,上映1个月就创下了4000万元的台湾电影票房奇迹。
It may, more or less, remind us of the Hong Kong classic Teddyboy series, where things like street fights, visits to brothels, and a swearing of brotherhood ceremony are indispensable. But, while Monga has lots of gangsters, it's not a gangster film. It's an honest film about being young, and already something of a box office miracle for a Taiwanese film (40 million yuan, a month after its release).
主人公蚊子(赵又廷饰)年纪轻轻误入歧途,意外踏入黑道。起初,他不理解为什么人们总是打打杀杀,总是只识义气,不问公平与意义。
The lead character Mosquito (Mark Chao) "goes astray" and accidentally enters the world of gangsters at a young age. At first he can't understand why people just keep fighting, even killing each other, and why loyalty always comes first, rather than justice or meaning.
而另一位主人公和尚(阮经天饰)则是个“有思想的斗士”,但却最终背叛了组织。因此,该影片注定会有一个悲情、血腥但却不失美丽的结局。电影进展到尾声,蚊子在死前终于看到了自己梦寐以求的樱花--和尚的血飞溅在空气中,像绽放的樱花般烂漫。
Another main character, Monk (Ethan Juan,阮经天), is "a fighter with a brain" who betrays his group later. So, the film's doomed to have a sad, bloody ending-also a beautiful one. Right before Mosquito dies in the end, blood in the air becomes fluttering cherry blossoms, which he's always dreamed of seeing.