英文版影评《巴尔扎克与小裁缝》——刘烨、周迅

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
-----Film Comment This film was rearranged by the famous novel-<<Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress>> and the author is Dai Sijie. This novel effuses youth, passion, hope and life-force. Under the exquisite description of author, we can see an inedible memory.
On the 1971 year, in a remote village on the Phoenix Mountain of The Yangtze Gorges come two “strange” young people. They bring some special things which shanliren never seen before included a violin and an alarm clock. They are the educated urban youth--Ma jianlin and Luo Ming and they go to this village to work in the countryside. In order to persuade township head not to destroy the violin, Luo Ming told everybody that Ma can play the violin very well and let Ma perform the violin. With the Mozart sonata, the story starts little by little.
The hard work in the village and the boring life make these two young people who have the background of high education feel baldness and hopeless. The only joy for them is to play the violin and peek the young girl taking shower in the hot spring. In a day when they play the violin, there comes a beautiful and comeliness girl. The lively and optimistic character of this girl infects Luo Ming and Ma jianlin. They love this girl who called little Seamstress without previous arrangement. They want to change the mind and thinking of little seamstress especially for Luo Ming.
When they get along with the little seamstress, they know that another educated urban youth who called Siyan has a package of precious books. So on the night before Siyan leave the village, Luo and Ma steal these books. Hence, they are immersed in the <<Dead Souls>> of Gogol, <<The Count of Monte Cristo>> of Dumas, <<LA COUSINE BETTE>> of Balzac everyday. And they get much fun form these books. Luo and Ma also teach the little seamstress how to literacy and read the literary works for the little seamstress. The little seamstress is interested in these literary works little by little and she like the Balzac most and influenced by Balzac most. After few months, the little seamstress tell the Luo and Ma that she want to go to the city to see the world outside of this village and start her journey.
The scenario of <<Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress>> is actual and impressive. And the music in this film is also fair-sounding.
The authenticity of the film
In order to make this film lean close to the real life, the dialogue in this film adopts the local dialogue---Szechwanese. It is veritable Szechwanese and all the dialogue accord with the status and the character of each figure. In the film, township head and other villager included the little seamstress speak localism, Luo speak veritable and genteel Szechwanese and the Ma sometimes speak Szechwanese and sometimes speak mandarin. These are good to the sense of reality of this film. And it is very helpful for the audience to understand the character of each figure. But it is little difficult for foreigner to understand the difference between them.
On the other hand, the props in this film also play important and close to the real life. The little frame house of Luo and Ma, the shabby windmill, the alarm clock of Luo and the Sartorius of old tailor, all these things are localized and authentic.
From above angle, this film pays more attention to make the film lean close to the real life.
Image and Personality of figure in this film
In the film of <<Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress>>, each role has distinguishable personality and strongly connected with the film. Little Seamstress
As the heroine of this film, she is more open than other girls in this village. Since her grandfather are the only tailored who see much of life. Since she is get out of any burdensome farm working. Since her mother is the only elementary school teacher. In this film, beautiful little seamstress looks forward to outside world more than other people in this village and she also influenced by the mind of Ma and Luo during associating with them. There is a plot in the film: she steals the alarm clock of Luo and wants to see whether there is a real little cock in the clock. It is the embodiment of her audacity. And when Luo know about this thing, she said to Luo:”The life of oppidan like you is easy and comfortable and it seems t hat you know all the things around this world.” And this is the
embodiment that she eager to know the world outside her village. In her room, there are many plane models which made by clay and it also show that she wants to know the wider world.
Her open also show that after she read many western novels, she copy the roles in books and make the first bra in this village. When she finished her bra, she also wears and shows her bra to other girls.
Her audacity shows that before Siyan leaving this village, she, Luo and Ma all want to have the book of Siyan. But Luo and Ma don't have any ideas about how to acquire these books. At this time, the little seamstress told Luo and Ma that we can steal his books and this sentence also shock Luo and Ma.
Finally, the little seamstress decides to leave this village and go to city by herself. Even if Luo tell her that he love her and want to keep her, she still according to her heart because Balzac said,” The beauty of woman is a priceless treasure.”
Luo Ming
As the leading man of this film, he is more daring and open than Ma jianlin and his brain is more vivid than Ma's. At the beginning of the film, he is daring to protect violin and encourage Ma play the violin. Finally, he can let villager accept the violin.
The audacity and extroversion of Luo Ming show that he invites the little seamstress to see the film with him and teach little seamstress how to read initiatively. And he also court little seamstress more brave than Ma. Luo Ming is a master-hand in narrating story and he can make vivid description for different films and stories. He often tells the story and read the novels of Balzac to the little seamstress. So he make impression to the little seamstress and villagers. At the end of the film, when Ma comes back to the village, villagers forget Ma, but they still remember Luo and his story.
Ma jianlin
As the second chief actor, the difference between him and Luo Ming is that he is very introverted. He is lack of courage to protect his violin and
tell the little seamstress that he love her directly. In order to comfort the little seamstress, he sells his beloved violin and gets 25rmb. In fact, he love the little seamstress so much as the same with Luo Ming. And several decade years later, when he know that The Yangtze Gorges will be inundated, he come back to the village and want to find the little seamstress from France.
The culture and literature behind this film
This film is not just the simple film which is just about love between man and woman. The author also want to discuss something about how a different culture and literature to change and influence the mind or point of view of people. The little seamstress is a good example. Before she touches the literature, she is the same girl with other villager. But when she keen on the literary works of Balzac or other literature, she change her mind and want to see outside world and want to change her life. Balzac or French literature show that。