In the past, Han Han was praised by intellectuals and the public, not because they understood him, but because they liked what he said. He could say things that they couldn't express themselves. Whenever Han Han gave up popular words and spoke his most sincere thoughts in his own way, they would say that he had changed, that he had compromised, that he had fallen.
Today is just like the Spring Festival ten years ago.
Han Han's famous work, "Seeing the World Through a Glass," tells the story of a person being influenced by society. Later, in his works, he always let the characters shout out, "I am like this world, I will not change" (from the movie "No Man's Land"). The question of change or no change has always been on his mind.
His works have a unified image - innocent and brave young people who are damaged and insulted by society. This is originally a modern problem, a solo that is out of tune with the mainstream. But it seems that I have never seen anyone interpret it from this perspective.
Han Han does not depict a cruel youth, but the growth of brave young people in an environment that is not in harmony. The so-called cruel youth comes from the hormones that have nowhere to be released. What Han Han writes is the existential theme of people fighting against the world. It's understandable that ordinary viewers may not have seen "Murder in Gu Ling Street" by Yang Dechang, "In the Heat of the Sun" by Jiang Wen, "Breathless" by Jean-Luc Godard, or "The 400 Blows" by François Truffaut.
In Han Han's four films, there are similar yet different themes of individuals confronting the world.
In "The Continent," the protagonists come to the mainland with dreams. In this real world, some people disappear, some people decline, and some people succeed.
In "Duckweed," the protagonists face time. This world has changed, and it is the changes of the times that destroy Xu Tailang.
In "Pegasus," the protagonist is destroyed by middle age. There is no chance to change his fate, but he wants to take a leap again.
And in "The Four Seas," it is a horror film similar to "The Mist." The erosion and damage to the protagonist happen silently, like the world of Cthulhu. They leave their paradise-like island passively, fleeing in fear. In the end, they are swallowed by the new world.
So, I believe that Han Han hasn't changed, and this world hasn't changed either. The contradiction between Han Han and the public is irreconcilable. He is ultimately a lonely teenager with a melancholy face melting in the sunset.
Han Han's loneliness was established since the chaos in Chang'an. Han Han has never written about love. All the love in his works is more like friendship and family love, a solace for lonely souls. This solace will last forever.
The male and female protagonists in his novels are so pure that they seem unreal. This unreality comes from their entanglement in the mortal world. Especially the female protagonists, they should not have been tainted by worldly karma.
Han Han is gentle towards this world, and therefore, he is also arrogant. His gentleness comes from his unwillingness. He is like the protagonist in his novels, but the difference is that he is freer than the characters in his novels. He could have detached himself from this mortal world at any time, but he is not obligated to do so. God is already dead.
But Han Han is so unique that few people can understand what he sees and how it relates to themselves. They may be mistaken as unrealistic or arrogant. He is like the Happy Prince, who also has his limits.
Han Han likes to give his films a surreal dream-like ending. In "No Man's Land," it is the island years later; in "Duckweed," Deng Chao calls out "Mommy"; in "Pegasus," the race between the car and the fighter jet. They are all dreams of individuals, as beautiful as the brief scenes seen by the little match girl when she rubs the matches. In the end, the grandmother will take us to heaven. In "Pegasus," Han Han has already used the image of Valkyrie. I believe he will continue to use this image in the future. Life is like a journey in the opposite direction. Living is just helping each other stumble through a short journey.
The ending of "The Four Seas" is like "The Old Man and the Sea." He dreams of a lion, and he has to live on his own.
Whether "The Four Seas" is good or not is no longer the question. It is something to be cherished that we can see it in the cinema. Self-expression is a luxury, and Han Han has paid a great price for it. I don't know if there will be such an opportunity in the future.
Like Han Han, we have already passed the good wind and arrived in a windless sea. It's just that many people don't have this sensitive feeling. They don't think it's about themselves. They are afraid of loneliness and afraid of being brave alone. They desire the collective security and the beautiful dreams it brings. He dreams of a lion, but ordinary people have never had such a dream.
Every sailor sailing on the sea is praying for a good wind. How arrogant is God, and what merits do humans have towards God? Will God respond to human prayers? The wind can be favorable or unfavorable, and it cannot be forced by human power. What can be done is to persist and survive until the day when the wind comes.
Either change position or wait for time.
When the wind rises again, we will be able to catch it.