《海角七號》（之一）
2008-11-23

【明報專訊】請勿犬儒。

這樣說，是因為好像愈來愈多人提出以下相類的疑問：《海角七號》真有這麼好嗎？影片值得這樣巨大的成功嗎？是台灣觀眾的過敏（過激？）反應而已？就連我的學生，也這樣追問它的導演魏德聖：「你覺得你的電影是商業片還是文藝片？」顯然，他沒看到這個問題背後的弔詭：如果不是因為影片現在的賣座（而且是超乎想像中的賣座）情形，他會覺得（甚至想過）影片是部商業片嗎？

對我來說，無論從哪個角度來看，《海》片都絕對deserves它目前的成功（即使它超越了比例──但我們有必要凡事都用量化作最終的原則嗎？抑或其實是對於成功，特別是對於一直都渴望但卻沒得到的成功，我們都禁不住會有這樣那樣的jealousy？）。很簡單（但最重要）的一個理由：電影工作者在背後所付出的，都印刻在每格膠卷上。再說清楚點，是它的每個畫面，都是電影工作者最忠誠的表現（對得起電影，也對得起觀眾），並且俱有所表現。

你也許會說：電影不本來就是應該這樣拍的嗎？沒錯，只是事實不一樣。在過去很長的一段日子裏，不只在台灣，其實還包括香港，起碼有為數不少的電影，不論有沒有資源，都沒有好好的拍。《海》片最大的優點，就是即使在資源最匱乏的情况下，它依然堅持對自己的要求，不肯退縮。它沒有特別很大的野心，但也沒有因為客觀條件的限制而處處遷就，甚至削足就履。當我第一次聽到影片的製作費高達台幣四千多萬（港幣一千多萬）時（而且還是大部分靠舉債借貸回來的），我其實已嚇了一跳（魏德聖後來想我們證實總成本為五千萬）——即使在香港，上千萬製作費的電影也鳳毛麟角——而且那是一部非動作、沒有卡士的文藝片（我是樂意把它這樣classified）。我第一次（在台灣）看完影片後，這樣的想法更強烈：這其實是部製作和拍攝都相當複雜的電影（以為它「只」是一部輕易簡單的文藝片，而沒看出它複雜的地方者，均不足論）。但製作者由頭到尾都全力以赴，而且控制得宜。這就不簡單了。

魏德聖說：每次在影片出現最嚴重的（財政）危機時，我take的鏡頭的次數就最多，非要拍到我最滿意的take才肯罷休。因為我一定要拿最好的東西給人家看，這樣才能證明自己。如果因為條件限制而拍的不好，不就是證明了別人看不起你是正確的嗎？

啟示其實來自自己。

舒琪

What can us, individual do during the so-called "financial tsunami"? We are no federal reserve bank or the IMF but I think there are some little things we can do. For those of us with stable jobs and can afford it, I say continue to spend money and buy stuff. For those with reliable income (e.g., government jobs, teachers and educators with tenure and etc) and little risk of losing their jobs, now is the best time for bargain shopping as the holiday season closes in and bad economy prompting mega sales at shops and department stores. Spend at least what you would a year ago when economy was relatively much stronger (at least on the surface).

Controlling temper is very important because blowing off actually might cause a lot of regrets. Need to know when to be angry (and show it) and when not to.

Since the past week I started on a new assignment to work on the new LS textbook with the chapter on the economy. It's not a topic I am too familiar with yet I have to make myself knowlegable in it very quickly. While working on the manuscript the past few days, I felt like I was in the dark without a sure footing on what is expected and what the finished products was to be. On Friday, we had a meeting and the format was being changed again. To say the truth, I wonder if we have very clear idea or vision of what this text is suppose to be. I actually wonder why EDB even put out a LS curriculum for. EDB's curriculum, which we have to follow, is actually quite "liberal", and "airy". Personally, I think EDB (the government) is trying to teach kids commeonsense on the one hand and to channel (narrowing ) the thinking of young people on the other hand. It's a contradiction (as in how the big slogans and policies of the Communist Party of China contradict themselves). It is true that Hong Kong kids need commonsense, somehow our cultures and society deprive them of it despite all the emphasis on education, learning and all kind of education and development activities avaliable to the masses now. It probably has a lot to do with the parents.

I just realized, we have no real leader in the deacon board. Wong is an incapable and unreceptive person that lacks intelligence and lack character. Wei is self-serving, jealous, has poor spiritual base, lack intelligence, spread rumors and manipulative. Hung is incapable, foolish, blind, ignorant, self-centered and basically useless.

I probably need an organizer.


I realize the manuscript of my writer basically copied text from a book or in with worst term, plagiarized from page 176 of Global Transformations by David Held under the subtitle, 3.5 Historical Forms of Trade Globalization: the Transformation of Global Trade. The wordings are almost exact. From Held: "In these respects individual firms are confronted by a potential global marketplace while they simultaneously face direct competition from foreign firms in their own domestic markets." From the manuscript I have, "In these respects, individual firms are confronted by (a potential) global marketplace while they simultaneously face direct competition from foreign firms in their own domestic markets." Humm, I think they are actually the same with exact wording. I found out when I searched "potential global marketplace" on google becaues I don't know what the heck it is. (I know what "potential", "global" and "marketplace" are separately but I have little idea when thay are meshed together as a term.) That's pretty BSing because, the manuscript is suppose to be for high schoolers and what I have here is "plagiarized" text from a college level academic textbook. College students would need a professor to guide this type of text and I would need one too and high schoolers would need more help than that. So, the task before me is: how do I translate this plagiarized college level stuff to high school level reading introducing globalization when I am barely learning economic globalization myself. Confusing isn't it? And yea, I also have to "un-plagiarize" the manuscript while transforming into high school text.

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7th Grade
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Sophomore
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About 2,000 years ago, there was a guy who hung out around the Judea province of the ancient Roman Empire. His name was Jesus and did some crazy stuff, especially from the point of view of 21st century human beings. Jesus provided free health care, eye care, facial, dermatologic care. People who had eye problem, skin problem went to him and he cured them for free, and for life. He turned water into first-rate wine for no money.