When I was a child, I always read "greatness" in books, great leaders, great spirit, great motherland ... As for what greatness is, I was very confused and never really felt it. Words are always empty and pale when we don't really understand them.

However, when we grow up, we have experienced things that we can't do, discovered things that ordinary people can't do, realized the impenetrability of the world, and saw the efforts of the country and the brilliance of human nature. The word "greatness" has become more and more important in our hearts, and its connotation has become richer and richer.

Gao Zeng mentioned in Xiao Shuo that "Don't Ask about the Introduction of Western Learning to the East" is a film dedicated to Tsinghua, which was presented to the audience after many twists and turns. Director Li Fangfang is not a famous director in the circle. In her early thirties, she always has two works, both of which are full of literary flavor.

The film tells the spiritual exploration of four generations. Although each generation has its own background and social responsibility, there is a lofty spirit in the interweaving of time and space, whether it exists in the era of Wu Linglan who explores self-significance, or in the era of Shen Guangyao who chooses between studying and serving the country, whether it exists in the era of Chen Peng who sacrificed his life for his career at all costs for love, or in the era of Zhang Guoguo who still has a childlike innocence in the murky business battlefield. That self-treatment is true.

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At the beginning of the film, Zhang put forward a serious question in the transformation of light and shadow in the bustling city: If you know the life you will face in advance, do you have the courage to come? This question is full of pessimistic predictions about the unknown part of life, and more boldly tortures all those who dare to face themselves. If they are displaced, if mountains and rivers are broken, if life and love are doomed to die young, if they lose their faith and move forward alone, will courage still be there?

The assumption of this question is serious. Nine times out of ten, life is unsatisfactory, and the premise of pessimism is almost inevitable. So even if we have been ignited by dreams, the main theme of life must not be as simple as "love and freedom". Apart from idealism, will you have the courage to really face life and yourself? There is no solution to this problem. Standing at the beginning of life, you don't know the reality and cruelty of the future. Standing at the center of your life, you have already been transformed. How do you answer this question about the once immature you?

So, what's the point of this seemingly unadorned question? In my opinion, it is to promote thinking: thinking about the meaning of life and thinking about the value of living. This is a long line. If you take it seriously, it will give you a big gift.

The highlight of the film should be Tagore's visit to Tsinghua and National Southwest Associated University. Perhaps the spiritual desert lasted for too long, and more and more people began to miss that not-so-distant era. We look for the national spirit from that pile of old paper, and the soul of China from the writings of ancient sages, but we ignore that era with strong sentimental color. People are so simple.

War and smoke will not stop the continuation of inheritance, what is terrible is inferiority and the invasion of strong culture. The early years of the Republic of China and War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression were the times when the Chinese nation was in danger and tried to survive. The exploration of that era was the rational thinking of social elites on the basis of learning from China and the West. Hu Shi, Liang Qichao, Wang Guowei, Feng Youlan, Qian Mu, Zhu Ziqing, Qian Zhongshu, Chen Yinque, Yuan Fuli, Deng Jiaxian, Liang Sicheng, Lin ... These people who have made great contributions to the country and the nation, these ancestors whose souls shine with the light of China, are all remembered by history, which makes China people respect them.

Wu Linglan played by Chen Chusheng should be the earliest of the four generations in the film. He is good at liberal arts, but he chose practical subjects on the grounds that "the best students study practical subjects." Facing Wu Linglan, Teacher Mei Yiqi asked, "Why do you study?" Wu Linglan replied that it is practical to put yourself in the study and give it to books. Teacher Mei didn't let him make a choice in a hurry, but let him see and think. He said: people put themselves in the busy, there is a kind of numbness and sureness, but they lose the truth. Wu Linglan asked the teacher what is truth, and the teacher replied: The real truth is what you see, hear, do, and who you are with. There is a kind of peace and joy that overflows from the depths of your heart, without regret or shame. In the process of teacher Mei speaking this passage in the film, the camera quickly switches between the pictures of four generations, and the calm and powerful voice runs through the spiritual life of each generation.

This dialogue can cause two kinds of reflection.

First, as individuals, are we "real"? Many times, do we take busyness as a reality, or even take pride in it? Do we feel from the bottom of our hearts that there is no regret, no shame, peace and joy? This kind of reflection, for ordinary us, seems very melodramatic, but in fact it is a philosophical thinking that each of us can't avoid. You may feel that without numbness and busyness, how can you move forward in a difficult life? You may feel that instead of pursuing fame and fortune, what can you use to ensure the growing needs of life? But why is there no heartfelt happiness and a stable and peaceful attitude? Why do you always doubt and worry now? Why do you gradually learn the cunning and selfishness that you once refused? Why did you become an exquisite egoist and become arrogant instead? The original meaning of philosophy is to explore existence and meaning, so philosophical thinking about "truth" may be the source to solve many troubles.

Second, about education. Teacher Mei Yiqi, then the director of educational administration in Tsinghua University, didn't worry about the students' confusion and didn't persuade herself, but stood at the height of the quality of life and guided Wu Linglan to find the direction with her own heart. In his monograph What is Education, the German existentialist philosopher Jaspers made a set of vivid metaphors about education: "Education is that a tree shakes another tree, a cloud pushes another cloud, and one soul awakens another soul. In this sense, Mr. Mei Yiqi and many contemporary gentlemen are intertwined trees, soft and delicate clouds, and broad-minded and unique souls. In contrast to modern education, various viewpoints emerge one after another, each with its own theoretical basis and audience. However, the seemingly impeccable viewpoint has hit a wall everywhere in educational practice. In fact, we have more and more educational theories, but we lack people who can really promote education. We regard theory as a tool, but forget to ask the people who use it. Educators are no longer firm in their beliefs, calm and open to the world. How can they influence those clean and tender souls?

Wang Leehom plays Shen Guangyao, a Tsinghua student in the The National SouthWest Associated University era. Needless to say, handsome is sunshine. I don't talk much, but I can take anything. Born under the door, excellent in homework, intelligent, humble and kind, respectful to relatives and teachers, they are all standard male gods in any era, so good that they seem to be only available at the altar. His story is the most amazing and regrettable of the four stories.

The story unfolds slowly in the dim light and shadow, and the greatest university in China's history, National Southwest Associated University, slowly enters our eyes.

Limited funds, school buildings can only have thatched roofs. Under the pouring rain, the roof leaks everywhere, and the teacher can hardly be heard in class. The gentleman in the gray cloth robe wrote impressively on the blackboard: Sit still and listen to the rain.

Mountains and rivers were broken, Japanese warplanes roared wantonly over Kunming, and caves near the school became wartime classrooms. The noisy roar of fighters and the quiet classroom in front of the cave formed a sharp contrast and mental shock. Next to the haystack, there is a sound of reading; Under the corner, Mr. Wen Yiduo read "Songs of the South" to the students. In the morning, there are the footprints of that generation of young people pursuing their ideals, and in the sunset, there are the indifferent footsteps and backs of the students of the General Assembly. In the torrential rain, you seem to hear the heroic and firm slogans of those young people. In the bright sunshine, we still remember the kind and lovely smiling faces.

There has never been empathy in the world, so we can never imagine the hardships of that era. The content described in words has its own boundaries and an insurmountable distance from the truth. If I have no experience, I am afraid I have no courage to talk about feelings. However, I have respect for the masters and young people of that era. This respect makes me yearn for it, but I doubt my courage and courage.

At that time, there were no desks in the vast North China.

At that time, students had to travel long distances to Kunming to escape the war.

At that time, China was mighty, and the broken mountains and rivers were waiting for their children to turn the tide.

The director is good at attacking the heart. She knows the power of tragedy. She showed us a beautiful nostalgic picture, and the flesh and blood of young people were destroyed in the war. It hurts. However, if not, how can you see the cruelty and evil of war, and how can you rationally understand whether it is right or wrong to abandon your pen and join the army?

Wu Linglan once found the answer in confusion-following the inner truth and telling this answer to Shen Guangyao. He said to Shen Guangyao, who was faced with a choice at that time: I was at your age, and for a while, I was far away from the crowd and thought about how to spend my life alone. One day, I happened to go to the library and heard Tagore's speech. Tagore was accompanied by the most famous scholar at that time. (Liang Sicheng, Lin, Liang Qichao, Wang Guowei, Xu Zhimo), these people are standing there, confident and firm, and I envy their calmness. On the other hand, Tagore is talking about the importance of being true to oneself. At that moment, I was freed from the shame of thinking about the meaning of life. It turns out that these excellent people also think it is important to spend time thinking and talking about these things. Today, I introduce Tagore's poems to you. I hope you will not give up thinking about life and being true to yourself in the years to come. "

At the important moment of Shen Guangyao's life choice, Wu Linglan guided him, so he listened to his inner voice and became the most needed person of that era, emitting sincere, just, meaningless and sympathetic people from his heart. He abandoned his pen to join the army and became a wartime air force. He sincerely wants to do something for his motherland. He saw that his country was being unfairly bullied. He knows that there are always some things that are more meaningful than a perfect life. He has great sympathy for everything that was displaced and chaotic in the war. He flew a plane over Kunming to drop food for hungry children, which brought them hope of life. In the fierce battle, he persisted until the end, flying the plane that was about to crash into the enemy ship.

Shen Guangyao's image is full. He is iron, but he also has tenderness. He can understand his mother's anxiety and worry and try his best to appease her. His life is not boring. The sketch book contains the beautiful scenery of Kunming and the graceful back of The National SouthWest Associated University campus. It is because of fullness that Shen Guangyao is flesh and blood. We will feel heartache when he hits an enemy ship. We will also feel sorry for those young people who died in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and are about to go to the anti-Japanese battlefield, and we will hate the injustice of the war even more.

Every era has its greatness, as before, and today is no exception. Whether the times are creating great people and things or people and things are creating great times is an unanswered question, but the only thing that is clear is that people and things that can be called great must be extraordinary. In the midst of gunfire and smoke, a teacher who is still calmly imparting knowledge is great; It is great for young people who give up their comfortable life and choose the country's righteousness, and it is great for Guangyao's mother who suffered the loss of her son and sent away her son and classmate Lotus Soup (Reiko Kobayakawa). I think that we yearn for and respect that era, mostly because there are too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times, too many times.

When the story develops to China in the 1960s, you can see the simple and inevitable humanity unique to people at that time. The degree of simplicity and meanness is unbelievable. Chen Peng was a student in Tsinghua at that time. Among the children who left food and gave hope, Shen Guangyao was an orphan. Shen Guangyao's justice and sympathy inadvertently continued and illuminated Chen Peng's life.

Chen Peng's story takes place in China, which is about to undergo major changes. In the atmosphere where the event is about to happen, something will inevitably change the trajectory of fate. The love between him and Wang gradually became clear in the development of the story, and finally became three-dimensional, but the story itself was too cruel to recall. I don't think this movie focuses on how great Chen Peng's love is. He shared life and death with Wang, transcending worldly gossip, which is already very touching. What's important is that, in this era background, a generation that has lost its self-awareness can trample on the dignity of life so cruelly and casually in a group state, as if life is just a yellow leaf and is not worth mentioning. Compared with a sincere love that transcends worldly life and death, the horror and fragility of human nature give people a more shocking feeling. I believe many people met Rainbow Jia Min at that time, but not everyone was as lucky as her. On the wasteland of human nature, we can meet the clear lake of Chen Peng, and more misfortune will lead to more misfortune. Fortunately, we have been able to express the truth of that era through works of art, which is a precious reflection. Taking this step is a great progress.

Zhang is the protagonist of the fourth story. In the film, he is quiet, calm and restrained, busy and full, but not happy. He has a successful career, but he can't escape the intrigue in the workplace. He has good intentions, but he dare not go all out. He is filial to his parents, but he can't understand them. Do you feel like him, or even more? Indeed, faith has been missing for too long, and we have no firm faith in our hearts. We will consider whether the instinct of kindness is worthwhile when it appears, and whether the instinct of justice is balanced when it appears. Our education teaches truth, goodness and beauty in books, but truth and justice are crushed one by one in the desert of society. I believe that we have all struggled internally and asked ourselves what is right. Who is the real law of life, the justice and courage in my heart or the smoothness and cleverness in the secular world? We are confused, we affirm, and we deny. Fortunately, social beliefs are being rebuilt step by step, social rules of justice and kindness are gradually returning, and we are also rebuilding our self-value system after being shattered by confusion and hesitation, becoming brave and firm, just like Zhang. At the end of the film, he drew a rainbow on the glass of the quadruplet room. Sunlight shines through the window and colorful pigments, and a rainbow-like world blooms in the room. A gentle smile appeared on Zhang's face, which was not hypocritical or artificial, but exactly his true self.

Movies are leading us to think about the ultimate meaning of life, trying to calm down impetuous young people and find something really meaningful. As the narrator said, what you see and hear often makes you depressed. The secular world is so powerful that you can't think of changing it at all. However, if you have the opportunity to know your life in advance and know that youth is only these days, I wonder if you will still care about some things, such as how much you have, which will be more glorious, and what you deserve to be loved. When you grow up, you will be happy because of the green shoots on the earth, you will cheer for the sunrise of your birth, and you will give others kindness and warmth, but you will often forget your own preciousness while praising other lives. May you remember your own preciousness and resist malice when you are hit; I hope that when you are confused, you firmly believe in your own preciousness, love what you love, do what you should do, listen to your heart, and ask for nothing more.

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On literary tone

I really shed tears when I saw many people commenting on the sitcom of this film. On the one hand, we complain that the river is getting worse and worse, and people are not old. On the other hand, we disdain to affirm those works with positive significance. Is it not contradictory? The story and structural arrangement of the film are second, and the spiritual inheritance that spans time and space alone is a very valuable initial heart. Compared with those works that only pursue box office and entertainment and have no scruples about value orientation, they won.

Most films in commercial society aim at maximizing profits. Under such circumstances, there are various means of publicity and speculation, all for box office sales. In this environment, the "artistry" of movies as a means of artistic expression is gradually weakened, but the entertainment is infinitely expanded. But in line with the impetuous characteristics of the times, it is not so abrupt. As a result, more film and television works are willing to cater to the audience's aesthetic taste, and even misread the audience's aesthetic needs, heading for a strange road, thinking about it and feeling very sad.