爱情经典： 魂断蓝桥

主题曲 《友谊地久天长》

（附中文版）

A few weeks ago, I came across a newly opened Chinese book store not too far from my house.  Imagine my excitement when I discovered some Hollywood classic films amongst the DVDs they sold.

 One of the movies I picked up was “Waterloo Bridge” (”魂断蓝桥”)。  Having always heard of this movie yet never having an opportunity to watch it, I was rather curious.  I remembered it being a very popular movie back in the 80’s in China.  Both of my parents, being in the professions they were in, sometimes had access to these 内部电影.  Many times they would come home talking appreciatively about the movies they had just watched.  And how I wished I could tag along! 

So here I was, after twenty some odd years, having an opportunity to watch this movie in its original version.  And I must say the movie did not disappoint.  It is definitely memorable and very much a tearjerker. 

The plot of the movie is rather a simple one, a love story about two people, one an army officer and the other a ballerina, meet and fall in love -   what follows is a series of unfortunate events and “misses” that lead to a tragic ending.

Vivien Leigh does a great job portraying the beautiful and innocent Myra. Her acting feels very real, the transformation from an innocent ballerina to a weary and resigned prostitute struggling to survive is believable.  And through it all, Vivien Leigh maintains and projects a sense of dignity in her portrayal of the role. 

This is not one of those thought provoking movies with powerful messages.  Its storyline is simple and uncomplicated, yet one can not help but be drawn into the fate of the main characters along the way.  Although I was familiar with the plot, I still found myself unprepared for some very poignant moments.  Especially towards the end, I felt this overwhelming sense of sadness and inevitability that just spilled off of the screen.  There was nothing to do but let my tears flow freely.  And to me, that is exactly the power of a story well told and well acted, it pulls you in and makes you feel connected with the characters at an emotional level.

It is speculated on Wikipedia that the immense popularity this movie enjoys in China, can mainly be contributed to the plot and the ending that Chinese people find familiar.  I must say that the speculation holds some truth.  Looking back to some classic Chinese love stories, many had tragic endings just like this one.  Often times these tragedies are the results of the invisible, yet ever present societal oppressions and rules regarding how one should behave and think, rules one must abide by and bow to.    I think that, along with the poetic yet heartbreaking translation of the movie title are the reasons why the Chinese audience finds such a resonance in this movie.

It’s been almost a century since the time of which this movie is based in.  Much has changed, the world has become a lot less harsh place and society has become a lot more accepting.  One can have an added appreciation for the evolution of the society and where we are at the present time while watching this film, while hoping for more love stories in reality that end in bliss.

（中文简要，非直译版）

一次偶然的机会,我来到一家新开张的中文书店，欣喜的发现店里有一批好莱坞经典老影片。其中的一部便是“魂断蓝桥”。

对这部电影我早已久闻大名，但遗憾的是，我从来没有机会观赏。只记得上个世纪80年代，这部片子在国内很受欢迎。那时，由于我的父母在语言界工作的关系，他们应而有些机会观看进口的原版电影。“魂断蓝桥”便是其中一部。那时还在读中学的我，多么希望能够跟他们一起去看这部影片。

那天，我如愿以偿的买了这张DVD，当时我觉得有些激动及好奇。因为在二十多年后，我终于也有了机会来观赏这部名片。

我相信有很多读者一定对这部电影的剧情很熟悉，所以我也不在此多加详述。看完后，我觉得这真是一部名不虚传的爱情悲剧，凄婉缠绵，催人泪下。尤其是女主角费雯丽把主人公玛拉这个人物刻画得如此深刻，细腻及真实。从玛拉出场时的纯真，到后来她为生存而被迫沦落为妓女时的无奈，以及到最后结束自己生命时的绝望，都被演得淋漓尽至。

影片的剧情其实十分简单，但它浓郁的文艺气息及男女主角精湛的表演使观众屏息凝神。这部在西方几乎被人遗忘的影片，却是一部风靡中国的爱情经典。据英语版的维基百科猜测，其主要原因应归功于那富有诗意的中译片名，以及对中国人有共鸣效果的爱情悲剧性题材。

电影里第一世界大战的时代背景，距今已近一个世纪。探首社会及世界在这一个世纪里的变迁，与在电影里女主人公面对的严厉无情的社会压力，以及腐朽的等级观念相比，如今的社会已经变得比较温和了。回味随时光而变迁的社会道德价值观，使我更加感激能够生活在一个可任我自由选择的社会。愿这个世界有更多的有情人成眷属。

（版权所有，未经洁心同意，请勿转载）

[天边的蔷薇]

Love this movie so much!