SSLau
It is exciting to read Dennis Su's
Movie Talk, I did not know he was a movie buff, and more so than I am.
I have seen "8 and 1/2",
"Z", "State of Seize", but not "platoon" in its entirety. I
have not discussed any of them because these movies did not make a lasting impression on
me as much as the others that I have talked about. I am a movie goer purely for
entertainment, seeking the grand escape. Those that Dennis talked about are
"heavies" in my book.
In the old days when Tony, A Chai
and I lived at the corner of Euclid and Hearst on the north side of the Berkeley campus,
there was this Beer and Pizza place called "La Val". It also had 4 small movie
theaters where "artsy" films were shown. We went there to see movies and would
applaud whenever there was a film breaking interruption. ( Only artsy films would break
during the show, by definition). I went there just to be artsy, not catching the meaning
of the films most of the time if not all the time. I was too dense to see all the hidden
messages, behind the symbolism and other artsy disguise. I never understand a scene in
"La Doci Vita", another Fellini film, until someone explained it me ( this is a
scene of a young girl shouting across a river to Marcelo who apparently did not and could
not hear a thing---- it was explained to me later that it is a symbol of "generation
gap and that the older generation could not hear what the younger generation is saying).
It was tough for me to see it in the movie, without being explained to.
I did not and do not understand
"8 and 1/2", so much so that I have forgotten about it. "The third
man" is a movie I understand and like.
More recently I thought I saw
things more clearly. Wrong thinking. As I was talking about "The Chinese Box" in
movie talk sometime ago, I said the dying fish at the end of movie symbolized HK on the
eve of the turnover. I have completely missed the symbolic meaning of a projected shadow
of a bird cage on the map of the HK. It took a perceptive person like Tony who pointed out
this me.
So much on movie this time. A
personal note about Dennis; he and I were in the same class in Pui-Ching for one year, I
think ( class death---in Tony's newly defined classes---you guys must read this article by
Tony --- path #4, in Chinese, uploaded on Nov.14, 1998. I was laughing so hard that my
belly and jaws hurt during and after reading it). Dennis was a short kid then, full of
life and wit. His father was the most famous vice president Su of the Pui-Ching Alum
association ( say his father's title in Cantonese !!!!). Dennis graduated from PC in 1960
due to health reasons. I met him
twice in the past 39 years. Once in the 60s in the same apartment that I mentioned
earlier. He and I had lunch in the apartment. He taught me how to warm up a can of creamy
soup ( Campbell soup)---constant stir while warming up, do not let boil. I still practise
the trick whenever I warm up a can of creamy soup. The second time was in Vancouver at the
35 reunion. We were no longer kids as we were at PC and in the 60. He was as witty, if not
more, as before, and has added wisdom to his humor. We had a hell of good time together
singing oldie songs of the 50s. Now that I know he is movie buff, well, Dennis, this the
beginning of a beautiful friendship ( I am sure you know this line from a famous movie).
|
Get
your own Free Home Page 