愛情經典： 魂斷藍橋

主題曲 《友誼地久天長》

（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” (”魂斷藍橋”)。  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 內部電影.  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.

（中文簡要，非直譯版）

一次偶然的機會,我來到一家新開張的中文書店，欣喜的發現店裏有一批好萊塢經典老影片。其中的一部便是“魂斷藍橋”。

對這部電影我早已久聞大名，但遺憾的是，我從來沒有機會觀賞。隻記得上個世紀80年代，這部片子在國內很受歡迎。那時，由於我的父母在語言界工作的關係，他們應而有些機會觀看進口的原版電影。“魂斷藍橋”便是其中一部。那時還在讀中學的我，多麽希望能夠跟他們一起去看這部影片。

那天，我如願以償的買了這張DVD，當時我覺得有些激動及好奇。因為在二十多年後，我終於也有了機會來觀賞這部名片。

我相信有很多讀者一定對這部電影的劇情很熟悉，所以我也不在此多加詳述。看完後，我覺得這真是一部名不虛傳的愛情悲劇，淒婉纏綿，催人淚下。尤其是女主角費雯麗把主人公瑪拉這個人物刻畫得如此深刻，細膩及真實。從瑪拉出場時的純真，到後來她為生存而被迫淪落為妓女時的無奈，以及到最後結束自己生命時的絕望，都被演得淋漓盡至。

影片的劇情其實十分簡單，但它濃鬱的文藝氣息及男女主角精湛的表演使觀眾屏息凝神。這部在西方幾乎被人遺忘的影片，卻是一部風靡中國的愛情經典。據英語版的維基百科猜測，其主要原因應歸功於那富有詩意的中譯片名，以及對中國人有共鳴效果的愛情悲劇性題材。

電影裏第一世界大戰的時代背景，距今已近一個世紀。探首社會及世界在這一個世紀裏的變遷，與在電影裏女主人公麵對的嚴厲無情的社會壓力，以及腐朽的等級觀念相比，如今的社會已經變得比較溫和了。回味隨時光而變遷的社會道德價值觀，使我更加感激能夠生活在一個可任我自由選擇的社會。願這個世界有更多的有情人成眷屬。

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[天邊的薔薇]

Love this movie so much!