關於詩和城市，我會聯想到兩部電影：一是2003年蘇菲亞科波拉（Sofia Coppola）導演的「愛情不用翻譯」(Lost in Translation)，一是1987年溫德斯（Wim Wenders）導演的「慾望之翼」（Der Himmel über Berlin）；前者的背景是現代的東京，後者是冷戰後期的柏林（在電影中有很多柏林圍牆的場景）。兩者似乎都是以一個外來者的眼光，來觀察這兩個城市。「愛情不用翻譯」裡夏洛特與巴伯這兩個素未謀面的美國人，因緣際會下在東京相遇，他們兩個同樣都感受到一種疏離與扞格不入的感覺，同為異鄉人，是孤獨使他們相聚、相識在這五光十色的東京，卻也因身為旅人這短暫的邂逅只如浮萍，終將分離。「慾望之翼」則是以一個天使的眼光，靜靜的、默默的旁觀，他愛上了人類，甚至願意為了她落入凡世，身為這個世界的另外一種存在，他是一個完全無法介入的旁觀者，但卻又可以聽到每一個人類的心事，他著迷於人類所擁有的這種喜怒哀樂和豐沛的情感，於是他從一個在蒼穹上睥睨人世的天使變成了一個血肉之軀。這兩部電影所用的題材，我們似乎可以在很多文學作品裡看到，但「愛情不用翻譯」的意境比較接近中國的詩，一些客居他鄉或是感嘆生離死別的詩，譬如說，當巴伯和夏洛特在東京的街道相擁即將分離時，他們知道或許此生不會再相見了，我腦海中想到了李商隱寫的「此情可待成追憶，只是當時以惘然」（唐朝詩人李商隱《錦瑟》），還有「多情自古傷離別」（北宋詩人柳永的《雨霖鈴》）這種沒有完成的戀曲，和註定要分離的惆悵感，隨著夏洛特的眼淚落下，一起飄散。而「慾望之翼」則是跟西方文化，基督教的墮落天使（the Fallen Angle）的再詮釋有關，電影一開始，旁白就唸了一段寓意深長的詩 ： When the child was a child 當孩子還是孩子的時候It walked with its arms swinging,
他搖擺著雙臂走著wanted the brook to be a river, 多麼希望小溪可以成為江河the river to be a torrent, 多麼希望江河能變成湍流and this puddle to be the sea. 水坑經年累月後也匯聚成了大海When the child was a child, 當孩子還是孩子的時候it didn’t know that it was a child,
他並不知道自己只是個孩子everything was soulful,
事事皆款款深情and all souls were one. 所有的靈魂都是獨一 When thechild was a child,
當孩子還是孩子的時候it had noopinion about anything,
他對於任何事物都無成見had nohabits,
也還沒養成任何習慣it oftensat cross-legged, 他常常盤腿坐著took offrunning, 或匆匆跑開had acowlick in its hair,
前額貼著他蓬亂的捲髮and madeno faces when photographed. 照相時也不會裝模作樣 （以下是德文原文，旁白其實就是主角Damiel（Bruno Ganz），這首詩是由劇作家、詩人同時也是這部片的編劇之一的Peter Handke所寫的Lied VomKindsein<孩童之歌>，而<孩童之歌>的靈感來源是德語詩人里爾克Rainer Maria Rilke所寫的杜伊諾哀歌Duineser Elegien） Als das Kind Kind war,
ging es mit hängenden Armen,
wollte der Bach sei ein Fluß,
der Fluß sei ein Strom,
und diese Pfütze das Meer. Als das Kind Kind war,
wußte es nicht, daß es Kind war,
alles war ihm beseelt,
und alle Seelen waren eins. Als das Kind Kind war,
hatte es von nichts eine Meinung,
hatte keine Gewohnheit,
saß oft im Schneidersitz,
lief aus dem Stand,
hatte einen Wirbel im Haar
und machte kein Gesicht beim fotografieren. 暗喻出當天使還沒墜入人世時，他可以保持著無邪之眼去觀看，就像孩子一樣純真，他不會預設任何的立場。但當他成為人類，就像亞當和夏娃偷吃禁果後，他們居然意識到自己裸身，而需要找葉子來遮蔽自己，他們開始有了羞恥之心，於是即將承受人類的苦難。這樣的概念是源自於聖經裡面的典故，雖然這首詩的用字不深，其背後所代表的意義，遠比文字字面上的意義要來的深遠。電影中還有一個有趣的地方，是當天使Damiel墜入凡間，畫面從黑白變成了彩色，他頭上流著血，碰到路人他第一句問的話是：這是紅色嗎？也呼應出這首詩的意旨，在他還是天使的時候是沒有人類的這種感知系統的，如今他有了痛的知覺，也看得到色彩了，這是作為人類的一種幸福亦是不幸，但對他而言，這個代價絕對是值得的，因為他遇見了愛情。 慾望之翼所設定的時空，是當時還沒有統一的柏林，電影中有出現幾個柏林的地標，天使常站在Siegessäule(勝利女神紀念柱)上俯瞰著柏林，戰後的柏林蕭瑟而毫無生氣，巨大的柏林圍牆筐限住西柏林這民主孤島，對於像我一樣還沒有去過柏林的人來說，這部電影就是我對柏林的印象，冷冽的空氣中凝結出一篇篇喃喃自語的詩歌，下次去柏林旅行，或許我會抬頭望望天空是否真的有天使盤踞。 把時空拉回到現代的東京，在「愛情不用翻譯」裡，東京街頭繁華的景象，對比出兩個主角寂寞的心靈沒有地方停泊。客居異鄉的旅人們，當你獨自一人走在車水馬龍的大街上，是否也曾經有過這樣的感覺？這讓我想到唐朝張繼寫的《風橋夜泊》這首絕妙好詩「月落烏啼霜滿天，江楓漁火對愁眠。姑蘇城外寒山寺，夜半鐘聲到客船。」即使兩者的時空背景不同，卻表現出相同的情緒，一個是古時候蘇州河上難以入眠的張繼；另一個是現代東京高級的飯店房間中失眠的夏洛特與巴伯，所謂「月是故鄉明」的思鄉情緒。 這部片中還有一個部份是描述夏洛特前後心境的轉折，電影一開始她去了一間寺院後，回到旅館她打了一通電話給朋友，她對她說，我今天去了寺院，那裡有僧人在誦經，但我沒有感覺（Ididn’t feel any thing）。而電影的最後，夏洛特自己搭新幹線去了京都，從一個城市連結到另外一個城市，交通工具是非常重要的場景，對於旅人來說，看著窗外不斷移動的風景，會有一股神奇的魔力，人生也就像一幕一幕的戲劇，上映後下檔，沒有什麼事是過不去的，這時候的背景音樂是法國電子雙人組Air的Alone in Kyoto，我覺得這一段在京都的場景是這部電影最詩意的地方。在京都的寺院走著，夏洛特看到了一對穿著傳統服飾的新婚夫妻經過，她駐足觀望，這時候那男人把手伸出給他的女伴牽，鏡頭帶到夏洛特的臉，她已不再是電影一開始那didn’tfeel any thing的女孩了，她的表情細微的顯示出她的變化，她可以感受到一些溫度，而不再只是冰冷疏離的感覺。 在大城市中，你每天會遇到很多不同的人，有的或許會變成摯交，有的只是過客與你擦身而過，這賦予城市一股致命的吸引力。人們其實是一個一個小小的字，街道就是句子，縱橫穿插，交織成一首首奇幻的詩，所以每一個城市都是一首詩，任憑我們這些小小的字婆娑跳舞於其中。每一個字與字的相遇，都會產生出動人的故事，每個故事都可以是一首詩，有的壯烈、有的失意、有的悲愴、有的無奈、有的令人心碎、有的浪漫、有的溫馨、有的可愛。
When I think of poetry in the city, two films immediately spring to mind. The first is Sofia Coppola's 2003 film Lost in Translation, the other Wim Wenders 1987 film Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin). The first one is set in contemporary Japan, the other in post cold war Berlin (complete with the Wall). In both films, the city in question appears to be observed from the eyes of the outsider. In Lost in Translation, Charlotte and Bob's destinies cross paths in Tokyo. They both feel alienated and ill-fit in their surrogate society; they are both outsiders and loneliness brings them together. Their chance encounter takes place in multicoloured Tokyo, yet like two floating reeds passing by, Tokyo is also where they must part, such is their wandering impermanence. In contrast, The Angels Among Us, is seen through the eyes of an angel; quietly, calmly, observing the human world that he so adores. He adores it enough to be willing to descend into the human world; however, living a different type of existence he is completely unable to transcend the role of observer. He hears every humans' secrets, he is captivated, fascinated by the joy, the love, the rage, the sadness; the fullness and variety of their emotions. Therefore he eventually leaves his position as an onlooker in heaven, to become a mortal human of flesh and blood...
Of course the subject matter that make up these two films are present in many other literary works; however, the image created in Lost in Translation is much closer to classical Chinese poetry, specifically the poets who wrote of their drifting from place to place as the outsider, or sighed the tragedies of separation and death. For example, when Bob and Charlotte are about to part, standing on the street embracing, there is a sense that they may never meet again, which for me brings to mind the words of two Chinese poets: Li Shangyin, a Tang Dynasty poet "Though this moment will turn into a precious memory, I cannot help but be devastated at its passing" and Northern Song poet Liu Yong's poem - Yu Linling "The smorgasbord of emotions in times of parting has always caused a world of pain". It's an unfulfilled love story, no doubt dooming them to separation and feelings of loss, and as Charlottes tears roll down, the two of them keep rolling on. Wings of Desire, in contrast, is a piece of western theology, a reinterpretation of Christianity's fallen angel. When the film starts, a poem is read:
When the child was a child
It walked with its arms swinging,
wanted the brook to be a river,
the river to be a torrent,
and this puddle to be the sea. When the child was a child,
it didn’t know that it was a child,
everything was soulful,
and all souls were one. When the child was a child,
it had no opinion about anything,
had no habits,
it often sat cross-legged,
took off running,
had a cowlick in its hair,
and made no faces when photographed. | Als das Kind Kind war,
ging es mit hängenden Armen,
wollte der Bach sei ein Fluß,
der Fluß sei ein Strom,
und diese Pfütze das Meer. Als das Kind Kind war,
wußte es nicht, daß es Kind war,
alles war ihm beseelt,
und alle Seelen waren eins. Als das Kind Kind war,
hatte es von nichts eine Meinung,
hatte keine Gewohnheit,
saß oft im Schneidersitz,
lief aus dem Stand,
hatte einen Wirbel im Haar
und machte kein Gesicht beim fotografieren. |
The original German version from the film is in fact read by the main actor Damiel (Bruno Ganz). The poem is called Lied Vom Kindsein (Song of Childhood) and was written by Peter Handke, a poet and scriptwriter. He got his inspiration from another German poet, Rainer Maria Rilke's great work Duineser Elegien (Duino Elegies).
There is a subtle metaphor here: before the angel fell down to earth, he could maintain the innocent eyes of the observer, like the purity of a child without any preinstalled beliefs or standpoints. However when he becomes human, it's just like when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit; they became aware of their naked bodies and had to find leaves to cover themselves, they then began to nurture a sense of shame and thus had to endure human suffering. This notion stems from a biblical allusion and although the words used in the poem aren't especially profound, what they represent is far deeper than what meets the eye. Another interesting aspect of this film is that when the angel transcends to the human world, the frame switches from black and white to a colour. His head is bleeding as he encounters a pedestrian and asks his first question as a human: "Is this the colour red?" This echoes the meaning in the poem, that whilst he was still an angel he did not possess the human sensory system; after humanisation he felt pain, but he also saw colour. This is the beauty and the tragedy of being human. For him however, it's all worth it, because he experiences love.
Wings of Desire is set in pre-unification Berlin, with many of the city's landmarks appearing in scene. The angel often stands on the famous Siegessäule overlooking the bleak, desolate post-war Berlin. The huge Berlin wall encircles and demarcates the isolated island of democracy that was West Berlin. For those, like myself, that have never been to Berlin, it matches the image of Berlin we imagine, a numbing chill hanging in the air, freezing all the poetry and songs we mutter to ourselves. Perhaps, if I eventually visit Berlin, I will look up, searching to see if there really are angels occupying the skies. Going back to Lost in Translation, the hustle and bustle of modern Tokyo, is in great contrast to the lonely souls of the two protagonists who have nowhere to anchor. Is this not indeed a feeling that all drifters, travellers living as outsiders in a foreign land have, as they walk alone down a road full of traffic? Another Tang Dynasty poem written by Zhang Ji comes to mind:
The moon descends and the birds call, through the frosty midnight bite
Fishing lamps and maple trees lining the riverside accompany my anxiety induced insomnia.
From the Han Mountain Temple outside the Suzhou city walls,
An echo descends from the midnight gongs all the way to this passenger boat
Even if these two examples couldn't be further apart in time and setting, they nonetheless express the same emotions; one follows the insomnia of the drunken immortal Zhang Xu on a boat in ancient Suzhou, the other has Bob and Charlotte lying sleeplessly on their beds in a deluxe hotel in modern Japan; the nostalgic feeling that the moonlight is always brighter in your hometown.
Another way the film shows the changes in Charlottes state of mind is that at the beginning, after she visits a temple, she rings a friend and tells her: "Today I visited a temple. Monks were reciting passages, but I didn't feel anything." Finally at the end of the film she takes a high speed rail to Kyoto, moving from one city to another. Transport is a very important setting for travellers and contemporary urban nomads. Staring out of the window onto the ever changing sceneries has a mysterious charm. In the same way life is like a drama, scene after scene, one appears temporarily but then eventually all scenes come to an end. Fittingly, the accompanying background music for this part is 'Alone in Kyoto' provided by the French duo Air. And for me, her time spent in Kyoto is the most poetic of the whole film; strolling the temples of Kyoto, Charlotte eyes catch a newlywed couple passing by, dressed in traditional wedding garb. As she stops and watches them, the groom takes his partner by the hand and the lens slides over to Charlottes face. She is no longer the girl who didn't feel anything; subtle changes in her expressions show us that where she used to only feel a cold alienation, she now feels warmth.
In big cities, one constantly encounters different people; sometimes these can become true lasting relationships, other times we just brush by transient visitors. And this, this is the fatal attraction of the city. People are just words and the streets just phrases, freely interweaving together to create a huge fantastical poem. And every city is a poem, regardless of all the tiny words whirling and dancing within. And every encounter between two of these tiny characters can kindle a moving story, and every story can be a poem; some disappointing, some tragic, some helpless, some soul destroying; yet some heroic, some romantic, ecstatic and tantalising!
Translated from Chinese by Nicholas Coulson
