童心救世界

2019.09.08 [內含劇透]

8月，在充滿不安和動蕩的週末，隻身過海走進大會堂劇院，為的是在大銀幕重溫童年最愛電影《魔域仙蹤》(The NeverEnding Story) (1984)。在場內被七十後、八十後家長和孩子包圍1小時47分鐘，從未試過如此不介意觀眾同步討論劇情。散場後，眾人紛紛低頭看手機，查看各區狀況和交通消息，恍如電影中，經歷由幻想國重新回到現實的主角：Bastian。

Bastian是一個小學生，經歷喪母，與父親相依為命。父親努力重回正常生活，接到老師來電指Bastian上數學堂發白日夢，要求孩子趕快腳踏實地做人，少一點幻想。Bastian卻苦於掛念忘母，又面對校園欺凌無路訴。在偶然的機會下，喜歡閱讀的Bastian得到一本書，名叫"The NeverEnding Story"，書中的主角是一名叫Atreyu的少年，受委托騎著白馬好友Artax尋找救助幻想國女王的方法。漸漸，現實中的Bastian和小說角色Atreyu連結，共同經歷著冒險旅程。

電影充滿暗喻，猶以「傷心沼澤」(the sadness of the swamps)一幕，藉著Atreyu拯救深陷沼澤的白馬Artax，提醒傷心人，當對抗傷心，要念及摰友, 方不致被吞噬：“Come on Artax, fight against the Sadness. Artax, please! You’re letting the sadness of the swamps get to you. You have to try, you have to care for me. You’re my friend."

電影主旋律就是：人要有希望和夢想，絕望會摧毀世界。但是，請勿把Bastian爸爸要求的腳踏實地，和Bastian的幻想置於對立面。這不是一個關於「幻想和夢想只屬於孩子，成人應當要腳踏實地」的故事。實在, 兩者可以並存。為不受妻子過身而努力回復日常生活, 動力也可以是一種為完成亡妻照顧好孩子心願。只是, 電影著墨不多, 重點不在此。這是一個關於就算失望, 不能絶望的故事: 要永不放棄, 有自信心, 面對真正的自已, 才能有希望和夢想。至於如何才可以做到？要保持童心和幻想。只有初生之犢才不畏虎。當少一點對現實的妥協, 瞻前顧後的擔心, 才能開啓更多道路的可能性, 突破固有認知框架, 通往未知的未來。

對白節錄:

“Never give up, and good luck will find you."  – Falkor

“Don’t start to doubt yourself, be confident!" – Engywook

“Atreyu has to face his true self…. kind people find out that they are cruel. Brave men discover they are really cowards! Confronted by their true selves, most men run away screaming!" – Engywook

“Foolish boy. Don’t you know anything about Fantasia? It’s the world of human fantasy.  Every part, every creature of it, is a piece of the dreams and hopes of mankind. Therefore, it has no boundaries." – G’mork

“Because people have begun to lose their hopes and forget their dreams.  So the Nothing grows stronger." – G’mork

“(The Nothing) It’s the emptiness that’s left.  It’s like a despair, destroying this world…. Because people who have no hopes are easy to control; and whoever has the control has the power!" – G’mork

“Fantasia can arise anew, from your dreams and wishes… And the more wishes you makes, the more magnificent Fantasia will become." – Empress