手机

        Cell Phone (2003) marks the culmination of the popular cultural preoccupation with infidelity. A famous TV talk show host Yan Shouyi, tries without success to maintain the delicate network of lies and concealments that allow him to have two different mistresses in addition to his estranged wife.
        The story starts in a small town where the town’s first telephone, which signifies the modernization in China, has just been installed. In a small village nearby, a young man Yan Shouyi takes a peasant woman to the town to make a phone call to her husband. About twenty years later, the middle-aged Yan Shouyi has already become a popular TV talk show host in a big city, owning a wife, a nice job, a BMW, and a mistress. His life and work would not have taken this path if he had not been equipped with a cell phone, the latest wireless communication technology. But the Cell Phone also causes the end of his marriage: his wife accidentally answers a phone call from his mistress complaining about his absence from a date.
        After getting a divorce, Yan starts a new relationship with a college teacher, Shen Xue, while still occasionally dating his old mistress, Wu Yue. On the several occasions when his double life is about to be discovered by Shen, Yan deftly covers the truth with lies. His close friend Fei Muo, a university professor and producer for his television show, is also involved in a similar love affair with a graduate student, which is soon discovered by his wife. Eventually, Yan’s infidelity is discovered by Shen who sees a digital picture of Yan and Wu making love, a picture taken by the digital camera built into Wu’s new cell phone. Not only is Yan’s relationship destroyed, his career also ends as Wu threatens to expose their relationship and takes over his position as the talk show host. At the end of the film, throwing his cell phone into fire, Yan swears that he will never again own one. Then after a dip-to-black, the film welcomes a second ending, Yan’s niece, who is also from the same village, becomes a cell phone saleswoman and comes to demonstrate the latest product to his uncle Yan. (Zhang, 135)
        Given the obvious Marxist bent of Cell Phone’s rhetoric and its fable-like narrative of the dangers of commodity fetishism, one might easily conclude the film as criticism of the effects of rapid economic transformation in urban China, and denial of male dominance. However, underneath this reading which is merely based on the resolution provided by the film, we can find both the cultural underpinning and ideological impacts of the film, whether they are conscious directorial decisions or not, are the other way around.
        The film is based on patriarchal and post-socialist assumptions in the first place. The leading character, wealthy, successful TV host Yan Shouyi, is representing the controlling patriarchal order and the ruling class. The young and charming mistress Wu Yue, on the other hand, is a sexual object and an oppressed worker reinforcing and perpetuating an exploitative capitalistic scheme. Yu Wenjuan, the pregnant wife and later the mother of Yan’s only child, is a cheap labor whose family value in undertaking housework and fostering children is totally underestimated and neglected by both the character Yan and the filmmaker Feng. Shen Xue, the successor of Yu and Wu, is a wonderful replacement of the two women, since she functions as both mistress and wife and has the highest total value. Therefore, marriage and divorce follow the rules of product exchange. The values of women as sexual commodities are estimated by their male owner, based on evaluation and grading of their sexual attractiveness and productivity among others.
        In the second place, the narration neglects and degrades women’s family values.
While there are scenes of Yan Shouyi working at the TV station and attending meeting with his colleagues, which confirms his value in production, there is hardly any scene of the women working. In addition, among the values of women, the four structures proposed by Mitchell, sexuality is emphasized against reproduction, and socialization. While there are a lot of scenes of Yan Shouyi flirting and having fun with her young and passionate mistress Wu Yue, there is hardly any scene of him and the older and less attractive wife spending time together. The cinematic representation of the reproduction process of Yan’s first wife is almost absent in the film. Having been pregnant for months, Yu Wenjuan did not inform her husband at all, and Yan is only informed several months after divorce by his ex-brother-in-law that his first wife had already given birth to their baby and needs money from him.
        Hiding behind socialization of children and the new motherhood are deeper oppressions of women. Spending a lot of time and energy nurturing the kid, the woman Yu did not get the compensation in improving her own social status; instead she lost her job in the big city after she went back to her hometown. As the value of socialization of children is often neglected by the society, this part of the plot is also omitted in the film, and is only told through Yan’s narration, serving as an obstacle that hinders and adds drama to Yan’s women pursuing career. As her value looks invisible, Yan replaces his first wife not with his mistress whose value only lies in sexuality, but with a beautiful college professor Shen Xue who seems to be a more serious and proper wife candidate, but also has the sexual disposition of a mistress.
        From Yan’s perspective, all the three women can be valued on a materialistic basis. Women become commodities, and their sexual attractiveness, job, education status are all counted in their exchange value while man is the buyer who has the right of choice because of his economic power and dominance in a patriarchal society.
        Extramarital relationship is a fatal violation of Chinese social norms and a tradition that often punishes the woman for such “immoral transgression” (Cui 181). In Cell Phone, the mistress Wu Yue, became the conflict's cause and the incarnation of immorality instead of the Male character Yan Shouyi. As an advanced prostitute, she would love to sell her body in exchange for money and power. And, ultimately, she threatens to replace Yan Shouyi as a television talk show host by using the photo she took in her cell phone. Thus, Yan Shouyi becomes the victimized character pitied by the audiences instead of the evil woman.
        The resolution of the film, Yan Shouyi’s abandoning of the cell phone, which may seem like a self-criticism, is actually a displacement and denial of the guilt and regret by reprimanding the modern technology and communication device. Cell phone becomes the scapegoat for Yan Shouyi, the hypocritical and immoral character, and therefore the patriarchal and capitalist order behind the story, which was supposedly to be criticized, is actually being extended sympathy.
        Depicted as the direct cause of all the conflicts between the protagonist and the three female characters, cell phone, the symbol of post-socialist modernity seems to be criticized. Rui concludes that Cell Phone addresses the subject through the director’s satirical take on consumerism and his exposure of the moral crises and ethical issues brought by expansion of high technology into our everyday lives (Zhang, 136). However, in the first 90 minutes of the film, a fantasy of the patriarchal and post-socialist (capitalist) utopia was already created for the male audiences: mistress as a symbol and accessory of urban success. Female audiences were also given a utilitarian fantasy integrated with the narcissistic and masochistic visual pleasure: being someone’s mistress is the shortcut to wealth and success. Thus, the film belittles the value of women, and denies women's independent existential meaning.
        In addition to the narrative constructed to propagate the attractive image of the “successful personage” that has represented the “new ideology” of contemporary China, an image that endorses a reality of growing class differences and income disparities, Feng Xiaogang adopts a lot of meta-cinematic elements in Cell Phone to offset the seriousness of his own criticism, a technique abundantly used in his early films. There are ample shots within the TV station, such as the staff operating camera, and outtakes of the TV host Yan who says his lines wrong, that remind the audiences to question the authenticity of their own movie watching experience. There is also a lot of inserting advertisements for cell phones that deconstructs the movie’s final critical stance towards post-socialist modernity. As the audiences identify and follow the male protagonist throughout the film, they highly enjoy and celebrate his material wealth and “romantic affairs” brought about by his professional success in the patriarchal and post-socialist order. In the meantime, they also accept a message that all women, whether they are educated or not, college professor or press editor, wife or mistress, are all annexed to the life of men.
        As McGrath noticed, the basic narrative structure of Cell Phone already had become so common by the end of the 1990s as to constitute a cinematic genre in itself, a genre that offers fable-like narratives of the moral dilemmas confronted by protagonists facing dramatic changes in personal economics as well as libidinal possibilities in the reform era. In such films, a man takes on one or more extramarital lovers after achieving some sort of economic success and social elevation (McGrath, 98). In many cases, a man’s ability to defy his wife is supported by both his male role and some sort of economic success. Even though these films reveal the social issues of the oppression of women, they neither provide a solution nor hold a feministic point of view that attempt to liberate women. Instead, they stand in line with the successful male protagonists, and celebrate the current patriarchal and post-socialist status quo. In a word, these films are women-concerned, but not at all feminist films.
        Supposedly a subgenre of family melodrama that aims to criticize the social immorality and educate the audiences, the actual impact of the “cinema of infidelity” is rather doubtful. An example is the sex diary scandal of Han Feng, the former senior tobacco official, which culminates the “mistress fashion” in 2010. Even more dramatic than Feng’s films, the purported diary, written in graphic detail, includes boasts that Han was enjoying sex romps with many different women while taking bribes and attending banquets. Populated by Internet users, Han’s case is just one in a million of the government officials and the privileged stratum in Mainland China.

这是一部反映真情的电影，它的角度很特别，说的故事也十分贴近生活。

一开篇，是一段矿工的戏，吕桂花问丈夫何时会回家，在通讯不便的情况下，她跑老远的路，到镇里通过电话给丈夫带了一个话，丈夫能否听到，妻子都是不确定的，她的问候，丈夫更无法回答。而她也只是想跟丈夫说，自己想他了。当这一个妻子的问候，通过矿上的广播在全矿区的上空飘荡时，矿上所有的男人都笑了，这是多大的安慰啊，最辛苦的时候能想到自己的家人，有什么能够比这更让人感到幸福的呢？

之后的情节种种，感情一直是一个主线，不管是夫妻间，情人间，还是奶奶和孙子，喜欢要钱的兄弟，或者是帮忙做活的乡亲。一丝浓重的感情线，一直贯穿着始终。

而另一方面，这又是一部反映现实的影片。现实，作为一条更浓重，甚至近乎到强硬的线索，不断压迫着影片里的角色，压迫着人与人之间的'真情'。从最初的通信不便，到后来的有车，有房，有手机，有钱。人与人之间的距离'近'了，但反而 '近的喘不过气来了'。手机可以说是一个关键点，而它实际上更是一个象征，象征着现代生活中，人们所承受的各个方面的压力。现代的人，在生活中，工作中，不断被各种各样的事情纠缠，打磨，更像是在縫隙中，维持着心中的感情。痛苦，折磨，对抗和逃避，人被压得喘不过气来。这也是为何很多人，觉得这部影片'恐怖'。

写到这里，话算是说了一半，根据每个人生活经历的不同，这部片子自然会反映出不同的东西，而因它的诙谐幽默，让此片也具备娱乐片的效果，所以在我看来，是难得一遇的佳作。

建议看看'手机'的小说，文字的东西，体会起来，会更透彻

    03年，《手机》上映。
    那个时候，在学校的计算机中心东边有个康纳酒吧，被改造成了影吧。有一个个的小隔间，里面是DVD和沙发，多是情侣在那带着耳机看电影，一小时一块钱。尤其在冬天，很是受欢迎。
    现在已经没了，那里成了报销医药费的地方。

    《手机》是不适合当贺岁片看的，更不适合一对情侣或夫妻看。看完第一遍时，感觉有点沉重，还有点恐怖。里面的情节太真实了，真实到熟悉。估计不少人在看后都会联想到身边的点点滴滴，然后对号入座。
    有了手机，恐怕没有几个人没对着手机撒过慌。只不过有的慌小，有的慌大，有的只是为了一个糖块，有的却是丢了原则。最常见的就是接到应酬电话，“啊？真不巧，我在外地出差呢。下次一定一定，我坐庄。”不用面对面，不用担心脸红，说句假话会变得如此容易。

    既然每个人都不是那么坦荡，太过接近现实的讽刺幽默就会让人不知所措。这不同于《大腕》，在那里大家是旁观者，看别人笑话，在这里大家是参与者，有可能看到自己的笑话。
    说谎的原因形色万千，但说谎的方法却大同小异。冯导在《手机》里做了一个公开展示，很多人对此表示不满。你会发现昨晚和同事出去喝酒，席间接到老婆电话时敷衍，竟然和严守一的台词如此相似。不同的是严守一犯了原则性错误，而你只是图一时的嘴馋...
    作为未婚一族，还没有太多感触，看网上曾有这样的讨论：敢带老婆去看《手机》么？
    就像前面的例子，虽然你没犯大错，虽然你只是背着老婆和几个哥们喝了顿小酒，但你还是说谎了。谎言一旦被揭穿，那说谎的原因就会被充分放大，并插上想象的翅膀。若在十多个喝酒的哥们中，还有一个女同事，哪怕你不认识，一段荡气回肠的爱情故事也会立马成型。而且，无数的历史经验告诉我们，往往说谎者的解释都是苍白的、无力的、自杀式的。冯导又在《手机》里告诉老婆们，证人的作用是该忽略的...

    不管看不看《手机》，都要坚持一个原则，做人要对得起良心。用费老的话说，做人要厚道。但，一旦双方有了误解和不信任，一旦开始打个电话去试探，那就出裂痕了。
    套用著名思想家鲁迅先生的话，本就没有事，想得多了，就有了事。

    扯远了。个人是比较喜欢这部电影的，如果不是打着贺岁片旗号的话，那就更好了。至于商业味太浓，那个本是无所谓的事，也是很正常的事，拍电影挣钱很应当，国家的四万亿注资里又没有补贴导演的。况且，这是让导演在乎观众想法，在乎观众是否接受的最好方法。本就该这样。

    开场那个小调，找到了冯导的影子。

    牛三斤，牛三斤，你的媳妇叫吕桂花，吕桂花让问一问，最近你还回来吗？

    博：http://xiaogs.org/2009/01/04/320.html
 

费墨的谎言拆穿了，费墨的老婆歇斯底里地哭叫，扔东西，夺门而去。费墨呆呆地坐着，这是个误会，他说。开了房，思想斗争了老半天，最终还是没上去。起了贼心，没贼胆儿。还偏就让老婆拆穿了，冤，羊肉没吃惹了一身骚，跳进黄河都洗不清，估计这会儿肠子都悔青了在那里。我在屏幕下替他配画外音：真真是白担了虚名。
    《手机》里严守一是惯犯，费墨是未遂犯。惯犯判的刑是离婚，未遂判的是发配边疆。
    真可怜。照说未遂判的刑该轻些才是，毕竟没造成什么实际后果。不过从另一个角度来说，既然跨出了这道坎儿，成事实跟不成事实就没什么大区别了。从费墨老婆的角度来理解，费墨到底进没进这房，一是解释不清没有令人信服的证据，二是费墨心理上出了墙，罪名就已成立。

   《手机》里的经典台词，除了葛优语重心长的做人要厚道；我印象最深的就是费墨的审美疲劳。“那么多年的夫妻，患难与共的，我不是。。。。。。”费墨顿一顿，“我就是，有点审美疲劳。”
    堪比当年《一声叹息》的那句：我摸着你的手，就好像摸着自己的手一样没感觉，可是砍了你的手，我会痛。更简练更一语中的。
    不是不爱你。只是审美疲劳。太长久了，久的看见你好像看见我自己，每分每寸都熟悉的不能再熟悉，接吻好像刷牙，做爱好像吃饭，十年如一日的例行公事。
    如何面对，激情退去后的那一点点倦。愿意和你一起慢慢变老，满头白发的时候一同携手看夕阳无限好，可是怎么办呢，现在他的心还挣扎着不肯老。
    他不想离开你。你是他的原配，一把锁最初的那把钥匙，合的丝丝入扣的。
    可是他想偶尔出去走走。

    世上大抵是没有这样的好事的。鬼马狂想曲的三个愿望许到最后，魔法师说财富要拿健康去换。要一样就得付出另一样，一点商量余地都没有。
    一个人的自由和寂寞。两个人的安稳和责任。森林中你只能选择一棵树，然后刻上你的名字，硬要剜去的时候，树会痛，你的名字会流泪，痕迹永生不灭。
    可是怎么办呢，贪是人的本性。
    要现世安稳岁月静好，也要新鲜热辣欢期暗忆。
    是谁的贪是谁的怨，谁是谁的错生缘。

    费墨老婆是聪明的，知道虚虚实实地套严守一的话揪出真相。不过，若是没有那一问一答，费墨和她还是恩爱夫妻吧？费墨与她，应该还是相爱的吧，那么多年的感情。有点可惜。
    有的时候，肯说谎，就还是看重这份感情。到真的绝情，是不屑，也不耐烦说谎的。
    宁为玉碎不为瓦全是刚烈，然世上哪有完美，都不过是碎片拼缀的完整幻象。

    叶倾城的《原配》，问九信和叶青自少年起就开始的爱情，挡的过所有的艰辛挡不过婚姻的疲倦。问九信的声音低沉恍惚：十七年的感情，可是我渐渐懒得回家，想起天长地久的那几样菜式，都觉得烦腻。。。。。。

    爱仿佛永远是支离破碎千疮百孔。
    到底是该相濡以沫，还是相忘于江湖？

    《古惑仔》里小结巴死了，有人说真可惜。也许死了也好。死了就是永远了，爱在那一刻停格，陈浩南可以想念她一生一世，在爱还来不及疲倦的时候。
    人们总是这样，仿佛能够永远的，只有怀念。

    童话故事总是说到王子和公主的盛大婚礼为止，喜气洋洋的，有情人终成眷属，故事圆满了。
    这一场盛宴，到底是序曲还是完结篇？

       直到《手机》影片结尾才恍然大悟为什么要唱那段“牛三斤，牛三斤，你的媳妇吕桂花问你最近还回来么”，想来冯小刚彼时还是厚道人，打算让观众也思考点问题，不像后来《夜宴》的时候让我无话可说。这电影看完了，肯定又有人要说“人制造了工具，却也被工具所奴役”，工具让人异化。不过我感兴趣的东西倒不在这里，的确手机让很多人穿帮了，但是只要人们有需要，更高科技的掩饰工具就能诞生。据说以后3G手机普及了，我们可以直接和对方视频了，但是同时也有人开始卖手机视频背景了。费墨说，古代举子出去应考，一出去就是几年，回来了，他说什么都是成立的。今天，交通方便了，再想说个谎多么不容易啊。曾经不止一次在公交车上听到女友去查男友的电话清单，这真是个做什么事情都会留下证据的年代。

    前些天，我一直在想，为什么古代人丈夫出去一年也就在过年那几天在家，妻子在家赡养老人抚养幼子并无问题，而今天似乎情侣之间须臾不可分离了。一旦分离日久，便会产生共同话语减少只到无话可谈。我想，是古人对爱情更纯洁到能抵抗时间与空间么？拿这个问题问身边同学老师，没有得到答案。直到今天看到这个《手机》，答案终于探的一点了。

    男子在外几年，回家说什么都是成立的，但是不可忽略，妻子在家说什么也是可以成立的。以前我们忽略这一点，总认为是有家人或者乡亲的制约，妻子不能造次。现在一想，也未必，潘金莲在丈夫在卖饼那当儿还能和西门庆谈谈情呢。所以，这种“说什么也是可以成立的”对于双方都是成立的。吕桂花问牛三斤最近还回来么，隐晦地表达希望丈夫回家。者多少有点年轻夫妇的感情在里面。而二十年后，吕桂花搬到和丈夫住一起了，不过这时候丈夫回来的第一件事儿就是出去串门。这时候，两人离的很近，但是却基本无话了。可见想见，这夫妇对爱情的要求恐怕也就是一起过日子，日子过到这份上也就谈不上是爱情导致婚姻了，也就是一个生活互助小组冠以婚姻之名了。

    于是我也明白了，为什么夫妇可以在长期分离的情况下得以维持了，因为他们对感情要求很低！当然了，本文所说的乃是平常人的感情，而不是杨过和小龙女十六年之约的那种小说感情。而现代人对于感情要求明显变高了，不会出现那种丈夫是举子妻子不识字的情况了，男女朋友对对方干什么基本是了解的，双方对对方生活的影响程度明显加强了。人们需要在一个大致相同的生活圈子里，谈双方都知道的故事。

    人们对感情忠贞的背叛却是对真感情的回归。

    这让我想起了一个故事，一个人处于迷茫中，求教于和尚，和尚拿出三根一样的蜡烛点上，问：“那一根最亮？”此人摇头不知。和尚拿出一根蜡烛放到此人眼前，问：“那一根最亮？”此人手指眼前的蜡烛。人感到最重要的，永远首先是近的，只有近了，才能认识一个事物，才能改变事物。对感情，亦是如此。

    PS：才看《手机》，惭愧