落葉歸根觀後感 - Getting Home: What is Life?

老趙是個五十多歲的農民，他南下到深圳打工，卻因為好友老劉死在工地上，決定展開回鄉安葬老劉之旅。老趙先把老劉偽裝成醉鬼，混上了長途車，卻不幸在途中遇上劫匪。老趙誓死保護老劉的補償金，贏得劫匪敬重之餘，還救了一車人的財物。但他因為暴露了屍體，結果反而給乘客趕了下車。老趙在路上攔車，把老劉假裝成急救病人，並遇上好心人把他們送到醫院。晚上要住店，過了一夜才發現錢被偷了，老趙不禁悲從中來，但這未能動搖他的決心。要解決錢的問題，他把老劉裝成乞丐；要解決吃飯的問題，他到別人的葬禮哭喪；要掩蓋屍斑，他請髮廊妹為老劉化妝。一路上，老趙遇到形形色色的人。家鄉在望之際，他遇上泥石流，只能靠意志力戰勝大自然。當老趙帶著老劉回到故鄉時，卻發現故鄉已變成水庫，村莊都埋在水底了。此時，一段回憶湧現老趙眼前…… 小酒館裡，大醉的老趙向老劉抱怨生活艱辛、身體衰竭，他極害怕自己客死他鄉。同樣大醉的老劉對他說：「你死了，我就是背也要把你背回家鄉。」就是這個承諾及同胞之情，再加上沿路各有心人輕輕的扶一把，令老趙能默默支持走到最後，好讓老劉能落葉歸根的最大推動力。而同樣地，老趙亦在路途上發揮了人與人之間互助互愛的精神。

導演 : 張楊
演員 : 趙本山, 胡軍, 夏雨, 宋丹丹
片長 : 110 分鐘
級數 : IIA
語言 : 國語 (中英文字幕)

If the motherland were a river, I would be a fish swimming happily.
If the motherland were a road, I would be a car moving forward happily.
If the motherland were a tree, I would be a leaf waving in the breeze happily.

Life is unpredictable, consisting of ups and downs.
Sometimes you may be in high spirits, but at other times you can feel very low.
Sometimes you may meet very good people, but don't forget villains do exist.
Sometimes you may bound forward and run quickly, but you may stagger along one night.

After a dead leaf falls down, it is absorbed by the soil and a new plant will grow.
The cycle of birth, growth and death repeats itself, like the river in the last scene.
That's life…

No matter how feeble and helpless we may feel sometimes, human beings will still struggle with the environment and fate for an opportunity to live. Ahead of us are lots of things to experience, exciting and depressing. Nevertheless, because of pain, we know what pleasure is. (That's just like the walking scenes in the movie. When the girls working in the field, cars, cow and bicycle pass by, we know how fast Old Zhao walks. By the way, the audience may pay attention to the symbolic meanings of different vehicles in the movie, e.g. bicycles, coaches, carts, private cars, trucks, buses, etc.) If we were doomed to the sufferings, what we are able to change would be the way in which we interpret them. Be positive and never give up!

The movie ends suddenly and the unfinished business may puzzle some members of the audience. However, I personally find it very meaningful and symbolic. The ending successfully upgrades this can-be-typical road movie to an abstract motto. "Life is a road comprising UPS and DOWNS. Do live each day happily as it comes and enjoy life to the full!" The ending (i.e. the river) also symbolically implies that human beings should not always emphasize the importance of results. Instead, we should pay attention to the process.

Those touching moments, black humor, superb acting and the meaningful ending make this road movie a unique and impressive one causing catharsis. Moved to tears and laughter, you may ponder on the meaning of LIFE when you leave the theatre. HIGHLY recommended! I believe it will be chosen as one of my top ten movies in 2007. I give this film 4 stars out of 5.