02/12/2024
從上個月開始
新加坡的亞洲電影資料館（Asian Film Archive）舉辦了盛大的楊德昌回顧展
完整播放他的作品
片單裡還有幾部他的愛片，如荷索的《天譴》
也將去年北美館展覽的部分精華，飄洋過海移到了會場中
這次難得的回顧展
讓楊德昌的電影第一次如此慎重地，與新加坡的影迷見面
好多場次的門票都秒殺
我接到館方的邀約，請我去說一說楊德昌電影裡的音樂
接到時很興奮，因為自己沒去過新加坡
能向海外影迷述說楊德昌的作品
也是一件很榮幸的事！
但接著，來了一個問題：
英語是新加坡通用的語言
照理說，我要用英文演講
不然，就得請翻譯協助
我想了想，雖然平常英文的閱讀量不小
生活在台灣，日常說的機會卻比較少
如果能有口譯幫忙，我能將全部心力放在準備講座本身
不用擔心語言的轉換，以及接之而來的緊張感…
感謝駐馬來西亞經濟文化辦事處的慧貞牽線
幫忙找到在新加坡國立大學教書的許芳慈博士，講座時同步口譯
我在新加坡短暫停留了幾天，和芳慈碰了幾次面，喝了幾杯咖啡
她從台灣到那裡，讀書、工作了多年
儼然是半個在地人
她告訴我許多外來客的眼睛，所看不見的新加坡
和她聊天，總有意猶未盡的感覺
我的講題是——
關於都會的鄉愁：楊德昌電影裡的流行歌
The Urban Nostalgia: Revisit the Pop Songs in Edward Yang's Films
結束後，緊接著就是《牯嶺街少年殺人事件》的映演
主辦單位希望我留下來，給觀眾做一段簡短的引言
既然簡短，我覺得自己應該要試著完成它
別再麻煩口譯了
於是離開台灣前，直到抵達新加坡，大概連續一個星期
每晚睡前都會大聲朗讀幾遍講稿
「上場」前一晚，在下榻的旅店，我隔著窗戶對著Hill Street的夜色
（路的對面就是消防局，一座殖民地風格的美麗建築）
把幾個可能唸不順口的字，最後消化了幾遍
隔天，戲院門口排了一條長長的人龍
準備入場觀看《牯嶺街》
我站在大銀幕前，對滿場的新加坡民眾說完了這段話
舌頭沒有打結，發音應該也算標準
如果我國小的兒童美語班老師在現場，應該會proud of me吧… 😄
Hello everyone, the movie you’re about to see is A Brighter Summer Day. It’s Edward Yang's fourth feature film, released after the martial law was lifted in Taiwan. It was based on a real-life teenage murder case that took place in 1961 on Guling Street in Taipei. The film took over a hundred days of shooting and employed hundreds of actors, both seasoned and newcomers, making it a true epic of cinema.
When the film premiered in Taiwan in 1991, it was a version that ran over two hours. After digital restoration, the film was back to its 237-minute original form. The English title, A Brighter Summer Day, is taken from the lyrics of Elvis Presley’s song “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”
In the 1960s, Taiwan during the Cold War, was a militarized island defended by the U.S. Navy, while internally it was under an authoritarian regime. So young people turned inward, embracing American pop culture. America, a mysterious land, was imagined as a paradise of happiness, like the light of a lamp shining in the dark.
A Brighter Summer Day reflects the depressive shadows of post-war Taiwan and the identity crisis of young people from mainland Chinese families. As the 60s progressed, the youth shifted from Elvis to The Beatles, and TV replaced radio. To escape from the Vietnam War, The U.S Army withdraw from Asia, leaving behind empty bars, social clubs, and unfulfilling dreams…
As a post-war baby boomer, Edward Yang was deeply influenced by Western culture of the 60s. Reflecting on A Brighter Summer Day, he once said: “Why has Taiwan become what it is today? In fact, it’s closely connected to that era. Clues from that time can help us understand the present. Taiwan’s situation is unique.”
A writer once wrote: “Music enters our ears through something that’s connected to trauma.” Today, Taiwan's unique international status comes from both historical accidents and inevitable fates. Taiwan’s 20th-century and ongoing narrative is not without its share of trauma. Some fragments of this history capture an enduring sense of lost innocence.
Now, more than thirty years after its release, when we watch A Brighter Summer Day in 2024, we are actually witnessing a portrayal of Taiwan from over sixty years ago. The “depth of nostalgia” has only grown deeper with time.
Enjoy this masterpiece! Thank you.
