爱之吻

去年伦敦发生连环爆炸案当日，在关注其事件本身和进展外，并没有无情地出于些许的职业惯性去联想影视作品。许多日子过后，随着案件调查的深入，嫌犯被锁定为几个巴基斯坦裔英国青年，这时我不免想起早前几个月前震撼过我的一部肯.洛区（Ken Roach)电影《爱之吻》(Just a Kiss)。   威胁英国社会的恐怖主义因素，历史上一贯都只有以分裂为目的的北爱尔兰共和军，而随着前些年英国政府与共和军政治派别新芬党的和解与合作，共和军似乎渐渐采取了柔和态度甚至消失在了新闻舞台中。这时，与全球其他区域一样，穆斯林极端主义成为共同需要面对的大敌。     肯.洛区的《爱之吻》是一个通俗爱情戏，抛开其故事背景后，它就是一个情人相恋、背景不同、家庭阻挠的当代罗密欧与朱丽叶般的肥皂剧。可偏偏电影的故事背景使得它免俗，成为一部介入城市（格拉斯哥）社区并探讨英国社会外来移民与当地白人的矛盾，特别是以宗教信仰为分化的社区矛盾问题，当然这也与导演肯.洛区一贯的社会现实立场和揭露问题的坚定态度有关。    关联到最近的伦敦连环爆炸袭击，可以设想肯.洛区在《爱之吻》中有着一个全新社会角色-恐怖主义潜藏在社区的思想证人，他无力去介入穆斯林社区深处，去成为一个社区思想渊源的侦探，只能通过影像故事，放大出潜在的社区矛盾，成为目击和讲述这种矛盾的证人。    故事里相爱的男女主角，也是矛盾的双方，巴基斯坦裔青年卡西姆所处的穆斯林移民家族，教师罗斯琳所处的苏格兰新教社区。冲突的简单原则就是制造代沟，年长的就是保守的，年轻的就是叛逆的，卡西姆的父亲和罗斯琳社区的教长就合理的成为年轻人所要齐心对抗的对象。同样叛逆而活泼的卡西姆妹妹则怀有着文化沟通的伟大使命感，她在学校尽量的投入英式生活却又被同学排挤，如若心理脆弱点，相信将是基地组织很好发掘和开发的对象。    肯.洛区只讲述了愚昧的家族荣誉，却无法告诉我们穆斯林社区的精神力量究竟如何影响年轻人。我想或许，除非他生活在穆斯林社区、通读多遍可兰经，否则是无力查办思想渊源之案的。    我们常常谈到甚至谴责霸权主义，不知不觉地，我们也都渐渐认同了美国那一套价值观和文明理念，无论这种影响是不是帝国主义深谋远虑的一种故意，全球化的结果已经显示这是一次单元文明化对不同文化的胜利征服。即便我们有多么不认同单元文明化，只要它不似一百多年前的殖民扩张，以那种极端的人性达尔文主义出现，我们可能就会不知不觉地被其温和的改变。然而当美国标准的单元文明化碰到高度信仰体系下的穆斯林世界时，它的渗透就很不容易了，不得不与殉道般的另一种单元文明化发生碰撞冲突了。

Ae Fond Kiss is a warm romantic drama, but there are many conflicts in this film. Except social context, this film talks about a modern “Romeo and Juliet” story. Casim and Roisin are two young people with different cultural background, and they fall in love with each other. However, their relationship is prohibited by both their social networks. Various conflicts arise or reveal because of their love. Background differences between people and ethnocentrism are main reasons for the emergence of conflicts, group conflicts and personal conflicts are two types of conflicts in this film. Group conflicts are conflicts between the Khans and social context. Background differences lead to conflicts. Ethnical difference is a distinct difference. The Khans emigrated from Pakistan, so they are Asian, but people around them are white. Ethnical difference causes racial discrimination. At school, Tahara is often teased and insulted by her classmates only because of her ethnical identity. Cultural difference also causes conflict. The Khans hold on traditional Pakistani culture even they have been living at Glasgow for many years, and they have not acculturation with native Scottish culture. For example, they encourage endogamy, but native Scots thought it was ridiculous to marry one’s first cousin. Therefore, they only contact with other Pakistani and have little connection with native Scots these years. Besides, religion difference is a big problem. The Khans are Muslim, but people around them are Catholic. So they cannot accept Casim marry a Catholic girl, and priest in Roisin’s community does not allow Roisin to marry a Muslim.Personal conflicts are conflicts between Casim and Roisin. Casim is a Pakistani-Scot, and his parents think exogamy brings dishonor to his family, but Roisin is an Irish-Scot, so their relationship is prohibited by Casim’s family. Additionally, Casim is from a collectivism culture which values family very much, while Roisin is from an Individualism culture which values individual identity. Therefore, Roisin cannot understand why Casim always takes his family’s thoughts into consideration. Furthermore, Casim and Roisin believe in different religions. In Muslim, exogamy brings dishonor, but for Catholic, premarital sex is a shame. That difference causes different trouble for both of them. Casim asked if Roisin could change her belief for him; but the priest demand Roisin change Casim’s belief or end their relationship.In addition, ethnocentrism could lead conflicts. Both Casim and Roisin think their culture is the only right one and much better than the other. For instance, Roisin cannot understand why Casim so cares about his family’s opinion, and when Casim tell her he will marry his first cousin, she did not believe because she thought it was funny. Conservativeness is a part of ethnocentrism. People are not willing to learn and accept other cultures. For the Khans, even they lived in Scotland for many years, they still live and think as Pakistani. However, the ending makes us hopeful. We could see some change of Casim because of his love for Roisin.

A film is about a Romeo & Juliet-like love story in Glasgow, in where a Muslim Pakistani young boy, Casim, falls in love with an Irish Catholic school teacher, Roisin struggle against every obstacle like racial difference, family’s pressure, religious pressure, cultural different and value judgment, between them.Sometimes, differences between two people can attract them to each other & bring them together, but as well served as obstacle avoiding them from going further and keeping their relationship. So the force of push is as strong as the force of pull. The film tries to tell the differences between them, for Casim, his parents have arranged a marriage between him and a Muslim girl because their family needs to have connection with another good Muslim family, like what they do about Casim’s elder sister’s marriage. According to the tradition & custom, they value family& religion most, to them, marriage is something for continuing & keeping a good family tree & religion. However, on the side of Roisin, she has no family, as a westerner, she’s used to follow her heart in doing things & cares one’s own feeling, and religion and family mean not much to her. All these differences & pressure from outside stop them from carrying on.Besides all those differences, the script writer also tells how the Casim & his younger sister, Sadia search for their own identity, not like their elder sister who’s long accepted the tradition, they are facing the problem of cultural shock. Like at the beginning of the film, Sadia took off her uniform & showed the Scottish football sport suit to tell she is a Muslim Pakistani girl, besides that, she lives as every Scottish young people. So, what is their position and identity? Forever a Pakistani Muslim or follow the western value? Should Casim listens to his family & forever lives under his family or follow his heart? These are the problems that every immigrant has to face. The story is a bit old-fashioned, but reflects the reality, a love story takes part in a small part of the world everywhere, and how love can break the obstacles.

卡西姆在舞厅打碟，光影闪烁，罗斯琳在人群中冲他笑。另一边，父母正在教堂里为他物色一个穿纱丽的巴基斯坦新娘。豆瓣6.6分，柏林金熊奖提名——这个分数和提名其实很说明问题：片子不差，但也没好到让人尖叫。肯·洛奇用罗密欧与朱丽叶的框架讲格拉斯哥的巴基斯坦移民二代困境，我看完却觉得憋屈：这哪儿是爱情悲剧，分明是文化规训的激烈对抗纪实。卡西姆的妹妹才是全片最惨角色——被迫辍学，被送回国嫁给表亲，连挣扎的镜头都没几个。导演克制地处理矛盾，甚至加了点幽默细节（比如父亲学英语闹笑话），可这种轻松反衬出的沉重更让人窒息。最让我窝火的是结局。卡西姆和罗斯琳最后在废弃舞厅里跳舞，镜头一转，似乎暗示他们突破了阻力。但真实世界呢？妹妹已经成了牺牲品，而这对情侣不过是从公开冲突转入地下苟且。这或许是肯·洛奇的温柔，但也是他的懦弱——他不敢让角色真正反抗，怕童话碎得太彻底。豆瓣6.6分其实很公道。比多数跨族裔题材深刻，但离《甜蜜十六岁》那种锋利还差一截。如果冲着“罗密欧与朱丽叶”去，可能会失望——因为这里的悲剧不是殉情，而是所有人都在妥协。