14 - To be or not to be ——a brief film review about comparison of And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa Smile

[Jing H.]

After watching these two films, the first sentence that came across my mind is the famous remark said by Hamlet ‘To be or not to be, is a question’. Personally, I hold the point that both of them talk about the same topic——the price of human being. Therefore, I hope to make it clear by comparing the same and different of them.

I would like to make an explanation from two aspects, barely based on female leads’ different identities.

To begin with, since two female leads in the films are both what we called intellectuals (Wang Cai Ling is an opera singer and Catharine is a unique and independent art teachter), this identity is doomed to separate from traditional society or even resist it. Here, the society I mean is the entire environment that we live, just like the small village Wang Cai Ling lives, as well as Wellesley that Catharine teaches. It is the small and harsh living environment that reflects the survive space that the big society spare for the intellectuals. Absolutely, the rules, traditions, others’ opinions and so many things that opposite to their sense of world cage them and destroy their price as an independent person.

And then, I must mention that they, the two female roles, are women. Both films are discussing some question about women and their price. Are women a tool for birth? Whether the most significant achievements that women can make are taking good care of her family and baby? Does a woman have the right to choose to be single? The films describe a kind of living predicament of two women to consider questions in our society that look down on the value of women’s existence and meaning of becoming an independent and thoughtful woman. These remind me of a drama called <A Doll’s Play>. Our female roles are just like the poor Nora that played a role of ‘lark‘ in her husband’s eyes and the prop of the big family. Even if Nora saved her husband’s life by borrowing money secretly, she still failed to receive the respect and belief of her husband and the whole society which believed that women only have the sacred value of caring babies and holding family. Also, in the film And the Spring Comes, Wang Cai Ling firmly hold the dream of being an opera singer in the Paris Opera House. However, without a Beijing registered residence and a good look，she only survived to raise a baby in Beijing by the price of sacrificing her dream and selling pork. We must admit that her dream has completely broken down, as well as the hope of her life. (she put her dream on the adopted daughter instead)

Maybe we cannot simply blame the failure of their lives on the people around them, what’s more, we should consider the society factor that cannot be ignored. Whether the world has already face up to the value of women and respect their own rights just like men decides a fundamental social relationship among people.

All in all, I hold the view that two films get us thinking the treatment and situation of intellectuals and women by the broken dreams of two women. There is no doubt that even if an individual’s strength is insignificant in the face of society, we can’t ignore the value of human’s existence and their minds.

[Elizabeth H.]

Hi Jing! I enjoyed reading your essay. The title and introduction paragraph of your essay really grabbed my attention. The questions you raise are certainly important ones, and since I also wrote about the female leads’, I was immediately drawn to your essay. Your analysis of society as a world that “cages” women and takes away their independence is interesting. I would have liked to read a bit more about your framing of the society. For example, which rules and traditions in particular (as seen in the films) cage the women, and how does this both take away their independence and relate to the idea of the price of being human? You answer parts of this question in your next paragraph, and I think you raise some more important questions. However, I would have liked to see that explained a bit more. Also, I liked reading about the drama., “A Doll’s Play,” yet I would have preferred to read simply what we’ve both already watched. I think that there is so much material available in both the films we watched that adding another drama is a bit much. Finally, in your conclusion, I think you could expand a bit more and summarize what exact aspects of society are an impediment to women. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your piece and I think you did a great job! -- Liz H

[Anny L.]

Hi Jing, I would have to agree with Elizabeth that the title of your essay really grabbed my attention. I thought it was interesting how the statement, “To be or not to be is a question” was the first thing that crossed your mind after watching the two films. You mentioned that both films focused on the price of human beings. Could you please clarify on this statement? I also really liked your idea of how in this big society that we reside in, there is little room for people who are different from us since society teaches us to be conventional. In real life for example, we grew up thinking that the “right” way to success is by going to college and getting a college degree. Society today tends to look down on people without a degree. However, my question is “is success really measured by our level of education?” I also would have to agree with Elizabeth regarding your example of the drama, “A Doll’s Play”. The addition of this example shifted your essay’s focus to something other than the two films. Overall, your essay was well written with many interesting ideas.

[Xuan W.]

Hi JIng, your title is very attractive! And so is your essay. You explained this sentence “To be or not to be” based on female leads’ different identities and pointed that we should respect the value of human’s existence. And you mentioned two women in the two films to discuss women’s price. I have to say that “A Doll’s Play” can really resonate. While I only see the Wang Cailing’s analysis, does it mean that the end of Mona Lisa Smile is perfect to you? If so, you could make a comparison between the end of the two stories and then analyze the reasons of this difference. And can themselves’ personal reasons be taken into consideration when mentioning the phenomenon of not respecting women. For example, the character, Betty in the Mona Lisa Smile, thinks women’s life should be centered in family rather than career. She is the reflection of conservative girls in that era. They even don’t equate themselves with the men. All in all, your explanation around the female leads’ different identities is very instructive and detailed. You really did a good job!