ACROSS4SEAS.COM

The Movie Review

180814 林晓纯 Xiaochun Lin

Last week I watched two movies named Mona Lisa Smile and And the Spring Comes. One is from foreign country, another is an excellent work by Gu Changwei. What impresses me is to explore these two different cultures.

Mona Lisa Smile reflects the surge of the feminist thought in the united Stated in the 1950s. When a revolutionary, forward-thinking female teacher tried to change a group of extremely intelligent female students whose final occupation is marriage,she left Wellesley College in an unexpected way. And the Spring Comes tells the story of a small country in the 1980s, Wang Cailing who and other young artists struggled with the conflict of the dream and the reality.

First all of, the setting of the film presents the emotional tone of the story, rendering a specific atmosphere. Mona Lisa Smile takes place in the 1950s at Wesley, a women's College 10 miles north of Boston. At that time, the climate was just close to late autumn. The maple leaves in the campus of the women's college floated in the bright sky and fell on the path of the campus, which was filled with the romantic atmosphere of the classicality. It was very suitable for the emotional atmosphere of the film. This film leaves the impression that it is positive, like the warm autumn sun, fitting the theme of the challenge of the new to the old tradition.

Different from Mona Lisa Smile full of classical romantic, And the Spring Comes is wrapped in a thick atmosphere of tragedy. And the Spring Comes presents China in the 1980s, with a strong local flavor. The tone of the film is dark, as if to suggest that the literary youth in that era pursued the dream up and down, struggling in the world. The withered leaves, the flying snow, the dilapidated houses, all hint at the tragic ending.

Another aspects of the movie,they are both in the pursuit of art, with different kinds of purposes. Catherine Watson, a new art history teacher ,accepted the idea of liberal reform and challenged some of the Wellesley College’s practices and rules. With encouraging students to explore their interests and act out their ideas, she desperately wanted to break the barrier between femininity and common customs. I think the new art form is the mean that she could broaden the students’ horizon and break the rules. The women was not just to get married and carry on the family line, but they also had right to purse their dreams and to do whatever they want.

Wang Cailing, a voice teacher in a normal school in a small city, held on to her dream of singing to the Palais Garnier in the secular and humble life. She was ugly, but she didn't care, and she seemingly knew that "God gave me a good voice, without this, I am a waste. " Because of her voice and her dignity, she always seemed out of place in small-town life in the early 1980s. But in my opinion, her love of the music is not pure. She made up a sweet dream for herself, in her inner world, she was eager for success, longing other to look up to her. She always stressed to others that she would be transferred to Beijing. In the film, I think Hu Jinquan is the only one who devotes himself to the dance. He worked in a small country without thinking dancing in a big city, and he danced more than ten years enduring the prejudice of the world. At the end, he was in prison for pretending to rape the woman, only to stick to the love of love.

In addition, these two movies are both about the main ideas of the specific ages. Sometimes,we might face choices. Nobody can answer which is the best and the right.

There is a sense that John got married and said to Catherine, because of her willingness. A lot of times we fall into the trap of judging other people by our own standards. In Catherine's eyes, she thought that John was a smart, talented girl who was bound to go to Harvard. But John chose the opposite one, she married and gave up her studies. I have great respect for people like Catherine, and I understand their intentions. But I completely admire the stubbornness on her face as John spoke. Unlike her classmate Betty, John’s marriage was a natural part of her life. Betty didn't make a big mistake. It is only the woman's excessive vanity that wears away a little of her husband's love. What gratifying was that Catherine realized this at the end of the film, maintaining her own intransigence while respecting the life choices of her female students.

People often ask themselves what do they need? What are you doing? Or what you are supposed to do？Many people don’t know what to do when the prevailing values of a society are challenged. It's as simple as sticking to your heart and respecting for others’ choices , like Catherine, like John, or like Betty. Life goes on and we have to keep moving forward.

“Every year, when spring comes, I always feel that something will happen, but when spring is over, nothing happens. " Wang Cailing said. When she awoke from her literary dreams, she chose the mundane life with her maternal love. She sold pork to her harelip foster daughter for treatment, and she received all the love and comfort of a mother. Although salvation comes from others and comes too late, it is always good. This redemption is to lay down the body, to pay homage to a real vegetable a meal, leaving the solemn sense of ceremony into their hearts.The world is not beautiful, not even as good as people expect, but in this mud to live is you, is me. It is our dignity and our courage to live in the face of the world with bravery.

Hi Xiaochun L,

I enjoyed reading your essay that compared the cinematic characteristics of each film. I agree that Mona Lisa Smiles carries a positive connotation as the film is filled with bright and cheery aspects that make it a positive and somewhat romantic film although I'd like more clarification and supporting statements that prove it was an emotional film. I believe both films were emotional so consider asking yourself "what makes this film more or less emotional than And the Spring Comes?" I think you gave an accurate physical description of the setting in the third paragraph. Also, in an effort for clarification, Katherine's student's name is Joan. I also would like to see more clarification about why you think Katherine left Wellsley in an unexpected way. I believe she chose to travel Europe after her students graduated at the end of the year.

In contrast to And the Spring Comes, its dark and dreary atmosphere foreshadows a depressing ending. I would recommend adding more description of the setting like you did with Mona Lisa Smile. The idea that the youth of the time struggled to pursue their dreams is an important point to make. I believe that you could develop that statement more to make a complete essay. Begin with stating your point about this through something like " Cailing and Katherine's students struggle to fulfill their dreams/goals because..."

I would keep the paragraphs that talk about the settings as it strengthens the argument.

I would also suggest revising the final two paragraphs as I'm not sure what purpose they serve along with the sentence "In addition, these two movies are both about the main ideas of the specific ages. Sometimes,we might face choices. Nobody can answer which is the best and the right."

On another note, I gathered from your opening statement that Gu Changwei is a well-known film director.

Great work. I learned about the effects the setting has on the overall message of the movie. Looking forward to your revisions.

-Taylor

Hi Xiaochun,

I greatly enjoyed reading your essay, your vivid descriptions of the set and how they foreshadow a movie's meanings are spot on. The more colorful tone of Mona Lisa Smile does contrast to the darker undertones of And The Spring Come, however, I specific point I made is that the lighting in the former movie seems a little washed out, I want to gauge your thoughts on this. Do you think the color and lighting are as straightforward as just being bright and positive? On another note, I am interested on your opinion on the clothing of the actresses, did they symbolize anything special for you?

About your analysis on And the Spring Comes, do you truly believe that Cailing did not care about her appearance? What do you think about the scene in the movie where she starts applying all forms of beauty products on her face to remove her unsightly blemishes. I do agree she cares more deeply about her art, but I personally think she understands her appearance has a factor towards her lack of success.

I am slightly confused in your analysis of Betty and Joan, what do you think of Joan's decision to marry her husband instead of going to law school? On one hand she makes the point that it was her own individual choice to be a mother and wife, but do you think the stigmas and pressures at the time led to that decision? If she was born in this era, would she have made the same decision? Additionally, I am interested in your classification of Katherine as intransigent because of the connotations of the word itself. Was it because of the university's intransigence or her own stubbornness that caused her to leave, or maybe was it even both?

Thank you and I look forward to hearing your comments!

Hi,Chris. Sorry it took me so long time to reply.
I think this kind of washed out lighting is a reflection of the sense of time. The tone of the Mona Lisa Smile feels like a symbol of hope to me.
About the appearance of the Cailing you mentioned, perhaps my expression is not accurate enough. I think the change of Cailing's attitude to appearance is actually the turning point and hint of her attitude to life. Cailing finally eliminate the face of acne and black spots, after she adopts xiaofang and be a single mother. why didn't she do it in the first place?
Yes, looks may not have made her a success, but I doubt it. In the film, amateur Oil painting enthusiast Huang Sibao failed to apply to the Central Academy of Fine Arts many times. While painting a woman naked, he was distracted by the love affairs of the couple next door He had to turn on the tape recorder and play music to continue to draw, which means he was really an amateur. He does not exhibit the professional painter's preoccupation with painting and forgetting everything else. And speaking of Cailing, do you remember a scene from the movie? Ring to the Opera House interview, please listen to her voice on a singing voice, but not, on their own to sing up. Her singing startled the audience at the film, but not the personnel clerk at the opera. She did not stop her Just simply said: "Well, know your level, last year know. " And why to the end it has become her daydream? Which means she's an amateur, too. She's always just learning by imitation.
In addition,in my opinion, Joan is a woman of character, Catherine's favorite student, but I felt that whoever made the decisions she thought were right and happy was worthy of respect. You asked me an interesting question. If she was born in this era, would she have made the same decision? Maybe in this era, I'm inclined to think she can juggle family and career. Because she seems to me to be a talented and capable person, and I believe she can handle and balance the two.
The very existence of the character of Catherine represents a kind of intransigence. At a time when women were required to marry and support their husbands, her behavior was surprising -- single women who did not marry became a symbol of those who wanted to break the rules. And her teaching methods and ideas, also want to break the constraints of this women's College.
Thank you for asking these questions, which led me to think more deeply about these two films. This is very interesting.

Hi Taylor
Thank you for your comments and advice.
I'd like to know what you think of "what makes this film more or less emotional than And the Spring Comes? ". And by the unexpected way in which Catherine left, I mean the change in the students' emotional attitude toward her. At the beginning of Catherine's class, the female students gave her a hard time. With her unconventional behavior, Catherine encouraged her students to create and pursue their dreams, earning her the respect and affection of her classmates. As you said, Catherine chose to travel to Europe, and I don't think she expected the students to come after her on their bikes to say goodbye.
Thank you for your suggestion for more descriptions of the scenes in Mona Lisa Smile, and I'll add to that. The last two paragraphs are my observations, but they may not be very close to my third point of comparison, and I will try to revise them.

Hi Xiaochun,

About your first point in your follow-up comment, I was referring to the sentence, "First all of, the setting of the film presents the emotional tone of the story, rendering a specific atmosphere." I'm curious about what makes it an emotional film. I see from your response that you were referring to the connection the girls had to Katherine so I would just suggest adding a clarifying sentence after to explain that point. Maybe consider describing the atmosphere with a fitting adjective or two instead of saying "specific". I understand what you mean by the development of Katherine's students' views towards her beacuse of her unconentional style. It was interesting to see how even the most resistant student (like Betty) ended up having such a strong connection with her in the end.

In addition, I appreciate your commentary/opinions on the movies because they are useful for readers to understand where you're coming from. I would just reccomend weaving them into another paragraph or reorganizing their placement in the paper as they don't directly relate to the third point (like you mentioned). I think you're on the right track with that observation!

Making those changes, in addition to adding more description of Mona Lisa Smile, will greatly improve an already fairly strong paper.

Xiaochun L. wrote: ↑Wed Apr 17, 2019 1:34 pm Hi,Chris. Sorry it took me so long time to reply.
I think this kind of washed out lighting is a reflection of the sense of time. The tone of the Mona Lisa Smile feels like a symbol of hope to me.
About the appearance of the Cailing you mentioned, perhaps my expression is not accurate enough. I think the change of Cailing's attitude to appearance is actually the turning point and hint of her attitude to life. Cailing finally eliminate the face of acne and black spots, after she adopts xiaofang and be a single mother. why didn't she do it in the first place?
Yes, looks may not have made her a success, but I doubt it. In the film, amateur Oil painting enthusiast Huang Sibao failed to apply to the Central Academy of Fine Arts many times. While painting a woman naked, he was distracted by the love affairs of the couple next door He had to turn on the tape recorder and play music to continue to draw, which means he was really an amateur. He does not exhibit the professional painter's preoccupation with painting and forgetting everything else. And speaking of Cailing, do you remember a scene from the movie? Ring to the Opera House interview, please listen to her voice on a singing voice, but not, on their own to sing up. Her singing startled the audience at the film, but not the personnel clerk at the opera. She did not stop her Just simply said: "Well, know your level, last year know. " And why to the end it has become her daydream? Which means she's an amateur, too. She's always just learning by imitation.
In addition,in my opinion, Joan is a woman of character, Catherine's favorite student, but I felt that whoever made the decisions she thought were right and happy was worthy of respect. You asked me an interesting question. If she was born in this era, would she have made the same decision? Maybe in this era, I'm inclined to think she can juggle family and career. Because she seems to me to be a talented and capable person, and I believe she can handle and balance the two.
The very existence of the character of Catherine represents a kind of intransigence. At a time when women were required to marry and support their husbands, her behavior was surprising -- single women who did not marry became a symbol of those who wanted to break the rules. And her teaching methods and ideas, also want to break the constraints of this women's College.
Thank you for asking these questions, which led me to think more deeply about these two films. This is very interesting.

Thank you for your reply Xiaochun, I appreciate you taking the time to think about the questions I've posed. Connecting Cailing's appearance change as a turning point in her life is a fascinating point that I think has a lot of merit, consider adding that to your essay.

Your points on Huang Sibao as well are all great points to back up your analysis, and I think it would help your essay's strength.

About your opinion on Joan, I agree with you, Joan seems capable enough to handle whatever she wants, but I just wanted to question the era's pressure on her.

Extremely strong essay Xiaochun, with some minor improvements and some slight content additions, the clarity will match the content.

Taylor H. wrote: ↑Thu Apr 18, 2019 12:24 am Hi Xiaochun,

About your first point in your follow-up comment, I was referring to the sentence, "First all of, the setting of the film presents the emotional tone of the story, rendering a specific atmosphere." I'm curious about what makes it an emotional film. I see from your response that you were referring to the connection the girls had to Katherine so I would just suggest adding a clarifying sentence after to explain that point. Maybe consider describing the atmosphere with a fitting adjective or two instead of saying "specific". I understand what you mean by the development of Katherine's students' views towards her beacuse of her unconentional style. It was interesting to see how even the most resistant student (like Betty) ended up having such a strong connection with her in the end.

In addition, I appreciate your commentary/opinions on the movies because they are useful for readers to understand where you're coming from. I would just reccomend weaving them into another paragraph or reorganizing their placement in the paper as they don't directly relate to the third point (like you mentioned). I think you're on the right track with that observation!

Making those changes, in addition to adding more description of Mona Lisa Smile, will greatly improve an already fairly strong paper.

Hi，Taylor.
I am very gald to have this opportunity to communicate with you. All of your advice and questions help me have a better understanding of those two films. I belive that the revised article will be more wonderful and meaningful. Thank you again for your help.

The movie review
180814 林晓纯
Last week I watched two movies named Mona Lisa Smile and And the Spring Comes. One is from foreign country, the other is an excellent work by Gu Changwei. What impresses me is to explore these two different cultures.
Mona Lisa Smile reflects the surge of the feminist thought in the united Stated in the 1950s. When a revolutionary, forward-thinking female teacher tried to change a group of extremely intelligent female students whose final occupation is marriage,she left Wellesley College in an unexpected way. And the Spring comes tells the story of a small country in the 1980s, Wang Cailing who and other young artists struggled with the conflict of the dream and the reality.
First all of, the setting of the film presents the emotional tone of the story, rendering a specific atmosphere. Mona Lisa Smile takes place in the 1950s at Wesley, a women's College 10 miles north of Boston. At that time, the climate was just close to late autumn. The maple leaves in the campus of the women's college floated in the bright sky and fell on the path of the campus, which was filled with the romantic atmosphere of the classicality. It was very suitable for the emotional atmosphere of the film. This film leaves the impression that it is positive, like the warm autumn sun, fitting the theme of the challenge of the new to the old tradition.
Different from Mona Lisa smile full of classical romantic, And the Spring comes is wrapped in a thick atmosphere of tragedy. And the Spring comes presents China in the 1980s, with a strong local flavor. The tone of the film is dark, as if to suggest that the literary youth in that era pursued the dream up and down, struggling in the world. The withered leaves, the flying snow, the dilapidated houses, all hint at the tragic ending.
Another aspects of the movie,they are both in the pursuit of art with different kinds of purposes, desperately to achieve their dreams. Catherine Watson, a new art history teacher ,accepted the idea of liberal reform and challenged some of the Wellesley College’s practices and rules. With encouraging students to explore their interests and act out their ideas, she desperately wanted to break the barrier between femininity and common customs. I think the new art form is the mean that she could broaden the students’ horizon and break the rules. The women was not just to get married and carry on the family line, but they also had right to purse their dreams and to do whatever they want.
Wang Cailing, a voice teacher in a normal school in a small city, held on to her dream of singing to the Palais Garnier in the secular and humble life. She was ugly, but she didn't care, and she seemingly knew that "God gave me a good voice, without this, I am a waste. " Because of her voice and her dignity, she always seemed out of place in small-town life in the early 1980s. But in my opinion, her love of the music is not pure. She made up a sweet dream for herself, in her inner world, she was eager for success, longing other to look up to her. She always stressed to others that she would be transferred to Beijing. In the film, I think Hu Jinquan is the only one who devotes himself to the dance. He worked in a small country without thinking dancing in a big city, and he danced more than ten years enduring the prejudice of the world. At the end, he was in prison for pretending to rape the woman, only to stick to the love of love.
In addition, these two movies are both about the main ideas of the specific ages. Sometimes,we might face choices. Nobody can answer which is the best and the right.
There is a sense that John got married and said to Catherine, because of her willingness. A lot of times we fall into the trap of judging other people by our own standards. In Catherine's eyes, she thought that John was a smart, talented girl who was bound to go to Harvard. But John chose the opposite one, she married and gave up her studies. I have great respect for people like Catherine, and I understand their intentions. But I completely admire the stubbornness on her face as John spoke. Unlike her classmate Betty, John’s marriage was a natural part of her life. Betty didn't make a big mistake. It is only the woman's excessive vanity that wears away a little of her husband's love. What gratifying was that Catherine realized this at the end of the film, maintaining her own intransigence while respecting the life choices of her female students.
People often ask themselves what do they need? What are you doing? Or what you are supposed to do？Many people don’t know what to do when the prevailing values of a society are challenged. It's as simple as sticking to your heart and respecting for others’ choices , like Catherine, like John, or like Betty. Life goes on and we have to keep moving forward.
“Every year, when spring comes, I always feel that something will happen, but when spring is over, nothing happens. " Wang Cailing said. I think the change of Cailing's attitude to appearance is actually the turning point and hint of her attitude to life. Cailing finally eliminate the face of acne and black spots, after she adopts xiaofang and be a single mother. Maybe appearance is the factor of her failure, but I doubt it. In the film, amateur Oil painting enthusiast Huang Sibao failed to apply to the Central Academy of Fine Arts many times. While painting a woman naked, he was distracted by the love affairs of the couple next door. He had to turn on the tape recorder and play music to continue to draw, which means he was really an amateur. He does not exhibit the professional painter's preoccupation with painting and forgetting everything else. And speaking of Cailing, do you remember a scene from the movie? She came to the interview, but the personnel clerk refused. Her singing startled the audience at the film, but not the personnel clerk at the opera. She did not stop her Just simply said: "Well, know your level, last year know. " And why to the end it has become her daydream? Which means she's an amateur, too. She's always just learning by imitation.
When she awoke from her literary dreams, she chose the mundane life with her maternal love. She sold pork to her harelip foster daughter for treatment, and she received all the love and comfort of a mother. Although salvation comes from others and comes too late, it is always good. This redemption is to lay down the body, to pay homage to a real vegetable a meal, leaving the solemn sense of ceremony into their hearts.The world is not beautiful, not even as good as people expect, but in this mud to live is you, is me. It is our dignity and our courage to live in the face of the world with bravery.