勇者无惧1997

我不是一个泪点高的人。
看这部片子，我哭了两次。

第一次，是在法庭上，一个黑人站了起来，断断续续地说，被阻止了以后继续说，
"Give us free...Give us free!"

第二次，是在Supreme Court上，John Quincy Adams为Cinque辩护。
我重看了那一段，现在摘录下来：
Your Honors, I derive much consolation from the fact that my colleague, Mr. Baldwin, here, has argued the case in so able and so complete a manner as to leave me scarcely anything to say.

However, why are we here? How is it that a simple, plain property issue should now find itself so ennobled as to be argued before the Supreme Court of the United States of America? I mean, do we fear the lower courts, which found for us easily, somehow missed the truth? Is that it? Or is it, rather, our great and consuming fear of civil war that has allowed us to heap symbolism upon a simple case that never asked for it and now would have us disregard truth, even as it stands before us, tall and proud as a mountain? The truth, in truth, has been driven from this case like a slave, flogged from court to court, wretched and destitute. And not by any great legal acumen on the part of the opposition, I might add, but through the long, powerful arm of the Executive Office.

Yea, this is no mere property case, gentlemen. I put it to you thus: This is the most important case ever to come before this court. Because what it, in fact, concerns is the very nature of man.

These are transcriptions of letters written between our Secretary of State, John Forsyth, and the Queen of Spain, Isabella the Second. Now, I ask that you accept their perusal as part of your deliberations.

Thank you, sir. [to court officer]

I would not touch on them now except to notice a curious phrase which is much repeated. The queen again and again refers to our incompetent courts. Now what, I wonder, would be more to her liking? Huh? A court that finds against the Africans? Well, I think not. And here is the fine point of it: What her majesty wants is a court that behaves just like her courts, the courts this eleven year-old child plays with in her magical kingdom called Spain, a court that will do what it is told, a court that can be toyed with like a doll, a court -- as it happens -- of which our own President, Martin Van Buren, would be most proud.

Thank you. [takes document from Baldwin]

This is a publication of the Office of the President. It's called the Executive Review, and I'm sure you all read it. At least I'm sure the President hopes you all read it. This is a recent issue, and there's an article in here written by a "keen mind of the South," who is my former Vice President, John Calhoun, perhaps -- Could it be? -- who asserts that:

"There has never existed a civilized society in which one segment did not thrive upon the labor of another. As far back as one chooses to look -- to ancient times, to biblical times -- history bears this out. In Eden, where only two were created, even there one was pronounced subordinate to the other. Slavery has always been with us and is neither sinful nor immoral. Rather, as war and antagonism are the natural states of man, so, too, slavery, as natural as it is inevitable."

Now, gentlemen, I must say I differ with the keen minds of the South, and with our president, who apparently shares their views, offering that the natural state of mankind is instead -- and I know this is a controversial idea -- is freedom. Is freedom. And the proof is the length to which a man, woman, or child will go to regain it, once taken. He will break loose his chains, He will decimate his enemies. He will try and try and try against all odds, against all prejudices, to get home.

Cinque, would you stand up, if you would, so everyone can see you. This man is black. We can all see that. But can we also see as easily that which is equally true -- that he is the only true hero in this room.

Now, if he were white, he wouldn't be standing before this court fighting for his life. If he were white and his enslavers were British, he wouldn't be able to stand, so heavy the weight of the medals and honors we would bestow upon him. Songs would be written about him. The great authors of our times would fill books about him. His story would be told and retold in our classrooms. Our children, because we would make sure of it, would know his name as well as they know Patrick Henry's.

Yet, if the South is right, what are we to do with that embarrassing, annoying document, "The Declaration of Independence?" What of its conceits? "All men...created equal," "inalienable rights," "life," "liberty," and so on and so forth? What on earth are we to do with this?

I have a modest suggestion. [tears up a facsimile of the Declaration]

The other night I was talking with my friend, Cinque. He was over at my place, and we were out in the greenhouse together. And he was explaining to me how when a member of the Mende -- that's his people -- how when a member of the Mende encounters a situation where there appears no hope at all, he invokes his ancestors. It's a tradition. See, the Mende believe that if one can summon the spirits of one's ancestors, then they have never left, and the wisdom and strength they fathered and inspired will come to his aid.

James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Adams: We've long resisted asking you for guidance. Perhaps we have feared in doing so we might acknowledge that our individuality which we so, so revere is not entirely our own. Perhaps we've feared an appeal to you might be taken for weakness. But, we've come to understand, finally, that this is not so. We understand now, we've been made to understand, and to embrace the understanding that who we are is who we were.

We desperately need your strength and wisdom to triumph over our fears, our prejudices, our-selves. Give us the courage to do what is right. And if it means civil war, then let it come. And when it does, may it be, finally, the last battle of the American Revolution.

That's all I have to say.

JQA走过那一排石膏像，停在John Adams的旁边，伸出手摸了一下。然后说出了那段让我眼泪一下子出来的话。
长久以来，我们不愿寻求你们的帮助。也许我们是害怕，这么做就是在承认，我们所尊崇所保持的个性并不完全是我们自己的。也许我们是害怕，求助会被当作软弱。但我们终于觉悟，事实并非如此。现在我们明白了，我们一直被指引着去觉悟，去明白，我们的祖先是谁，我们就是谁。

突然想到在乌布的时候，Ellen对我说，有一天晚上照镜子，她看到了她祖母的脸。原来她就是她的祖母。"They are in us. We are a part of them. "

我相信，God dwells in us.
现在我相信，Ancestors dwell in us.
这是好事，也不是好事。但我必须承认，who we are is who we were.

史蒂芬.斯皮尔伯格九十年代的作品，因为在看林达的《我也有一个梦想》，其中提到了这一部叫做《AMISTAD》的电影（国内翻译成《勇者无惧》或者《断锁怒潮》这样很有技术含量也很不容易记得的中文名字）。
因为是根据真实的历史事件拍摄而成，其意义又大概是可以看成美国南北战争的导火索，因此很感兴趣找来看，唯一可惜的是国内这部电影并不热门，下载的种源并不多，翻译又不够好。
然而对美国这个国家建国之初民智尚属蒙昧之时的历史了解的越多，就越是对乔治.华盛顿，约翰.亚当斯，托玛斯.杰斐逊，本杰明.富兰克林，麦迪逊，汉米尔顿等等这些半人半神的先贤们心向往之，这是怎样的一群现今难以想象的了不起的人物啊，世界上有哪一个国家出现过这样一群聪慧、理智、胸怀如此坦荡，心志又如此淡泊，兼备了最平民又最贵族两极精神的伟大的理想主义建国者啊，真的美国的历史是整个人类政治文明史上的奇迹，即无先例可循，又难以在其他地方简单复制。
而这部影片所表现的退休的约翰.昆西.亚当斯(美国第二位总统约翰.亚当斯的长子，美国第六任总统)，那个在州一级诉讼中胜诉的我不太了解的那个名叫罗杰.鲍德温的年轻律师，以及最高法院的大法官们，正是要延续他们那些半人半神的祖先们的建国理念。
所以，也就好理解南北战争对于美国的意义，并不是中国人认识里简单的分裂与统一问题，并不仅仅是利益瓜葛的结果，而在某种意义上是不得不进行的就如同亚当斯在电影中所说的，“如果南北战争一定要爆发，那就让他爆发吧，但是我个人希望这是美国革命的最后一步”，也就是说从独立战争开始，到南北战争结束，美国的革命才真正的功德圆满了，独立宣言里的“凡人生而平等，秉造物者之赐，拥诸无可转让之权利，包含生命权、自由权、与追寻幸福之权”才算在这片新兴的热土上真正的实现了，理想的旗帜由一群理想主义者插上了理想大陆。

关于影片中的很多细节，如果不是对当时的历史很熟悉，可以参照林达的《我也有一个梦想》对照阅读，就应该会有一个透彻的了解了。

绝对是一部值得看的电影，它的丰富、紧凑、深刻和博大绝对配得上“电影”这个名号。这才叫电影。

但是我只看了十分钟不到，再也看不下去了。不敢说我对电影就有多么深刻和全面的了解，经典片子我没看过的是占绝大多数的。斯皮尔伯格的作品我也并没有全数欣赏，不过他素来的风格我是很有深刻印象的。这部片子也是垂青已久了，真正看在眼里，确实不到十分钟就能看出它的厚重和精彩。

我没有看下去，因为我的心境有了改变。同类题材中，我深深的愤怒于没有一部是属于中国的，没有人有勇气、或者是有能力来阐述这样一部史诗。我坚信中国这么长的历史，不可能没有故事，不可能没有真实的曾经，但是，没有人敢拍，或者说，没有人会拍。

让我在对自己同胞的愤恨中坚持两个小时，我一定会短命的。所以，不看了。

将近150年前的美国地方法院
一个非洲黑人站立在被告席中，背后是窗外斜射进来的午后阳光，从正面可以看到他对比度强烈的扭曲的脸
他站起来举起双手，举起绑住双手的手铐。他蹩脚的大声的一遍一遍的说：give us free
以上，你会以为是悲情的弱者在向文明的强者乞怜么？
还是，你只是看到了一个竭尽所能的抗争者在蹩脚的适应眼前的规则　　
当那次庭审，年轻的法官，也是虔诚的天主教徒最后声音平静的裁定：女王陛下的拥有权无效
他压抑声调说：我现在下令逮捕雷兹和蒙兹先生
当法庭喧嚣大起，法官几乎怒吼的宣判着：按联邦军事法律，联邦军事法庭判其罪名是贩卖奴隶
这声音穿透法庭的喧闹，穿透连接主机的耳机到达观影者的耳朵时
你是不是也像我一样由衷的情绪激昂了一下
还是，你以为这只是一名英美法庭里的法官在正常的履行职责

说真的，看到那名年轻法官分明带着情绪化的表情，我感觉还真是很爽
让我想起原来看西游记里齐天大圣同志拎着各路宝贝尽情的揍着那些虾兵蟹将时的感觉
你要知道，正义的总是弱小的，孤苦伶仃的总被欺负，最后小心翼翼忍辱负重好不容易才能看到胜利的曙光
所谓经历了一番光荣的历程
所以要是看到你所认为的好人竟然如此的武器精良，打起架来风生水起，那感觉会远胜过憋了憋屈的“光荣历程”
这段情节里，就正是“好人”挥舞着法律的大棒，张牙舞爪的收拾了坏人，正义得以伸张，外面一片阳光

很不错的电影，不知道为什么远没有同年级的《泰坦尼克号》出名
甚至可以从中观察到英美法系运作起来还是蛮好玩的：
老总统对年轻的律师说，以我的经验，故事讲的感人的那个就是赢家（大意啊）
当然，这个近乎史诗的小事情还是一如既往在褒赞着自由、人性或者对它们的悲悯之情
或者，我更愿意说，这只是一个很有意思的故事！　　来自这个星球上的某段历史

另感觉看这个电影初期和看<crash> 《巴别塔》的感觉一样
夸张的说是一种极为深的对沟通无力的恐惧
我们努力沟通，努死力了还是无法互相“足够”的理解　　也许“足够”只是上天给我们的某个幻觉吧　
像爱一样　　　
这你说咋整　这你根本么法整