克拉考尔评《战火》

RobertoRossellini’sPaisan[Italy1946]surpasseshisOpenCity[Italy1945]inbreadthofvisionandsignificance.OpenCitywasstilladrama;Paisanisanepic,comparableonlyto[TheBattleship]Potemkin[USSR1925,dir.SergeiEisenstein],thoughprofoundlydifferentfromit.ThisnewItalianfilmconsistsofsixreal-lifeepisodeswhichtakeplaceduringtheItalianCampaign.Theyseementirelyunconnected,exceptforthefactthattheirsuccessioncorrespondstotheadvanceoftheAlliedarmies.ThefirstepisoderecordstheadventuresofanAmericanpatrolimmediatelyafterthelandinginSicily.LedbyanItalianpeasantgirl,theAmericansexplorearuinedcastle—anocturnalreconnaissancewhichculminatesinamagnificentconversationbetweenthegirlandoneofthesoldiers.Butthisbilingualidylldoesnotlastlong.AfewGermansemerg-ingfromnowhereshootthesoldierandthenkillthegirlforhavingfiredatthem.When,alarmedbytheshooting,therestoftheAmericansreturn,theytakeitforgrantedthatthegirlhasluredthemintoatrap,andhersimple-heartedsacrificepassesunnoticed.Thesecondepisode,inNaples,featuresastreeturchinandaMilitaryPoliceman—anAmericanNegrowhoisthoroughlydrunk.Theboy,setonstealingtheNegro’sshoes,guideshimtoarubbleheapamongtheruins,wherehisprospectivevictimravesabouttheheroreceptionpreparedforhiminNewYorkandhishometown.Buttheword“home”provokesasuddenshiftofmoodsinhim.Hesayshewillnotgohome;andinastateofdespondencyhefallsasleep,aneasypreyfortheboy.Shortlylater,theNegrocapturesthethiefandmakeshimreturntheshoes.Theboyisawarorphanlivinginacavecrammedwithraggedwomenandchildren.Overwhelmedbypity,theNegroleavestheshoesbehindinthecave.Colorfulstreetincidentsroundoutthebrilliantthumbnailsketchesofthesetwostraycreatures.ThesceneinthemarionettetheatreinwhichthefranticNegroclimbstheminiaturestagetodefendaMoorisaveritablegemsparklingwithQuixoticspirit.ThesubsequentRomanepisodeisasomewhatliterarylovestory,withatouchofMaupassant.SixmonthsafterthefallofRomeadrunkenAmeri-cansoldierfollowsaprostitutetoherroom.Heisnodrunkardbutasensi-tiveboyappalledbytheever-increasingcorruptionaroundhim.Insteadofsimplysleepingwiththegirl,hetellsheraboutFrancesca,thefirstgirlhemetonenteringRomeonthedayofliberation.Aflashback,richincharmingdetails,renderstheirinnocentflirtationanditsprematureend.Whydidyounevergoback,askstheprostitute.Hemuttersthathecouldnotfindthehouse.Theprostitute,trembling,describesit.Hedozesoff,vaguelyrealizingheridentity.Nextday,shedespairinglywaitsforhim,whilehehimself,onthepointofleaving,tearsuptheslipofpaperwithheraddress.Hemountsatruck,andthearmiesmoveon.ThefourthepisodeshowstheAlliesintheoutskirtsofFlorence,pre-paringthelastassaultonthecity,inwhichthePartisansarealreadyatgripswiththeGermansandFascists.AnAmericannurse,eagertojoinherFlorentineloverofprewardays,learnsthatheis“Lupo,”thelegendaryPartisanleader.ThewholeisapictorialreportonwhathappenstoherandanItalianfriendastheyslipthroughthefrontlinesintothePartisan-heldsectorofFlorence.TheywalkpasttwoBritishofficers,portrayedinalltheirlanguidfastidiousness;theypassalongthecorridorsoftheabandonedUffizi,catchingaglimpseofthreeGermansoldierswhoslowlyadvancedeepdownonthestreet.Whentheyfinallyreachabullet-sweptstreetcorner,oneofthefewPartisansdefendingthispositionisfatallywounded.HiscomradesliquidatetwoFascistsonthespot.Beforedyinginthearmsofthenurse,thewoundedPartisansaysthatLupohasbeenkilledthatverymorning.“God,”saysthenurse.InthefifthepisodethreeAmericanchaplainsinsearchofshelterenteraremoteFranciscanmonasteryintheApenninesandareaccommodatedthereforthenight.Thenaiveunworldlinessofthemonksischaracterizedinscenesbornoutofrespectandhighlightedbyanimperceptiblesmile.NosoonerdothemonksfindoutthatoneoftheirguestsisaProtestantandtheotheraJewthantheyinvolvetheCatholicchaplaininasortofreligiousdisputation.Thesisstandsagainstthesis:theworriedmonksinsistthatthosetwolostsoulsmustbesaved,whiletheirurbanecoreligionistbelievesthemabletoattainastateofgraceoutsidetheChurch.Thisduelinpiousdialecticsisthemoreexquisitesincebattlesareragingintheneighborhood.Theendcomesasasurprise.ThezealousmonksimposeafastonthemselvesforthesakeoftheJewandtheProtestant,andtheCatholicchaplainpraisestheirhumility,insteadofreaffirminghisstandontolerance.Itisastrangeconclusion,somewhatreminiscentofthespiritualnoteinSilone’snovels.1ThelastepisodeisaterriblenightmareunfoldinginthemarshesofthePoValley,whereflatlandandskyfuseintoamonotonousuniverse.AsmallgroupofItalianPartisans,Britishflyers,andAmericanO.S.S.agentsengageinahopelesscombatactionbehindtheenemylines.YoudonotseetheGermansatfirst;youseeonlythecorpseofaPartisanfloatingacrossthewater.Thereedsarefilledwiththreats;unknowndangerslurkaroundthelonelyhousewhichinitsisolationdeepenstheimpressionofmonotony.Then,afteraneternityofunbearablesuspense,themassacretakesitscourse.Thepeopleinthehousearekilledindiscriminately,exceptforalittlechildwho,outsidethehouse,screamsandscreams,desertedbythedeadontheground.ThePartisans,boundhandandfoot,arethrownintothewater.ThehorrifiedEnglishandAmericanprisonersseethem,onebyone,disappear,unabletostoptheclockworkprocess.Anotherwitnessisleft:thePartisanleaderhangingbehindtheprisoners.“Thishappenedinthewinterof1944,”acommentatorsaysattheveryend.“Afewweekslater,springcametoItalyandthewarinEuropewasdeclaredover.”Alltheseepisodesrelatetheexperiencesofordinarypeopleinaworldwhichtendstothwarttheirnoblestefforts.ThedeadSiciliangirliscal-louslyslanderedbythosewhoshouldhavehonoredher;Francesca,thefreshRomangirl,turnsprostitute,andherdecentloversinksintoemo-tionalinertia.Itisthewarwhichdoomsthem.Yetitisnotalwaysthewar:inthecaseoftheNegro,hisfateresultsfromcircumstancesentirelyunconnectedwitheventsinItaly.Whatendearsthesepeopletousistheirinborndignity.Theyhavedignityinthesamewaythattheybreatheoreat.Throughoutthefilm,humanityappearsasaqualityofman’snature,assomethingthatexistsinhimindependentlyofhisidealsandcreeds.Rossellini’sPartisansneverrefertotheirpoliticalconvictions;rather,theyfightanddieinamatter-of-factway,becausetheyareastheyare.AndtheNegroissimplyahumanecreature,filledwithcompassion,loveofmusic,andQuixoticreveries.Thisemphasisontherealityofgoodnatureiscoupledwithamarkedindifferencetoideas.Ofcourse,theNazisappearashateful,butitseemstheyarehatedonlyfortheiractsofsavageryandtheirvulgarconduct.Alljudgmentsareconcernedwithhumandignity,andwhatgoesbeyonditiscompletelyomitted.ThereisinthewholefilmnotasingleverbalstatementagainstFascistrule,noranymessageinfavorofdemocracy,letaloneasocialrevolution.Andthesurfaceimpression,thatPaisanadvo-catespacifism,mustbedismissedalso,foritisscarcelycompatiblewiththeexperienceoftheCatholicchaplain,towhomthewarhasbeenagreatlessonintolerance.Thisdeliberatedisregardofall“causes,”includingthatofhumanity,canbeexplainedonlybyaprofoundskepticismabouttheireffects.Eventhemostpraiseworthycause,Paisanimplies,isboundtoentailfanaticism,corruption,andmisery,thusinterferingwiththefreeflowofagoodandmeaningfullife.Significantly,theSicilianpeasantsaresuspiciousofAmericanliberatorsandGermaninvadersalike;andtheRomanepisodebearsouttheirsuspicionsbyhighlightingthedemoraliza-tionwroughtupontheliberatedinlessthansixmonths.TheattitudebehindPaisanisinkeepingwiththefilm’sepisodicstruc-ture.Instringingtogethersixseparateepisodes,Rossellinimanifestshisbeliefintheindependenceofhumandignityfromanyoverarchingidea.Ifhumanitymaterializedonlyundertheguidanceofanidea,thenasingle,well-composedstorymightsuggestitselftoexpressthelatter’ssignificance(viz.Potemkin).Buthumanityisherepartandparcelofrealityandthere-foremustbetracedinvariousplaces.Thesixisolatedepisodesindicatethatstreaksofitarefoundeverywhere.SincePaisanconfinesitselftoreal-lifeexperiences,itsdocumentarystyleismostadequate.Thestyle,cultivatedbyD.W.Griffith,Flaherty,andtheRussianfilmdirectors,isgenuinelycinematic,foritgrowsoutoftheurge,inherentinthecamera,toexploretheworldoffacts.LikeEisensteinorFlaherty,Rossellinigoesthelimitincapturingreality.Heshootsonlocationandpreferslaymentoprofessionalactors.Andinsteadofworkingfromanelaboratescript,witheachdetailthoughtoutinadvance,heletshimselfbeinspiredbytheunforeseeablesituationsthatariseintheprocessoffilming.ThesetechniquesbecomevirtuesbecauseofRossellini’sinfatuationwithrealityandhisgiftfortranslatingitseverymanifestationintocin-ematicterms.Hemastershorrorscenesnolessexpertlythanmomentsoftenderness,andtheconfusedstreetcrowdisasneartohimasistheabandonedindividualinit.Hiscameraanglesandtwistsofactionowetheirexistencetosparksofintuitionignitedbytheclosesttouchwiththegivenmaterial.Anddirectedbyhim,mostpeopleplaythemselveswithoutseemingtoplayatall.Tobesure,Paisanhasitsweakspots:partsoftheSicilianepisodeareshotinslapdashfashion;theRomanlovestoryistoomuchofastory;thenurseandhercompanionintheFlorentineepisodearestrangelyflat;andtheCatholicchaplainisnotentirelytruetotype.Buttheseoccasionallapsesamounttolittlewithinafilmwhichsetsanewpatternindocumentarytreatment.ItswonderfulfreshnessresultsfromRossellini’sunflinchingdirectnessinformulatinghisparticularnotionofhumanity.Heknowswhathewantstosayandsaysitassimplyaspossible.Areexamplesneeded?Farfromcapitalizing,afterthemannerofTheLastChance[USA1945,dir.LeopoldLindtberg],onbilingualdialoguetoselltheideaofinternationalsolidarity,Paisanpresentstheminglingoflan-guagesinwartimeItalywithoutanypurpose.Intheopeningepisode,theconversationbetweentheSiciliangirlandtheAmericansoldierinchargeofherisalinguisticdabblingwhich,bornoutofthelatter’sboredomandloneliness,doesnotleaduptoanything.Yetpreciselybyrecordingtheirpointlessattemptsatmutualunderstandingwithinfinitecare,Rossellinimanagestomoveandfascinateus.Forintheprocessthesetwopeople,leftspeechlessbytheirmothertongues,increasinglyrevealwhatasaruleisburiedunderconventionalphrases.Eachepisodeaboundsinexamples.WhenthedrunkenG.I.tellstheRomanprostituteabouthisyearningforFrancesca,heisseenlyingonthecouch,withhislegsapartintheforeground—ashotwhichrendershisphysicaldisgustandmoraldisillusionmenttoperfection.Thoughlongshotsareordinarilylesscommunicativethancloseshots,Rossellinidrawsheavilyontheminthelastepisodetopicturethemarshes.Hedoessoonpurpose,fortheseshotsnotonlyconveytheimpressionofdesolatemonotony,but,throughtheirveryflatness,theymaketheensuingmas-sacreseemmoredreadful.AmodelofartisticintelligencearethestreetscenesintheNeapolitanepisode.Firstitisasiftheselooselyconnectedshotsofperformingjugglers,raggednatives,blackmarketingchildren,andidlingG.I.’swereinsertedonlyintheinterestoflocalcolor.Shortly,however,itbecomesevidentthattheyalsoservetocharacterizetheNegro.Ashereemergesfromthemarionettetheatre,hiscompanion,thewilyboywhodoesnotwanttolosehim,beginstoplayaharmonica;and,enticedbytheseheavenlysounds,theNegrofollowsthelittlePiedPiperthroughstreetsteemingwiththecrowdsanddiversionsthathavealreadybeenimpresseduponus.SoweareallthemorestruckbytheimpactofthetricklingharmonicamusicontheNegro.ThislastexamplewellillustratesthewayRosselliniorganizeshismate-rial.Thereisaveritablegulfbetweenhiseditingstyleandthe“montage”methodsusedinPotemkinandotherearlySovietfilms.ForRossellinideliberatelyturnshisbackonideas,whiletheRussianfilmdirectorsaimexclusivelyatdrivinghomeamessage.Paisandealswiththehumanassetsofordinarypeople;Eisenstein’sPotemkinshowsordinarypeopleweddedtothecauseofrevolution.AlleditingdevicesintheEisensteinfilmarecalculatednotonlytorenderahistoricuprising,buttorenderitinthelightofMarxistdoctrine.InPotemkin,thepriest’sface,besidesbeinghisface,standsforTsaristoppression,andthesailorsaremadetoappearasthevanguardoftheproletariat.NothingofthatkindoccursintheItalianfilm.Onthecontrary,Rossellinisocomposeshisnarrativethatweneverfeelchallengedtoseeksymbolicmeaningsinit.Suchinstancesofoppres-sionorhumanityasPaisanoffersarestrictlyindividualfactswhichdonotadmitofgeneralization.RossellinipatientlyobserveswhereEisen-steinardentlyconstructs.Thisaccountsforthethrillofafewshotswhichrepresentbordercases.IamthinkinginparticularofthedocumentaryshotofthethreeGermansoldiersintheFlorentineepisode.Reminiscent,perhapsdeliberatelyso,ofsimilarshotsinofficialNazidocumentaries,itisinsertedinsuchamannerthatitaffectsusasatruerevelationofGermanmilitarism.Theallusivenessofthisshotissufficientlystrongtodriveusbeyondtheboundsofimmediatereality,andyettoounobtrusivetomakeuslosecontactwithit.PaisanisallthemoreamazingasitdefiesthetraditionalpatternsoffilmmakinginItaly.TheItalianprewarscreenwascrowdedwithhistoricalextravaganzasandbeautifullyphotographeddramasthatdisplayedinflatedpassionsbeforedecorativesettings—alongprogressionofglossyproducts,ledbyd’Annunzio’sworld-famousCabiria,of1914.Takingadvantageoftheiraudience’slovefortheatrics,thesefilmsreflectedboththeglitterandthehollownessoftheregimeunderwhichtheyflourished....Itisafarcryfromd’AnnunziotoRossellini,fromthespectaculartothereal.ThesuddenemergenceofsuchafilmasPaisanindicatesthatmanyItaliansactuallyloathethegrand-stylemannerofthepastandallthatitimpliedinallegiancesandshambeliefs.TheyhavecometorealizethefutilityofMussolini’sconquestsandtheyseemnowdeterminedtodowithoutanymessagesandmissions—atleastforthemoment.AndthismomentisaprecariousonefortheItalians.Fascistrulehasended,thenewgovernmentisweak,andthecountryresoundswithinter-nalstrife.DuringthisinterregnumtheItaliansmightfeelcompletelylost,wereitnotforacompactculturalheritagewhichprotectsthemfromdis-integration.Theirsisanarticulatesenseofartandatestedwayofputtingupwiththetragediescommontomortals.Andundertheundiminishingspellofcustomtheyknowinglyenjoytheritesoflovemakingandthegratificationsoffamilylife.Nodoubt,theChurchhasplayeditspartinshapingandcivilizingthesepeoplethroughouttheages.ThattheyareawareofitperhapsaccountsforthesurpriseendingoftheMonasteryepisodeinPaisan—thatsceneinwhichtheAmericanchaplainbowstothereligiousardoroftheItalianmonks,thusdisavowingwhathehassaidabouttheinclusivenessoftruetoleranceshortlybefore.Hisdeliber-ateinconsistencycanbeconsideredatributetoItalianCatholicismanditshumanizingeffects.Italianeverydaylife,then,isrichinmeaningfuloutletsforallimagin-ableneedsanddesires.SotheItaliansdonotsinkintoavacuumwhentheyrefuse,astheyarenowdoing,toletthemselvesbepossessedwithideas.Evenwithoutideastheystillhavemuchtorelyupon.Andsincetheirkindofexistence,mellowandsweetasitis,haslongsincebecomesecondnaturetothem—somethingthatseemstothemasnaturalastheblueskyortheairtheybreathe—theymaywellbelievethattheirrepudiationofideasrelievestheirlivesofexcessbaggage.Whatremains,intheiropinion,ishumanity,pureandsimple.Andintheircase,asPaisandemonstrates,humanityassumesallthetraitsofself-sufficientreality.Thisisamirage,though,whichmayappearasmorethanamirageonlyataveryparticularmoment,suchastheItaliansarenowgoingthrough.Paisanisdelusiveinthatitvirtuallymakesthetriumphofhumanitydependentonaworldreleasedfromthestrainofideas,or“causes.”Wecannotfeelthisway.Asmattersstand,weknowhumanitywouldbeirre-trievablyboggeddownifitwereunsustainedbytheideasmankindbreedsindesperateattemptstoimproveitslot.Whatevertheirconsequences,theyholdoutapromisetous.Rossellini’sfilmdismissestheaudiencewithoutanysuchpromise.Butthisdoesnotinvalidateitspeculiargreatness.Andpreciselyinthesepostwaryearswiththeirtangleofobliqueslogansandpropagandaartifices,Paisancomestousasarevelationofthesteadyflowofhumanitybeneaththeturmoilofsheerideology.So,ifPaisandoesnotkindlehopes,yetitreassuresusoftheomnipresenceoftheirsources.原文出处：SiegfriedKracauerx27;sAmericanWritingsEssaysonFilmandPopularCulturePaisan(1948)P156本文版权归作者西嘻哈蛤所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。