Wednesday, October 28, 2009

無底洞


無底洞
(The Abyss)

James Cameron
1989|Color|USA|170 min

播映時間與地點
10/31 (六) 20:30
蘇格貓底二手書咖啡屋




★1990年美國影藝學院奧斯卡金像獎最佳效果、最佳視覺效果



1945到1990年,因美、蘇兩國在政治、外交和軍事上的角力,使得這55年被世人稱為冷戰。《無底洞》(The Abyss)推出的年代就在冷戰末期,因此在今年清大夜貓子電影院的科幻影展裡,《無底洞》和《地球末日記》(The Day the Earth Stood Still)就形成了有趣的對比:後者是冷戰前期的科幻電影,未知生物來自太空;前者則是冷戰即將結束的科幻作品,不明生物則來自深淵。《地球末日記》是相對嚴肅又冷峻的電影,整部電影可說沒有絲毫冷場,與之相比,用夫妻回溫的愛情和深海恐懼症發作的軍人鋪陳的《無底洞》,其立場似乎就顯得有些尷尬。不過,這並不影響《無底洞》在電影史或特效史上的地位。

本次影展的主題為「接觸」,《無底洞》有著實質上的接觸,同時他也是新舊特效技術交替的銜接點。由於詹姆斯卡麥隆(James Cameron)拍攝了《無底洞》,利用電腦特效成功描摹出一種透明、像水一樣任意變化的外星生物,而這種技術則成就了他接下來可堪稱經典的電影《魔鬼終結者2》(Terminator 2: Judgment Day)。
詹姆斯卡麥隆對於海洋生物、物理學、太空科技甚至是漫畫都有相當的熱情,但是受到庫柏力克(Stanley Kubrick)《2001:太空漫遊》(2001: A Space Odyssey)的感召,他立志要成為電影導演。《無底洞》或許不是卡麥隆最優秀的作品,甚至和他前後兩部電影(《異型2》(Aliens)、《魔鬼終結者2》)相比,似乎也有些冗贅部分。但《無底洞》卻是了解卡麥隆這位導演相當好的入門,因為它幾乎囊括了卡麥隆熱愛的電影要素。
女強人、對未知科技或生物的恐懼、驚悚與災難、暴力與和平、溝通與理解,甚至是些許浪漫。雪歌妮薇佛(Sigourney Weaver)和琳達漢彌頓(Linda Hamilton)是卡麥隆鏡頭下最佳女強人代表,《無底洞》裡則有瑪麗伊莉莎白瑪斯楚湯妮奧(Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio)飾演的女工程師。當美國核子潛艇因不明原因沉沒於深淵,軍方對未知訊息的恐慌所衍生的過度臆測,差點導致核武危機。同樣的,困在深海裡的美軍,面對美麗但卻奇異的生物機械,直覺式地把對方視為蘇聯的高科技,並意圖用核彈毀滅。他們(美軍)從未思索過「溝通」,從未考慮過「接觸」和「了解」彼此,當誤會產生,災難亦隨之爆發。

雖然是老調重彈的「人類應該和平相處」,但《無底洞》在利用誤解和暴力衝突彰顯和平可貴的手法確實是比多數同類型電影來得有層次。故事緊連冷戰末期的社會氣氛,那是最緊繃也最讓人焦慮的時代,表面上美國雖然取得冷戰的勝利,但背後卻付出許多代價,特別是在政治、經濟、文化和教育上留下深刻的恐懼和消極的影響。也因此電影裡數次以身陷深淵的人們觀看即時新聞畫面來傳達真實與認知的落差。大戰或許一觸即發,事實真相卻被阻絕在深海裡,雖然艾德哈里斯(Ed Harris)最後的行為出發點是美國英雄式的犧牲,但導演反而用幽默、責任和愛情誤解的冰釋來刻劃深海裡的核彈危機,使電影多了分浪漫、少了分冷冽,也更貼近現實。

(撰文:章聿珩)

Bud (Ed Harris) and Lindsey (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) are a divorced couple engaged in deep-sea exploration work. They are forced to help the U.S. Navy find and rescue a nuclear submarine. Together with Lt. Hiram Coffey (Michael Biehn) and the U.S. Military, they dive deeply into the ocean. In the "abyss" where the sunrays cannot reach, the crew has become targets of attack. In adversity, the love between Bud and Lindsey slowly regain. The film director James Cameron found his idea through the Great Falls of Nicaragua, and 40% of the scenes in the movie were shot underwater. The grand style and stunning special effects are also found in Cameron's later work "Titanic".
"The Abyss" is actually an anti-war movie intended to raise environmental awareness but wrapped up with underwater expedition, military operations, and contact with the extraterrestrial. As with all of Cameron's sci-fi screenplays, behind the technology lies a distinctively human element. This enables "The Abyss", despite the extraterrestrial encounters, to approach the audience on their level and suck viewers into the film. The character of Coffey is a great obstacle character because he is losing his mind and is getting engulfed by paranoia to the point where he cannot trust anyone. The way Cameron uses Coffey to build up suspense is very effective and the culmination of it is one of the most frantic underwater chases ever be. Spectacular is the only word that comes to mind.
The movie takes the style of a disaster film in the beginning, then develops into marine adventures, and finally ends on a optimistic and humane note. The nearly three hours of viewing experience leads the audience continuously to new developments. Cameron directs the film with a sturdy pace, and adorned with its amazing special effects, "The Abyss" is a must-see for all movie connoisseurs.

(撰文:彭中嬿)

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