Calligraphy-style Movie Review: The Book Of Fish
書藝式映畵評論《玆山魚譜》
流放
最近我睇咗一片電影叫《玆山魚譜》，餘味無窮啊。雖然係個黑白片，但係有現今嘅感情同埋影藝認真高章。特別動心係文士丁若銓嘅流放經驗。我自己嘅莫名惆悵好似離開自身嘅流放，似喺遠地望住我嘅感情。黑山島係丁若銓終於從頭開始嘅新屋企，但係唔返到佢舊家。好似佢我祖宗嘅文化畀太平洋分開咗。怕我亦都唔可以返嚟，又怕黑山島照舊黑色嘅。後生仔昌大揾到佢自身喺布衣蔬食嘅生活，希望我會揾到我迷途嘅自身。嗰兩首漢詩畀丁若銓同佢細佬讀表達流放嘅感情好好，希望我可以表達依詩嘅感覺喺我嘅書藝。或者喺呢度黑山島變玆山島。
Exile
I watched the movie book of fish recently, and the impression it leaves is strong. Although it is a black and white movie, the feeling of the movie is quite modern and the cinematography is masterful. I was especially moved by the experience of exile portrayed by the scholar Jeong Yakjeon (丁若銓). My own feelings of depression are akin to being exiled from my own self, and looking at my old feelings and aspirations as if from a great distance. The Black Mountain Island was Jeong Yakjeon's new home, and he started a new life there, however he could not return to his former home. I too am separated from the culture of my ancestors by the great Pacific ocean. I fear that I too will never return, and that Black Mountain will remain black. The young man Changdae found himself in the simple life, and I hope that I will find my own lost self. The Chinese poetry recited by Jeong Yakjeon and his younger brother captured the feelings of exile well, and I hope to capture the feelings of the poetry in my calligraphy. Perhaps in calligraphy The Black Mountain Island will become This Mountain Island.
北風驅我來
行行遇海止
我兄風力猛
乃入滄溟裏
留妻作寡婦
別兒為孤子
方其入海時
曠然若自喜
The north wind carried me
Until I met the sea
A stronger wind took my brother
Into the deep dark ocean
The wife I left behind became a widow
The child I parted with became an orphan
Palpable was his joy
As he set sail into the unknown
茅店曉燈靑欲滅
起視明星慘將別
脈脈嘿嘿兩無言
強欲轉喉成鳴咽
黑山超超海連空
君胡為乎入此中
The country tavern lamplight, its last gleam smothers blue
Against the rosy fingers of dawn, as I wake to the moment of adieu
Only our eyes remain alert, but our mouths have lost their purpose
We clear our throats with effort, but all they offer is the silence of sorrow.
Black Mountain Island, with nothing but endless sky and sea
O Brother, how will you survive, at the end of the world?
