Birdman (II)
文 / 本·肯德裡克 譯 / 陳天怡 審訂 / 範白泉
By Ben Kendrick
Iñárritu doesn’t just toy with these ideas in premise and dialogue alone. The filmmaker enlisted the help of academy award-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity) to ensure that the entire production, like its protagonist, took risks. Together Iñárritu and Lubezki make ambitious use of a Broadway theater stage – employing every square inch of the building to give the impression that most of Birdman was filmed in one continuous take (albeit with a few time lapse shots). While there are some noticeable breaks, the result is still a significant achievement, one that cinephiles will be dissecting for years to come – as the interconnectivity also highlights great performances and heightens emotional tension.
伊尼亞裡圖並不只是在假設和對白中隨意擺弄這些理念。在因掌鏡《地心引力》獲得奧斯卡最佳攝影獎的艾曼努爾·盧貝茲基的幫助下，伊尼亞裡圖確保整部影片和其男主角一樣，展開了大膽的冒險。兩人充分利用百老匯的一家劇院舞臺：將這棟建築的角角落落都展現在鏡頭中，使觀眾感覺該片大多是用一個連續長鏡頭拍攝完成的，有時間跨度的若干片段除外。雖然出現了幾處明顯的截斷，整體效果仍然十分驚人，這一斐然成就會讓電影愛好者細細琢磨好幾年，而這種連貫性既烘託了演員的精彩表演，又增加了情感的張力。
Still, this isn’t to say that the film tricks audiences into investing in the Birdman characters with a flashy gimmick. The main cast is incredibly strong and every single member receives a moment (or more) to shine. Keaton leads the ensemble with a performance that, without question, is made all the more interesting given his own experience as a former A-list superhero actor. Though, awareness of his career only adds intriguing subtext – because Keaton’s sincerity and talent are the true foundation for his memorable (and outright captivating) turn as Thomson. The actor has enjoyed a long career, and several iconic roles, but Birdman features some of his most powerful and persuading work to date.
但是，這並不是說影片是利用虛華的拍攝噱頭將觀眾騙進影院觀看《鳥人》眾生相。該片的主演陣容十分強大，而且每一位都有至少一個熠熠生輝的時刻。領銜主演基頓曾出演超級英雄的輝煌經歷無疑為影片增色不少。不過，了解他的演藝生涯只是添加了讓人感興趣的片外之意，因為基頓的真誠和才華才是他飾演的湯姆森如此令人難忘且魅力四射的根本原因。基頓已從藝多年，塑造了數個頗具代表性的角色，但《鳥人》是他迄今最具影響力和感染力的傑作之一。
Similarly, fellow superhero movie alums Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk) and Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man) are both afforded rich and complex characters to unpack. In a standard story of competing egos, Norton’s Mike Shiner would be a shallow and vapid caricature – included to butt heads with the story’s underdog lead. However, Norton and Iñárritu portray Shiner as a fractured sage – an accomplished stage actor who is more comfortable embodying characters than he is in his own skin. The role is an especially fun departure for Norton – supplying the actor with some genuinely brazen scenes and a thoughtful platform to reflect on his own craft. Sam isn’t as much of a stretch for Stone but the actress succeeds in playing-off a supporting cast of Hollywood veterans and absolutely shines in an especially biting monologue – performed in a single take.
也曾出演過超級英雄電影的愛德華·諾頓（《無敵浩克》）和艾瑪·斯通（《超凡蜘蛛俠》）同樣在片中詮釋了豐滿而複雜的角色。在通常描述自負人物爭鬥的故事中，諾頓飾演的麥克·夏納會是個淺薄而乏味的漫畫式人物，加入這個角色，為的是能與身處劣勢的主角產生激烈的戲劇衝突。然而，在伊尼亞裡圖的鏡頭前，諾頓勾勒出一個殘缺的哲人夏納——作為舞臺劇演員頗有成就，能遊刃有餘地演繹不同角色，現實中卻不知如何展現真實的自我。這樣的角色對於諾頓而言是個格外有趣的挑戰，有些戲可以表現得厚顏無恥，還有機會深刻反思自己的表演。薩姆一角對於斯通而言相對簡單，但她的配角發揮毫不遜色，為好萊塢的老戲骨們成功搭戲，並奉獻了一段精彩絕倫的尖刻獨白——而且整個鏡頭一氣呵成。
Zach Galifianakis, Lindsay Duncan, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, and Naomi Watts are also prominently featured. Each one provides a quality performance and sharp commentary on key themes in the film (and Carver short story) – most notably by reflecting different aspirations for acceptance and love. Nevertheless, while the first two acts of the film dedicate a significant amount of time to Birdman’s side characters, by the third act most of the players are little more than window dressing – as Thomson becomes firmly rooted in the spotlight. To that end, the cast serves its primary function but a few interesting storylines are left somewhat unresolved – which might irk moviegoers who were intrigued by the director’s initial world-building.
此外，扎克·加利費安納基斯、林賽·鄧肯、安德麗亞·瑞斯波羅格、艾米·萊安和娜奧米·沃茨也在片中扮演了重要角色，每一位都奉上了高品質的表演，表達了對影片主旨及卡佛短篇小說的犀利洞見——特別是每個角色都反映了對接納和愛的不同渴求。不過，在影片前兩幕佔據了相當分量的配角們，隨著第三幕聚光燈牢牢鎖定湯姆森，大多幾乎都成了擺設。就此而言，所有角色都發揮了最基本的作用，但仍有幾條有趣的情節線沒有交代清楚，被導演最初構想所吸引的觀眾可能會感到意猶未盡。
Iñárritu has produced an arresting tale of love and art in a time of viral videos【9】 and celebrity gossip columns but, in spite of the film’s achievements, Birdman is not going to be for everyone. Potential viewers who are hoping for a lighthearted riff on comic book movie culture – where Keaton suits up (again) for action will probably be surprised, and possibly put-off by Iñárritu’s contemplative and layered black dramedy【10】. Nevertheless, those open to the film’s experimental style will find Birdman provides a thought-provoking and inventive exploration of artistry, family, the difference between power, popularity, and prestige – not to mention what we talk about when we talk about love.
在廣泛傳播的視頻和名人八卦專欄泛濫的時代，伊尼亞裡圖製作了一部有關愛與藝術的引人入勝的作品，但是，《鳥人》雖然成功，卻不會符合所有人的口味。如果有人把該片想像成一部抨擊漫畫電影改編文化的輕鬆喜劇，期待看到基頓再次化身「鳥人」大展身手，那他們很可能會感到驚訝，甚至覺得這部深沉嚴肅、內涵豐富的黑色正喜劇有些無聊。反之，接受該片實驗風格的觀眾會發現，《鳥人》是以新穎的手法耐人尋味地深入探討了表演藝術、家庭，以及影響力、人氣和聲望三者的區別——當然還有：當我們談論愛情時，我們在談論什麼。
注釋：
9. viral video：藉助電子郵件、視頻博客和 YouTube 這樣的視頻託管網站在網際網路上大面積傳播的視頻，通常十分詼諧幽默，除了一些精彩的原創劇本，還包括為數眾多的改編作品，如對知名視頻片段的戲謔模仿或某部影視作品的巧妙改造。
10.融合了嚴肅和幽默成分的喜劇。
（譯者單位：英國巴斯大學）
選自《英語世界》2015年第3期
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