文/湯芷荷
首部中國科幻電影《流浪地球》 (2019年) 引起了中外影迷的熱烈討論。人們普遍認為, 這部電影的出現標誌著正宗中國科幻電影的誕生。作為一種全新的類型, 它表現出了與傳統好萊塢科幻電影不同的特點是什麼？我們可以從《流浪地球》和一部典型的好萊塢科幻電影《星際穿越》 (2014年) 的比較中得到答案。主要有三個區別, 包括工業設計、特徵和核心價值。
當好萊塢傳統科幻影迷第一次觀看《流浪地球》時, 他 (她) 可能會對視覺影響深感震驚。工業設計與以前的好萊塢風格完全不同, 後者採用拋光表面、光滑線條、高科技零件。相反, 整部電影充滿了屬於前蘇聯風格的工業物體, 就像在地面上運行的重型裝甲車, 配備加特林的動力外骨骼, 以及設計非常逼真的行星發動機。在星際時, 機器人 tars 給影迷留下了深刻的印象。作為一個來自未來世界的機器人, tars 由三根光滑的鋼筋組成, 展現了概念的審美風格。桑貞正指出, 工業設計是科幻電影的基石, 科幻電影是工業設計的催化劑。(sang, 2012)因此, 我們可以得出這樣的結論: 這兩部電影的工業設計是不同的, 但都與自己的產業發展有關。展示其獨特的前蘇聯風格, 而不是傳統的好萊塢風格, 也證明了《流浪地球》是一部純粹的中國科幻電影。這兩部電影在情節上有很多不同。在傳統的好萊塢科幻電影中，角色通常以積極的反饋作為行動。然而, 在《流浪地球》中, 救援隊經過危及生命的旅行抵達杭州時, 巖石巖漿已經淹沒了地下城的 3 5萬人。在他們到達蘇拉威西之前, 行星發動機剛剛修復。韓子昂是以救了一名救援隊隊員岡子的生命為代價, 但最終還是死了。除此之外, 與好萊塢科幻電影不同的是, 它更強調的是集體的力量, 而不是幾個英雄。在《流浪地球》中, 來自所有國家的人們為拯救地球而共同奮鬥;而在星際, 地球上的人卻被聯合政府拋棄, 最終被英雄庫珀救了出來。在興趣的選擇上還有一個區別。面對有限的資源, 好萊塢科幻電影將計算每個選擇的成本, 然後確保所有的資源都投資於最具成本效益的選擇。例如, 星際的聯合政府決定放棄地球, 用儘可能多的資源支持攜帶受精卵的宇宙飛船。相反, 在《流浪地球》中, 知道地球正在走向滅亡的道路上, 聯合政府仍然進行了飽和救援, 即使一切都可能白費。這些細節表明, 這部電影已經脫離了好萊塢的傳統常規, 開始創建自己的劇情體系。
通過以上分析, 我們可以發現這兩部電影的核心價值觀之間的差異。首先, 對於《流浪地球》來說, 它所表現出的對家庭的重視符合中國傳統文化的心理。"啊, 回家的債券, 我去!看到我的田野和花園雜草叢生, 為什麼不回家呢？陶淵明的詩描述了這樣一種對家庭的熱愛。這就是為什麼在這部中國科幻電影中, 我們選擇了帶著地球。至於以星際為代表的好萊塢科幻電影他們更關注人與人之間的關係，而不是周圍的環境。在這部電影的結尾，男主角和他的家人在一個空間站團聚。
其次，《流浪地球》傳達了強烈的集體主義意識。影片中的兩個主要演員展示了中國兒童典型的成長道路。「人類只有通過互動，才能使自己的感情和思想得到更新，開闊思想，發展自己的智力。」（2014年，託克維爾）在拯救地球生存的過程中，他們普遍意識到了作為集體成員的責任，完成了作為中國人的精神成熟。而在好萊塢科幻電影中，個人主義和對人權的尊重更受重視。聯合政府將宣布地球即將毀滅的秘密，如果被政府隱藏，可能會被英雄揭露出來。在他們的視野中，「讓你了解情況，做出自己的選擇」是最大的人文關懷。然而，「流浪地球」聯盟政府直到它到達羅氏極限的最後一刻才公布了這個消息，只是為了維持這個龐大但微小的星球上的希望和穩定。他們在人文關懷方面有很大的不同。
第三，科幻電影作為政治形態的產物，自然地表達了一種政治立場。在《流浪地球》中，世界各國人民團結一致，為全人類的未來而奮鬥，這與中國的全球合作發展觀是一致的。特別是中國航天員與俄羅斯航天員之間的鋼鐵般的友誼，也反映了中俄兩國的友好政治關係。而在《星際穿越》和同類好萊塢科幻電影中，美國人始終是拯救世界的英雄，反映了美國人對世界秩序的看法。
《流浪地球》和《星際穿越》都是科幻電影。通過對二者的比較，我們可以得出結論：與傳統好萊塢電影相比，前者具有獨特的敘事效果，具有鮮明的中國特色。我希望，中國科幻電影在保持自身風格的同時，能從好萊塢的優秀作品中汲取更多的營養。我希望科幻電影的發展會更好，繼續帶給人們視覺震撼和精神的思考。
（作者高中畢業於瀏陽一中，現就讀於香港中文大學（深圳）經管學院）
【附】
The comparison between The Wandering Earth and Interstellar
During the Spring Festival, the first Chinese science-fiction movie The Wandering Earth (2019) has aroused heated discussion among Chinese and foreign movie fans. It is generally recognized that the appearance of this movie marks the birth of authentic Chinese science-fiction movies. As a brand-new type, what features does it show that are different from traditional Hollywood science-fiction movies? We can get the answer form the comparison between The Wandering Earth and a typical Hollywood science-fiction movie Interstellar (2014). The main three differences include industrial design, characters and core values.
When a traditional Hollywood science-fiction movie fan first watch The wandering Earth, he or she may be deeply shocked by the visual impact. The industrial design completely differs from previous Hollywood style, which takes on polished surfaces, smooth lines, high technological parts. To the contrary, the whole movie is full of industrial objects that are belonging to the former Soviet Union style, like heavy armored vehicles running on the ground, powered exoskeleton armed with Gatlin as well as planet engines with a very realistic design. While in the Interstellar, the robot TARS left a deep impression on the movie fans. As a robot from the future world, TARS was made up of three smooth steel bars, which showed conceptual aesthetic style. SANG, Zhen pointed out that industrial design is the cornerstone of science-fiction movies, while science-fiction movies are the catalysts of industrial design. (SANG, 2012) Therefore, we can draw a conclusion that the industrial design in these two movies are different, but both connected to their own industry development. Showing its unique style of the former Soviet Union rather than tradition Hollywood style also proves that The Wandering Earth is a pure Chinese science-fiction movie.
There are many differences between these two movies in plot. In traditional Hollywood science-fiction movies, characters usually act with positive feedback. However, in The Wandering Earth, when the rescue team arrived at Hangzhou after a life-threatening travel, rock-magma has already flooded 350,000 people in the underground city. Before they get to Sulawesi, the planet engine has just been repaired. Han Zi』ang was saved at the cost of the life of a rescue team member Gang Zi, but dead in the end. Aside from this, unlike Hollywood science-fiction movies, it emphasizes more on the strength of collective, instead of several heroes. In The Wandering Earth, people from all the countries struggled together to save the earth; while in the Interstellar, people on the earth have been abandoned by Coalition Government, who were finally saved by the hero Cooper. There is one more difference in the choices of interest. Faced with limited resources, Hollywood science-fiction movies will calculate the cost of each choice, then make sure all the resources are invested in the most cost-effective choice. For example, Coalition Government in the Interstellar decided to give up the earth, and support the spaceships carrying fertilized eggs with as much resources as possible. Contrarily in The Wandering Earth, knowing the earth is on the way to perdition, Coalition Government still conducted saturated rescue, even if everything may turn out to be in vain. These details show that this movie has been out of traditional Hollywood routines, and begun to create its own plot system.
From the analysis above, we can find out the differences between core values of these two movies. Firstly, for The Wandering Earth, the emphasis it shows on home accords with the psychology of Chinese traditional culture. 「Ah, homeward bond I go! Why not go home, seeing that my field and garden with weeds are overgrown?」 (GONG & REN, 2005) Tao Yuanming ’s poem is describing such a love for home. That is why in this Chinese science-fiction movie, we chose to take the earth with us. As for the Hollywood science-fiction movies represented by Interstellar, they express more concern on the relationship between people instead of the environment around people. At the end of this movie, the hero reunites with his family at a space station.
Secondly, The Wandering Earth conveys a strong sense of collectivism. The two leading actors in the movie show the typical growth path of Chinese children. 「Man can only make his feelings and thoughts refresh, broaden his mind and develop his intelligence through interaction.」 (Tocqueville, 2014) Involved in a rescue of the earth’s survival, they generally realized their responsibility as a member of the collective, and completed their spiritual maturity as Chinese people. While in the Hollywood science-fiction movies, individualism and respect for human rights are valued more. Coalition Government will choose to announce the secret that the earth is about to perish, which may be revealed by the hero if concealed by the government. Within their vision, 「let you know the situation and make your own choice」 is the greatest humanistic concern. However, Coalition Government in The Wandering Earth withheld the news until the last moment that it reached the Roche limit, only to maintain hope and stability on this huge but tiny planet. They differ a lot in the aspect of humanistic concern.
Thirdly, as productions of political formation, science-fiction movies naturally express a political position. In The Wandering Earth, people all over the world unite as one to fight for the future of all mankind, which corresponds to China’s development concept of global cooperation. Especially the steel friendship between Chinese astronauts and Russian astronauts also reflects the friendly political relations between China and Russia. While in Interstellar and the same kind of Hollywood science-fiction movies, American are always the hero to save the world, reflecting the American conception of world order.
The Wandering Earth and Interstellar are both fantastic science-fiction movies. Through the comparison between them, we can conclude that with special effects compare favorably with traditional Hollywood movies, the former one has brilliantly narrated its own special Chinese story. I hope that while maintaining its own style, Chinese science-fiction movies can draw more nutrition from excellent works of the Hollywood. I hope that the development of science-fiction movies will be better and continue to bring people visual shocking and spiritual thinking.
Reference
GONG, A., & REN, F. (2005, 10). On Lin Yutang's View of Translation: A Case Study of Tao Yuanming's English Translation of Ah! Homeward bond I go! Journal of Nanchang Institute of Aeronautical Technology（Social Science Edition), pp. 76-79.
SANG, Z. (2012, 9). On "Science Fiction Film-Industrial Design Community". Movie Literature, pp. 44-45.
Tocqueville, A. D. (2014). Democracy in America. Central Compilation&Translation Press .
[責編:康希玥]