的确,本片哲学韵味浓重,充满写意与诗性,而内容更是涉及非法外劳、同性恋、吸毒与躁狂抑郁症等驳杂的社会问题,但就我个人而言,最喜欢的两个段落都是与家庭、生死相关的场景:
第一,Uxbal终于下决心与分居的妻子复合,一家四口围着餐桌吃饭,Marambra用手指蘸着冰淇淋喂给孩子和自己吃。Uxbal本来正欲发火制止这种不卫生没有教养的吃法,却被妻子和儿女们的欢快所打动,遂一同享受这阖家美满的快乐。是啊,世间还有什么能比得上如此其乐融融的幸福一刻呢?在所剩无几的生命里,真想能体验更多愉悦的时刻,不知Uxbal弥留之际,脑海里闪过的对自己一生的回忆中,这样真挚美好的瞬间所占几何呢?
第二,Uxbal去世之前,大女儿终于得知真相,两人在卫生间相拥而泣,爸爸哽咽着说道:
“Look in my eyes. Look at my face. Remember me, please. Don't forget me, Ana. Don't forget me, my love, please. ”(看着我的眼睛。看着我。答应你会记住我。永远别忘了我,Ana。千万不要忘了我。)[2]
这一段临终前的对白,寥寥数言,让人无尽唏嘘。对女儿未来的担忧、对自己不得不与孩子永远告别的不舍与无奈、对尘世生活的留恋、对身后事尽皆成空个人价值归于虚无的愤懑,全在其中矣!同时,这个场景也让我想到《鸟人》中艾玛·斯通饰演的女儿Sam冲迈克尔·基顿饰演的父亲Riggan声嘶力竭的飚戏:
And let's face it, Dad, it's not for the sake of art. It's because you want to feel relevant again. Well, there's a whole world out there where people fight to be relevant every day. And you act like it doesn't even exist! Things are happening in a place that you willfully ignore, a place that has already forgotten you. I mean, who the fuck are you? You hate bloggers. You make fun of Twitter. You don't even have a Facebook page. You're the one who doesn't exist. You're doing this because you're scared to death, like the rest of us, that you don't matter. And you know what? You're right. You don't. It's not important. You're not important. Get used to it. “
(还有,让我们面对现实吧 爸...你做这个根本就不是为了艺术,你是为了再次出名!这个世界上每天都有人拼命想要成名!你假装这都不存在。这些事情发生在你无视的地方,一个人们已经遗忘你的地方!你说你他妈是谁啊?你讨厌博客,嘲笑微博。你甚至没有脸书!你才是那个没有存在感的人!你这样做因为你害怕像我们一样,屁都不是。
你知道吗? 你是对的! 你屁都不是!这不重要 好吗? 你不重要... 认命吧!)[3]
这两段对话都涉及到对存在感和个人价值的焦虑,只是Uxbal的忧虑更多局限于家庭(后代),指向身后名,由父亲本人说出,而Riggan的忧虑则扩展至社会(世界),指向生前事,由女儿替父亲点破。这也是两部影片在主题上的一个承接和对位之处。