王姝
近年來,美國迪士尼出現(xiàn)了一批用真人電影翻拍原來的動畫經(jīng)典電影的趨勢,借助高超精湛的CG技術(shù),讓以往只能在動畫中呈現(xiàn)的神奇魔幻想像,在真人世界中活靈活現(xiàn)、栩栩如生。真實與虛幻的界限幾被模糊?!镀婊蒙帧菲狈看筚u,《美女與野獸》正在熱映。自杭州動漫節(jié)連續(xù)舉辦形成相當影響力以來,走在中國動畫前列的浙江動畫是否可以從以上現(xiàn)象中得到有益的啟示?
在動畫電影的早期競爭時代,迪士尼與其他動畫人截然相反,不是讓動畫人物來到真實世界搞笑逗樂,而是讓真人走進虛幻的動畫世界。這一策略不是迪士尼的刻意求新,正相反,它是迪士尼懷著一顆永不泯滅的童心,對于虛幻動畫世界的篤信。這讓迪士尼很快超越了其他動畫影人,雄踞動畫王國的第一寶座——相信自己才能成就自身。
1991年出品的迪士尼動畫電影《美女與野獸》,在當年就勇奪金球獎最佳音樂喜劇片,并成為奧斯卡歷史上唯一一部被提名為最佳影片的動畫電影。這個運用現(xiàn)代主義、女性主義對原版民間童話進行顛覆式改寫的動畫電影,無疑已經(jīng)成為“美女與野獸”主題的定型言說,也成為迪士尼動畫電影二次輝煌以來的巔峰之作。
苦于原創(chuàng)童話的匱乏,或曰想象力的枯竭,近年來迪士尼以真人電影的方式,大規(guī)模翻拍自己的動畫經(jīng)典,既有《沉睡魔咒》的大幅度改編,也有忠實于原作的《灰姑娘》《奇幻森林》,于今,更以超豪華的演員陣容,翻拍動畫史上的經(jīng)典之作《美女與野獸》。風頭正勁的大牌明星,曾飾演《哈利·波特》系列中赫敏的愛瑪·沃森出演Beauty,《唐頓莊園》中的“大表哥”丹·史蒂文斯出演Beast,還有盧克·埃文斯飾演反派加斯頓,伊萬·麥格雷戈配音燭臺盧米埃爾,伊恩·麥克萊恩配音時鐘科格斯沃思、艾瑪·湯普森是茶壺太太……光憑這演員表就已吸引足夠多的粉絲了,更何況原版動畫電影本身就有一批數(shù)量驚人的“死忠粉”。
但討好“原著黨”“死忠粉”絕非易事。以水靈靈、活潑潑,然終有瑕疵的真人翻拍一部動畫經(jīng)典的理由何在?留存在動畫迷想象中的“人設(shè)”豈非更具千人千面的美好?豪擲1.6億美元巨額投資的真人版《美女與野獸》精心制作,人物形象、服裝、化妝、道具都在忠于原作的基礎(chǔ)上,進行了大幅的提升。制片人大衛(wèi)·霍伯曼坦言:“最難的地方在于既還原動畫,又能有一定的創(chuàng)新性。有很多東西你在動畫中或許省略,但在電影中不能?!边@大概是現(xiàn)有技術(shù)條件下,以好萊塢工業(yè)模式,對真實與虛幻邊界的極限探索了吧。當平面二維動畫,以真人3D的形式栩栩如生地呈現(xiàn)在全畫幅屏幕上,那幾乎觸手可折的玫瑰花、魔云籠罩下的黑色城堡、幽暗深遠的森林小道、簌簌飄落的雪花,與出沒其間的群狼,具有極佳的3D景深和立體層次。高超的CG特效,使劇中燭臺、座鐘、衣柜、茶壺茶杯母子,還有新加入的鋼琴角色,擁有精致奢華的家具外表,又以生動的表情、動作展現(xiàn)出情態(tài)各異的鮮明性格。Be Our Guest承襲了原版動畫中的經(jīng)典場景,歌舞動作的形式感都一模一樣,卻比原版場景更為眩目奪人,營造了夢幻一般的效果,達到了視覺想象的極致。結(jié)尾時正邪雙方的城堡大戰(zhàn),更充滿了迪士尼式的卡通幽默。這些比真人主演更出彩的CG角色,模糊了真人電影與動畫電影的界限,是否更為符合迪士尼當初的心中壯志:把虛幻的動畫世界變成活生生的真實?
對動畫原版亦步亦趨,僅在技術(shù)與細節(jié)上打造恢宏壯麗、浪漫詩意的場景,而在故事內(nèi)容上,真人版《美女與野獸》未敢大動干戈,僅僅是補充了貝兒母親的故事,為父女相依的生活提供情感背景;配角跟班樂福對加斯頓的仰慕與依戀也被制片方拿來做宣傳的噱頭,實際觀影中極易被忽略。類似這些對故事細節(jié)的補充、豐富,只是輔線成分,遠不足以顛覆原著。這是否出于討好“原著黨”,還是受已經(jīng)高度固化、保守而缺乏創(chuàng)新的好萊塢電影工業(yè)所制?但無論如何,片中盛大而炫麗的視覺盛宴還是值得去感受的,至少,我們可忘記真實與虛幻的界限,重新陶醉于這個流傳至今的古老童話中。
(本文照片由達飛欴提供)
Fusion of the Real and the Unreal
By Wang Shu
In the early years of Disney, its animated films tell stories about humans, their romance and adventures. It wasnt a strategy for innovation. It reflected a belief in retelling human stories and making them into fantasies. This strategy boosted Disney to the best maker of animated films.
In 1991, , an animated musical romantic fantasy drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures, grabbed Academy awards. It was also the first animated film ever to be nominated for Best Picture. The adaptation of the original fairytale is a masterpiece with touches of modernism and feminism. It received rave reviews from critics and the general public. It is undoubtedly one of the greatest animated films. And it ushered in the second glorified period of Disney films.
Nowadays, however, Disney seems to be going in another direction. Some of its animated films now have action-live versions. in 2014 saw much modification. in 2015 basically did not change much from its animated version of 1950. in 2016 was a good remake of the namesake Disney animated movie of 1967. The ambition of the action-live version of the 1991 classic is understandable. The cast boasts big stars. The cast itself can attract a lot of film fans, not to mention the large following of the 1991 original film.
The 160-million-dollar film was an expensive recreation. It wasnt meant to be an exact reproduction. Some changes had to be introduced as the 2016 version features real people in real life. It is indeed an extravagance of dream colors and objects. Watching the storyline unfolds and spectacular scenes materialize and fade away, one finds it hard to tell where the real ends and where the unreal starts. The demarcation line between the two sides of the fantasy is fuzzy and uncertain. Probably thats exactly what Disney wanted to accomplish. For some filmgoers, it isnt as good as the animated version made in 1991. Is it simply because the 2016 version is meant to make the film as authentic as the original one? Or is it because Hollywood cant make a breakthrough? There may not be good answers. Nor is it important to ask questions and try to get answers. One can at least forget about questions and answers and allow the eyes to feast on the extravagant fantasy.