靳嘉寧

【Abstract】Only when the original course and state of an object are interfered do the qualities of this object which we are customized to dawn on us and then we find the profound value embedded in it. This film describes in a reversed life journey from old to young， the kinship， life and death and value that are entwined with each other appear gradually clear in its nature. The crossing of time and space with moving long shot， seemingly natural yet profound dialogue and a story without ups and downs， all come to present slowly the original shape of life by means of what appears to be a desultory yet vivid narration. In Benjamins story， no matter it is his love with Daisy， the tie between he and his father or his own growth， there is a sense of tragedy in it. Benjamin has gone through this kind of pain with the slow passage of time. Never feeling extreme grief when encountering trouble nor overwhelmed by ecstasy， he， with such an attitude towards life， gives people nothing short of a sigh or a relief.

【Key words】the kinship； courtship； life and death； value

The story starts with a dying woman recalling her memories and his daughter responding curiously. His life is filled with distress， and helplessness when love fails life. Benjamin was born at the cost of his mother. His hideous look and withered body made his father regard him as a fiend， who abandoned him in the gerocomium. Though the smell of death waving in the air， he struggled to arouse the vitality and energy in his body， realizing the meaning of life. As the words in the firm says：“We are bound to lose our beloved ones， otherwise how can we realize how important they are.”

With several encounters of Benjamins life course with Daisys， the story started to unfold when the innocent girl first met the withered boy with an old mans face. The boy grew strong gradually as the time ticked away anticlockwise. As the miserable life course drifted away， he became a sailor living a homeless life traveling around the world. It had been a decade before Benjamin met Daisy again. At that time， Daisy became a graceful ballet dancer while Benjamin became an old man who couldnt accept her childish affection she showed to him， but only watched her delightful dance in the moonlight and left in the end. Like what is said in the film：“You can bark like a dog， complaining the things surround us；you can curse the unfair destiny；but you will let go of these grudges at the last moment of your life.” Several times when Benjamin met Daisy in their lifelong journey included when young Daisy was frivolous and when she was unconfident. Nevertheless， they indeed had experienced one time of happiness during their separate life. The birth of his daughters， however， forced him to leave them determinedly but leave them all the fortune since he couldnt bear to see Daisy taking care of two babies. He couldnt bear it， however， saying：“Early or late as it might be， it wont prevent you becoming the man you want to be. There is no limit to this process， you can start anytime you want， no matter it is to change or stay unchanged. The thing in its nature is free of bond. We can either do it well or mess it up. But I hope you will become the one you want to be at last， have time for you to appreciate the marveling world， experience what you have never experienced. I hope you can see points different from others. I hope you have a proud life. If it happens to be what seems different from your imagined life， I hope you will pluck up enough courage to set out again.”endprint

The last time when Daisy met Benjamin， only to find him was a child suffering from Alzheimers disease. This time marked the end of his tragic reversed life journey. The moment the aging Daisy held infant-like Benjamin， he seemed to glimpse a sudden spark of idea that both the attachment to life and the calmness of death transcended their definition we held on to， only to whispered lovingly， “good night， Daisy.”

The crossing time of their life is as short as a glimpse of a lightening. Though being through solitude， a sense of loss， risks and homelessness， he had been happy as there is a pure and happy courtship in the entire life.

Since our birth， we walk towards the ending as the time ticks away. No matter what manner you choose， or you are willing or not， you have to face it without complaint. In face of decades of ups and downs， what we need to do is to love vigorously， feel the coldness of the mortal world and the fluctuation of life path during which we have loved， missed， regretted and satisfied as well as continued with the unknown prospect. However， what we gradually experience and become convinced with is love enables a mortal to break the manacle of time. In a mans life， only love lasts forever！endprint