简介：JohnKrishfeltstronglyaboutcontemporarysociety'sgrowingindifferencetowardsitselderlypopulationandhadbeenlookingforanopportunitytoaddresstheissuethroughfilmforsometime.IfwithReturntoLife(1960),Krishwantedageneralaudiencetoappreciatehowitfeelstobearefugee,withIThinkTheyCallHimJohnhewantedanaudiencetofeelwhatitisliketobeoldandlonely.Butmorethanthis,hewantedto"makepeoplefeelguilty"-anapproachthatwasbecomingafamiliartraitofhiswork. ExtendingtheostensiblyobservationalmodeofdirectionthathehadhonedinReturntoLife,KrishinvitesviewerstoexperiencethenuancesofJohn'sdomesticexistencethroughlingeringandachinglybeautifulblackandwhiteshots.ThedirectorandphotographerDavidMuirwereinitiallyinartisticconflictoverKrish'swishforMuirtousea28mmlensinorderthatthreewallscouldbeincorporatedintoeveryshot,inducingtherequisitesenseofclaustrophobiaintheviewer;Muirwasconcernedthatawide-anglelenswouldmakeJohn'smodestflatlooktwiceaslarge,affordingthehumblelivingquartersadeceptivelypalatialaspect.Asitwas,Krishwonthebattleandinfacttheresultantmise-en-scèneintimatelyengagesus,tothepointofdiscomfort,withtheminutiaeoftheoldman'sworld. Thedomesticinsularityismomentarilyoffsetwithafewexteriorshotsofthebuilding,showinganimposingtowerblockofthetypethatbegantoproliferateinthe1960sasasolutiontowartimedevastationandplannedslumclearances.Atoncedenselypopulatedandimpersonal,thesemoderniststructureswouldbeidentifiedasconducivetoloneliness,andwidelyassociatedwiththebreakdownofoldcommunities. Thefilm'sapparentfly-on-the-wallstylebeliesverytightlyorchestratedaction.Krish'sdirectingmethodinvolvedcallingoutinstructionstohiselderlysubject:toaccommodatethis'puppet-master'technique,thefilmwasshotwithoutsound.AswewitnessJohnsleeping,shaving,eating,ironing,webecomeincreasinglymindfuloftwothings:hispastandthecontributionhemadetosocietyasaminer,soldierandgardener;andhisloss.Morethan'afilmaboutoldage',asKrishdescribedit,thisisanacutecontemplationonthestateoflonelinessinamodernworld.Thedignityandrespectthisanonymouscitizenisaffordedbythefilmmakersispalpablelongaftertheclosingcredits. KatyMcGahan 转载自：http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/1397291/index.html…