自卫的艺术

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it? -- Nietzsche, The Gay Science

The film starts with our martyr whose name is Casey. Casey has been carpentering for a company diligently for 10 long years as a sensible accountant. But since he is in a surrealistic film, his coworkers deny him of everything. He is biologically alive but devoid of being-in-this-world. Even the narrator bullies him by expose to us his most private moment of musterbation. He is a slave, living in the antithesis, the denial of his own being-aliveness. Unable to act for himself, voluntarily disavowing all of his own liveliness. He lives his life as if his alivneess itself is a sin and a torment. And which is possibly due to an ancestor or his being tricked to bite a fruit.

He was crucified by four gangsters from Motorbike Ville. Life instinct kicks in. Resurrected on a hospital bed. He is reincarnated with the superpower of affirmation. Immediately he affirms his own life. He wants to be alive. He wants to protect himself. He doesn’t know how. The teller told him a hand-gun will do. Yes. The ultimate phallic signifier.

Affirming is, however, not easy. He bumped into a contender of his will of “to own a handgun” — it was the rule number 11 of the Karate Academy — “Guns are for the weak.” He acted like an orange peremptory bady. He stopped affirming his own life and began to affirm the reactive thought of “I am not weak.” He found himself a new passion. Yes, the Karate Academy will save him.

His protagonist sized life instinct propels him forward. After only two months of training, as a yellow belt, he defeated his brown-belt classmate. He is now ceremonially a real karate man.

But an antithesis can not exist by itself. It logically presupposes a thesis. And in our case the thesis is “Karate is for the strong” and it in turn presupposes the Karate Academy’s(the slogan giver’s) existence. His yellow belt is an amulet signifying the Academy. It empowers him. He can not affirm himself without it. He needs the academic affirmation to be a phallic-owning real man.

The Academy reels in, all of this is but the Sensei’s trap. The Sensei now demands our protagonist to serve him. Whatever Casey feels, whatever he wills, the Sensei overpowers him. He is again being bullied. Only this time with blood dripping down from his hand. He ceases to be a man, he is a tool willed by Sensei. He eventually ceases to be a human. The cost to be a real karate man is to give up his own life.

The acute memory of the Motorbike Ville woke him up. He wills again to be alive. He has learned his lesson. Using a pistol he killed the Sensei, took over the myth of the “index finger technique” which is the local phallic signifier in the academy and became the crowned king of a new dynasty.

The film ends here, and Nietzsche can only guide this far. There is no guarantee of a happily ever after. It's up to Casey to decide what to do next, and we have all seen how easy it was to fall into a trap. Our society is a web of traps weaved by those powerful but insecure people. “只能說當超人真的好難” said Jay.

Epilogue: Nietzsche the Nihilist. Nihilist, noun, “a person who believes that life is meaningless and rejects all religious and moral principles.” This can not be any further from the truth. The “nihilism” of Nietzsche is a two-fold formation. At its very core it a radical affirmation of one’s own life, of one’s own vitality, and of one’s own will to create personal values and to live by those values. It is in comparison to this stronger inner will to live that the outside laws seem afloat, hence can be rejected. This film is an excellent demonstration of the destructive potential of letting a social construct to take prior position over one’s own existence(Crusade, Fascism, Isis, to name a few in real life). And because of this rejection of all outside influences, this rejection of all fundamental law that can be used to judge one’s life, one’s life is then reciprocally said to be “meaningless.” The phrase “God is dead” should be followed by “long live the gods within.”

你今天的拳脚缺乏信心

Your kicks and punches lacked conviction today.

也许是我错了

Maybe I was wrong.

也许你还不够黄带的资格

Maybe you weren't ready to be a yellow belt.

不

你不该这么做你该维护自己

No. You're not supposed to do that. You're supposed to stand up for yourself.

可你说得对我今天一个板都没打破

But you're right though. I wasn't able to break a single board today.

为什么你就因此不再是黄带了呢

And that stops you from being a yellow belt how?

如果熊的森林着火了熊依然是熊

If a bear's forest catches on fire, the bear is still a bear.

即使一条船在海浪中倾覆

Even if a boat capsizes in rough seas

沉到了海底

and sinks to the bottom of the ocean

无人生还

with no survivors.

它也还是一条船

it is still a boat.

你至死都会是个黄带

You will be a yellow belt until you die,

除非你升为了绿带

or until you're a green belt.

那么你会

直是绿带直到你成为蓝带

And you'l be a green belt until you're a blue belt.

以此类推

And so on.

你知道我也教夜校

As you know, | teach a night class.

这是给你的邀请

This is your invitation.

我从不让黄带上这个课

I've never opened this class up to yellow belts before

但我给你破个例

but I'm gonna make an exception for you.

一是几点的课?-是在夜晚是夜校

-What time is the class? -It's at night. It's a night class.

我来不了

| don't think I can.

我不会逼你做什么但就像你的黄带一样

I won't make you do anything, but like the color of the belt,

这黑条纹是你应得的

you've earned this stripe.

这邀请将永远都是你的

This invitation, it will be yours forever.

你无视它不等于它就不存在

Just because you ignore it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

最近我想了很多

I've been thinking a lot lately,

关于在杀了你之后要对你说什么

about what I would say to you after I killed you.

我也不想以后再后悔我的选择

and | don't want to second-guess my choice later on,

我就把两句话都说了

So I'm going to say both.

第一句话你会说用枪会使我软弱

First, you would say that using this makes me a weak man,

的确如此

and without question, it does.

但我活着你却死了

But | am alive and you are dead,

所以我会说这使你软弱

so | would argue it makes you the weaker man.

第二句话是来自我曾看过的一部电影

The second thing I came up with is from a film I saw once.

我不按规矩来

I didn't play by the rules,

但从来都没什么规矩

but there never were any rules.

本来只想写个短评，但写着写着发现电影能表达的短评好像盖不下。。。

首先核心的自然是杰西的一指禅了，这一下忽然就回忆起夺宝奇兵里的经典GIF

夺宝奇兵

爆头完再对尸体BB真是个好习惯，多少反派死于话多。

本来影评应该就到这里了，但是另外一想，师傅其实也是死在自己由始至终准守的规矩上，其实在杰西跟他爆料的时候就可以直接秒杀，但是还是在道场进行对战，虽然一部分也是轻敌，但更多的是相信杰西跟他提出对战的规矩，包括之前在道场，蓝带上夜班断手，都是对于自己规矩的维护。

这里又提到了规矩，其实这里的道场就像一个小江湖，每个学生都有自己的站位，段位低的就要站在段位高的右侧，在杀狗男得到黑带的时候，红带的女主就要自然换位。包括十一条道场规矩，都是在维护这一个小江湖。一个有等级的江湖。

然而规矩却不一定是对的，这个道场的规矩都是师傅及大师对于强者的理解及自己认为对的事情，然后再把这些规则放上道理灌输给学生，用枪是弱者的表现，男人就要听重金属，女人不能拿黑带，所以把对的事情与片面的事情联系起来，就会给人一种这样做没错的感觉。就像即使学员看到师傅被杀，但是死于一指禅，就依然会准守规矩。

既然有了规矩，就需要能在规矩之内发泄的出口，否则准守规矩又有什么意义，晚上组队出去施暴就是这样一种方式，既能发泄，又能得到认可，腰带上的红圈正是一种区别的特权。其实这里就跟搏击俱乐部有一点相像了，都是在规则内充斥着荷尔蒙的暴力，而又认可这种暴力。

自卫的艺术

搏击俱乐部

其实这样看来这里的规矩何尝不是一种正确宣泄暴力的出口，段位来标定阶级。

我懂~

这电影不就是想说“性驱力”嘛

……

以前听过一耳朵，说人人都有攻击性，因为人人都要啪啪啪。

根据佛洛依德的性驱力理论，人活着就是为了繁衍。

而繁衍的本质就是攻击……你看啪啪啪就很像攻击。

谁在上，谁说了算。

很多妻管严，还真的都是女方在上嘞。

……

男性和男性之间的攻击更加赤裸，插个队都能动刀子。

为啥？因为表面上是打架，可潜意识里是在争取啪啪啪的决定权（谁赢了谁能啪）。

要知道生殖斗争永远是最激烈、最残酷的。

一旦输了，或者一旦陷入进去，人必然变态。

……

电影中的老师显然就是陷进去了。

他一味的强调攻击性，强调男性的生理特点。

你说教个空手道，也能搞出那么多基情四射的片段。

互相按摩放松的时候，男学员脱内裤TM熟练的让人心疼……

而面对唯一的女学员，不给升段位，让她去带小孩学员，还嫌弃她力气小，女学员被欺负了还把责任推到她身上。

各种标志性事件，不就是完全不相信女性也有攻击力嘛？

不就是认为女性只有被啪啪啪的选择嘛。

不就是完全没有试过女上位，所以不知道女人也可以很……对不对~

这哪儿是空手道班呀，这简直是猩猩笼子，谁鸡儿大谁说了算，没鸡儿的趁早滚蛋。

……

不过站在积极的角度来看，其实老师也有值得一夸的地方。

人人都有攻击性，但是——

有的人是向外攻击的。比如电影中的老师，和几个有台词的学生。

有的人，他是向内攻击的。比如咱们男主角。

这问题就大了，向内攻击往往就是就是过度的自我批评，过度的忍让，过度的焦虑。

长此以往，会导致抑郁倾向。

而如果真的抑郁症了，说不定还会走极端……你说说，你被人家气的都抑郁症了，最后不但没报仇，还自己跳楼了，那人家是不是大获全胜了？

所以虽然老师各种下作手段，但也真的帮助了男主角从向内攻击转变成了向外攻击。

所谓菩萨心肠，雷霆手段嘛。

很多时候你站在泳池边上，缺的就是有人从背后一推。

虽然老师推得确实狠了点，而且推到水里后还拿杆子杵你……

不过我们放开脑洞瞎想啊，要是他试过一次女上位，知道了女性也能有攻击性，会不会从此平等的对待男女学员，重新思考“暴力的价值”，从此收敛心性、渡人渡己，把空手道班办出那么点佛性出来嘞？

……

突然想到……你说啊，是不是脑子里只有“啪啪啪”的人，看什么都觉得是在说“啪啪啪”……我是不是过于猥琐了？

……

最后，有没有人能帮忙解答一下

老师家里的“焚屍炉”是个什么鬼？！

这东西本来是干嘛的？老美不会人人家里都有一个吧？

美式……锅炉房？

Casey刚开头就有种黑色幽默的感觉 杰西的肢体语言 偏暗的色调 低音弦乐器的节奏感 让人感觉莫名好笑

杰西怎么又是这种宅男 不得不说真的很适合他 这种角色 气质太搭了

跟狗狗抱歉“i am sorry 我不知道狗粮吃完了”天呐我太喜欢他了 好惨啊36岁 只有个小狗 还那么惨

音乐真的有意思 被一群摩托车追跑的那个镜头 人物居中 侧打 有一种戏剧化的感觉

越来跑的越快 想到了布达佩斯大饭店

杰西太适合社恐男了换衣服那简直就像是两个空间

俩人在打架 Casey在一旁格格不入 吗的 想到我练跆拳道的愚蠢样子了

这钢琴曲 配合练习片段 重复蒙太奇 然后放大

这感觉太好笑 有一种美感的暴力 还有一点可笑

拿到黄带窃喜那个表情演的太好笑了

看到杰西哭那我哈哈大笑 这个电影完全踩中了我的笑点太惨了哈哈哈哈哈哈哈

对男权讽刺的味儿太强了哈哈哈哈哈哈为什么要把蓝带的胳膊拧掉

后来整金属乐配合练习片段 到后半段就有点奇怪 有点黑色和暴力 角色转变的挺戏剧化的

论如何把一社恐人改造成恐怖分子

最后的转变太喜欢了 反男权到一定地步了

这个电影可以进入年度最爱 杰西 还是你牛

真的是从头笑到尾，除了剧作上有几点逻辑硬伤之外。

杰西埃森伯格演的娘炮，一颦一笑，一举一动，情不自禁的扭捏，弱鸡但又想证明自己的小骄傲，怯生生而又有点腹黑的语调，简直太入骨髓了！

我就喜欢这种非正常人的非正常生活，这种把戏剧矛盾冲突集中到一个点上的类型片！

那么硬伤何在呢？

在我看来，教练既然是暗夜飞车足带领徒弟四处欺负弱者的主谋，那么杰西在第一次看课时就应该被看出来，也就不会被教练一直鼓励自信，反而会被玩弄到死。

一贯会有流血死亡的道馆，教练的设备室就直接摆着焚化炉，这样处理尸体会不会有点太明目张胆了，这个地区的治安就那么随意吗？

既然杰西是个细致认真的会计员，教练还居然放心大胆地让他处理账目吗？就不怕自己那些黑账暴露无遗？太脑残了吧……

不过这些逻辑不自洽大多数是影片的后半段，为了反转和前后呼应硬接上的。而单看前半段的话，无论是节奏、表演、创意都可圈可点！杰西给大家买各种颜色的腰带这个点，确实是一个想法很多很细的小男人能够做得出的，扎心了，因为我身边就有这样一个朋友，他上楼梯的时候甚至会像动画片里的小公主那样把手翘起兰花指，展开于腰际去保持平衡，当他要回头时，也会闭上双眼，等头转到位后再睁开亮相。看到杰西精湛的演技，我总是能想到他。

电影的高潮部分：至死方休的徒手格斗仪式感满满却直接被一枪爆头，染满鲜血的“一指禅”，殴打死他家小狗的托马斯最后被大德牧咬死，最想得到黑带的安娜最终被杰西授带……所有的伏笔被相继引爆，炸出了拍案叫绝的嗨天劈地的小人物的大出一口恶气。

也许因为我曾经学跆拳道时，有和杰西一样的目的诉求，所以从头到尾看下来，一直很有带入感，让我移情很多。总之，很久没有这么一部爽片，让我一抒胸臆了！