[FIELDWORK] HEAVEN ETERNAL, EARTH EVERLASTING. RUISHI FOUR-EYED WELL.

HEAVEN ETERNAL, EARTH EVERLASTING, DIR. FANGFANG LI(2009)           

Ruishi Four-eyed Well, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

The gun is sinking in the Ruishi four-eyed well. Scenes from Heaven Eternal, Earth Everlasting 2009, directed by Fangfang Li.

The movie is directed by Fangfang Li, who is good at using the lens language telling us the stories that happened on the two main characters, Xingchen and Mingyuan, in the background of the 80s. Many scenes are like pieces of art filled with the unique atmosphere of Hangzhou. The whole movie uses gloomy filters, so the frames are always in blue; I think it is a clue for the stories of the characters. The film is set near the West Lake-the landmark of Hangzhou, at Ruishi four-eyed well¹. They both were born at the start of the 80s and had been friends since they were young. Due to the family’s divorce, they lost connection until they met in the same high school again after more than ten years, and they fell in love. However, it was a turbulent time in the 80s; they were facing SARS along with their family tensions. Therefore their long-distance relationship was also facing a lot of challenges.

The first scene is when Mingyuan throws a gun at the well, but his foe discovers his action. The director uses a low-angle perspective with the particular intention of showing the surrounding environment and the wells. When I went there, I accidentally saw some residents are washing clothes there, which is quite interesting. In the movie, the following frame focuses on the name of the building, which is mentioned at the start of the film when he hits a foe and runs. Water pipes and electrical boxes now replace the label.

The residents are washing clothes. Photo credit: Liya Lin.

The name of the building behind. Scenes from Heaven Eternal, Earth Everlasting 2009, directed by Fangfang Li.

The next scene is when they are running away from punk through an alley towards the west lake, the exit is entirely open in the frame, and we can see a streetlight and the west lake in a large area. The overall ambiance is quite tense. In contrast, there is a door with a roof at the exit in reality, so that we only can see a small scale of the view of the outside. And the end of this alley is a temple, so the feeling of walking through it is comfortable and calm instead of the tension created in the film.

Left: Running along the alley. Scenes from Heaven Eternal, Earth Everlasting 2009, directed by Fangfang Li. Right: alley. Photo credit: Liya Lin.

For the first scene, I think the director purposely used that angle to mainly focus on the two characters, showing the fear and flurry of Mingyuan. She contrasts Mingyuan with that punk, contracts the lifeless well with actions of humanity. It’s also a bit like the view from another spectator in a hidden corner. All the primary information is included in one frame, the foe, the well with the gun, and the building with a familiar name to show, which creates a dramatic effect.

Above: The well with two characters. Scenes from Heaven Eternal, Earth Everlasting 2009, directed by Fangfang Li.

Below: The well and the building behind. Photo credit: Liya Lin.

The subsequent frames are unstable along the way to enhance the sense of tension and their running speed. The open exit, which shows the west lake is a clue for the following plot when they are on the bridge.

Overall, the two scenes mentioned above use contrasts and the motion of the lens to strengthen the characters’ emotions and enhance the audience’s sense of empathy at the same time.

 

— Liya Lin, 3035952018

 

Notes:

1 The name comes from the location of that four-eyed well. It is located inside the Ruishi Ting Community under the Ziyang Mountain.