白色物质

电影没有明示时代背景，但在《白色物质》里，跨过这块殖民地上的各种无法解决的历史冲突，显明的是生活里另一个密实存在，秘密实在而又很难公开遭遇的存在。更多是通过Marie N'Diaye的镜头——也许过分地带有呼吸感了，我以为对准的是那些历史之外的事物：它依附在那块土地上每一个表面，大气，植物作物，水以及对它们直截的接触。
　　　　
　　　　
玛利亚是在一个资本主义上升期确立信念的人物，她的父亲像是一个关键，给予她种植园甚至她存在的一切——如果这么说不算太严重的话。但在历史，传续中的种植园是它跌宕行进的一个小小平台，翻云覆雨手下没有什么是恒久的。玛利亚认可种植园——那种令人感动的劳作-收获的天经地义——其实是不认可历史跌宕。所以她的儿子受辱以后要去摆脱白色物质去加入未来；玛利亚在困境中和儿子一样加入了历史，可加入的是过去。她用大棒敲毙父亲——不管是为了自己信念的坍塌还是为了被父亲“谋杀”的孱头丈夫。在这里，历史或很有疑问了。
　　　　
　　　　
可能不同于小说，影片最后揭开个人历史因果时一下子变得含蓄抽象，那也许是因为摄影机无法记录事情太多。比如屠杀根本不是可以记录的——面对屠杀，你只有受死或反抗，此时摄影机何其虚伪呢。于是在这么抽象的镜头中，生存的具体困难必须抽象为必须的历史抉择，不过在此之前，风景已经通过Marie N'Diaye眼中的密实存在，不再教人去抉择。
　　　　
　　　　
美妙的场景之一是，或者唯一美妙的场景是，在劳作了一天的夜晚，玛利亚吃着简单的卤汁拌米饭闭目休息，而一直通过牙买加音乐为义/叛军宣扬正义的DJ忽然迷失在雷鬼音乐本身里。让我不避俗套地说一句：这如许一夜，是秘密而又实在的存在，一瞬历史外的人生。

Claris Denis’s most recent film White Material addresses various problematic issues of the postcolonial world. Set in an unnamed African country, the film portrays a brave, independent but irrational white woman, Maria Vial, and tracks her continuous effort to protect her family’s crumbling coffee plantation. Despite the dual threat coming from the local government and the rebels, Maria refuses to leave the country no matter how chaotic and dangerous the environment is. As the tension of the civil war heightens, Maria eventually feels the consequence of her stubborn decision. The film delivers some important messages about post colonialism, especially through its title—White Material. “White material”, which is also mentioned by the characters in the film several times, not only implies the current tragic status of Maria Vial, but also exposes the issues of what is called the era of neocolonialism.
Despite her effort to harvest the coffee, Maria Vial is not welcomed at her home. Everyone, from the government to her ex-husband Andre, urges her to leave the country as soon as possible. Nevertheless, she still regards her coffee plantation as her priority. By hiring new workers, training them, and even priming the backup generator after the power lines were cut, Maria shows her dedication. Unfortunately, all her effort falls short, and her determination does not earn any respect for herself. Rather, throughout the film, she has been placed under gunpoint several times, which forces her into a passive position. Even though Maria insists this is where she truly belongs, the people around her still show her hatred, and treat her as “white material”. To examine the reasons for this, we need to look past the surface. When Maria claims that she “…couldn’t get used to anywhere else,” one of the workers on her plantation says that the reason she does not want to leave is because “[she doesn’t] want anyone taking what [she] has” (1:18:16). Thus, even though Maria regards herself as a native, she has always been in the dominant position since her family owns the whole plantation, and anyone else simply works for her. She feels the need to stay here, not because she “loves” it, but because she thinks she “owns”, or “controls” it. Now the civil war breaks out and the natives can arm themselves, Maria is descended to “white material”, enabling the natives to revenge their long colonized history. One time, the radio reporter reports through the radio: “As for the white material, the party is over…they are getting out, and they are right to run scared” (32:42). Indeed, when the natives try to reclaim what belongs to them, they regard any “white” as a “white material”, and the “white materials” have to be kicked out of the lands.
Moreover, in most circumstances, “white material” holds the meaning of ‘material of whites’ in the film. For example, one rebel soldier claims that the gold-plated lighter they found in Vial’s plantation is “white material”, meaning he thinks the lighter is something that belongs to the whites (25:03). Blond hair is another significant symbol. The camera always gives close shot to Maria’s blond hair, symbolizing her difference from other people. Similarly, blond hair is also her son Manuel’s main barrier to being treated as natives. Thus, he cut his own hair in order to join the rebels (1:05:31). Moreover, the ‘white’s materials’ here are not only what belongs to the whites, but also what the natives want from the whites. It is worth noticing that the natives do not simply find out the white’s materials and then leave – they take them. Before insulting Manuel, the two rebel kids sneak into his house and steal stuff, including Maria’s necklace in Mandrel’s house (55:30); after the two kids cut Manuel’s hair, one of the kids carefully smells it, like he cherishes it as a treasure (57:52); the rebels kill the people who work in the pharmacy, and then chew the pills, without knowing what exactly the pills are (1:31:11). All these details demonstrate how the natives desire the “white’s material”.
There are further underlying messages beneath this single term. First, notice that the lighter has been passed from character to character, which signifies that not just one, but most of them are influenced by the ‘white’s material’. In addition, whenever the term is mentioned, it is in English rather than French. It exposes that, today, the former colonized areas are controlled not only by their former colonizers such as France physically, but by the whole ‘white’s world’ economically and politically. Indeed, in the era of neocolonialism, many developed countries, especially those former colonial powers, apply international economic arrangements with their former colonies in order to maintain colonial control by using practices of capitalism and globalization. As what the radio reporter says in the film: “Boxer is hiding out amidst foreigners who rips us off and use our land to grow mediocre coffee that we’d never drink” (1:20:14). To the natives, the “white material” bring ‘white’s material’ to their lands and make ‘white’s materials.’ The economy of those underdeveloped countries is highly distorted by those who influence them. They desire ‘white’s material,’ and they are influenced by ‘white’s material,’ but at the same time, they realize that they are controlled and they need to revolt at some point. Therefore, both Maria and the natives are victims, since this inequality will only bring chaos and conflict instead of peace.

Dream can be built in one's mind freely, also can be spreaded and hung on with one's spirit. But when the dream against the fact that cannot change, we should give up and hold the precious life, 'cause when everything is set up by humanity, you can recover your dream by your living, or you have to pay the suffering because of your stubbornness.....

不小心下的法国电影
还是没变，一样的拖沓
拖沓的主题都模糊了，于是乎就让观众自己总结
我知道自己在干什么
故事和任何一个革命时期的电影一样
反映了革命
可这很不够
对于非洲来说太不够了
对于一个在非洲的白种女人就愈加的不够
那些冲突都不是矛盾的核心
矛盾的核心还不如《血钻》深刻
这些枪从哪里来？
我至今都不明白这些孩子为什么没有强奸她
因为她太明显了
而强奸和轮奸正是非洲女性每天要面对的——
无论年龄
从安理会的5个常任理事国来

听说是反映了女性的坚强。但是这部电影实在是一般，拖沓，沉闷，简直是部烂片。
片中58分左右有男性的露点片段。
女主角不愿离开她的咖啡园，丈夫最后被杀，亲生儿子最后纵火烧了自己的房屋，女主角最后把丈夫的爸爸给棍棒杀死了。丈夫相好的的那个女人生的孩子也被杀了。
法国电影怎么老是给人很沉闷的感觉，换做好莱坞的团队来做，该是怎样的一番风景啊。