2005年1月,导演琳恩·露森远赴雪梨歌剧院为一场名为“Came So Far For Beauty”演唱会进行拍摄,为了向李欧纳致敬,Nick Cave及多位知名艺人共同参与了这场盛大的表演,并由知名音乐制作人Hal Willner担任总监。本片可说是首次对李欧纳这位音乐界的巨擘进行零距离接触、最赤裸的深入访谈,从李欧纳的诗作、小说等作品,甚至他的绘画创作及相片收藏等,透过难能可贵的访问和李欧纳亲身的自述,见识他独特的魅力所在。除了许多珍贵画面之外,亦收录了许多歌手如U2乐团主唱Bono、70年代末独立音乐领导者Nick Cave、Rufus Wainwright等众多知名艺人精采绝伦的演出画面,重量级的卡司肯定让人惊艳不断。
长篇影评
1 ) FW:I'm Your Man
这部影片以2005年向Leonard Cohen致敬的演唱会为主线,穿插参与演出歌手的采访,与Leonard Cohen本人的回忆访谈,还有旧日的照片、影像。这些歌手包括Nick Cave、U2、Rufus Wainwright与妹妹Martha Wainwright等等。 Nick Cave以《I'm Your Man》出场,我稍稍失望,这个我非常喜欢的歌手,仿佛沉浸在Cohen的影子中,而Cohen是无法超越的。影片中间,当他再次唱起《Suzanne》,则让我完全改观,那才是Nick Cave应该有的样子。比较Nick Cave与Leonard Cohen,你会发现两人都来自中产家庭,却都颓废至极,同时拥有诗人与歌者的头衔,孤独地唱着关于生命的忧伤曲调。还有一点相似,两人年轻时均放浪不羁,中年后却各自在宗教中找到清教徒般的平静。 哦,与我同岁的Rufus Wainwright,我爱上他了。第一首出场时演唱的《Everbody Knows》让我惊艳到口水都兜不住了。这个年轻人,竟然可以那么独到地演绎Cohen的作品,轻松,随意,却同样有着感动人的力量。他出现过好几次,有一次是与妹妹一起演唱,动听到难以想像。我决定让他当我的新偶像,不知道他愿不愿意。 《Chelsea Hotel》也是由Rufus演唱,与Cohen是那么不一样,这才是真正意义上的翻唱,完全脱离了原唱者的影子。这首歌得到Cohen本人的欣赏,他在介绍这首歌的创作背景时说:“我从没那么轻率过,我竟然对一个记者说,这首歌写给JanisJoplin,真是魔鬼上身,我居然那么差劲。不过他们不会在意,我母亲才会。” 这首歌创作于纽约,已经成名的Cohen到这里寻找更远大的梦想,就住在这家旅馆。歌词是这么翻译的:“我清楚记得在Chelsea Hotel的你,你说话大胆而甜蜜,与我在小床上缠绵,让豪华礼车在外等候。因为那些原因,也因为在纽约,我们追求金钱与肉体,那就是人们在歌里说的爱吧。或许对离开的人来说依旧是,然而你却走了,不是吗宝贝?你在人群中转身离我而去,你走了,我从未听你说过一次,我需要你,我不需要你,和那些甜言蜜语。我并不是说我最爱你,我无法记住每首华丽乐章,我清楚记得在Chelsea Hotel的你,就这样,我甚至不常想起你……” Cohen在1967年(四十年前)首次开口唱歌之前,就已经是著名的诗人与作家。他写的《Beautiful losers》曾经出过中译版,可能是在台湾吧,竟然因此错过。他在影片中读到他为中文读者写的序:“……在我看来你的兴趣,是颇为鲁莽却相当感人的慷慨。《美丽失败者》是在户外写的,在石头、杂草与雏菊间的桌子上,在爱琴海,海德拉岛上我家后院,多年前我住在那里。那是个炽热的夏天,在那里我从未遮阳,所以在你手中的不是一本书,而是一种中暑的症状。亲爱的读者,如果我浪费了你的时间,请原谅我。” 一个有太多理由骄傲的人,却不断地谦逊与感谢,是个有魅力的老人啊。但我不能听他唱歌,每次听必然掉泪,今天也是如此。 影片最后,是Cohen与U2合作的《Tower of Song》,真好听啊。很难想像U2的乐手们为Cohen伴奏,而Bono则谦虚地为老头唱合音。歌声结束,Bono第一个开始鼓掌,慢镜头播放着老头的微笑,如此沧桑的脸上满是平静与喜悦。 旁边是Cohen的独白:“我有诗人的头衔,或许我曾经是个诗人,也被好心地冠上歌手的头衔,虽然我连歌都唱不好;我当了很多年的和尚,我削发穿僧袍,每天起个大早;我恨所有人,却表现得很宽容,没人发现这一点;我的大情人名号是个笑话,它让我苦笑着,度过一万个孤独的夜晚。” Bono则说:“他真的是个奇才,尽管他对民主或未来很悲观,你还是能感受到他真实的美;他在黑暗中创造美,他在黑暗里发现美丽的色彩;他让你觉得,他不在意等待,他会等待上帝从门前走过;等待对的诗句,等待对的音韵,等待最精准的见解;他谦卑地认为,自己没什么了不起,但对我们这些死忠的追随者来说,就连他扔掉不要的作品,我们都望尘莫及。” Leonard Cohen版的《I'm Your Man》响起,那是我永远也不希望忘记的声音,一个老男人的声音。我想,如果不小心错过了Leonard Cohen,我会为那样的自己感到悲哀。 如果能够抚摸他刀刻般的脸庞,独自听他朗诵一段诗,或者唱半首情歌,我是否愿意用余生来交换呢?
2005年一月,雪梨歌剧院举办了向Leonard Cohen致敬的演唱会Came So Far For Beauty。以Cohen的歌为名,一唱就是三个晚上。参与艺人包括了Rufus Wainwright、Nick Cave、Beth Orton、Jarvis Cocker与Antony等人。
导演Lian Lunson以商业广告与音乐录影带起家,曾替美国公共电视台拍摄过乡村歌手Willie Nelson的纪录片,对此类题材并不陌生。她将澳洲的演唱会实况带回Cohen的现居地加州,请Cohen过目。看完后很是喜欢,Cohen便欣然接受了Lunson的后续访谈。于是导演拾起摄影机,走入Cohen家门,进行了一对一的深度对话。结果就是I'm Your Man,一部混合了演唱会实况、乐手发言与酌量历史影像的音乐纪录片。既幽默又隽永的Cohen自白贯穿全局,成为电影的灵魂。
I'm Your Man以录制于纽约的小型演出做结,Cohen表演了名曲Tower of Song,替他伴奏的乐队是U2。除了群星表演甚具看头,乐手访谈也多半有趣。Rufus Wainwright谈起了第一次与Cohen见面的情形。Cohen当天穿著内衣煮著荞麦麵,与公众形象截然不同。直至换上了亚曼尼西装重回大厅,Wainwright才意识到传奇人物就在身边。Nick Cave则忆起了少年时聆听Cohen专辑Songs of Love and Hate的兴奋感,他瞬间觉得自己成了地球上最酷的人。Bono与The Edge则献给Cohen最虔诚的讚誉。
I'm Your Man让我联想起年初欣赏的Too Tough To Die,一部向经典庞克乐队Ramones吉他手Johnny Ramone致敬的纪录片。两者的处理手法如出一辙。以致敬演唱会为起点,佐上表演乐手与主角本身的访谈。由于表演实况佔了过半的电影内容,与其说这是乐手传记片,不如说是折衷后的演唱会电影。两部片都出自优秀的女导演之手,主角也都恰巧缺席了星光闪烁的致敬演出。
纵使I'm Your Man与Too Tough To Die拥有如此高的同质性,致敬的对象却是摇滚光谱的两极。Johnny Ramone已于2004年过世,时年五十五岁。七十二岁的Leonard Cohen依旧写歌、写诗,虽于九零中期转行当和尚去了,所幸下山后功力仍在。Johnny Ramone产自纽约皇后区,是顽固强悍的死硬派蓝领青年。浓浓的街头硬汉气质藏都藏不住。他只留一种髮型、穿同一款T-Shirt与同一条牛仔裤。邋遢就是他的识别标志,他也引以为傲。要他穿上衬衫等于取他性命。
Leonard Cohen是翩翩绅士的代名词。家境优渥,成名甚早,一辈子不愁吃穿。他能随心所欲地旅行于欧洲与加拿大,享受生命的同时不必担心街头混混的找碴,也不需逞凶斗狠便能姿态优雅地存活。穿在身上的多半是用料高档的名牌西装,与牛仔裤完全不对盘。他浪漫、纤细、善感而多情,是六零年代波西米亚族的完美体现。
I was excited this afternoon when I walked past the theatre and found Leonard Cohen's "I'm your man" was finally playing here. I spent the afternoon studying in the coffee shop next door. At dusk, when I came outside for another cigarette I saw audiences lining up outside the theatre for the movie. NONE of them was below 50. I'm dead serious. no one. And there weren't many ppl actually, there was a line only because everyone was moving so incredibly slowly. I felt a lethal blow to my self-image. This is the movie I was getting excited about. I told my friend about this and she said, "no, when I saw it in DC there are many younger guys there." I said ok, then she added, "although they are all gay."
At 9:30pm when the light dimmed the audience consisted three old couples, a nerdy mid-age man who looked like a series killer in desperate need of a bath, and me. I coughed and I heard echo in the theatre. The movie opened with Cohen's own redition of "Waiting for a Miracle", then followed by "I'm your man" by Nick Drake. As much as I like Nick Drake he's not the right person for this song, he doesn't have the suave, brazenness or desperation for it to work.
Or I'd crawl to you baby And I'd fall at your feet And I'd howl at your beauty Like a dog in heat And I'd claw at your heart And I'd tear at your sheet I'd say please, please
It's just wrong, for these words to come out of his mouth. But "the Traitor" by Martha Wainwright was when it started to get me. I took off my glasses, buried my face in my hand and let the shivers filter thru me like repeated electric shock. I probably missed half of the moive by immersing myself in the songs with my eyes closed. When it came to "If it be your will" by Antony I found warm tears filled up my eyes. It's definately a good idea to come alone, it's not good for my self-esteem for anyone to witness that. I never knew Teddy Thompson can be so sensual:
You kept right on loving, I went on a fast, now I am too thin and your love is too vast. But I know from your eyes and I know from your smile that tonight will be fine, will be fine, will be fine, will be fine for a while.
But Bono bugged me thru-out, being utterly pretentious and stupid making those all-too-obvious comments.
I like how he talked about as poets they used to feel like "unacknowledged legislators"; how he shaved his head and wore robe everyday, and got up really early every monring hating everyone but faked pleasantness all day when he was a monk, and his last comment: "To say I am a ladies' man is a joke, which makes me laugh bitterly thru the thousands of night I spent alone."
---
After dark it started to rain, augmented into a downpour, and eventually faded into midnight drizzling. The smell of deep fall permeates in the air. I went downstairs for a cigarette with earphone and Corona in hand. I listened to Coldplay's "Scientist" again. I first heard this song a year ago. Coldplay in general is too slow and melodramatic for me but I like this particular song. The lyrics of this song didn't even make sense to me, a former and failed scientist, but I liked the flow. Standing in the chilly midnight air and listening to this song again after forgetting about it for quite a while, I was reminded of the memorable time a year ago. Saturday games, random drinking party ended in profusive vomiting and suicidal depression, and the nose dive into 1L life dazed and confused, but nonetheless utterly unfazed. I remembered I was relatively happy but hopelessly lonely.
Which reminds me of Leonard Cohen's last comment in his movie, "To say I'm a ladies' man is a joke, which makes me laugh bitterly thru they thousands of nights I spent alone." Now what is it that makes him feel lonely? He's an established poet/singer, enjoyed widely-spread fame, for a while at least. Compared with most poets and singers/song writers he had a glamorous life, so I wouldn't imagine getting laid being a problem for him. He even wrote in his song about how Janis Joplin gave him a head on the army bed for god's sake. So why is he still lonely. Cause I think he asked for it. Self-pitty is like a second nature for writers. The unsatiable loneliness feeds on his sexual frustration and he lives off it for inspiration. It's a very sickling relationship and it's even not clear who's the host and who's the parasite.
I have to quote the great Lester Bangs, my favorite line of his in "Almost Famous": ("us" here refers to Rock journalist) They make you feel cool. And hey. I met you. You are not "cool." That's because we are uncool! And while women will always be a problem for guys like us, most of the great art in the world is about that very problem. Good-looking people have no spine! Their art never lasts! They get the girls, but we're smarter.
--
While the song "I'm your man" always gives me the image of an older man falling in love with a much younger woman. She's exuberant with life, elegant, maybe even beautiful, and with the nonchalance beautiful girls usually have. He can't really hope to get anything in return even in his wildest dreams, all he can do is offer himself, as a sacrifice, to perish for a cause.
The very first stanza is a perfection demonstration of Cohenism:
If you want a lover Ill do anything you ask me to And if you want another kind of love Ill wear a mask for you If you want a partner Take my handle Or if you want to strike me down in anger Here I stand Im your man
One peculiarity that always strikes me is the sexual images littered thru his lyrics, some expressive, "giving me head on the arm bed", "see her undressing for me"; "But I lingered on her thighs a fatal moment; I kissed her lips as though I thirsted still"; some more implicit, "take my handle", "I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on", "I ache in the places I used to play". The implicit ones are always more startling, it's almost like a secret wink, but the reservation, the sinister suggestion nonetheless reflects his insatiable lust and sexual frustration. Leafing thru his songs, u see a vivid description of a man fighting a life-long battle for affection, caress, all the while holding on desperately to his sense of solitude. It's only fitting he chose to conclude the movie with these mark: "For many years, I was know as a monk. I shaved my head and wore robes, and I got up very early. I hated everyone but I acted generously. No one found me out. My reputation as a ladies' man was a joke, it causes me laugh bitterly, thru the ten thousand nights I spent alone."
无论在诗一般的歌词还是咕咕叨叨的音乐里,Leonard Cohen都不是一个明朗的人。但U2的主唱Bono说,Cohen总能找出shades in the blackness,所以当你经历生活中不同阶段时,都会发现他的音乐已经在那里等着你了。能涵盖生命中多数场景的音乐,即使不那么明朗,依然值得欣赏。 这部影片记录了不久前的一次小型音乐会,数位音乐人向Cohen致敬,他们聚集到一起演唱他的歌,向镜头讲述他们对Cohen的认识。这位作家、诗人,天生的阿玛尼衣架和东方哲学关注者,中产阶级家庭出生的游呤歌者和老人也出现在镜头前,回忆起童年时的第一段文字。 全片以Cohen演绎的I'm Your Man开头,以现场版Tower of Song收尾。后者当属绝唱。关于再次登台的理由,Cohen提到,也许我应该再次演绎那些歌,然后它们可以在我身后自己延伸下去。 结尾处闪烁着暗红光泽的幕帘前,老头端端站立,没有太多力量可用了,正如一位看过此片的朋友说的,原来他已经这样老。 在Bono的伴唱声中,他轻声呤道: I was born like this, I had no choice ······ They tied me to this table right here In the Tower of Song 这首歌似乎是为一位曾经心爱的女人所写,诗人沉浸在艺术的巨塔中,渐渐与她远离,除了偶尔站在窗前远眺,几乎无法与她交流。女人难免幽怨,诗人不为所动,只因命运份当如此。现如今年老发白,朋友都已老去,只有三两句音乐在耳边萦绕不去。那黑暗中的诗人独守高塔,他曾经穿越黑夜,最终选择停留在黑夜中欣赏那些飘忽不定的身影,等待生命的终结,思念遥远的爱人。 演唱过程中Cohen始终眉眼低垂,沉浸在诗词之中。偶尔侧首,那是因为U2乐队的伴唱和吉他充满美感,老头与之做些微交流。然后在音乐尾声中轻轻旋转,如一片轻舞的枯叶。 乐声渐止,乐手与摄影者纷纷鼓掌致意。掌声寥寥,一如人生的收场。可以了。
LeonardCohen已经到了一个很高的境界,不光是他的歌也是他的人。惊讶Bono这么毕恭毕敬地给他和声,不枉我这么爱他。
He is the MAN
我爱这老头。
片尾曲听得颤抖了
纪念传奇
Tower of song!
r.i.p
美到心碎
Perla Batalla 演绎的Anthem 太美了, 听到我脊背发冷, 不可思议。。。
不仅仅是cohen的魅力,还有那些翻唱的人们。
聼老頭念他書的中譯序,我終于明白人心可以修煉到的境地...是不是很老土?苦難造就寬善,博采才來謙卑..........直到後來聼他說當和尚的時候“I hated everyone, but I acted generously”他才重新落入凡塵
亲爱
I'm Your Man。。。。。。。。。
好
其实我是听完了,不算是看完了。
科恩老头儿不只是歌手不只是作家不只是诗人,他是艺术家!一帮子小崽儿们纷纷献唱,没一个能唱出老头儿的味道,所以U2十分知趣,知道自己在偶像面前也就够个伴奏和和声的份儿了。
最后十分钟…ε(┬┬﹏┬┬)3
为音乐
浅薄如我:一个男人。
这老男人低沉沙哑的嗓子是要有多迷人~