Take a battlefield tour of WW I in 1917

On Labor Day, I watched a British movie named 1917. As indicated by the title, 1917 is set in the disorder and confusion of World War I. 【小题1】, separating British and German troops.

Two British young soldiers, Blake and Schofield, are awakened from what could have only been a few minutes of sleep. 【小题2】. A few miles away, another company (连队) including Blake’s brother, has planned an attack in a few hours, designed to push the Germans back even farther following a recent retreat (撤退). However, recent intelligence suggests that the retreat is a trick that will land them in an ambush (埋伏) that will cost thousands of British lives. 【小题3】, so Blake and Schofield are ordered to head on foot to that company in order to call off the attack before it can start, a journey that, will force them to travel through the enemy territory. They witness carnage (大屠杀), and one of them happens to stick his hand into the open wound of a dead body.

The movie is not only known for its unbroken shot (连续镜头) but also for its adaptation of a true story from its director Sam Mendes’ grandfather. Through the eyes of Blake and Schofield, the movie shows the horror of a war that cost the lives of countless innocent people. As US scientist Benjamin once said, “【小题4】.”

Through this classic and moving movie, we can learn the preciousness of peace and the evil of war. 【小题5】. We ought to always think about how we can prevent war and how we can achieve peace.

The power of music is central to writer-director Garth Jennings’ Sing 2, particularly through a new character voiced by music idol Bono. As the sequel (续集) to Jenning’s crowd-pleaser in 2016, the animated movie (动画片) features a new original song titled “Your Song Saved My Life.”

The movie is planned to hit theaters on Dec. 22. Bono plays Clay, a lion who has stopped singing. Jennings says he already had started writing Sing 2 when he first talked with Bono about the project, but Clay’s character wasn’t fully completed. But what was clear to Jennings was that Clay had to be a lion: “A legendary (传奇的) and the greatest creature. The goal was to find a way to touch him enough so that he would come back and reengage with the world he’d left behind.”

Jennings adds, “When I first talked with Bono about it, we just had a long and enthusiastic conversation about music and what it could do for a character like this.” According to Bono, when asked what would lead someone to stop singing, Bono’s answer was “grief”. In Clay’s case, he lost his wife, he lost his reason to sing, and no amount of success can compare with the loss.

Recalling the first time Bono played him “Your Song Saved My Life”, Jennings admits, “I was quite overcome because of the song itself. I could completely see the end of the movie.”

A music video for “Your Song Saved My Life”, in support of the non-profit program Education Through Music, was released so people could send their stories of how their music teachers encouraged them to sing. And in Ireland Bono backs a similar program called Music Generation.

The TV series, The Longest Day in Chang’an, which was shown on Chinese online platforms, became a hit soon. Since then, it has been shown on partnering streaming platforms and TV networks abroad. Some websites overseas also offered the program to their users paying for it — the first time a Chinese series was broadcast as paid content abroad.

“I was amazed by the overseas audience’s love of this show,” Cao Dun, director of The Longest Day in Chang’an told Beijing Review. “I was worried that they wouldn’t understand the complex political structure of the Tang Dynasty. But in fact, the show is prompting foreign audiences to research the history of the Tang Dynasty to better understand the plot.”

The unique culture in ancient China is no a barrier but a bridge to connect with foreign audiences. In the TV series, every figure is given enough space to flesh out his or her character.

Telling stories of the ordinary Chinese people that resonate (引起共鸣) with the audience might be the way to communicate with the world. “The success of the TV series shows that beauty is a universal language crossing borders,” he told Beijing Review.

His ambition is to distinguish Chinese dramas from the TV shows in the rest of the world. “The TV series is a step in my plan to tell Chinese stories to the world,” Cao said. “After describing the impressive beauty of the Tang dynasty, I am looking for several plays that tell stories of today’s China. I don’t want to copy any country’s production. Chinese dramas have to build on our rich culture and Chinese people’s everyday life.” Cao added.