太空先锋

文/东山

　　据说诺兰拍《星际穿越》有受到几部片子影响，其中包括《2001太空漫游》、《太空英雄》等片，前者自不必说，公认的“神片”，早已看过。而后者却相对陌生，起码对我来讲。于是找来看看。

　　本片根据美国历史上首批进入太空的宇航员的真实故事改编而成，他们是阿兰•舍帕德、戈斯•格瑞森、约翰•格婪尼、斯高特•卡本特、高登•库伯等，共七位英雄。影片详细地描绘了美国太空计划的诞生过程以及第一批航天员诞生的历史故事。

　可能由于年代原因，刚开始看感觉表演稍显假，设计感有点重。不像近年的片子，表演风格尽量写实。不过一路看下去，片子整体感觉舒服。既有纪录片的精准叙述逻辑，又有故事片的戏剧张力。节奏有条不紊，情绪铺垫充分，接连不断的高潮又让人情绪激动。没有急急火火的赶故事，就像老爷爷讲故事，很慢，但你不会急，反倒听得津津有味。

　　一方面，上世纪五六十年代，美国和苏联搞太空竞赛，双方你追我赶，毫不想让，另一方面，作为国家力量的一部分的宇航局，却把飞行员当成实验用的猴子，未给予充分的尊重。飞行员在争我夺摘取荣誉的同时，也兄弟并肩共同为飞行员的职业荣耀抗争，就是不要当任人摆布的试验品。两条主线交相呼应，产生极为丰富的戏剧张力。

　　其中有一个相当感人，同时又令人非常过瘾的细节：

　　太空人格伦（约翰·格婪尼）的妻子，有口吃问题，不喜欢见媒体，偏偏有一个不识像又爱出风头的副总统要见她。结果屡遭拒绝。副总统非常恼火，向宇航局的头头施加压力。没办法，最后格伦妻子只好很紧张的给格伦打电话，而此刻格伦刚从取消发射的火箭上下来，观众心中想必也很提格伦担心，那可是副总统啊，就在大家都认为，格伦一定会去劝说妻子“接见”副总统的时候，格伦冲着电话大声说：如果你不想见副总统或是记者就不要见，我也不想见，我支持你，就说这是太空人格伦说的！ 可想而知，宇航局领导大发雷霆，和格伦吵了起来，并威胁要更换格伦的发射顺序。结果身后那帮共同训练过的太空人立刻站在格伦一边，挑衅的问领导：那你找谁来飞？领导瞬间偃旗息鼓了。镜头一切，我们看见自大的副总统在气急败坏的砸汽车。

　　我喜欢这种类型的片子，充满探索新事物的紧张感和刺激感，在真实事件的基础上改编，还能有跌宕起伏的戏剧张力。既然诺兰说《星际穿越》受到这些优秀影片的影响，不免让人产生更多期待，虽然影片虚构的，但看在诺兰的能力和后来者的优势上，希望能有惊喜。

The Right Stuff

Basic information:

1983 (release date: February 17, 1984)

Production Company: The Ladd Company (financed by Warner Bros)

Director: Philip Kaufman

Writers: Philip Kaufman (written for the screen by), Tom Wolfe (based on the book by)

Genres: History, Biography, Drama

Certification: PG

Top Cast: Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris

Taglines: By flying higher and faster than any other man had ever dared before, Chuck Yeager set the pace for a new breed of hero. Those that had just one thing in common…THE RIGHT STUFF.

Box Office:

Budget: $27,000,000 (estimated)

Gross US & Canada: $21,192,102

Gross Worldwide: $21,192,315

Academy Awards, USA, 1984:

Winner: Best Sound; Best Film Editing; Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing; Best Music, Original Score.

Nominee: Best Picture, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, etc.

Comments:

(From IMDb top reviews) The Right Stuff is terrific: exciting, complex, funny, crammed with memorable scenes, unforgettable lines, and wonderful actors…

If you believe the Age of Heroes is past, watch 'The Right Stuff', and you might change your mind! This is a film to treasure!

Characters:

The Right Stuff tells a story that once truly happened in the American history, the Project Mercury, the first manned space program in the USA. It’s a story of seven brave astronauts as well as uncountable fearless pilots, a story about how they punch through the barrier and how they break the edge of human beings. With a running time of 3 hours 13 minutes, this movie stresses the spirits of those pilots and astronauts again and again.

There are many people with different character and positions in this film. It’s a necessary to understand this movie from some typical roles.

Yeager: The protagonist of the movie, fearless, strong-willed, emulative.

When he saw the Bell Aircraft for the first time after attending a funeral of the pilot who sacrificed in the test flying, Yeager knew that he must have a try to break the sound barrier (a phenomenon that aircraft can’t work when its speed is close to the velocity of sound). Even though he realized that is extremely dangerous. He is fearless and determined. Finally, he made it, becoming the fastest man on earth.

But when the government asked him to become one of the Mercury’s astronaut, Yeager refused. At that time, He didn’t believe in the space mission’s reliability. However, in my opinion it’s the former great success he made in the test flying that makes him be afraid of failing, trying new challenge. He lived in his former glory.

Then after his pilot teammates, Gordon, Gus and Slayton succeeded in the space mission, he realized that he couldn’t dwell on past successes with his wife’s words (the old Beer bar’s being burned in the fire symbolizes Yeager’s former glory was gone and he had to go forward). “I guess I liked the kind of man who could push the outside of the envelope. But I never could stand a man who was one of those, ‘remember-whens’.” So, Yeager flied again. He was going to find where the limit of human beings lay.

Gordon: supporting role, the Mercury astronaut, hubris, confident.

When the press asked Gordon who was the best pilot in the world at the beginning of the movie, he said, “You are looking at him”. He is hubris that time. But then after he saw his teammates finish those dangerous missions and saw clearly what is hidden behind the government officers’ public masks—no respect for the lives of astronauts and pilots, he changed his words. He said, “It’s those who put their hides out on the line, hang the aircraft out over the edge, push back the outside of that envelope and haul it back here.” The best pilots are those can be fearless and determined.

The astronaut’s wife: fearless as well.

Their husband is engaged in one of the most dangerous job, risking life every time on mission. Gus’s wife, for example, she was looking forward to meeting president’s wife after Gus returned from space mission. But things went contrary to her wises, and she collapsed. Astronauts’ wives suffered great pressure. Fearless pilot needs fearless wife. At the same time, without their wives’ support, those astronauts won’t be such brave and determined.

In conclusion the movie is not going to figure out just one hero character. It stresses that the spirit of bravery in human beings. In addition, the director wants to tell us that the advance of human civilization is achieved not only through scientists’ hard work but also those who explore with their life, fearlessly.

Theme:

Main theme:

Americanism

This movie talks about a story, a group of American people about individualistic heroism. In another word, it’s a film of American “Main Melody”. And individualistic heroism in the movie is expressed as bravery, challenging the limit, and sacrifice.

By setting some big challenges like breaking the sound barrier, flying to the space and landing safely for the characters in the movie, and describing their feelings as well as behaviors when facing those challenges, the director makes the people such as Yeager become fearless and eager to challenge the limit.

Other themes:

The history of Cold War

Anyway, this is a history movie. The movie’s story is mainly in the 1982-1965, when the cold war between USSR and USA was on. The Project Mercury as well as the Star War Program, was outcome of that time.

And in this movie, director uses a method of editing that mixing the movie picture with some real historic videos in order to make the film look more real. For example, a piece that vice president Kennedy standing with the astronauts. Also, there are some pieces trying to satirize the soviet union’s space project. Of course, the story itself is based a real history in 1980s.

The relationship between human beings and universe

This is not an apparent theme. Human and universe are connected in some ways. And as human beings explore the outer-space with great bravery, the universe is waiting for humankind to find out its beauty and mystery.

It’s a small detail. In the latter part of the movie, when the astronaut John Glenn flying in the low-earth orbit, there appeared a lot of sparks like glowworm outside of his spacecraft. And at the same time on earth, some aborigines who specialized in observing the stars were performing mysterious rituals around the campfire. And the campfire was reeking of many sparks just like that in the space outside of John Glenn. It is trying to express some connection, I think.

Conclusion:

It’s a movie about bravery, exploration and heroism. With excellent editing, music and score as well as amazing frame, it tells story based on the real history. It’s a “Main Melody” movie. But what makes it special is that while telling a integrated story about American heroism it also raises some question about humankind, universe, and love.

References:

Douban (豆瓣),//www.douban.com/.

“The Right Stuff.” Ladd/WB, 1983.

“Ratings, Reviews, and Where to Watch the Best Movies & TV Shows.”IMDb, IMDb.com,

//www.imdb.com/.

记得小时候有一阵子可能“科技热潮”，热捧比尔盖茨，坊间媒体们如初中语文课本一样重复而统一地自娱自乐自问自答的说：你们知道为什么比尔盖茨这样一个大学都没毕业的人，可以创建一个软件帝国，而让那么多博士硕士来为他打工吗？ 我那是虽少不更事，却也疑问着：为什么做了博士硕士就一定不能所谓“打工”？难道只有“创业”才是高尚的职业？
想想吹着这路牛b的人，肯定没采访过盖茨，也肯定不懂一点点技术，会不会装机都是个问题；他们的上一辈很大可能都是泥腿子，却可以如此大放厥词，指点江山。

如片中年轻时帅炸的 Sam Shepard说：政客爱说什么，记者爱写什么，是他们的事。我是飞行员，我只管飞行。
配着雄壮BGM听着这些话，我不禁泪目。 想想只有那么自由的国家，才能孕育着这一个个风一样的男人吧。

再想想脚下的这片神州大地，刚号称“翻身做主人”不知才几年，各大“爱国”大厂都在忽悠手下的年轻人，要有“狼性”，什么是狼性呢？简单说就是996，再简单说就是抛弃掉别人读文学，谈恋爱，看电影，游戏。。。抛掉一切你所热爱或者你还没发现的自己的兴趣，干嘛呢？ 加班。这些新时代的奴隶主们，不仅心狠手辣，更可怕的是流氓有了文化，动辄信奉王阳明或者曾国藩，把立功，缺德，立言三不朽作为人生信条。而哪怕去凤凰，诚品这样“文艺范儿”十足的书店，也能看到这些人成功学的专区。

近年来不断听到圈养媒体唱衰美国的言论。其实中国这样一个因循守旧停滞不前的大帝国来说，自古就阉割了“创新”的能力，取而代之的是强大的山寨能力。近代南洋的华人就能山寨私印西班牙人的圣经出售，哪怕自己根本不信。而全球化的今天更是方便山寨世界各国的“创新”，然后用举国体制的优势刷出一条条“世界之最”的记录。

影片的最后终于满足了被丑化了几乎一整篇的副总统，毕竟没有人家，就没有“水星计划”，也就没有了这一个个“太空英雄”。

而我自己，更喜欢做Sam Shepard那样不需要聚光灯闪耀的“无名者”。我无需时代成就我，时代自然也无法所有我 的价值观。

真是部长长的片子 不过影片里随处透着的小小乐子 看的时候也觉得很自然很轻松
喜欢飞行员间的的那些小玩笑 喜欢宇航员们相互帮助的样子 有争吵 也会是值得托付的朋友
约翰格伦支持他妻子的那时 真是让我乐死了 还有那个异想天开爱睡觉的戈登 对蓝天满怀挑战的上机前必吃口香糖的伊戈尔和他搭档 哈哈 没错 他们都有着独特的个性 也像一个个的小刺儿头 确是那么的真实得可爱
看到发射的火箭以无数种方式失败 看着同样奔跑的脚步 同样的亲切对话 把美国政府官方人员什么的给好好恶损了一把 蛮好玩的


脑袋里不自觉的又忽然想到以前好像是科幻世界的一篇苏联和美国太空竞赛的文章
对于太空 仿佛成功只是偶然 而出问题则是必然的 在面对这片蓝天的憧憬时 有多少人为之付出了生命的代价 那一瞬间有很多说不清的情绪涌上来
不过 当直飞上蓝天 当阳光照进太空舱 当看着美丽的地球 当穿越昼夜 当看见点点光亮 很美 真的很美 真的埋葬在这里好像也无所谓
看的时候都快不记得这些说的都是真的事情了 到最后看见打出的字幕 戈登的22圈之旅 伟大和亲切的感觉交错 真像个梦啊

祝福所有对蓝天抱有憧憬的人

历史影片无论乎演技与内容，故事本身就是一系列人类突破极限的伟大事迹，无论是音障拓荒者叶格还是太空人葛仑 谢帕德 库波等都是美国太空人的先驱，有意思的是第一个突破音障的查克叶格本人也在影片里出演了，老人家80几岁出演一个老酒保调侃自己的因为学历落选太空人<图片1>

http://blog.trivialfilm.com/2013/08/the-right-stuff.html

太空先锋 The Right Stuff (1983)

这是一部两年前下载的电影，为了清理HDTV电影，把它看完了。

电影讲述美国人征服太空与天空的故事。在四十年代末，一群飞行员在美国西部的沙漠中向着超越音速的目标冲击。在这个过程中，有很多飞行员死去，他们的照片被挂在当地酒馆的墙上。经过不懈努力，一个飞行员终于超越音速，几年后飞行员们又超越了两倍音速。此时，苏联发射了人类第一颗人造卫星，这使美国政府很着急，于是开始了美国人自己的太空计划。随后，来自不同军中的飞行员来面试，最终有七人获选。随后七名飞行员开始了紧张的训练，但运载火箭的发射却总是失败。当火箭可以发射时，政府却选择将黑猩猩送入太空。直到苏联将人送入太空后，已经被训练成宇航员的飞行员们才开始升空。几年间，陆续有人飞入太空，有顺利的，有遇险的，也有将太空舱损坏的。当航天部门搬到休斯敦后，七人中的最后一名宇航员升空了。最后，那位第一位飞过音速的飞行员想要驾驶飞机挑战极限高度失败了，飞机坠毁，不过人还活着。

关于这部电影不需说什么，它就是一部流水账般的纪录片。电影通过三个小时的片长，将那些有名的历史人物——飞上太空和飞得很快的那些人——的事迹按部就班的讲述起来，让观众们了解一番美国人的“空中征服史”。这就是本片的主题，不仅积极向上，而且还赋有历史意义。

不过，本片除了一些美丽画面及大气且具有史诗意味的音乐外，都显得乏味、平庸。虽然剧情是有故事的，不至于让人瞌睡，但缓慢的节奏、大段大段的对话让我实在难以投入其中。我估算了一下，电影10%的对话没翻译，影片对白我有20%没仔细看，在这样的情况下我还可以看懂电影！多神奇啊！这样废话连篇的电影还真是不多见！

本片优点只有上面提到的部分画面和音乐。这些在影片渲染情绪时很容易看见，比如苍凉戈壁上的日落、太空中的地球、飞机飞行的千姿百态等等。这些画面让影片具有一种诗意，使电影少了一些纪录片生硬的感觉。音乐方面也很出彩，片中大量使用管弦乐，激昂中不失柔美，再配合着影片宏大的画面，让人不知不觉中产生一种如片中主角们的斗志。总之，电影在感官上是比较出众的。

电影其他方面中规中矩，是一部典型的好莱坞制作，没有独特之处。

演员方面都是熟面孔，其中很多面孔都在其他影视剧中见过，但具体到角色却想不起来了。大概这就是配角的悲哀，虽然他们参演的戏份并不少于男女主角，但就是没人记得。可怜啊！片中女人戏份不多，所以本片也就没有美女看了。

总结一下。这是一部没有看点的纪录式电影，只有美丽的外表供人欣赏。而且，本片除了对航天史感兴趣的人有益外，很多人都不会喜欢它。

序列：1099

The.Right.Stuff.1983.720p.HDTV.x264-DON

2013-08-07