張偉
2016年,美國(guó)白人警察與非裔美國(guó)人之間的暴力沖突不斷升級(jí),特朗普在其大選之年也多次發(fā)表“種族歧視”的言論,在這樣的背景下,種族——這一觸及美國(guó)社會(huì)敏感神經(jīng)的歷史問題被再度熱議。而一直將政治視為永恒話題之一的藝術(shù)創(chuàng)作也于去年適時(shí)迎合受眾心理,成功將公眾的視線引向種族問題。先是作家Colson Whitehead的《地下鐵路》(The Underground Railroad)受到美國(guó)史上首位非裔總統(tǒng)奧巴馬和著名非裔主持人奧普拉的傾力推薦,長(zhǎng)期高居各大圖書暢銷排行榜榜首,并最終斬獲第67屆美國(guó)國(guó)家小說類圖書獎(jiǎng),之后挖掘美國(guó)底層黑人成長(zhǎng)故事的電影《月光男孩》(Moonlight)又摘得奧斯卡最佳影片獎(jiǎng)。可以說,種族問題成為去年美國(guó)文化氣候的風(fēng)向標(biāo)。
Mildred和Richard
這其中還有一部以回顧美國(guó)民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)里程碑式的事件而廣受關(guān)注的電影——《愛戀》(Loving)。本片是美國(guó)導(dǎo)演Jeff Nichols的年度力作,改編自20世紀(jì)五六十年代美國(guó)一對(duì)跨種族夫妻爭(zhēng)取平等婚姻權(quán)利的真實(shí)經(jīng)歷,并憑借嫻熟的敘事技巧和主演精湛的演技,獲得第69屆戛納國(guó)際電影節(jié)金棕櫚獎(jiǎng)提名以及金球獎(jiǎng)和奧斯卡最佳女主角提名。作為一部改編自真實(shí)事件的電影(這起事件在民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)史和美國(guó)司法史上均具有重大意義),該片無意于以情節(jié)取勝,而是借助唯美細(xì)膩的鏡頭,將美國(guó)南方柔和的光影和兩位主演含蓄有力的表演融合,呈現(xiàn)給觀眾一部安靜低調(diào)卻又風(fēng)云暗動(dòng)的佳作。
為 愛 獲 罪
1691年,弗吉尼亞州成為北美首個(gè)通過法律禁止自由黑人與白人通婚的英屬殖民地。自那時(shí)起,其始終堅(jiān)定地將異族通婚(miscegenation)視為違背上帝旨意的“罪行”。20世紀(jì)50年代的弗吉尼亞州雖經(jīng)過黑奴解放后近一個(gè)世紀(jì)的洗禮,種族歧視問題卻仍深植于這片土地。
在此背景下,18歲的黑人姑娘Mildred Jeter和白人男子Richard Loving勇敢相愛了。影片的第一個(gè)鏡頭便是于門廊幽暗的燈光下,Mildred將懷孕的消息與Richard分享。Mildred低眉淺笑,Richard滿臉喜悅。僅寥寥數(shù)語,觀眾便可感受到這含蓄喜悅背后滲透的純純愛意。Richard開始為愛人設(shè)想愛巢,他打算買下一塊地,蓋起兩人的家,他們的幸福似乎唾手可得。鑒于弗吉尼亞州對(duì)異族通婚的限制,為追求理想的生活,Mildred和Richard兩人決定赴首都華盛頓登記結(jié)婚。婚后,Loving夫婦回到家鄉(xiāng)過著幸福甜蜜的生活。然而,所有幸福的期許在一個(gè)夏日的午夜戛然而止。
得到線人通告,縣警局警長(zhǎng)突襲了Loving夫婦的住所,并以違反該州異族通婚相關(guān)法律為名將兩人關(guān)押。救妻心切的Richard在獲保釋后還想申請(qǐng)保釋Mildred,但卻得到警官的如下警告。
Sheriffs deputy: Youre back here trying to bail her out (保釋)?
Richard: [nodding]
Sheriffs deputy: You know they aint gonna let her out to you? Youd best send some of her people up here to get her because they wont let her out to you.
Richard: But, she … shes pregnant.
Sheriffs deputy: Shut your mouth about that. Ill throw your ass back in there for that. You know better.
Richard: Its just not …
Sheriffs deputy: Whats that? You do know better, dont you? Nah, maybe you dont. Your daddy worked for a nigger, didnt he? Running timber (木材)? Im sorry for you. No, I really am. All you over there in Central Point dont know up from down. All mixed up. Part Cherokee (徹羅基人), Rappahannock (拉帕漢諾克河), part niggra (黑人), part white. Blood dont know what it wants to be. You just got born in the wrong place, is all. I see youve got to think it was fine. You might think people around here wont care. Hell maybe they wouldnt if you dumb country ass hadnt gone off and married her, but not me. You hear me? Thats Gods law. He made a sparrow a sparrow and a robin a robin. Theyre different for a reason. No. No. You go on now. Get on home. Send some of her people up here on Monday to get her. I see you trying to bail her out again, Ill arrest you.
在這段直擊影片背景主題的場(chǎng)景中,沉默寡言、無奈無助的Richard與掌握著法律、道義甚至是宗教“話語權(quán)”而咄咄逼人的警官形成了頗為鮮明的對(duì)比。在律師的建議下,Mildred和Richard最終在法官面前“認(rèn)罪”,并同意了作為免除獄刑的交換條件,離開弗吉尼亞州,離開家人親朋,遠(yuǎn)赴他鄉(xiāng)25年。自此,兩人先前關(guān)于未來美好生活的種種暢想被無奈冰冷的現(xiàn)實(shí)打擊得七零八碎,如離別車輪卷起的塵埃般隨風(fēng)飄散。
為 愛 抗 爭(zhēng)
背井離鄉(xiāng)的Loving夫婦在華盛頓特區(qū)開始了他們的新生活。丈夫依舊做磚匠養(yǎng)家,妻子則在家待產(chǎn),生活像以前一樣平靜。可夫妻兩人心中牽掛的故鄉(xiāng)卻再也回不去了。思鄉(xiāng)心切的Mildred每夜輾轉(zhuǎn)反側(cè),只盼能在親人的守護(hù)中迎接新生命的到來。見此,Richard決定冒險(xiǎn)將妻子“偷運(yùn)”回故鄉(xiāng)。趁著夜晚沒人注意的時(shí)候,Richard和朋友成功把Mildred帶回了老家。整個(gè)家庭因新生命的誕生而暫時(shí)忘卻了被迫離鄉(xiāng)的傷痛。但該來的終究要來,聞?dòng)嵍恋目h警局警長(zhǎng)再次將兩人帶走。不同的是,與初次入獄時(shí)的驚懼惶恐相比,Mildred此時(shí)更顯冷靜堅(jiān)定,或許這早在她預(yù)料之中,或許是心中的愛與希望讓她學(xué)會(huì)了堅(jiān)強(qiáng)。在律師的幫助下,Loving夫婦交過違約金后再次返回華盛頓,繼續(xù)過著平凡穩(wěn)定的生活。至此,電影的敘事在歌曲You Dont Miss Your Water悠緩的旋律中迅速加快,轉(zhuǎn)眼間Loving夫婦的第三個(gè)孩子已經(jīng)降生。此時(shí)的音樂既是電影情節(jié)過渡、時(shí)間推進(jìn)的輔助劑,也像是主人公內(nèi)心深處的復(fù)念——“You dont miss your water till your well runs dry”。可見,此時(shí)的Loving夫婦對(duì)所向往的生活仍心有不甘,不愿就此隱忍屈服、憾度一生。
由于苦悶于無法歸鄉(xiāng)與親人團(tuán)聚,掙扎于人際冷漠、生活受困的城市底層,在朋友的建議下、在整個(gè)民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)氛圍的鼓舞下,Mildred最終決定向當(dāng)時(shí)的司法部長(zhǎng)Robert Kennedy寫信,表達(dá)自己的回鄉(xiāng)訴求與抗議。之后,Kennedy委托美國(guó)公民自由聯(lián)盟(American Civil Liberties Union)向其提供援助。一名年輕律師Bernard S. Cohen自愿接手此案,Loving夫婦自此踏上了司法維權(quán)之路。
Attorney Cohen: Now, the first step is to appeal the sentence in Caroline County. That will be our fastest route to federal court. The problem …
Richard: Federal court?
Attorney Cohen: Yes, the goal is to try to get the federal court to hear the case.
Richard: Excuse me. I dont understand. Federal court?
Attorney Cohen: I see it as the best route to …
Richard: Cant you just go and speak to Judge Bazile (指故鄉(xiāng)當(dāng)?shù)氐姆ü伲?We aint hurting anybody.
Attorney Cohen: I dont think that …
Richard: Well, just talk to him. Just talk to him. You should tell him if he let us back in the state, we wont bother anybody.
Attorney Cohen: Look, I do not think that this case will be resolved in Judge Baziles court, or probably any other court in the state of Virginia. I believe this is a court battle that could go all the way to the Supreme Court.
從Richard與其代理律師的首次談話中我們可以看出,Loving夫婦的抗?fàn)幤鸪跏菃渭兌鴺闼氐?,不帶有針?duì)任何人的恨意與敵意,目的只是希望得到當(dāng)?shù)胤ㄍセ砻?,返回家鄉(xiāng)過正常的生活。正如該片音樂制作人所言,影片之所以沒有宏大、一以貫之的主題音樂,是因?yàn)镸ildred和Richard都是羞澀內(nèi)斂的人,不張揚(yáng)但卻閃爍著善意美麗的光芒。但此時(shí)在雄心待展的律師Cohen看來,這注定將是一場(chǎng)影響廣泛而非凡的訴訟。就在這一刻,主人公命運(yùn)的維度亦悄然拓展,他們對(duì)簡(jiǎn)單愛情和平凡生活的追求已不可避免地與美國(guó)民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)的洪流交織在了一起。
為 愛 挺 身
在首次談話中,為了讓法庭重新審理此案,律師Cohen提出讓Loving夫婦返鄉(xiāng),從而被捕,然后他們?cè)偬崞鹕显V。這個(gè)方法不為夫妻倆接受。兩人決定放棄訴訟。后來他們的一個(gè)孩子在家附近遭遇車禍,雖只是皮外傷,但這次意外讓Mildred意識(shí)到目前的生活環(huán)境太差,不利于孩子成長(zhǎng),最終夫妻倆決定冒險(xiǎn)潛回弗吉尼亞州。回到家鄉(xiāng)后,一家人在一處偏僻之地暫定下來。此時(shí),面臨不安的未來,Mildred再次燃起斗志,致信律師Cohen表達(dá)繼續(xù)上訴的希望。在律師Cohen的引薦下,另一位年輕律師Philip J. Hirschkop加入其中。兩位律師決心一同向美國(guó)法律的根基——憲法提出挑戰(zhàn)。
Attorney Hirschkop: [reading Judge Baziles ruling] “Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, Malay (馬來人的) and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement, there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.” I know it sounds strange, but this is really wonderful. By issuing this ruling, Judge Bazile has really given us a road map right to the Supreme Court.
Mildred: Im sorry. Im confused. He ruled against us again.
Attorney Cohen: Thats right, but now were allowed to appeal that ruling to the state. From there, if the state rules against you, well have a chance at the Supreme Court.
Mildred: That sounds wonderful.
通過兩位律師的不懈努力,該案件不僅有希望上訴到美國(guó)聯(lián)邦最高法院,更以其突破性和敏感性受到了社會(huì)的廣泛關(guān)注。透過《生活》(Life)雜志攝影師Grey Villet的鏡頭,越來越多的美國(guó)媒體和民眾開始了解這對(duì)“以愛為名”(主人公姓氏即為“愛戀”之意)的平凡夫婦為爭(zhēng)取平等權(quán)益而進(jìn)行的斗爭(zhēng)。而這對(duì)沉默寡言的夫婦能夠勇敢走入公眾視野也說明,此時(shí)他們已經(jīng)感受到了這份為愛正名的責(zé)任已不再是對(duì)他們這一個(gè)家庭而言,正如Mildred所言,“we may lose the small battles but win the big war”。此時(shí),在Mildred的堅(jiān)持和帶動(dòng)下,Richard也變得積極起來,兩位主人公的性格逐漸豐滿,縱然面臨著孤立、質(zhì)疑甚至充滿敵意的威脅,Loving夫婦依舊樂觀堅(jiān)強(qiáng),心存愛與希望。
Journalist: Well actually, although Im sure the publicity isnt very pleasant, if it works out for you, itll work out for a lot of other people too.
Mildred: Yes, I hope so. Its the principle. Its a law I dont think is right. And if … if we do win, we will be helping a lot of people. And I knew … I knew we have some enemies, but we have some friends, too. So it really dont make a difference about my enemies.
從畏懼法律權(quán)威到敢于發(fā)聲質(zhì)疑權(quán)威,這與其說是Loving夫婦的蛻變倒不如說是美國(guó)社會(huì)進(jìn)步的體現(xiàn)。20世紀(jì)60年代,伴隨著美國(guó)民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)、女性運(yùn)動(dòng)和青年運(yùn)動(dòng)的興起,多元文化主義逐步取代了美國(guó)化范式,以美國(guó)主流文化理論的地位推動(dòng)著美國(guó)這一移民社會(huì)的進(jìn)步、平等與寬容。從消除種族隔離到爭(zhēng)取選舉、教育和工作的機(jī)會(huì)均等,Loving夫婦的斗爭(zhēng)恰逢其時(shí),成為20世紀(jì)整個(gè)60年代美國(guó)民權(quán)斗爭(zhēng)的縮影。
為 愛 正 名
所謂法律是社會(huì)的產(chǎn)物,社會(huì)變革必然引起法律變遷,社會(huì)的現(xiàn)代化必然導(dǎo)致法律的現(xiàn)代化。在Loving夫婦自身的勇敢堅(jiān)持下,在兩位律師的不懈努力下,在媒體、公眾的不斷聲援下,1967年,里程碑式的“洛文訴弗吉尼亞州”(Loving v. Virginia)案件最終塵埃落定,美國(guó)聯(lián)邦最高法院一致裁定弗吉尼亞等15個(gè)州禁止跨種族通婚的裁定違憲。因愛放逐、拼死抗?fàn)幍腖oving夫婦最終促使美國(guó)廢除了關(guān)于禁止跨種族婚姻的法律條款,他們二人成為民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)中的傳奇人物。影片最后,欣聞喜訊的Loving夫婦終于圓夢(mèng)回到了故鄉(xiāng)弗吉尼亞州的加羅林縣,沐浴著溫暖愜意的陽光,蓋筑著夢(mèng)想中的家。影片也在波瀾不驚中以藍(lán)天綠野中的幸福一家為遠(yuǎn)景而畫上了句號(hào)。
或許這就是電影的魅力,它猶如一臺(tái)時(shí)光機(jī),將歷史中的閃光點(diǎn)不斷復(fù)刻,用會(huì)說話的鏡頭呈現(xiàn)給每一顆渴望了解歷史、感悟歷史的心。而這部安靜內(nèi)斂甚至稍顯沉悶的影片之所以能夠獲影評(píng)人認(rèn)可,并進(jìn)入公眾視野,不僅因其藍(lán)本事件在美國(guó)司法史和民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)史上的特殊地位,更源于美國(guó)當(dāng)下對(duì)種族問題的關(guān)注與疑惑?!奥逦脑V弗吉尼亞州”案雖為美國(guó)跨種族婚姻掃除了法律障礙,但跨種族通婚家庭所承受的壓力,以及由此給他們帶來的侮辱、歧視等諸多負(fù)面影響于今仍然存在。這就是為何導(dǎo)演兼編劇Jeff Nichols會(huì)選擇這一題材:種族融合、婚姻平等長(zhǎng)路漫漫,或許若干年后的一天,另一件具有開創(chuàng)意義的案件會(huì)再次激發(fā)法律的教化作用,使更多公民獲得基本的法治素養(yǎng)與意識(shí),以及對(duì)待法律的理性態(tài)度和參與法治的實(shí)踐能力。