【文稿】《老炮儿》爆粗口，大俗大雅？（上篇）

【特别感谢热心听友曹英哲 Mobey帮忙听写本篇文稿】 Heyang:《老炮儿》 or called <Mr.6>, this movie has garnered critical acclaim as well as box office success, but what’s put it in the spotlight at the moment is the wild usage of street slang that a Tsinghua professor deemed “foul”. Is this foul language or just staying truthful to what “胡同”vernacular is. 电影《老炮儿》上映后，票房和口碑一路飙升，但是也有不少人指出，该片粗口太多、语言暴力尺度太大。据不完全统计，该片粗口累积出现高达上百次。爆粗口是角色需要还是迎合低趣味？在电影中到底该不该出现这样的粗口呢？ HeYang:So...tell me more about this huge debate about ”is this language too dirty and foul?” Luo Yu: Well,let’s first focus on the movie itself. “Mr. Six” or “老炮儿” in Chinese, is a 2015 film directed by Mr. GuanHu and stars FengXiaogang, XuQing, LiYifeng and Chris Wu, WuYifan, the film centers on a once famous streetwise Hoodlum named Mr. Six, played by FengXiaogang, who lives in a lonely existence in Beijing Hutong, behind a small convenient store that he owns, diagnosed with the heart disease, he still recalls about the good old days, the film is a modern tale of Mr. Six, and he lives in a world that is bound to be destroyed by modernity, the film portrays the battle between him and a much younger drag-racing street gang leader, played by Wu Yifan. However, the foul language in the movie has sparked heated discussion. It is estimated that dirty words occurred in the film for over a hundred times. And from my point of view, I think it has to be in this way. It is staying truthful for the Hutong vernacular that you have just mentioned. HY: Yes, well, basically we are working for a prestigious national radio station so there is no way that we are gonna repeat those foul language or words on this show. But to give you an example or just a feel of what it is, I went to watch it last night with my mom, there is a whole bunch of, how should I put it, “saying Hi to your mom” and “saying Hi to your 大爷”, so...I mean it in the most polite way alright? So that’s the level of dirtiness we are talking about, if translate it into English I think there’s a lot of S-words and F-words but that’s about it. What you guys think? Sam: I would say for a film like this, it’s important to remember that this is actually part of a bigger story. When we look at cinema, we are talking about the idea of censorship against idea of rating something. So Oh Guys I’ve gotta be 100% honest here. We both know I’m from the United Kingdom so I’m gonna have a very obvious opinion of what I personally believe is right which is gonna be the system I grew up in. So I’ve never been a huge fan of censorship and I think a lot of the foreigners that come to Beijing feel the same way. It’s usually expressing our detest for the internet usage here, not being able to use facebook youtube and twitter. And this is another example of where censorship is being used instead of ratings because what the film association is saying is either the film is ok, or it’s not, if it’s ok, anyone can consume it. And it’s not the only example that you see this in China, so if you look at the alcohol industry the tobacco industry I checked this with several of our colleagues to make sure I didn’t get my information wrong this morning, and apparently there was no age limit on anyone that can buy tobacco here. HY: There is an age limit in the law but it’s not that difficult to get a packet in a very strict way. Sam: I’m not overly experienced but from my experience of having visited the night life in Beijing, I understand the pubs and bars also don’t check for identification as they do in the United Kingdom, and you don’t have an age limits system in the cinema, I’ve never seen a film where the people at the cinema have said “how old are you? Sorry you are too young for this film.” HY: Because there’s no such a system. Sam: I’m always gonna be of the mindset that we should have guidelines and tell us who this product is intended for and people are given a freedom to decide if it’s appropriate for them or not. As opposed to someone telling us it’s ok or it’s not. I think people should have that choice and this guideline should exist. And I think it’s a great opportunity here this <Mr. 老炮儿>， <Mr. Six> as a platform to highlight this issue that maybe we should start thinking about guidelines in China. LY: I think you know, definitely many people have been calling for such rating system for film to be existent in China, however we haven’t seen the emergence of such system yet, but looking further into the future, I think definitely there has to be a rating system. Because apart from the vulgar languages or foul languages those hooligans used in this movie, there are also erotic scenes, I mean, two people having sex including FengXiaogang and XuQing, and you know... HY: Which you say with great enthusiasm. Thank you. LY: Definitely, that’s always a part of me. (oh...Excuse me...) and also we’ve seen a lot of violent scenes as well, so if you don’t rate them and put them into different categories, how can you guarantee the sanctity of children, I mean when they watch those films, they will feel a little bit puzzled, bewildered, you know what’s going on they tend to ask their parents? And literally when I watched this move in the movie theater, I heard some children asking their parents about what’s happening. And it’s very ridiculous. Sam: Heyang, you went to watch this film with your mother! HY: Yeah but I’m a grown woman! And... 06:26 Sam: But when we were kids, that’s was like the worst thing. Luo Yu, you must be able to relate to this. ( LY: I watched the movie alone). Did you and your parents ever watch a film at home when you were young? And there was a slightly more mature scene there. It was the most awkward moment ever when you’re sitting there with my mom. HY: I used to just walk away when that happens... It’s like Oh...I’m thirsty, Oh bathroom break and it always coincides with that sensitive scene. Sam: You didn’t get that urge during 《老炮儿》？ HY: No，because I’m a grown woman, and I have a very mature relationship with my mom. And when we saw that in the cinema yesterday, I honestly wanted to cover my eyes, because I don’t want to see the buttocks of (who)FengXiaogang, I really don’t...Aha... I wish somebody could have warned me of that. So yes... LY: But there’s no difference. Not much difference when it comes to buttocks, so even if it’s FengXiaogang’s, it makes no difference.