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Sam Mendes' "Empire of Light" is like a love letter to the movie, affectionately telling the past and present of the cinema. This British-American co-production feature film focuses on the Royal Cinema in Margate, on the south coast of England in 1982, and depicts the changing times and the struggle of humanity in the final moments of the old cinema before it went into decline.
The film unfolds through the eyes of Hilary Small, who works in the cinema and lives in a nostalgic world. In her story, we see a microcosm of an era. Starting from the cinema in Margate, we have seen the glory and decline of the cinema, the rise and fall of the film industry, and the changes of an era and the ups and downs of human nature.
Sam Mendes, with his superb directing skills, skillfully blends the daily life of the cinema, people's emotional entanglements and the larger context of the times. Hilary Small's perspective is not just that of a worker, but that of a witness and a participant. She works in this cinema, works with films, and has experienced the ups and downs of life in this cinema. Her story gives us a deeper understanding of the story behind the cinema and a deeper sense of the atmosphere of that era.
In Hilary Small's story, we see the changing times and the struggle of human nature. She went through a period of collapse, started taking strong doses of lithium, and continued to face harassment from her boss Ellis when she returned to work. This harassment was not just a personal harassment of her, but a reflection of a common phenomenon of all women of that era. At that time, the status of women in the workplace was generally low, and they faced not only the pressure of work, but also prejudice and discrimination from society.
However, Empire of Light is not a simple nostalgic work. It uses the story of Hilary Small as an introduction and delves into the complexity of human nature and the vicissitudes of social values. In Hilary Small's world, she experienced a time of pain and struggle. However, her world begins to change when she meets Stephen, a young black man. The encounter between the two is like a ray of light in the darkness, bringing hope and strength to Hillary. However, with Stephen's departure and Hillary's psychological condition deteriorated, everything began to fall apart.
This part of the story in the film allows us to see the complexity of human nature and the change of social values. In those days, racial discrimination still existed, and blacks were often treated unfairly in society. However, in the special environment of the cinema, people of different colors and backgrounds gather together to share their love for movies and their yearning for a better life. This kind of gathering is not just a simple gathering, but also a kind of heart-to-heart encounter and soul collision.
Overall, Empire of Light is a work full of emotion and humanity. It is in the form of a cinematic love letter, affectionately telling the history of the cinema and the emotional entanglements of the people. Through the story of Hilary Small, we see the changing times and the struggles of human nature. The film is not only a simple nostalgic work, but also a work that delves into human nature and social values.