Aftershock - Movie

Rabu, November 17, 2010

This movie is adapted from a novel with the same title "aftershock" create by Zhang Ling. The Story based on the Tangshan earthquake in 1976 that killed over 240,000 people.

At 28 July 1967 Earthquake with 7.8 Magnitude hit Tangshan city at 3:42 Am , when over a million people in Tangshan lay sleeping and unaware of the disaster that was to befall them . As the earth began to shake , a few people who were awake had the forethought to dive under a table or heavy piece furniture , but most were a sleep and did not have time . Earthquake lasted approximately 14 to 16 seconds.

The twins Fang Da and Fang Deng is trapped under the slab of concrete .Lifting the slab anyway will kill one of her Children. Their mother Yuan NI..force to choose between her children. heartbroken she decided to save the boy,since she also did not heard any sound of her daughter Deng on the rescue time which indicated that she still live. However her decision is heard by Deng ,who tearfully whispered..."ma..." before she fainted.

After rescued and can pull their body to the save place Yuan Ni for the last time clings to her daughter body (Which she thought died already) , and said "I am Sorry " for many times , before being pulled away to take care of Da ,her one child who still lives . Later in the middle of the rains following the earthquake ,Deng wakes up in the sea of bodies next of the body of her deceased father.

Deng adopted by a military couple who give her their love and take care of her like their own daughter. She always claims that she has not remembered anything about the earthquake. but actually she remember about everything , she only want to forget it because her heart is broken...she always remember the 3 words that said by her mother..."Save my son" . She is angry with her mother , she feel that Yuan Ni is abandon her .

This family is reunite at 2008 , when earthquake hit Shicuan city. The twins Da and Deng help volunteers the rescue effort. While taking break Deng heard a strangers tell his past experience in Tangshan earthquake and quickly realize that it is her long lost brother...Da. Deng visit Yuan Ni at Tangshan and she realized the remorse , emotional agony and guilt feeling that her mother had gone through for the past 32 years and Deng finally forgive her mother. She found that Yuan Ni never forget about her even she thinks Deng already die . Her mother had been buying 2 sets of all the school workbooks , 1 set for Da and 1 set for her which is put at her "grave".

Weakness in this movie is the story is sometimes jump....in some part we force to guess. When Deng heard Da tell his story in Sichuan city....it's jump to the scene when Da & Deng visit their mother in Tangshan...No scene when Deng met Da...it is not showed how their mother expression when she know at the first time (i think da inform her that He met deng in Sichuan) ...for me that is also important point that we have to know.

However , this movie have a nice story , We learn about looses,hatred and love in this movie. Deng who think that she looses her mother love and think that her mother abandon her because she didn't love her as much as her brother Da. This misunderstanding bring hatred on her heart to her mother. But once Deng have the willingness to meet her mother and talk with her...all the hatred gone.Forgiveness and love reunite this family.