Roger Ebert (1942 – 2013)

在地球上寫東西的，我讀過最多就是 Roger Ebert的文字。凡我看過的電影，而Roger Ebert又寫過的，很大機會也看過該篇影評。

我覺得Roger Ebert寫的影評，未必有很大的分析能力，少講許多影評人都會關注的時代背景，亦不算見解很獨到精僻，像不少王家衛迷拆文解字式的影評更從不出現於Roger Ebert。對我來說，Roger Ebert是一個風趣而友善的作家，他想跟你談的電影喜怒哀樂，多於見解分析。荒謬如《人形蜈蚣》，他會寫，並稱該片超出他的評分制度；寫討厭的電影，他會如斯地寫︰

「I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.」

Roger Ebert對該電影的慣怒，同時也不忘向邱吉爾的名句致敬︰「Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense。」這不只是一種對電影不濟的調侃，這是一種憤怒的藝術。

我最記得Roger Ebert寫的電影，是積葵大地的《Mr. Hulot’s Holiday》，當中有一幕我覺得很神奇，是一幕在艇仔上塗油彩，油彩罐隨水漂在艇的左右兩面，故Mr. Hulot以為自己記錯了油彩在罐是左還是右面，最後越弄越糊塗，艇仔卻不知怎的「隨水般」塗好了油彩。後來艇仔反了，斷開兩節，卻成鯊魚般咀部開合的形狀，這幕趣怪嚇怕了沙灘上的泳客。

一般觀眾，就當是一連串神奇的搞笑就算了，Roger Ebert雖也搞不通，但他讚頌這幕觀影之快樂和神奇︰

「Consider the scene where Hulot is painting his kayak, and the tide carries the paint can out to sea and then floats it in again, perfectly timed, when his brush is ready for it again. How was this scene done? Is it a trick, or did Tati actually experiment with tides and cans until he got it right? Is it ``funny''? No, it is miraculous. The sea is indifferent to painters, but nevertheless provides the can when it is needed, and life goes on, and the boat gets painted.

And then consider Tati when he goes out paddling in his tiny kayak, which like his car is the wrong size for him. It capsizes. In another comedy, that would mean the hero gets wet, and we're supposed to laugh. Not here; the boat folds up in just such a way that it looks like a shark, and there is a panic on the beach. Hulot remains oblivious. There is an almost spiritual acceptance in his behavior; nothing goes as planned, but nothing surprises him.」

「Life goes on, and the boat gets painted.」是Roger Ebert用他的文字形容積葵大地這幕時，留下的至理名言。究竟積葵大地電影最大歡樂是什麼? Life goes on，boat gets painted，是一種隨遇而安的歡樂，這是積葵大地電影最核心的精神，但如Roger Ebert般寫出來的，相信不多。是故我喜歡Roger Ebert寫的影評，因為就是他從電影中直接體會的喜怒哀樂。