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In the last year of the 19th century, The Interpretation of Dreams was published, becoming a masterpiece that has never been surpassed in the field of psychology. In the book, Austrian psychologist Freud believed that when awake, people's thinking process produces ideas rather than images, but dreams are mainly used for thinking. Through images, dreams synthesize "situations" - that is, they "contextualize" the thinking process.

Therefore, since the birth of Freud's works, based on his theory, many literary and artistic works, especially in the field of film, have used dreams as the core theme. Due to the "absurdity" and "contextualization" of dreams, there is the biggest motivation for creating "visual wonders".

On August 3, Chen Sicheng's latest film "Decryption" was released. It is such a "spectacular blockbuster" that attempts to challenge the theme of dreams. In the film, the virtual and the real are combined, and dreams are superimposed on reality, creating a unique temperament different from the traditional "summer movie".

In the movie, Rong Jinzhen, played by Liu Haoran, uses dreams to decipher encrypted files and becomes a "hero" on the covert front of New China. In fact, there is a reason for looking for inspiration in dreams.

In his book, Freud proposed a concept called "super memory dream", which means that people can dream about long forgotten realities, allowing these missing memories to return to their brains. Therefore, dreams will continue the intellectual activities of the day and draw conclusions that were not drawn during the day. It can answer questions and provide inspiration for artists.

Obviously, the protagonist Rong Jinzhen in "The Decryption" uses dreams to add buffs to reality. It seems strange, but it is completely in line with Freud's theoretical basis 125 years ago.

Therefore, whether in terms of theoretical core or spectacular appearance, "Decoding" has not only become an "outlier" in the 2024 summer season, but also a new attempt by Chen Sicheng to break the rut from the previous suspense label. From this perspective, "Decoding" has surpassed the single category of "good-looking or not" of commercial films and has become a film model worthy of in-depth discussion.

-Dream "Decryption"-

Since the publication of The Interpretation of Dreams, "dream interpretation" has become possible. At the beginning of the first chapter, Freud stated that "each dream reveals a psychological structure, is full of meaning, and is related to a specific part of the mental activity in the waking state."

According to his theory, "dreams" are usually not what they appear on the surface, and require deeper deconstruction and interpretation using the "subconscious".

The movie "Decoding" also starts with "dream interpretation", and this behavior pattern runs through the whole film. Compared with Mai Jia's original novel that depicts the legendary story of a "mathematical genius", Chen Sicheng has refined "dream interpretation" into the core theme, which has its advantages.

"Decoding" is Mai Jia's first novel, which has been praised as having the style of "Garcia Marquez's magical realism" and constructing a new world in words. If it is adapted into a film, how can it present the color of "magical realism"? If it is honestly "following the text", it will probably become a regular spy war film.

Therefore, using dreams as the main narrative axis can be considered a radical move, and at the same time, it also provides a lot of room for visual rendering. It is for this reason that the 10 dreams in the film are the "key" to unlocking this film.

The film tells the story of Rong Jinzhen, played by Liu Haoran, who learned the art of "dream interpretation" from a "foreign teacher" when he was young, and also learned by analogy, and became a mathematical genius by self-study. When he grew up, he was requisitioned by the secret department 701 of the new China and became a key figure in deciphering the secret messages and documents of overseas hostile forces. In the process of "decryption", Liu Haoran frequently used dreams as a fulcrum to decipher complex encrypted languages ​​such as "Purple Code" and "Black Code". (The following contains strong plot spoilers)

The first dream presented in the film is before Wu Yanzu's character Rong Xiaolai (also known as Xiao Lili) takes away 12-year-old Rong Jinzhen. Suddenly, a strong wind blows in the house, and the deceased "Mr. Yang" who is called "Dad" suddenly appears and teaches Jinzhen how to distinguish dreams. When the strong wind blows, the digital symbols on the wall also float up, implying that Jinzhen's future life is destined to be connected with these numbers.

Turning the light on and off repeatedly has become Xiao Jinzhen's way of determining whether she is dreaming or not.

Five years later, Rong Jinzhen met American mathematics professor Heath (John Cusack), and his mathematical talent was discovered. During a game, Heath told Jinzhen about his dream - a red beach, a huge dead marine creature, and a beach submerged by waves.

In fact, this dream becomes the highlight of the whole film. At the end of the film, Jin Zhen opens a red door and comes to the red beach to play chess with Xi Yisi in his dream again, and the two sections form a connection.

Another dream that impressed the audience was that Rong Jinzhen and Xiaomei went to an amusement park hand in hand, with a flashing Ferris wheel, a huge pirate ship, a strange carousel, and Professor Shees who suddenly appeared on the Ferris wheel - at that time, he was an expert in designing the "Purple Code" by the US intelligence department. This was a dream that was extremely critical to cracking the "Purple Code". The three huge Ferris wheels represented the core of the "Purple Code" Enigma cipher machine - the wheel group (the wheels were very similar to the Ferris wheel). From this, Rong Jinzhen realized the key to the "Purple Code" (constructed by the wheel code).

When Professor Hijs appeared, the Ferris wheel began to collapse, smashing all the facilities in the amusement park, symbolizing the complete collapse of the relationship between the two. The previous teacher-student relationship no longer existed. Sure enough, after the news of Rong Jinzhen's cracking reached the United States, Professor Hijs was suspected of "collaborating with the enemy" and was thrown into prison. He spent several years designing a "black code".

As the code becomes more complex, Rong Jinzhen's dreams also begin to turn dark. Among them, the scene of being chased on the train is done in one go, from meeting a rock band to the walrus man with a gun, which is the imagery of the record "I am the Walrus" sent by Shees. "I am the Walrus" is a song by the Beatles, which had not been released at the time, so Shees told him that this was an unreleased version, and he used it to interfere with Rong Jinzhen's thoughts on cracking the "black code". Interestingly, why did he choose this song? Perhaps, the giant marine creature on the red beach in Shees's dream at the beginning is the "walrus"? This is also a kind of echo.

In the last dream, Rong Jinzhen stumbled in a maze and fell into an abyss and a whirlpool. This was a concrete presentation of the "black secret" and also paved the way for him to decipher the code.

Some viewers think that using dreams to decode is unreliable, but Freud's works have sufficient theoretical basis to support it. Moreover, as a visual art, it is necessary to transcend life. Of course, whether it is reasonable or not is a matter of opinion, but apart from the controversy, these spectacular scenes are pleasing to the eye, or - as the dream goes up and down, it also worries the protagonist.

-The "password" of life-

The title of the film, "Decryption", is the same as the title of the original novel - naturally, the first meaning is "unlocking the code", and there are many "decryption" contents in the original work. In the film, it is obvious that deciphering the ciphertext is only the surface, and there is another deeper meaning - the exploration of the "life code" of the characters in the play.

The dreams deeply rooted in the characters, on the one hand, provide inspiration for cracking the code, and on the other hand, present Rong Jinzhen's growth process. Of course, I have my own understanding of the interpretation of these dreams, and you have yours, and each audience probably has a different understanding, but this does not prevent the connection between dreams and the protagonist's various life stages——

From leaving home in childhood, to first meeting his mentor, to joining 701, to becoming a life partner, to having a successful career, and finally, reconciling with his teacher "across the air".

The protagonist Rong Jinzhen's entire life is based on dreams, which is not only the axis of his deciphering the secret code, but also a way for the audience to delve into the character's heart. Therefore, "deciphering" itself is just the skin, and the "core" of life is wrapped inside.

So, what is the secret of Rong Jinzhen's life in reality? It all lies in the word "love" - ​​just like the dream, it also runs through the whole movie - love, family love, teacher-student love, and love for the country.

Needless to say, as a member of the "hidden front", Rong Jinzhen integrates the images of "unsung heroes" into one. In fact, the point that the movie wants to present is the purest friendship between teachers and students under the collision of Chinese and Western ideologies in the war years. (The following contains strong plot spoilers)

When Professor Hijs first met Rong Jinzhen, he regarded her as a "mathematical genius" and explored her potential. In many montages, the deep affection between teacher and student was shown. For Rong Jinzhen, this teacher-student relationship was precious and also laid the groundwork for the game between the two sides in the later stage.

After finally deciphering the "black code" and learning that his teacher was thrown into prison because of him, Rong Jinzhen gave up "deciphering" the code in his own name and was able to preserve Schiess's reputation in the United States. At the end of the film, Rong Jinzhen's relief and Schiess's silence became the footnotes of this film.

In the movie, the portrayal of family affection is almost entirely expressed through plot interpretation, rather than through words of love and affection, so it does not remain superficial and is entirely supported by details.

When Rong Jinzhen first entered Rong Xiaolai's home at the age of 12, Xiao Lili's family welcomed this distant relative with a large bowl of tea. Although there was a sense of unfamiliarity, the audience felt the acceptance and tolerance as they drank tea one by one. More than ten years later, Uncle Rong Xiaolai passed away, leaving behind his wife and daughter. When they met again, everything had changed.

The three of them went home, sat opposite each other in silence, drank a bowl of water, and watched the time and situation change.

This scene is quite touching to the audience.

Therefore, we believe that the "tension" of emotions described in "The Decryption" is more important than the "legend" of the "The Decryption" part.

Yes, deciphering the "code of life" is always soul-stirring.

- Dismantling the "spectacle" -

In describing each dream, the lens language of "Decryption" is very distinctive——

For example, in the red beach section, from the horizontal view to the aerial view, the giant creatures form a wall, presenting a strange atmosphere - both a metaphor of bright red and a dark sense of oppression. The overall look is extremely magical, but it also reflects reality - after the waves fade away, it turns into a white curtain behind Xi Yisi.

The fantasy of an amusement park, the weirdness of a room full of cipher machines... between light and shadow, the boundary between reality and dreams is blurred. 10 dreams are presented one by one, layer by layer, which is quite ambitious.

This is not only Chen Sicheng's personal attempt, but also a brand new experiment in domestic films.

Of course, this is what a so-called "blockbuster" should be - it has both spectacle and expression, and it has more emotional tension. No wonder some people say that Chen Sicheng has "changed". At least, from the perspective of film texture, he has produced a sincere work. Therefore, "Decryption" respects the audience, and has a certain expressiveness from the outside to the inside.

Of course, some of it is curious, for example, the narrative of the "hidden front" - from the location of the organization that is kept secret to the protagonist being attacked, all of which increase the overall tension. To some extent, the creation of dramatic conflict throughout the film is just right.

The story of "Decryption" takes place between the 1940s and 1960s. The setting, modeling, and art have restored the sense of the times well. In particular, it is said that the crew built a 10,000-meter studio to restore the authenticity of light and shadow art.

Historians and cryptographers also participated in the filming of the movie. For example, Zhao Yanfeng, the author of the book "The Legend of Codes", served as a scientific consultant. For example, he provided inspiration for the setting of the Ferris wheel in the dream of the amusement park, which alluded to the wheel code. The in-depth involvement of experts, to a certain extent, ensured the professionalism of the filming.

The most interesting thing is that Wang Baoqiang plays the blind man A Bing in the film, who is a character in the TV series "The Calculation" adapted from Mai Jia's novel, and the "701" organization is also a mysterious organization in the play. This can be seen as an expansion of the "Mai Jia universe". Perhaps in the future there will be more "Mai Jia characters" participating in the film. I don't know if this is Chen Sicheng's "foreshadowing", but from the audience's perspective, I am still looking forward to the linkage.

It is especially worth mentioning that the male lead Liu Haoran gave a remarkable performance in "Decryption", portraying the growth of Rong Jinzhen very well. He was not inferior to veteran actor Chen Daoming and Hollywood powerhouse John Cusack when acting opposite him.

In terms of styling, you can hardly tell what the actor looks like. He looks like two completely different people. If you hadn't known that Liu Haoran would be the lead actor, you might not have thought it was him. It can be said that the 26-year-old Liu Haoran brought Rong Jinzhen to life, and Rong Jinzhen will become one of the actor Liu Haoran's life roles.

Therefore, the combination of many factors, with equal emphasis on "expression" and watchability, makes the overall texture of "Decryption" ready to emerge. There is no doubt that this is a spectacular blockbuster with great screen charm!

Written by | Jena
Planning | Entertainment Spring and Autumn Editorial Department