“I was born on this ship, and the world passed me by.” If someone ask me to make a list of movies that make me feel a lot of emotions after watching them, “The Legend of 1900” will undoubtedly be on it.
This film tells the life of the legend in 1900 from the perspective of the best friend of the male protagonist. The protagonist of the story was abandoned on a Virginia cruise ship in 1900. One day, coolie Danny on the cruise ship found an abandoned baby in first class, he decided to adopt him. Because it happened in the first month of the first year of the new century, he was named 1990. 1900 first showed his piano talent one night, at that time, the sleeping captain, crew and tourists on board were awakened by the sudden beautiful melody in the concert hall, but unexpectedly, 1900 sat in front of the piano and played music in the concert hall. After 1900 growing up, he became a famous mysterious marine pianist. Later, he fell in love with a girl on a boat. He struggled to get off the boat to pursue the girl for love, but he gave up. More than ten years later, the ship became an abandoned ship. When the ship was about to be blown up, he still chose to stay on the ship and disappear in the world with the ship.
The persistence of refusing to get off the ship is actually to find the meaning of life, which is also the core idea embodied in the film – “Existentialism”. “Existentialism” is actually a very rebellious theory from the perspective of history and a very realistic theory from the perspective of the future. The reason why this film can become a classic that many people repeatedly aftertaste is that it covers too many romantic and illusory feelings, including the persistence of sticking to the heart, peace away from the noise, simple human nature and free soul. The crisscross of urban streets on land that made 1900 feel “fear” and “collapse”, and all kinds of uncertain are human desires. This endless desire is the real reason why artists lose themselves. But he refused, unwilling to fall into a huge and nihilistic vortex. As a pure artist, living in the abyss of endless and unknown desire, he will lose his true self and real music.
The spiritual core of “The Legend of 1900” is undoubtedly innocence and freedom: the gifted 1900 is such a symbol, he is uninhibited and unmoved by the world, just because playing is his lifelong love, he does not have to get off the boat and must be immersed in music all the time in the purest joy. This film is dedicated to those who always yearn for simplicity and distance from the hustle and bustle. Innocence is their inherent property that does not change over time. The film was nominated for a variety of awards worldwide, winning several for its soundtrack. This is a film worth watching and reflecting on numerous times.