Due to the fact that "Leviathan 2.0" doesn't seem like my cup of tea from a promotional standpoint, I didn't plan on watching it seriously. However, when I was considering my schedule, I stumbled upon the page and found out that there were still tickets available, so I decided to buy one. It shouldn't be too bad, I thought.
Then, due to the unfortunate timing of my schedule, I had to give up on "Anma Tengu," which I originally wanted to watch. I went to Taipei on Friday and watched a play for three consecutive days.
I believe that life is inevitable, and all events happen by chance. So, when I finished watching "Leviathan 2.0," I felt that the plays I watched over the past three days were connected.
On Friday, I watched "Penglai." Although I felt that the plot was a bit chaotic, I thought about it a few times afterwards and found it a bit contradictory, but overall, it wasn't bad. I liked the music, especially the drums and the traditional opera style, and the melodies were pleasant to my ears. The deliberate creation of a new language was interesting, but I felt that it sometimes distracted from the visual and auditory experience. Instead of focusing on the performance, I found myself paying more attention to the subtitles. It seems that the script was more appealing than the performance.
The next day, I went to Taipei National University of the Arts for the first time to watch "Gude, Shake, Shake." Initially, I didn't plan on watching it when I saw the promotion because I couldn't tell if it would suit my taste, and going to Taipei National University of the Arts was inconvenient. However, when I saw that Chen Xiuzhe was invited to perform, I decided to go. (Laughs) It was because Az shared a video of "So I Stopped" with me, and that's how I got to know Chen Xiuzhe. Later, in "New Members," I developed a favorable impression of Xiuzhe, to the point where I felt that a significant portion of my positive impression of "New Members" was due to him. I even thought that the most adorable character was the ex-boyfriend, and that the love-hate relationship with the ex-boyfriend was better than the youthful romance with the new members. (Laughs) So, in any case, even if the play wasn't good, at least I would be able to participate in a mini live performance. Fortunately, the play wasn't bad either. (Laughs) Although the director's style wasn't really my taste, and the students' performances sometimes felt stiff and unnatural, it gradually improved, and at the moment of conclusion, it felt quite satisfying. The combination with Xiuzhe and the choice of three songs were really fitting, and personally, I felt that they added a lot to the play.
That night, I hesitated whether to go to the Golden Horse Film Festival. It had been a long time since I last attended, and there was a film I really wanted to watch: "Shah Rukh Khan's Ultimate Fan." However, the screening time was quite late, and I felt that I was getting old and my energy was low, so I ultimately didn't go. But I'm really interested in this film, so I'll see if there's another opportunity to watch it.
Finally, there's "Leviathan 2.0." The process of watching it was somewhat similar to "Gude, Shake, Shake." I wasn't immediately drawn into it from the beginning, even later than "Gude, Shake, Shake." It was only when the play was almost over, at the very end, or even in the last paragraph, that I slowly began to feel a certain atmosphere emanating from it. Then, I realized that it was a work with a strong follow-up, worthy of Jian Liying. Although I don't particularly appreciate or pay attention to her works, the ones I have seen or heard about are indeed quite interesting.
The strong follow-up of the play made me feel like I had to write about it. I had a feeling that if I didn't express this emotion, it would become too overwhelming. "Leviathan 2.0" discusses things that can be discussed, and they are broad and profound. That must be because life itself is something incredibly deep, complex, and extensive. That must be because love itself is something incredibly deep, complex, and extensive. Let me start with love. I really dislike the narrow definition of "love." At first, I thought I saw a form of love between people that involves seeking and longing for each other and is related to the physical aspect. Then, I couldn't understand why people would willingly immerse themselves in such complicated and painful matters. But then I realized that it was just a starting point. I realized that it ultimately revealed the answer I believed in: what we think is love, is love. It actually talks about the essence of love, so everyone can find their own version of love within it. The focus is not on the object, form, or appearance, but on those emotions and memories we think are love. So, I went from not being able to understand to not being able to understand it even more. I can't understand the attachment to memories, to life, to existence. Although what it wants to talk about is probably not attachment. Those things are what make me who I am. I have such a strong attachment to "myself." Because of those attachments, I exist here. My entire life is the essence of love. Memories, love, life, existence, they are all synonymous.
So, there were some paragraphs in the play that I found terrifying. When memories are controlled, "I" cease to exist.
In the end, I cried during the final scene. It's partly because I'm extremely sensitive, but also because it touched on my deepest pain. I have to face something that I know I can't face, but I have to sing and dance in response.
Then, the song "Forgetting is Not Our Specialty" kept playing in my mind. The themes of love and life touched upon in the first two plays seemed to be connected to this play, as if it were a trilogy.
I'm quite biased. So, I have always believed that the loneliness of relying solely on faith is the perfect form of life.
However, I feel that the singing and dancing in this play are a bit strange. The songs always feel a bit off to me, and the dance makes me feel like the actors are not fully present. I can't help but think that it would have been even better if it wasn't in the form of singing and dancing...
Oh, by the way, Nancy is one of the front desk staff for "Leviathan 2.0," and I ran into Xiao Lin. It seems like it's the second time I've seen him at a play? I wasn't completely sure at first because he had changed his hairstyle (?) but he noticed me and greeted me. I always admire his keen eyesight.