Les Filles du botaniste

 

 

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How sweat and hard it could be in other country to live as a lesbian.

I was deeply heart-broken with sudden apathetic ending, Lamenting what the local authority has done to the two lovely young adults. For a child began the life finding herself all alone with star crossed ill fate, Li Min seemed so sweet without mean twist in her personality. She has also began developing respect for virtue of hard working. What else could you ask to a child who have survived through such a catastrophic disaster? Being a sole survivor escaped from such a catastrophic earthquake that killed a quarter million people and found herself all alone at daybreak on 4 a.m., July 28, 1976. She has now grown to be a lovable young adult. Her preference seeking a female companion was really a negligible issue in the modern world. Love relationship between women has been accepted practice in the both Western and Eastern Imperial Courts amongst high ranking Court Ladies in Waiting (Japan in particular). The two girls deserve every rights to be happy with the person she loves. I grew up in Kyoto, Japan. Contrarily to common belief, before the paternalistic authoritarianism ever had any chance to come in effect, there were 4 contiguous centuries long historic period called the Hei An Era (794 - 1185 A.D. meaning the time for peace and tranquillity) where contemporary feministic art, poetry and literature flourished in Japanese Imperial Court. It is often considered the peak of the Japanese culture. I have actually seen a 900 years old priceless silk screen with two young lovely noble born court ladies in waiting (in Li Ming's style) holding their hands on Great Gojo Bridge watching fireworks together on a summer evening. I have always been a straight male but I was so impressed by it's poetry like beauty. There were diary written by a high ranking court lady of noble birth referencing her adoration on sovereign princess with words like "moist lips"," full figure", "beautiful breasts", "silky skin", "perfect complexion" time after times in her diary. Li Ming would have had a perfect respectable position in the Court. Women were allowed to sleep in the same bedroom, to bath together and to enjoy themselves much more openly in Japan before the dark age. The pathetic repression caused upon young adults by The Chinese Cultural Revolution was devastating and totally unrealistic in the context of humanity. Sadly in term of humanity 1980's China was 900 years behind from it's neighbouring country Japan.

Since the beginning of civilisation, philosophers, psychologists, many scholars and like had debated against the superiority of love that a woman can offer to all of man kinds (to both men and to women). I personally view that of women are definitely superior to the others. Since the majority of us do not experience temporary loss of vision or complete loss of consciousness due to deep sedation for major surgery such as open heart or open skull procedures. Using artificial Heart and lung machine, often the heart is removed outside the sternum whilst surgeon can work on. Such a procedures can cause tremendous trauma to your psyche. It is not unusual for patient and nurse to develop an almost like loving attachment to each other from the moment the nurse transfers you from a rolling bed to a recovery bed, then calling your name and caressing you as if rescuing you from desolated realm of unconscious. If you compare it with the same task performed by male surgical assistants at operating room ,you will be impressed with the fact that a woman's love is a priceless enlightenment. It is highly likely that someone like Li Ming already had intuitively known the enlightenment only a woman can bring to her soul. Every female child has dreams of being swept up into a great adventure, of being the beautiful princess. Lamentably, when women grow up, they are often swept up into a life filled merely with demands, duty and responsibility. Many women are tired, struggling under the merciless pressure to be of a faithful servant, or a caregiver for children, husband or authoritarian father and like. I have known an award winning blind female writer back in Japan and her nurse companion who helped her publishing her novels until the end of writer's life at age 72. The nurse companion died next summer found afloat on River Kamo during Gion Festival (Buddhist Spiritual season) leaving a will to be buried next to the writer. In fact I have seen them twice together on the stone bridge across a pond within the property of an ancient Buddhist temple in 1970's. Nurse were eyes to the writer and describing everything that the nurse can see. The both women looked very beautiful radiating the glory of love between them. They both were descendant of ancient noble families go back to 11th century and their presence seemed to enhance the tranquillity of the mid-autumn setting. I could not help but wishing their happy union forever from the moment I saw the strength and intensity of woman's love. It has forever changed my attitude about beauty of woman's love. So let's pray that the god (Amida Buddha) grant the two young women an eternal tenure in the pure land of perfect bliss (Heaven by Chinese Buddhism), and let them pursue their happiness!

There are not many telented directors today who can portray women's beauty and their setimental emotion as exquisitely as virtuosic savant director Dai Sijie. It was further complimented by an exceptionally lovely persona of Li Min played by outstanding Mylène Jampanoï makes it so hard not learn to love her. A 19 Century librettist Honore de Balzac stated that "A Woman's beauty is a priceless treasure" The statement aptly applies to her in every aspects. Since I read and speak Chinese and French, Opening narration by Li Min regarding the unfortunate loss of her parents when she was only three years old, understanding it alone shed my tears. It was much more so painful to listen to her reading the last letter sent to the head mistress of orphanage "put our ash on the surface of the lake by the temple so that we can stay in peace" What a merciless world is it? It made me so sad that I could not listen to the very end. It really broke my heart to acknowledge that they are no longer together in this world.

Outstanding sound effects also did many wonders to make this film soooo beautiful and appealing. Music score sounds very much like Variations of Johann Pachebel's Canon in D re-arranged by Jean François Pillard in 1978 or Castor et Pollux, Scene 5 by Jean-Philippe Rameau 1728 performed by Opera Paris and Les Arts Florissants But Virtuoso composer Eric Levi's score was much more perfect for the romantic context of the film.

This film will be remembered for my life time. It's already been my favoutite of my DVD collections (consists of mostly horror like Kwaidan)
Julien Kujo a.k.a., Pinecloud, Palo Alto, CA., USA

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