Recently, I watched HBO “The Last of Us” with my family. My brother is a huge fan of it. However, I never liked any films or shows about zombies since topics about the end of the world never attracted me. But now the first season has ended, I start to think back about the whole story. And I like the third episode the most with its music.
At the end of the world, the stubborn survivalist Bill was always busy taking all necessities from stores, doing construction for his house, burying bombs around the house for driving away intruders. To my surprise, the strong and reckless Bill with beard was good at cooking. After an exhausting day of physical labor, Bill always made an exquisite dinner with a glass of wine for himself.
One day, an intruder fell into Bill’s trap. Frank, who was candid and forthright somehow awoke Bill’s compassion. Bill took Frank home. Frank had a shower which he hadn’t had for a long time. Bill even made a nice dinner for him by breaking his own rule which he promised he would never offer food to anyone. After dinner, Frank was thrilled to see Bill’s piano. Apparently, both of them loved music. Bill played the piano and sang the love song. He was so into the music that Frank was touched. Frank asked Bill: So who’s the girl? Bill answered: There’s no girl. Frank said: I know.
Then they kissed, and fell deeply in love.
Unlike Bill’s anger and coldness, Frank was warm and straightforward. He taught Bill what love is, and tried his best to make everything beautiful for both of them. He even decorated the stores, and planted flowers and fruit at the yard no matter how many times he had to fight with Bill for these. When they tasted the fresh strawberries for the first time after decades, the sweetness and sourness were the tase of love, and of life.
Ten years passed. The flowers blossomed, and the two men were grey-haired. Frank was sick, and Bill took care of him. Bill became the one watering the flowers. Who would believe that reckless Bill would have green fingers one day? Frank was the same artistic, and had all his paintings hung at home. However, looking at the canvas in front of him, Frank knew he could never finish this one.
Frank asked Bill to put the drugs into the wine tonight for him so he can rest in peace. Bill could not accept it since he loved Frank too much to let him go. Frank was the person who led Bill out of the darkness of life, he was also the one giving Bill the meaning of life. All Bill’s flowers blossomed because of Frank. Bill couldn’t stop his tears.
Frank only said: Love me the way I want you to.
Leaves fell as the winds blew. Bill pushed Frank’s wheelchair and they went to the store for suits. In the beautiful music, they got married. They told each other their vow, and put on the wedding ring. At that moment, none of the chaos and turmoil of the world was relevant to them.
The background music of this scene is “On the Nature of Daylight” created by Max Richter.
The cello drifts in, like the sunset arriving. The sunset is heavy, since it carries the love of Bill and Frank. Tonight, the darkness is made of the subtle and reserved air when Bill and Frank first met, the argument and passion in their relationship, and the promise and commitment at the moment of life and death. However, this love with laughter and tears has now come to an end. Bill and Frank hid from the end of the world, but could not escape from illness and death.
Then the violin starts, like the shimmer in the dark night. The shimmer goes forward, with the love of Bill and Frank. The shimmer goes up and down, but she never stops. She walks through the bleak and desolate world, and she walks through the moment of life and death. She is beautiful and strong, but lonely and sorrowful.
Max Richter is a British composer. This “Nature of Daylight” is included in his album “The Blue Notebooks”. He described this album “A protest album about Iraq, a meditation on violence”.
In the end, Bill chose to drink the poisoned wine with Frank and end his life together with him. Bill realized that Frank was his purpose of life. He understood that there will always be a man who will make you forgive the cruelty of this world. Even at the end of world, there will always be a small and beautiful moment that worths your protection.
最近跟家人看起 HBO 「最後生還者」，我原本不愛僵屍片，那種無限逃亡與打打殺殺的劇情對我沒有什麼吸引力，但是，如今季終， 倒是讓我對這齣劇有點着迷，尤其第三集的音樂實在讓我難忘。
末日之下，一個固執的生存者比爾，身材壯碩，留著茂密的絡腮鬍，整日忙著跑遍商店搜刮生活必需品、或是儲備武力在住家週遭設下滿滿的炸藥陷阱以消滅外來者，不過，讓人意外的是，這樣一個看似粗裡粗氣的硬漢竟然是個烹飪高手，每晚總會為自己料理精緻的佳餚配上美酒。
就這麼一日，一個外來者闖入比爾的家，這位說起話來倒也挺老實的法蘭克竟然博得比爾的同情，比爾破例讓他進自己的家，洗了個久違的熱水澡，甚至違反自己從不助人的原則，為法蘭克做了晚餐。法蘭克見到比爾家中的鋼琴，喜出望外，比爾唱著情歌，法蘭克問：是哪個女孩？比爾回答：沒有什麼女孩。法蘭克僅說：我懂。
兩人的戀情就此展開。
不同於比爾的憤世嫉俗與冷漠，率直溫暖的法蘭克不僅帶比爾學會愛情，他也在一次次與比爾的爭吵中，堅持享受生活，法蘭克裝潢了早已空無一人的商店，也在院子裡種起花草水果，兩人在多年後終於嚐到新鮮的草莓時，那一刻美好滋味，是愛情，也是生命。
轉眼十多年過去了，院子鮮花綻放，兩人白髮蒼蒼，法蘭克病重體虛，比爾悉心照顧法蘭克，甚至成為幫花澆水的那個人，多年前凶神惡煞的比爾如今也會蒔花弄草了。法蘭克不改本性，把自己畫的多幅水彩畫掛滿家裡，但是這一次，他畫不完這一幅了。
法蘭克要比爾為他在今天晚餐的酒中加入藥物，讓他得以安息。比爾捨不得法蘭克，法蘭克是他生命的一道陽光，帶他走出憤怒的黑暗，也為他蒼白的生命繪上溫暖的色彩，他的院子裡所有的花朵，都是為法蘭克開的，要他親手送他安息，他實在不忍。
法蘭克只有一句：用我想要的方式愛我吧。
於是，落葉隨著風飄散，比爾推著法蘭克的輪椅，在動人的旋律中，他們結婚了，兩人西裝筆挺，在這個荒涼的世界說出誓言，為彼此戴上婚戒，此時此刻，世界的動盪與混亂都與他們無關。
這個畫面的背景音樂是Max Richter的創作On the Nature of Daylight.
大提琴緩慢的流瀉，如緩緩降臨的日落，落日沈重，因他沉載著這十多年來法蘭克與比爾的戀情，今晚的夜，乘載著兩人初見的曖昧與含蓄、戀情中的爭吵與激情、生死關頭的不離不棄。這樣笑中帶淚的愛情，如今來到尾聲，他們躲過末日病毒的侵襲，卻逃不過生老病死的無奈。
接著小提琴的旋律緩緩上升，彷彿夜幕中的一道微光，微光向前走著，帶著比爾與法蘭克的愛走出夜幕，微光時而上升、時而下沉，但是她從未停歇，她走出荒涼的世界，也走出生死離別，她美麗堅強，也淒涼悲傷。從前是法蘭克填補了比爾心中的缺口，如今，法蘭克將要離去，比爾又將是孤身一人。
Max Richter 為英國作曲家，他的專輯The Blue Notebooks表達了他的反戰理念，弦樂與鋼琴交織，優美動人，其中收錄的這首On the Nature of Daylight 經常被引用在影劇作品。
最後，比爾選擇和法蘭克一起喝下帶有毒藥的紅酒，兩人共同結束生命。比爾深深明白，他人生的目的就是法蘭克，總有這麼一個人，會讓你原諒這個殘酷的世界，即使身處末日，總有這麼一點微小堅定的美好，會讓你無怨無悔，此生無憾。
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