TheWayfromClashtoLove

Thestoryisasimplebutwarmone.AFrenchman,Jorge,wantstogetgreencardtroughmarriage,andanAmericangirl,Bronte,wholovesplantssomuchthatshewouldmarryastrangerinordertogetagreenhouse.Formutualneeds,theygetmarried,andhavetofacetheinspectionfromtheUSCIStogether,whichisaprocessfromclashes,conflictstoreconcileandunderstanding,andfinallytolove.Fromthisstory,wecanseethatinawayit’sthroughclashesthattwostrangersgettounderstandeachotherandtwoculturesbegintoacceptandappreciateeachother.Atthebeginningofthefilm,thereisthedrumperformancebyablackchildonthestreet,andIthinktherapidandpressingrhythmsymbolizesthebeginningoftheclashesbetweenthetwopeopleanddifferentculturestheycomefrom.Therestaurant“Africacafe”theymeetisalsoaplaceofculturalintegration,whereblackwaitersworktogetherwiththeirwhitecolleagues.Justlikethelietheymakeforhowtheyhaveknowneachother:theyclashedintoeachother.Thetwoareverydifferentpeople.Bronteisaquietgirl,shehaspeaceinherself.Thefirsttimesheappearsinthefilm,youheardaverytranquilvoicepassthroughallthenoisesandchaosonthestreet.——“Howmuchisit?”Whenshetellsthelandlordshowshewouldtakecareofthegreenhouse,shespeaksoutallthosenamesofplantsinawaylikeshe’srecitingapoem.ButJorge’slifeisjustlikehisappearance—disorders,fighting,conflicts.Heisfiredfromtherestaurantbecausehemakestroublesandheevenhasbeeninthejail.Ithinkthisisonewayshe’sdifferentfromJorge,she’squiet,buthedoesn’tmakepeace.OneofthecrashesisaboutBronte’sloveforplants.WhenJorgeplantsatomatotreeforBronte,shegotquiteangrybecauseshethinkshedestroyshergreenhouse.Andshetellshimtostayawayfromherplace——thegreenhouse.AndJorgethinksthatshelovesplantsbetterthanpeople.Thentheyargueabouthergardeninggroup——agroupthattriestoplanttreesvoluntarilyforthechildrenintheslumsofthecitywhodon’thavetreestoclimb.Jorgethinksthat’suseless,becausehe’stheonethatcomesfromtheslums,heknowshowtrivialsignificancethosetreeswouldmaketothosechildren.AndhethinksthatBrontedoesthisonlytoamuseherself,whichisquiteuntruefromherpointofview.Thefirsttimesheenteredintothegreenhouse,itseemsshehasenteredsomefairylands.She’ssohappy,justlikeshehasmetanoldfriend.Fromthisweknowhowdeeplyshelovesplants.Shethinksthisisonewaytohelpthosechildrenwholiveinchaosanddespair.Andthat’sanotherdifferencebetweenthem:Bronteknowsquitewellwhatshecangivetootherpeopleandshetakesgivingasabasicprincipleoflife.She’skindtopeopleandholdsanattitudesogentletotheworldaroundher.WhileJorgehashadahardlifeandinsomewayhehasn’tlearnedtogive,evenhehasgotsomuchtogive.HethinksBronte’skindnesstoothersisunnecessary,andhedoesn’ttrustpeople.Whytherearesuchdifferences?Thathassomethingtodowiththeirsharplycontrastfamilybackground.Brontehasbeenwell-educated;herfatherisawriterandwantshertobeanartist.She’satypicalurbanwoman.Shehasfriendsandfamilies,soshelearnsfrombirthhowtocareforpeopleandsympathizewiththem,especiallytothosethathaveaninferiorsocialclass.ButJorgehasnoformaleducationandleftschoolwhenhewastenandhomewhenhewas12.Hisfatherhasalwaysdreamsaboutbeingagypsy——atramp,andthat’sexactlywhatJorgewasbeforehemeetsBronte.Andit’shardtoexpectatramptocareaboutsomeoneelse.Jorge’snotbotheringaboutsmallmattersandlovingofbeingatrampcouldbeseenfromhissloppyappearanceandthisdohaveafamilyorigin.SoJorgeisquitefreeofallconstraintsandattachmentsintheworld,whileBrontehasfamiliesandfriendsandaboyfriendtocareandhidefrom.She’snotfreeasheis,that’swhytheirattitudestowardslifearesodifferent：Shewantstheinspectionoversothatshecancontinueherlifeasbefore,atendencytomaintainwhatlifealreadyisandwelcomenochange;he’salwayswaitinghislifetobegin.Changeisgood.Toliveistoenjoyyourlife.“Hehaspassion,heeatslife”,asBrontesays.AnothercrashwecanseefromthefilmisthecrashofFrenchcultureandAmericanculture.JorgeisaFrenchman,andtobeFrenchistoberomantic,carelessandsloppy.WhileBronteisanAmerican,herwayisdirectandsimple.WhenJorgeandBrontemeetatherhouseandtheUSCISiscomingtoaskquestions,Brontegetsverypanic,feelingrushedinside,butJorgeseemsnotworryaboutitatall.Heaskedforacupofcoffee,walkedaroundherhouseandlookedatherphotos,hummingstill.Americansliketocuttothechaserightaway,whileFrenchwanttocreatesomeatmospherebeforereallytalktheissueathand.JorgeandBronteknoweachotherbetterthoughtheirstudyofeachother’shabits.Andthemoretheyknoweachother,themoretheyareabletotoleratetheother’sdifference.Andeachcrashandcrisismakesthemshiftattitudestowardseachothersharply.Thesamegoeswithtwocultures,whenacultureisalientoanother,itisverylikelythatthey“hate”eachotherbecauseofmisunderstanding.Peoplearetooapttoblamewhattheydon’tknow.Thekeytoresolvingconflictsisfirsttounderstand,andthewaytounderstandistoclash.Forthroughclashes,weseethedifferencesandthereasons,andthentherearepossibilitiesforreconcileandastepforwardtoappreciatethedifferencesofeachother.