今屆香港國際電影節的特備節目：《大都會》終極修復版已於四月一日假香港文化中心舉行亞洲首映。該晚的播放，也許有著天堂與地獄的感覺。
天堂的，是現場交響樂伴奏。地獄的，是答問環節的提問水平。
香港播放的《大都會》的終極修復版除了是亞洲首映外，更是繼德國柏林放映後全球第二個地區播放。是次由香港小交響樂團聯同客席指揮Frank Strobel演奏Gottfried Huppertz的原裝配樂。片長達兩小時廿五分鐘，配樂分為三節，中場休息為約75分鐘為第一節，中場休息後有兩節，但停頓位置甚短。
相比起柏林有著兩次以上的綵排，是次香港小交響樂團只有一次的綵排機會。在四月一日晚上的演出，雖然在敲擊樂部份的音量也許仍有調節空間，但整體而言，絕對是高水平的演出。事前其實不少觀眾對於香港「小交」現場演奏也許信心未必很大，但在那一晚，至少配起來感覺是接近同步，在觀乎反應下的演出也到位，實在值得嘉許。
可是，在電影播放過後，其答問環節，不少提問的水平，實在有「影衰香港」的味道。
首名發問的女士，以冗長的篇幅發問兩個問題。其中一個，是問電影的表達問題。該個問題，也許只能叫導演回答才可以。未知是否該名女士考量到清明時節臨近，希望在場的外籍嘉賓可以將已的導演還魂。可是，更令人感到難堪的，是另一個提問。
提問大概是：一些經典作品也有翻拍的情況，未知《大都會》會否也會拿來翻拍。
這條提問，絕對是「九唔搭八」。在場嘉賓一名是負責復修，另一名則負責指揮該晚配樂。到底那名女士搞清楚自己向誰發問麼？難得是嘉賓面對著如斯爛的問題，仍風趣地回答沒有該版權翻拍。
另一名男士的提問，則問及當年播放的舊修復版本片長為147分鐘，現在播放的版本片長相若，請問有何增加之處。
這一個提問，明顯地沒有做好發問前要看的「基本資料」。
翻查電影節網站或訂票小冊的《大都會》介紹，已寫明「過去誤以每秒20格的速度放映，今次還原當年的24格，片長分鐘不變，內容卻多少四分一」，到該名提問男觀眾有沒有看清楚才購票呢？沒有的話，走去問這個問題，一來「戇居」，二來浪費時間。
另一名觀眾的提問，也同樣令在場嘉賓感到為難。
一名聲稱曾於柏林影展觀看《大都會》復修版的觀眾，以英語發問質疑香港播放的畫質與現場伴奏。該名男士雖然以仿英式口音發言，但是文法卻是港式。
其實復修版本已是數碼播放，而且該晚電影節方面特別找來贊助商提供數碼播放器材，難度播出來是「外國的月亮特別圓」？還是該名觀眾是想讓令人得悉他曾看過世界首映，順道炫耀一番？
面對著這些類型的觀眾，也許令在場不少其他觀眾感到搖頭嘆息，因為該等提問實在令人感到尷尬。慶幸的是，請來的兩位嘉賓以風趣幽默和誠懇的方式回應，實在有大將之風。
Rat
以前話香港人唔願意發問, 近年港燦開始 “勇於發問” 就問埋d廢野, 你開始明點解以前d人唔問野喇
ipak
當晚聽到那些提問後，真想知他們為什麼而買該場的票看….不看網上簡介，現場贈送的場刊也有解答啦….影衰香港….
希望3號的交流會有正面的提問吧….
本人為一不滿是坐在附近很多人一邊看一邊笑…每逢有型體表演或closeup大頭就即笑…最後父親大人發瘋時半場大笑時，我和朋友們都覺得尷尬…默片就是這樣演出的，功課也不做，又一次影衰香港….
Rat
有時看bc那些特別放映的片, 映後的導演會談也經常有很糟的發問, 可見好些入場人仕是完全對電影捉錯用神的
The Daydreamer
I’m very glad you posted this, guess I wasn’t being snobbish after all. I had this queasy feeling that certain members of the audience had embarassed HK filmgoers as a whole, particularly after such a majestic screening (something I will remember for a long, long time).
The question about religion in Metropolis was certainly not an offensive question. It’s very common in any Q&A events in HK for people to ask questions for ‘reconfirming’ their interpretations on the meaning of a film. And like Professor Martin Koerber said, it’s quite a scholarly question.
But the question about whether it is possible to remake Metropolis is pathetic. Those who have done some research would know there was an Japan anime remake a while ago. That person also probably doesn’t see films much, or doesn’t recognise that Metropolis has been immensely influential for other films, such as Blade Runner. And to compare a masterpiece with an insignficant Hollywood film and its craptastic remake (The Poseidon Adventures) suggests ignorance. I’m also curious whether he/she was actually asking ‘Does Metropolis deserve a remake?’- if so, it really is a sad reflection of the commercialisation of HK filmgoers’ tastes.
The person comparing his Berlin world premiere experience with the Hong Kong screening (you can actually find out who he is by doing some detective work on Twitter): I hope it’s his pointed accent that makes his questions SEEM insulting to the conductor and the restorer (unless he really intended to be cocky and say ‘this Hong Kong screening sucked’, in which case I would really want to swear at his face). Good question on synching music with film though.
The person asking about film length: I’m still not sure whether he’s genuinely curious about this (in which case it’s actually a good question but poorly phrased, because the booklet doesn’t mention anything about projection speed), or whether he thinks he didn’t get his money’s worth.
The person commenting about Martin Koerber’s dress sense (why the audience thinks this comment is particularly ‘witty’ and deserves two rounds of applause really beats me) and asking whether the restoration has actually included scenes that Fritz Lang intended to cut: 1. Read the bloody booklet. 2. Do you HONESTLY think that those dedicated to film restoration and thus film as art really want to screw up a masterpiece and its director’s legacy?! Seeing 李焯桃 on the stage shaking his head and translating her question with a ‘geh’ at the end also gives me wry amusement.
The Daydreamer
OK I think I just embarassed myself too, didn’t realise that the projection speed reference is in the website and programme. :S
The Daydreamer
I am a young adult myself, and I was very happy to see a lot of my generation in the screening and are willing to see old and classic films.
And then like you, I started noticing the sniggers and whispers. Hearing people leaving the screening and making comments on how a certain scene is ‘怪’ or ‘好笑’ really infuriates me.
And it’s something I notice and experience every year: young adults laughing at the oddest moments, clapping at anything remotely feel funny, and always saying ‘黐線’ when seeing something weird/absurd/darkly humourous. Are HK people really that neurotic, and really have to laugh hard to overcome their stresses.
ab_jj
電影節Q&A多數都係廢問……一係問factual野, 一係就問你「究竟想表達乜野」
早兩日睇尋歡作樂, 問問下我覺得個導演都開始冇癮, 問佢表達乜, 佢就話講到咁明, 拍戲冇意義啦, 有人拉埋賈樟柯落水, 話似小武, 佢就話你睇倒係乜野咪係乜野lor.
Galileo
小弟文法不成是要再學習，口音也學壞了 :p
以下作點補充。
我知道BARCO有提供跟柏林同樣的dcp器材，但我頗為肯定是2月12日觀看時，16mm畫面的比例應該是跟35mm舊畫面一樣，但亦可能是我在Brandenburg Gate觀看直播訊號，令畫面跟在劇院有分別，這絕不是畫質問題。
至於聲音方面，其實Frank Strobel已經答好：場地的Acoustic分別，以及節奏由他控制。至於音質，前30分鐘左右的低音部分及敲擊樂大概有調整過，之後的力度有所加強。
The Daydreamer: On syncing the film, as I said, I couldn’t read much German and simply can’t understand what’s written in the sync points in original score presented in Deutsche Kinemathek.
Galileo
剛翻回arte TV在當晚直播的高清版，看來確是16mm畫面沒有放大，見：关于Metropolis之Scene 103重现江湖 http://www.douban.com/note/60907067/
one of the audience
1. 去柏林看了首映那位觀眾的提問并非質疑香港的播放畫質較外國低, 而是提問為何影片中某些部分以較細小的比例放映
2. 該位觀眾亦非質疑香港的現場伴奏, 而是比較柏林演出時的不同處理, 那位指揮的回答亦指出不同場地會造成不同效果, 證明這并非廢問
3. 貴博明顯誤解上兩條提問, 作出錯誤的評論, 人誰無過, 煩請更正
4. 較次要一點, 以港式英文提問有何不可, 外國人講英文是不理文法的, 只有香港人才歧視自家人講英文, 這才為典型「外國的月亮特別圓」心態
5. 批評該位觀眾炫耀自己看過世界首映, 是否過份主觀? 如果他沒有看首映, 又如何比較兩次演出?
6. 提問質素不高, 請以事論事, 針對提問來批評, 而非攻擊問者, 這只會拖累評論質素
kkwy
真係講出左我當晚的心裏話,但台上各翻譯嘉賓真係做得好好
The Daydreamer
Ah, but to her credit, that person didn’t actually ask ‘So what does Metropolis mean’, but rather chose to discuss a specific topic (in this case religion). At least she bothered to ‘read’ the film and come up with her own interpretation, rather than being lazy and asking a film restorer what it all means.
o靚模
算吧啦, 香港人問問題o既技巧係咁上下, 你睇而家傳媒記者的發問都係廢問居多，被問者只好唯有廢答回敬
A
同意!!!個人覺得有D”為問而問”的感覺…唉,我覺得真係幾”燸”下囉..另外台上翻譯個位男士應該幾緊張下..見到佢手震震講野又有D疾=P
Roy
我也同意第一個提問相當可笑，真的只有導演本身才有可能回答。但更離譜的是說導演會不會本來就想刪掉失落的部份的那位觀眾，看來完全不明白是次修復的意義，也沒有做資料搜集，也更不明白電影作為藝術的層次，如果只求說故事要清楚，世上大概不會有文學，這種以工具價值去理解電影的觀眾，確是丟了香港影迷的面子。
不過，官方在銀幕上打出「製作人」會跟觀眾見面的字幕也同樣讓人覺得失笑，怎麼了？導演還陽了嗎？
嘉
香港人問問題普遍唔用腦。
好多時會覺得你冇嘢想問冇人迫你問,寧願dead air都唔想聽到啲白痴問題。
過路人
Glad that you mentioned this in this blog. It was really honorable to have the 2nd world screening in HK! that was a lovely experience.
mostly agree with DayDreamer. agree that Professor Martin Koerber & Frank Strobel were indeed very patient in the Q&A. I particularly like the information about the acoustics of the hall, and the techniques in the music-movie synchronisation.
Wonder why no one thank this event before asking the question? at least give big hands to 香港小交響樂團 as well.
Anyone went to the session on 3/4 about the restoration of this movie at Film Archive? if so, please share some comments/information here.
thank you.
iyin
果條友真係令人作嘔，直頭係名牌崇拜!
我真係唔明同賈樟柯有咩似…
Denise
我同意問者提問質素不高，但我寧願有人問，總好過成千觀眾dead air無人問問題，到時嘉賓同主持更尷尬。如果話要有高質素問題才有資格問，這反而再進一步discourage香港人發問。今日香港學生已是填鴨了，所以上堂永遠只有老師說無學生問。我看見你們這樣批評問者，這只會令很多好和壞的問題及其可能引發的討論埋沒了。
我不知道上面有份批評的人是否都肯定自己可以問出比當日問出更高質素的問題，或有膽量去舉手發問，甚至本身有沒有問題想問。還是大家只是在這裡「為批評而批評」和「抽水」。
我想真正有心的電影製作人，會期望有人有問題有討論有反思，而不是看完就走。
Ryan
也許，期望「好過沒人問」也是一個可能。但是，要談問題質量前，有些，真的很基本，很基本的東西，也許先做點功課才問更佳：
（一）閱讀基本資料，不要問一些基本資料已見到的東西，因為這代表不是不明白，而是連看也沒看。
（二）請先弄清楚對象才發問問題，正如突然間於一個談醫療改革的論壇上，問出「小學應否禁售魚蛋」的問題。
故此，全場肅靜沒人發問是一個問題，但若果討論環節充斥一些不對題的發問，也會令人啼笑皆非。
mad dog
我想click “like” 🙂 好同意啊!