"Nothing to ask about the West and the East" comes from a line of the Tsinghua school song "Knowing the tools first, followed by literature and art, establishing morality and speaking, no questions about the West and the East". Here "without asking about the West and the East" means that one must go beyond traditional East-West studies to achieve world-class results.
The movie "Wonderful West and East" is about the spiritual transmission between generations of Tsinghua people.
When Wu Linglan (played by Chen Chusheng), a master of Chinese studies, was young, he studied science subjects that he didn't like because "the best students all studied practical subjects".
When he was confused and depressed, Principal Mei Yiqi asked him: "What is the purpose of studying? When people put themselves in the midst of busyness, they feel numb and at ease, but without reality, your youth will also be lost. But only these days.
What is reality? What you see, what you hear, what you do, and who you are with are full of no regrets and no shame. Peace and joy."
Wu Linglan came to realize what is true: "When I was your age, I spent some time away from the crowd and thought about how I should spend my life. One day, I accidentally went to the library and heard Tagore's speech. The people who accompanied Tagore were the most famous scholars at the time.
Those people stood there confidently and calmly. I was very envious, and Tagore was talking about how important it is to be true to oneself. At that moment, I was released from the shame of thinking about the meaning of life."
Wu Lanling warned the students during the lecture: "I hope you will. In the years to come, don’t give up thinking about life and being true to yourself.”
This thought affected Shen Guangyao (played by Wang Leehom) who was confused. In the face of a national crisis, his mother (played by Michelle) tried to persuade her: I'm afraid that you will lose your life before you have figured out how to live this life. Seeing that his compatriots' families were destroyed and their schools were devastated after being bombed by Japanese fighter planes, he chose to follow his true thoughts, broke his promise to his mother, and became an air force pilot.
After each flight mission, he would make a detour to deliver food to the orphans who were about to starve to death. The instructor punished him. Repeating the flight route could easily expose him to being followed by enemy planes, which would put his life in danger. Shen Guangyao said word by word what a military officer once said: What this era lacks is not perfect people, but what is lacking from the bottom of the heart, sincerity, justice, fearlessness and compassion.
In a space battle, it was this spirit that made him run into an enemy warship without hesitation, sacrifice himself, and let his comrades go home.
Chen Peng (played by Huang Xiaoming), a little boy who survived through his help, became a researcher of nuclear weapons. He and trainee pharmacist Wang Minjia (played by Zhang Ziyi), intern doctor Li Xiang (played by Tie Zheng) ) are both orphans and are good friends who grew up together. Wang Minjia was angry that her teacher was often beaten and scolded by her teacher's mother, so she and Li Xiang wrote a letter of exposure. Later, their teacher's mother discovered it and caused a scene in the hospital. The cowardly Li Xiang was afraid of ruining his future and pushed Wang Minjia to the forefront. Wang Minjia was criticized in public. , cut off her hair, and beat her until she was disfigured. Li Xiang, who was only separated by a wall, did not save her.
Chen Peng took the disfigured Wang Minjia away from his hometown. Facing Wang Minjia, who has low self-esteem, he said: "Don't be afraid, I am the one who supports you. I will fall with you. No matter how deep you fall, I will always be there to support you." , I'm not afraid of anything, I'm just afraid that you will push me away when you fall." Li Xiang thought Wang Minjia was dead and cried bitterly in front of her grave. Chen Peng said to him: The deceased is gone. Such is the life.
Li Xiang felt guilty for Wang Minjia. In an accident, he left all the food to Zhang Guoguo's parents. When he found the rescue team, he was exhausted and died after informing the specific location. , the last words he said before dying were: The deceased is gone, so is the living.
In the last story told in the film, advertising director Zhang Guoguo (played by Zhang Zhen) seems unhappy amid the intrigues in the workplace. The story of his parents conveys Li Xiang’s spirit. Zhang Guoguo decided to listen to the truth in her heart and made a kind choice. She did not expose her boss and chose to continue supporting the quadruplets.
Four stories, four representatives of Tsinghua students, four backgrounds of different eras, four brave and fearless sincerity, this is a kind of spiritual transmission. They all followed their inner guidance and made the best choices in their own times.
The world may not be as beautiful as you imagine, but it is not as bad as you imagine. There are always people like that in this world. Even if they encounter the evil of human nature, they will still choose kindness.
The film revolves around this theme, passing on the thinking about life, inner truth, and human kindness from generation to generation. It will slowly affect the entire society like the butterfly effect.
Just as Zhang Guoguo said to the infant quadruplets, does it also affect you who are watching the movie?
"If you understand in advance what you are going to face I wonder if you will still have the courage to come forward? What you see and hear often makes you frustrated.
The world is so powerful that you can’t even think of changing it. When you grow up, you will be happy when green sprouts sprout from the ground, you will cheer for the rising sun, and you will also give kindness and warmth to others. However, while praising other lives, you will often, even forever, forget. Your own preciousness.
May you remember your preciousness and resist malice when you are hit.
May you firmly believe in your preciousness and love what you love when you are confused. Do what you want, follow your heart, and don’t ask about anything.”