美国国家公共电台 NPR A 'Television First' Becomes A Compelling Character Study In 'Christine'

A 'Television First' Becomes A Compelling Character Study In 'Christine' 

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A new movie explores a real-life tragedy caught live on camera. It happened in 1974 in Florida. A reporter shot herself in the head during a television newscast. Why? Well, critic Bob Mondello says audiences will be haunted by that question when they see the film "Christine."

BOB MONDELLO, BYLINE²: Christine Chubbuck has the community beat at her dismally-ranked Sarasota station. She does three-part investigative reports about zoning and delves³ deeply into what's known as human interest.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CHRISTINE")

REBECCA HALL: (As Christine Chubbuck) Here we go, folks. This is my first robbery of the season. Yeah, it's juicy.

MONDELLO: Christine is ambitious, eager to please and really tightly wound, as played by Rebecca Hall. She's not a people person. She has a crush on the station's anchor, for instance, and expresses it by avoiding him.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CHRISTINE")

MICHAEL C. HALL: (As George) You and I have been working together for over a year now, and we've never gone out and had a drink together.

R. HALL: (As Christine) Well, you've never asked me.

M. HALL: (As George) You're not always the most approachable person.

MONDELLO: Professionally, she's equally out-of-step, especially when her boss starts pushing to get out of the ratings basement.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CHRISTINE")

TRACY LETTS: (As Michael) It's a simple concept, guys. If it bleeds, it leads. There's a reason this idea is catching⁴ fire in the culture right now.

R. HALL: (As Christine) If it bleeds, it leads is not some concept, Mike. It's a catchphrase that you picked up at a conference in Cleveland last month.

LETTS: (As Michael) Chubbuck, this is not debate club.

R. HALL: (As Christine) Well, this is a joke.

MONDELLO: Sharp and abrasive⁵, Christine is ever ready to misinterpret, to turn away, to take offense⁶. In fairness, she's dealing⁷ with '70s attitudes that would try anyone's patience.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CHRISTINE")

LETTS: (As Michael) You know what your problem is, Chubbuck? You're a feminist⁸.

R. HALL: (As Christine) Oh, so you're saying that I'm not fit for a bigger market because I'm a woman?

LETTS: (As Michael) No, I'm saying that there's no respect for institutions of authority. You're the smartest person here. If you took half the energy you use to give me a hard time and just did what I'm asking...

R. HALL: (As Christine) I'm not giving you a hard time. I'm just trying to understand what you're...

LETTS: (As Michael) Just make your stories juicy.

MONDELLO: That Christine is fragile becomes increasingly clear. But while a biopic about her could have been maudlin⁹ and movie-of-the-week-ish, director Antonio Campos makes much of "Christine" acerbic¹⁰, even comic, showing his title character as a study in contradictions, performing weirdly¹¹ personal puppet shows for children one moment, retreating the next to a pink bedroom with pop music posters, her mom just down the hall. This is a woman who is depressed¹², unstable¹³.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CHRISTINE")

M. HALL: (As George) And now let's kick it over to Christine Chubbuck.

R. HALL: (As Christine) Thank you, George.

MONDELLO: And she's furiously acting¹⁴ out, though no one senses until it's too late just how furiously.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CHRISTINE")

R. HALL: (As Christine) In keeping with the WZRB policy, complete reports of local blood and guts¹⁵, TV 30 presents what is believed to be a television first.

MONDELLO: It certainly was that - a senseless tragedy of which the film "Christine" rather impressively makes sense. I'm Bob Mondello.

1 browser   

n.浏览者

参考例句：

• View edits in a web browser.在浏览器中看编辑的效果。
• I think my browser has a list of shareware links.我想在浏览器中会有一系列的共享软件链接。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 delves   

v.深入探究，钻研( delve的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• That delves the grave duly. 误不了你的洞房。 来自互联网
• The exhibition delves deep into the physics, aromatics and even the timbre of flatulence. 此次展览向人们介绍了人体物理、气味甚至肠胃胀气的声音等各方面知识。 来自互联网

4 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

5 abrasive   

adj.使表面磨损的；粗糙的；恼人的

参考例句：

• His abrasive manner has won him an unenviable notoriety.他生硬粗暴的态度让他声名狼藉。
• She had abrasions to her wrists where the abrasive rope had scraped her.她的手腕有多出磨伤，那是被粗糙的绳子擦伤的。

6 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

7 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

8 feminist   

adj.主张男女平等的，女权主义的

参考例句：

• She followed the feminist movement.她支持女权运动。
• From then on,feminist studies on literature boomed.从那时起，男女平等受教育的现象开始迅速兴起。

9 maudlin   

adj.感情脆弱的，爱哭的

参考例句：

• He always becomes maudlin after he's had a few drinks.他喝了几杯酒后总是变得多愁善感。
• She continued in the same rather maudlin tone.她继续用那种颇带几分伤感的语调说话。

10 acerbic   

adj.酸的，刻薄的

参考例句：

• His lyrics are as acerbic and poignant as they ever have been.他的歌词一如既往的犀利辛辣。
• He sent back an acerbic letter.他回复了一封尖刻的信。

11 weirdly   

古怪地

参考例句：

• Another special characteristic of Kweilin is its weirdly-shaped mountain grottoes. 桂林的另一特点是其形态怪异的岩洞。
• The country was weirdly transformed. 地势古怪地变了样。

12 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

13 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

14 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

15 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》