Tang Zhijun's appearance on the stage was unlike any character in Chinese cinema. Between destitution, aloofness, stubbornness, and timid conformity to reality, shadows of Don Quixote and Onegin shimmered around him. Yet, one cannot simply label him as mad or inconsequential. Tang Zhijun, the editor-in-chief of a faltering "Cosmic Exploration" magazine, firmly believed in extraterrestrial beings and was fervently devoted to unraveling the mysteries of the universe. Little did he know that he was the alien on this planet, torn between lofty ideals and the constraints of reality. The film "The Cosmic Exploration Editorial Office" presented, just like Tang Zhijun's character, an amalgamation of absurdity, deep emotion, neuroticism, and a poignant sense of loss. Ultimately, Tang Zhijun discovered the secrets connecting the universe and the individual, as the countless stars within him aligned with the vast expanse of the cosmos. The narration during his nephew's wedding can be seen as a profound realization after his successful cosmic exploration, or perhaps as a colored self-consolation of an idealist who had faced failure.
Regrettably, after Tang Zhijun's stunning entrance, his character underwent a minimal transformation. The near-tragic gait and the comedic muttering seemed to dissipate and disintegrate, akin to repeated annotations following a noun's appearance. The original character setting failed to undergo cell-like division, and the film's narrative revolving around Tang Zhijun became drawn-out and fragmented. The transformation began with the search for a higher purpose. It began when he found companions. It began when the exuberance of Tang Zhijun's lively loneliness softened. Rebellious idealism thrives in a relatively closed space, fermenting its power in solitude. His zeal burns with the cold stares and spit of others, only to evaporate and dissipate under the scrutiny of sunlight. The film employed a relatively convenient method, with incessant interventions from eccentric characters and rural folklore, diluting the resolute and desolate determination that says, "Even if all abandon me, I shall proceed." Surprisingly, the middle-aged woman Qin Cairong became an exception, as her current hysteria paled in comparison to her former biting sarcasm. The wandering monk, the itinerant poet, the wanderer with no place to call home, and the middle-aged woman grappling with the secular world-all of them are extraterrestrials from some distant planet.
True passion is detached from others, unaffected by either disapproval or approval. The idealist stands in opposition to the entire world and the era. The radiance of the idealist lies in its dimness. The strength of the idealist stems from his weakness. The pride of the idealist is a rebound from a certain degree of self-abasement. He oscillates between disdain for companionship and the yearning for recognition, repeatedly coming back and forth.
The film failed to capture the complexity, entanglement, conflict, and contradictions. The character development bore semblance, all earnestly indulging in incongruity, respectfully mocking one another. They entered the world with an ascetic posture, endeavoring to present the clumsiness that follows the refinement of intelligence, like heavy grains from coarse materials. In terms of storytelling, it exhibited an elitist expression of overflowing desires, shaping central ideas as the plotline. The film exuded a densely hollow atmosphere, nonchalant tension, and an approach to heavy matters with lightness. "The Cosmic Exploration Editorial Office" derived its creative impetus not from aesthetics but from attitude. Aesthetics represent the shortest line between two points, the mortise and tenon structure of cause and effect. In contrast, attitude is an unrestrained impulse, the instinct that springs from the depths of life, eager to explore while glancing around. For example, the film attributed multiple metaphorical meanings not to different characters and actions but to various objects, like stone lions, sparrows, donkeys, carrots, and the journey from Beijing to the countryside and then to an abandoned mining area. It was like capturing a feature film with the mindset of a short film.
The viewers' admiration is also worth contemplating. It is necessary to discern whether the characters they identify with represent a form of self-rejection and whether their appreciation merely reflects self-admiration. The knowing smiles during viewing represent both introspections after tearing oneself apart and the secret relief after self-reflection-hoping to be like him, yet being grateful not to be him. Moreover, this is not merely the viewers' perspective; it may even reflect a certain subconsciousness of the creators. The enigma of human communication is eternal.
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