美国国家公共电台 NPR 'Fast Color' Celebrates A Supermom Who Literally Moves Heaven And Earth

 

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

If you're into superhero movies, this one - "Fast Color" - might feel familiar - at first.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FAST COLOR")

GUGU MBATHA-RAW: (As Ruth) The world's going to die. I can feel it coming.

CHANG: You know the usual deal with superhero movies - some white guy with big muscles and an even bigger ego¹ sweeps in and saves the day. But in "Fast Color," the first thing that needs saving is the hero, the main character, Ruth.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FAST COLOR")

LORRAINE TOUSSAINT: (As Bo) How did she survive out there on her own, as broken as she is?

MBATHA-RAW: She really has this almost elemental ability to control the elements of the earth. You know, she's having difficulty controlling it. And so there's these earthquakes that happen when she has these seizures². And it's almost a shameful³ thing for her because it's disruptive, and she doesn't know how to direct that power.

CHANG: That's actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw. She stars as Ruth, the daughter of Bo, who's played by Lorraine Toussaint. Ruth is also the mother of Lila, played by Saniyya Sidney. The way these three generations of black women deal with their superpowers and each other make up the heart of the film.

MBATHA-RAW: We start off in the film, and Ruth is kind of on the run. And we - it's very mysterious. We don't really know what she's running from. But we then flashback in the movie further in to see her childhood, her adolescence⁴ and her sort of struggling with herself, her identity. Her relationship with her mother is quite fraught⁵.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FAST COLOR")

MBATHA-RAW: (As Ruth) Look. I know you're angry.

TOUSSAINT: (As Bo) Angry? You told me to pretend you were dead.

MBATHA-RAW: (As Ruth) There's nowhere else for me to go.

TOUSSAINT: (As Bo) What is that supposed to mean?

MBATHA-RAW: (As Ruth) I'm sober - 11 months. I knew getting sober meant the seizures might come back.

And really, I'm - you know, we come to understand that Ruth is not really on the run from somebody. She's sort of on the run from herself. She's on the run from her own power. And she has this daughter that she had quite young, who's now 10 years old. But because of her addictions⁶, you know, she abandoned her and - to be raised by her grandmother.

So she's really running from the identity of motherhood. And she's also, as I say, has these many demons⁷ inside of her. And she's not really sure how to harness her full authentic⁸ self.

CHANG: I want to play a clip from the film. This is Ruth, your character, and her daughter, Lila, talking in Lila's room.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FAST COLOR")

SANIYYA SIDNEY: (As Lila) Don't you ever wonder if our abilities meant something, like we could really do something?

MBATHA-RAW: (As Ruth) We're not superheroes, Lila. We're just trying to get by.

SIDNEY: (As Lila) But what if there's more?

MBATHA-RAW: (As Ruth) Trust me, there's not.

SIDNEY: (As Lila) But what if there is and you just can't see it?

MBATHA-RAW: (As Ruth) Don't be in such a hurry to leave, OK?

SIDNEY: (As Lila) Why not? You did.

CHANG: What was interesting in this movie is that having superpowers was like this terrible burden for Ruth, you know, something that she had to hide away in case she harmed people with the power. That idea of hiding away a power, it made me curious. Is there something about that that feels familiar to you personally, like having a gift that you're not encouraged to show people. To display?

MBATHA-RAW: I mean, it's interesting. I think, certainly culturally, I was drawn⁹ to the idea of women not feeling comfortable to express themselves and not feeling like they were living in a world where they were being listened to or appreciated. And we shot this movie almost two springs ago, which is amazing. You know, it's been on a journey, went to South by Southwest last year and been on the independent film journey.

But it's been fascinating to see, you know, this awakening¹⁰ that's happened for women over the last two years since we've made this film. And really, the resonances¹¹ there are so, so distinct and strong. And - but I think, certainly in the film, it's really about women as a culture being able to become comfortable with their power. Which is already inside them.

CHANG: Yeah. Now, the story is about three generations of women - a mother, a daughter, a granddaughter. Why do you think it was important to the story that these powers, these abilities were only passed down through women?

MBATHA-RAW: Well, I think it's about that idea of legacy¹². And I don't know. I think the idea of it just being women, really, is so empowering, especially where we are culturally, you know, to see that we are all connected through the generations. And it's almost like passing on the baton¹³ of wisdom, you know.

And, you know, you look at what's happening now, you know, with the women's movement. And, you know, looking back a few generations to, you know, feminism in the '70s and how it's evolved now and the next generation of young girls that are growing up with social media and the power of, you know, Time's Up and how they can feel all of that globally and that that connectivity globally now through the Internet is so much bigger than it ever was.

CHANG: Time's Up, yeah, that's the movement inspired by #MeToo that started in Hollywood.

MBATHA-RAW: That's right. So I feel like, you know, it's about women feeling a sense of community as well. So I kind of love that relationship angle.

CHANG: And it made me think, has there ever been a movie where the superhero was a mom? I - like, I honestly can't think of a movie, a superhero that is also a mother.

MBATHA-RAW: Right, I know. It's incredible. And, you know, speaking to Julia Hart - our wonderful writer, director - you know, she wrote this script after she'd had her first child and felt like, you know, that women's power is really - their ultimate power is creation. And we haven't really celebrated¹⁴ that in films before in this way.

You know, and I think there is a sense that, you know, motherhood is something that means your creativity in your career or in your life somehow has to slow down. And I think, certainly for Julia, it accelerated, and it brought forth¹⁵ this story. So I think celebrating, you know, women's ultimate superpower being motherhood itself is something I'm really proud to be a part of.

CHANG: There's this concept that, you know, it's become pretty popular, this idea of black girl magic. It's kind of this celebration of the accomplishments¹⁶ of black women despite the odds¹⁷. In this film, though, there is literal magic going on here.

MBATHA-RAW: (Laughter) Yeah. I mean, it's really interesting to me because it wasn't, you know, the script and the characters weren't ethnically¹⁸ specific in the script. They were just Ruth, you know, Bo and Lila.

So I wasn't really endowing them with any racial connotations until the movie was cast. And even then, it's funny - it's only really in retrospect¹⁹ in talking about the film afterwards that people have drawn that out of it and have endowed it with that culturally.

So I think that's part of the power of film as well is that you bring your own experience to it. And, as I say, it was just these three women as scripted. And then Julia cast myself, Lorraine and Saniyya. And suddenly, it brought on another level of cultural significance and meaning.

CHANG: Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars in the new movie "Fast Color." Thank you very much for joining us.

MBATHA-RAW: Thank you so much for having me.

1 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。

2 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

3 shameful   

adj.可耻的，不道德的

参考例句：

• It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。
• We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

4 adolescence   

n.青春期，青少年

参考例句：

• Adolescence is the process of going from childhood to maturity.青春期是从少年到成年的过渡期。
• The film is about the trials and tribulations of adolescence.这部电影讲述了青春期的麻烦和苦恼。

5 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

6 addictions   

瘾( addiction的名词复数 )； 吸毒成瘾； 沉溺； 癖好

参考例句：

• He has removed the stigma of drug addictions. 他已经洗去吸毒的污点了。
• Intelligent people are good at using reason to control excessive addictions. 智慧的人善于用理性来控制过度的嗜欲。

7 demons   

n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念

参考例句：

• demons torturing the sinners in Hell 地狱里折磨罪人的魔鬼
• He is plagued by demons which go back to his traumatic childhood. 他为心魔所困扰，那可追溯至他饱受创伤的童年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

9 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

10 awakening   

n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的

参考例句：

• the awakening of interest in the environment 对环境产生的兴趣
• People are gradually awakening to their rights. 人们正逐渐意识到自己的权利。

11 resonances   

n.共鸣( resonance的名词复数 )；（声音） 洪亮；（文章、乐曲等） 激发联想的力量；（情感）同感

参考例句：

• This system can set up acoustical resonances. 这种系统能产生共鸣。 来自辞典例句
• New supershortlived particles are called resonances. 新超短寿命粒子叫做共振态粒子。 来自辞典例句

12 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

13 baton   

n.乐队用指挥杖

参考例句：

• With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。
• The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒，乐队开始演奏起来。

14 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

15 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

16 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

17 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

18 ethnically   

adv.人种上，民族上

参考例句：

• Ethnically, the Yuan Empire comprised most of modern China's ethnic groups. 元朝的民族成分包括现今中国绝大多数民族。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Russia is ethnically relatively homogeneous. 俄罗斯是个民族成分相对单一的国家。 来自辞典例句

19 retrospect   

n.回顾，追溯；v.回顾，回想，追溯

参考例句：

• One's school life seems happier in retrospect than in reality.学校生活回忆起来显得比实际上要快乐。
• In retrospect,it's easy to see why we were wrong.回顾过去就很容易明白我们的错处了。