The Legend of 1900
I have watched the movie "The legend of 1900" for many times and I just can't hold my tears back while watching it. I shed tears not only for his short life, his lonely existence, but moved by his pure personality as well as his pure music.
The story unfolds as a series of flashbacks told by a man named Max, a trumpet player who was once on board and acquainted with 1900. It is now several years after Max finally left the ship and 1900, but as Max, struggling through difficult times, is selling his trumpet, he learns that 1900 might be in trouble. We then move back and forth as Max alternately recounts the story of 1900, and attempts to save him.
On the wide blue sea, there was a large ship sailing forward; and on the ship there was a piano sleeping quietly; on it, an angelical life abandoned by god began. That year was 1900, the boy was adopted by a coal miner named Dennie, so he was named Danny 1900.
Sadly, a few years later, Danny is killed in a workplace accident, and 1900 is forced to survive aboard the Virginian as an orphan. Over the years, the child grows up secretely and develops an uncanny ear for music and a remarkable talent for playing the piano. Eventually he has become a permanent fixture aboard the ship, charming audiences with music that has never been heard before.He befriends Max in 1926, but never leaves the vessel. Apparently, the outside world is too "big" for his imagination at this point. But he stays current with outside musical trends as passengers explain to him a new music trend or style, and he immediately picks it up and starts playing it for them.
For many years, he travels back and forth across the Atlantic, sees different passengers passing by. He brings people happiness and so does himself. He could see deeply into people's heart and expressed them in his music well and truly. The ship had pulled in to shore countless time, but he had never thought to get off. Passengers were just the passers-by in his life, only his sea, his music were forever to him.
I still remember the first time when 1900 meets his friend Max. That night, the ship was shaken strongly by sea waves. Max couldn't keep steadily, but he could. He came to the piano and sat down, he and his piano became a whole. In the light of melody, two of them sliding and swinging in the hall with piano. They broke through the French window, slided across the corridor and crashed into the captain's room. So carefree and content, as if two angle flying freely in the fairy tale world. Only a man like him can dance with the piano in a terrifying storm. This is a poetic scenery in the movie that I can never forget. I was shocked not only by the exquisite piano technique of 1900, but was intoxicated in the world full of fairy tales.
Another scenery that leave deep impression on me is that when the father of Jazz, Jelly Roll Morton comes aboard to challenge him to a piano duel. After hearing Jelly Roll Morton's first tune, 1900 plays a piece of so simple and well known "Silent Night", that the self-proclaimed inventor of jazz feels mocked. As Morton becomes more determined to display his talent, he plays an impressive improvised tune "The Crave" that brings tears to 1900's eyes. 1900 calmly sits down at the piano and plays from memory the entire tune that Morton had just improvised. 1900's playing fails to impress the crowd until he plays an original piece of such virtuosity that the metal piano strings become hot enough for 1900 to light a cigarette. He hands it to Morton, who has lost the duel. Through this wonderful competition, we witness 1900's piano talent once more, however where things become truly impressive is 1900's pure personality and his passion of music. Unlike Jelly, 1900 is a man pay no attention to fame and wealth, he doesn't care other people's praise or worship. At the first two rounds of competition, 1900 seems out of state, because he can't figure out what is the meaning of this competition, instead 1900 praises the music made by Jelly from the bottom of his heart, and he sheds tears when he is moved by Jelly's music. And just because of this, no matter how pleasant Jelly's music is, or how superb his technique is, he can never compare with 1900.
However, despite being on the verge of fame and fortune, 1900 lives a lonely existence, having never set foot off the ship throughout his life. He isn’t happy at all. What he is searching for is love and care, yet he cannot find them. Each roundtrip of The Virginian between Italy and New York brings thousands of new faces into 1900's world, but it is only temporary, as they all eventually disembark to start a new life in America, leaving the piano player behind.
Decades come and go. Fashions change. 1900 remains steadfast even during the war. Then one day something happens to stir him to his fundament. A woman comes on board. The Girl, for so she is called, as an angelic vision who never pauses on the deck unless she is perfectly framed by a porthole directly in the sight line of the moody pianist. He had once wanted to get off the ship. To meet his girl and to hear the voice of the sea, as he always wanted to. He hugged friends goodbye and waved and went down. But his pace became slower and slower, and finally stopped. As he described at the end of the movie:"It wasn't what I saw that stopped me, Max. It was what I didn't see. You understand that? What I didn't see...In all that sprawling city, there was everything except an end. There was no end. What I did not see was where the whole thing came to an end, the end of the world." He didn't get off. That's what he said and he did. As I mentioned above, he died with the ship, in the explosion. I believe at this point of the movie, no body can hold their tears back.
Once upon a time, I cannot understand the choice of 1900, he chooses to go down with ship rather than getting off. I even thought he was stupid to give up the right of live. But now, I understand him. Just as he said,"I was born on this ship, and the world passed me by, but two thousand people at a time. And there were wishes here, but never more than fit between prow and stern. You played out your happiness but on a piano that was not infinite. I learned to live that way. Land? Land is a ship too big for me, it's a woman too beautiful, it's a voyage too long, perfume too strong. It's music I don't know how to make. I can never get off this ship. At best, I can step off my life. After all, I don't exist for anyone." Indeed, city is full of uncertainty, and "simple" 1900 seems so incompatible with the complicated society. He could not grasp himself in the city, only on the sea, on the Virginian with 88 keys, can he find the meaning of life.
We know, 1900 was abandoned at birth, was born without love. There are no attachment to the object, only in the boat he felt safe. he never walked into real social and could not play his role in society, he felt at loss. Apart from lack of security, the biggest tragedy of 1900 is his loss of identity. The movie has mentioned many times, 1900 has no ID, no passport, no visa, no parents, no birthday. 1900 faces his world head on, rather than spending his soul on an alluring tomorrow's world. Where indeed can he dwell, but here in his own heart?
1900 is the maker of fairy tale, but his end is definitely not a tragedy. He’s a man so perceptive, that he could use his music language to describe exactly others’ feelings, read people's mind,interpret their sentiment and soul. 1900 seems to have been very clear of what he wants and what not. He understands the true pursuit of his mind, and has been walking along with his heart, playing the music of clarity and simplicity. Nothing in the world belongs to him except his music. So he played. For the first class guests, for the third class members, for the girl at the window, for the darkness of the night, for the heartbeat of his own and also for the sea, his eternal home.
Born on the ship, die on the ship. Fame, fortune, girl can't make him tread on land. 1900 chooses to die on the ship rather than getting off. The marvelous life of 1900 makes him become the legend. I do believe, there will be Virginian in paradise. 1900's dream will never be shattered, just as the pure land in his heart will never disappear and the melody of his music will never fade.
