Film Name: 一万年以后 / 10000 Years Later
Unexpectedly, ten thousand years later, Hitler joined the ranks of Beethoven, Einstein, Edison, and others on the “divine pantheon,” revered as an ancient deity. The film lingers for an extended period before Hitler’s colossal portrait—forcing viewers to stare unblinkingly at this man with the distinctive mustache and parted hair for nearly five seconds, his image towering far above those of others. When the ancient gods’ insatiable lust for power resurrects the primordial world, modern humanity appears uniformly as Nazi soldiers, descending from the heavens to salute…
If the film’s breakthrough in bloody violence could be called a “leap forward,” then its spiritual content and expression seem to have crossed a line. Fortunately, that Hitler-like dark god from ten thousand years later fails, ruthlessly destroyed by a romantic cloud of petals, reduced to a pile of hands reaching out to grab you, as if still unwilling to relinquish that final desire. But how could desire be defeated by petals? Moreover, behind the Dark God lurks an ultimate boss—the entity that granted humanity the spark of fire, orchestrated all great human inventions, and was betrayed and sealed away by mankind. The Dark God was merely a pawn in its scheme. So why did it vanish without a trace in the end?
The film features numerous scenes steeped in ritualistic grandeur. In fact, aside from the opening bar sequence that retains a touch of “down-to-earth” realism, the rest unfolds within an ethereal realm constructed from experimental visual artistry—whether atop the Himalayas or deep within dense jungles. The dialogue between the ancient giants and the gods, set against a backdrop of cosmic stars, elevates this sense of ritual to its peak. The clamor and devouring sensation of the Wall of Desire evokes the feeling of being within a visual art exhibition in some museum. The statues originally present within the Guge mountain, the newly formed group sculptures, and the goddesses transcending it all, all lavishly splash a richly mystical hue across the screen.
How do we distinguish whether the concentrated imagery is merely aimless accumulation or imbued with vitality? How do we discern whether the wildly imaginative plot is an aerial garden or a secluded courtyard? This film serves as a rare specimen for contemplating these questions. The key distinction likely lies in whether they possess humanity. In the film, among the two ancient guardian deities, the Stone Giant embodies humanity, while the Goddess Gesang lacks it. Thus, when the giant ultimately crumbles, we feel a sense of gratitude, whereas the goddess’s petals are merely perceived as visually pleasing elements.
The film presents a multifaceted religious perspective. On one hand, we witness revered deities—embodiments of ancient civilizations—guiding humanity. On the other, we see a “Avengers”-like coalition of secular heroes saving the world. Thus, we encounter both the “shaman” figure like Zhu Ma, born with innate ritualistic potential, and the dashing warriors representing various tribes. Gods clash with gods, humans wage war against humans. The film blends transcendence and worldliness, yet achieves no ultimate synthesis.
Returning to the film’s portrayal of Hitler as a deity, I believe the director’s choice isn’t fundamentally morally wrong, but rather fails to present ancient civilization—that is, the world ten thousand years ago—with complete objectivity. Does today’s civilization truly boil down to Hitler’s dictatorship? Is it embodied solely in a handful of mechanical inventions like cranes and cell phones? Does it manifest only in negative emotions like greed and materialism? Such a one-sided and simplistic portrayal of ancient civilization is untenable and hardly something humanity should truly commemorate ten thousand years later.
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