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简介

The story appe ars si m p[le on the su%r\,,fac[[]e, b^/ut .is reve,(aled, especially af $t` :e(/r m:\@u,lti,ple: viewings, as;\ more #multi-layered and textured than Cassav-=*$etes at h ,?is best. Ostensibly it =):c;-.once- rns \a 14-y^ #\ear old Catholic gir/l,:/ $)_Wynne (Agutter-,
=) growin]%g up -+:in thi?)s pos=t-modern ^wasteland, who develops a crus;h on,) #h^er mu^-ch older adoptive :=
/?b=- !rother (Marshall)- a crush which perversely de epens and grows i- nto infa-,/tua*tion once she \st%,.a%#rt_s to be.li=eve ;h`
e is the local :+sex killer.-,-. This is`  in @itse;=_lf :an ide!/a th at makes you sit up a:%nd)+ jol/t.*%, but as`]  )_the na@_rrative deve\:#?lops, it continues _no.t n e?$$c-essarily along a li%near path but /in se:/veral con)$fusi
`ng a_nd fascinatin)g direct[ions:` /the famil[=y'!_s hi/.[:sto
r /y,#% (detail `ed eff@ectively in chi ll\/^ing flashba`ck during an+[ improvi-s)e)d se,ance) _.is a c#^heq.u?ered one, and has suffered at leas%t one m`aj .!or relocat+#ion and upheaval*+!= in (th@\$e last ten yea!.)rs.
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At the -crux, %/however#, it[9s $ +`the depictio[ n,$= of soci`alal chang;\!es th%at make I [[Sta[:$rt Counting so^ ). fas`c?inating and:$) elevate_ ^its l@$anguage f%:ar^ beyo#n! *%!d t_
he confines o/f the sta=:n.^dar@ horror_ ) fi-+[lm. The majo\r sub+text- that teen(\=,age=  g##irls were maturin,
:g# mo$
r=;+e q(;uickly t=.han b (efore,^ and$ de :v$%eloping full sexual and romantic appe(tites (ev, _e-n if  i=%n th:ought rath(? er tha@,n de?(ed) but were not posse /)s;]sed of`* enoug )h d_[iscretion to make the right /choices-]
) wa^,s[$*^ a step @ forw[@+ard[ for a genre in ,:which it:[s@ young females had .,previously been portra _\yed as b:imbo^= vic^[tims (Co ,ve/?r :\ Girl Kill$-er and /`:The Night Caller \ $$spring t*_`o mind), but not on#)e that all; view% *ers would;) nec-e)*;ssarily agre,e --,]with.
But=? m!+os -t s\?t[_r\@iki[[* ng of al\\l@, and* [:po%@%ss=/ ibly the mo@s@ t e#[#(nduring image w#h(ich the ^ viewe*r will]) take ,^aw@ay with them$-+, is of the masterful
^ symbolism with w*^hich director Greene invest, s every shot. Eve,ry i n#-ch,+! of the Kin ;/ch@[ family,[&#@#39s wo#/rl @ d- their house, -#their wa%_lls =, their TV, Agutters under /wear, b*edroom furniture and toys, Sutcliffe's clothes, Marsha(_lls va
=n, the local *`\Catho_[;lic c+hurch, their ]town @centre,`- their ?(
record sho*\p) - is pa)^inted a ^\/bright, scintillating wh):ite- a wh]@=it]e w*hi+?ch, by inference, is? slowly becoming s]^mud)ge *)d :--.and corrupted with t^@@he di,rt of the o.utside world. W:\hi;te a`+ls  )o symbolise)s;/^, of cour#\se@, p
$urity and innocence%\` (two qualities Catholic schoo.
lgirls a@ re #s\^upp% *osed to hold dear), and it is into=_ this w.,orld of in%nocen(ce ?tha@^t .$ ]t?[he :#ever-presen@%t* red bus)\/= (a symbol!, of viol;ati+ on\ and pe; +netration), c%onducte._d by/\ the lech+erous yet similarly;] juve:nile Si?.%m

o
@`(n [[ Ward, makes )regul.ar journeys,]$+. The allegory is f..urther expanded in one scene$ wh-:^ere Agutter %$be)li^eves) _;(sh];?e sees the Christ /#:figure in #;(]c?-\h^@urc@` h weep#ing# b lood: by the
time we _ acknowledge=;@ it, its g$=on#[e, but the .^see?]d has; - already b(een %@planted./ R)!a/.;r,*#(ely [[ )in /
 #a g%e#_:n:.re product[ion has the u/_se of colo@ur and back\g-(:roun$d (been so importa/[nt (or ef:)fectiv? e in %%;+cr(:/ea*ting a uni;fo%
rmity o[
f m:ood.
I Start C
$+ounting is  ;.as near-.p?er\=fect`. an end``$_ to a decade = as one could hope for, [-and exactly t+he=$ k^ind of film pe^ ople[ shou*ld be making now- which is,)[!, -+]of course, exactly?*  wh^y they never w-,-ill:?@%. 
A .$ genre essentia;l.
[%)[by D.R. [email protected]