由Ian Bonhôte與Peter Ettedgui共同執導的傳記式電影《時尚鬼才：McQueen》親密而真實地透過McQueen身旁摯親密友提供的家庭錄影帶、錄音檔、以及各種形式從未曝光過的影像紀錄揭露Alexander McQueen從崛起至殞落，猶如流星畫越天際般傳奇卻短暫的一生。
整部電影區分成五個章節，每個章節皆是以Alexander McQueen最具代表性的時裝秀命名，隨著時序更迭，觀者彷彿深入McQueen心底，一起見證了他的夢想、體會他持續演變的美感、參與他的關係、感受他的失望與恐懼，也清楚地闡釋了他的設計與心智如何交纏寄生，難以分割。
很難不去注意到在影像身後，那婉轉悠揚、隨著時間推進而愈趨抑鬱的配樂。奠基於古典樂曲式，卻大膽綴飾了許多現代合成音色與衝突的和聲，《時尚鬼才：McQueen》的原創樂曲出自於英國作曲家Michael Nyman之手，這位在電影配樂史上具有開創性意義的傳奇巨擘為本片所創造的絕不僅只是樂曲與影像的契合，更重要的是這代表著對McQueen與Nyman ：這兩位各據一方的當代藝術大師，兩相致敬的意義。
McQueen 的摯友在訪談中不止一次提到，Michael Nyman的作品為其帶來的深遠影響（尤其是鋼琴師的情人電影配樂），也難以忘懷當McQueen與夥伴們在那些為了時裝秀而絞盡腦汁、焚膏繼晷的夜晚，不管是在草創初期的狹窄倉庫或是日後的專屬工作室，伴隨在他們身邊、填滿成堆布料僅存縫隙的，永遠是Michael Nyman指尖下譜出的縷縷琴聲。
時裝秀縱然是整部電影的敘事骨幹，但《時尚鬼才：McQueen》絕不僅只是一部「時尚」電影。藉由故事主角Alexander McQueen 那些超越已知美感、掀起革命般波瀾、即便置於今日依舊絕倫精彩的作品，呈現出如同強烈脈衝，乘載大量難以藉由慣常理解咀嚼消化的訊息與畫面，輔以流暢的剪輯與精心取材，都足以讓這部電影具備成為經典的可能。即便無法改變的結局令人傷感，卻也讓觀者透過領略與參與，讓悲鬱的情緒得以消弭，進而獲得到治癒心靈的觀影體驗。
Intimately reveling Alexander McQueen’s life from his meteoric rise to the eventual heart-wrenching self-destruction through a compilation of archival never-before-seen home videos, audio tapes, and behind the scene footage culled from his near and dear,“McQueen, the exceptionally moving and informative documentary directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui showcases the dark brilliance of Alexander McQueen’s creativity and unique vision in both personal and professional realms.
The film is divided and presented in five tapes (chapters), each named after the iconic fashion shows that were the most memorable and pivotal. It invites the viewer to embark on a journey into McQueen’s abstruse mind by witnessing his dreams, his evolving aesthetics, his relationships, his despondencies, his fears, and clearly indicates how his designs were entangled and inextricable from his psychology.
The moody tunes and great sound editing in“McQueen” is another essential element stitched together with profound meaning as composer Michael Nyman scored the documentary as a touching tribute. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui declared that Nyman’s name kept cropping up as they researched McQueen’s life. Friends and colleagues recalled how McQueen was into Nyman’s work, and those long nights spent with his team in the atelier before shows while listening to Nyman’s orchestration.
Even though the shows are still the nucleus, “McQueen” is a not a film merely for fashion lovers. The protagonist is intensely charismatic; his impact is not only in fashion industry but the world beyond. The film itself delivers a mesmerizing visual gratification which is sublimely engrossing. It will have you in tears of emotions and wonder, but leave you feeling deeply cathartic in the end.
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