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《欢迎来龙餐馆》英语观后感



This week, I watched the newly released film Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, directed by Wen Muye.



The film instantly reminded me of another powerful movie, Capharnaüm (2018), which depicted the chaos of war in Lebanon through the harrowing survival of a young child. However, Wen Muye's film takes a distinctly different approach. While Capharnaüm immerses us in the visceral reality of life on Beirut's margins from a child's perspective, Once Upon a Time in the Middle East begins from the viewpoint of a Chinese chef, Xu Fu. Bankrupt and burdened by debt, he travels to the Middle East to earn a living. This perspective allows us, as Chinese audiences, to immediately connect with the protagonist.


Throughout the film, Xu Fu embodies many admirable qualities often associated with the Chinese spirit: diligence, perseverance, and a remarkable sophistication in navigating the complexities of interacting with ordinary people, local officials, and soldiers in a foreign land.


Beyond its compelling protagonist, the film powerfully conveys its core anti-war theme. As Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov once put it, "War is a huge meat grinder for junior officers and soldiers." The film's clear purpose is to show the brutal reality behind this metaphor. It achieves this not through grand speeches, but through the nuanced development of its supporting characters: the restaurant boss, a mischievous child, and an Asian-American soldier.



I was particularly drawn to the boss, who respects and supports Xu, is deeply devoted to his family, and is ultimately consumed by a tragic quest for revenge after their murder.



The child, initially so unruly that even Xu dislikes him, gradually reveals his inner strength—his loyalty to friends, his dedication to learning to cook, and his immense courage in protecting them, which costs him his sight in a grenade explosion. With Xu's guidance, he ultimately rejects the path of war and chooses instead to continue cooking at the restaurant, a hopeful resolution shown at the film's end.


The Asian-American soldier also stands out as a figure of innocence, a reluctant participant who cries, "I wanna go home." Despite being on the invading side, he harbors no desire for destruction and is simply bound by military orders. Through these multifaceted portrayals, the film transcends a simple condemnation of any one side, instead offering a profound and universal critique of war itself.

After watching the movie, I found myself deeply absorbed in its story, compelled to write down these reflections. 观后感 http://www.guanhougan.cc/fanwen/37010.html
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