At a time when the main theme movie dominates the movie screen, in the case of the introduction of foreign movies such as "The Matrix 4", "Escape room 2", "Spider-Man: Heroes Of No Return", "Black Widow" and other foreign movies, the fixation of a small-cost Korean film in the mainland has aroused widespread concern - "Oh! Wen Ji (2021).
Oh! "Moon Ji" premiered in South Korea in September 2020, and more than a year later, it was introduced to mainland theaters on December 3, 2021. In the 3 days of release, the box office performance was only in the early 1 million, and the Douban score was 7.3 points. Starring Luo Wenji, Lee Hee-joon, Choi Won-young, Park Ji-young, etc., the film tells the story of Grandma Moon-hee, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, witnessed the scene of her granddaughter's car accident, in order to find the perpetrator, Grandma Moon-hee strives to fight the disease and recall the details of the car accident.
No doubt, Oh! "Wen Ji" is a film work that focuses on the elderly group. From the heart, the whole work is an extremely streamlined work, whether it is tears or laughter points are almost expected, and the reversal of the work is not surprising. So why did this film attract so much attention?
(1) After six years, Korean movies have once again been released in Chinese mainland.
The last time a Korean film was released in Chinese mainland was back to 2015's Assassination (2015), which was thought to be a representative of the film starring Jeon Ji-hyun and Lee Jeong-jae, which would attract more excellent Korean film works later. But because of the "THAAD" thing, let alone Korean movies, even Korean variety shows, Korean TV dramas, and Korean stars are Chinese mainland can no longer see.
And now, Oh! What does the appearance of "Wen Ji" seem to imply?
This may be the focus of many people.5
You know, this year coincides with the Year of Cultural Exchange between China and South Korea, and next year is the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea. On the road of "resisting the United States", with its success in fighting the epidemic, if China can ease or even win over its neighbors and attack from close to and far, it will also be a good opportunity. And the hints of film and television stars — the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Central Radio and Television Corporation and the Korea Broadcasting Corporation (KBS) at the beginning of the year, and the recent return of a number of Korean artists such as Kwon Ji-yong and Jang Na-la to Weibo — have all released positive signals of cultural exchange.
(2) Pay attention to the elderly group and be in line with the current policy publicity——
It is undeniable that China has entered an aging society, especially in some first- and second-tier cities. In previous forecasts, China's elderly population aged 60 and above is expected to exceed 300 million, accounting for more than 20% of the total population. For this situation, the state calls for attention to the work of the elderly, especially to give play to the role of family pension and individual pension.
Under such a background, the lack of this piece in film and television works is bound to need to be supplemented. "Oh, Wen Ji" is very much in line with the country's policy orientation in this regard from the perspective of the theme. Then, even if it is an open side, it is not impossible for the introduction of such a Korean film work.
(3) Incentives for current domestic films——
In contrast, many domestic movies at present, under the threat of the lack of peripheral "wolves", are showing more and more fatigue.
Many domestic films seem to exist just to circle money, completely disregarding the creation of film art itself. Liberalizing the introduction of excellent foreign films can, to some extent, better stimulate the development of domestic films themselves. The arrival of the "wolf pack" can survive the fittest and can better temper the "flock".
(4) Will there be another "Korean Wave"?
My answer must be no!
You know, in the past few years when Korean film and television stars disappeared in China, China's local entertainment industry is also different from the past, and the scene of hallyu unifying the Chinese entertainment market will certainly not be repeated, and China will no longer just unilaterally bear the input of hallyu.
As for Oh! The significance of "Wen Ji", in my opinion, is not to expect how high the box office and how good the reputation is, but more like the "brick" in "throwing bricks and leading jade", hoping to bring more beautiful jade.