Author / Anan
If you want to say what genre Hollywood is most popular with audiences, disaster genre films definitely rank among the best.
Not to mention the world's second-highest-grossing "Titanic", just the Hollywood disaster film released in China this year, it is enough to show its box office appeal, "Jurassic World 2", "Raging Monster", "Skyscraper Rescue" and other box office of more than 3.3 billion, the enthusiasm of domestic audiences for disaster films can be seen.
The reason why Hollywood disaster films are popular with domestic audiences is that Hollywood's mature industrial system and advanced special effects technology can restore realistic disaster scenes, so that the audience is immersed in the scene, bringing shocking and stimulating sensory experience and visual impact.
Just like Titanic, combining love with elements of disaster can produce good chemistry. "Hurricane Waves", which will be released on December 7, is also such a long-lost love disaster film.
It is worth mentioning that "Hurricane Waves" is also a film based on real events, based on the 1983 Pacific hurricane shipwreck, one of the ten real disasters in the United States, which ranks first in the world in terms of surviving sea wrecks. After the film was released in North America, it was commented by the audience as "the most painful love disaster film", so how does it achieve disaster and love?
How Hollywood makes the year
"The most painful love disaster film"?
Hollywood naturally has industrial and technological advantages, for disaster films with high industrialization requirements, Hollywood's production level has been very mature, can do a perfect restoration of realistic disaster scenes, so that the audience immersed in the scene, experience the thrill of watching movies.
Since "Hurricane Waves" is based on real events, in order to present a real and credible disaster scene, the film went to Tahiti to shoot on the spot, and soaked in the waves to shoot the whole time, showing the beautiful scenery of Tahiti and the cruel face of the disaster.
The film's creative team is already very experienced in the field of disaster films, director Batasa Komaku has won the Icelandic Film Ida Award for Best Director three times, specializes in disaster films, has directed the Icelandic film "The Abyss" in 2012, and directed "Desperate Altitude" in 2015, all of which tell the story of people in disaster.
Screenwriters Aaron Kandel and Jordan Kandel were the writers of Ocean's Edge, along with David Branson Smith, whose "Ingrid Goes West" was nominated for Best Debut Screenplay at the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards.
In addition, for disaster films, cinematographers are a crucial part, the photographer of "Hurricane Waves" is the famous Robert Richardson, who has won oscars three times for "Hugo", "Aviator", and "Assassination of Kennedy". Under his lens, the beautiful scenery of Tahiti can be seen, which makes the disaster film have a bright color.
In terms of starring, the female protagonist Tammy is played by Sherlyn Woodley, who played with Nicole Kidman in the American drama "Big Little Lies", and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Film, and also played the female protagonist in "The Divergent", and the male protagonist Richard was played by Sam Claflin, who had a wonderful performance in "The Hunger Games".
In addition to ensuring the realism of the special effects and the authenticity of the environment, the professional creative team has added the element of love on the basis of the real disaster story, that is, the rivalry between Sherlyn Woodleigh and Sam Clafrin, so that the audience can not only feel the ruthlessness of the disaster, but also experience the true feelings between people.
How to impress female audiences with "disaster + love"?
"Hurricane Waves" tells the story of a pair of lovers who love sailing, Tammy and her fiancé Richard encountered super hurricane "Raymond" on the way across the Pacific Ocean, after the storm, Tammy had to face the destruction of the sailboat, Richard was seriously injured, and there was no rescue, under the spiritual encouragement of boyfriend Richard, Tammy firmly ignited the hope of survival, and broke out a strong courage in a desperate situation.
Obviously, the film is a genre fusion of "disaster + love". In the film, the disaster provides the background for the development of the story, the hurricane hits, and the surviving heroine has to struggle to survive, which is a bridge section that many classic films will have, such as Ang Lee's "The Fantasy Drift of the Young Pi", in the vast sea, seeking the hope of life.
But if it is only the old routine of the rest of the disaster, it will fall into the trap again, and the audience will only feel the visual impact of the moment, and will not leave a deep impression. Like "The Fantasy Drift of the Young Pi", the most frightening thing is the second story told by the middle-aged people, and the simple disaster adventure becomes an exploration of human nature.
There is also a deeper discussion in "The Waves", which puts the characters into a desperate situation through disaster, so as to carry out the ultimate test of love and trigger the audience's thinking. According to viewers who have seen it in North America, the film will have an unexpected reversal at the end, making this love story full of suspense.
Judging from the trailer of the "Most Painful Love Edition" released by the film so far, the first half shows the sweet love of the male and female protagonists, the two meet and travel together, and the beautiful Tahiti and sea level are presented intoxicatingly. However, then, the disaster came unexpectedly, breaking the original peace and beauty, Richard was injured, leaving only the heroine Tammy to fight against nature, and finally Tammy cried out the name of her lover, and the listener was heartbroken.
Such a female perspective, the theme of exploring women's emotions is easy to attract the attention of female audiences, love in a desperate situation can stimulate the resonance of female audiences, trigger sympathy and sense of identity, just like many of this year's realistic theme works, it is also a story about maternal love that focuses on women's emotions, opens up the word of mouth at the female audience level, and obtains a box office counterattack.
"Hurricane Waves" is also expected to gain word-of-mouth recognition from female audiences by finding female audiences. Female audiences, as the main consumers of the film market, will have a great boost to the box office of the film, and it is also a good word-of-mouth communication channel. As long as the emotional core is enough to walk the heart, it can gain the favor of female audiences.
How to reflect the differentiated advantages of the same period?
"Hurricane Waves" is set for December 7, the same day the release of movies are "Human Comedy", "Aquaman", "Midnight Ruins", "Taixian Curse", "Love Can't Reach" these 5, in addition to "Aquaman" is a Hollywood blockbuster, the others are domestic movies, the threat to "Hurricane Waves" is not much.
The difference of "Hurricane Waves" is reflected in the type and narrative, the type of disaster in the film is popular with the audience, the combination of love and disaster makes this story full of charm, from the success of "Titanic", it can be seen that often the love in this desperate situation can move the audience more. In terms of narrative, "Hurricane Waves" also brings surprises to the audience, revealing the truth at the last moment of the film, and it is estimated that many viewers will feel unexpected.
Judging from the disaster films introduced this year, "Jurassic World 2" and "Raging Monster" are monster disaster films, but they still have good box office results, and for love disaster films such as "Hurricane Waves", it is easier to capture the hearts of female audiences, in addition to experiencing disasters, you can also feel the beauty, in line with the aesthetic taste of domestic audiences.
"The most painful love disaster film", does not refer to physical pain, more refers to psychological and emotional pain, "Hurricane Waves" will break the beautiful love, let people heartache, but also use love to inspire the hope of life, but also let people believe in love. Perhaps this will also bring the audience more thinking, so that people have a deeper understanding of love.
The movie "Crashing Waves" is produced by STX Entertainment Company of the United States, invested and produced by Lakeshore Entertainment Company, Huayi Brothers and Ingenious Media in the United States, produced by China Film Group Corporation, distributed and translated by China Film Co., Ltd., and promoted by Huayi Brothers, and officially released in China on December 7.