Author / Xiao Bao
Imagine a story:
In the 1930s, in shantou, a small southern coastal city where China and the Ocean were mixed and hundreds of industries coexisted, three men played a play. Among them, one is a "novice agent" who has just been activated, one is a sophisticated but ignorant "connector", and the other is a cold-eyed and calculating enemy agent. When the hidden dragon is hidden in the city, when the wind is rising, they are launching a bloody life-and-death contest.
Such a story is moving and exciting. Playing the novice agent is the popular high-quality idol Chen Weiting; at the turn of spring and summer last year, he entered the crew, and with the film's special edition, he read a poem in Cantonese, indicating that this is a revolutionary story that took place in the land of southern Guangdong.
And for these hot-blooded teenagers and unsung heroes to recreate the world of light and shadow, it is Chen Jiashang, who has not directed the theme of war history for a long time. In recent years, Chen Jiashang has turned to the background and reduced production a lot. Over the past two years, however, he has been fully involved in the creation of the film; it is clear that the work has a pivotal place in his heart.
This movie is "The Tempest."
Chaoshan style X red spy battle
Speaking of the word "storm", or the "secret" of the "red traffic line" that the film wants to revolve around the narrative. However, it was a turbulent and turbulent era, an era of revolutionary enthusiasm and high spirits, and even the background of the story, Shantou, Guangdong, was a place that endured stormy weather all year round.
It has been observed that after the establishment of the "Storm" project, many guangdong audiences were very excited. Prior to this, there were very few huge films telling the story of their hometown in the Chaoshan area, so when Chen Jiashang and Chen Weiting came to Shantou to shoot a scene, some viewers had marked "want to see" in The Douban in advance and expressed their expectations.
▲ "Storm" concept poster
So, what spark can the fresh pair of Chaoshan style and red spy war collide?
First of all, when it comes to red themes, in the past, film and television works are less related to southern Guangdong and one place; as for the red themes that focus on the Chaoshan region, they are even more scarce. Therefore, after consulting the information, we found that the "red traffic line" described in "The Storm" has a decisive party history status.
Specifically, in 1930, the Central Transportation Bureau of the CPC Central Committee opened a communication line from Shanghai-Hong Kong-Shantou-Dapu-Qingxi-Yongding into the CCP's Soviet Zone, which was the only secret existence that was unspoiled from beginning to end among several transportation lines in that year. The main leaders who entered the Soviet zone through Shantou were Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Nie Rongzhen, Deng Yingchao, Dong Biwu, Ren Bishi, Liu Bocheng, and more than 200 other high-ranking cadres, who played a vital role in preserving the flame of our party's revolution.
Therefore, the foundation of the revolution is deeply rooted in the history of Chaoshan Province. Just as we can still hear stories like "Chaoshan Seven Days Red" to this day, we can also find the glory of the past from regional customs such as Shantou Small Park. However, we lacked someone who could tell a good story with light and shadow, so "The Tempest" made up for it.
▲ "Tempest" concept design drawing
Secondly, the strong Chaoshan style adds a layer of romance to this red story, hoping to immerse the audience in the style of eastern Guangdong in the 1930s.
For example, Shantou Small Park, where "The Tempest" was filmed, is the only radial arcade street in the country, which not only witnesses the prosperity of the century-old commercial port, but also reflects the splendor and prosperity of the past. For example, as a place where sea and land meet, the atmosphere of marine culture and the thickness of Central Plains culture are integrated, and the Chaoshan region is not only brilliant in people, but also creates a unique style culture. From the huge merchant ships to the Mazu of the city, and then from the Cantonese diet to the dialect of the Min... The accumulation of a thousand years of culture nourishes the coldness of the revolutionary storm and leads the hot-blooded teenagers in this land to the glory of history.
Two-Sided Agent VS Hidden Villain
As a result, the story of espionage under the red framework is accompanied by a panoramic shooting in Shantou, presenting a very fresh theme match. With the skeleton, it must be filled with flesh and blood, and "Storm", as a new mainstream commercial blockbuster, can be more watchable.
In the cast, it is the high-quality idol Chen Weiting and the powerful actor Wang Qianyuan who provoke the beams. In "In the Storm", Chen Weiting is called "Chen Jiadong", the director said that he was not black enough, he dedicated himself to "black", the script set himself up for the identity of "rookie double-sided spy", he did enough homework to play it well. Therefore, at the time of the killing, Chen Weiting said, "The role of Chen Jiadong is like being in a storm." He has been in a whirlpool, desperately running forward for the light of faith, looking forward to your meeting with Chen Jiadong. ”
In contrast to the rookie agent "Chen Jiadong", the hidden villain "Wang Liwen" played by Wang Qianyuan is more complex. As a Kuomintang commissioner, he looks gentle and elegant, but in fact he is fierce and fierce, and he is secretly manipulating everything.
In addition to Chen Weiting and Wang Qianyuan, the flesh and blood characters in "The Storm" also include the bar owner "Zhu Jun" played by the powerful little flower King Zixuan ("River God" and "Golden Pupil"), and the introverted and deep veteran agent "Jiang He" played by veteran actor Wang Longzheng ("Rhinoceros in Love", "Psychological Crime", "White Night Pursuit"). The various characters show a variety of lives, interspersed with the storyline of "Two-Sided Agent VS Hidden Villain".
In such a setting, will the landing point of "Storm" be a tragic story of sacrifice? At the moment we don't know. But the filmmaker borrowed Chen Weiting's mouth to recite:
No dawn can block the sunlight;
No harsh winter can intimidate spring;
There is no dangerous road that can contain wildflowers.
Life is singing, poetry from afar;
Never extinguish, never stop.
In the torrent of history surging with great changes,
Those hot faces,
It's becoming clearer and clearer.
I want to disguise, I want to be real;
I want to be anonymous, and I want to be a hero;
I want to leave, I want to stay more.
Time will comfort me,
Great and ordinary, will be quiet in this moment.
Only the sailboats, blown by the wind, sing eternal poetry;
So, whether "The Tempest" is high, cold or tragic, it is a song of blood of an unsung hero. The song comes from the past and goes to the future.
Compose a song of the blood of an unsung hero
With such a cast and character setting, "Storm" will undoubtedly become an action espionage commercial blockbuster with a rich market foundation. Benchmarking the same kind of Chinese film history masterpieces such as "The Great Cause of Building the Army", "The Sound of the Wind", "Wise Tiger Mountain", "On the Cliff" and other similar Chinese film history masterpieces with double harvests at the box office, "Storm" naturally makes the market full of expectations.
Looking back at the creation process of the whole project, I think the main creator and the producer should be satisfied-
Since July 2020, the main creative team led by director Chen Jiashang, producer Chen Zhiliang ("The Climber", "Hong Kong 囧", "Three Kingdoms See the Dragon Unloading Armor"), screenwriter Haifei ("Sparrow", "Spy Battle of the Deep Sea", "Sui and Tang Heroes") have gone to Shantou several times to collect wind, research and scenery, which lasted more than three months. Subsequently, the "Storm" crew spent nearly half a year to prepare the project in an orderly manner, successively determining the props, costumes, scenery, actors and other links. Little by little, it is highly recognized by the producer Pearl River Film Group. From "The Legend of the White Snake" to "Chinese Doctor", the Pearl Shadow Group, which accumulated a lot of hair and shined in the Chinese film market last year, also escorted the success of "Storm".
▲ "The Tempest" Chen Jiashang work photo
More importantly, from production to material selection to story, innovation factors are full of all aspects of "Storm". As we all know, the main theme is rich in material, but it is not easy to grasp, the action blockbuster is good- but not easy to innovate, and the spy movie is brilliant, but it is more difficult to tell. Therefore, "Storm" uses a set of combination punches of "red traffic line + Chaoshan culture + spy action" to equip itself, and strives to make the audience refreshed.
In June last year, "The Tempest" was officially launched, and it is now in the late stages of tension, and it is expected to meet the audience this year. It is reported that the film is mainly controlled by the Pearl River Film Group, jointly produced by Foshan Cultural Development Investment Management Co., Ltd. and Qiyu Cultural Pictures (Shantou) Co., Ltd., produced by Guangdong Zhuying Film and Television Production Co., Ltd., and co-produced by Holgus One Point Idea Film Co., Ltd. At that time, the mystery of the story on this hidden front will be unveiled, and the new ideas of the spy action genre blockbuster will be expanded, and we will wait and see.
▲ "The Storm" is a green photo