Zhang Yimou, 72 years old, is afraid that this time he will come to "be cruel".
Guoshi + Science Fiction + Yi Qianxi + Shen Teng,
Title, "Man Jiang Hong".
Good guys, netizens: I can't dream about it.
Zhang Yimou made science fiction films, which is not surprising. In recent years, Zhang Yimou's new films have not been rejected, there are good stories, and any type of filming has been made. Someone asked Zhang Yimou if he could pick up science fiction films. He said, "I'm a sci-fi fan." "No, it's coming right away.
However, it must be said that two did not expect.
The first, I did not expect that Zhang Yimou, who is already 72 years old, will go to gnaw the hard bones of domestic hard science fiction.
In Zhang Yimou's own words, it will be challenged in time and space narrative. Obviously, this is not the "Wandering Earth" style of space theme hard science fiction, but more complex, more difficult -
Science fiction combines history, and seriously tells a trinity story.
The second thing I didn't expect was —.
Unexpectedly, in this story that is inseparable from Yue Fei, the audience is very likely to not see the role of Yue Fei at all.
And the protagonist of the story will be a fictional little character and - Qin Juniper, who plays Qin Juniper - if I am not mistaken, it may be Shen Teng.
Such an unusual game of chess, can you win?
It is true that I am not sure about changing others, but it is Zhang Yimou who broke through the pass this time.
Zhang Yimou, who only recently contributed a Chinese-style romance at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, and the farewell of a "folding willow to send love" at the closing ceremony made countless audiences boil with blood and emotion.
I dare to say that this new domestic science fiction film will be another king fried.
However, in order to throw out this pair of wang explosions, the old strategist has three difficult problems this time, and he can't get around it. The film starts shooting in July, come, for the old strategist, first plate.
First, the three major problems of filming "Man Jiang Hong"
First of all, put forward the three major problems that the old strategist may face this time.
1. Hard science fiction is a hard bone, and domestic hard science fiction with historical themes is a hard bone that no one has gnawed.
Pay attention to the positioning of the film: science fiction, suspense, history, science fiction, first and foremost.
But science fiction films are domestic films.
Until 2019, a "Wandering Earth" detonated the Spring Festival file, earning 4.68 billion yuan at the box office. The door that made the Chinese people exclaim "domestic science fiction" was opened. But a "Shanghai Fortress", netizens joked: the science fiction gate is closed again.
In a word, not easy to get.
Hard science fiction is more difficult than science fiction. Jun, a "Tomorrow's War" by Gu Tianle, Liu Qingyun, Liu Jialing, Zhang Jiahui, and the Film Emperor's Grand Gala, released the trailer for four years, and there was no movement?
And the history + science fiction blockbuster is an unknown situation that has never had a successful precedent.
Because, at the same time, we must face two major risks: the risk of historical themes, and the risk of science fiction technology.
To put it bluntly, filming this subject matter is thankless.
2. How should the story of the film be told?
It should be noted that science fiction is not equal to special effects blockbusters, and it is not necessary to harden the alien fleet or run away with the earth.
There is also a genre of science fiction, which is time travel.
According to Zhang Yimou's own words, this "Man Jiang Hong" will be explored to the extreme in time and space, whether it is artistic or technical difficulty, it is unprecedented.
Looking at the story, the film tells that during the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty, the prime minister Qin Ju led the forbidden army to the border to talk with the Jin Kingdom. Qin Junjue is the residence of a local clan. The mansion was closed and heavily guarded, but the night before the meeting was a mystery. The pawn Zhang Da wrapped himself in it, and unveiled the mystery step by step. Behind the mystery, a mystery of righteous men's rape gradually unfolds.
Pay attention to the key words: mystery, puzzle, righteous shovel.
It can be seen that this will be a suspenseful story around the Southern Song Dynasty Righteous Soldier eradicating Qin Juniper, the protagonist of the story 1: XiaoPao Zhang Da, the protagonist 2: Qin Juniper.
It is still unclear how Zhang Yimou will tell this story.
However, judging from the introduction, it is likely that the plot of Yue Fei's Northern Expedition will not appear in the story, and may not even appear directly with Yue Fei.
"ManJiang Hong, Writing Nostalgia" is Yue Fei's famous story throughout the ages, but the core protagonist of this movie is most likely a fictional small character - Zhang Da.
Although the story may not directly mention Yue Fei, the background of the story is undoubtedly that tragic history, which not only requires the screenwriter to have a full understanding of that history, but also needs to coordinate with various external factors, after all, the audience's eyes will be more stringent than ever for such classic historical figures.
3. Shen Teng and Yi Qianxi two pieces of king fried, how to use?
Earlier, the film has not yet determined the starring role, netizens have speculated that the film star may be Zhang Yi, Yu Hewei and other film emperors who have cooperated with Zhang Yimou many times, for example, as soon as Zhang Yi appeared, the audience immediately had a "feeling that everything is stable".
Unexpectedly, it would be a magical combination of Shen Teng and Yi Qianxi.
For Zhang Yimou, Yi Qianxi, it is not difficult to use.
Almost certainly, he will play, it is the little pawn Zhang Da, who is caught in the puzzle, with him, one is stable, after experiencing "Chosin Lake" and "Miracle Stupid Child", Yi Qianxi's performance has gradually matured and can afford to carry blockbusters. The second is tenderness, he appears, and it is easier to play the feeling of the pawn Zhang Da Nen. Tender, only suspenseful.
This chess move, in fact, is reasonable.
Unexpectedly, it was Shen Teng.
Some netizens complained: the list of actors is not credible. How can it be comedy?
Wait, who said the film is comedy? But netizens seem to have formed a fixed impression: Shen Teng's performance, of course, is a comedy, not a comedy, looking for Shen Teng?
Yes, in the past, Shen Teng's science fiction must be a comedy, and the science fiction comedy starring with Ma Li next is also a comedy.
However, who said that Zhang Yimou used Shen Teng and could not use him as an actor in a suspenseful science fiction film?
And why do you think that under the tutelage of Zhang Yimou, Shen Teng can't act well in science fiction suspense films?
The last suspense: is there Liu Haocun?
At the moment, the information is very unanimous: no.
However, not only to gnaw down the hard bone of science fiction suspense + history, but also to use Shen Teng Yi Qianxi, the problems in front of director Zhang Yimou are still not small at all.
Second, why is it said that Zhang Yimou must have thrown out Wang Fang
Why am I so sure that this time Zhang Yimou must be Wang Fang?
Is it silly to choose a film that is difficult, laborious, and risky to roll over, and choose a road that few people take?
But this is precisely why I am optimistic about "Manjiang Hong" - to bring another possibility to domestic science fiction.
Zhang Yimou This time, there are three aces.
First, the script is stable.
Speaking of a detail, the first screenwriter of the film is Chen Yu, the screenwriter of "Sniper", who has cooperated with Zhang Yimou three times in a row.
According to Chen Yu's recollection in a speech: On January 10, 2020, director Zhang Yimou told me on the phone to create another film. At that time, we had already cooperated in two works, one was "Rock Solid" and the other was "Manjiang Hong", and he proposed that "Manjiang Hong" be postponed first, "Let's get this first".
This is Sniper. The Spring Festival Douban has the highest score, and the story is well received.
All along, a major weakness of Zhang Yimou's films is that the standard of the script is suddenly high and low, and most of the good scripts are good works, the scripts are not good, and the quality of the film is also doubtful.
Chen Yu is the first screenwriter zhang Yimou to cooperate three times in the past ten years, Zhang Yimou wrote a script, not necessarily ok, but Zhang Yimou's vision of reading the script is absolutely OK.
To be so trusted by Zhang Yimou, especially after cooperating with "Manjiang Hong", it is difficult to imagine that this will be a licensed script, with a high probability, and is a masterpiece in Zhang Yimou's heart.
Second, Zhang Yimou's control of genre films does not need to be suspicious.
It can be seen that Zhang Yimou's pursuit of film style: the drama trinity is done to the extreme.
Sci-fi, suspense, trinity, it's safe to say, it's going to be a highly genred film.
There have been historical science fiction works with similar themes in China, such as "Myth" and "Providence", but if I want to find a movie that can be used as a reference, the first thing I think of is "Time and Space Clues" starring Denzel Washington.
The film combines action elements, suspenseful crime elements and time travel. It tells the story of an agent who, while investigating a cruise ship bombing, is given an opportunity to go back in time and rewrite history.
Visual effects coexist with storytelling, and under the element of time and space, it is even more gripping.
Shooting this kind of film, the solid visual quality, tense rhythm, and wonderful action scenes are the keys to determining the texture of the film. Literary drama hides mysteries, martial arts drama is neat and smooth, and suspense drama is gripping and is standard.
Can Zhang Yimou shoot well?
But you can still remember the vast snowfields, cold ice cities in "On the Cliff", dangerous and dangerous; as well as gun battles, flying cars, confrontations, games, fierce games and undercurrents under the enemy and our camp.
Or, under the low saturation of ink and danqing in "Shadow", a thrilling life-and-death duel.
Zhang Yimou, of course, can shoot good science fiction suspense, but there is a third point:
imagination.
No one has the right to doubt the intentions of the old strategist in making movies. But we often overlook that behind that intention, this time is beyond the imagination of ordinary people, even in the design of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games, this imagination is everywhere.
And this is precisely what is most lacking in domestic science fiction - not technology, not money, but science fiction, imagination.
The so-called sense of science fiction is not necessarily a variety of fanciful high concepts, or a rush to pile up dazzling special effects; but how to use the shell of science fiction to install a wonderful story.
And to create a huge conflict: to stimulate human instincts, to let the characters in the sharp contradictions, to choose, to move forward.
Behind all this, the film's biggest confidence guarantee is still a more hardcore Zhang Yimou.
Yes, science fiction suspense, on the current industrial level of Chinese films. Can you shoot it? Can you shoot well?
But from the first directorial work "Red Sorghum" to the present, he has directed a total of 26 films at a rate of nearly a year.
Among them, it is also interspersed with the opening and closing ceremonies of the two Olympic Games, countless opera evenings, promotional films, etc. Every time I face the same question: Is it a good shot?
But no matter how many people have lamented that Zhang Yimou Jiang Lang is exhausted, he will always return to the king.
It has been said that the greatest significance of science fiction is that it "fantasizes about another possibility of the future about the world."
From this level, the emergence of "Manjiang Hong" has completed the exploration and imagination of another possibility of domestic science fiction.
For Zhang Yimou's film, it is also creating another possibility, an adventure.
Third, I did not expect the 72-year-old old strategist to show his "ambition" in this way
Zhang Yimou certainly did not have to embark on this adventure.
But Zhang Yimou, 72, has exposed his ambitions.
In the past few decades, the old director has encountered too many controversies, but the ambition is one from beginning to end: to make more and better Chinese films.
He never seemed to give any explanation for himself or argue with people.
Just talk about the movie.
And with each shot, he is expanding the boundaries of Chinese films.
In 1988, Zhang Yimou's directorial debut "Red Sorghum" shocked all the audiences, and there had never been such a bloody and masculine Chinese film before, and it also made Jiang Wen and Gong Li.
A "Hero" has been questioned by many people as having cool pictures and insufficient stories, but this film that created the era of domestic blockbusters is still the leader of domestic films going to sea.
In recent years, Zhang Yimou has been shooting faster and faster, focusing more and more on genre films.
"Shadow" broke through the costume blockbuster, "On the Cliff" completed the innovation of domestic spy war films, and "Sniper" made war films with Trinity.
Regardless of success or failure, as long as Zhang Yimou makes a move, he will inevitably leave a wonderful stroke and open up a new path for the latecomers.
This time, the hard bones he wants to gnaw down are domestic hard science fiction.
Before "The Wandering Earth", it was a no-man's land for a long time. After that, there is still a lack of real work.
What exactly is missing from domestic science fiction? Is it technology, capital? Or do you believe from the bottom of your heart that you are creating the world you are creating?
In recent years, there have always been people who question zhang Yimou's filming too fast and can't bear to "grind a sword in five years". Tao Jing, who has worked with Zhang Yimou for 40 years, scoffed, "To be honest, most of the five years you have heard grinding a sword, tears, don't fully believe it, they have been playing for many four and a half years." And the old plan is that he is interested in several subjects and has feelings, and he goes forward together, which matures first and which comes first. ”
Now it seems that the theme of domestic science fiction, in Zhang Yimou's heart, is the time to blossom and bear fruit.
In a sense, I think Zhang Yimou is the most suitable Chinese director to shoot science fiction.
The so-called science fiction, no matter what the story, the obsession behind it is actually a kind of primitive sincerity and love that human beings yearn for the secret truth.
Isn't this exactly Zhang Yimou?
What does the movie leave for this 72-year-old tough guy?
I don't know, I just know that Zhang Yimou, 72 years old, keeps walking.
In preparation for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, some media photographed the 71-year-old Zhang Yimou, while staring at the rehearsal, while taking advantage of people's lack of attention, pouring medicine into his mouth.
Later, his wife told us that during those days, Zhang Yimou's body was already exhausted, cold and feverish, and he had been carrying forward.
But after carrying the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games, can you rest? Impossible, stop, it is not Zhang Yimou.
Without the above analysis, just by three words, I dare to say that when "Man Jiang Hong" was filmed, I dared to break my wrist with "Earth".
Which three words? Zhang Yimou.
The second screenwriter of the film is Zhang Yimou himself, why did he shoot this story?
Reasonable guess, Qin Zhang Yimou, probably once silently recited this poem in the middle of the night, so there was this story, there was this movie - "Angry hair rushing to the crown, relying on the appendix, Xiao Xiao rain rest." Look up at the eyes, look up at the sky and scream, and be fierce. Thirty meritorious deeds of dust and earth, eight thousand miles of clouds and moons. Mo waited for idle, white teenager's head, empty and sad. ”
Late at night after the premiere of "One Second", Zhang Yimou said a sentence, "My biggest wish now, if I am in good health, if there is always a good script to continue, I will shoot more than one film a year." I always want to shoot a little more, hoping to live up to and not delay this time, and not to waste my life.
A good word, not a waste of life.
A good sentence, Mo waited for idle, white teenager's head, empty and sad. You told me how not to look forward to it, "Man Jiang Hong".