Among the new films of the Spring Festival file, there is no one that can arouse everyone's curiosity like "Manjiang Red".
It may be due to the genre positioning of suspense and comedy, and it may be due to the strong cast of wonderful mixes.
After all, many actors such as Shen Teng, Yi Yangqianxi, Zhang Yi, Lei Jiayin, Yue Yunpeng, Pan Binlong, Yu Ailei, Guo Jingfei, Zhang Chi, etc., more or less carry certain labels, especially the film includes a large number of comedians.
But I never expected that it was such a "Manjiang Hong", which shattered all stereotypical expectations one by one.
The genre of suspense and comedy collides in the movie, and the huge sense of contrast and chemical reaction of all the members brings an extremely unique and layered viewing experience.
It makes people nervous, hilarious and want to cry, and then cold and hilarious for a while, switching seamlessly.
Also, for 159 minutes, there is no way to go to the bathroom. There are too many reversals and reversals in the story, the plot design of the play within the play, the plot design of the game in the game, the characters are indistinguishable, good and evil are difficult to distinguish, masks, performances and double performances, the density of changes in the relationship between the characters will fiercely press you to the seat, for fear that you will not be able to catch up with the plot if you miss a second.
The whole process is high-energy, refreshing after reading, and there is no respite.
At the same time, this movie provides great freshness, and we can see the strange Shen Teng, Yi Yangqianxi, Zhang Yi, and Lei Jiayin.
You will see a different Zhang Yimou.
"Manjiang Hong" has familiar elements of Zhang Yimou's films, the forced courtyard and Yong Road, the endless military formation, the rhythm of opera and drums, all reflect the continuity of Zhang Yimou's style, but it is not at all the impression of Zhang Yimou's costume film.
It can be said that "Manjiang Hong" is Zhang Yimou's biggest self-reaction.
The background of the story of the movie takes place during the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty, four years after Yue Fei's death, Qin Hui (played by Lei Jiayin) led troops to talk with Jin Guo, and on the eve of the talks, the envoy of Jin Guo died in the prime minister's residence, and the secret letter he carried disappeared. The little soldier Zhang Da (played by Shen Teng) and the deputy commander of the pro-military camp, Sun Jun (played by Yi Yangqianxi), were caught up in this huge conspiracy by chance. Qin Hui limited the two to find the murderer within an hour, but the matter was far from simple, and there seemed to be a larger conspiracy hidden behind the case.
The synopsis of the story can be almost completely ignored, as the film completely breaks our stereotypical imagination of the elements it contains.
Zhang Yimou opened up a different way and gave his own ideas for solving problems, which is first reflected in the use of actors.
"Manjiang Hong" is known as an out-of-print lineup, Shen Teng and Yi Yangqianxi play the double male protagonists, Zhang Yi plays the treacherous head of the Prime Minister's Mansion He Li, while Lei Jiayin challenges the traitor Qin Hui (which originally sounded outrageous to Shen Teng), and Yue Yunpeng plays Wu Yichun, the deputy head of the Prime Minister's Mansion. In addition, there are newcomer actor Wang Jiayi played by Wu Ji Yaoqin, Pan Binlong played by Ding Sanwang, Yu Ailei played by Mafu Liu Xi, Guo Jingfei played by Wang Biao, the commander of the pro-military battalion played by Guo Jingfei, Zheng Wan, the deputy general of the Forbidden Army Panlong Battalion played by Ou Hao, and Jin Guo's interpreter Harden played by Wei Xiang and so on.
And the actors' performance, which can be summarized as the contrast of all the members, is really amazing.
Shen Teng, who appeared with a smile, played a formal drama role for the first time in "Manjiang Red".
The utility soldier Zhang Da played by him is at first glance a greedy soldier who is afraid of death, trying to find a glimmer of life in the treacherous struggle.
And that's the wonder. Shen Teng's previous comedian label has become a kind of buff for the character of Xiaobing Zhang Da. His comedic effect, such as every time Shen Teng shouted "Third Uncle" to Yi Yangqianxi for mercy, the theater burst into laughter, and his handling of the audience's laughter not only adjusted the rhythm of the film's suspenseful tension and high-density narrative, but more importantly, covered up the true face of the character.
Perhaps six or seven percent of the time, the audience will be confused by the image of Zhang Dabu four or six.
More precisely, Shen Teng's comedy temperament and twist taste are deliberately appropriated, because we have seen too many of his comedies and variety shows, and the image he has constructed in previous viewing experiences often makes the audience's psychology defenseless. So as the plot unfolds layer by layer like peeling an onion, when everyone's true face is revealed, the reversal of Zhang Da's character brings the kind of shock, the kind of affection after the impropriety, which brings people a strong emotional impact.
Unlike Zhang Da, Sun Jun in the relationship between the contrasting characters of "brother-in-law and nephew" is mysterious.
Sun Jun, played by Yi Yangqianxi, has a cold and harsh temperament, extremely fast knife shots, and decisive killing, and at the same time he does not listen, does not see, does not see, does not hear, you even think that he does not think, does not strategize, does not make choices, and has been led by the nose by Zhang Da. In fact, he just didn't provoke.
So much so that suddenly, his actions can stun the audience.
In the direction of the story, the role of Sun Jun has never really explained to the audience, and his position is reversed with the reversal of the plot, and you can't judge until the last moment.
Sun Jun's image is in great contrast with Qianxi's own image, we can feel that Yi Yang Qianxi has completely emptied himself and achieved a new role breakthrough, his ruthlessness, tightness and release, layers of progressive texture, people are happy.
In addition to the two protagonists, He Li, the chief of the Prime Minister's Mansion played by Zhang Yi, Qin Hui of Lei Jiayin, and Wu Yichun, the deputy chief of Yue Yunpeng, also interpret the contrast of surprise.
Zhang Yi completed probably the most ruthless role in his acting experience.
His cunning is found in the level of detail, from his eyes, tone, pretense and trickery, and even the key prop, the red and blue onyx knife, all have hidden secrets.
The Qin Juniper shaped by Lei Jiayin is even more shocking.
The bland and even slightly innocent traitor image in his early stage of cunning and suspicion forms a strong contrast with the absurdity of the final heavy scene, which makes people unexpected, shocking, and even magical. Every detail of his performance must be remembered, and only at the end will he know why his performance is the way it is, and even begin to quickly recall, review, and realize in amazement.
It is also from the end of the film, when Lei Jiayin's heavy scene is performed, the destructive, subversive, and deconstructive power of "Manjiang Red" will hit everyone.
Wu Yichun, the deputy chief manager played by Yue Yunpeng, also presents new changes that are different from the past.
The character initially resembles a treacherous straw bale with a "background", but he can catch people off guard when you think he's stupid. More importantly, as a comedy with Shen Teng, his amusement points are different, and the comedian's label also achieves a sense of contrast in the role.
One of the important highlights of "Manjiang Hong" is precisely this sense of contrast among all members.
Comedian acting in a drama, a drama actor acting in a comedy, while retaining personal style, but also creating a huge contrast and layering, this smooth double switching, so that the suspenseful and tense plot produces a different kind of laughter and interest, each actor presents a unique and hot part, and the chemical reaction produced by the combination is amazing.
Zhang Yimou's strangeness also comes from the fact that this time he focuses on the story so extremely, which can be called the king of reversal.
So much so that every minute of the film changes, and the relationships of each group of characters change.
And this dramatic tension also comes from self-limitation.
"Manjiang Hong" breaks the long-term crime and suspense genre films often used in multi-line, multi-perspective, flashback shots to supplement information and other narrative techniques, but directly without flashback hardcore direct narration, and is an hour-limited time space to solve the case. The tight space environment, the sense of urgency to solve the case within a limited time, and the wonderful drama and drumbeat amplify the immersive viewing experience of "synchronic movies".
In the courtyard of the high-walled house in the cold tone, the characters seem to be thrown in a maze, in a small and cramped space, as the plot continues to unfold, the situation is constantly reversed, and the characters' constant extreme running also reflects the anxiety and cornering under the urgency.
The relationship between the characters is constantly changing, which is reflected in the details of the shots of many Yong Dao running in the movie, and the changes in the relationship between the positions of the characters in the shot when running, suggesting changes in the dominant position, such as Zhang Da, Sun Jun, He Li, etc., these are exquisite designs.
Another subversive design of the film is in the main line and theme expression.
Traditional suspense, spy warfare and other genre films often use secret orders, revenge, assassination plans, etc. as the desire targets and even themes of character actions.
But "Manjiang Red" achieved a different kind of breakthrough. Its surface runs through the main line, which is to solve the case, find the secret letter, and find the murderer, but after going deeper, you will find that the main line becomes more and more blurred. Who is the murderer? Who is undercover? What is good and what is evil? Who wants to believe? Why believe?
And more importantly, what role will Yue Fei's famous "Manjiang Red" play? How to interpret it?
This is actually the biggest suspense of "Manjiang Hong".
But before watching the film, I believe everyone never thought that Zhang Yimou would visualize "Manjiang Hong" in this way.
The film makes alternative deconstruction and new construction of Yue Fei's spirit and the adulterous image of Qin Huan's face, and also makes a historical new presentation of "Manjiang Hong".
Seeing the end will be more clear about the intentions of each character, will be more able to grasp the spiritual weight conveyed after the previous reversals, and will better understand the magic of this movie's interpretation of Yue Fei's "Manjiang Hong" such a different way and "lifting as light".
That kind of just the right subtlety, like Zhang Yimou's use of red today, may be a stream of blood that accidentally gushes, may be a red thorn, or even a cherry.
Everything fell into place, and it ended up romantic, uplifting, and exciting. The righteousness of the family and the national memory, the simplicity and decisiveness of dying for faith, all jumped on the screen and touched people. I believe that after watching this movie, everyone will have a deeper and thicker understanding of Yue Fei and the poems of "Manjiang Hong", and their blood will boil, and even tears.
This point is indeed suitable for the whole family to meet in historical memory for generations.
"Manjiang Hong" allows us to see Zhang Yimou, who is becoming more and more creative, and his new attempt to almost completely subvert his previous style.
We can feel his simplicity, see his "dead stumbling" in narrative and dramatic tension in recent years, and at the same time feel his ethereal spirit.
In this sense, "Manjiang Hong" allows us to reacquaint ourselves with Zhang Yimou.
Confirm the first explosion of the opening year, see you in the theater! After reading it you will understand.