♪ You are so special, how can I be disappointed ♫
Every day at 9:30 a.m., Sister Yi is waiting for you here
Text | Sister Yi (Zhou Guiyi) Ye Ziyao
More than three months ago, at the Chengdu World Table Tennis Championships, the Chinese men's table tennis defeated the German men's table tennis 3:0, won the championship, and held the Svethlin Cup.
This created the miracle of ten consecutive championships in the World Table Tennis Championships. This is also the 22nd time that Chinese men's table tennis has won the Svethlin Cup.
This trophy is "heavy" because its meaning is not only victory, but also inheritance.
As a "national ball", table tennis has a very special weight in the hearts of Chinese people, as if "you can only win, you can't lose"; For a long time, the memory left by Chinese table tennis is that it is invincible and wins.
But in fact, it has had its lows and its failures.
The movie "Chinese Table Tennis Jedi Counterattack" is a recreation of that period of national table tennis history - 28 years ago, that exciting Jedi counterattack.
"Chinese Table Tennis Jedi Strikes Back"
In 1995, in the men's team final of the Tianjin World Table Tennis Championships, the Chinese men's table tennis duel against the Swedish team, was definitely the existence of the top 1 level of the national table tennis historical scene.
That victory not only means that China's men's table tennis has returned to the peak, but also set off the prelude to men's table tennis dominating the world for more than 20 years. Prior to this, the Chinese men's table tennis experienced the darkest hour before dawn.
Chinese men's table tennis was in trouble in the late eighties and early nineties of the last century, losing successively in international competitions, and even slipped to the seventh place in the World Table Tennis Championships
It is imperative to counterattack, be reborn, and break the predicament. We need a turnaround and win.
At this time, what stood out was Dai Minjia (played by Deng Chao), a young coach who had been teaching abroad for many years and had an unruly personality.
At that time, everyone said that it would take 10 years for Chinese men's table tennis to return to the peak, and he decided: Give me two years and win back.
What are the breakthroughs and killer features?
Regrouped, male table five tigers - Bai Minhe (played by Xu Weizhou), Huang Zhao (played by Duan Bowen), Hou Zhuoxiang (played by Ding Guansen), Dong Shuai (played by Sun Xilun), Gong Feng (played by Cai Yida).
The five team members are not the best choice in the eyes of others, and even have their own "defects": wounded injuries, blind and blind, small and small, old and old.
This team is like a joke in the eyes of others, the old devil king leads a group of little devils, and it is not favored from the group.
But it was this team, which was not favored from top to bottom, that completed the task that was not expected.
In the history of Chinese men's table tennis, this unthankful head coach is Cai Zhenhua, and his "five tigers of men's table tennis" are Ma Wenge, Ding Song, Wang Tao, Liu Guoliang and Kong Linghui. (The corresponding characters in the movie are Bai Minhe, Gong Feng, Huang Zhao, Hou Zhuoxiang and Dong Shuai).
At that time, Liu Guoliang and Kong Linghui were still young and had not played in the World Series; Ma Wenge's shoulder and back injuries were severe; Wang Tao's doubles results are better than singles results; Ding Song has a high degree of myopia.
And the task of their five tiger generals is to turn over the battle.
Whether it is taking the initiative to go to Europe to participate in competitions, learn new European technologies, or daily technical and tactical training, everything revolves around how to win this turnaround battle.
Three representative matches are presented in the movie. Although the "Five Tigers" are zero-based actors and are not professional athletes, the crazy training behind the scenes, plus the professional technical guidance of the champion, the sense of substitution in each game is very strong.
The technical details of table tennis, the movement habits of each athlete, and the scheduling of the rhythm of the arena make people feel like they are on the scene, and their hearts beat with each action, burning and exciting.
But compared to the traditional sports theme's attention to the arena, what impressed me more about the whole movie was outside the arena.
Above the arena are honors and miracles, and beyond the arena are humanity and life.
First of all, head coach Dai Minjia, who has the title of manager on his head, but often bows his head and asks for people.
In order to lead the team, fight for resources, ask for leadership, ask for coaches, ask for compromise and compassion from wives.
(Outside bragging that he was the head of the family, in order to configure a good coach for the team, he took the initiative to give up his head coach's two-bedroom house, and his back foot was kicked out of bed by his wife.) ）
No matter how excellent the personal ability is, he is not an omnipotent god, but has the love and fear, hard and instigated of ordinary people.
The title fight with Sweden was a turning point.
Chinese men's table tennis, who have experienced hard training and gained some winning faces, were originally full of expectations, but lost the game.
In the cheers, Dai Minjia left instantly, all the surrounding sounds disappeared, and all movements became mechanical.
The loss and blindfolded that moment was so real. Especially the silence after the fall of great hope.
He arrived at the airport in a daze, and Hou Zhuoxiang asked: "Do you really believe that we can win?"
Back home, he faced a more difficult situation, being reported, attacked, suspected... He was crushed.
At that moment, I was actually the most impressed. When one's faith collapses, it is really the time of spiritual death.
The good of the movie is not a blind highlight victory, but does not avoid these darkest moments. Everyone in the movie has had their darkest moment.
And, the movie does not create gods, but seriously talks about how an ordinary person who is not favored overcomes the defects of his own ability and personality, and how to kill a road, go out, and go down when there is no time and place to be favorable.
There is a line in the movie:
"To choose to be an athlete is to choose the most difficult path in this world."
Chinese men's table tennis players train every day, seaside, Great Wall, ice and snow, all year round.
Fierce enemies train a thousand times, they train ten thousand. There are no shortcuts, just play hard and practice.
At the same time, the movie tells us very truly that if we don't work hard, we must fail, but even if we try our best, we may not succeed, which is also life.
For example, one of the team members who moved me very much in the movie, Chen Wen. Talented and specialized, he has always been a sparring partner, and he has no chance to get ahead, and he has not been able to go down.
He left the court and opened the hotel, but when the Chinese men's table tennis finally won, he was in front of the TV as if he had won.
How many Chen Wen, no complaints, no regrets, no matter what, still love life, not afraid to start over.
They may never have a chance to win a game again, but as ordinary people, they win life.
The charm of sports itself condenses the most complex human nature, the oppression of one's own limits, the necessary competitive coexistence, and failure and glory.
Table tennis, a national sport, two boards and a ball can be played at any time, without skiing, horseback riding or even swimming restrictions, it seems to be the best competitive sports designed for the most ordinary ordinary people.
Chinese table tennis is a miracle of the world. The status of Chinese table tennis in the world itself is like the history of the struggle of an ordinary person. Relying on his own resilience of not admitting defeat, dead bearing, hard support, without any blessings, but stubbornly maintaining a posture of not being defeated.
Director Li Shaohong said after watching the premiere: "I think it is more suitable for the people of the whole country to watch, and no film can inspire people like a competitive movie." ”
Some fans exceeded expectations after watching it with a scrutinizing gaze - "Director Deng Chao's best work is also the best in the sequence of Chinese sports movies." ”
The comedian Guan Le said that after watching the movie, the new year is full of motivation. Knowing the ending, he will still burst into tears with excitement.
Former badminton champion Bao Chun was excited to get back on the field after watching the movie!
"The whole environment, the life of the athletes, and the details of the atmosphere of the competition are all trying to be restored, and there is a strong sense of substitution. Although it was in that era, I could still feel the diligence and fearlessness of sports people, and I had an urge to get back on the field! ”
"Chinese Table Tennis Jedi Strikes Back" has such energy and magic, instantly igniting people's passion, and daring to move forward again.
In recent years, we need this kind of courage and courage more than ever, and the tenacity and fighting spirit that cannot be "killed"; It also needs such a hearty and roaring victory.
In recent years, some people have been demoted and laid off, some people have started a business, some have failed in graduate school, some have failed to go ashore in the public examination, and some people have been like scarecrows on the track of marriage and career, losing their sensitivity to joy, anger and sorrow... Each has its own difficulties, and they are all unhappy.
We've failed, we've lost, we've lost, but then we can still stand up as if we've never been knocked down.
"Chinese Table Tennis Jedi Strikes Back" said: This movie is given to everyone who is not optimistic.
At this moment, we need movies like "Chinese Ping-Pong Jedi Strikes Back" too much, to take us out of some confusion, anxiety or apprehension about the unknown, and we need to "kill" out of the cage in the unpromising status quo, and it's over!
Belief is everything.
In 2023, we need that confidence.
Don't lie flat, don't be afraid of losing, roll up your sleeves and fight again.
As a film suitable for all ages, "Chinese Table Tennis Jedi Strikes Back" is too suitable for the whole family to watch together, there is no threshold for watching movies, and laughter and tears fly together.
People of every age will either gain precious memories or get positive motivation in this counterattack. It is the past that previous generations experienced, and the future that we and our children may face.
Because those frustrations and dormancy, those crawling and fighting in the darkest times, are the lessons that each of us, at different stages of life, will face.
The ball does not land and never gives up.
As long as life is still there, don't be afraid, love.
When it's difficult, when it's tired, clench your fists and shout, sass!