For screenwriters, Shanghai Beach is a vast subject library, and various events and historical figures in history can always provide them with creative inspiration and materials.
In the 1970s and 1980s, many famous historical figures in Shanghai Beach were also excavated by the screenwriters and made into classic film and television dramas.
In addition to Xu Wenqiang, who swept the country, Ma Yongzhen is also their darling, and film and television works with Ma Yongzhen as the theme have been filmed one after another.
In the mid-1990s, Shaw Films, as the "bearer" of the Hong Kong film industry, once again ventured into the action film market, and after getting two major generals, Yuan Biao and Yuan Kui, in 1997, remade Zhang Che's classic action film " Ma Yongzhen " .
However, due to various reasons, the film was dismal at the box office, and there was no splash at the time, and Yuan Biao also announced the release shortly after the end of the film.
01, with a clear emotional line of action films
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Shandong suffered a drought, and in order to survive, countless refugees poured into Shanghai, including Ma Yongzhen (Jin Chengwu) and Ma Daxiang (Yuanhua).
When working as a coolie at the dock, Ma Yongzhen did not fight with the king of the Shanghai dock, Tan Siye (Yuan Biao), by chance, and won the appreciation of Tan Siye by virtue of his skills, which was also their first meeting.
Their second encounter is at a nightclub called "One Pot of Spring", which happens to be the field of Tan Siye, where Ma Yongzhen meets the beautiful singer Jin Lingzi (Xuan Xuan) and falls in love with her at first sight.
However, what they don't know is that Fourth Master Tan's nemesis, Yang Shuang (Yuan De), is about to launch an attack tonight and dismantle Fourth Master Tan's field.
In order to save Jin Lingzi, Ma Yongzhen and Yang Shuang's men fought hard, repelling them and disintegrating Yang Shuang's plan.
But Yang Shuang did not stop there, he pretended to set up a banquet to invite Tan Si, but he waited for the opportunity to kill Tan Si. Just when Tan Si was deeply mired in the quagmire, Ma Yongzhen killed the siege and rescued Tan Si.
As a result of these several three-stroke rescues, Tan Si's gratitude to Ma Yongzhen was overflowing with words, and he even handed over a pot of spring and sunny days to Ma Yongzhen.
However, under the confusion of the sunny day, Ma Yongzhen fell, not only fighting with Yang Shuang, but also constantly seizing territory and becoming a hegemon.
At this time, Yang Shuang bought through the sunny day and deceived Ma Yongzhen into the trap that had been set long ago. Although Tan Si rushed to the rescue in time, it was difficult to defeat the four hands with two fists, and Tan Si was also taken down by Yang Shuang.
In the end, Ma Yongzhen was rescued by the golden bells that rushed in, and Tan Si was not so lucky and was imprisoned by Yang Shuang.
After Ma Yongzhen recovered his body, he fought a decisive battle with Yang Shuang, who sat on the first chair on the beach. In the end, the rescued Tan Si and Yang Shuang died together, and Ma Yongzhen left Shanghai Beach with the golden bell.
02, the combination of "anti-classic" and tribute to the classic
This film is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name directed by Zhang Che, "Ma Yongzhen", which has undergone many changes in many details and plot design, presenting a different Ma Yongzhen.
In terms of plot design, as a screenwriter, Liu Zhenwei strengthened the emotional line in the film.
In Zhang Che's film, the emotional story is very weak, but in the 97 version of "Ma Yongzhen", the emotional line between Ma Yongzhen and Jin Lingzi, the emotional line between Ma Yongzhen and Yanyangtian, and the emotional line between Tan Si and Yanyangtian are all portrayed very heavily, so that people can see more children's love in addition to kung fu.
It can be said that Liu Zhenwei's move is to adopt the "anti-Zhang Che" style of screenwriting technique. In Zhang Che's film, the love of children is all secondary, and the male protagonist can abandon his lover for the sake of great righteousness and brotherhood;
However, in Liu Zhenwei's plot, Ma Yongzhen will quarrel with Tan Si because of women, and fight with the eldest brother Ma Daxiang.
In addition to the emotional line of the aggravation of the scene, the image of the protagonist Ma Yongzhen has also undergone earth-shaking changes, in Zhang Che's film, Ma Yongzhen is a jianghu grass, and the appearance of the actor Chen Guantai is not very outstanding;
However, in the 97 version of "Ma Yongzhen", Xu was influenced by the prodigal theme that prevailed at that time, and Ma Yongzhen became an unruly prodigal son, and was played by the popular Xiaosheng Jin Chengwu, who was very resistant to fighting.
In addition to these "anti-classic" scenes, as a director, Yuan Kui pays tribute to the classics in action scenes, continuing Zhang Che's preferred violent aesthetic.
The violent action scenes in the film where there are fierce fights and bloody plasma are full of "Zhang Chefeng".
Moreover, Yuan Biao and Yuan De, who are members of the "Seven Little Blessings", dedicate the wonderful play scenes in the film, so that the audience can directly enjoy it after watching it.
This combination of "anti-classic" and "tribute to classics" gives the film a more novel form of expression, and also makes the image of Ma Yongzhen and other characters more plump, so that people can see heroes who are different from stereotypes, see their children's feelings, and more able to touch the audience's resonance and empathy.
03, the male protagonist who is covered up by the male second
In the 1990s, the character of "prodigal son" gradually entered the movie, and works such as "The Story of Ah Lang" and "Heavenly Love" were shaping the "prodigal son on the screen".
Xu is that the influence of this trend is too strong, Liu Zhenwei reshaped ma Yongzhen's image, made him an unruly prodigal son, and invited a handsome young student less than 25 years old to play Jin Chengwu, the image is very consistent with the role positioning.
However, in the film, the limelight of Ma Yongzhen, played by Jin Chengwu, is completely covered up by Tan Si, played by Yuan Biao.
In the film, although Jin Chengwu wants to "rely on himself" to make a name for himself, and often hangs this sentence on his lips, he has courage and strategy, and he has a kung fu in the air, but he does not have enough brains.
Not only was he seduced by the sunny days and made many wrong decisions, but Tan Si's death was also inseparable from him.
More importantly, from the beginning to the end of the film, this character does not seem to have any highlight moments, nor has he grown, but has lived to the end with the "protagonist aura".
But tan si, played by Yuan Biao, is very affectionate and charming. The so-called appearance is the highlight, in the scene where Tan Si and Ma Yongzhen meet, Tan Si can be described as a C-bit appearance, and the moment he turns his head seems to let people see Xu Wenqiang on the beach.
In the later plot, Tan Si's image is even more powdered: when treating Yang Shuang, he is both open-minded and tolerant and decisive, and after unsuccessfully trying to get along peacefully, he resolutely confronts him, fully showing the charm of a big guy on the beach;
When dealing with Ma Yongzhen, he was very affectionate and righteous, even if Ma Yongzhen swelled to the point of losing himself, Tan Si still regarded him as his own, not only teaching him tirelessly, but even losing his life to save him.
The prodigal son Ma Yongzhen suddenly appeared small in front of Tan Si, who was serious about righteousness and decisive in killing.
04, the box office is dismal, Yuan Biao is gone
The film was released for just 11 days in 1997 and grossed dismal at the box office, at just 3.01 million. The reason for this may not lie in the production of the film itself.
The first is the impact of the timing of the release: "Ma Yongzhen" was released in Hong Kong, China on June 7, 1997, and two days before that, "Prison in the Air" starring Nicolas Cage entered Hong Kong and stole a lot of box office.
The second is the decline of Hong Kong action movies: in the 1990s, the Hong Kong action movie market gradually declined, in 1997, only "A Good Man" and "Huang Feihong's Western Lion" two action films got more than 30 million box office, but these two films were respectively blessed by Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Guan Zhilin and other superstars, and "Ma Yongzhen" without superstars could only get 3.01 million at the box office.
This film can be said to be the last action blockbuster starring Yuan Biao, but the dismal box office has a great impact on Yuan Biao, after experiencing some struggle, Yuan Biao chose to stop filming, and after three years of re-emergence, but the response was flat, and it was difficult to show the glory of that year.
Although the box office of this movie is terrible, I have to admit that it is an excellent film.
In the fierce action scene, mixed into the delicate emotional line, the two actresses not only look resistant, but also act online, the emotional changes from beginning to end are fully interpreted.
Even 24 years later, it is still a memorable film. (Author: West Window Snow)