丨This article was first published in Phi Pictures
Pippi Movies / Daily Wonderful Movie Recommendation
Speaking of Zhou Xiaowen, the first thing that comes to mind for many people is the sweeping monk in "Dragon Babu".
In addition to his identity as an actor, he actually has another identity, the fifth generation of Chinese directors.
From the late 80s to the end of the 90s of the 20th century, director Zhou Xiaowen, as a contemporary of Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Huang Jianxin, etc., has been committed to the exploration of domestic commercial types.
Pigo's previous releases The Last Madness and The Price of Madness are iconic films of this period.
In 1991, director Zhou Xiaowen met 24-year-old Shi Lan and was deeply attracted by her youthful vitality.
So the two collaborated on two films, "Youth Without Regrets" and "Youth Impulse". In 1991, Wang Shuo and Wei Ren created "Youth Without Regrets".
01.
The story of the film begins with a veteran who experienced the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam.
The foreman at the demolition site, Zheng Jianong (played by Zhang Fengyi), was originally a veteran. As a result of his head injuries sustained during the war, he was left with after-effects. Every night he often woke up in pain until midnight, which seriously affected his life.
Zheng Jianong's wife, Liu Jie, could not bear to divorce him, leaving his young daughter Duoduo to go abroad alone. Because Zheng Canong cannot take care of Duoduo alone, he must take care of her with his parents.
In order to find out the cause of the headache, Zheng Jianong goes to the hospital for a detailed examination, but meets Mai Qun (Shi Lan), a nurse who had cared for him when the army was injured.
It turned out that Zheng Jianong blocked the falling beam for Mai Qun, causing Mai Qun to suffer a head injury. For Mai Qun, Zheng Canong is not only her lifesaver, but also the object of her crush when she was young.
Mai Qun's parents divorced, and he lived alone in a courtyard house to be demolished. This is the house that Zheng Jianong's engineering team encountered.
So Zheng Jianong went to Mai Qun's house to work for her, but Mai Qun showed Zheng Jianong his old photos, which finally awakened Zheng Jianong's memories when he was in the army.
Originally, Zheng Jianong had lost most of his past memories due to brain injuries. Although he saved Mai Qun, he was not impressed by her. He only remembered her as a girl who was afraid of water.
After meeting Zheng Jianong again, Mai Qun awakened the love in his heart for Zheng Jianong. When the hospital's investigation report came out, she found that Zheng Jianong's time was running out, and she decided to temporarily leave her fiancé Hu Songli (Liu Yunlong) and follow Zheng Jianong on the final journey of her life.
Mai used her connections as a nurse at the hospital to forge an examination report to convince Zheng that she was suffering from just ordinary neuropathic headaches. As a result, Zheng Jianong was able to live a happy life when he died.
Soon, Zheng Jianong demolished Mai Qun's old house, let Mai Qun live in her own house, and taught Mai Qun to swim, overcoming her fear of water.
Zheng Jianong finally left, and Mai Qun returned to Hu Songli's side. A year later, Liu Jie returned from abroad and wanted to take his daughter to study abroad, and met Mai Qun at the mall.
Standing together, the two women couldn't help but sigh with emotion, and all kinds of thoughts flooded their minds.
Mai Qun regarded the days with Zheng Jianong as a memorial of her youth, and she never regretted her choice.
02、
Xi'an Film Studio (now Xiying Group) was founded in 1958 and was at the forefront of film reform in the 80s and 90s of the 20th century.
Wu Tianming, the director of the factory, once said: "You make money, I make art." Therefore, Xidian Power Plant movies have always been known for their wide range of themes and strong commercial sense.
Zhou Xiaowen was one of the directors of Western Film Studio who dared to try new types of films during this period.
As early as 1987, he made a positive depiction of the Vietnam War, "They Are Young", deeply reflecting on the great harm caused by the war.
But when it came to the movie "Youth Without Regrets", it was expressed in a more obscure way.
The film only uses some conversations between Mai Qun and Zheng Jianong, as well as a few old photos, to reproduce the war memories in their minds, and uses Zheng Jianong's brain injury to show the great damage caused by the war.
Although Zheng Jianong did not have serious mental problems due to the experience of war like the first blood in "First Blood", his damaged brain often tortured him and made him unable to sleep.
As a result, he was unable to lead a normal life, first losing his family and finally his life. The tragic fate of this character is the greatest indictment of war.
And the anti-war theme of "Youth Without Regrets" also puts on the coat of a youth film, which is the commercial packaging of the film and the consideration of the market. Director Zhou Xiaowen interprets youth in a bold and straightforward way, presented through the perfect images of Shi Lan and Zhang Fengyi.
Shi Lan was a beautiful actress at that time, tall and tall, even if she only wore ordinary girl's clothes, she still exuded a unique charm that was intoxicating.
And Zhang Fengyi has always been a fitness expert, 176cm tall and excellent muscle lines. In the film, he is tall and strong, exuding male affinity from the inside out. The scene where Zheng Jianong teaches Mai Qun to swim is a concentrated embodiment of this youthful feeling. When Mai Qun appeared in front of the camera wearing a swimsuit, not only the boys in the play were fascinated, but also the audience outside the play was difficult to control. And the scene of three men and one woman playing in the water is also thrilling.
Although the films of the 90s are more restrained in expression than the 80s, not as bold as "The Price of Madness", Shilan's swimsuit is still eye-catching.
Director Zhou Xiaowen expressed the youthful atmosphere of the post-90s young people in this way, which is natural and full of sunshine and vitality.
03、
The 90s of the 20th century was an era when Hong Kong and Taiwan stars flocked to the mainland. When "Youth Without Regrets" was influenced by this trend, it still caused a strong response among the audience.
Because of this movie, Shi Lan became famous in one fell swoop and became popular all over the country. Even the well-known authoritative film magazine Popular Film asked her to shoot the cover.
But what Shi Lan didn't expect was that the cover photo of "Popular Movie" put her in trouble.
Shi Lan was wearing a swimsuit when the photo was taken, and the magazine chose a very sexy avatar. It is said that the magazine sold out after its launch, but the social atmosphere at that time was still relatively conservative, and Shi Lan's bold appearance also attracted criticism.
In the following years, she struggled to get a good film contract. She eventually won the leading role in "Da Hong Rice Shop" directed by Huang Jianzhong, but the film was banned for seven years due to adverse social influences. As she grew older, Shi Lan was gradually marginalized in the entertainment industry.
Director Zhou Xiaowen and Shi Lan fell in love because of the play. They had a painful relationship for a year, but broke up due to personality differences. But they still maintained a good friendship, until Zhou Xiaowen switched to the TV screen to shoot "Black and White Layout", "The Legend of Queen Lu", and "Dragon Babu", he still strongly invited Shi Lan to play the role in the movie.
Although Liu Yunlong did not have many roles in the film, his young and handsome image also left a deep impression on the audience. In the 90s of the 20th century, he did not get a good opportunity in the film industry. After entering the TV circle, he starred in word-of-mouth dramas such as "Dark Calculation", "Strait", and "Kite", which opened a turning point in his career.
So far, only Zhang Fengyi has developed the best. After debuting for many years, he insisted on taking the tough guy route and insisting on fitness exercise. Although he is now 64 years old, he has always maintained a good figure and is a handsome uncle in the eyes of fans.
"Youth Without Regrets" won the Best Feature Film Award at the Shanghai College Student Film Festival that year, and Zhou Xiaowen also won the Best Director Award, which shows the film's affirmation of the mainland film industry.
Although the film tells a thick story, the process is always in a warm and comfortable atmosphere, giving the audience a warm and friendly feeling, like watching a love story between a girl next door and her boyfriend. But that kind of Zheng Jianong did not end up with Mai Qun, but became a passerby who left a deep mark in her life. The tragic twist of this ending is very shocking, and at the same time, it can't help but make people reflect on the reasons for Zheng Canong's tragic fate, and arouse the audience's anti-war sentiment.
An urban emotional film can bring out the sublime theme of anti-war, and Pidgeon believes that it is not easy for feature films in the 90s of the 20th century to do this.
Text/Pippi film clip: Passionate Heart
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