#Journey to the West# In China's cultural heritage, there is an actor whose name is almost equated with the classic character of the Monkey King. He is the six-year-old Tong Zhang Jinlai, an actor who plays the Monkey King vividly, deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and has become one of the classics in the hearts of Chinese audiences. However, although his monkey king is widely loved, in recent years, his TV series "Dare to Ask Where the Way Is" produced with an investment of 700 million yuan has fallen into difficult labor, and has even been criticized by netizens as embarrassing. This article will reveal the reasons behind this embarrassment, as well as profound reflections on China's cultural heritage.
Part I: Behind the Classic Recreation
The beginning of the legend: In 1982, director Yang Jie decided to shoot "Journey to the West", one of China's four famous books, into a film and television drama. In the nationwide audition, after layers of selection, the six-year-old child Zhang Jinlai was finally selected to play the role of Monkey King. In order to better understand the habits of monkeys, Zhang Jinlai even lived with monkeys for several months, in-depth research, and finally presented the beautiful monkey king.
Classic production: The filming conditions were very difficult that year, the on-site shooting, and the actors often took risks, but after their hard work, they finally presented a ratings champion "Journey to the West" in 1986. The six-year-old child's superb acting skills captivated the audience, and his Monkey King became a classic among the classics.
Emotional investment of the audience: The reason why this drama has become a classic is not only because of the difficult shooting conditions, but also because "Journey to the West" itself is a classic. Director Yang Jie has a deep understanding of the original work and can grasp the essence of it, and the six-year-old child himself is also an actor trained by director Yang Jie. The audience's emotional commitment to the show has made it a generation classic.
Part II: Embarrassing Investments and Expectations
Monkey King's Comeback: Although the six-year-old Monkey King is loved, in recent years, he may feel that his Monkey King is unmatched. Therefore, he decided to start filming the TV series "Dare to Ask Where the Way Is" in 2018. The drama was originally pinned on high hopes, he said that he would invest 700 million yuan, and also invited the original cast, including Ma Dehua, the actor of Zhu Bajie, to co-star.
High-profile publicity: The publicity of six-year-olds made many netizens feel dissatisfied. He high-profile declared that he had invited the Hollywood team, promising that the special effects would be comparable to "Wolf Warrior". However, the audience questioned this, because the reason why "Journey to the West" became a classic was not only because of the shooting conditions, but also because of the director's deep understanding of the original work, and whether the foreign team could really understand the essence of the Chinese masterpiece has become a question.
Embarrassing response: The show's final response wasn't as expected. The audience said that the six-year-old child had exhausted everyone's feelings for his monkey king. His high-profile publicity and overconfidence in his monkey king disgusted the audience. Therefore, this drama was named "Real and Fake Monkey King" and became the object of ridicule from netizens.
Part III: Reflections on Cultural Inheritance
Responsibility for cultural inheritance: The Monkey King of Jinlai is undoubtedly part of China's cultural heritage, and his performance in classic dramas is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and will be remembered by the audience. However, as time goes by, his Monkey King also faces new tests. In modern society, cultural inheritance is not only the continuation of tradition, but also needs to keep pace with the times and present more new possibilities for the audience.
Balance of self-confidence and humility: In cultural heritage, actors need to be confident, but they also need to be humble. The six-year-old's high-profile publicity and confidence may be because he loves his role, but it also makes the audience feel uncomfortable. In cultural heritage, humility and respect for the emotions of the audience