How to blow the "chi"? Fan accusations and historical truth under the announcement of the movie "Fengsheng"...

Author: Chunmei Fox

Published "Illustrated Traditional Chinese Costumes"

This article is about the reason why I don't like the movie "Fengshen " more and more, mainly because I don't like the fans of the movie and the director of the movie. The cause of the matter was to see someone on the Little Red Book wondering why there were two postures of playing "chi" in the same movie, is it a bug?

Originally, a matter that was inconclusive in the academic circles, it is a very good thing to be willing to do some research work when filming, and try to imitate and shoot in accordance with the existing academic consensus (this cannot be called "restoration"). Although, I think this is what film and television should do when facing a specific theme, just like making a war movie to ask a military adviser, how did shooting a historical theme to ask the relevant people become a shining point? But in view of the current low requirements of both film and television and film and television fans, a few people have done it, so let's boast.

However, because of the director's fluttering and the fans' self-PUA, the way of presentation in the movie has begun to become a kind of historical theorem, even if there is an inconsistent bug in the film, fans can still make up for this matter in the way of self-brain supplementation, and use it to "lesson" people who question.

——This is not just a problem with the movie "Fengsheng", but a common problem of most self-packaged films and television at present.

"Chi" is also a confused account

At the beginning of the movie, it marketed a lot of points about how many artifacts he borrowed. In terms of musical instruments, the main one is "chi". It may be that "Chi" appears in more pictures (compared to other musical instruments), and it is "bundled" with the popular character of Bo Yi Kao, and the value of marketing as a "cultural relic egg" is greater.

(Photo/Douyin @ Douyin Fengshen Part 1)

(Photo/Douban Movie)

However, what those articles do not say is that the premise that the instrument in the character of Bo Yi Kao in the movie "Fengsheng" is called "篪" is that the cross-blowing single-wind instrument unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Marquis Yi they refer to can be designated as "篪". The current academic consensus is that the two horizontal blowing single-wind instruments are "chi".

(Two "chi" excavated from the tomb of Zeng Marquis Yi, photo/The beauty of Chinese archaeological relics)

(Photo/Douban Movie)

Remember when it became more and more difficult for "academia" to move towards "popular science"? Talk about it from the stillbirth of Xu Hong's new book... Did you mention the reason why Xu Hong is not willing to make a conclusion for "Xia"? It is because most of the cultural relics will not tell you what it is, and the horizontal blowing monowind instrument unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Marquis Yi is inferred from its physical characteristics, era, etc. from the literature to find a more matching music name, it is "篪".

(In 1979, Huang Xiangpeng published "The Glorious Creation of Pre-Qin Musical Culture - Ancient Musical Instruments from the Tomb of Zeng Marquis Yi", which was interpreted for the first time and widely recognized by scholars.) ）

However, different interpretations of documents will also summarize different characteristics from the documents, or different analyses of cultural relics, which will affect the naming of these "dumb cultural relics". Therefore, there are scholars who hold other theories, such as thinking that "篪" should be a "reed" instrument (such as bau), or that this piece from the tomb of Zeng Marquis Yi is "篴".

(One of the speculations is that "chi" is similar to today's "bau.") Popular in the Hani and Yi ethnic areas of Yunnan Province, Bau is a horizontal clarinet pronunciation instrument, shaped like a bamboo flute, and pronounced with reed vibration. Photo: Digital Museum of Chinese National Musical Instruments)

(Bau's playing method, photo/national instrument network)

However, people are not completely ignorant of "chi", because many people have tried to make some ancient musical instruments long before the excavation of the tomb of Zeng Marquis Yi, such as Zheng Xiaowen mentioned in our previous "The Past of the Republic of China of "Qiao": Antiques and Innovation Annihilated in the Fires of War..."

But before him, Qiu Zhijiao, the chief teacher of the Liuyang Confucius Temple during the Qing Daoguang period, developed a set of antique musical instruments (and then "made up for the loss of time"), which was called "Liuyang ancient music". Among them, there are 6 pieces of "chi" preserved, all made during the Guangxu period. Regardless of whether these 6 pieces conform to the ancient meaning, they can at least be taken out and played.

(In 1937, the photo of Liuyang ancient music in the "China Monthly" was "篪" at the bottom)

(6 chi in Liuyang ancient music, photo/"Chinese Music Cultural Relics Series")

(Liuyang Confucian Temple "Eight Birds of Life")

Of course, Zheng Xiaowen also made "chi" and made two forms, one is a blow hole at one end (this type of shape is also called "Chu Chi"), and the other is a blow hole in the middle and three holes on each side, in line with Zhu Zaiyu's "Music Law Encyclopedia" (this type of shape is also called "Zhou Chi").

(The two-form "chi" made by Zheng Xiaowen, photo/Chen Zhengsheng's "Talking about the "chi" of the Datong Club")

("Chu Chi" produced by Li Jia'an, photo/Guangling Sanjiang)

("Zhou Chi" produced by Li Jia'an, photo: Guangling Sanji Community)

People who can investigate the case have already discovered that the record of "chi" in the literature must be a little vague or confusing, otherwise Zheng Xiaowen would not have made two visually completely different ways of playing chi. At present, a similar model of "Chu Chi" has been unearthed, and some are only in the tomb of Zeng Marquis Yi, "Zhou Chi" has not been unearthed, but it has a similar image, while "Chu Chi" has no image (these two brothers are really amazing).

However, these two are not even the only two options for "chi", after all, many scholars have other ideas. Moreover, the literature that mentions "篪" appeared very early, but the literature describing the shape of "篪" is relatively late and confusing, "all from after the Han and Wei dynasties", and even the number of holes has 6, 7, 8, 10, etc. What is more subversive is that Mao Zhenlei mentioned in "The Doubtful Theory of Chi" that the remarkable feature that "Chi" must have a bottom can only be traced back to the Liu and Song dynasties. If even this article is overturned, it is really almost impossible to trace.

How to blow the "chi" is actually not recorded!

The reason that prompted me to write this article was that I saw a Little Red Book, and the main screenshot of the po said that the same "Chi" Why are the two characters of Bo Yi Kao and Yin Shou in the same movie different?

(Photo/Little Red Book)

The Bo Yi Kao character has both hands facing towards him, which is obviously different from the current flute, while the Yin Shou character has one hand facing outward and the other hand facing inward, similar to the modern flute.

Here it comes, the explanation of the "information difference" with the distinctive characteristics of fans is coming! This question is also called "Did Urshan explain this bug?" 》

(Photo/Little Red Book)

Especially the following comment, too classic, can't help but remind me of the costume aesthetics of the previous "Movie "Fengsheng": A failed "creation" work" There are also fans in the comment area who scolded me "The research of the team mentioned in the article is deeper than it, the team just chose this way of presentation", I can only say, I wish everyone a happy brain supplement!

(Photo/Little Red Book)

Although the explanations given by fans seem repetitive and confusing, they can be summarized into two types (many fans mix these two when expressing them):

First, Bo Yi Kao is correct, and Yin Shou is wrong. The reason for Yin Shou's mistake is that he is the king and can do whatever he wants. (This interpretation points to the fact that the way "篪" is played is fixed, and the movie arranges Yin Shou to deliberately destroy this stereotype to complete a certain expression)

Second, the palm of the hand is facing inward to show respect, Bo Yi Kao needs to show respect for Yin Shou, and Yin Shou needs to express disdain. (This interpretation points to the fact that there is no fixed way to play "chi", and the player needs to choose his own playing style according to the identity and relationship between himself and the listener)

I haven't played the "chi", but I was caught learning the flute when I was a child because of finger conditions. The method of playing the instrument is based on the instrument, not according to some respectful and humble etiquette law can be changed casually. Moreover, learning a musical instrument requires diligent practice and the formation of muscle memory, not what I want to express or release in my heart today. Is it necessary to learn an instrument from scratch if he is called a king, and this king deserves to suffer too much! According to custom, shouldn't we change the etiquette law overnight, and let the world change the fingering method for me? Or do you have to learn two kinds of "chi" first, and then look at the rank of the people around you and the recent relationship with each other to choose one to perform?

Interestingly, although fans often teach ordinary viewers that they have seen more marketing content that they "don't understand", it is clear from this small point that they are actually relying on each other's nonsense. Because I went to see the Urshan piece they mentioned, I only mentioned that this way of playing is different from the flute, which is a detail worth noting.

(Web video screenshot)

As for how the "chi" is played, it can be seen from the previous debate about what the "chi" should be, in fact, there is not much record at all.

As mentioned earlier, "Chu Chi" has objects, and "Zhou Chi" has pictures, because the way Chi is played is inferred from the image of suspected "Zhou Chi", and from the picture, the so-called palm facing oneself may only be two hands placed on both sides of the head and facing inward.

(Mao Zhenlei compiled the diagrams used to study the way the chi was played in "The Doubts of the Chi", and I really can't find clearer images other than these line diagrams)

It can be seen that the musical instruments in the image are longer than the "chi" unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Marquis Yi, which is only about 30 centimeters, much shorter than the current flute.

Among the image materials about the way the chi is played, the most powerful is the music figurine in tomb M006 in Yangjiawan in Changsha, because it is a physical object, but it should be in a poor state of preservation, except for the clean-up briefing of that year, I have not seen further information. Mao Zhenlei believes that although the musical instrument used in this wooden figurine is a real thing, it is only a bamboo pipe, and there is no depiction of blowing holes, pressing holes and the most obvious characteristics of "bottom" in "chi", how to determine that this is playing "chi"?

Mao Zhenlei gave an example of a national musical instrument "Tuliang", blowing holes in the middle, not pressing holes, and playing with hands on both sides, which is visually similar to this.

(Tuliang, Jingpo ethnic wind instrument.) Made of bamboo, blown horizontally. Use a bamboo pipe to open the bamboo knot, and open a blowing hole in the middle left; Or plug in with two bamboo pipes and make a blow hole in the thicker tube near the middle socket. No soundhole. The total length is about 50 cm. When playing, hold one end of the tube with your left hand and open and close the tube mouth with your thumb; The right hand opens and closes the other end of the tube mouth with the palm of the hand, and blows out different pitches by the slow blowing and the different cooperation of the opening and closing of the left and right hands. With flat blowing and overblowing techniques, the vocal range can reach more than two octaves. Photo: Digital Museum of Chinese National Musical Instruments)

(Jingpo musical instrument inheritor Bao Le demonstrates Tuliang blowing method, photo/Ruili City Rong Media Center)

Zhao Songting created the "Yan Feichi" in the early 90s based on classics and images, and the length and performance method are similar to those in the image materials.

(Zhao Songting successfully developed the Yanfeichi in the 90s of last century, because the opening is located in the middle of the lumen, the two ends are closed, and the unique shape design causes the air flow to rotate left and right in the lumen, forming the timbre characteristics of the bass like a pipe, the middle like a flute, and the treble like a flute, Figure/"Moving forward, not changing the original intention - remembering Dong Xiao's flute production and the road of Yan Feichi exploration")

(Junior Song playing the goose flying chi)

Moreover, Zhao Songting gave this kind of musical instrument "blowing holes in the middle, dividing the flute pipe into two, there is no barrier in the tube, and the flute pipes on the left and right sides are interconnected and can be controlled separately" a scientific name, called "Tongguan Double Flute" (that is, "Zhou Chi" style). In addition to the "Tuliang" mentioned above, similar musical instruments include "gongchen pipe", "mouth flute", "forked hand flute" and so on.

Among them, the "gongchen pipe" and "forked hand flute" are found in the literature, and the reason for the name is that when playing, "its persistence is like an arch", which may be the source of the so-called etiquette in the mouths of fans of the movie "Fengsheng". Then it is no wonder that ordinary audiences can't see how Bo Yikao's blowing method in the movie shows the number of gifts, because only "Zhou Chi" with his hands inward is more like a salute, and "Chu Chi" can't see that his hands are all on the same side. (But I'm too lazy to find out who spread this to the fan base, and only the "Zhou Chi" style can form this effect, and the "Chu Chi" style in the movie can't do it.) ）

Even in the shape of the "Chu Chi" with the mouthpiece at one end, Mao Zhenlei gave an example of the ancient music of Liuyang recorded in 1956, in which the "Chi" is played in the same way as the flute. Although Liuyang ancient music is imitation, it is not a reduction, and there is almost no reverse reference value for the real sense of pre-Qin ancient music, but it provides us with an idea.

(Photo/Mao Zhenlei "Doubts of Chi")

Coincidentally, Ning Baosheng also created a "new chi" in the early 90s, "timbre and hole flute, flute only". This is a "Chu Chi", "in order to make the flute player better to get started, it has been changed to a posture with hands facing each other like the flute", which shows that the posture of the hands facing inward is more of a derivation than a necessity for playing.

(Ning Baosheng Shinchi plays.) In 1992, the ancient chi of the edge wind instrument that had been lost for hundreds of years in China was studied, and on the basis of finding out the different overtone sequences and different vocalization laws of the open and closed pipes, the positioning problem of the tail warp hole was theoretically solved, and finally the "new chi" was developed. Photo: "China Musical Instrument Museum")

Therefore, on the basis of the current lack of clear historical data, talking about "chi" must be a lack of evidence when playing with the palms of both hands inward.

The arrogance of film and television and the ignorance of fans

The above does not mean that the props imitation object of the movie "Fengshen " are wrong. There is no problem in making a film and adopting consensus conclusions to imitate it. Unless, the main creative team is very willing to take the time to learn more about the knowledge background to form their own choices, or the non-consensus conclusion is more in line with the plot arrangement or more conducive to the presentation of some techniques of film shooting, then there is no problem.

For example, Wu Ershan said that out of dramatic considerations, the guqin in the original work was replaced with a chi, which is also convenient for the later scene to be carried by Yin Shou.

(Web video screenshot)

In fact, the ancient music that is more in line with the director's needs and script arrangement is "Shen", after all, there is an allusion to "Bo Shen Zhongchi", and the later plot can also arrange an echo. I don't know if it's because the song is so popular that it doesn't have the publicity value brought by the mystery of ancient music, or the crew didn't expect this allusion at all, after all, the reason for choosing "Chi" The crew didn't say.

The use of "埙" is also more in line with the director's imagination of "lower and thicker" timbre.

(Web video screenshot)

Because there is clearly misleading here, at least three times misleading, although Urshan and the fans don't think so -

(1) Wu Ershan prides himself on "restoration", in fact, he made a sample product, and this kind of goods is not the same as cultural relics (before the comment area of "The Costume Aesthetics of the Movie "Fengsheng": A Failed "Creation" Work", there were also people who said that "the art of the film ... It is not allowed to have any reproduction of cultural relics or direct application", please see the director personally slap in the face).

(Web video screenshot)

(Details of the "chi" excavated from the tomb of Zeng Marquis Yi, photo/The beauty of Chinese archaeological relics)

(Diagram of the "chi" line unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Marquis Yi, picture/"Collection of Chinese Field Archaeological Reports Zeng Marquis Yi's Tomb")

(Photo/Douban Movie)

(2) Urshan makes people think that ancient musical instruments can only be unearthed by imagining their sound. However, as early as 1981, Wu Zhao mentioned imitation and audition in "Qidi Debate", "according to the simplest method of pressing holes" and "can play a pentatonic scale plus a change tone", which shows that there are reference objects.

(Photo/Wu Zhao's "Flute Debate")

(3) Wu Ershan deliberately omitted or did not read enough information at all, the timbre of "chi" has actually been recorded, and the sound is like a baby's cry, which is one of the reasons why some scholars claim that "chi" has reeds (that is, they do not agree that the one unearthed by Zeng Houyi is "chi"). If it is interpreted according to this description, it does not hurt to use it in the movie.

(Photo/Interpretation)

Therefore, the "common problem" that this article wants to talk about is that the main creative team of the film began to feel that the "consensus" they adopted was an absolutely correct conclusion. Not only that, but they will further believe and promote the imitation presentation in their films and television as a historical standard answer with a high degree of cultural relics restoration. That's very, very bad!

As a result, fans who get more film marketing information begin to feel that ordinary viewers who do not understand these contents in film propaganda are equivalent to ignorant people who do not understand history, and ordinary viewers who question movies are perpetrators who question history. In this way, it sucks!

Just like the number of museum visits that can be casually visited by working animals, the Fengshen crew has also done it but was praised by fans, praising the crew that has visited the museum can be the same as writing history books directly, praising that all the costumes of this crew are cultural relics taken out of the museum to the general unquestionable, it seems a little scolding.

It's like that little red book, in fact, a normal question from the audience, fans commented a lot and didn't make it clear, but because of the "large number of people", they felt that they could educate others, and even asked to change the title "Fengshen BUG Why do they have different postures with flutes". What is "control and evaluation"? This is called accusation!

(Photo/Little Red Book)

Fans seem to have forgotten something: it's very, very normal not to know "chi", just like not knowing rare words, there is nothing to be ashamed of, these are rare and unnecessary knowledge. Changing car tires is much more common in production and life than these, and there are more people who can't. As a musical instrument that is very similar to the "flute", another very common instrument in life, it is normal to ask questions. What's more, from the movie screen, in addition to the different ways of playing, you can't see more information about this prop, and the audience is not open to the sky.

Fans and the creators of the film who are sought after by them forget that the audience is not obliged to watch behind-the-scenes specials, publicize small essays, and even the director's so-called pulls. When the film appears in the theater, it should be an independent and complete work, and the popcorn cool film should be suitable for all ages. Earning money from popcorn, hanging the flag of documentaries, and even forming a bureau of internal entertainment traffic fan circles...

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How to blow the "chi"? Fan accusations and historical truth under the announcement of the movie "Fengsheng"...

How to blow the "chi"? Fan accusations and historical truth under the announcement of the movie "Fengsheng"...

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