Many of Feng Xiaogang's films often use this structure in narrative. Although there is also a vaguely identifiable narrative thread, it basically does not strictly follow the plot main line of the beginning, development, climax, and ending of the dramatic structure, but on the basis of a loose main line, the series of small narrative paragraphs is carried out, although there is sometimes a temporal relationship between fragments, but it does not have a strict causal relationship, but a combination of fragments that can be reversed and reorganized.
For example, "Party A and Party B" is a series of several dream realization stories, "Not Seen and Not Dispersed" is a series of short stories in which Liu Yuan and Li Qing meet several times but abnormal conditions occur every time they meet, and "Do Not Disturb If You Are Insincere" is a series of stories of Qin Fen's several failed blind dates and several ridiculous encounters with Xiaoxiao on the way.
This setting is just suitable for director Feng Xiaogang's narrative characteristics that like to tell jokes, and his films are more called paragraph series, and this narrative structure can release enough comedy to the audience in a self-contained form in each segment, so that the audience no longer pays too much attention to the fate of the characters in the play, but focuses on the small fragments that continue to occur, so as to be able to enjoy the entertainment effect brought by the film more relaxed.
Therefore, in terms of comedy effect, director Feng Xiaogang's first-line bead-style structure has very unique characteristics, but it is easy to leave loose and random and unorganized pretexts in terms of narrative.
The main line of "Fallen Leaves to the Roots" directed by Zhang Yang is that the old Zhao Qianli, played by Zhao Benshan, carries the corpse to send the dead co-worker home, but the development of this main line is divided into several segments.
The story of Lao Zhao and the driver of the car, the story of Lao Zhao and the person who did the funeral for himself in advance, the story of Lao Zhao and the girl in the hair salon, the story of Lao Zhao and the beekeeper, the story of Lao Zhao and the woman who scavenged the waste, etc.
To be precise, Lao Zhao is witnessing the emotions or emotions, encounters or experiences of these people, and the stories of these people more or less affect Lao Zhao's inner beliefs or concepts, but there is no intrinsic causal connection between these stories, and it can even be said that the wind and horses are not compatible, but together constitute the specific atmosphere of that era, traditional moral concepts and values are experiencing ruthless baptism, and people's spirits and souls are also facing the dilemma of having no branches to live in this storm.
Compared with the film directed by Feng Xiaogang, Zhang Yang's film is difficult to call it a comedy because of its weak comedy, but it pays more attention to the survival and spiritual situation of human beings in the difficult situation of the times.
The film shows the atmosphere of the times and the survival of people of multiple classes in a scattered perspective, which has a value-added effect on the theme, but is not outstanding for the comedic setting.
"Love Call Transfer" and "Love Left Light Right Walk" are two similar stories, respectively, a man contacts 12 girls and a girl knows 12 men, respectively, it is also a beaded structure, and several blind dates or erotic encounters are connected under the main line of the protagonist's search for true love.
Because of the large number of arrangers, almost every story ends before it unfolds, leaving an empty shell of structure, giving the feeling that form is greater than content.
However, this setting is not for structural innovation, but purely for the so-called luxury star lineup, many flashing clips are just for a star to show his face, and the film side can take the opportunity to hype. Therefore, in terms of narrative, it is difficult to call it innovative.
