CCTV's new drama "Pearl River People" in front of the screen presents the audience with a visual feast in late autumn.
Although this drama cannot find its kind on the vast national drama stage, it attracted enthusiastic attention from the audience on the day of its premiere, and the ratings jumped to a rare peak.
"Pearl River People" successfully captures the regional atmosphere of Guangzhou, and cleverly uses the Anti-Japanese War as the background, presenting the audience with a full and authentic historical picture.
However, although the theme of the Anti-Japanese War is not unusual in the current theater market, what the audience is really attracted to are the stars on the screen.
However, to everyone's surprise, in the first episode, the popular Yang Shuo, Zhang Han and Guo Xiaoting did not appear, but four little-known child stars steadily supported the climax of the entire drama.
In the face of many already well-known celebrities, these four young actors not only did not flinch, but successfully made "Pearl River People" the focus of heated discussions with their outstanding acting skills.
Chen Shanhe, a mature teenager in the youth, is played by Liu Ruogu. With his wit and composure, he successfully protected his family and led them to avoid the crisis. Liu Ruogu vividly interprets Chen Shanhe's tenacity and determination in his youth, and the audience is inevitably deeply moved by his eyes.
And the lively and ingenious teenager Chen Qingwei, played by He Yuxiao, he showed indomitable courage at the moment of life and death, helped others escape the crisis, and cleverly found a way out for himself. He Yuxiao interprets Chen Qingwei's intelligence and agility just right, and every micro-movement shows the rich inner world of the character.
There is also Chen Lixia played by Zhang Xiran, her innocent smile and pure eyes deeply stung the heart of every audience. The transformation she experienced from innocence to vicissitudes was interpreted by Zhang Xiran picturesquely.
The last teenager, Jin Huirong, although his appearance time was short, but the delicate interpretation brought by Ji Cheng left a deep impression on the audience. Every look and every movement of his eyes is full of stories and deep meaning.
Without the heartfelt performances of these four talented young actors, I am afraid that this drama would not have such a shocking opening. Facing the screen, the audience seems to feel every heartbeat, every tear, every trace of emotional fluctuations.
"Pearl River People" is not only a historical story, but also an affectionate memory, allowing people to re-experience the warmth and sadness of the past in the autumn breeze.
At first, everyone may have thought that this drama was inferior because of its starring performance, but they did not expect that the outstanding performances of the four rising stars really gave the series a great plus. But unfortunately, this advantage seems to be offset by the performance of some of the leading actors. Guo Xiaoting appeared, with both the aura of a girl and the innocence of a little girl, while the shaping of Zhang Han and Yang Shuo was incompatible with the characters.
Zhang Han seems to be accustomed to applying his "overbearing president" setting to this point, frequently showing his signature tilted head acting skills. His every movement, whether leaning against a pillar or sneaking into the back kitchen, is accompanied by that trademark tilt of his head. As for his expression interpretation, it is often too exaggerated and ridiculous.
And Yang Shuo is even more confusing, his appearance obviously does not match the setting of a young teenager, but he still tries to forcibly create a young image. Every time he smiles in front of the camera, he makes the audience feel the age gap between him and the character.
Especially his interpretation in the play, every expression and every action reveals a sense of "greasy", which forms a strong contrast with Guo Xiaoting on the screen.
As Huang Xiaoming demonstrated in The Lurkers, actors should understand how to adapt to different roles and challenge their comfort zones. But obviously, Zhang Han and Yang Shuo are still immersed in their own acting mode, which makes the originally wonderful "Pearl River People" slightly regrettable.
The performance of the four rising stars is undoubtedly a highlight of the show, but it is really embarrassing to be pulled down by Zhang Han and Yang Shuo's acting skills to lower the overall level. How do you feel about this show?