Six years ago, director Wu Ershan ignited a huge film dream in his heart - to shoot an epic series of films, as the Chinese version of "The Lord of the Rings", writing a strong stroke in the history of world cinema.
To this end, Wu Ershan did not hesitate to invest a huge amount of 3 billion astronomical funds, gathering Huang Bo, Chen Kun and other first-line stars starring, and strive to reach the top level in terms of production scale and visual impact.
The trailer released that year was really exquisite, and the scene was magnificent, which made people's blood boil and they looked forward to this legendary masterpiece in the history of Chinese cinema.
"It can exceed 5 billion box office!" It will definitely lead Chinese films on the right track!" People are scrambling to predict the glorious future of this "Chinese version of the Lord of the Rings".
However, the good times were short-lived. The original release date was frequently postponed for various reasons, and in the years-long hibernation, the filmmaking technology advanced by leaps and bounds, making the visual effects of "The Gods" a bit outdated.
What's even more regrettable is that the struggle for industrial capital behind the scenes of the film has also seriously affected the film itself. The infighting and financial crisis of the producer, Beijing Culture, directly led to the film becoming a victim of the capital game, and its great dream became shattered and nihilistic.
Today, "Fengshen" has finally confirmed that it will shine on the big screen. But the excitement and anticipation have faded. Instead, there is a lot of skepticism and cynicism.
We can't help but sigh that this dream that was expected six years ago is now only a waking dream.
It would be too one-sided to attribute the frequent postponement of "Fengshen" to director Wu Ershan's pursuit of film quality. In fact, this unfortunate film is more of a victim of the capital struggle of Beijing Culture, the film's producer.
In 2019, the bosses of Beijing Culture were caught in a fierce infighting. The company's top management was ambitious and reckless on financial issues, which led to mutual suspicion and struggle.
In order to compete for control of the company, they use the film projects they promote as weapons to attack and smear each other. As a giant production that the company focuses on, "Fengshen" has become the focus of their game.
In the face of the company's executives' fighting methods, the film itself seems to have become insignificant, and its arduous creative process and cultural significance have been thrown out of the sky.
This is the tragedy when commercial interests meet cultural products. A work that could have pushed the progress of Chinese cinema fell victim to the money game of the capitalists.
We have to reflect on what this phenomenon really means. What kind of development direction should a country's cultural industry pursue? We must be vigilant against the excessive commercialization of cultural innovation by capital, so that films can return to their original artistic attributes.
Only in this way can Chinese films be reborn in cultural self-confidence.
The actor position in the promotional poster of the movie "Fengshen" actually reflects the potential problems of this movie.
As a big-budget film, the placement of the actors is often carefully designed to take into account the actor's popularity and contribution to the film. But in the poster of "Fengshen", we see that the positions of first-line stars Huang Bo and Chen Kun are gradually retreating, and there are obvious signs of being "demoted".
This kind of position adjustment may not attract attention in other movies, but when it is placed in the highly anticipated "Fengshen", it will inevitably make people wonder about the mystery. The stars took the initiative to give up their positions, which probably means that they lack confidence in the prospects of the film and are unwilling to tie their personal images to this difficult film.
Regardless of the internal situation, all signs have shown that the film's investors and creators are not optimistic about the prospects of "Fengshen". They may also see all kinds of worries and dilemmas.
As outsiders, we don't know the essentials, but we can already foresee that the road to this film will not be easy.
In the latest promotional poster released by "Fengshen", the image of the actress who plays Daji has disappeared. This cut undoubtedly adds another unknown to an already difficult film.
We can only speculate about Daji's disappearance. Rumor has it that because the actress who plays Daji is a foreign national, in the current environment, this may become a politically sensitive point in the film, which will eventually lead to the removal of the role.
However, some people analyzed that it may be because of the controversy in the image design of Daji and the involvement of traditional Chinese cultural symbols, so they chose to abandon this role in order to avoid risks.
We have no way of knowing the specific considerations inside. But what is certain is that as an important female character in the story of the gods, Daji's sudden disappearance adds regret to the movie.
The power of this mysterious beauty is supposed to add a lot to the movie, and her disappearance may lead to an incomplete plot. We look forward to seeing a great image of Daji come back to the screen in the future.
In any case, the deletion of the role of Daji will undoubtedly affect the highly anticipated but struggling film, and we will see how her absence will affect the film.
July 2022 will be the moment of life and death at the box office of "Fengshen". As a highly anticipated blockbuster, it will face its first test this summer.
Also released at the same time are Stephen Chow's new film "Super Family", and "Megalodon 2" starring Wu Jing and other blockbusters. It can be said that the competitors faced by "Fengshen" are very strong.
dwarfed, it is lacking in word-of-mouth and attractiveness, and in the rules of the game in the summer file, "Fengshen" is obviously at a disadvantage.
However, we can't say lightly that it will lose this box office war. As a long-awaited domestic epic masterpiece, "Fengshen" carries too much national self-confidence and cultural vision.
It still has a chance to make a strong start on the summer screen, prove itself, and open a new chapter in Chinese cinema.
Of course, the road ahead is full of thorns. But we must not only see the difficulties, but also cherish the meaning of this movie. It is both a business case and a cultural symbol.
We hope that "Fengshen" can achieve a bumper harvest at the box office and word of mouth, and use its brilliance to prove to the audience and history that Chinese films have unlimited possibilities.
Looking back at the process of "Fengshen" from dream to difficult birth, we can't help but reflect deeply.
A great film is supposed to focus on delivering universal values, not a tool for commercial gain. We must be wary of the excessive influence of commercial capital and return the film to its artistic attributes.
At the same time, film creation needs to be ambitious and far-sighted, not just looking at the box office for a while, but considering the historical responsibility of promoting the national spirit and enhancing cultural self-confidence.
We sincerely hope that "Fengshen" can overcome all kinds of difficulties, show the charm of Chinese culture with its magnificent pictures, and arouse the pride and cohesion of the Chinese people with vivid heroic images.
This is the courage that filmmakers should have, so as to ignite the creative passion of the Chinese people and lead Chinese films to embark on their own broad road. "Fengshen" may become a new starting point, we will wait and see.