The beginning of the brewing of domestic anti-crime dramas
In the 90s of the 20th century, Chinese society was in a period of transition, with underworld forces prevalent, kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking, and gun battles one after another, and real bloody incidents constantly appearing in the newspapers.
Ordinary people live in fear, and the producers have keenly captured this realistic theme. As a result, a number of film and television works with the background of the underworld came into being, reflecting people's thirst for justice.
Among them, the first to set off a boom was the movie "Underworld" released in 1996. The film uses the black-and-white careers of a pair of brothers to reveal the crisis of society at that time, and also indicates that justice will triumph over the haze.
Then, 1998's "Black Hole" focused on the corruption and redemption of the public security system. It depicts in detail the process of the criminal police arresting Nie Mingyu, a bully who occupies the coal mine, and shows the protagonist's determination to uphold the law and order.
This became a model for early anti-crime dramas.
Stepping into the 21st century, anti-crime dramas ushered in the first peak. At that time, there were frequent power and money transactions, and the producers turned their attention to the evil behind the officials. 2002's "Against the Cold" tells the story of businessmen who are persecuted by local officials, exposing the lust for power.
Immediately after that, works such as "Conquest" and "Black Hole" continued to use the underworld as the prototype, showing the indomitable spirit of the righteous forces and depicting the bright side of human nature. These works are full of positive energy and have a powerful enlightening effect on the society of the time.
The decline and revival of anti-crime dramas
However, high-volume anti-crime dramas have also had a negative impact on society. Some commentators believe that exaggerating too much violence and gore will have a bad effect on underage audiences.
So in 2004, anti-crime dramas were marginalized and once withdrew from the mainstream position of the TV screen.
In the frozen period of more than ten years, it is difficult to publish film and television works that reflect the underworld. If the crew wants to touch this theme, they must be careful and must not express their hearts as directly as before.
Under strict scrutiny, anti-crime dramas are gradually forgotten.
Over time, a new consensus is reached in society. Under the special struggle against organized crime and vice that the Party Central Committee continues to promote, people have re-examined the significance of this theme.
At the same time, the rise of online platforms has opened up new possibilities for creators. With the help of these two aspects, the anti-crime drama has been gorgeously turned around and returned to the public eye again.
The anti-crime dramas in the new era have no teeth and claws in the past, but have been transformed into a positive and more delicate style. "Icebreaker Action" tells the story of the political and legal team's pain in the heart of corruption.
The villain character it portrays has also changed from a simple hard-working thug to a comprehensive character that embodies the light of human nature. It can be seen that after going through ups and downs, the anti-crime drama has found a creative theme that fits the times.
This indicates that its development space will be broader than before.
The innovation and breakthrough of "Punishment".
In the context of the transformation of anti-crime dramas, Li Youbin and Huang Jingyu's "Punishment" is innovative, and its unique black humor style is eye-catching. This web drama has chosen a different creative path from the past, not only combining comedy elements to increase watchability, but also laying out a lot of story suspense, allowing the audience to "laugh at the case".
The four brothers of the Zhao family in "Punishment", each of them has the potential for a plot twist. On the surface, they compete for power and profit, but in fact they expose their desire for power and their confusion about human nature.
This distorted family relationship is full of dark humor, subverting the audience's stereotype of the typical villain in anti-crime dramas.
At the same time, positive characters are also created in the play, representing the righteous side. The protagonist Chang Zheng has the courage to resist the underworld forces, and even if he is imprisoned again, he does not give up hope, reflecting the power of righteousness.
He is in stark contrast to the Zhao family, who are upright on the surface but are actually morally corrupt. In addition to jokes, "Punishment" is also speaking out for justice.
It can be said that "Punishment" has created a new path for anti-crime dramas. It abandons the homogeneous routine, but satirizes social issues in a humorous way, and also adds suspense to attract attention.
While maintaining the positive energy tone of anti-crime dramas, the drama injects new vitality into this theme and provides a successful example that can be used as a reference.
The character portrayal of the four sons of the Zhao family
In "Punishment", the characters of the four brothers of the Zhao family are vividly portrayed, making them one of the most impressive characters in the play.
The eldest brother Zhao Pengzhan is the heir of the family, but it is difficult for his father Zhao Xiaosheng to accept his father Zhao Xiaosheng because of his leg paralysis and infertility. He is serious on the surface and twisted on the inside, trying to maintain decency by obtaining an adopted son through illegal means.
This tragic overtones of the strong and the middle make him a contradictory character.
The second son, Zhao Pengcheng, chose the righteous profession of prosecutor and tried to guide Zhao Xiaosheng to surrender to pay for his crimes. But when his father was critically ill, he couldn't help but show pity for his family.
This contradictory wrestling between justice and family affection constitutes the dialectical relationship in his heart.
The third son, Zhao Pengxiang, is a typical villain, who is arrogant on the surface, but he runs into walls everywhere. His failures heralded the triumph of good over evil, and the effect was comic.
His clown image also makes the atmosphere of black humor continue to heat up in the play.
The last son, Zhao Pengchao, is calm and introverted, becoming the biggest variable in the play. He returned to China after many years of wandering and became an unexpected finalist in the struggle for real power. This reversal in a low-key manner adds to the appeal of the plot.
It can be seen that "Punishment" portrays a black humorous version of the Chinese family through the contrast of the personalities of these four brothers. The dynamics of the relationship between them make the rhythm of the ups and downs of the plot, and also make the villains present a three-dimensional human brilliance.
The police and bandit duel advances the plot
In addition to the internal struggle of the Zhao family, the main line of police and bandit duel was also set up in "Punishment", which promoted the development of the plot.
At the beginning, Zhao Pengxiang carried out intrigues and tricks through his undercover agent Chang Zheng in the police force, showing the ugly side of the collusion between the police and the black. The protagonist Chang Zheng upholds justice and is willing to take risks to infiltrate the Zhao family to collect evidence.
He is in stark contrast to the Zhao family, who are upright on the surface but are actually morally corrupt.
Subsequently, Chang Zheng continued to dig up evidence of the Zhao family's crimes, and was falsely imprisoned twice to force him to choose to completely break with the underworld forces. At this time, he needs to face questions from the task force, as well as the Zhao family's encirclement and interception.
The righteous personality of the protagonist is displayed like sunshine in these predicaments.
Later in the story, Chang Zheng and Zhao Pengchao, the youngest son of the Zhao family, became the focus of the duel between good and evil. The two are likely to be related by blood, and this transcendent setting makes the confrontation between the two sides even more intense.
In the end, evil will prevail over good, and Chang Zheng will succeed in clearing all stigma and allowing justice to be served.
It can be seen that the police and bandit duel is another main line in "Punishment" that drives the development of the plot. It injects a strong sense of positive energy into the play, and also shows the difficult process of a grassroots police officer against a powerful family, which enhances the dramatic tension.
This fully demonstrates the social value of anti-crime dramas.
Revelation of the Punishment
The success of "Punishment" has injected new vitality into anti-crime dramas, and also let us see the possibility of innovation in this theme. It inspires us that anti-crime dramas can use humor and other techniques to increase literary and artistic characteristics while maintaining positive energy, so as to attract a wider audience.
The characters portrayed in the play are full of personalities, and they also reflect the shortcomings of current Chinese society. This reminds us that we also need to reflect on and address these issues more deeply to make social development more just and equitable.
On the other hand, the power of justice shown in "Punishment" is equally revealing. It shows that every ordinary person can also overcome the dark side of life through their own efforts.
As long as we uphold justice in our hearts, we will surely make society more open.
It can be said that "Punishment" provides a successful example for anti-crime dramas, indicating that this theme will have a broader creative space. We look forward to anti-crime dramas presenting more diverse art forms and giving better play to their positive social value.
This requires continued efforts from the playwright, and the encouragement of the audience is crucial.