Every reporter: Du Wei, Ding Zhouyang, every editor: Cheng Peng, Wei Guanhong
On the evening of January 9th, as Mr. Bao bid farewell to the Peace Hotel, where she had been stationed for 7 years, Miss Wang became Mr. Wang and returned to Shanghai, and the main characters all rushed to their next stop, and the hit drama "Flowers" at the beginning of 2024 ushered in the end, and more than ten topics such as #Blossom Finale# appeared on the hot search one after another.
"Go to the attic alone, preferably at night. This is the first sentence of Jin Yucheng's novel "Flowers", and it is also the beginning of the TV series "Flowers" directed by Wong Kar-wai and produced by Shanghai Film. On December 27, 2023, "Flowers", which took 6 years of preparation and 3 years of filming and production, will be broadcast, directed by Wong Kar-wai and starring Hu Ge, Ma Yili, Tang Yan, and Xin Zhilei. Nowadays, Shanghai appears in the public eye as a top-notch IP.
In this room, traditional Shanghai snacks such as soup and rice, pork ribs and rice cakes, and dry fried beef rivers have "exploded" on the food platform; Even Shanghai Film and Television Park, where "Flowers" was filmed, has become a popular location for everyone to visit.
The wonderful performances of the 4 leading actors in the play also set off heated discussions among netizens. Among them, Ah Bao (Mr. Bao) played by Hu Ge and Reiko, the proprietress of "Night Tokyo" played by Ma Yili, made the audience "uneasy" the most. Some viewers believe that "they are both like friends and lovers", "'debt collector' Reiko is the safe passage of Mr. Bao", "Behind Mr. Bao's success is Reiko's regret and growth"...... Even director Wong Kar-wai said that he likes to watch Reiko and Mr. Bao quarrel.
The relationship between these two people is "stretched to the limit", but they are "clearly loved"; Reiko loves Mr. Bao very much, but she also loves money; she can give up her life and forget death when the other party is in danger, but she is not a "love brain" that completely loses herself. This very contemporary view of emotion resonates with young audiences.
So, how did Hu Ge and Ma Yili evaluate the relationship between the two in the play? Recently, Hu Ge and Ma Yili were interviewed by media reporters, including reporters from the "Daily Economic News".
The finale of "Flowers".
160,000 netizens scored 8.2 on Douban
On the evening of January 9, the finale of the hit TV series "Flowers", Mr. Bao, Lingzi, Miss Wang, Li Li, etc. all had their own endings.
According to Red Star News, at the last moment, Mr. Bao finally turned the corner and got rid of the risk of bankruptcy. Determined to bring down his boss, he was imprisoned for dereliction of duty. Mr. Bao left the Peace Hotel and turned back into Bao, and his story spread in the rivers and lakes. Miss Wang and Mr. Wei dug the first pot of gold. Li Li was arrested for fraudulently using other people's ID cards, and after being released from prison, he chose to become a monk in Guangzhou......
On the evening of January 9, Hu Ge, the actor of Bao in the play, posted on Weibo, "On the day of Xuezhi's departure, the director sent me a paragraph: 'Meeting is a beginning, but leaving is to meet the next one... Neither of us is good at saying goodbye. At this moment, it may be 'not loudest'. To quote three lines, 'Love is like a flower, fleeting.' ''I've been here, I've seen you, that's it, I'm gone!''' while withering, while blooming. After the excitement, I am still me. The last two makeup photos were my first appearance on this trip, and I remember that the song was remembered in the dressing room. ”
In "Flowers", Ah Bao played by Hu Ge, relying on the spring breeze of reform and opening up, speculated in stocks with one hand and foreign trade with the other, and did a good job. With the support of the "uncle" of the master, his name "resounded in the sky" on the Yellow River Road at a young age, and even became a "myth" in the entire rich circle of Shanghai Tang.
On January 3, "Flowers" scored 8.1 on Douban, and on January 9, as of press time, a total of more than 160,000 netizens rated "Flowers" on Douban, of which 48.1% of the audience gave five-star praise, and 29.6% of the audience scored four-star praise - judging from the Douban score curve, the "good" of "Flowers" is beyond doubt.
Hu Ge: The relationship between Po and Lingzi is "Zhu Bajie and Sun Wukong"
"No actor would miss the opportunity to work with director Wong Kar-wai. Hu Ge said in an interview with media reporters including the "Daily Economic News" reporter that he liked the novel "Flowers" very much before he starred in it.
"I'm curious about the era my parents grew up in. Hu Ge said that when he was a child, he learned a little about the people and things at that time in the words of his parents, but he never had a complete puzzle. "In the early 90s of the 20th century, I happened to be in elementary school. I just remember that at that time, my father and many of his friends around him were very busy, and they seemed to be thinking about how to do business all day long, except for their own work. There were some disagreements in the family because my mother was more conservative and traditional. ”
When he was a child, Hu Ge didn't really understand what was going on in the outside world. "Therefore, when the novel "Flowers" appeared, I read it hungrily, and through the novel, I completed the cognitive puzzle of that era. ”
After the launch of "Flowers", it not only aroused the memories of "old Shanghai" among many audiences, but also brought fire to the "Yellow River Road", and various "check-in strategies" swept short videos.
According to the Financial Associated Press, as one of the important places where the story in the play takes place, Shanghai's old five-star hotel, the Peace Hotel, has also become popular again. People familiar with the matter said that after the broadcast of "Flowers", reservations and consultation calls were blown up almost every day, and several suites have been robbed like crazy recently, especially Hu Ge's 'Flowers Suite' in the TV series, which is the largest number of consultations. The assets of Jin Jiang Hotel's parent company are also "crazy". The reporter saw that many tourists stopped to check in at the Peace Hotel on Nanjing East Road, the Garden Hotel and Jinjiang Hotel on Maoming South Road. The new Jin Jiang Hotel on Changle Road has also launched products such as afternoon tea with the theme of "Jinse Fanghua" and hot rice with flowers. "On the day of the launch of the afternoon tea, there was a surge in orders. The relevant person in charge of the new Jinjiang Hotel said.
What was the Yellow River Road like in Shanghai more than 30 years ago? Hu Ge said bluntly, "I didn't go to the Yellow River Road to eat when I was a child, but I have the impression that when I walked around Nanjing Road with my parents, I would pass by the Yellow River Road, which was brightly lit. Therefore, the "Flowers" we see in the video now is the image of Shanghai back then, both in color and in rhythm, which is consistent with the mental state of the people of that era. ”
"I believe that in that era, there were many young people like Po, who wanted to seize the opportunity and change their destiny through hard work. Hu Ge said.
After more than three years of filming, Hu Ge said that he was very excited when he saw the completion of "Flowers". "During the filming and post-production process, we actually focused more on ourselves. Now that I see the finished film, I think everyone has made great progress under the 'training' of director Wong Kar-wai. ”
Hu Ge said with a smile that he had not slept well for two days because Wong Kar-wai wanted him to "play the triangle alone". But as soon as he enters the set, he will immediately return to Po's world, "I don't dare to think about it, because thinking too much will affect my entry into the character of Po." Hu Ge said that he learned a lot from Wong Kar-wai.
"The whole filming cycle of "Flowers" was very long, so we will have a period of exhaustion, both physically and mentally. Often when we are tired, we see that Director Wang is very energetic. Hu Ge described to reporters that Wong Kar-wai is a person who does everything in detail and does it himself, "In addition to directing on the spot, he also has to keep an eye on various departments, such as art, visual effects, lighting, and photography." After Director Wang goes back, he will change the script and hold a meeting. ”
In "Flowers", Lingzi played by Ma Yili was the first to appear, and Hu Ge jokingly called the relationship between "Ah Bao and Lingzi" "Zhu Bajie and Sun Wukong". "In retrospect, it makes sense. I think that in the process of transforming from Po to Mr. Bao, Reiko has been helping him. Reiko is a safe haven for Po, and a strong backing or a safe. ”
In Hu Ge's eyes, "Don't look at Ah Bao on the Yellow River Road, but as long as he goes to 'Night Tokyo', as long as he sees Reiko, he often goes in with his head held high and comes out disgraced, because he has to be educated by Reiko every time he goes." ”
Ma Yili: Shanghai people care about the word "decent", and I don't like to eat badly
After the ups and downs of the entertainment industry, Ma Yili is lucky. Despite the ups and downs of love, the "big heroine" who concentrates on her career has been echoed. After the age of forty, she encountered three film and television dramas with Shanghai heritage, "The First Half of My Life", "The Myth of Love" and "Flowers", and the miniature history of mature Shanghai women jumped on the paper.
In Ma Yili's view, she saw the shining point of Shanghai women in the Lingzi she played in "Flowers". "Able to bend and stretch, and value love and righteousness. Ma Yili told reporters.
There is a relationship between Reiko and Po that others may not seem to understand. There is a classic line between Reiko and her best friend in the play, and her best friend said to her: "You have a big mouth, people who don't know really think that you and Mr. Bao have already received a certificate." Reiko joked: "Bao and I have always received certificates, including food hygiene permits, sewage permits, fire permits, catering service permits, and business licenses." The best friend choked her: "I'm talking about the marriage certificate, do you have it?"
When poked in the sore spot, Reiko showed another attitude of indifference. How did Ma Yili grasp this sense of proportion?
"It's not too difficult for me because I always think that relaxation is important, both emotionally and in other relationships. Ma Yili responded to reporters, "I think Reiko is a very relaxed character, and so am I." I don't like to eat badly. In fact, I have always felt that Shanghainese people care more about the word 'decent', which is presented in the sense of distance and security. Lingzi and Ah Bao are people who come and go and have a sense of distance, and Ah Bao will cooperate with Reiko's decency, and Reiko will also cooperate with Ah Bao's decency, which is generated by the sense of order of the region. ”
"About 80% of the scenes between me and Hu Ge are bickering. Screenwriter Qin Wen is also a Shanghai woman, and she is very familiar with the sense of language that Shanghai women quarrel with. Every day, we only got the script of the day when we got the on-set makeup, and then when we were going to 'quarrel' the lines, we thought of some more resentful words to add to it. Ma Yili recalled, "Actually, director Wong Kar-wai also likes to watch us 'quarrel', he is very happy to watch the scene every day, and he will add more language jokes next to him." ”
Wong Kar-wai's style has always been whimsical, filming stops and stops, and sometimes the actors are called back to make up the filming even though they have already been completed. Only a director like Wong Kar-wai can make the actor do his best and entrust him with all his might, so as to force out the limits of the actor, so there is a hot search entry #Film critic said that Tang Yanfanhua's acting skills were reborn#.
Regarding the three-year shooting, Ma Yili said frankly, "I can't describe the past three years in words, the only thing that can make everyone feel is that you can see the changes of time on our faces." It's not about whether there are wrinkles on the face, but about the eyes. Three years ago, in the face of all the unknown, our eyes were ignorant, and three years later, our eyes are tired, but it is in line with the process of life. ”
After the success of "The First Half of My Life", "The Myth of Love" and "Flowers", Ma Yili said that she would not play a Shanghai woman again in the short term. "I think people get aesthetic fatigue. I've played three completely different Shanghai women, and I don't want to frame myself in that role. In the early days, I played Beijing girls, and for me, the premise of choosing a role must be that there is a huge contrast between each role, and if there are too many similarities, there is no need to repeat them. ”
The "trader" is revealed
According to the Shanghai Securities News, if Mr. Bao, Mr. Qiang, Uncle Grandma, and Li Li represent the image of the traders in the play, the producers CCTV8, Tencent Video, Shanghai Film Group, and Shanghai Fanhuali, which was established for the "Flowers" project, are undoubtedly the behind-the-scenes operators of this popular drama. In addition, financial support and the participation of listed companies also add luster to the blooming of "Flowers".
In 2018, Bank of Shanghai has maintained close contact with the crew to provide enterprises with financing and capital demand analysis, and recommend suitable financial service products. In the winter of 2019, Bank of Shanghai met with director Wong Kar-wai and reached a preliminary cooperation intention. In 2020, the head office and branch of Bank of Shanghai joined hands with the Jing'an District Bureau of Culture and Tourism to open a precedent for large-amount credit business in the film and television industry for "Flowers".
In addition, because Jin Yucheng, the author of "Flowers", lives in Jing'an District, related film and television drama production companies also settle in Jing'an. The relevant parties of Jing'an District of Shanghai also provide one-stop services for the crew and enterprises in the script creation, framing, filming and production of "Flowers".
According to the Financial Associated Press, analysts said that "Flowers" was partially completed using virtual shooting technology, marking the film and television industry's further recognition of cutting-edge virtual shooting technology, which has also been closely watched by listed companies. The beautiful lens language can be seen everywhere in "Flowers", which reflects the ultimate visual pursuit of the combination of virtual and real by current film and television creators, and also arouses the market's attention to virtual shooting technology. Unilumin Technology said on the interactive platform on January 2 that part of the recent hit TV series "Flowers" was filmed in the VP studio of Shanghai Burning Sugar Culture jointly built by the company, Xuanzhi Culture and Burning Sugar Culture. It is worth noting that listed companies such as Alto Electronics and Colorlight have layouts in virtual production.
Reporter|Du Wei Ding Zhouyang
Editor|Cheng Peng, Wei Guanhong, Du Bo
Proofreading|Wang Yuelong
Cover image source: The screenshot part is synthesized from Shanghai Securities News, Finance Associated Press, and Red Star News
|National Business Daily nbdnews original article|
Reprinting, excerpting, copying, mirroring, etc. without permission is prohibited
National Business Daily