In the currently popular TV series "Ice and Snow Sharp Knife Company", the role of Wu Wanli has caused a lot of controversy.
In 2023, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the TV series "Ice and Snow Sharp Knife Company", adapted from Lan Xiaolong's novel, will be released on the screen. As the drama version of the movie "Changjin Lake", it also depicts the character of Wu Wanli.
As soon as the broadcast started, Wu Wanli, played by post-95 newcomer actor Wang Ziqi, caused huge controversy. In the opening scene, the director uses a lot of ink to portray Wu Wanli's flamboyance and stubbornness, he constantly bullies the villagers, and behaves rudely and unreasonably, which is similar to the positive image of a heroic soldier.
Many viewers frowned after watching it, what kind of volunteer army is this? Word of mouth plummeted, and there was a lot of controversy.
To trace back to the roots, the origin of the role of Wu Wanli can actually be traced back to the front line of the Korean War 70 years ago. Back then, a young man named Wu Wanli followed his brother Wu Qianli to the front line and participated in the cruel War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.
At first, Wu Wanli was just a child who had never been in the world, with a flamboyant and rebellious personality, and he often caused trouble in the army. But under the gaze of war and under the guidance and influence of his brother, he gradually awakened to the responsibility of the righteousness of his family and country.
From the naughty childishness at the beginning, he slowly grew into a heroic warrior, and eventually even sacrificed his life for the country. This kind of metamorphosis from confusion to determination has been vividly interpreted in the movie "Changjin Lake" released in 2021, Wu Wanli is played by Yi Yang Qianxi, and his interpretation has earned a lot of reputation and won the praise of countless audiences.
But in the TV series version, Wu Wanli's personality is exaggerated as a gangster, which contrasts with the positive hero image, coupled with the problem of actor selection, which makes this role not respond well after the broadcast.
However, when Wu Wanli's story moved from the screen to the TV series "Ice and Snow Sharp Knife Company", the image of this character changed dramatically. It seems that in order to exaggerate the dramatic conflict, the crew has infinitely exaggerated Wu Wanli's original flamboyant and naughty personality, and shaped him into a full image of a little hooligan.
In the play, he did all kinds of evil, ran rampant in the village, and was regarded as a "scourge" by the local villagers. Even when he later joined the army, he was disobedient to discipline, repeatedly causing trouble, and he couldn't see any signs of transformation in the direction of a heroic soldier.
In addition, the post-95 newcomer actor Wang Ziqi starred, although his personal strength is good, he also has some problems with Wu Wanli's character image. Therefore, Wu Wanli, who is presented in front of the audience, is more like a lawless outright hooligan, which is fundamentally different from the image of a heroic soldier, and the response is naturally plummeting.
Although the movie "Changjin Lake" cannot fully show the growth and transformation of the characters like the TV series, it has successfully created an unforgettable Wu Wanli through carefully processed shots.
Looking back at the movie "Changjin Lake" released in 2021, due to space limitations, the director could not fully show Wu Wanli's growth process like a TV series, but through carefully constructed details and shots, he also successfully created an unforgettable image of Wu Wanli.
For example, his thin body, shabby clothes, and tenacious appearance like growing up in the mud at the beginning of the film all reveal his inner tenacity; Another example is his admiration and admiration for his brother Wu Qianli, and his excited expression that always chases behind, vividly presenting his innocent and lovely side.
The details are accumulated one by one, and gradually outline a character image of Wu Wanli with a distinct personality and traces of development.
Yi Yang Qianxi is highly compatible with the role, and uses vivid and delicate performances to present Wu Wanli's transformation process from childishness to gradual awakening, which has won praise from the audience.
And the biggest hero is the outstanding actor Yi Yang Qianxi. The post-00s Xiaosheng Yi Yang Qianxi fully fits the shaping of Wu Wanli's role, and uses vivid and delicate performances to present the entire transformation process of Wu Wanli from childishness to gradual awakening frame by frame.
From the innocent and immature expression at the beginning, to the cruelty of war under the gaze of war, from every detail, Yi Yang Qianxi accurately interpreted the changes of Wu Wanli from the inside out, from shallow to deep.
It is precisely because of this high degree of character fit, coupled with his superb acting skills, that he has won praise and recognition from countless audiences, adding a lot of weight to the movie.
Film and television works need to grasp the appropriate proportions to present classic characters, and too much may backfire and lose the audience's recognition, which is what needs to be paid attention to in the future.
It can be seen that to present a classic character in film and television works, it is very important to grasp the right proportion. If you point to the end like "Changjin Lake", it is easier to get the audience's recognition by refracting the inner part of the characters through carefully designed details; And if the characters are exaggerated like "Ice and Snow Sharp Knife Company", and they are infinitely elevated to the point of deviating from common sense, it is easy to cause discomfort and disgust to the audience.
Therefore, when creating characters, film and television practitioners must carefully abide by the ancient precept of "don't overdo it", carefully control the three-dimensionality and rationality of the characters, and neither exaggerate and violate common sense, nor can they be blindly mediocre and boring.
This is extremely important for the presentation of classic characters, and it is something to be valued for in the future.