The hit movie "Retrograde Life" has become popular and has been questioned, which is even more embarrassing than the past few works. Director Xu Zheng appeared in person, and was nicknamed "The Leader of the Waste", which added a lot of fun to the audience. It's just that the discussion caused by the authenticity of the film also made the outside world haunt him.
"Section Chief Ding" has become a new synonym for Xu Zheng, from the role of an elderly delivery rider in the movie. The audience feels that this old man with an honest personality and repeatedly encountering walls is quite similar to the director himself. From the exaggerated scenes that are out of touch with real life, to the warmth and affection for the supporting characters at every turn, Director Xu's handling methods are ridiculed as "contrived".
"Why is he so pretentious! The young people who watched the film were shocked, "I obviously want to shoot realism, but it turns out to be beautified everywhere, and it is the same as the children's theater version." ＂
There are even insiders who press Xu Dao fiercely: "How can there be a delivery rider whose income is so high?" Who else would choose this dangerous business? It's completely self-exalted! The critics ridiculed the director's clumsy trick of respecting "ordinary people" and showing the "bottom of society".
Do you think Director Xu will honestly admit it? He is known as "the most disobedient person on the domestic set". This stubborn old artist said: "Our movies are exaggerated for the sake of art, do we have to make a documentary?" ＂
The tone was slightly annoyed, but Xu Zheng really had some confidence. remembers that his previous work "People Are Embarrassed to Travel: Thailand" was also questioned, and was said to be a pawn for a tourism peddler. It was only later that one after another, and his comedy films earned enough global attention.
is the so-called joy and sorrow, Xu Zheng's new film, which was praised as a "down-to-earth masterpiece", also fell into an embarrassing situation. It's not that there is anything wrong with the quality of the movie, it's just because the "delivery rider group" has a lot of complaints about the shaping of the film.
In the film, the riders are all diligent and down-to-earth, and the years are quiet, completely ignoring the high-risk and high-intensity nature of this job. Even the "Section Chief Ding" who is over the age of sixteen is also sure to win, who doesn't feel envious when he sees it? But people who really mix in this industry complain a lot, feeling that they are being ignored for their survival dilemma.
"How can the takeaway guy have so much leisure time? It takes at least 10 hours a day to work! One veteran rider bluntly stated, "It's a shame that the movie portrays us as ordinary people, both old and young." ＂
Just as the riders were denouncing, another voice rang out. I agree that the film is shaped by the style of "poetic realism", and moderate exaggeration and romanticization are conducive to highlighting the philosophical thinking of the film.
The world argues endlessly, but Xu Zheng himself speaks calmly. During the roadshow, he did not shy away from admitting that as a director, he always has to balance the tension between art and reality. The so-called realism is to make a naked documentary? This is inevitably too appropriate.
"We have to purify the essence from the general population and condense empathy, which is what a good movie should look like. Director Xu emphasized that the inspiration for creation comes from "down-to-earth ordinary". No matter how much criticism he received, he was justified in being himself and "did not deliberately cater to the aesthetic expectations of any group".
It is undoubtedly chic to say this, but he also knows in his heart that for a serious masterpiece that wants to win the annual award, word of mouth is really crucial. The questionable authenticity will be the biggest stumbling block to the film, which will directly affect the final box office results.
Coincidentally, Xu Zheng's previous works have also caused heated discussions due to the issue of "authenticity". Only this time the controversy seems to be more intense, largely due to the peculiarities of the food delivery industry itself.
As an emerging profession, the situation of food delivery riders is more difficult than that of ordinary practitioners. Running on the road all day long, wind and rain, car accidents are common, but the rewards are very limited. This high-risk, low-reward state of work is at odds with most people's expectations of "decent work".
The reason why the film has been criticized by the real community may also expose our prejudice against this profession. People expect to see the delivery boys enthusiastic and hardworking, but they don't want to face their survival and class dilemmas.
At the end of the day, delivery riders aren't trying to get mixed up. Compared with the "poetic and ethereal" images of the directors, they are obviously more eager to live a stable life in the middle class of the city, without having to run wild on the road, just to maintain food and clothing.
So, what is really shocking is not whether the film "beautifies" reality, but that we have never seriously thought about the situation of this group. They struggle to survive in the cracks of the city, but no one actively pays attention. If society does provide ample opportunities, who wants to be a dangerous casual worker?
From this point of view, Xu Zheng's new film is actually worth commemorating. At least he is willing to use the camera to look directly at this socially marginalized community. This may be the responsibility and responsibility of the artist, even if the form of the work is flawed, at least it opens the door to discussion and allows us to think more about the situation of a professional group in the city.
Fortunately, Xu Zheng did not bow his head in questioning. In the face of criticism, he said: "I don't speak for anyone, but I want to tell the story of ordinary people for everyone." This is both a self-confession on the part of the creator and a kind of courageous courage. Is it still art to blindly imitate life? Good creations must always transcend reality, even if it is mixed with personal aesthetic preferences or subjective imagination.
In other words, in the face of a narrow popular aesthetic, the artist has his own path to stick to. Director Xu's work undoubtedly left a spiritual inspiration and inspired people to pay attention to the bottom of society. Gradually, more fellow travelers will follow and write about the struggle and vividness of all living beings. Life is not only a wreck, as long as we are willing to delve into it, we can still find poetry and dreams.