I stumbled upon a photo that, I guess, was supposed to be the scene of The Destruction King. Director Li Lizhi, as well as the lead actors Zhou Xingchi and Wu Mengda, are talking about something in front of the camera in the background. This is a normal and simple scene, but the expressions of the three people are solemn, and there is no sense of comedy in sight. This is the only time I have seen a photo of Stephen Chow and Wu Mengda smiling at the same time.
Stephen Chow's nonsense movies, along with the growth of a generation, will feel funny every time they watch it, and will never stop because of the changes of the times. But the efforts of the real participants are something we can never see. Li Lizhi once said, what is nonsense comedy? In fact, it is doing a very ridiculous thing seriously, and the actor's expression may be serious, but it can produce a comedic effect.
The biggest difference between nonsense and the current comedy style is that nonsense comes from more life. Li Lizhi also said that his films have borrowed from "The White-Headed Detective", and some of the actor's experiences are also the source of the creation of nonsense. Are you impressed by some of stephen Chow's films? Decadent youth who can't stand the mud on the wall, young men who want to commit suicide, migrant workers who smoke and drink and look forward to finishing their work early?
I tell you, Wu Mengda has experienced these things before, and none of them are bad! In the 70s, Wu Mengda was not small, he was almost able to reach the level of Zhou Runfa as an actor, and the two were also very good friends. However, it is precisely because of the early fame that Wu Mengda soon became addicted to eating, drinking and having fun. His biggest wish every day is to finish work early, to go to drink and play cards and date, and many people say behind his back that he is "a mud that can't support the wall".
In the 1980s, Wu Mengda owed 300,000 gambling debts and went bankrupt overnight, and for such actors, the company took measures to hide. At that time, Wu Mengda stayed at home every day, and he had thought about changing careers and thinking about suicide. It was these experiences that the director had some inspiration and put them into the film to present to us. I have the impression that in the movie, Zhou Xingchi has always been a poor boy and the one who was bullied, which is related to life.
Some people say, isn't this Wu Mengda, Guan Zhou Xingchi or something. Zhou Xingchi is too low-key, he rarely talks about his past, and as the best cooperative partner, Wu Mengda shared his experience, which is also reasonable. Unfortunately, the nonsense movie may never reappear, Wu Mengda has passed away, the relationship between Zhou Xingchi and Li Lizhi is also very delicate, and the possibility of re-cooperation is almost impossible.
As far as Stephen Chow is concerned, his nonsense films are not influential enough in this era. If his classics such as "The King of Destruction" and "God Eater" are released today, I am afraid it will be difficult to win a high box office, and even the box office of "Detective Chinatown" may not be able to surpass. Nonsense and Zhou Xingchi all belong to the 90s, and time has passed, and it is impossible to replicate the glory of the past.