Lao Mouzi's strength is probably in dealing with the pictures. From the beginning of the film, the scenes of the national army blocking the Japanese army fully reflect this strength of Lao Mouzi. It's hard for me to comment on Lao Mouzi's flaws in the graphics: because he probably did a good job at it. But when it comes to "sensation", Laomouzi's skills are much inferior, and I don't even think Feng Xiaogang's skills are as good, even though Feng Xiaogang is known for his comedy skills.
Laomouzi's miscalculation is that his plot is too unrealistic. If a movie is to impress people, it must make the audience feel immersed; to make the audience feel immersed, it must make the movie look very real: including the processing of the details of the picture, including the processing of the plot, the processing of human nature, etc. . Laomouzi's handling of the plot can be described as a mess.
First of all, let's talk about the treatment of this American funeral and make-up worker. From the insatiable greed and eye-opening at the beginning; to the noble spirit of acting as a priest to protect the female students, and even Terry told him that he was willing to give up if he had a chance to escape from Nanjing. This change was very abrupt. It is hard for me to imagine that a normal person can achieve such a great improvement in his mental state in such a short period of time. All I can say is that Laomouzi's approach is the same as that of the male protagonist in a primary school student's composition, and then he suddenly sees a red scarf or a national flag and blushed. Laomouzi lacks that kind of skill. A good movie, if it wants to move people and play sensational, must have done enough homework in front of it. There is absolutely no Laomouzi, and most of the time he comes at his fingertips.
The plot of the two prostitutes leaving the church is also handled very crudely. With the help of these two low-IQ prostitutes, it is very unbelievable that they can easily leave the church that is closely guarded by the Japanese army. There is no account in the film about how they escaped. (Damn it, these two people have the ability to escape from the church, so why don't they have the ability to escape from Nanjing?) And their reasons for leaving the church and going back to the brothel are even more absurd. A prostitute is trying to get back the earrings. Laomouzi, do you want to express the prostitute's greed for money, or do you want to express the prostitute's love as a mountain? If it's the former, I don't know what the plot has to do with the theme of the film. The theme of the film is obviously to praise these prostitutes, (although I am very disapproving) if it is the latter, the film does not explain the source of the two earrings, and also, if these two earrings are very precious to this prostitute, why did she flee When you are carrying a box of other things on your back, why do you forget this most precious thing? Another prostitute's reason is even more ridiculous, just to get back a piece of piano strings and play a Qinhuai song for a "brother" who has never met. It's not that I don't believe that the depth of the feelings between people can make a person do crazy actions, and this kind of depth can make people sacrifice their own lives. But, eldest sister, that little brother was just picked up by the soldiers of the national army from the roadside. You almost met by chance, just because he looks like your brother, and a little more is that you have a little lust for him. Are you willing to take your own life just for this little emotion? Your emotions are too cheap. In the city of Nanjing where corpses are everywhere, I believe that anyone knows that the probability of going out and dying is almost infinitely close to 1. Of course I want to accuse the brutality and ruthlessness of the Japanese army, but the fate of these two prostitutes is difficult to arouse the meager sympathy and pity in my heart. Lao Mouzi handled it too hastily, he wanted to impress the audience with this plot, but unfortunately, I don't think he can.
The character Shu Juan doesn't know whether to call her naive or hypocritical. Generally speaking, such a plot will happen to brothers who are close to each other. But it seems from the film that Shu Juan and her classmates do not have such a deep friendship. Otherwise, why would those classmates still complain that it was Shujuan's father who killed their classmates and caused the fight? Even if Shu Juan obeyed her father's arrangement and left Nanjing City and her classmates, it could not be regarded as an act of inhumaneness and injustice. At this critical moment, one can save one, what else do you want? Rather Stick to your guns? It's not there yet. Cao Kefan's death is really worthless. For this unfilial daughter, I have to be a traitor and be misunderstood by my daughter.
There are several plots in the film that fall into the stereotype. When those Japanese officers entered the church, I already felt that these Japanese officers belonged to positive roles. So upright! Our movies in the 1960s and 1970s were all like this. The righteous and gentlemen are all one mold, and the bad guys are another. This is the 21st century, and the old man can't get rid of this stereotype. Finally came to play the piano to try to sensationalize. What nonsense!
There is a scene where several soldiers of the National Army rushed towards the tank and then fell one by one. Admittedly, the picture may be beautiful, but the plot is too fake. I have a hard time imagining how many armies would go to war like this. Judging from several other tactics, these soldiers have high combat literacy, and then look at their equipment. Although they cannot be the trump card of the national army, they are by no means scumbags. But they were inexplicably killed in the face of the tank. It feels that the director just arranged the shots just to make them die and create a good-looking picture, which does not meet the needs of the plot at all.
In short, I think this movie is a lack of necessity to watch in cinemas. If you are really curious, just download it from the Internet and make do with it.
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