In good conscience, no one could have imagined that Fireworks by Daylight would be so successful in Berlin. Shortly after the opening of the film festival, Tony Leung commented on the Chinese films that were shortlisted for the main competition unit this year in an interview. Not very familiar with the director and his style. For ordinary audiences, "Diao Yinan" is not only unfamiliar, but has never heard of it. For many years, he has always appeared in the circle as a drama director and movie screenwriter, either hiding behind the scenes in a low-key manner, or being buried in a lot of brighter names. However, it was such an obscure director who conquered Berlin with a new film with a small investment, and successfully won two honors for Best Picture and Best Actor. The media that have already exploded the pot have used words such as "dark horse" and "upset" to describe their surprise.
Before "Fireworks in the Day", Diao Yinan had only two feature films on his film resume - "Uniform" in 2003 and "Night Train" in 2007. Although a little-known independent production, he is still trying to gain some international attention by participating in film festivals. "Night Train" was also shortlisted for the "Un Certain Regard" screening in Cannes that year. Diao Yinan also touched the skirts of the three major film festivals early. Both "Uniform" and "Night Train" are typical independent productions with low cost and short cycle. The former took less than 19 days and the latter 40 days. Local Chinese art film lovers also met Diao Yinan as the director through these two films. He likes to deal with crime stories, and he likes to explore the human feelings behind the villains. Xiaojian, the tailor who pretends to be a police officer in "Uniform", and Li Qi, the reservoir guard who follows the policewoman in "Night Train", have become flesh-and-blood characters under his lens. His films are full of literary and artistic flavor, with condensed narration and pictures, with a hint of gloom and depression in his calmness.
Diao Yinan is a calm director. His works come out very slowly, and each one is very solid. It took eight years before and after the creation of "Fireworks in the White Sun", and he was a screenwriter who constantly sought inspiration in reality and did not hesitate to change his draft three times. Different from the first two films, the production of "Fireworks in the White Sun" introduced a business model, and this consideration was reflected everywhere in both pre-production and post-promotion. Using famous actors, trying to win the market's attention through the faces of stars such as Liao Fan, Gui Lunmei, Wang Xuebing; a faster-paced story, focusing on dramatic conflicts, reducing overly abstract expressions, and expanding the pattern of the film, even in the use of light. Changed the gloomy style of the past, and enhanced the viewability of the movie with the red and green neon lights all over the street. Diao Yinan, who has embarked on a commercial track, has not abandoned his original literary and artistic style. "Fireworks in the Day" pays tribute to American noir films while maintaining the temperament of Chinese independent films. Having won the international award, the film's commercial prospects have been rising all the way. Not only has it become a favorite for international distributors, but it has also aroused the high sentiment of domestic audiences. "Fireworks in the Day" is expected to be released in China in March, and the "Golden Bear" signboard may become a strong guarantee at the box office.
Diao Yinan is an idealist, as is his hero Liao Fan. Twenty years into the industry, from a white-faced scholar to a tough guy in action, in a blink of an eye to the age of forty, I have tried every role, but I still can't get rid of the identity of "professional dragon trick". Although it is a niche image, Liao Fan's character is very stubborn. This time, he met Diao Yinan, two idealists who cherish each other, and sparked a spark in the winter of minus 30 degrees in Heilongjiang. On the night of the award for "Fireworks in the Day", Liao Fan was extremely excited, "Those who persevere will surely be rewarded." This exclamation applies to the director as well as to him.
However, "Fireworks in the Daytime" should not be interpreted as a successful case of "daughter-in-law becoming a mother-in-law". To put it mildly, winning the title in Berlin represents the success of an idealistic crew, which includes the perseverance of the filmmakers and the discerning eyes of the management. To put it in a big way, the film's success in capturing the bear has also given a boost to Chinese independent films that are struggling to find a way out. Independent films that have been traveling outside of commercial production for a long time, there is no shortage of directors and actors with ideas, but they have never been able to attract the favor of investors. The finished products are either limited by the conditions and are not satisfactory; or they are of high quality, but they cannot escape the vicious circle of “applause but no crowd”. In the big waves, it seems that he has broken his head, and he is unable to get a share of the development of Chinese-language movies. Adhering to the attitude of the edge, Chinese independent films have gone through more than ten years of ups and downs, and this time they finally won a beautiful victory in Berlin in February. It is true that "Fireworks in the Day" is not a perfect work, and there is a certain room for improvement in terms of script and performance. Its success is more symbolic, and those filmmakers who also insist on free speech may be able to draw a little inspiration from it.
In 2014.2.19 "21st Century Business Herald"
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