In fact, when you look into it carefully, the 87 version comes and goes with just a few characters and just a few scenes, no matter the props or special effects, they all seem crude. If you switch to a certain movie today, you probably won’t be able to escape the fate of being pierced by the audience. But not this one-it's not because of nostalgia. Once you have seen it, you know that every shot of the 87 version exudes a strong self-confidence, which absolutely puts the creator himself above all kinds of technical means. In the movie, Yan Chixia uses qi to defend the sword, and outside the movie Tsui Hark uses qi to defend the sword. This kind of gas is mysterious, but it is the source of turning stones into gold. The fullness, abundance, purity, and power of the 87 edition makes the small environment with only three or two scenes hurriedly explained. It is like a big world where people and ghosts are inseparable. The audience is immersed in the love-hate entanglement between Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian. Be fascinated by it, be moved by it, and have no time to care about others. This moving power is rooted in the boldness of the creator. As for the new version of "A Chinese Ghost Story", the technology is naturally much higher than before, but the world has changed with time, and the director’s mood is different from that of more than 20 years ago. Behind Gongli’s pictures are the plot and characters. The paleness and weakness in the realm, the loss of vitality-not necessarily Ye Weixin's problem, the new version can't even say a ghost word, and has to be misinterpreted as the so-called fox demon, and other things can be imagined. To use an analogy, the 87th edition is like a free and easy traveler. When I use it, I hide my line and never look at the faces of others, but I absolutely believe that my work has enough appeal to the audience; in contrast, the new "A Chinese Ghost Story" is like a dude who eats food everywhere with predecessors' bowls, maybe dressed in glamorous clothes, but everywhere shows a state of wagging and begging for mercy. You must know that art is only with dignity. Jiang Wen made "Let the Bullets Fly" and said, "You make money while standing." The same is true of the 87 version of "A Chinese Ghost Story". Standing makes you smile and moves you. The old and the new version are kneeling and standing, the posture is different, and the strength is of course different.
This abundance is not just Tsui Hark's. The so-called everything is too much, everything is crazy. The style of Hong Kong movies actually comes from this unscrupulous. Those who fall behind will naturally become chaotic stew; but the kind of pride that despises everything, breaks through all the ropes and ink, and uses the sword to fight the sword in Hong Kong's unique martial arts, also benefited from this. The Wuma version of Yan Chixia can sing a song in "A Chinese Ghost Story", not only does not make people feel abrupt and funny, on the contrary, you will experience a compelling vitality and heartfelt touch in it. The unsurpassable of the 87 version of Yan Chixia not only belongs to Wuma, but also belongs to that confident and public age. Do not believe? As of today, would you let Gu Tianle sing? You don't blame it if you don't thunder and die.
Not deliberately belittle the new version of "A Chinese Ghost Story". Over the past two decades, not only technology has been innovated, but actors have grown old. There is a word called "diqi". A good movie must hold the ground. What is Earth Qi? The local atmosphere is not a basic love and a love triangle, it is not a man-made buzzword, or a joke on the Internet... Otherwise, what kind of local atmosphere is in an ancient costume film that tells the story of a gifted man, a beautiful lady, a fairy, a fox, and a ghost? In fact, the word "diqi" is a variant of the word "reality" in the final analysis. The so-called "painting demons and ghosts are superior to others, piercing greed and stabs into the woods", the first sentence refers to the form and technique, and the second sentence is the root of standing. One of the reasons why the 87 version of "A Chinese Ghost Story" has surpassed time and became a classic is that it does not limit itself to the illusory love story of people and ghosts. In addition to the magnificence and romance, it has deep sadness and deep sustenance. However, this kind of creative freedom is not what filmmakers can enjoy today. Writing ghosts is nothing more than writing people. The censorship system does not allow you to write ghosts, not because you are afraid of superstition. Ai Qing said, "Why do I always have tears in my eyes, because I love this land so deeply". Unfortunately, the so-called earth atmosphere today is no longer the "land" of the land, but the "land" of self-castration painting the land as a prison. Faced with such a reality, even if Ye Weixin refuses to accept it, what can he do?
The two editions of "A Chinese Ghost Story" were released in the same month, and the meaning may not be as simple as following the trend and nostalgia. For the 87 version of "A Chinese Ghost Story", there is nothing to say about those who have watched it; those who have not watched it are blessed, and can bring a brand new experience to the big screen for the first time to appreciate the style of this classic movie. That was the best era of Hong Kong cinema.
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