Biopics are really hard to make. First, people have different understanding of non-fictional characters, some are true and some false, some are biased and some are complete, and if one is not careful, they will fall into trouble; second, the scale of real expression and artistic processing is difficult to measure and grasp, and real life may be too bland Trivial, processed stories can tend to be too dramatic, and how to maintain a balance between the two is critical. From this point of view, it is not surprising that "Mei Lanfang"'s conservative portrayal of the emotional entanglement between Mei and Meng and the excessive shaping of the character Qiu Rubai have been criticized by many critics. In contrast, "Ip Man" is much more well-established. It can be seen that the screenwriter focuses on showing Ip Man's image of a gentleman, extraordinary kung fu and national righteousness, and strives to get the affirmation and support of the descendants of the Ye family, but he does not forget to mobilize The audience's psychology increases the viewing value of the film. For example, the duel in the arena was adapted from a real blitzkrieg to a stalemate, and the scene of Ip Man being shot and falling off the arena, arousing the onlookers to break through the fence of the Japanese army. This kind of idea and practice of taking both fish and bear's paw into consideration is indeed very safe, but I always feel that there is something missing. The character building is superficial, the story narrative is slightly flat and monotonous, and the focus of both is not enough. I am afraid this is the problem.
The gentle Ip Man in the first half showed us the charm of Donnie Yen's literary drama and his efforts. The classic line of "there are no men who are afraid of their wives, only men who respect their wives" must be enough to make him the perfect husband in women's minds. . However, it is such a gentle and gentle gentleman who has become another person in the second half of the film, from elegant and calm to fierce and violent, from passively accepting competitions to taking the initiative to ask for competitions, from defense first, click to stop To aggressive and ruthless. Even if he witnessed Master Liao being beaten to death by the Japanese with his own eyes, and even if he guessed that Wu Chilin was murdered like this, this change would be too big and too fast. At this time, Ye Wen was obviously separated from the previous one. He threw all the fire in the dojo, and tried his best to knock down all opponents or even destroy them. This is what the impulsive and passionate young people like Wu Chi Lin did. Where is Ye Wen? , the only difference is that Wu Chi Lin's persistence is self-defeating and courageous. Although giving his life in vain has won respect, it is also sad and cannot be admired, while Ye Wen seems to rely on his martial arts to be strong and fearless. suspected.
Is Ye Wen's coming forward for revenge? It's not right to think about it, the lack of evidence for this feud is even more wrong (the Japanese who competed on the field did not violate the rules of the competition or rape Master Liao's will, in that case, I would even be brutally injured by Ip Man The Japanese are pitiful, although if you think about it carefully, their hands are likely to be covered with the blood of the Chinese, and they are all dead.) Is it to provoke General Mipo and declare war on the Japanese? It's not like, and then Ye Wen went back to hide as if nothing had happened. If it wasn't for Jinshan to seek ventilation and inform, there would not be a good finale. In other words, the question from the beginning to the end is purely a temporary feeling, so after that, every time I emphasize how we Chinese are how, how are you Japanese, etc., it not only draws a clear line, but also makes the country and the family hate it, isn't it too fake? , Too abrupt, too far-fetched? It is understandable that the screenwriter wants to shape Ye Wen's high-level image and promote heroism, but at least he has to be fully convincing. Ye Wen is not an indifferent person, but his life of escapism and the change of mentality The process should be interpreted and reflected in the film.
The film uses Ye Wen's mouth to explain the understanding of Chinese martial arts: "Although it is an armed force, our Chinese martial arts includes Confucian philosophy and martial arts, that is, benevolence, self-esteem and others." People who turn force into violence and oppress others" "do not deserve to learn Chinese martial arts". But practicing martial arts obviously has different meanings for different people. Some are hobbies, some are living on it, some are for strengthening the body, and some are self-defense skills. The selfish and bullying Jinshan Zaohe Sha Danyuan, the vulnerable cotton factory workers who are helpless, as well as the martial and combative General Sanpu and his super-violent subordinates, Ip Man's views and use of martial arts are also due to Current events change from ego and ego to big ego, but at the same time, I see the limitations of martial arts in the context of social turmoil. So, for those who practice martial arts who have a survival advantage over others, what path is the most correct choice for them? Is it not possible to know that it is impossible to "fair competition, and use martial arts to meet friends" in the ring, and it is considered great to have to hit the muzzle of the gun? It seems like a movie is always unavoidable to think about it.
It is difficult for people to stay safe in troubled times. This is a double test of life and human nature for everyone. This open-ended multiple-choice question cannot be perfect no matter who gives it. Ye Wen was like this, and so was Li Zhao. The most controversial character in this film may make everyone have different perspectives and feelings on the definition of traitor. Doing things around the devil, he won't get good fruit to eat, he is called and beaten like a devil's dog, and he is misunderstood and despised by his compatriots. Even willing to endure physical torture, regardless of sacrificing dignity, begging for mercy. He is not only a translator, he also staged the Infernal Affairs of enduring humiliation and burden, how can it be a simple sentence to distinguish right from black and white. Since I watched the castrated version, I didn't see the scene where he was beaten to death by unknown people. The tragic color of this character has been greatly weakened. After castration, Hong Kong films that are completely unintelligible are much better.
The advantages of this film are obvious. The first is Donnie Yen's Wing Chun. Although it is not as strong and powerful as Fan Shaohuang, it is soft and strong, and it fully embodies the four words "one trades off the other". Sammo Hung's martial arts design is really powerful, and every time he fights. They are all pleasing to the eye, the rhythm is grasped slowly and properly, and it seems real but does not give people a sense of breathlessness. The second is the supporting roles, almost all of them are brilliant, Fan Shaohuang subverts the impression I had in the past, Lin Jiadong showed Li Zhao's complex psychology, Chi Nei Bozhi who played General Sanpu absolutely chose the right person, and Ren Dahua was still at a normal level. Inside, even Xiong Dailin, who was not optimistic at first, and the little actors who didn't have a lot of roles were somewhat pleasantly surprised. In general, the first half of this film is full of humorous highlights of light comedy, and the second half is not heavy and profound enough to be regarded as a great biopic, but it is a relatively complete feature film, plus these two advantages , can still be seen.
ps:
1. One dissatisfaction: the dubbing of the castrated version is really bad, and I have no patience when I look at it.
2. A surprise: In addition to the important role of Japanese actors, the music part of the film includes composition, performance, recording, mixing, and production. Almost all of them are Japanese and Japanese teams, and they all add color to the film. few.
3. A joke: Is the so-called martial arts street really as shown in the film? Such a dense martial arts hall, learning martial arts in such a small environment, has the feeling of "Beijing Welcomes You". The door of my house is always open, waiting for you with open arms. You will be interested after a game. You will fall in love with it. Most of the world are friends. Please don’t be polite. . .
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