-in fact, he is not only an actor, but also an excellent director.
In 2004, "Kung Fu", written and directed by Stephen Chow, was released, and it has been ten years since. NS.
"Kung Fu" is different from Tang Bohu's exaggerated and funny, and it is not all the laughter with tears like Yin Tianqiu and Zhi Zunbao, but he is still the "Zhou Xingchi work" familiar to the audience. The leading American film critic Roger Ebert described it as "As Jackie Chan and Buster Keaton meet Tarantino", Jiang Wen also said "Kung Fu" is the "bad movie" we have been waiting for.
Then let me try to interpret the branches and vines of "Kung Fu", and I would also like to invite you to have a look, regardless of your previous evaluation of "Kung Fu" and Stephen Chow as a director.
Given that the text is a little bit long, I made a goal.
1. Comic-style setting and world view structure
2. Story connotation and personal touch
3. Martial arts scene
1. Concretization
2. Combination of movement and static
3. Contrast setting
4. Comedy effect
5. Multiplayer scheduling and group performance
6. A brief talk on acting
7. , Other creative points
1, singing and dancing sensations
2, music and special effects
3, tribute to Cantonese fragments and classic films
8, director style
1, plot
2, technique
(1) enhancement of the sense of picture and weakening of the dialogue
(2) grasp of the sense of rhythm
(3) Lens language
3, creativity
4, "violent" and tragic elements
5, betting on personal experience and absolute all-round control
9. Behind-the-scenes story
Ten, the
last one, the
reason why the comic-style setting and worldview structure put this point at the forefront is because this is the major premise for watching "Kung Fu".
Comic style, or the interpretation of the style of martial arts novels, the intuitive manifestation in "Kung Fu" is a mixture of exaggeration and illusion in action, plot, logic, photography, etc., just like the protagonist Xu Jiaoxiao of "Yangtze River No. 7" My friend casually commented: "These don't seem to be real."
Qin Yin can kill people, Huoyun Cthulhu shots faster than bullets, A Xing Tathagata's palm is basically 72% worse than Sun Dasheng, and snake venom. Hogan helps the protagonist, played an ax to help the pig cage Walled City also made a special effects of dark clouds ......
Yeh beginning to tell us with all sorts of surreal style beaded design, seriously you lose . In this semi-real and semi-fictional world, there are martial arts masters who are hidden in the city, ordinary characters who break through cocoons and become butterflies, there are various martial arts, there are competitions from various forces, and some will never meet in ordinary life. Legends and miracles arrived...Most people don’t really take risks. Most people stay at home and read adventure novels. Kung Fu gives the audience a wonderful dream with the help of settings similar to martial arts and comics.
But the movie also has its realities.
The background of "Kung Fu" is set in Shanghai in the last century, Shiliyangchang, beautiful scenery, although the film does not mention the year directly, nor does it appear any iconic historical events, but the characters and the set props can correspond to the approximate age. Coupled with the extremely down-to-earth description of daily life in the pig cage city and the structure of social structures such as gangs, police, and low-level civilians, the external environment the characters are in and the logical origin of their words and deeds are fully natural.
An excellent movie must not be without a mature world view. It can be derived from the connotation that the movie wants to show, or it can recreate the "Middle-earth World" like Tolkien. The Star Lord is similar to the martial arts of Jin Yong Gulong. The novel is based on reality, and then superimposed on brand-new characters and factors that did not exist. Corresponding before and after, the basic style and world view of "Kung Fu" have been built, and the product after supplementing the virtual with reality is the best platform for Xing Ye to show his imagination and Kung Fu dream.
The vicissitudes of Taoyuan on the sea and the vicissitudes of Taoyuan, the sword is also sharp in the box. Listen, breaking the tune.
Second,
what does "Kung Fu" tell about the connotation of the story and the personal touch ? What is Star Master’s Kung Fu dream like?
Then let's take a look at the protagonist of the movie-Ah Xing.
Have you ever seen a protagonist who appears on the stage like a bully, who is unkindly stepping on a child's balloon without showing his face? Have you ever seen the protagonist who bullied the weak and attempted as soon as he appeared on the scene, and even said that the murder was really intended to be practiced?
he is the one.
In the first half, Ah Xing was "pushed" away. Being experienced, by society, and by the so-called "rules" that he could not contend at that time.
Freud's famous psychoanalysis involves the theory of childhood. He pointed out that a person's life will be affected by childhood memories and experiences that are indelible. This is the case for Ah Xing-"Memory is the source of pain." In his childhood, he wanted to be a hero of justice and justice. He bought the "Martial Arts Cheats" worth a few cents with the money that he could study. He was humiliated in an unbearable way, and he thought he was too kung fu but was easily knocked to the ground...
He was just a joke.
As A Xing grew up, he began to follow the so-called social laws. "In this world, the streets are full of money, and there are women everywhere. Whoever can make a decision can fight to win." He is not wrong. Power and force apply to any era. He desperately wanted to join the Axe Gang, which represented power and status, and yelled "I want to kill". In fact, he wanted to use his visible wealth and a position that he would never have to be oppressed to prove that he was no longer the same as when he was a child. Scolding child.
Kindness is suppressed, dreams are hidden, and he wants to take another path coldly. The flashing memories and the people he meets continue to make him contradictory and struggling.
When one thought comes up, when one thought is bad, sometimes the landscape is turned upside down.
When Ah Xing held a club for the first time, he pretended to be calm, and was forced to put a stick on the head of the boss Chen, even he himself couldn't believe it. Until he was about to die, he had to knock on the head of Huoyun Cthulhu. For the first time, Ah Xing became the dominant player and finally figured out what he wanted. The silence of a mute girl can be better than the sound. In the end, good and evil will always be clear. Those persistence and ideals that have disappeared are always ready to move.
"In order to maintain world peace", this was originally said by childhood Ah Xing. The bully in the play and the audience outside the play are probably laughing at the children's innocence and self-reliance. But in the end, Ah Xing was reborn in a white dress, and his light-lifting moves turned out to be true. Good and evil are rewarded, martial arts have no boundaries, great love has no boundaries, and return to the heart.
In fact, it is the same for the star master outside the play.
In childhood, Xingzai was innocent and cute, putting his hands in the boiler to shovel to practice iron sand palms, and solemnly only practiced with his right hand to prevent accidents. The result was stopped by Xing Ma.
As a teenager, Xingzai continued to work hard, and the same table became the innocent cannon fodder. One day he couldn't help Xingzai's "iron fist" screaming, then it means that he has practiced.
In the artist training class, Zhou Xingxing, Leung Tow Wai and Wu Zhenyu pushed each other to the lowest position, while continuing to obsess about Kung Fu, and seriously felt that his level could start the class and accept apprentices. Of course, the teacher scoffed at this.
Entering the industry, Long Tao, he seriously discussed with the director whether he could block one more chapter and then be shot to death by Mei Chaofeng; a little bit higher, in "Dragon on the End", Jet Li was the one who showed his power, and Xingzi did the one who was beaten. When it came to "Play Back To School", nearly ten years later, he said that he was very excited to make this movie because there were action scenes in it.
"Although very few, but I am very satisfied."
"It is very happy to be able to show off my skills." When
he said this, the bright eyes of the star boy who had been promoted to the star were very beautiful.
After years of ups and downs, he experienced the peak of his career, tasted the warmth and warmth of human relationships, and finally had the moment when "Kung Fu" fulfilled his long-cherished wish. A Xing walked out cleanly in white clothes, one by one with a neat atmosphere. You said that this is the essence of martial arts for forgiveness and justice. I would rather believe that it is still a childhood heroic dream, the return of original heart and innocence.
"It's pitch black and I can see nothing..."
"No, it will be beautiful at dawn."
It was not Yin Tianchou who made me believe this sentence and was moved by it, but the one who ran through the dragon's sleeve, and The star boy who insisted on the same dream for several years. If a person can persist in doing the same thing with the same hobby for most of his life, even if he is ridiculed, he will finally get the face and recognition. This is exciting, bitter, and beautiful. The beauty is almost only in fairy tales.
Third, the
wording in the martial arts scene is a little bit hypocritical, and now I continue to return to "Kung Fu".
Rough calculations, the whole film is one and a half hours long, and there are several martial arts scenes that are time-consuming and many characters appear before and after: the axe helps to challenge, the three heroes take action; the three fight against the luthier and the luthier, the in-laws are chartered; the in-laws are chartered. A battle with the Huoyun Cthulhu; A Xing decisively fights the Huoyun Cthulhu.
As mentioned earlier, the masters and martial arts in "Kung Fu" are different from the moves that can be played by normal human cognition. They are similar to the description of martial arts comics, and even more exaggerated. This main tone is also in the same line as the martial arts scene.
In view of the characteristics of the moves themselves, Hongquan, Tan legs and sticks are described in the film very clearly, each of which is relatively clear. When it comes to the performance of legendary kung fu, such as piano sound, lion roar, Tathagata palm, and toad kung fu, the film greatly emphasizes the elements of blur and imagination. If we use martial arts novels to determine the difference between before and after, it is similar to Jin Yong telling the readers that the eighteen palms of Jianglong from Kanglongyou regret to XXXX, and Gu Long only wrote, "No one can see how he shot, the sword flashes, the sword It has been inserted into his throat." But the movie is not a novel after all, it needs to be visualized before leaving room for the audience to imagine.
In order to express the shock of these moves, Master Xing used several techniques:
1. Concretization
Concretization is the direct presentation of the effects of the moves. The representative of this characteristic is that the piano master kills people with the sound of the piano.
The piano master held the qin and waved his hand, and the qin slammed, and the powerful impact slammed into the opponent, like a skeleton samurai holding a sword and slashing. When they were defeated, the group of ugly and dark warriors slowly misted and dissipated until they disappeared.
As soon as the camera turned, the luthier was defeated.
This is the ingenuity. Xingye turned the original invisible sound of the piano into a tangible skeleton warrior. The audience knew it at a glance, but also increased the visual impact. Moreover, there is no need to entangle here whether the appearance of the skeleton warrior is reasonable. This is originally a surreal comic world, and "Kung Fu" is originally a non-traditional Kung Fu movie that is positioned as a comedy.
Xing Ye also used special effects to make the air current fluctuations caused by the power of the lion roaring power of the chartered lion roar, and the effect here is the same.
2. Combination of movement and static
"Kung Fu" has a lot of competition with slowness. Huoyun Cthulhu directly said that "the world of martial arts can only be fast but not broken", while Tathagata Palm and Paozu Gong's Tai Chi both emphasize static braking.
How to show the speed?
The example to be cited here is very simple-the "scud" of the charter wife.
When the axe gang came to the pig cage for the first time to make a challenge, the charterer quickly ran upstairs and covered her head with a quilt. This scene was handled with great joy and nodding. On the one hand, when shooting, the whole shot was basically kept still, and then some effects were slowed down. The frightening process of the chicken and duck flying as the background can be clearly seen, and the charter lady is like stepping on a hot wheel. Sneaked upstairs in front of him. This is a contrast between fast and slow. On the other hand, the process of the charter lady's flashing body is not "swiping" and disappearing. The audience can see her body movement, rapid acceleration of steps, and close-ups of her lying on the bed. In this way, it doesn't appear to be hasty and impetuous, right?
Such "fast" and "slow" shooting processing is very common in "Kung Fu", and almost every fight is involved.
3. Contrast foil
This technique is more common. That is to say, if you want to show the master and the power of his moves, you don't have to shoot them directly, you can shoot the wind and rain, the scenery, the opponent and the onlookers, and even give the result directly with the camera. This technique is mostly used for character appearance and atmosphere rendering.
In "Kung Fu", coolie is such a cannon fodder. Before the piano master showed his face, he fell to the ground and died as soon as the wind moved and the birds and beasts were together. Of course, it also includes the axe gangsters mentioned later.
In addition, it also involves the movement of the moves, the elegance of the overall style, the constant ups and downs in the process of winning and losing... These all depend on the concept of Xingye and the specific implementation of Yuan Heping.
Fourth,
why is the comedy effect of Star Master’s movies funny? What are his comedic techniques? These topics are big enough to write professional papers. The number of words is obviously not enough. So here is just the movie "Kung Fu".
"Kung Fu" is positioned as a comedy. It is funny and fun, but it is obviously different from the pure Hong Kong-style comedy in the early days such as "Tang Bohu Spots Autumn Fragrance" and "Nine Grade Sesame Officials". It is not like "A Westward Journey" or "Comedy". "The King" and others are good at tears in laughter.
What is so good about "Kung Fu"?
Let's not list the jokes one by one, let's take a look at a few examples.
In scene one, Ah Xing and Fat Tsai Cong failed to extort the sauce, so Ah Xing wanted to single out the neighbourhood to show off his power. The kid came out and punched him until he vomited blood; the dwarf over there was you, and Nani stood up two meters tall? Okay, I chose the aunt, and I was so strong that I couldn't look directly...
With the superb acting skills of Master Xing and the perfect soy sauce skills of passersby, this paragraph is very fun, right?
This is the joke that subverts the convention and the unexpected.
In the same way, there are Huoyun Cthulhu who wears slippers, glasses, and reads the newspaper on the toilet, the three heroes fail to stand and fall after saying goodbye in the setting sun, and the "Pig Teammate" mode is turned on by Fat Tsai Cong.
Scene two, after the charterer and the charterer showed off their power, they immediately threatened Brother Chen in the car; before the Huoyun Cthulhu appeared on the scene, the whole atmosphere was gloomy and creepy, and the audience saw an old man sitting on the toilet reading a newspaper; I thought they were going to fight, but the four masters dragged their cheeks to look at each other; Ah Xing was dying, "You should write Chinese"...
Here, the emotional change and abrupt end came to an abrupt end.
Generally speaking, the movie will continue to render the atmosphere after the climax, "locking" the audience's emotion and shock at this time, in order to achieve a better impact. But Master Xing has another set of ideas in his movies. He never allowed all kinds of emotions to be excessively prolonged and magnified. Liu Piaopiao turned around and left after hearing the phrase "I raise you". Only a few of Ah Xing and the mute girl came forward to face each other and open up their minds. There are many examples of such a light blow on the head of the Huoyun evil god.
In this way, if it is for a comedy effect, there is an unexpected contrast between before and after, if it is to express emotions, it is very good to make the audience impressed by the wonderful points that pass by. If it is not abused, it will not be easy to overdo it and vulgar; it will be more cherished and remembered only when it is short.
In scene three, Ah Xing and the chartered man are as powerful as the Hot Wheels chase. She is going to catch up! Caught up! OK! Jedi counterattack speeds up again! The knife rearview mirror is great. coming! Rotate 360 degrees for three and a half weeks! Uh, I ran into a billboard, and the underwear XXXXX dropped a place...
This episode is neither the climax of the film nor a line, but it is unexpectedly fun and impressive. In the plot, there is a strong sense of rhythm and an enhanced version of the scud competition in the front, and then it is the result of twists and turns, unexpectedly fragile; in the performance, the actors’ vivid facial expressions and body language can easily catch the eye; Technically, Star Master used multi-angle shots and mixed editing to show visual effects and joy, and used slow motion to further enhance these. This is where it shines.
Of course, if the above content is included in the scope of the entire "Kung Fu" comedy discussion, it will only be rare. The audience's first laugh may also be Feng Xiaogang's words "Such a beautiful woman...Is there any Wang Fa" and "There is no one in the cinema on Sundays, and I can't make movies in any business." You have to recognize Zhang Yibai in the first shot of the film, and his playful look is also worthy of appreciation.
The biggest advantage of Xing Ye's comedy lies in the construction of the framework. Its laughter and plot have never been mechanically inserted or piled up, he will first focus on the structure of the overall story and the foothold of each character, and then design links that promote the development of the plot with a smile on this basis. . When he releases all the stories and characters, he can not only express the basic meaning clearly, but also let the audience have their own emotions and associations in different links. This is the most rare place.
It is almost universally acknowledged that it is harder to make comedy than drama and tragedy. One second faster, one slower, the effect is completely different. For example, the pot of flowers smashed on the head of the charter company, from the moment he fell to the ground to bloom on the top of his head, every second of his movements and arrangements was carefully calculated.
The performance part involves rhythm, lines, micro-expressions and body language. The overall structure requires rhythm not to be messy, and various plots must be creative and innovative. These are very demanding on the front and back of the stage in a comedy movie.
It is not easy to let the audience be naturally happy instead of sneer and laughter, but to combine sadness and joy with tears in laughter and wrap ideals and life with jokes, how many comedies can reach this state?
Fifth, multi-person scheduling and group performances
. The prototype of the pig cage castle in "Kung Fu" is the tube house where Master Xing lived when he was a child. People from all over the world are crowded together, and many interesting things are brewing in addition to poor living conditions. For example, as Xingye himself said, he really met a "martial arts master" there.
Xing Ye changed this part of his memory and put it in "Kung Fu", which not only brought the memories of the times that belonged to a person, but also made a magical touch.
It's poor there, but it's like a paradise.
The residents seem ordinary, but there are masters hidden in the city.
Danger comes instinctively to avoid, and the critical moment is the heroic dream of ordinary life.
One of the most commendable parts is this group of brilliant supporting actors and soy sauces.
The charterer, the charter-in-law couple.
When they first appeared, they were just stingy middle-aged aunts and lascivious and timid uncles. The axe gang came to challenge, the aunt ran up with a speed comparable to a rocket, and the charter party continued to gather the soil and buried her head.
Later, we learned that the charterer and the charterer were masters who took refuge here. The tragic death of their son made them frustrated, but they asked for a quiet place to ignore the others.
The most amazing thing is the moment when I can't bear it.
Tai Chi travels with clouds and flowing water, and the lion roar is majestic and majestic.
They changed their heads and came to the front of the evil god Huoyun, plainly but solemnly speaking to Ah Xing about kindness and justice, and then they did it at the cost of their lives.
Master demeanor, the heart is not extinguished, nothing more than that.
Gu Yazhen.
Yazhen doesn't have many scenes, but it's surprisingly impressive.
Curly Tingting's figure, her charming and beautiful daughter's normal state, and her exceptionally prominent buck teeth, these seemingly contradictory attributes are gathered in one person. She is not a beauty, but when she was the first to stand up for a quarrel with the three masters and the charter wife, she was unparalleled in momentum and affection.
Sauce burst.
He looked stupid, with a dull expression and unassuming appearance, showing half of his ass every time he appeared. Is it a harlequin? Funny? But he didn't eat hard and soft, and didn't show any expression when he was threatened.
Only then did you discover that there is something stupid, just like Huang Yifei's butler's always condescending eyes in "The Judge of the Dead", unexpectedly cold and hard, mixed with slight mockery.
This character is perhaps the most worthy of consideration.
He is ordinary, small, and talented, and he doesn't have any kung fu. At the moment when the enemy came, he told the renter's wife righteously that you teach me kung fu, and I will deal with him, with a rare normal and solemn expression.
"Even if you kill one me, there will still be tens of thousands of me."
Whose mental projection is this again?
There are also three hidden masters and onlookers who can hide their unique skills even old and weak women and children. In Xing Ye's movies, group performances and soy sauce have always been important and exciting. In the past, it could be a single eye-catching figure such as Hua, Pomegranate Sister, and Hong Ye, but now it is a group of "Kung Fu".
In front of the scene, the pig cage walled city is a legendary place. As the audience, you will never guess how many unexpected characters and events are left. Behind the scenes, this small world has greatly tested the director's skill: there are few scenes and heavy burdens. How to arrange the soy sauce, how to stand the extras, how to fully utilize the props and scenery, how to complete the beading of this scene and pave the way for the whole movie...
Take the pig cage fortress, from the scene to the whole The characters (including soy sauce, and soy sauce in soy sauce) are only a few minutes away from the show, and the master star will take photos from the morning of the day after sweeping the scene: the environment where many people live and wash, the meals of life, the various characters who come and go, and they are strong. Carrying sandbags, Gu Yazhen requesting skirts with higher slits, renting male and female horns...Every character, line and scene are counted in seconds, but all the way, from the living environment of the pig cage to each All the characters are clear at a glance. There is no sense of clutter, but rather curious and interesting. Even the language, Star Master is very careful to let different characters speak different Mandarin, Cantonese, English, hometown dialects, etc. It is one thing to be funny, and it also highlights the mixed feeling of fish and dragon.
The other thing to talk about is Master Xing's scheduling and control of the "big scene".
"Kung Fu" also involves a lot of actors and filming positions. Wenyou has the description of the pig cage walled city and the appearance of a group of residents. Wu has many fighting scenes where the protagonist and the supporting role soy sauce cannon fodder are all on the scene. Test the ability to tell what story and how to tell a story.
It is true that the star can't make the appearance of the Seven Samurai in the village a classic like Kurosawa Akira's shot composition, but he is consciously strengthening the control of the group performance and the appearance and positioning of important roles. For example, in the city of the pig cage, anyone who is still to observe a scene will have a lot of effective information under his lens. Moreover, the multi-person scheduling of Master Xing is not a big show of "group gymnastics", which is relatively rare.
Six, acting
For a long time, the acting skills of comedians have been largely ignored. They seldom act in a variety of styles and plots and follow the funny route. This makes many audiences and award judges feel that they will only laugh and laugh. . But in fact, it is the most difficult thing to do well in comedy, which extremely tests the actors' mastery of rhythm, lines, body language, micro-expressions and even their own mentality. Exaggeration is too much, too much convergence has no effect.
As for Xing Ye, Zhou Xingxing has a straight uniform, Song Shijie has a bright tongue, Gu Jing is quick, Tang Bohu is suave, and is an unambiguous but optimistic inventor. Su Qier focuses on self-seeking and reshaping, Ling Ling paints justice and tolerance. , Has its own bottom line, a kiss on the wall of the Supreme Treasure City is the darkest and deepest affection. When he turned around, Yin Tianchou shouted "I raise you" there, telling us that he is an actor. Please don't add it in front. The word "death"... As an actor, he laughed and cursed and made people hilarious. He was lonely and affectionate and the most touching. Just like Huang Bo said: “Some things Stephen Chow’s are Stephen Chow’s. It’s not that other actors are not good-looking or have poor acting skills, but it’s not right to stand next to them.”
The body language and micro expressions of Master Xing have always been outstanding, the simplest An example of this is the change in expression within a few seconds after seeing Bai Jingjing’s white bone spirit in the mirror in "A Journey to the West". This interpretation made Wang Jing, who bombarded the star at that time, couldn’t help but admire his “slapped palms”. The "Kung Fu" put here is also reflected, it is the process of being bitten by a snake with Fat Tsai Cong, meeting a dumb girl, and the character constantly struggling between good and evil.
At the beginning of the role, with fierce vigor, the process goes back and forth, and finally it degenerates into a calm and introverted mood. Ah Xing can be said to be one of the most complicated roles Xing Ye has ever played.
What's more, this is a comedy. In addition to the normal grasp of the character's image and plot development, it is also necessary to add unique comic effects, how to show body language, what expressions to give, lines and words and speed effects, each and every bit is very demanding on the actors.
No matter what the performance of Xing Ye can be reviewed as an audience, he can basically reach the most difficult state of "silence is better than sound". He is not displayed in lines or exaggerations, but even just a flash of eyes can touch the audience's heart.
What is commendable as a director is that Xing Ye did not make himself "bigger than the play" this time. In the past, in Stephen Chow's movies, we must be the one who impressed us the most. Even the brilliant collaborator can't overshadow his limelight. But this time, Xing Ye let his role appear as a "serialist" first, and it seems inadvertent. There are traces of him everywhere, and finally it is a big explosion. What he is more worried about is the whole film. As a director, he has absolute control over the audience (including all actors), which makes those roles more or less with his personal touch, coupled with the wonderful interpretation of other actors, this collective contribution A masterpiece.
Seven, other creative points
1, singing and dancing
has always been a scene of group dancing in Zhou Xingchi's movies, "Shanghai Gambling Saint" Xingzai in order to make Gong Li happy in a tea restaurant, "Shaolin Football" five seniors led a group of passersby The inspirational dance in front of Zhao Wei, and the setting of the axe gang in "Kung Fu" after their first appearance.
The axe help boss Chen raised his axe in a leisurely dance step, helping the crowd to dance loudly in the room, editing and interspersing the cruel black and white scenes of their murders. The movement and the static contrast, the light and the dark, the cruelty of the axe gang is here. The music and dance are very vividly displayed.
I also like the shots where I shoot from the top and then front. I didn't use the upside-down shots, I didn't intend to highlight the height of the characters, and I didn't use frontal close-ups at the beginning, which would make the picture crowded. First, I gave a bird's eye view to highlight the sense of space, and also brought a little bit of God's vision.
Next, Xing Ye did not put the black and white subtitles before and after the acceptance directly after the song and dance, but took advantage of the previous preparation to continue to bring out the paper drunk fans in Shanghai at the time, the bribes in front of the police chief, the charm of the song and dance hall, and the extravagance and clutter of the casino. ...A few shots flashed past, the background was only now explained, and the narration appeared.
At this point, the film only lasted for less than 7 minutes, let's see how much effective information Xing Ye has told the audience.
2. The music and special effects are
really a pity, here I don't have the ability to explain the production of staff and special effects in detail, but the music (or BGM) and special effects production of Kung Fu are very good.
Star Master has always attached great importance to special effects. As early as 2001, "Shaolin Football" began to increase the proportion of special effects, and strive to make a breakthrough in the visual. Since then, his movies have never left the special effects technology.
Of course, the original words of Xingye: "We use computer special effects based on the structure of the story and the progress of the story. There must be content in it, not only special effects. For example, we can see 99 big bangs in the movie, but it is not necessarily good-looking. Computer stunts are a very good aid to me, but they are always the main script. Story structure, character characters, these are the most important."
As for music, there is "Just Live for You" on lyric, which seems a bit vulgar. The title of the song actually has no lyrics, and the style is soothing and sensational, but there is no lack of orgasms, which is very beautiful. This background music appears in the part of Ah Xing and The Mute Girl. It is not only the tenderness and cruelty of childhood memories, but also the moving entanglement of reunion after growing up. It plays a first-class role in exaggerating the atmosphere and mobilizing the audience's mood. In addition, there are music such as "Small Knife Club Suite" that the star master especially likes to use in the pig cage walled city and the fighting part. The use of folk music is extremely heavy in the film, with a strong tone, a strong sense of rhythm, and a sense of the times. And Chinese characteristics.
3. In the tribute to Cantonese fragments and classic movies
, old-style martial arts comics occupy an important position in this "Kung Fu". Xiao Axing was stunned by a "Tathagata Palm" in his childhood, and at the end of the film, the martial arts secrets were used to dangle in front of other children. Look again, when Ah Xing used to cut her hair to blackmail the sauce, the camera was turned to the martial arts cartoons displayed in a row. At this time, Ah Xing's performance fluctuates slightly, with extremely detailed micro expressions (Xing Ye’s Perform a praise). It is estimated that the audience watching for the first time will not pay attention, but this is also an extremely important foreshadowing for the character of A Xing.
Outside of the play, those who are about the same age as the star master or have a little interest in this field can even see the tribute at a glance.
Tathagata Palm, Lion Roar Gong, Hongjia Iron Line Boxing, Wulang Bagua Cudgel, Twelve Way Tan Legs, Tai Chi, Toad Gong, Fire Cloud Cthulhu, plus music and other links, these are all fragments of the Star Master’s Cantonese A tribute to martial arts comics. There are also scenes parodying classic movies such as "The Shining" in the film.
Eight, director style
With the eloquence here, I can finally summarize the personal style of Stephen Chow as a director from the above pile of content.
Stephen Chow's value as an actor has long been undoubted, but his talent as a director seems to have been divergent.
In fact, as early as the period of "Tang Bohu Spots Autumn Fragrance", Xing Ye was given the title of "Super Director" because of his work on the set that far exceeded that of actors. "Domestic Lingling Paint", Gu Dezhao bluntly said, "You are too involved, it is better to add your name" and become a co-director. Since then, "The God of Cookery", "The King of Comedy", "Shaolin Football", "Kung Fu", "Yangtze River No. 7", "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons", star masters have all played the leading role, director, screenwriter, producer, etc. Multiple positions.
Among them, this "Kung Fu" can be seen as a milestone in the director's style of Xing Ye.
1.
If the plot is heavy and connotative, most of Xingye's movies cannot be compared with other famous directors. He never deliberately explores the complexity of human nature, nor does he intend to be deep or heavy or point to current malpractices. He just gives a simple, clean, and highly visible story. Wrap your ideals with kung fu, and use jokes to coincide with life. When you come to the end, you don't forget to add a beautiful emotion and the hope of justice that always exists. Xing Ye himself said, "I can't play the role of high-level, no matter what."
The values in Xing Ye's movies have always been very simple. He recognizes the complexity of humanity and even the demon nature, but he does not deliberately blur the boundary between black and white. What he admired is the great simplicity and the return to the basics.
He Jinyin's stupid efforts and finally succeeded; "Three Hundred Children's Songs" was pushed to the core spiritual position in Journey to the West; A Xing was using almost childlike fighting methods (such as stepping on toes and using hidden weapons to make toys) to win Huoyun After the Cthulhu, he and the mute girl met again at the last moment in a way of returning to childhood...
And another manifestation of this "simple" is the growth of little people. Just like Yin Tianqiu's "work hard, struggle" shouting at the sea, almost all the protagonists in Xing Ye's movie have the experience of working hard all the way and making some changes, even if the master of "The God of Cookery" has an open head. , And it didn't take a moment to be hit. Afterwards, they usually reach a new state through the dual effects of themselves and the outside world, and finally realize their own minds in different ways.
And what I am most grateful for is the bright and beautiful endings given by the stars in the movie.
"In my movies, there are not 100% fairy tales. There are fantasy and ideals. Of course, you will also see the reality of the world. In fact, I don’t need to tell everyone about the bad things, but as a movie , I want to run a happy result. After reading it, if it can make everyone feel hopeful, this is what I want to do."
If you choose to deny or sneer, then it can only be false in front of you The trick to deceive children, and then you continue to return to the gloomy reality, continue to complain about the weak and the strong.
Everyone knows the reality, and one of the functions of film making dreams is to give us the beauty we need. The blood is not cold, I believe in the light, and continue to maintain hard work and dreams. Even if it is just two hours of watching the movie, it is successful and worthwhile.
When you turn around inadvertently, you will find that those miracles are not all in the air. The correspondence in real life is everywhere.
From this point of view, Master Xing is still the old star, whether it is Zuo Songxing, Song Shijie, Su Qi'er, He Jinyin, Yin Tianchou, or the fifth brother, A Xing, Zhou Tie, he has never been far away and has not changed. .
2.
If you only talk about the use of colors, lens composition, editing techniques, etc., the star master seems to be nothing particularly commendable. The same is a comedy, Star Master has never played time and space multi-line crossing like Liu Zhenwei, his story has always been one-line thinking.
But it is also worth talking about, these have become the unique places of Stephen Chow's movies.
(1) Enhance the sense of the picture and weaken the dialogue
There are some movies that you absolutely cannot do without dialogue, such as Wong Kar Wai, if you don't have the lines to assist you, you simply don't know what he is making. There were a lot of "famous sentences" in Zhou Xingchi's movies, but after "Shaolin Football", the attention of Xing Ye gradually shifted from the dialogue, turning to strengthen the visual appreciation and sense of picture.
"As a director, as well as an actor and screenwriter, I hope to promote my film to more places and let different people know it. In this case, I must visualize all the elements of the whole film, that is to say , To replace the vernacular with action..."
It is not difficult to see the goal of Master Xing from this interview. He hopes to break through the restrictions brought by external factors such as language and culture, and use pictures and actions to deliver content that is acceptable to more people. This is also a major support for him to enhance the visual and sensory stimulation of the whole movie.
The effect of paying attention to this point is obvious. Special effects are rarely seen in Xingye’s movies. The expressions and body language of the actors are brought into full play. The pictures have a strong sense of hierarchy and the stories are novel and exciting. Moreover, works such as "Shaolin Football" and "Kung Fu" that were originally intended to target overseas markets have indeed received good results. "Shaolin Soccer" has been played in the World Cup in the United States and classrooms, many foreigners go to see the most, can be as large music is Stephen Chow movie "Kung Fu" and "Shaolin", even the foreign language classroom will recommend to the students ......
Yeh I have always been very ambitious about the film going out of the country, especially after the millennium, almost every film is not limited to the Chinese-speaking community. "Shaolin Football" and "Kung Fu" are successful models, but "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" has some shortcomings.
(2) The grasp of the sense of
rhythm What is the bottom of the rhythm? This question is difficult to cover in a few words.
From a small point of view, it can be the characteristics mentioned above: it does not amplify and prolong emotions, and avoids over-immersion and boredom through rapid conversion. At the same time, the dialogue, action and plot are combined with dynamic and static, fast and slow, which is more prominent than supplemented by slow motion and editing. This makes the audience's intuitive feeling is to constantly feel the ups and downs of surprises. From the big point of view, Star Master's films are rarely flat and straightforward, and they have been throwing suspense constantly, triggering emotional fluctuations in the audience.
Still taking "Kung Fu" as an example, Feng Xiaogang’s crocodile gang was replaced by the axe gang within a few minutes of their mighty force. The axe gang’s strength can be suppressed by the charterer, the charterer and the group of masters, and the luthier poses a certain threat to them. After that, the ultimate BOSS was Fire Cloud Cthulhu, and finally Ah Xing completed the Jedi counterattack. First of all, it is spiraling upward from the perspective of deconstruction. And in this, literary and martial arts intertwined again. Just after the battle of the pig cage walled city began to discuss "memory is the source of pain", and then brought out the second group of war characters. Leave enough buffer space for the audience to relax and pause between the big emotional waves in each scene.
And the most amazing thing is that these techniques are not obtrusive, all integrated into the plot he wants to express.
As a director, Xing Ye has a great grasp of rhythm and relaxation.
(3) Lens language
I wonder how many people have paid attention to his lens in Xing Ye's movies? Although it cannot be said to be a master, it definitely has his characteristics and suits the overall tone of the movie.
Master Xing likes to point the camera at the details that can represent the identity or characteristics of a character. Zhang Yibai’s police chief first painted the Inspector’s sign. When Ah Xing first appeared on the scene, he saw him trample on the foot of a child’s football. It also had a comedic effect. When Lin Xueyan’s boss first came to the village of the pig cage, he first showed his head bombed by the firecrackers. Even in "Yangtze River Seven", there are many close-ups and scene transitions of footsteps... Master Xing especially likes to zoom in on these details. He first hears the sound before he sees the sound, and enters the scene before he hears the sound. He guides the audience into his story and feels certain emotions through these strongly characterized objects.
At the same time, the appearance of the partial picture naturally completes the scene transition and natural connection.
Generally speaking, Zhou Xingchi's films do not pursue grand artistic conception and vision. The previous "King of Comedy" and "Shaolin Football" still cannot escape the pattern of traditional Hong Kong dramas. But this time "Kung Fu" gave people a refreshing feeling from the beginning.
Chongshan, sunshine, a long lens brings out a vast and deep environment, and a butterfly appears in the picture, from the dark to the light. This also corresponds to "Broken Cocoon Chen Sheng" at the end of the film.
3. Creativity
"Film, if you don’t make it your best, you just can’t keep up with the audience. Now the audience has seen everything, the best technology, the best story, the best creativity, which is very popular all over the world. Open. Making a movie is easy, but making a good movie is a very, very difficult thing. I think it’s a quality world now."
In Stephen Chow’s movies, you can hardly guess what he will give. A story can't be calculated from the plot of the next one. Even if you know that the ending will probably end brightly, the process must be unexpected.
For example, "Kung Fu", strictly speaking, is still the state of Diaosi's counterattack and the growth mode of the male protagonist of martial arts novels, but what kind of breakthrough he used to complete the transformation and how the victory and defeat of several battles will develop, we can't guess. The three heroes just showed up, do you think they died before halfway through the plot? The chartered in-laws and the Huoyun Cthulhu are in a lively battle. Who would have thought that there would be two sticks in front and back of A Xing? Another example is "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons". Even viewers who are familiar with novels and various film and television versions do not know what Xuanzang will encounter on the road?
What is more important is the polishing of the theme, special effects, and behind the scenes.
"In a movie, the future development may no longer clearly distinguish between comedy and drama. I will not use funny as a major premise. I want to see what the story wants to express, all his characters and outlines, and then Development details. Of course, I will not let go of those who can develop to be funny. But it may also be the opposite, which is not funny."
Until now, if you still watch Zhou Xingchi’s movies with a purely Tang Bohu comedy mentality, I am afraid that it will deviate from expectations. We can't let him re-level the ground and build another world just because the building he built before is so tall and beautiful, right?
Although still positioned as a comedy, Star Master has begun to add more and more different elements to his movies. Inspirational, horror, warmth, science fiction, kung fu, etc. are all breakthroughs he is making. "The King of Comedy" is a big inspirational and warm card, "Shaolin Football" combines comedy, kung fu and sports, "Kung Fu" is a comic exaggeration, "Yangtze River No. 7" focuses on weak domestic children and science fiction, "Journey to the West" It is an alternative interpretation of the masterpiece... Although there are successes and failures in this way of transformation and attempts, you can't deny that Master Xing has been looking for a breakthrough. At the same time, in recent years, he has begun to attach importance to the development of movie ancillary products, and has started his own theater line, step by step to a higher level in line with international standards.
4. "Violence" and tragic elements
seem to be far away from Stephen Chow's movies at first glance, but they have always existed imperceptibly.
As early as in "Xin Jing Wu Men" Liu Jing was beaten by pain, and the process of turning defeat into victory by the "Shaolin Football" was the same method. The death of the three heroes in "Kung Fu" (especially the personal moment Separation) and the final battle is very bloody. "Yangtze River No. 7" has a fantasy scene of a female ghost hanging himself, and in "Journey to the West", the "monstery" of the whole movie is simply one of the characteristics.
"Many scenes are involved in the existence of violent scenes, and violence is always to strengthen the character or a certain effect I want to manage, rather than simply I like violence. For example, in "Shaolin Football", that A goalkeeper, he uses his flesh and blood to block the murderous ball. I think this scene is very violent, but it turns out that this man is for the whole team, for his ideals, he is willing to give his life. I will I feel that I need to make this effect more prominent. Under the violence, I feel that this is also a kind of alternative romance."
So I don’t know how many people share the same feeling with me: The scenes of "Kung Fu" and "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" are The closest.
5. Personal experience of betting and absolute all-round control
Someone once said that Master Xing is taking pictures of himself. Although this is a bit absolute, it makes sense. Yin Tianchou recorded the years of his own tactics. "Kung Fu" has fulfilled his dreams all the time. "Yangtze River Seven" has strong childhood memories and feelings for his parents. "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" is a cathartic expression of emotions... Just like the elements of comics and Cantonese fragments, in the next movie, the audience will surely be able to discover the personality of the star master from the crowd.
In fact, it's not just the plot. The master Xingye's control of his films goes deep into every aspect, from photography style to technical methods, from martial arts characteristics to editing methods, from individual performances to group performance scheduling. He said during the "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons": "Although I did not act in person, I am not the only one in the whole movie."
In this way, the director's style and control have been demonstrated to the greatest extent and benefited Of course the audience. Without him, how many of those supporting roles, group performances, and various elements will continue to shine? On the other hand, this can also explain why Xing Ye has a rift with his collaborators.
Xing Ye once said that he doesn't like to use "nonsensical" in his films, because every sentence and paragraph that the audience seems to be random is the result of hard thinking and careful deliberation that ordinary people can't imagine. .
"Film, if you don’t make it your best, you just can’t keep up with the audience. Now the audience has seen everything, the best technology, the best story, the best creativity. Making a movie is easy. , But making a good movie is a very, very difficult thing... I also hate that I am not capable enough, not smart, and not thinking about things fast. I hope I can do a little bit more, shoot more ideas, and find More talents." It
took three years from "Shaolin Football" to "Kung Fu", four years from "Kung Fu" to "Yangtze No. 7", and five years later, "Journey to the West: Conquering Demons" came out with an average of three to four years. Assuming that this speed remains the same, and assuming that Master Xing will be a director for another 20 years and reach 70%, then we can count the works of Zhou Xingchi that we can look forward to with one hand.
While there is still, cherish it, at least Stephen Chow has always been worthy of the audience.
Nine, finally add a little behind-the-scenes story:
1. Xing Ye always strives for perfection in movies. It is common to have countless short scenes, and it was once described as "he has to deal with a needle on the set". In "Kung Fu", the piano master flicked the strings, he asked the Guqin teacher of the Children's Palace to teach for a few weeks, and then filmed for a few months.
2. The rumors of Wu Mengda and Xing Ye's fallout originated from "Kung Fu".
When Star Master was planning to shoot "Kung Fu", he called Wu Mengda and said that there was a role. Of course, Uncle Da agreed, and he also pushed other scenes for this. But later Xingye told him that the role had been cancelled. The disparity between the two people is magnified from here.
In fact, everyone who knows Master Xing knows that he has always been like this in filming. Lin Zicong received a call from Master Xing the night before, and he didn't have any time to prepare. He joined the crew of "Shaolin Football" early the next morning. Everyone knows that Wong Kar-wai does not have a script, and Star Master is not much better. He had prepared the script in the early stage, but his favorite thing to do was to find ideas while making changes. This matter of Wu Mengda, of course Xing Ye did not kindly, but it is not worth the two to fall out.
Sure enough, Wu Mengda directly said in the interview of "Lu Yu You Yu": Later, Xingzi asked him to explain, he has explained it clearly, and is reconciled.
"As long as I don't die and he hasn't retired, we will still cooperate."
In other words, have you noticed that for all topical news, entertainment, medical care, society, etc., most people only pay attention to the beginning, and very few people care about the outcome of this matter. After a few years, what happened to these things?
3.
Sammo Hung was the first martial arts instructor invited by Master Xing, but the action he designed was far from the effect expected by Master Xing. It was indispensable to intervene if the shooting of Master Xing was true. Sammo Hung is a senior in the industry, and his temper is not small. When he was provoked, he simply led the Hong family to withdraw.
Others were afraid to take things that Sammo Hung quit. In order to ensure the normal progress of the filming, Master Xing could only temporarily invite a few Yuan Heping and Yuan Ba Ye who could compete with Sammo Hung to save the scene. The parts that had already been filmed were too late Started again.
Therefore, the martial arts directors listed at the end of "Kung Fu" are Sammo Hung and Yuan Heping. Attentive audiences can also find that there are actually differences in the action scenes in the film. The part where Sammo Hung is at the helm is more realistic, and Yuan Heping is more elegant and beautiful. In the end, it is not much different in the overall style.
4.
Master Xing has won many people from this play. In addition to Lin Zicong and Chen Guokun who participated in "Shaolin Football", there are also Shi Xingyu, Huang Shengyi, etc., and they also won the best male match for Yuanhua and Yuanqiu. , Nomination for the best actress, Yuanhua won the prize.
Now Fat Tsai Cong is also acting as a director while acting. Shi Xingyu has participated in many TV series and movies such as "October Besieged City", "Ip Man", "Weird Man and a Plum" and other TV series and movies. Following Liu Zhenwei's filming, Chen Guokun finished the "Legend of Bruce Lee" and Wang Jing went to film "The Legend of the Double Dragon of the Tang Dynasty".
As for Huang Shengyi, Xinghui said here that Xinghui’s deduction of remuneration was ineffective, and that Huang Shengyi’s privately taken indecent photos broke the contract for no reason. Anyway, the final result is that Huang Shengyi defected to Yang Zi, and also opened Juli Shengyi Film and Television Company. The most recent movie masterpieces are "Legend of White Snake" and "Frozen".
5.
Shi Xingyu , who played one of the three heroes, "Twelve Ways of Tan Legs", was originally from Shaolin Temple Lianjia. During the preparatory period of "Kung Fu", Master Xing was looking for someone to introduce good actors/non-actors through various relationships, and someone recommended him to Master Xing. When Shi Xingyu was in the Shaolin Temple, he had watched the comedies of Master Xing, most of which were exaggerated and funny like "Tang Bohu Spots Autumn Fragrance". He still had some doubts at the beginning. He felt that Zhou Xingchi's comedy film should have nothing to do with him. Later, he successfully joined and officially embarked on the road of acting.
6.
"Iron Thread Boxing" Master Zhao Zhiling looked at a very muscular body. Master Xing was very envious of this, and he seriously asked for advice on how to maintain such a good method. One day he found Master Zhao was painting there by himself... From the beginning of "Shaolin Football", the star himself was also very concerned about his body. The muscles in the last few shots of "Kung Fu" were developed over time. Until the "Yangtze River No. 7" period, the live director's photos without PS can still be seen. Master Xing's good figure. He was very peculiar at this point. When he was young, he was completely white, but when he was older, he was a handsome figure.
7,
In 2004, "Kung Fu" was released in Hong Kong and collected more than 60 million yuan. The box office was nearly three times higher than the second place, breaking the highest record since the opening of the port. Previously, it was maintained by his own "Shaolin Football". This record was maintained for 6 years, until it was broken by "Those Years" with a slight advantage of several million.
In the same year, "Kung Fu" also received 16 nominations for Best Film, Best Director, Best Leading Actor, Best Actor, Best Action Design, etc. at the Academy Awards. This number is still far ahead today.
In the end, "Kung Fu" won the best film, best action design, best supporting actor and best editing. The actor is Tony Leung "2046", the best director Er Dongsheng "Mong Kok Night".
Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung gave the first prize for the best film to the star.
Xing Ye and Maggie Cheung kissed face-to-face at first, and finally they wanted to kiss. The scene was quite funny.
By the way, "Shaolin Football" plus "Kung Fu", this is all the Star Master has won at the Golden Statue so far.
8. "Kung Fu" has also won the Golden Horse Awards for Best Film, Best Director and many other awards.
It is worth mentioning that the last time Star Master won the Golden Horse Award was 17 years ago, and he won the best supporting actor with his debut work "Pioneer of Thunder".
"Kung Fu" is also the first Stephen Chow film officially released on the mainland. In 2004, the box office exceeded 100 million yuan, and the results were very good.
9. "Kung Fu" was premiered in Cannes at that time. The staff told Master Xing to take a rest and wait until the film was over before appearing. However, he refused and kept hiding behind the big screen, watching the reaction of foreigners. After standing for 2 hours at one stop, the stage was finally over. Master Xing stepped out. Thousands of people stood up and applauded for as much
as 3 minutes10. The beggar who held "Tathagata Palm" in his hand was named Yuan Xiangren. He himself is very famous. Wuzhi and director. His brother is the well-known Ba Ye Yuan Heping, the martial arts instructor of many masterpieces such as "The Matrix" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". The two brothers look pretty like each other, so don't admit it wrong.
11. The "Abnormal Human Research Center" is from "Kung Fu"-the place where the Huoyun Cthulhu is imprisoned.
12. Don't over-interpret the final ending. The rumors on the Internet that "Everything is a little boy's fantasy" is purely because the audience thinks too much. Xing Ye himself elaborated on the concept of the film in the introductory version of "Kung Fu".
13. When filming the scene where Ah Xing was bitten by a snake, not every snake had its teeth pulled out. The crew was very worried at the time.
14. Just because the words "Yang Guo" and "Little Dragon Girl" were used in "Kung Fu", Master Xing went to Jin Yong to pay the copyright fee.
Ten, in fact, there are only two sentences to
thank Zhou Xingxing for the happiness that has brought so many years.
I also hope you are happy.
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