It's not easy to make a balance, and it's even more difficult to innovate. The layout of Hong Kong is still too narrow, but To Qifeng is not a rash person. Unlike Chen Kexin, he made up his mind early on to go north, struggled between different styles, and tried the tastes of mainland audiences over and over again. This year's "Partners in China" finally came down to earth. He is even less like Peng Haoxiang. The advantage of a young director is time. After spending a few years in Beijing, he gradually tastes the local taste, and the things he makes are not so rigid.
Old Du is different. Lao Du's style was formed after the establishment of Galaxy Imaging. The two milestone works "Gunfire" and "Dark War" gave Du Qifeng a lot of experience on this subject. Every director needs to achieve a balance between business and art. For the above two films, the relationship between the two is adjusted to the best position.
More than ten years have passed, and some members of the Galaxy have left and some have returned. We can't help but mention Wei Jiahui here. Although there are always rumors that Du Qifeng and Wei Jiahui are not in harmony, but after the separation and integration, the two have gradually been able to compromise with each other and perform their respective duties. The work of "Detective" is after the second cooperation. of wonderful sparks. Until "The Detective", Lao Du still put the story in Hong Kong. The mainland has more movie screens and richer resources, but subject to the censorship system of the authorities, To Qifeng's signature films always have to go through deletions and additions. Barely showing. The director's creation is very hard. If a film that he feels has done the best, but is ordered by the relevant departments to make changes before it can be released, it is tantamount to cutting flesh on himself. I believe this is the biggest problem for To Qifeng.
When he entered the mainland market with "Single Men and Women" as a stepping stone, everything was unknown. The theme of the comedy is very pleasing, and the plots of the story are also carefully arranged. The two male protagonists, Louis Koo and Daniel Wu, are both Hong Kong actors who have a certain influence in the mainland, and the opposite play is Gao Yuanyuan from the mainland. The choice of this work is very conservative, crossing the river by feeling the stones, naturally hope to be able to play steadily. In contrast, Mak Zhaohui and Zhuang Wenqiang are the series of "Eavesdropping on the Wind and Cloud", "Guan Yunchang" and "The Hearer", constantly trying to squeeze their own styles into the mainland market. They were a little too radical, and that's why "Guan Yunchang" failed miserably.
To Qifeng is not like this. He will definitely not be able to resist shooting the subject matter he likes, but he will not try to change the tastes of mainland audiences, and he is even more reluctant to change himself in order to meet the needs. He will compromise. In this "Drug War", the proportion of mainland actors is very high, and the filming is all in China, but Lao Du still adds Hong Kong elements, and he will not forget his "roots". The supporting actors of the Queen appeared one by one. Although there were few shots, those who had been paying attention to the Milky Way images felt at ease when they saw them, and felt that this was Du Qifeng, and only then could they truly appreciate the perseverance in Lao Du's heart.
Among the films of the same type released in mainland China, this one is the most radical. The scenes of drug use, the symptoms of drug addiction, and the plot of death by injection. Although it does not deviate from the main theme, all these are not seen in the previous films. Although I still sweat when I watch it, lamenting that Du Qifeng is challenging the review bottom line of the relevant departments, but thinking about it carefully, from a spiritual point of view, this is a film that "meets the requirements", but it is unique in its own way of expression. superior.
The mainland market is huge, but it takes a lot of trouble if you really want to get in. I hope Lao Du can keep going.
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