Realism theme gains word-of-mouth Chinese filmmakers strive to shoulder social responsibility

the Chinese film "double Happiness" has grossed more than 50 billion yuan at the box office for the whole year, and a number of realistic films from the mainland shine at the Golden Horse Award in Taiwan.

Last week, the Chinese film "double Happiness" earned more than 50 billion yuan at the box office for the whole year, and a number of realistic films from the mainland shone at the Golden Horse Award in Taiwan. If the former is "face-saving", then the latter is out-and-out "inside". At this time, both face and interior have been saved.

this year can be regarded as the "big year" of realistic films, from "Gang Rinpozi" in the summer to "22" which was released on September 18, to "the detonator" and "Carnival" which is being shown, constantly setting off one small and the best part after another in the movie market. Zhang Yang, Guo Ke, Chang Zheng and Wen Yan, middle-aged filmmakers, pay more attention to realistic themes and shoulder the social responsibility of film creators, which is a kind of luck for Chinese films. Perhaps as Wen Yan said when interpreting the title of the Carnival, "We are in a carnival-like entertainment age, but under the hustle and bustle, there is always a group of people, with calmer thinking and more artistic expression, constantly reminding the sense of responsibility of Chinese films."

< strong > Perspective lower focus on the fate of people at the bottom < / strong >

"Carnival" tells a cruel story of a woman's youth through the perspective of girls of two different ages and backgrounds, calm but powerful, brave and warm. In this film, the case of sexual assault is just a carrier, and more importantly, it shows a kind of dereliction of duty in society after such an event, and how these girls grow up and face it in the face of adversity.

" there should be no crying, no animals, no shock from beginning to end. Did I watch a fake 'sexual assault' movie? " That's what an audience said. Perhaps because of too calm restraint, "Carnival" released for five days, the cumulative box office is only 16 million yuan, and 60 million yuan expected box office gap. Even so, director Wen Yan is reluctant to turn the film into a "miserable" film. She said that every character in the film is a reflection of the situation. "I hope the audience will not only simply consume these characters, but also give them real care." Because it's a responsibility to be a bystander. "

coincidentally, there is also a movie called "the detonator" which is released on the same day as "Carnival". Although it is more commercialized in type, the detonator is also a realistic film about small potatoes. Zhao Xudong, a blasting worker played by Duan Yihong, narrowly escapes in a mining accident, only to find it is a huge conspiracy. As the investigation deepened, he was also involved in the center of the whirlpool. In addition to projecting the director's own feelings, blasting worker Zhao Xudong also has typical practical significance in terms of identity. In the eyes of many coal mine owners, such human lives are like dirt, such as duckweed rootless, like trapped animals still fighting, in reality, many of them are unable to control their own destiny. In the film, the director Chang Zheng gave them wisdom and fighting spirit, as well as dignity.

< strong > the emergence of realistic works that continue to welcome the Lunar New year < / strong >

is to a large extent closely related to the social responsibility of Chinese film creators. They strive to pay attention to themes that are closely related to current life, and to focus on the people who are on the verge of being harmed, even if they fail to "change the country" like the Korean movie "melting pot", just to let some reality "be seen". It's also a victory for this kind of film.

"in fact, since the marketization in the 1980s, the social responsibility of Chinese film creators has never been absent, even in the 1990s, when the market was depressed, creative groups represented by the sixth generation of directors emerged. They pay close attention to social reality." Film critic Zeng Nianqun believes that although their efforts are stumbling and have been inundated by the market for more than a decade, most of them have not given up. Represented by the sixth-generation directors Jia Zhangke and Wang Xiaoshuai, the creative group of the Mesozoic era not only maintains a cold and independent realistic creative impulse, but also spares no effort in intergenerational inheritance and new support and excavation.

compared with previous years, this year is indeed the" big year "of realistic films, but it is far from reaching the theory of blowout. The current realistic theme creation is still in a dormant period, creativity and creative impulse are still not released, capital trend and audience expectations are still in the ice age. "but the good news is that this year, new forces such as Wen Yan of" Carnival ", Zhou Ziyang of" Old Beast "and Liu Jian of" Big World "have emerged that pay attention to reality." Said a film critic who spoke on condition of anonymity.

in fact, the spiritual vein of Chinese film realism has always existed, but on and off. "this year has been pretty good." Rao Shuguang, president of the Chinese Film Review Society, mentioned that the theme of realism can be more diversified. "there can be not only critical realism, but also warm and poetic realism." for example, "Shibadong Village" and "Love and dating" were released some time ago. "

< strong > to break down the predicament, it is more important to tell the story well < / strong >

when Rao Shuguang just finished watching the Carnival, the movie surprised him very much. Realistic themes are getting more and more attention because they have a close natural relationship with the Chinese audience. These films are based on real life and are more likely to resonate with local audiences, which no matter how wonderful Hollywood blockbusters do not have, and that our filmmakers should make full use of. "

however, the current predicament of realistic films also objectively exists. in his actual contact with the audience, Liu Hui, general manager of the UME cinema line, feels that many people actually do not have a high degree of acceptance of such films. Although we all know that serious themes such as "22" and "Carnival" are very good, some audiences will not take the initiative to choose because they feel that the film brings people a more depressing mood. Most people are still used to watching movies as a kind of entertainment. "

Liu Hui believes that the emergence of realistic films is a good thing, especially several films that have attracted much attention this year, which not only reflect the current Chinese society, but also enrich the theme of films. "but in fact, no matter what kind of film, if you want to make the audience more acceptable, you have to run a commercial operation. To a certain extent, creators still need to follow the laws of the market, especially these serious realistic films, but also need to have the ability to tell good stories and promote. "

Edit: mary