In the world of movies and TV series, there are often some highly anticipated works, but sometimes expectations are dashed in the audience's word-of-mouth and popularity. A recently released work, directed by the famous director Guo Baochang and starring Fu Dalong and Hao Lei, suffered an incredible collapse in word-of-mouth and popularity. The comment section is flooded with one-star negative reviews, and the ratings for the film are incredibly low. What kind of work is this that makes Guo Baochang, who once directed "Mansion Gate", so disappointed?
It is mentioned in the original text that this work is called "East Fourth Pai Lou East", which is a masterpiece of the times directed by Guo Baochang again after seven years. As the director of "Mansion Gate", he once attracted the attention of the industry with his masterpieces, but now he has fallen into a double trough of word-of-mouth and popularity. So, what happened to "East Fourth Pai Lou East" that made the audience so disappointed?We will solve this mystery from multiple perspectives such as the film's narrative, actors' performances, and plot settings.
Re-creation:
Perhaps in this world of movies full of expectations, we always look forward to surprises with each new work. However, sometimes things backfired, and a word-of-mouth collapse became a common feeling for the audience. The recently released "East Fourth Pai Lou East" is such a high-profile work, directed by Guo Baochang and starring Fu Dalong and Hao Lei, but it received a negative evaluation in the comment area, and the popularity quickly hit the street.
In the process of watching the movie, I deeply felt that this film showed the director's unique insight into period dramas, telling the story of a declining aristocrat who rises and falls in the tide of history. The background of the film is set in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, and the cast is also luxurious, with the addition of Fu Dalong, Hao Lei, Liu Peiqi, Li Chengru, Kou Zhenhai and other acting schools adding a lot to the film. However, even so, why did both word-of-mouth and popularity collapse?
Perhaps the problem lies in the way the film is narrated. It is mentioned in the original text that the narrative mode belongs to the conventional classical narrative, which is divided into two parallel lines, one is the love line of the male and female protagonists, and the other is the conspiracy line represented by Yu Zhen. Such a narrative structure is not uncommon in movies, but in "East Fourth Archway East", it makes the audience feel stiff and awkward. The image of the male protagonist "Ha Lan" (played by Fu Dalong) has also caused a lot of controversy, and he was criticized as a "Ma Bao Man", who behaved cowardly, arrogant, cowardly and cheap in the film, which was in great contrast with the audience's expectations of Fu Dalong's consistent and powerful acting skills.
What's even more suffocating is the performance of the heroine "Tong Lihua" (Hao Lei). Although Hao Lei is known for her boldness, in order to match the quiet elegance of the role, her performance seems to be overworked, resulting in a clear contrast between the character's temperament and the actor himself. The audience questioned whether such a performance was in line with the social background of the Qing Dynasty.
In addition, the plot arrangement in the film also caused dissatisfaction among the audience. The screenwriter used some strange and bizarre plots in the setting, such as the father-in-law taking advantage of the chaos to steal a set of "Tanglin Mishu" in the palace, wanting to steal the tomb of the former king to make a windfall. This plot setting feels far-fetched and even a little bizarre. And a series of manslaughters between the father-in-law and the godson made it even more difficult for the audience to accept. Such a plot setting seems to be far away from the audience's expectations for a historical period drama.
Overall, "Dongsi Pai Lou Dong" may have invested a lot of effort in production, but it failed to touch the audience's hearts in terms of narrative, actors' performances and plot settings. Maybe this is just an attempt by director Guo Baochang, but in this era of word-of-mouth supremacy, the audience's expectations for a movie still need more attention and care. I hope that in the future works, the directors and actors can dedicate more wonderful and unforgettable films to the audience.