In the past few years, various annual dramas have emerged in an endless stream, whether it is "Flowers" or "Big River", which have been highly praised on TV screens. However, these plays are tightly confined to the realm of historical eras. It wasn't until director Wong Kar-wai's work brought a unique cinematic style that it brought us a refreshing audio-visual experience.
And "Big River" focuses on showing real historical scenes. Subsequently, a TV series called "Dog Leftover Run" successfully attracted widespread attention. This drama is based on the theme of anti-Japanese resistance, and its name reveals a sense of integrating comedy elements. Initially, the show caused a lot of controversy after it was launched.
Some people think that filming anti-Japanese dramas in a darkly humorous way will be difficult to succeed and may even attract criticism. Surprisingly, however, the show focuses on an ordinary character who goes from his initial ignorance to his eventual growth into a hero who can sacrifice his life for his country. This process of growing up is full of life and death, just like the experience of the male protagonist in "How Steel is Made", and finally achieves a steely will after hardships.
To be honest, before watching this drama, I was skeptical about presenting anti-Japanese themes in a darkly humorous way. However, after watching it, I am full of confidence in this drama. Although its presentation may seem frivolous, it does not affect its overall brilliance. Light comedy and gray humor are just the coat of this drama, and its core spirit is still the story of an ordinary person who becomes an anti-Japanese hero. After the protagonist awakens his mind, he chooses to resolutely join the trend of resisting Japan. After the broadcast, the protagonist returned from the Shaolin Temple, and he went through ten years of learning and became a martial arts master. This kind of anti-Japanese drama with comedy elements is often reminiscent of "Militia Ge Erdan".
After the launch of "Dog Left", the ratings successfully exceeded 2, and this drama brought a new viewing experience to the audience. Many viewers believe that the authenticity of this drama is very strong. Many of the plots in the play are close to today's social themes, and although hilarious, they still have the flavor of a bygone rural era. Coupled with the blessing of the anti-Japanese theme, this drama has been widely acclaimed. Through the growth story of the protagonist Gou Yu, the cruel reality of war is shown in front of the audience. This drama is very close to the audience, thought-provoking, and the audience also has the will to continue.
Gou Yu is more like a representative of many small people in that era in the play, and his growth process allows us to witness the transformation of an ordinary person. At first, Gou Yu's dream was just to earn money to buy a house and marry the girl he loved, but fate made him enter the army by mistake and eventually became a "deserter". Subsequently, he had to become a puppet army, and after witnessing the tragic experience of his beloved, he chose to defect to our army. The growth process of Gou Yu gives us a deep understanding of his mental journey, which was initially just for selfish desires, but was gradually swept into the torrent of anti-Japanese resistance.
In the play, people who become traitors have all kinds of problems, but most of them are motivated by greed for life and fear of death and for personal gain. Many traitors were street gangsters before the Japanese invasion, lacking morality and going to great lengths to pursue a better life when given the opportunity. The turbulent social environment breeds evil thoughts in their hearts, and they only pursue immediate interests. Yang San and Ban Xiaozi represent this kind of characters in the play. They have no national righteousness in their hearts, they only care about immediate interests, and they have no moral bottom line at all.
These traitors belong to the third-rate traitors, most of whom are local ruffians and hooligans. They became traitors only to make a profit, they were easy to control for the Japanese, and they were often responsible for squeezing the people and collecting money and grain during that heavy historical period. During the ** period, the local armed forces adopted the system of security regiments, and although these traitors did not have much power in their hands, they were numerous, even more than the invaders. Second-rate traitors are puppet army leaders with a certain background, they may not have much cultural accomplishment, most of them are officers in the **, leading their subordinates to defect to the enemy and assist the Japanese army in clearing the anti-Japanese team. Miao Chunlai, the company commander in the play, is a typical representative, and it is only a matter of time before they surrender to the enemy.
During the Anti-Japanese War, the most harmful to the country were first-class traitors, who had far-reaching influence in some aspects and were the "elites" at that time. Such people are very harmful to society, they have a certain appeal, and the enemy also attaches great importance to them. Ma Peizhong, the county magistrate in the play, is a typical representative of this type of person, and his surrender has caused immeasurable impact. Major General Jin Yinan once said that our country was the only country during World War II where the number of puppet troops exceeded that of the enemy, and the number of these traitors far exceeded that of the Japanese army.
"Dog Left Run" shows this cruel historical fact in a gray humorous way, but fortunately, there are still many fearless revolutionary martyrs who have turned the tide. This type of work has a certain educational value. So, why did this show receive so much praise after it was broadcast? This is due to its unique creative perspective, light comedy style, and clever use of Henan dialect. The rise of the little people resonates more with the audience, a grassroots young man joined the army for the ideals of his family and country, witnessed the corruption of ** and the brutality of the invaders, and finally became a predator.
From the initial individualism to the later awakening of national righteousness, Gou Yu has experienced a spiritual baptism, and this growth process makes the audience empathize. The portrayal of other characters in the play is equally vivid and full, and their performances add to the enjoyment of watching the play. The clever use of dialects also attracts the attention of the audience. Some viewers believe that the show is more like a down-to-earth war drama than a simple comedy. In addition, the combination of the cast in the play is also a highlight. The joining of Qin Hailu and You Yongzhi has added a lot of highlights.
Qin Hailu plays Wang Maoniang in the play, who is the best character for Gou Yu, she regards Gou Yu as her biological son, and her acting skills are excellent. And You Yongzhi's role as the county magistrate Ma in the play is a villain, and his performance is impressive. The most striking thing is the rivalry between the male and female protagonists, both of whom are comedians with similar styles, which left a deep impression on the audience.
Humor and down-to-earth are one of the highlights of this show, and its success is inseparable from the storyline, character portrayal, and emotional resonance. This drama tells the story of the growth of a small person, the transformation from individualism to national righteousness, and the audience resonates with it. There are also three types of traitors in the play, which is one of the reasons why the audience loves this play.