New Three Kingdoms vs Old Three Kingdoms: Why are classics difficult to surpass?
In the vast history, the Three Kingdoms period is known for its heroes and resourcefulness. Since the last century, the story of the Three Kingdoms has been put on the screen many times and has become a classic in the hearts of countless audiences. However, with the changes of the times, the new version of the "Three Kingdoms" TV series (referred to as the "New Three Kingdoms") has aroused the audience's nostalgia and comparison with the old version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" (referred to as the "Old Three Kingdoms") after it was broadcast. So, why do some people praise the old Three Kingdoms and belittle the new Three Kingdoms? This article will analyze the plot adaptation, character building, and actor performance.
1. Plot adaptation: respect for the original work and bold innovation.
In the adaptation of the plot, the old Three Kingdoms paid more attention to the respect for the original "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and strived to restore the original face of historical events. This practice of being faithful to the original work allows the audience to feel the changes in the Three Kingdoms period more realistically. The New Three Kingdoms is even more daring in adaptation, adding many modern elements and interpretations, such as adding emotional dramas and psychological descriptions, to meet the aesthetic needs of modern audiences. However, this adaptation also made some viewers unhappy, believing that it deviated from the essence of the original book.
2. Character building: three-dimensional fullness and flattening.
In terms of character building, the old Three Kingdoms have made many heroes three-dimensional and plump through fine portrayal, each with its own characteristics. For example, Zhuge Liang's clever calculations, Guan Yu's righteousness Bo Yuntian, Cao Cao's traitorous nature, etc., all left a deep impression on the audience. The New Three Kingdoms are relatively flat in terms of character building, and the personality characteristics of some characters are not distinctive enough to impress the audience. This difference also makes the audience have different evaluations in the comparison.
3. Actor performance: superb acting skills and the strength of the new generation.
The performance of the actor is one of the important criteria for evaluating a TV series. Lao Sanguo has brought together a group of actors with superb acting skills, such as Tang Guoqiang, Bao Guoan, Wu Xiaodong, etc., whose superb performances have injected vitality into the characters, allowing the audience to understand the inner world of the characters more deeply. The New Three Kingdoms have used more of the new generation of actors, although they have also performed in acting, but they are still immature compared with the older generation of actors. This difference in the cast also gives the audience a different perception in the comparison.
Fourth, the production level: classics and visual feast.
In addition to the plot, characters, and actors' performance, the production level is also an important factor in evaluating a TV series. As a classic, the production level of the Old Three Kingdoms was first-class at the time, whether it was the scene layout, costume design or sound soundtrack. The New Three Kingdoms pursued a visual feast in production, using advanced shooting technology and post-production methods to present a visual feast for the audience. However, this visual magnificence does not fully compensate for the lack of plot and character building.
To sum up, the difference between the audience's evaluation of the old Three Kingdoms and the new Three Kingdoms is mainly reflected in the plot adaptation, character building, actor performance and production level. The Old Three Kingdoms has become a classic with its plot that is faithful to the original work, three-dimensional and plump character building, superb acting casts and excellent production standards; Although the New Three Kingdoms has made a breakthrough in visual effects, there are still certain deficiencies in the plot and character building. This also reminds us that while pursuing innovation and breakthroughs, we should also respect the classics and inherit the essence in order to create better works.