In this year's film and television dramas, if you want to say who is the biggest dark horse, it must be "Flowers". For viewers who are familiar with director Wong Kar-wai, his films are known for their visual beauty and abstract expression, but whether they can tell a story well in a TV series has always been a doubt in everyone's minds.
When "Flowers" first aired, it did attract a lot of criticism. Some viewers thought that the pace was too chaotic and the dialogue seemed rushed. Among them, the original party's adaptation of this drama is the most picky. They felt that "Flowers" had changed too much and lost many of the beloved essences of the original book.
However, as the episodes were updated, another voice began to take over. The audience has said that this drama is full of stamina and makes people want to stop. So, what is the magic of "Flowers"?Wong Kar-wai's first foray into the field of TV dramas, how did he tell the story with a different artistic conception?
In Wong Kar-wai's films, "Old Shanghai" often appears as a backdrop. And this time, he focused his lens on Shanghai in the early 90s, a prosperous period. The story starts with Ah Bao, played by Hu Ge, when he was still an ordinary teenager. He found his uncle, who was known as the "old expert". Although the identity of the uncle was not clearly revealed at first, from his full temperament, the audience can feel that this person is not ordinary.
Under the guidance of his uncle, Ah Bao gradually emerged and was promoted to Mr. Bao step by step. With the arrival of fame and fortune, all kinds of female characters have appeared around him. Among them are the positive, bright-faced Miss Wang, the philistine shrewd and true temperament Reiko, and the domineering and dusty Li Li. Wong Kar-wai integrated these beauties into the same drama, making each character unique. The description is also full of artistic charm, showing Wong Kar-wai's unique directing style.
In the 22nd episode of the TV series "Flowers", Mr. Qiang and Li Li successfully passed the police interrogation. Mr. Qiang then went to Reiko's Night Tokyo, while Lee Lee returned to Zhizhenen. Seeing Mr. Bao who came to sit for her, Li Li's eyes turned red. She used the money brought by Mr. Bao to pay the salaries to the employees, and also paid additional bonuses. When she came out to look for Mr. Bao after taking care of her affairs, it was getting late. Mr. Bao didn't care about the long time he waited, but asked Li Li with concern about the details of being questioned by the police.
After Li Li got in the car, he said that he just wanted to have a good rest. Wang Jie's bitter love song "You Are the Eternal Pain in My Chest" in the car is melodious**, and every frame of Li Li is as beautiful as a picture. However, if you just see the beauty of Li Lee, it means that the audience may not fully understand the deep meaning of this clip.
Inside the car, Li Li didn't seem to really fall asleep, she was upside down in the car. The most surprising thing is that the picture of Li Li stretching his neck and opening his mouth slightly can't help but make people think about it. We all know that director Wong Kar-wai is very demanding about every frame of the actors. Therefore, the action of opening the mouth to sleep may appear here just to implicitly express the intimate plot between Li Li and Bao Zong.
After the car stopped, Mr. Bao got out of the car to smoke, while Li Li maintained a dignified sitting posture. This lens language does not capture anything directly, but it succeeds in conveying the emotion to be expressed. I have to say that Director Wang's shooting in ** is indeed a must.
In 27 episodes, the rivalry between Mr. Bao and Li Li is amazing again. On the night of Chinese New Year's Eve, Mr. Bao had nowhere to go and met Li Li by chance. Two lonely souls meet on this special night. Mr. Bao recalled that the person who said Happy New Year last year was Miss Wang, and this time it was replaced by Li Li, and he was full of emotion for a while. However, what is surprising is that Xue Zhi's figure appeared in Mr. Bao's thoughts.
Li Li sensed his thoughts and said that he was a nostalgic person. Mr. Bao replied: "There is nothing old to remember." In the dim light, Li Li said to Mr. Bao: "Never trust the kindness of strangers." Mr. Bao responded: "You and I are not strangers. This ambiguous dialogue just shows the state of rejection and resignation between Mr. Bao and Li Li, leaving more space for the audience to reverie.
Wong Kar-wai shows his unique side when dealing with the emotions of men and women. Different from the usual intense kiss scenes and physical contact, his expression is more subtle and hazy. It seems to be not clearly expressed, but it conveys deep emotions and meanings. This is the success of Wong Kar-wai's depiction of ** in "Flowers", but he is not satisfied with this.
More importantly, he portrays each character three-dimensional and vivid. In previous films, Wong Kar-wai's narrative style often seemed fragmented, and even some stories still confusing after watching them. However, "Flowers", as his first work into the field of TV dramas, successfully changed that. While maintaining a certain cinematic tone, this drama pays more attention to the coherence and attractiveness of the story.
The beginning of the TV series is full of foreshadowing, which provides rich clues for the subsequent plot development. The background of the uncle's life, the process of getting to know Miss Wang, and Li Li's secret all add suspense and depth to the story. When the audience delves into the plot, they will find that this drama is not only a description of **, but also a work with vivid characters and rich emotions.
The two roles of Uncle and Section Chief Jin can be used as a branch line to expand alone. In episode 18, a head-to-head confrontation unfolded between Uncle and Section Chief Kim. This scene shows Section Chief Jin's care for his former apprentice Miss Wang, showing her warm side. However, when faced with the relative of her uncle, she was businesslike, showing another face and being unkind.
In addition, there are many small characters in "Flowers" that also left a deep impression on the audience. For example, Minmin, the little foreman in the Zhizhen Garden, who lures guests to the stage with a low collar, exposes her ambition and desires. Later, when she was stabbed by her sister "Xiao Jiangxi" who came to Shanghai to work hard, she lost her former coquettish state, and only ** and determination were left in her eyebrows.
In the drama "Flowers", when Mr. Fan appeared, many viewers thought that he was drinking and bragging in the crowd, obeying Li Li Beauty's words, and thinking that he was a clown-like character. However, as the plot develops, we gradually discover that Mr. Fan is not a simple character. He was able to establish relationships with different people, whether it was Mr. Bao or Mr. Wei, they all had friendships with him.
Although the audience once thought that he was a local boss who went back on his word, it was later discovered that he was actually pretending to be a pig and eating a tiger, sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight. It wasn't until the end that we realized that Mr. Fan's sleek sophistication and meandering were actually just to survive in a complex social environment. At this moment, we resonated with this character and felt the bitterness behind him.
Another part of the play is handled very cleverly, that is, the scene where Lu Meilin went to Zhenyuan to find fault, and Du Honggen was scared away by the IOU. It was just a simple quarrel, but through a few lines from Du Honggen, the story of the two people was clearly presented. This treatment makes each character come alive and vivid, as if they can find an archetype in life.
The show succeeds in showing that character creation does not need a lengthy description. Often a look and a few words of dialogue can portray a person's image vividly. As the plot progresses, the audience is gradually attracted, and more and more people begin to pay attention to the show. This is all thanks to Wong Kar-wai's control of the tone of the whole drama.
Audiences who are familiar with Wong Kar-wai's films know that his works often have deep meanings that need to be interpreted and explored by the audience. Similarly, the same is true of the drama "Flowers". At first glance, Ah Bao became Mr. Bao with the support of nobles, surrounded by many women, and it seems to be a typical cool drama. However, after in-depth analysis, you will find that it is still a period drama as the core work, using the usual techniques in TV dramas, seeing the big from the small, and witnessing the changes of the city of Shanghai through Mr. Bao and the characters of Huanghe Road. At the same time, it also shows the unique style of the era of savage growth and vitality in the 90s.
The three female characters in the play have distinct personalities, both unpleasant and endearing. After thinking deeply, you will find that they are not only independent individuals, but also represent the beauty of the group portraits of women who "broke through the dock" in that era. These women are full of life and energy, with their own pursuits and goals in life.
The role of Miss Wang, from the lively and cheerful at the beginning to the sober and independent at the end, has undergone tremendous changes, and this process is far from being summarized by the growth process of ordinary heroines. Through the director's ingenious shooting techniques, her character image jumped on the screen and came to life. Wong Kar-wai, with its unique perspective, presents a modern Yellow River road full of ** and drunken gold fans. Although some people think that this performance is slightly exaggerated, as if you are in Shanghai in the first and twenties of the last century, it gives people a magical feeling.
The show also uses a lot of narration to create psychological cues, unfolding the story from multiple angles, making the plot more gripping. The beginning seems to be disorganized, but it is the embodiment of Wong Kar-wai's directorial style. He is good at using the lens language of extreme pulling, depicting the ambiguous emotions between men and women, and the courage contest of business wars, so that the audience seems to be immersed in the plot.
For director Wong Kar-wai's style, people have mixed reviews. Some people can't put it down, while others think it's just a gimmick and lacks realism. However, it is this unique filming technique that has attracted a large number of new fans. The audience witnessed the changes of a prosperous era in this drama, and witnessed the ups and downs of the fate of a group of characters in the big waves. They fought to achieve their dreams, and some experienced disillusionment. And the most touching thing is the reappearance of those past events that seem to be like water. Many viewers found their own shadow in the play, as if they had found resonance in yesterday's story.
Between the blooming and withering of flowers, it seems to indicate the ups and downs of life.