In 2022, a CCTV period drama broadcast during the Spring Festival almost changed the audience's perception of the three words "period drama".
It's called "The World."
The series tells the fate of the Zhou family, spanning decades.
Although the story is the story of the Zhou family, the play is more of a deep and heavy description of the Chinese of that era, and it is a profile of the entire era.
The just right emotional elements and the constantly exploding acting highlights have even made "period dramas", especially the genre of CCTV period dramas, from the former ratings black hole to a ratings hit in one fell swoop.
Since then, period dramas such as "Pearl River People" and "Flowers" have continued to rise, and period dramas have become popular and popular.
However, measured from the perspectives of ratings, word of mouth, and national degree, there is no period drama that can reproduce the glory of "The World", and the period drama has been popular for two years, and it has also begun to show fatigue.
If this continues, a rising type may return to silence.
However, what I didn't expect was that there were still three days before the New Year, and the Spring Festival was in full swing, so Yang Ma took action again and "fished up" this old friend who had not been seen for a long time.
Tonight, a Gao Mantang + Zheng Xiaolong's "South to North" not only brought the period drama back to the CCTV Spring Festival file, but also directly used the era + special police public security theme to heat up the genre again.
CCTV premiered 2 episodes, and the network premiered 4 episodes, and the ratings easily broke 2, ranking first in the ratings of the whole channel.
Why? Is it the old taste of old wine in new bottles, or the surprise of new wine in old bottles?
More than 30 powerful factions, what kind of unique national drama train can be driven?
After chasing 4 episodes, I dare to assert :
In the laughter and scolding of the Northeast Dagazi, there is the roar of the big era.
In the train chase full of criminal investigation at the beginning, there are joys and sorrows of the little people.
Yang Ma once again proved that as long as you work hard, period dramas can also glow with new vitality under the shell of "Iron Police Public Security".
Don't wait, let's go now.
Railway and railway police stories are not easy to film. In the past few decades, there have been few national dramas.
Why? It's not neat.
It's vulgar, and it's easy to jump. The shooting is serious, not lively.
To put it bluntly, it is very difficult to combine trains with comedies and period dramas.
But "South to North" captures the essence of the comedy of the era through the inheritance of a pair of masters and apprentices.
followed the "one, two, three axes" of the master and apprentice, combined with several ingenious and lively events of the New Year, and really established the light comedy + period drama tone of "South to North".
The first axe is "a chase and escape".
At the beginning of the story, my first reaction was that I had the wrong stage, sure this was a period drama? Not a criminal investigation spy war?
The night was dark and the train roared.
Ma Kui, a veteran criminal policeman of the railway public security, did not perform his duties leisurely on the train, but was shackled and sandwiched between the seats by two public security officers, and it seemed that he was being escorted.
What's going on?
Generally, when we watch period dramas, we either start from the perspective of the male protagonist, and a major event leads to the environmental background, such as "The World". Some will also magnify their moves to highlight the tension and excitement of an old case, such as "Who Is He".
But "South to North" is a different way, as soon as the story opens, the protagonist is taken first.
Compared with other period dramas that "the audience wants", "South to North" firmly caught the audience's attention with just this hand.
What should I do if someone catches Ma Kui? Run.
With an excuse of "I can't hold it back", I got up and walked to the toilet in the train car, and the escort had to follow.
With this move, the situation changed from passive to active - Ma Kui is too familiar with the environment on the train.
First, he walked to the edge of the toilet, and suddenly closed the train door and locked the escort at the door. Get out.
But Ma Kui knew very well that the conductor would soon arrive to open the door and hold the other party for a few seconds at most.
Keep walking and don't look back.
While rushing forward along the crowded carriage, he took the opportunity to smooth the hairpin on the head of a female passenger, and with a slight movement, the handcuffs were opened.
The third step is to go straight to your real goal - the toilet window.
The opening became a one-man show of the master Ma Kui? That can't, apprentice Wang Xin, will appear immediately.
Wang Xin, a young iron policeman, had long noticed that this pedestrian was unusual, and when he caught up, he started fighting directly in the toilet, grabbing, fighting, countering, and countering.
Wang Xin once had the upper hand, but he had only half a second of the upper hand, and was soon hummed by Ma Kui, and after a few rounds, he was directly tortured by Ma Kui.
He also had to stop people, so that Ma Kui was stunned.
The second board axe is "a wrong catch".
Ma Kui's "escape" was actually because of a "manslaughter" 10 years ago, and this time he was escorted, in fact, for the retrial of the old case. After being rehabilitated, he returned to work on the railway.
As a result, as soon as I arrived at the unit to open the locker, I met Wang Xin, who had been tortured by him before, and was nicknamed the little gun king.
The young man didn't say a word and did it.
first kicked the master's buttocks, and then grabbed it, and the two fought.
This time, Ma Kui, who didn't want to hurt people, left a hand, was caught with a flaw, and with a bang, the master was handcuffed.
The bridge of rejoicing in the enemy is boring to use, but I have to say that the master-apprentice encounter in "South to North" is still very classic.
A mistake was caught, and the "unjust" master-apprentice combination was formed.
The bond between the two was thus concluded.
The fate of the two was also concluded.
also laid the groundwork for the future: unlike Wang Xin, who is proud of the little gun king, Ma Kui believes in "kung fu in hand". Because in the cramped environment and densely populated train carriages, guns are not used most of the time.
The collision of the professional experience and concepts of the old and new generations of police officers has collided from the very beginning.
After a thrilling + funny capture, it is the beginning of the transformation of the master-apprentice relationship.
The third board axe is "a mockery".
The work of the police can be said to be a combination of the duties of the railway criminal police and the people's police, and major cases must be solved, small cases must be investigated, and chickens and dogs must be managed.
Wang Xin's work, which is also quite rich, is full of roosters, and the big rooster flies, grabbing chickens.
The blind old fritter didn't buy a ticket, and he justifiably said that the train was his home and had to be dealt with.
The young couple quarreled in the car, and the man was excited and directly stabbed his wrist, not only to control the person and grab the knife.
It is also necessary to stop the bleeding quickly and find a doctor on the spot.
In short, everything has to be managed.
If you have to take care of everything, you will make mistakes if you don't make a mistake.
This is a classic joke - without saying a word, the aunt who came to the station was on the car, and the aunt shouted "I'm here to send the station, not to take the car".
Wang Xin was still saying, "This is what I should do." ”
The so-called good things don't go out, and the troubles spread thousands of miles, especially when I met a colleague like Song Jiateng who was good at stand-up comedy, a publicity soon spread throughout the station.
Ma Kui, who was his master, not only didn't help him speak, but also laughed and said, "This is more of a joke than a joke." ”
Wang Xin, who was lying on the car window and eavesdropping, was so angry.
"The unjust master and apprentice" Liang Zi knot deeper, and the comedic effect is directly full.
The two masters and apprentices, three "competitions", are full of baggage, full of joy, and full of dramatic effects, bringing the comedy atmosphere of "South to North" to a climax.
As an iron police drama of the era, whether it is at the level of "comedy" or criminal investigation suspense, "South to North" has given the audience an experience that they have never had before, but the taste of period dramas and the atmosphere of the New Year are not lacking at all.
The taste of big dramas in this era is not full.
Over the years, period dramas have been taking the route of young idolization.
Using young idols to take the lead and attract young audiences is no longer a fashion in national dramas, but a trend.
But a good period drama will never be indispensable to the old drama.
The cast of "South to North" is a bit like a Hong Kong-style Chinese New Year movie back then, gathering half of the entertainment industry.
In addition to Bai Jingting, Ding Yongdai, and Jin Chen, Liu Guanlin, Liu Jun, Zuo Xiaoqing, Jiang Yan, Hu Ke, Song Jiateng, Li Naiwen, Ni Dahong, Wang Jinsong, Wang Xun, Bao Bei, Wang Xiaoli, Tu Songyan and other three generations of old, middle-aged and young powerful factions are all together.
In terms of casting, Zheng Xiaolong has always been quite unique, and this time will be no exception.
A star-studded period drama must be able to hold up to the leading actors, otherwise it is like a hot pot with top-notch side dishes and not good main dishes, which is a blind toss.
The two core leading actors of "South to North" have stabilized.
Let's talk about "master" Ding Yongdai first.
As soon as he appeared, the atmosphere of the spy war drama was directly full.
A train escape scene, at the beginning of the spy war drama, the audience is not at a loss. And the most exciting thing in this scene is Ding Yongdai's performance.
There is no superfluous action, action, get rid of, all in one go, not only action, but through the action scene to complete the character building, an old railway criminal policeman's rich experience, accurate judgment, old and strong skills, every scene is explained.
But the characteristic of Ding Yongdai's acting skills is that he is relaxed.
The action scene should be tense and tense, but when it comes to the life scene, it immediately relaxes.
Ten years away from home and reunited with his daughter, his daughter was an old man, he couldn't get up, there was a kind of old father's softness and guilt, a sentence "I'm back, you can like to eat meat", people who listened to tears flowed.
became Wang Xin's master, and on the surface, he picked his nose and eyes at his apprentices, but in fact, he honed his heart.
Facing the wine pockmarks who were making trouble in his daughter's store, he first listened secretly, then pressed the other party with an arrow step, and finally did not forget to give the other party the stairs down, all in one go, which was the favor of the older generation.
Zhou Zhigang in "The World" last time, every time he left home, he took the train, but this time Ding Yongdai played a powerful railway policeman, the performance was as calm as water, unassuming, and the drama was pretended in the water, and some of it was a taste.
Let's talk about the "apprentice" Bai Jingting, the master is water, and he is fire.
Zheng Xiaolong commented on Bai Jingting's acting skills, he is not from a professional background, but his grandfather appreciates the meal, and the details of the performance are full of life experience.
In "South to North", Bai Jingting's Northeast dialect is really not interesting, but fortunately, the performance is natural without any traces, and the lines are stable, and every scene can be performed to the point, and there is a natural sense of joy.
The aura of acting skills is fully displayed.
On duty on the train, from fighting with Ma Kui to bickering, the whole character is angry and enthusiastic.
But it's not a tiger to the end, for example, when he understood Jiang Yan's character confessing to himself, he looked at the stars that the girl stacked for him, and said meaningfully, "I have a heart", both life and place.
Watching Bai Jingting's performance, I feel that traffic stars can't be generalized, and traffic acting skills are correct, why not use them.
As for Jin Chen. I think it exceeded expectations.
Jin Chen's face has no sense of age, but Sheng Zai's acting is quite natural, without hysterical cries and overheated body movements.
Fighting with Wang Xin is very natural, not pretentious or pretentious, with the appearance of a Northeast girl, I love to watch their rivalry.
Let's talk about the four eye-catching supporting actors who have already appeared.
The first place, Ni Dahong.
Some viewers questioned Ni Dahong's expression being too monotonous and his facial paralysis acting skills, but his performance is characterized by relying on his eyes and lines.
This time, he played a blind man rubbing the train, gnawing on big bones while talking to Ma Kui Wang Xin, one train is my home, what ticket to buy at home?
looks like a dead pig who is not afraid of boiling water, but this is just the appearance of the character, and when he looks down, he knows that he wants to find his daughter's hardship.
Although there are not many shots, Ni Dahong's scene has just the right atmosphere. There is play.
second place, Liu Guanlin.
Liu Guanlin and Bai Jingting are also two pairs, last time they were the conspicuous Bao brothers, and this time they are the courtyard brothers.
Liu Guanlin belongs to the kind of actor who has his own sense of joy in his performance, he can amuse you without effort, the role of Niu Dali is a little cautious and clever, but deep down, he is still a kind and kind person.
This time, in order to please the future daughter-in-law, I hit a "pheasant" to invite my daughter-in-law to dinner, and after eating, I knew that it was the egg king of the house next door, and I wanted to say that the whole one would make up for it, but the whole one was a plague chicken, and 10 chickens were wiped out.
In the end, I got 10 chicks and secretly made up for them.
You will find that when he performs, he will magnify his strong and humorous personality, and there are always small thoughts in his eyes that can't be hidden, and he will step on the audience's laughter as soon as he appears.
He played this role, and it was indeed handy.
third place, Liu Jun.
Liu Jun, who is used to playing a scumbag father, finally played a good father.
I didn't expect it to be extraordinarily proper, gentle, calm, unhurried, calm, atmospheric, and comforting my son.
A pause while chopping vegetables made the guilt of Ma Kui clear.
is worthy of being an old drama bone.
Fourth, House Bin.
Fang Bin, who didn't play a good policeman in "The World", finally played a good policeman this time. Or the new leader of Ma Kuiwang.
In the face of the old man who returned from rehabilitation, this leader has no official pretensions, everything is discussed, and his face is full of good words, which reminds people of the leaders of that era, in addition to the rules, there are also human feelings.
The newcomer and the old actor cooperate, the right actor plays the right role, and the train in the winter of "South to North" is getting more and more exciting.
Now when I hear the word "period drama", many people have calluses in their ears.
But "South to North" is different from other dramas.
Three highlights can make it stand out from all period dramas.
The first is the unique entry angle and multi-element integration.
Although it is an old bottle of new wine, "South to North" still plays a variety of genres one by one, and the opening scene does not follow the usual path, first a criminal investigation scene, burying a lot of suspenseful action elements, so that the audience can directly enter the play with a sense of tension.
Next, the story line of the resentful master and apprentice was introduced, and then all kinds of strange passengers appeared, and the joyful and bitter drama of the male and female protagonists also began.
Comedy style, group portraits, emotions, criminal investigation, and wonderful elements are declining.
The audience's eyes were completely attracted.
It uses a very new way to stabilize the basic disk of the genre of "period drama".
The second is the real atmosphere of the era and the proper Northeast flavor.
Period dramas have no flavor of the era, just like dumplings without dumpling skin, and the fillings seem to be all there, but they can be called dumplings.
Zheng Xiaolong's shot, the most stable thing is that all aspects of clothing, food, housing and transportation have given the details of the era in place, especially the scene on the train is full of substitution, the carriage is crowded, chickens and dogs jump, and the train also has a kind of damage that has experienced years, which must evoke the memories of many people.
Also, it is the taste of the Northeast.
The title of the play was originally called Three Trees, which is the terminus of the Northeast Railway Station in the play.
In the past two years, whenever period dramas involve this place in the Northeast, what makes the audience think of the gloomy eyes of "The Long Season", the old case of "Who Is He", and the cold of the wilderness in "Black Soil Without Words".
But "South to North" finally restores a steaming Northeast.
People come and go on the train, full of festivity, the sound of firecrackers in the small courtyard is exploding, and the neighbors have to hold a meeting for whose chicken **, which is always exquisite.
The sense of the era is right, the sense of region is right, this is called a period drama.
The third is that it elevates the drama genre of "era" at the spiritual level.
The audience hates TV dramas, and they have nothing to do.
I didn't understand the story, what a mess.
But "South to North" tells the story clearly, and in the way it is presented, it has a kind of unfancy realism and festive life situation.
The whole story is full of people coming and going, and there is only one purpose, which is to go home.
Even in 2024, this hottest and most sincere collective emotion of the Chinese is still the same as the 1970s in the play.
The feelings and feelings of "going home for the New Year" are engraved in the bones of Chinese and will never change.
Therefore, when the various stories on the train in the play continue to be staged, all the stories have a basis and the penetrating power of time.
In the 40 years since the story has been going on, Ma Kui Wang's new master and apprentice have experienced the process from steam locomotives, to electric locomotives, and then to the era of bullet trains and high-speed rail, but the green cars of that year are still carrying many passengers home today.
Being old is not necessarily bad.
This kind of story, which is full of laughter, fireworks and dramatic tension, is undoubtedly a must-have "good dish" on the family dinner table.
The good thing is that it is convenient to serve on the table, and all the old and young masters can have a bite.
And the story is chewy, there is no blood, and the pyrotechnics are enough, so the audience is not only watching the drama, but also remembering the self who once caught the train.
The life on the train, the warmth and coldness of the neighbors, are all warm in this winter.
A journey in life, a train whistles, and decades pass in a swish.
But no matter what the age, some things don't change.
Today's people still have to go home, the Chinese New Year is still a big thing for Chinese, and the green cars are still good in the snow.
The so-called good period drama is that the story is old and new, and the most important thing is that it can move people, because the world is changing, but there are always some beautiful people and beautiful feelings that will not change.
Another year of ups and downs, coming and going from the south to the north.
I wish there is always a train that can take you to your hometown, and I hope that all the north and south will always be able to drive to a place for a long time.