Today, I will take you to talk about the high-profile TV series "Flowers".
This TV series, which was prepared by Wong Kar-wai for six years and filmed for three years, took nine years, "Flowers" immediately attracted the attention of a large number of viewers as soon as it was broadcast. According to the relevant data platform, on the day of the premiere of "Flowers", the ratings of CCTV 8 exceeded 2 in only 10 minutes, and the peak ratings reached 26, and in Tencent**, the real-time popularity soared to 31,000.
This audience craze is unstoppable, making it the first hit drama to start in 2024. At the same time, Huanghe Road has also become one of the Shanghai attractions that many tourists are vying to check in because of the play.
Flowers is adapted from the eponymous work of writer Jin Yucheng, who has won many awards and was included in the list of online literary works jointly promoted by the National Press and Publication Administration and the Chinese Writers Association to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. This also illustrates the important position of the ** in the history of contemporary Chinese literature. Since 2013, Wong Kar-wai obtained the film and television adaptation rights of "Flowers", and the audience has been looking forward to this drama even more.
Directed and produced by Wong Kar-wai, the TV drama version of "Flowers" focuses on Shanghai after the reform and opening up, and mainly tells the story of the little people in the 90s of the last century who changed their fate by showing their talents in the context of everyone competing for the top and seizing opportunities. Wong Kar-wai is a high-profile film director, screenwriter and producer, who has directed many classic films such as "Spring Flash", "The Story of A Fei", "In the Mood for Love", etc., and his unique lens language and style are well-known among audiences.
Although "Flowers" is Wong Kar-wai's first TV series, his precise attention to detail still maintains a high standard. Jin Yucheng expressed his trust in Wong Kar-wai in the interview, thinking that it would be more reassuring to hand over "Flowers" to him for filming.
Wong Kar-wai has always been known for his strictness, for example, during the filming of "The True Story of A Fei", Tony Leung filmed 27 times in a scene of eating pears, Carina Lau shot 20 times in a scene of mopping the floor, and Jacky Cheung filmed more than 60 times in a head-up action. "Flowers" is also an exception, Tang Yan revealed that she repeatedly collapsed for a shot during the filming process. In order to let Xin Zhilei get out of the feeling he wanted, Wong Kar Wai also specially hired a dance teacher and let Xin Zhilei receive dance training for three years.
However, it is precisely because of Wong Kar-wai's strictness that there are one masterpiece after another, and batches of outstanding actors have also been cultivated.
The reason why "Flowers" attracts the audience is not just because of how many big-name actors are invited, but because the director makes full use of the advantages of each actor to polish a vivid and plump character image.
Last night, "Flowers" ushered in the finale in advance on Tencent**. The audience was a little reluctant after watching the final chapter. In addition to the brilliance of the protagonists, some supporting roles also left a deep impression on the audience, especially the role of the uncle played by You Benchang. In the play, Uncle Grandpa is the nobleman of Ah Bao (played by Hu Ge), and it can be said that without Uncle Grandpa, there would be no later Mr. Bao. Although Ah Bao later became the boss of the Yellow River, his uncle still guarded him silently.
As soon as You Benchang appeared on the stage, he showed the majesty of his uncle, and just a few lines can express the essence of doing business to the fullest, and every look reveals the wisdom of being a superior. The most impressive shot is the look in his eyes when he looks at Ah Bao in a straight suit, which instantly moved the audience, and You Benchang's acting skills were also praised.
After filming this scene, he couldn't get out of his emotions for a long time, this glance was not only his uncle seeing his young self, but also You Benchang seeing his young self.
You Benchang was born in 1933 and is an only boy in Taizhou, Jiangsu. Influenced by his sisters, he developed a strong interest in drama. Due to his active participation in the school troupe activities in high school, he successfully entered the Nanjing Art Troupe after graduation, and was escorted to the East China Branch of ** Drama Academy (now known as Shanghai Theater Academy) in the following year. After graduation, he was successfully assigned to the Beijing Experimental Theater and became a professional actor.
However, his acting career has not been smooth sailing. When he was young, You Benchang was handsome, and now he seems to have a small fresh meat style, but the aesthetics at that time tended to be thick eyebrows and big eyes, with a righteous image. As a result, he can only play some tricks and supporting roles most of the time, but he never gives up. Although the characters he plays may seem inconspicuous, he always thinks about each role with his heart. In the movie "The Thunderstorm", he played"Serfs"There is not a single line, and the appearance time is only a short ten seconds, but for these ten seconds, he read 19 translations of "The Great Thunderstorm", constantly figuring out the role, and finally set this character as a blind and lame image, fully showing the tragic situation of serfs.
This so-called"A classic set"also made You Benchang begin to emerge in the entertainment industry. Due to the influence of Chaplin as a child, Yau decided to delve into pantomime and performed a pantomime performance. Although pantomime was not popular in Asia at the time, Yau's outstanding performance won warm applause from the audience.
It is precisely because of his love for pantomime that You Benchang's career ushered in a turning point. In 1984, he appeared on the Spring Festival Gala and became a household name through the pantomime "Shower". followed the dawn of his career, and it was the experience of this Spring Festival Gala that made director Zhang Ge see him and invite him to participate in the role of Jigong.
At the age of 52, You Benchang became famous with the role of Jigong, and became popular all over the country, and the children on the road were imitating Jigong to sing, and he made a name for himself in the entertainment industry.
However, fate did not always favor him. At that time, his wife was diagnosed with stage II cancer, and in order not to leave his wife with regrets, he turned down all invitations and took his wife around to seek medical treatment. During this time, his career fell into a trough.
Four years later, his wife's condition was stable, and he chose to make a comeback. However, the heat is gone, and the invitation is far from what it used to be. Although this is a career low for many people, he never regrets it.
In 1994, You Benchang established his own film and television company. In 2000, he filmed the first pantomime in the history of my country "Mr. You Smiled Dumbly" at his own expense. Despite the quality of the content, this work has cost him a lot of money due to the relatively niche pantomime.
In 2011, You Benchang decided to rehearse a drama "Master Hongyi". Due to a lack of investors and funds, at the age of 80, he sold his property in Beijing and became a monk for this purpose, experiencing first-hand the life of a monk. Although the venue fee and labor fee once overwhelmed him, he did not give up. Three years later, "Master Hongyi" gradually became well-known, and the number of performances gradually increased, and all the efforts paid off.
Now, at the age of 90, he has once again won people's respect with his wonderful performance in "Flowers". At this age, he can still make the audience feel his deep cultivation in his acting career.