The drama "South to North" has been in a big swing lately, not because of how compelling its plot is, but because of the huge controversy it has sparked over casting. As a highly anticipated period drama, the failure of this drama makes people ask: In the current situation where traffic is supreme, can we still see real and in-depth performances?
First of all, I have to say that the names of director Zheng Xiaolong and screenwriter Gao Mantang once made me look forward to this drama. Their past works are all classics, but this time they have made a mistake in casting. The performance of the male and female protagonists is disappointing, and the whole drama is almost entirely supported by the supporting roles of the old drama bones. This kind of reversal of the main and supporting roles is very rare in previous works.
What's even more unacceptable is that there are many loopholes in the details of this drama. For example, in the seventies and eighties, bicycles were a luxury for ordinary people, but in the play, there is a plot of a small cooperative in the village to sell bicycles. This obvious anachronism is confusing, and one can't help but ask: Aren't the screenwriters and directors aware of this problem?
In addition, there are some plot settings in the play that are also confusing. For example, Ma Kui was imprisoned for manslaughter for many years, but he was reinstated as soon as he was released from prison; the lack of character setting and judgment of the police officer Wang Xin; and shantytown dwellers swaggering to show off their newly purchased televisions in the era of rampant burglary and robbery. These plots not only make the audience feel incredible, but also make the plot lose its sense of reality.
In terms of actors, the performances of young actors such as Bai Jingting and Jin Chen were also disappointing. Although they have a good traffic and fan base, they seem to be inadequate in acting. Compared with the powerful old actors, their performance level is obviously insufficient. And the appearance of plastic surgery actors such as Jiang Yan, Hu Ke, and Zuo Xiaoqing has made the perception of the whole drama plummet. Their stiff expressions and images that don't fit in with the atmosphere of period dramas make it difficult for the audience to get into the play.
Regarding Director Zheng Xiaolong's casting mistake this time, we can't help but ask: Is it because of the excessive pursuit of traffic and ignoring the real performance ability of the actors? In the current era of traffic-oriented, can we still see real and in-depth performances?
I hope that the future crew can learn this lesson and pay more attention to the real performance ability and adaptability of the actors in casting. After all, the success of a drama not only depends on traffic and popularity, but also requires the actors' attentive performances and the director's careful control. Only in this way can we see more authentic and in-depth works that allow the audience to truly immerse themselves.