"Article 20", which was released during the Spring Festival this year, although the film does not have an advantage in film scheduling, with the spread of word-of-mouth, the box office has now soared to 1.5 billion against the trend, and has counterattacked four times in a row. Whether it is the attendance rate or the depth of the plot, it can be called the leader of the Spring Festival stalls.
However, in addition to praise, there are also some critical voices. One of them is the angle from which the victim is filmed in the film.
For example, in "Desperate Housewives", the director shows a stepfather assaulting a girl by pushing open the door, and the audience is able to quickly understand what happened. However, Zhang Yimou chose to focus the camera on the grief-stricken face of the victim, which caused some questions from the audience.
This is also evident in article 20. When Hao Xiuping was bullied by Liu Wenjing, a bully played by Ah Ru, the picture focused on the crying of a woman, wearing a tattered floral dress, which lasted for up to 20 seconds, making some viewers feel uncomfortable and even questioning "Why not shoot Liu Wenjing's hideous and terrifying face".
In general, such scenes often appear in Zhang Yimou's works, such as the violence and cruelty in "On the Cliff", and even "Man Jianghong" is no exception.
The film "Article 20" profoundly depicts the dark side of society and is highly praised by the audience. Among them, the experience of Hao Xiuping, a low-level rural woman, is more real, even beyond the suffering presented in the movie.
Although Hao Xiuping played by Zhao Liying does not have many scenes, she is one of the key roles. Under the skillful interpretation of the actors, the characters are closer to reality, vivid and flesh-and-blood.
First of all, in terms of appearance, Hao Xiuping, who is deaf and dumb, has a delicate face and is dressed ordinarily. She was dressed in a blue coat that had faded and deformed from multiple washes, highlighting her poverty.
Some people feel that the clothes are slightly **, and the buttons are not tightened, which does not match the personality. In fact, in the heat of the weather, she insisted on wearing long sleeves, which contrasted with the clothes around her, expressing a sense of embarrassment.
Not only in terms of clothing, Hao Xiuping's residence also reveals the reality of poverty. The house is dilapidated and crowded, with all kinds of bottles and cans all over the place, and life is extremely difficult. In such an environment, in order to cure the disease, the couple fell into a quagmire, and although they could not save the lives of their loved ones, they suffered from the pain of family fragmentation.
In this scene on the rooftop, Hao Xiuping glanced down and made up her decision to jump off the building. The wind blew her hair, and she decided to end her life with the belief of "one life for one life", and she was resolute but determined. Although she is materially poor, she is not mentally depressed.
Although she couldn't defend herself, had no way out, and had nothing, she still chose to jump off the building for her daughter and husband. The character of Hao Xiuping shows the tenacity and bravery of ordinary women, she is neither self-pitying nor fearless.
This is similar to the female characters in Zhang Yimou's early works, and the women in films such as "Alive" and "Red Sorghum" also show the tenacity and resilience of life. These works both show their strong side and reveal their limitations.
Some people questioned why Hao Xiuping chose to jump off the building, and whether there is any other way out? In fact, by observing Hao Xiuping's living environment, we can understand the circumstances under which the powerless and disadvantaged people try to make their voices heard.
She had pinned her hopes on prosecutors, but the child went missing, so driven by despair and resentment, she chose an extreme way to get more attention. Perhaps this is the only way for people at the bottom to be able to defend themselves – to get the attention of society by arousing more attention.
Zhang Yimou skillfully used the plot of "Hao Xiuping jumping off the building" as the turning point of the plot of "Article 20", which aroused some people's questions and discussions. And Hao Xiuping, played by Zhao Liying, also caused different voices because she was too beautiful.
Through these discussions and comparisons, "Article 20" presents an expression of reality and ideals when showing the image of the poor, which triggers the audience's reflection on the social image of domestic dramas.
is like the popular movie "Disappearing Her" during the summer vacation, in which He Fei was born at the bottom, showing a selfish, hateful and ugly image, but the essence of the story is gambling. Stephen Chow's work presents a different image of the poor. For example, in "Yangtze River No. 7", the characters in it show the quality of tenacity and integrity, although they are poor, they have high aspirations.
Zhang Yimou regained his focus on realism and portrayed the multifaceted nature of the poor. There is both a weak and incompetent side in the movie, as well as a resolute and brave side, such as Hao Xiuping's selfless sacrifice for her daughter. The whole work not only reveals the warmth and coldness of human feelings, but also shows the contradictions of the family.
Starting with realism and ending with idealism, Han Ming's lines tell the audience: This world may not be completely idealistic, but idealism is by no means indispensable.
Article 20" is one of Zhang Yimou's best word-of-mouth works in recent years, although the box office is not as good as "Hot and Hot" and "Flying Life 2", but it profoundly speaks for the weak.