Deciphering the three versions of "Million Dollar Baby".
How interesting is it in the history of cinema that a story has been presented in different versions by three different directors over the course of twenty years.
Version comparison: 2004's "Million Dollar Baby", 2014's "100 Yuan Love", and 2024's "Hot and Hot", all of which feature women in their early thirties, who are all "losers" from a social perspective, seeking boxing to find a glimmer of hope in life. But it's worth noting that none of the three versions of the heroine's ending ended with a win in the boxing match.
Story Beginning: The beginning varies from version to version. The American version uses a boxing match to lead to the encounter between the legendary coach and the heroine; The Japanese and domestic versions pay more attention to the shaping of the heroine's personal image, focusing on their failures and decisions to leave home.
Boxing and Men: The heroine's exposure to boxing is related to men, but it is handled differently. In the American version, the heroine takes the initiative to go to the boxing ring; In the Japanese and domestic versions, the relationship between the boxer and the heroine involves more emotional entanglements.
Image transformation: When it comes to creating a persona, the three versions are also handled differently. In the American version, the heroine gains weight during training; The Japanese version and the domestic version pay more attention to the heroine's ** experience, especially Jia Ling's weight loss process in the domestic version has become a major selling point.
The first experience: When facing the first ** or encounter, the heroines in different versions deal with it differently, but they all highlight their bravery and strength.
Inferiority complex: The heroine in the Japanese version and the domestic version has a more prominent "inferiority complex", which is manifested in behaviors such as seeking perfection and not daring to refuse, which is different from the American version.
Expression of love: The influence of the family on the heroine is also different, the mother has a cold attitude in the American version, and the parents in the Japanese version and the domestic version, although they prefer other children, but there are also expressions of love.
Climax & Keywords: All three versions of the climax are a boxing match, but with different endings. Keywords also reflect the core themes of each release.
Ratings and awards: The ratings and awards of the three versions also vary, but "Hot and Hot" has entered the top 20 of the total box office of Chinese films, and it remains to be seen whether it will receive more awards in the future.
Conclusion: Although the three versions of the story are handled differently, they all show the bravery and persistence of women in the boxing ring. The audience can feel the aesthetic and emotional expressions of different cultural backgrounds, and can also reflect on society's expectations and prejudices against women.
Final question: Which version of Million Dollar Baby do you prefer? How do you prefer to present the same story?