Following Chen Kaige and Feng Xiaogang to say goodbye, Chinese films are now ushering in a new era of directors. This new era is full of vigor and vitality, and is destined to bring a new vitality to Chinese films.
In that passionate 80s, Chinese films were like a bright star, shining brightly and moving towards the international stage.
This glorious history has not only witnessed the rise of generations of outstanding directors, but also brought us masterpieces. This group of talented creators was later honored as the representative of the fifth generation of film, including the glory of the older generation of directors such as Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, as well as the rise of directors such as Feng Xiaogang of the new generation.
Time flies, and now these former giants are becoming more and more precious under the wash of time. However, the rise of a new camp of directors has overshadowed the glory of the predecessors, which is very emotional. In the 80s, a group of young people with film dreams went to society from Beijing Film Academy, which marked a new era for Chinese films.
Starting from Zhang Junzhao's "One and Eight", the fifth generation of directors has brought new perspectives and new ideas to make Chinese films glow with unprecedented vitality. Unlike their predecessors, the work of these young directors is full of sharp ideas and incorporates strong ideological and personal emotions, making Chinese cinema more visible on the international stage.
However, with the passage of time, the situation of film creation has changed, and generations of directors have emerged one after another, which has gradually dimmed the brilliance of the sages. Those once dazzling film giants are unable to do so in the new film landscape. And this generation of young directors has also carried the banner of the film industry and continues to contribute to the prosperity of Chinese films.
Take Zhang Yimou as an example, he is not only one of the representatives of the fifth generation of directors, but also a well-deserved prolific director. Even in the case of a worry-free material life, Zhang Yimou still insists on devoting himself to the shooting of movies every day, which shows his deep love for the film industry.
Today, Zhang Yimou is over seventy years old, but he is still making movies. In the upcoming Spring Festival, he will once again launch a high-profile new work called "Article 20".
All this is very emotional, the movie is like an epic of ups and downs, carrying the persistence and dreams of the directors, and also witnessing the glorious process of continuous transformation of Chinese films.
This movie was hyped before it was released, and everyone paid super attention to it. First of all, the cast is too luxurious, with Lei Jiayin, Fan Wei, Zhao Liying, Zhang Yi, Ma Li, Yu Hewei, Gao Ye and other big names, everyone is strong enough to be the protagonist, and it makes people look forward to it. Their joining is nothing short of a visual feast, and fans can't wait to see it.
In 2023, a bunch of popular works will emerge in the film and television industry, especially several of them are related to these actors.
For example, during the Spring Festival last year, "Man Jianghong" directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Lei Jiayin and Zhang Yi was released and won 45 in one fell swoopWith a box office of 4.4 billion yuan, it directly ranks sixth in the total box office of Chinese film and television, and the demeanor of the national teacher should not be underestimated.
Also, Lei Jiayin won the Magnolia Award for Best Actor last year with his outstanding performance, and then "Solid as a Rock" was also a great success.
In recent years, he has participated in a series of good films with a good reputation, which is simply a benchmark for post-80s actors, whether it is a movie or a TV series, he has acted quite well. This time to cooperate with Zhang Yimou again, it is really exciting. Of course, the strength of Zhang Yi and Gao Ye should not be underestimated, and their joining is the icing on the cake for this movie.
Zhang Yi has frequently contributed to eye-catching masterpieces over the years. In the tacit cooperation with Zhang Yimou, whether it is "On the Cliff", "Sniper" or "Man Jianghong", his performance is quite eye-catching, and he has gradually sat firmly on the throne of Zhang Yimou's chief actor.
At the beginning of 2023, the movie "Hurricane" starring Zhang Yi became a sensation as soon as it was released, which not only enhanced his popularity again, but also made Gao Ye an instant hit. Gao Ye was originally unknown, but his outstanding performance in "Hurricane" made him a supporting role in the limelight overnight.
This cooperation with Zhang Yimou has undoubtedly aroused many expectations. In addition, in "Article 21", the old drama bone Fan Wei, the top of the uncle circle Yu Hewei, the golden eagle goddess Zhao Liying and the national daughter-in-law Ma Li are also ready to go. Although the film has not yet been released, Zhang Yimou's new work has already attracted much attention.
As a leading figure in Chinese films, Zhang Yimou has always been an outstanding representative of the fifth generation of directors and a banner figure in the Chinese film industry. However, in addition to Zhang Yimou, other directors who were once equally radiant have gradually eclipsed in recent years.
Back in 1984, Chen Kaige's "Yellow Earth" made him one of China's most high-profile directors. Each subsequent work has been widely acclaimed, and "Farewell My Concubine" still ranks at the top of the Douban list, receiving high scores from more than 3.7 million people, becoming a milestone in the Chinese film and television industry.
Although some people now say that Chen Kaige's creation is no longer as good as it was at the beginning, when it comes to "Farewell My Concubine", everyone competes for praise.
In 2023, Chen Kaige's "Volunteers" will be released! Although the quality of the movie is not bad, the box office did not meet expectations, only 86.2 billion yuan, compared with Zhang Yimou's 4.5 billion, is a big difference. It's a heart-wrenching result.
Chen Kaige is from a film family, and his father Chen Huaikai is a big director and a heavyweight in the Chinese film industry. Chen Kaige was admitted to the directing department of Beijing Film Academy when he was young, which can be said to have laid a solid foundation.
His films often incorporate profound literary connotations and profound ideological depth, which makes him unique among other directors. Chen Kaige is the first Chinese director to win the Palm Award at the Cannes International Film Festival, filling some gaps in the Chinese film field and helping many people in their careers.
However, as time passes, the audience's tastes are constantly changing, and Chen Kaige's works are gradually becoming less popular, and they are not as frequent as before. But what about short-term success or failure? Chen Kaige is still a leader of the fifth generation of directors and an indispensable and important figure in the history of Chinese cinema.
Compared with Chen Kaige, Feng Xiaogang's situation is a little bleak. Feng Xiaogang used to be a high-profile director, and even left his mark on the concept of Chinese New Year films, known as the "father of Chinese New Year films".
Feng Xiaogang can be described as an expert in commercial films, and compared with Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, he is better at capturing the pulse of commercial films. When he was young, his family was poor, and his film dream seemed slim, so he could only work silently as a film artist in the theater.
However, the gears of fate turned around him, opening the door to opportunities, and with unwavering support, he gradually rose from film artist to screenwriter and then to director.
Feng Xiaogang relied on his low-level background and keen insight into the lives of ordinary people to vividly present the fate of the little people and create a unique and charming aesthetic style.
He is very different from other directors in that he skillfully blends commercial and artistic values to make his works both commercially appealing and maintaining excellent artistic quality.
His masterpieces such as "Do Not Disturb If You Are Honest", "Party A and Party B" and "No Thieves in the World" have all won great successes, making him a giant in the Chinese film industry for a time.
However, in recent years, as the years have accumulated and his health problems have plagued, Feng's influence has gradually waned, and his work is no longer as highly regarded as it once was. In past film activities, his figure has faded away, and his occasional appearances have been overshadowed.
A ** circulated on the Internet, showing a picture of him talking to Chen Kaige in a low voice, showing his humble attitude. Feng Xiaogang, who used to be angry, is now gradually declining with the lack of works, and people's attention to him seems to be becoming less and less indifferent.
However, Feng Xiaogang still retains his talent. Perhaps, after adjusting his condition, he will be able to re-emerge and create outstanding works that will impress people. In the Chinese film industry, a new generation of directors has sprung up like mushrooms after a rain, and the leader Xin Shuang is an out-and-out leader.
Since she became famous in 2020 with "The Hidden Corner", she has attracted much attention. Last year, he became the dark horse of the year with "The Long Assembly", and his reputation continued to rise.
Although Xin Shuang studied international economic law at the China University of Political Science and Law and graduated, he has shown amazing talent in the field of directing.
With just two works, he has become a highly acclaimed director in the hearts of many fans, and although the number of works is small, each one is a masterpiece.
Wu Jing has also successfully completed the perfect transformation from actor to director. In recent years, the "Wolf Warrior" series directed by Wu Jing has turned the originally relatively unpopular military film into a well-known masterpiece in one fell swoop.
Wu Jing was once an outstanding actor, and now he has achieved extraordinary success as a director.
Xu Zheng's "People in Embarrassment" series, Ning Hao's crazy series, and Chen Sicheng's Tang Detective series have also set a successful model for the new generation of directors.
Since the new millennium, the seventh generation of directors, such as Lu Chuan, Gao Peng, Li Fangfang, Chang Zheng and others, have also shown great potential.
In fact, Chinese directors are rarely considered to be in a slump, and they often keep a low profile for a certain period of time before suddenly launching a blockbuster production. A typical example is the hit drama series "Flowers" directed by Wong Kar-wai.
Wong Kar-wai has always been an important figure in the film industry, but this time he unexpectedly launched a TV series. Although it is now widely believed that the quality of TV dramas is declining, Wong Kar-wai's "Flowers" has been a huge success and has a pretty good reputation.
Some netizens even think that Wong Kar-wai is like saving the TV drama circle. It can be said that an excellent director is definitely an important guarantee for creating excellent TV series and movies.
In the hands of a great director, the potential of some actors can be fully tapped. In the movie "Flowers", Tang Yan has become a typical representative of this phenomenon. She had been unknown for many years, criticized and accused of poor acting, but under the guidance of Wong Kar-wai, she showed a remarkable performance.
We look forward to the increasing quality of Chinese film and television productions, and at the same time, we are eager for directors to create more outstanding and wonderful works. I hope that more top works will continue to emerge in the Chinese film industry!