In the 2024 Spring Festival stalls, these two ladies showed extraordinary talent.
There is no doubt that Jia Ling has lost a full 100 pounds.
Whether the flood of praise is directed at her or her films, Jia Ling has injected an inner vitality into this joyous festival. From being a comedy mascot to becoming China's first female director to surpass $10 billion at the box office, Jia Ling has shown impressive role models in many ways.
The other is Zhao Liying, who appears in Article 20.
One of the posters of the movie "Article 20".
This work does not fully conform to the style of "Zhang Yimou", but is a truly surprising realist drama. For the first time in the 100-year history of Chinese cinema, "people" are considered as an important factor. Its in-depth social issues and humanistic concerns, as well as its analysis of justice and jurisprudence, are more convincing and in-depth than mere comedy or emotional tragedy.
Zhao Liying's role in the movie as Hao Xiuping, a deaf and mute village woman, made the audience feel like crying from the moment she made her debut.
When she first appeared in public, she seemed to be completely placed in the role of a victim. He couldn't speak, his head hung low, his face blurred, and his body trembled, on the one hand, he tried to protect his daughter, and on the other hand, he showed an irreversible determination to the village tyrant.
Hao Xiuping suffered many times from the village bully, and in order to protect herself, her husband unfortunately injured people and was imprisoned. After that, she and her daughter, who is also deaf and mute, went into hiding, while also looking for witnesses who could prove her husband's innocence.
In the movie, Zhao Liying has no makeup at all, her figure is so thin that she is almost skinny, **dark, and her hair is messy, but her eyes are revealed from that lost state.
The film lasted two and a half hours, and she didn't say any lines, only acting through gestures, body movements, and facial emotion.
Although suffering is silent, it can be deafening.
Article 20".
Despite this, she is not weak, and for the sake of her last hope, she chooses death and fights illegality with her life.
Hao Xiuping's uniqueness lies in the fact that although she is still a peasant woman in the story of suffering, this time, she represents not only an unarmed disabled peasant woman, but also an ordinary person who feels helpless in the face of ** forces and still has hope for justice, and is also an ordinary person who may be knocked down by the last straw of life at any time and fall into despair.
Zhao Liying is now very different from the Zhao Liying in the past. Zhang Yimou gave such an evaluation after the filming of the movie.
Whether it is Jia Ling or Zhao Liying, they are not representatives of "feminism", their struggle and courage are a genderless victory. Their lives are full of thoughts about life and destiny, and their lives have their own trajectories. They live in an all-out and honest way, from the front of the stage to the back of the stage, from playing the role of a sweet girl to a heroine who stands alone, showing the deepest and most energetic vitality.
Why can't I do that? ”
Hao Xiuping was not originally a deaf and dumb person.
In the preparation stage of the script of "Article 20", only Hao Xiuping's five-year-old daughter Juanjuan was designed as a deaf and mute.
Zhao Liying suddenly asked a question in a conversation with Zhang Yimou: "Why can't I become a deaf and dumb person?" ”
A simple sentence gave Zhang Yimou a profound enlightenment, yes, is it inappropriate to do this?
Zhao Liying made a suggestion to Zhang Yimou, that is, to make her mother Hao Xiuping a deaf and mute.
If the little girl is set as deaf and mute, it can increase the pain level of the mother and daughter, and at the same time, it can also rationalize the borrowing motivation of "treating the child". In real life, many people with disabilities and children do not have the possibility of completely losing their ability to speak. However, if both mother and daughter are deaf and mute, the predicament they face will not be just physical, but a sense of fatalism, and their aphasia and helplessness will become more isolated and difficult to resist.
When the "mother" no longer chooses to stand in a higher position to protect her daughter, she will do her best to protect her daughter and pursue justice and righteousness. But when her life is destroyed in front of everyone, her resistance is also shocked by her silence.
But it also shows that Zhao Liying must put more effort and sacrifice into this role. Because it's not a person talking, it's acting, it's a language. Sign language is more than just a language, it exhibits a unique vitality and spirit in both strength and amplitude. The actors' lines can allow the audience to see their own shadows and see the real emotions behind the characters. In the absence of lines, the actors' subtle expressions and body movements are amplified.
Zhao Liying mentioned in Article 20.
It must be admitted that Hao Xiuping has indeed witnessed Zhao Liying's improvement in performing arts to some extent. Although there is still a certain gap compared with several other main actors, this does not mean that Zhao Liying has been deeply integrated into Hao Xiuping's life.
Although some viewers feel that deaf people don't speak as loudly as Zhao Liying, I prefer to interpret it as a deep disgust for their own aphasia in the movie, where the mother, the wife, and the woman are faced with a desperate situation.
Hao Xiuping's husband accidentally ended the life of the village bully for his own safety for his own safety, but this act was determined to be intentional homicide, so he faced the risk of life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
Although the role of being disabled, a peasant woman, and having a young child is seen as a "soft underbelly", which seems to put the woman at a complete disadvantage when it comes to self-expression and activism, Hao Xiuping is unique in that she can always see this clearly.
In the work "Article 20", Hao Xiuping (played by Zhao Liying) and Juanjuan (played by Chen Xuanfei) are the main characters.
From the very beginning, she clearly understood that being bullied by the village bully for herself and her family was a predicament from which she could not escape. The husband died in a car accident and the wife was kidnapped. But she wasn't depressed. After suffering ** several times, when she saw her husband tied up at the door, she had tears in her eyes and said firmly with a gesture: "I can't go on with my life". She has countless "tomorrows" in her heart. She is well aware that although today has passed, there are still countless "todays" waiting behind them, and that is endless darkness.
She was well aware of what was really pressing down on her body and blocking her path.
In the end, on the rooftop of the construction site, Hao Xiuping faced the village tyrant and the staff of the procuratorate, and behind her was a blue sky, and her every hair, every tear, and every wrinkle was clearly visible under the light of the wind and sun. Hao Xiuping's face was blown red by the wind, like a wounded cat. It was an intoxicating scene, but the souls who had experienced humiliation and pain were crying out so loudly that no one could hear them.
In the pure situation, Hao Xiuping even expressed deep sadness with gestures, she said: "You (** can provide me with temporary help, but you can't provide me with lifelong support).
Her role is not that of "motherhood and rigidity", but of a person who wholeheartedly pursues justice and justice. She is a misunderstood girl, but in the eyes of others, she is a person who dares to cry out for justice. When she realized that there was nowhere to go behind her, and that even the ** who represented justice could not fundamentally change her fate, she jumped up without hesitation, and with the attitude of a low-level protester, she let out a final roar against "lawlessness".
This scene is not only a major breakthrough for the characters, but also represents an innovation and improvement in the theme and character setting of the whole film. Through the character of Hao Xiuping, the film shows the story of how low-level women in rural China face hardships and struggles in the new era, and finally achieve liberation. In recent years, Zhang Yimou has been widely criticized for not being good at filming female characters. Rather than filming Hao Xiuping as a female fighter, he chose a grassroots protester with a vague understanding of gender and a need for simplicity and justice.
Hao Xiuping is not just a wife, a mother and a woman, she is a citizen with citizenship. In this sense, Hao Xiuping is a representative of Chinese women, a typical Chinese. She's not just a person who has been bullied and redeemed, she's also someone who constantly asks questions and seeks answers.
In the end, Zhang Yimou did not really cause Hao Xiuping's death, which seems to reflect his sympathy and coincides with the overall tone of the film, creating a beautiful imaginary space for justice and justice. He hopes that Hao Xiuping can live to witness the development of this world.
The role of Hao Xiuping was played by Zhao Liying.
22 years ago, in Zhang Yimou's work "Qiu Ju's Lawsuit", Qiu Ju, a village woman, in order to fight for justice for her husband who was kicked and injured, was not afraid of all kinds of procedural obstacles, insisted on her own principles and big belly, and resolutely demanded a fair explanation.
Judging from her identity and objective ability, she is obviously a vulnerable group, but she resolutely does not accept the arrangement of fate, nor does she believe that the weak can only be arranged and abandoned.
Qiu Ju and Xiuping both exude a "non-recognition" temperament.
Hao Xiuping also exudes a "non-recognition" temperament.
Therefore, the role of Hao Xiuping made the audience feel warm and close again. Qiu Ju in "The Fiftieth" is similar to herself in many ways, and she tells her life in her own way. Thirty years have passed, Qiu Ju's story and times have changed, and Article 20 no longer describes reality as bluntly and sharply as it used to, but it still offers a different way of narrating.
We cannot and do not need to delve into the traditional narrative of suffering, but should return to the context of everyday life of citizens. This is not only because suffering itself is a cultural phenomenon, but also because it is a social problem. Suffering describes the circumstances in which a person finds himself, which is both flexible and cruel, and only a particular individual, in the face of suffering, can hold on to his or her original dignity as a human being.
Interestingly, in the 2022 TV series "Happiness to Ten Thousand Homes", Zhao Liying also played the role of "Qiu Ju". It is worth noting that this drama and "Qiu Ju's Lawsuit" are both based on a realistic ** called "Ten Thousand Lawsuits".
In the play, He Xingfu's face is still filled with a bright smile, and she says: "My wish is to become a professional woman." "I like country girls". She was born in the countryside and was bound by social norms, and although she knew everything in her heart, she didn't mind.
Zhao Liying said she didn't care about her birth background.
Five years ago, Zhao Liying asked with a smile in a public speech: "I don't want to see the female characters in TV dramas always limited to petty love and always fight for men." I hope that they will have richer minds and actively pursue their beliefs.
If men have heroic dreams, why can't women? ”
The female boss with a round face.
For quite some time, Zhao Liying's acting skills have been controversial.
Although she and Wang Baoqiang were both from rural areas, she did not take the solid foundation of martial arts as a starting point like Wang Baoqiang, and at the beginning of her career, she devoted herself to the film industry, and gradually won the recognition and praise of the general public.
Although she was only a supporting role or a supporting role for a long time, she did not reach her peak in middle age through unremitting efforts and time precipitation like her predecessor Zhang Songwen with a professional background.
Zhao Liying is a character in the work "Flower Thousand Bone".
In particular, female actors are extremely unlikely to be noticed in middle age, and such opportunities are difficult to obtain in both the market and society.
Currently, Zhao Liying is categorized as the two labels and concepts of "flower" and "sheng" in the "85 flowers" classification, which were originally constructed through specific traffic logic.
Nowadays, the word "traffic" has been stigmatized to some extent on the web. Online discussions around "85 Flowers" are also often dominated by keywords such as ancient puppets, transformation, marriage changes and red carpets.
A core word that has surrounded Zhao Liying for many years is "blunt".
Zhao Liying is a character in the work "Old Nine Gates".
Her countenance appears somewhat "sluggish". In the current aesthetic trend, "sweet girls" often take Zhao Liying as a reference. But when Zhao Liying first entered the entertainment industry, she did not have a popular melon seed face and exquisite shape, nor did she lack an aesthetic experience that matched the fashion trend. The babyface made her appear a bit sluggish and lacked that "atmospheric" temperament, which made it difficult for her to play the heroine for many years.
After countless efforts and attempts, Zhao Liying was finally able to take on the role of the protagonist, but the role she chose seemed to be relatively "immature".
She especially likes characters who give people a gray face or look a little old-fashioned, such as He Xingfu, a rural girl in "Happiness to Ten Thousand Homes" in 2022, and Xu Banxia, a female entrepreneur during the reform and opening up period in 2023. She portrayed a rural girl with a distinct personality and thoughts in the play - Xu Banxia. When these two TV series were **, she was complained about "soil", "fat" and "old".
Zhao Liying successfully portrayed the role of He Xingfu in the TV series "Happiness to Ten Thousand Homes".
However, she has never played the role of a female boss who walks around a big city office building in high heels and walks into a neat and bright one-person office, nor does she get bored in the sibling romance that has become popular in recent years. She is a very temperamental actor, and her eyes reveal a kind of gentleness and calmness. The "big heroine" trait she exudes is very specific and full of pyrotechnics, she does not rely on the red carpet to show herself, but silently breaks the ridicule of "85 flowers holding hands and acting as ancient puppets together for a lifetime".
Zhao Liying's personality also looks a little "sluggish". Later, she was called "Xiao Zhao Daozi" in the program "The Voice of China", which also made everyone look at her with admiration. In the past few years, people have vaguely nicknamed her "Zhao Xiaodao", which not only implies that she speaks bluntly, but also implies that she does not have a high emotional intelligence. After participating in variety shows, she admitted in an interview that reality shows all need scripts, so they are not suitable for her.
The solution to this problem is actually quite straightforward – if you can't speak, try to say less and do more.
In Zhao Liying's view, the logic of everything in life can be summarized as a basic principle: focus on what you should do and want to do, and other things are not big problems.
She felt neglected and prejudiced about her experience growing up in the countryside and working as a handyman and trickster for seven years. She expressed this opinion on Weibo: "Human beings are not perfect, please don't always write sad stories or create strange characters for me, grateful".
In 2022, Zhao Liying's weight has increased by 20 pounds. This time, she is changing herself in a "different" way, and she has exchanged her efforts and dedication for success. She personally clarified that she did not deliberately gain weight, but just gained weight with a light tap. Zhao Liying shaped the role of Xu Banxia through a natural lifestyle, making her a female entrepreneur from scratch in the wave of reform and opening up.
She started out with nothing, starting with scrap and scrap, relying on her courage and determination to make her mark in the male-dominated steel industry.
Zhao Liying played the role of Xu Banxia in the TV series "The Wind Blows Banxia".
She is not a so-called "strong woman", but a real powerhouse, both an entrepreneur and an entrepreneur, but in this particular identity group, she is a rare woman.
She is not the kind of working woman who is called independent in domestic dramas, and is always immersed in the love between the strong. On the contrary, she made her pursuit clear from the beginning, and did not stay in complex emotional entanglements, but was still able to stick to her emotional and moral bottom line.
After reading Anai's original **, the first candidate for Xu Banxia that came to mind in director Fu Dongyu's mind was undoubtedly Zhao Liying. The actor who played Xu Shen in the movie "White Deer Plain", Fu Dongyu also had many impressions of her, but this meeting was the first time. He learned from his previous cooperation that the kind of "vitality" shown by Zhao Liying has many similarities with Xu Banxia.
Zhao Liying is a character in the work "The Wind Blows in the Summer".
However, after the establishment of this drama, Fu Dongyu struggled for a long time whether it should be filmed, worried that if the filming was not done properly, it might lead to economic losses for the investor.
Zhao Liying told him that we all thought calmly for 48 hours.
However, in less than 48 hours, she immediately gave the director a ** and said frankly: "Aren't you worried about the poor quality of the shooting?" As long as you have the will to shoot, you can't let anyone else fail to do it, you have to make sure that you can do it yourself. ”
However, compared with the resolute Xu Banxia, Zhao Liying is more like the heroine Sheng Minglan she played in the costume drama "Know, Know, It Should Be Green, Fat, Red and Thin" in real life. She was a gentle and virtuous woman, who showed gentleness and generosity towards her husband and daughter. She is not the kind of person who is aggressive, but is more inclined to overcome the hard person in a soft way to achieve the realm of harmony and practice.
Zhao Liying successfully created the role of Sheng Minglan in the TV series "Know, Know, It Should Be Green, Fat, Red and Thin".
Minglan , as the daughter of a concubine in the feudal era, resolutely does not accept unfair fate arrangements, and firmly pursues the various abilities and dignity that women should have in her heart. Under the repeated persuasion of her father, she finally gave up the idea of being a princess and chose to marry the prince Li Xian, a minister who was famous in the government and the opposition at that time and was appreciated by the emperor. When the gentleman inquired about the relationship between the concubines, she cleverly avoided taking her own position, and only said lightly: "I would rather be a pure minister". He is a very ordinary man, but he has become different because of her presence. When Minglan is with her loved ones, she also shows her innocence.
This is not just Zhao Liying's cover-up, but more about her character, strategy and ambition. More precisely, it was the protective shell inside her. The round face actually represents the innocence and original intention that Zhao Liying wants to protect.
Keep running"In fact, whether in the entertainment or show business worlds, the distribution of tickets is increasingly related to the actor's origin, background and social circle. For those young actors who are not professional and have no background, Zhao Liying can no longer be regarded as a successful reference object.
Still, she has the potential to become a more influential, "ordinary but extraordinary" female symbol.
Compared with Jia Ling, who was mentioned for the first time in the article, Zhao Liying is not the kind of person who actively participates in the struggle of men, and she shows more of the attitude that women can hold in the face of personal ambitions and desires.
In 2021, Zhao Liying officially announced the end of their three-year marriage relationship with Feng Shaofeng, and her motto is: "The days are long, the past is beautiful, and I hope the future will be even better." "Neat and efficient, no procrastination and procrastination.
Since then, Zhao Liying has become the focus of the keywords independent, sober and powerful.
Of course, this is also influenced by the external context of the times. In the past few years, the divorce of female celebrities has been seen as a sign of female status. Among them, actresses such as Zhao Liying and Yang Mi, who are known as "85 flowers", are the most representative.
However, for Zhao Liying, the sincere emotions of a marriage from the beginning to the end have become history.
The role played by Zhao Liying is Xu Banxia.
Deeply experiencing love, marriage, and motherhood are invaluable experiences. "One should not be overly dependent on the feelings of either party, nor should there be concerns about the psychological damage that the loss of something will cause. There are many other options and actions for women. —The famous American female writer Ian McEwan's book "Women Must Know How to Love Themselves" was widely quoted and widely disseminated after its publication. Before "feminism" and other declarations of independence prevailed, Zhao Liying had already formed her own philosophy of life.
Her resolute and peaceful approach to matters large and small, and clear principles, have broader applicability than the often misunderstood feminism.
In June 2023, Zhao Liying was nominated for Magnolia for the third time for her performance in "The Wind Blows in the Summer", which is also her third chance to miss the trophy. After three years, she appeared at the Oscars again and made a special recommendation for her film at the ceremony, becoming the first Chinese to win the Oscar for Best Actress. That night, the topic of "Zhao Liying ran three times" quickly appeared on the hot search list, and Zhao Liying herself also made a ** on this topic, and attached "Keep running." Accompanying text. ”
Zhao Liying's response to the escort was "keep running".
The word "kernel stability" to describe Zhao Liying is really suitable.
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Jia Ling, it is not that they do not feel internal consumption or anxiety, but they do not set boundaries for themselves, and they will not give up their love for themselves even if they fail. They are constantly trying, not talking to themselves, because they know what they want, so they are motivated to do it. In other words, as a result of failure, people will know better how to love themselves in the right way.
In 2017, when Zhao Liying evaluated her role as Chu Qiao, she said unabashedly: "She is undoubtedly the representative of women's rights, but this is not a matter of power, she has always struggled for equality."
Competition, but not with others, but more with yourself, with your past self, for your future self. "Feminism" is a spirit and a belief. There is no need to claim to be the spokesperson of the group, and there is no need to use your own life to measure the level of value, and to live your life wholeheartedly and down-to-earth, this is the so-called "women's rights", which is a human right and the most basic respect for undifferentiated lives.
The reason why women like Zhao Liying and Jia Ling can always bring people a deep spiritual shock is precisely for this reason.
Jia Ling reappeared after **, whether in the movie or in the interview, the changes in her facial expressions and charm are comparable to the changes in her body type. In the interview, she said that she has always been like this. However, many who know her well can feel that her essence has not changed, her gaze remains steadfast, and her passion for art has not wavered.
It is most accurate to observe the transformation of a person over a period of time, and to observe his or her eyes. Eye gaze is a kind of spiritual communication, a tool for communication and understanding between people, and a silent and profound art. In his eyes, we can see a deeper, core vitality and spirit beyond height, body shape, and clothing.
In "Article 20", Hao Xiuping's eyes have become the most energetic parts of her body. In that darkness, she saw hope. Her heart was filled with fear, expectation, and resistance, and the moment she decided to fall from a tall building, her eyes were filled with deep despair, and her voice was deafening. In such a time of violence and darkness, she chose silence and death, and chose to fight in silence. In the face of the suffering of fate, she did not choose to admit it, but chose to use her life to carry out the final struggle.
Zhao Liying's face bears the marks of time, and although she has become emaciated and senile, her round face still flashes with a resolute and steady gaze.
As the times change, so does the concept of aesthetics. When melon seed face and awl face are no longer popular, Zhao Liying's round face has gradually become a fashion representative. However, for her, the matter is no longer so critical.
She gradually walked onto the stage of the Spring Festival Gala, showing her dignified and generous, and was pointed to the screen by her grandmother and mother, praising again and again: This young woman is really temperamental.
It is a complex question about whether a person's change is from the outside to the inside or from the inside to the outside. But whether it is Zhao Liying or Jia Ling, only when the outside world no longer restricts the heart, when the inner strength is not bound by the prejudices and labels of the outside world, can the real female power shine without concealment.
This Spring Festival may mark a good beginning.
Zhao Liying