At the end of the final chapter of the monumental work "Flowers", I was immersed in the scene of Miss Wang visiting Reiko's shop and drinking together. Reiko poured out her heart: "People say that the success of Bao Bao is all due to my luck, and I don't want to leave, lest this rumor really happens. This affectionate dialogue is like a delicate and nuanced picture scroll of the market, slowly unfolding.
In the preface to "Flowers", Mr. Jin Yucheng once took Wong Kar-wai's "The True Story of A Fei" as an example, mentioning the picture of Tony Leung's character riding a horse and looking for a horse, and the hero faintly aging - followed by the ritual sense of combing his hair, his hair is meticulously combed in front of the mirror, and the character looks straight but is alienated and lazy in his bones;When the lights go out and adversity turns smooth, the charm of Shanghai condensed in this half minute is vividly reproduced and sublimated in the finale of "Flowers", which is amazing.
The finale of the series is not open-ended, but gives a complete narrative closed loop, no matter how director Wong Kar-wai reinvents the story in the film version, the story of the TV series has come to an end in its own right. Between the old and the new, the stories of those trendsetters who have ups and downs in the tide of the times - Mr. Bao, Lingzi, Miss Wang and Li Li - are portrayed here.
After reading this heart-wrenching finale, my heart was full of excitement, and it was difficult to suppress my excitement. Objectively speaking, "Flowers" won a full house with its excellent quality. On the Douban scoring system, more than 160,000 viewers left comments, but they collectively gave 8The high score of 2 undoubtedly makes it a phenomenal work at the beginning of 2024.
The facts are conclusive, among the many people who misunderstood "Flowers", the goose factory had a unique vision and accurately grasped the soul of this drama. At the time of the premiere, some people disparaged it as a "middle-aged version of the small era", but now in the face of the popularity of "Flowers" and the number of real-time discussions has repeatedly exceeded 30,000 times, the 750-meter-long stretch of the Yellow River Road may not be enough to accommodate those netizens who are queuing up to apologize. You must know that the average score of the "Little Times" series on Douban is less than 5 points, and comparing the two is undoubtedly ignoring the 8 given to "Flowers".2. The voices of 160,000 Douban users with high scores.
In the play, director Wong Kar-wai seems to be smiling in the air, witnessing the craze caused by "Flowers". With the help of the storyline of Mr. Bao and Miss Wang, the orders for the common snack of "pork ribs and rice cakes" came like snowflakes, and more than 40,000 people listened to the theme song of "Stealing Hearts" at the same time in the early morning.
The TV series "Flowers", a work directed by Wong Kar-wai, is not based on Jin Yucheng's adaptation of the same name**, but with its unique narrative, it has built an independent world that cannot be simply compared with previous domestic dramas. In the last scene of the series, the protagonist Bao Zong walked out of the Peace Hotel rented by his uncle, staring at the Yellow River Road with deep eyes, and there seemed to be thousands of thoughts in his heart.
Not long ago, a business showdown like a life-and-death battle for Shanghai's stock price has just come to an end, and many viewers have said that they have not been able to understand the mystery. On the eve of this decisive battle, the commercial battlefield on the Yellow River Road was already full of smoke and was as hot as fire. Boss Jin went bankrupt overnight due to the great change, and he had no choice but to jump from a tall buildingAnd Ah Bao, that is, Mr. Bao, is also forced to a desperate situation, and the enemy he faces is Mr. Qiang, who is frantically attacking and vowing to expel him from the mall completely. In the last confrontation, Mr. Bao barely drew with Xiao Boda, but when the clothing company was listed, Mr. Qiang was menacing, intending to destroy Mr. Bao's career kingdom in one fell swoop, so that he could also experience the taste of being ruthlessly crushed out.
At the same time, the behind-the-scenes forces of the Kirin Club are waiting for an opportunity to move, ready to reap the benefits of the fisherman. Mr. Bao himself encountered unprecedented isolation: his uncle left angrily, and although Li Li injected all the three million transferred by Zhizhenyuan into his account, Zhizhenyuan had been lost, and the guarantee contract was forced to be revoked, and even the last source of wealth, Mrs. Lin, also withdrew his capital. At this moment, Mr. Bao is in a dangerous situation that is embattled.
Finally, on January 10, 1994, the opening day of the clothing company came as scheduled, and Mr. Bao decided to give it a go in the capital market. The problem is that Mr. Bao's firepower is far inferior to Mr. Qiang, who has the support of a consortium behind him.
After the opening, Mr. Bao quickly fell into passivity, and the shareholders outside the window were almost crazy, but he was still calmly sipping coffee by the hotel window. Commander Cai wondered why Mr. Bao was so calm, and Mr. Bao responded that he was waiting for the opportunity, and it was not yet the last moment. Commander Cai questioned that the current situation was the end, but Mr. Bao was confident that the key third party he was waiting for was the Kirin Society.
Many viewers are puzzled by the plot here, as if Mr. Bao and Kirin are playing an obscure game of dumb puzzles. In fact, the nine-and-a-half time limit set by the Qilin Club for Mr. Bao is a countdown game about life and death. The mystery lies in the fact that this is a delicate and fierce chess game between Bao Zong and the Qilin Club.
Just like the bridge in director Johnny To's classic "Dark War", **Yun in the play sets a deadline of one minute for Andy Lau to convince himself. Here, Mr. Bao played by Hu Ge is more calm in the countdown, because he has insight into the purpose and jealousy of the Qilin Club. Sure enough, in the last five seconds, Mr. Bao turned things around, and the countdown that was originally given to him by the Qilin Club turned into the pressure he gave to the Qilin Club. In the end, the Kirin Club had to accept Mr. Bao's conditions.
Wong Kar-wai skillfully revealed the deep logic behind this ** war through the role of the Qilin Club - when the boss of the Qilin Club was asked why he still helped when Bao Zongshan was exhausted, he replied: "This is not to help others, it is to save yourself." "It turns out that once Mr. Bao goes bankrupt and liquidates, not only will he lose about 30 million (calculated at the value of 94 years) of funds, but also lead to the stock price**, and Kirin will also face the risk of liquidation if it also increases leverage. In addition, if the strong total wins, the pattern will be subversively changed, and the Kirin Club will also lose its home advantage.
Therefore, the word "self-help" is not only a salvation for the ups and downs, but also a commitment to the maintenance of the power map. Qilin will choose to save the market at this moment, not only to make a steady profit, but also to ensure that the land that Mr. Bao is betting on becomes a bargaining chip to contain Mr. Qiang. As the dust settled, Mr. Bao left the Peace Hotel, and a conversation between the doorman and him was thought-provoking. The doorman asked with concern whether Mr. Bao would return, and the answer revealed in Mr. Bao's eyes was intriguing.
On the Yellow River Road, the prosperity is still the same, and a figure who once called for wind and rain has stepped on a firm step and walked out of the glory and vicissitudes of the past. The camera flows, as if the sad artistic conception in the Dream of Red Mansions is reproduced, it is a picture of "eating all the birds and throwing themselves into the forest, and the white land is really clean", which seems to be hidden under the calm Endless desolation.
The fate of several protagonists is also revealed in the finale. Although Mr. Bao successfully resisted Mr. Qiang's fierce offensive, relying on Li Li's trust and the help of the Kirin Club to make Mr. Qiang defeated, he also paid a heavy price, and the clothing company was almost beaten back to the original point, and the 30 million investment was in vain. But he kept the more than 100 acres of land in Chuanshan, which symbolizes a new starting point for his future and is pregnant with infinite hope. Mr. Bao chooses to fade the aura of Mr. Bao in the past, return to his true nature, and be a free farmer Ah Bao, who sows not only seeds in the field, but also a shining vision of tomorrow. When he resolutely turned away, he was left with a new self and an unknown and challenging long road to the Peace Hotel. "Flowers" ended gorgeously, leaving an endless aftertaste.
In the TV series "Flowers", Po's first love Xuezhi played by Du Juan died due to illness. In the last episode, Uncle and Po faded out of the picture after saying their final goodbyes, but the fate of Uncle Grandpa in the drama version has changed significantly compared to the original book. Originally, the uncle in ** jumped off the building sadly after witnessing the loss of Mr. Bao's family business, and in the play, as long as the uncle is willing, he can join hands with Bao to return to the pastoral life at any time.
Mr. Qiang, driven by his arrogant revenge, but because of his excessive conceit, he planted a big heel and was finally taken away by the public security organs to accept legal sanctions. Also going to prison is Li Li, who chose to be true to herself and chose to become a monk after a year in prison, which coincides with the original book.
Reiko returns to open a store after parting, and her fate seems to have been predestined. In contrast, Miss Wang (played by Tang Yan) seems to have gained the most in this life drama, and has become the upstart Mr. Wang in the business world. She not only accepted the big order given to her by Mr. Bao, but also made a small profit in the foreign exchange market with her keen sense of information, and became famous. On the Yellow River Road, the legend of Mr. Bao gradually receded, replaced by the rise of Mr. Wang.
In the face of such an ending, some people think that Mr. Bao has lost everything, but I think he has stuck to his original intention in the choice of love and money. In the shopping mall, the uncle is a quiet ruthless character, and Mr. Bao pursues the way of benevolence and virtue, which is worthy of his heart. On the surface, Mr. Bao is empty-handed in terms of emotion and career, but in the ending picture, he and Miss Wang gaze at the lights of the Oriental Pearl together across the Huangpu River, implying that although the emotional distance between them is close, it is actually unreachable. As for Li Li, the object of kissing goodbye in the finale was not Mr. Bao, but her former mentor Mr. A. When Mr. A's capital chain broke, Po reached out to help, and this was the truth of Li Lee's "revenge". These two hearts that cannot be combined doomed their love to be fruitless.
At the end of the play, "Flowers" presents a scene full of withering after prosperity, each character is closing in their own way, leaving the audience in a daze at the empty Zhizhen Garden and endless loneliness, which can't help but recall the golden scene at the beginning and the dozens of "Farewell My Concubine" presented by Mr. Wei.
The once prosperous Mr. Bao on the Yellow River Road, who will remember?Everything will eventually come down to the bleakness of the stage, and each character has found his true home. This plot is thought-provoking and gives a deeper understanding of the emotional world behind the original book of "Flowers" and its author. No wonder Kim Yucheng chose Wong Kar-wai to direct this work, although ** is not the highest, but Wong Kar-wai gives new life to the story with his unique perspective, although the style is not the same as the original work, but retains the original "flower" charm.
After four years of preparation and more than three years of filming, Wong Kar-wai has been polishing every scene repeatedly with almost craftsman-like perseverance, and even using a single camera to capture the most beautiful side of the actor. His 30-episode condensation of 15 films is an adventurous move, but it also makes for a feast of visual and emotional interweaving. Fortunately, "Flowers" did not fail commercially, and the goose factory bet on the right treasure.
The whole "Flowers" drama is like a slowly unfolding picture, every wave is the finishing touch, and the actors will be deeply attracted, and the more they watch it, the more they are engaged. Wong Kar-wai's aesthetic is more than just a façade, his imagery is picturesque, and Oscar-worthy photography depicts the vivid scene of neon flashing in front of the Yellow River Road to the True Garden, and the staggered cups in the restaurant. In particular, the shot of Li Li and Mr. Bao respecting each other through the window shows a colorful and romantic Shanghai.
Not only that, the ** of "Flowers" is a collection of Chinese nostalgic golden songs, those elements that are full of the imprint of the times - the lights of the Yellow River Road, Coke, cash, Big Brother, etc., with classic old songs such as "Looking Back Again", "Stealing the Heart", "Casual Fate", "Obsessed" and other classic old songs, which make the older generation nostalgic for the past, and the younger generation is also intoxicated.
In his bones, "Flowers" tells a wonderful story, in which the business war scenes form the main line of the plot. From the hot sale of Sanyang brand T-shirts to the protection of Li Li Zhizhenyuan by Mr. Bao, and then to the comings and goings of you and me on the **, every link is closely interlinked and exciting. The whole drama has a tight rhythm, no redundant plots, and several key conflicts climax one after another, which is deeply moving.
Wong Kar-wai is not only a master of video, but also a master of storytelling. The drama not only stays at the level of business wars, but also presents a picture of the Qingming Riverside of Shanghai citizens' lives in the 90s. The atmosphere of fireworks in the market on Huanghe Road paves the warmest background of the whole play, showing that the business war drama of the era can be both exciting and vivid.
The success of "Flowers" responds to the industry's doubts about whether domestic dramas can carry such a grand narrative, and it proves that audiences always crave high-quality works with ratings. The casting of the play also caused heated discussions, but the final result proved that many actors were able to bloom with unprecedented charm under the careful selection. The reason why Wong Kar-wai does not rely on the script on the set is that he always insists that characterization drives the story rather than the other way around, so that every character has the opportunity to show the highlight moment.
For example, Xin Zhilei, her performance in the play is amazing. Whether it is a bright red dress at the beginning of the show, or an elegant and noble black dress at the end, it perfectly interprets the image of a beautiful woman who seems to have walked out of a pictorial in the 90s. In terms of acting skills, Xin Zhilei successfully played the role of Li Li, she entered Huanghe Road with a huge sum of 30 million, and stirred the pattern of the business district with her unique business skills.
The most surprising role change is Miss Wang played by Tang Yan, who has turned from an inconspicuous little person to a stand-alone Mr. Wang, which is impressive.
In the hustle and bustle of the Yellow River, filled with the crisp sound of abacus beads, Miss Wang is unique with her innocent and unique temperament, seemingly the most scheming, but at the end of the play shows the most amazing gorgeous turn. In order to create this role, Tang Yan did not hesitate to shoot other works for three years, and even encountered the challenge of repeatedly shooting the same shot as many as 86 times. However, those who question his acting skills do not have insight into the truth, and repeated filming is precisely the process of pursuing perfect artistic presentation, just as Tony Leung and Carina Lau also experienced hardships in the face of director Wong Kar-wai's works. In the end, with unremitting efforts and fine polishing, Tang Yan successfully completed the sublimation of the role, which made the audience's eyes shine.
There are also many highlights in the supporting roles in the play, such as Mr. Fan played by Dong Yong, who seemed to be a cunning and sophisticated character when he first appeared, but as the plot progressed, his humorous and open-minded character gradually emerged, until it finally became deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. His story line runs throughout, intertwined with the fate of the protagonist, and his life philosophy of "people want to look like pigs, and their hearts are clear", under Dong Yong's delicate interpretation, vividly interprets a character image with a rough appearance and a bright heart, which makes people laugh and feel more cordial.
Magnolia looked at the role of Section Chief Jin created by Wu Yue, although there were not many lines and did not occupy the main role, but through the subtle flow of eyes and the charm between gestures, she accurately captured the inner depth and wisdom of the character, making Section Chief Jin resemble a female version of his uncle, especially at the emotional intersection of the finale and his uncle, which left a deep aftertaste.
Lu Meilin played by Fan Xiangyan is spicy and bold, and her wonderful performance portrays the role thoroughly, which not only makes her one of the top three Chinese drama roles in the same category, but also makes this character with a distinctive personality jump on the screen.
In addition, Wang Ju's performance in the play is also step-by-step, which is more amazing every time, especially in the scene where Mei Ping says goodbye to her uncle, she competes on the same stage with the old drama bones with her solid acting skills, which is not inferior, which is enough to impress her.
Even if the stars are shining, Hu Ge's acting skills are still like the brightest stars in the night sky, shining brightly. Since "Langya Bang", the role of Mr. Bao in "Flowers" has further confirmed Hu Ge's acting transformation. If Mei Changsu's portrayal benefits from the resonance and extraordinary performance of his personal experience, then the portrayal of Mr. Bao marks the stability and maturity of Hu Ge's acting skills, making him firmly in the position of a first-line acting student.
In the early stage, Hu Ge delicately interpreted the warm human touch of Mr. Bao, whether it was the quality of treating people generously, or the tacit interaction with his uncle and brother Tao Tao, or the warm moment of leading friends to invest in **, all flowing with the warmth of Mr. Bao. And when the plot enters the second half of the magnificent stage, Hu Ge skillfully transforms, showing the calm and firm side of Mr. Bao, although the surface is elegant and introverted, it actually contains the foundation of a tough and tough guy, no matter what kind of difficulties and setbacks he encounters, his eyes are always resolute and forward, without a trace of retreat.
In the final finale, Hu Ge realized the sublimation of the character's emotional level with his superb acting skills, vividly showing Bao's loneliness and loneliness after the prosperous ending. In several key scenes, Hu Ge accurately grasped the loneliness and desolation in the characters' hearts, like vivid pictures, portraying Ah Bao's life process from prosperous to bland, seeking benevolence but bearing joys and sorrows alone, vividly and movingly.
Especially in the high-profile Oriental Pearl lighting show, Ah Bao stood with the crowd embracing, under the bright lights, the more bustling and noisy the crowd was, the Ah Bao, who was no longer the former treasure, became more and more lonely and deep in his heart. With his superb acting skills, Hu Ge vividly portrayed the role of Bao, as if he was Bao himself. After Li Xiaoyao and Mei Changsu, Hu Ge created the third classic screen image in "Flowers".
The most eye-catching acting skills in the whole play is undoubtedly Mr. You Benchang. If you have to measure the brilliance of his performances by ratings, I firmly believe that even a perfect score is not an exaggeration. The role of Uncle Grandma, as a shrewd and decisive businessman, is ruthless in the shopping mall, affectionate like a close friend when employing people, and decisively discarded when not in use. However, many people misunderstand his uncle's true temperament, but they don't know that although he is hard-hearted externally, he is warm and affectionate internally, and regards Ah Bao as the continuation and sustenance of his dreams. When he found out that Ah Bao was entangled in the personal affairs of his children in the business competition, his uncle left a reproach bitterly: "I went all out to plan the great cause of the Huangpu River for you, but what you thought about was the trivial things of Suzhou Creek", and then left angrily.
But if Ah Bao really presses Miss Wang step by step, then he is no longer the Ah Bao we are familiar with, and "Flowers" will lose its charm. "Flowers" implies the changes of the times, the heat and coldness of the world, everyone has their own ambition like the Huangpu River that is difficult to give up, and there is also an insurmountable Suzhou Creek-like tender entanglement. A line from my grandfather in the play is particularly thought-provoking: "We are just ordinary migrant workers, running around for a living, so we don't have to worry too much about many things." Concentrate on your work when you go to work and rest at ease after work. Praise and disapproval of others can be treated indifferently, keep in mind that in the eyes of others, maybe you are nothing;But in front of your family, you are the existence that holds up half the sky. ”
Life is full of joys and sorrows, just like the joys and sorrows in "Flowers", the prosperity is over, and life still needs to move forward. Hu Ge has a unique understanding of this, and the sentence he said, "At this moment, it is not loudest", aptly expresses the profound philosophy that on the stage of life, sometimes silence is better than sound.