In 2022, a CCTV period drama will be broadcast during the Spring Festival, which almost subverts the audience's understanding of the word "period drama". Its name is "The World". The story mainly revolves around the Zhou family, spanning decades of fate.
Although it tells the story of the Zhou family, it is more of a profound and true depiction of the emotions and lives of the Chinese in that era, and has become a profile of the entire era.
The just right emotional elements and wonderful performances in the play even made "period dramas", especially the genre of CCTV period dramas, from not being favored in the past to becoming popular dramas in one fell swoop. The successive period dramas such as "Pearl River People" and "Flowers" have also risen one after another, making period dramas the darlings of ratings, and their popularity has remained high.
However, despite the efforts of many works, no period drama has ever reached the glory of "The World". As time passed, period dramas began to show fatigue, the themes of the dramas gradually became old-fashioned, and the enthusiasm of the audience gradually decreased. If this trend continues, there is a risk that this once-rising genre will be overshadowed again.
However, to my surprise, there are only three days left before the Spring Festival, and the Spring Festival is in full swing, and CCTV has once again launched a long-awaited old friend.
Tonight, "South to North" is cooperated by Gao Mantang and Zheng Xiaolong, which not only brought the period drama back to CCTV's Spring Festival file, but also rekindled the audience's enthusiasm for this kind of drama with the theme of era and special police public security.
CCTV premiered 2 episodes, and the network premiered 4 episodes, and the ratings easily exceeded 2, ranking firmly as the champion of the whole channel ratings. Why? Is it the old taste of old wine for new bottles, or the surprise of new wine for old bottles?
There are more than 30 powerful factions, how will this national drama train they drive be different this time? After chasing the full four episodes, I can say with certainty:
In those happy and angry episodes full of the flavor of Northeast Dagazi, you can feel the breath of that big era.
The train chase story, which is full of criminal investigation atmosphere from the beginning, also incorporates the joys and sorrows of the little people.
CCTV once again proved to us that as long as we put our minds to it, even a period drama can be rejuvenated under the shell of "Iron Police Public Security".
Don't wait any longer, let's go now.
It's not easy to shoot the story of the railway and the railway police. In the past few decades, few national dramas have tried. Why? Because it's hard to grasp.
It's too cheesy to shoot and it's easy to scoff at. The shooting is too serious and not lively enough.
To put it bluntly, it is very difficult to combine the three things of trains, comedy and period dramas.
But "South to North" captures the essence of period comedy through the inheritance of a pair of masters and apprentices.
followed the "one, two, three axes" of the master and apprentice, coupled with several ingenious and New Year-style events, which truly established the tone of the light comedy + period drama of "South to North".
The first axe is "a chase and escape".
When the story began, my first reaction was that I got the wrong channel, are you sure this is a period drama? Not a criminal investigation spy war?
The night was dark and the train roared.
Ma Kui, a veteran criminal policeman of the railway public security, was not leisurely performing his duties on the train, but wearing shackles on his hands, and was sandwiched between the seats by two public security officers, looking like he was on the way to escort.
What's going on?
usually watch period dramas, or start from the perspective of the male protagonist, revealing the environmental background through a major event, such as "The World". Some dramas will take a drastic approach to highlight the tension and excitement of the old case, such as "Who Is He".
However, "South to North" chooses a different and innovative approach, and the protagonist is caught right at the beginning of the story. Different from the "audience's expectation" technique of other period dramas, "South to North" used this trick alone to attract the audience's attention.
What should I do if Ma Kui is caught? Escape. With the excuse of "I can't hold it anymore", the protagonist stands up and walks straight to the toilet in the train car, while the escort has to follow.
As soon as he left, the whole plot changed from passive to active - after all, Ma Kui was all too familiar with the environment on the train. He first walked to the toilet, suddenly closed the train door, locked the escort out, and managed to escape.
But Ma Kui knew that the conductor would soon unlock the door, and at most he would be able to delay the other party for a few seconds. So, he moved on without looking back.
While walking through the crowded carriage, he skillfully followed the hairpin on the head of a female passenger and easily untied the handcuffs. In the third step, he rushed straight to the real target - the toilet window.
At the beginning of the story, it seems to be Ma Kui's solo performance, but this cannot last long, because the apprentice Wang Xin quickly appears. Wang Xin, a young iron policeman, had long noticed that this group of people was unusual, and chased him to the toilet and directly started a fierce fight, including grappling, fighting, counterattacking, and counterattacking again.
Wang Xin once had the upper hand, but this was only an instant, and he was soon handcuffed by Ma Kui**, and after a few rounds, he was finally handcuffed by Ma Kui.
Just as he tried to intercept others, he was stunned by Ma Kui.
The second board axe is a typical "funny wrong catch" story. The reason why Ma Kui "slipped away" was actually because of a "messed up" incident 10 years ago, which led to him being escorted now, originally to retry the past case. After he was rehabilitated, he returned to work on the railway.
As soon as I arrived at the unit and wanted to open a locker, I ran into Wang Xin, whom he had accused, and everyone called him the King of Little Guns. This guy didn't talk nonsense, so he just did it. First gave his master a kick, and then began to fight.
Ma Kui didn't want to hurt anyone this time, so he kept his hand, but someone still found a flaw, so the master was handcuffed instead. Although this kind of happy rivalry is old-fashioned, I have to admit that the master-apprentice encounter scene in "South to North" is still very classic.
A misunderstanding, and the master-apprentice relationship arose. The contradictions between them have also laid the groundwork. Wang Xin's proud identity as a little gun king is different from Ma Kui's "hand work", because in the small and crowded train carriage, guns are not always easy to use.
The conflict between the professional experience and concepts of the old and new generations of police officers was destined to spark from the very beginning. After a thrilling and hilarious capture, the master-apprentice relationship began to change subtly.
The third board axe is a "sarcastic" story. The work of the police is not simple, and with the responsibilities of the railway criminal police and the people's police, you have to manage both large and small cases, and you have to face all kinds of strange situations. Wang Xin's work is also rich and colorful, and he has to deal with trouble. Some people don't even buy tickets, and they justifiably say that the train is his home, and this kind of thing has to be solved.
The young couple quarreled in the car, and the man was so angry that he cut his wrist with a knife, on the one hand, to stop each other, on the other hand, to stop the bleeding urgently, and he had to find a doctor on the spot for treatment. In short, everything has to be taken into account when dealing with problems. This kind of attitude of taking care of everything is likely to lead to some unexpected situations.
As a result, this farce became a classic joke - without saying a word, the aunt who came to the station was taken by the car, and the aunt hurriedly shouted "I am here to send the station, not to take the car". Wang Xin also said confidently: "This is what I should do." ”
Correct. The cast of "South to North" is like the ** era of Hong Kong-style Chinese New Year films, gathering half of the elites of the entertainment industry.
In addition to Bai Jingting, Ding Yongdai, Jin Chen and other leading actors, Liu Guanlin, Liu Jun, Zuo Xiaoqing, Jiang Yan, Hu Ke, Song Jiateng, Li Naiwen, Ni Dahong, Wang Jinsong, Wang Xun, Bao Bell, Wang Xiaoli, Tu Songyan and other three generations of old, middle-aged and young powerful factions all gathered together.
In terms of role selection, Zheng Xiaolong has always had a unique vision, and this time is no exception. This star-studded period drama needs the leading actor to be able to hold on, otherwise it is like a hot pot with top-notch side dishes and poor main dishes, which is meaningless.
Regarding the two core leading actors of "South to North", let's talk about the "master" Ding Yongdai first. As soon as he appeared, the atmosphere of spy war dramas reached its peak in an instant. The train escape scene at the beginning dazzled the audience, and the most eye-catching of them was Ding Yongdai's excellent performance.
In this scene, his movements are smooth and unsuperfluous. Action, get rid of, all in one go, not only action, but also through action scenes to perfectly show the three-dimensionality of the character. As a veteran railway detective, he showed rich experience, accurate judgment and old and strong skills, and shaped the character to the fullest.
However, the uniqueness of Ding Yongdai's acting skills lies in his relaxation. In the tense and exciting action scenes, he stays tense; And in the drama of life, immediately relax. When he reunited with his daughter, the "old man" in his daughter's mouth one after another, he seemed helpless and soft-hearted, full of the old father's distress and guilt. The sentence "I'm back, you can like to eat meat" brought tears to the eyes of the audience.
As Wang Xin's master, he is serious about his apprentices on the surface, but he is actually honing his apprentices' hearts.
Facing the wine pockmarks in his daughter's shop, he listened quietly at first, and then rushed up to hold him down in one step, and finally didn't forget to save face for him, all in one go, it was really a sleek favor of the older generation.
In the last "The World", Zhou Zhigang took the train every time he went out, but this time Ding Yongdai played a powerful railway policeman, his performance was calm and unassuming, and the scenes were wrapped in inner emotions, which was really evocative.
There is also our "apprentice" Bai Jingting, the master is water, and he is fire. Zheng Xiaolong once commented on his acting skills, although he was not a professional, he was recognized by his grandfather, and his acting skills were full of rich life experience.
In "South to North", although Bai Jingting's northeast accent is a little lacking, fortunately, his acting skills are very natural, there is no trace to be found, the lines are steady and steady, and he can grasp the main points in every scene, revealing a natural sense of humor. His acting skills show agility.
On duty on the train, fights and verbal altercations with Ma Kui, the whole character is full of energy and blood. But he is not blindly tough, for example, when he understood Jiang Yan's confession to him, he looked at the stars that the girl folded for him, and said with deep feeling, "I have a heart", which is not only appropriate to life, but also touching.
Watching Bai Jingting's performance, I think that traffic stars should not be generalized, some traffic stars have acting skills, why not use them? As for Jin Chen, I think her performance exceeded my expectations.
Jin Chen's face may lack some sense of the times, but her acting skills are natural and amazing, without excessive crying and exaggerated body movements.
The quarrel scene with Wang Xin is very realistic, not pretentious at all, with the demeanor of a big girl in the Northeast, and the confrontation between the two is really likable.
Let's talk about the dazzling supporting roles that appeared.
The first is Ni Dahong.
Although some people think that his expression is too monotonous and his acting is wooden, he just relies on his eyes and lines to attract the audience.
This time, he played the role of a blind man, while gnawing on big bones, he quarreled with Ma Kui Wang Xin, and kept saying that the train belonged to his family, why did he buy a ticket at home?
On the surface, he looks like a dead eye, but in fact, he has the pain of finding his daughter in his heart.
Although he didn't appear much, Ni Dahong's role was very well grasped. Really well acted.
Next up is Liu Guanlin.
He and Bai Jingting played the conspicuous brothers last time, and this time they played the brothers in the compound.
Liu Guanlin is the kind of actor who has his own sense of joy, he can easily make you happy, playing the role of Niu Dali, although he is a little clever, but he is still a kind and kind person in his heart.
This time, in order to cater to the future daughter-in-law, I bought a "pheasant" and invited her to eat, only to find out that it was the egg king of the house next door, and I thought that I would make up for her again, but the whole one was a plague chicken, and ten chickens were wiped out.
In the end, ten more chicks were secretly added.
You will find that he always magnifies his strong and humorous personality when performing, and always hides a little caution in his eyes, which can amuse the audience as soon as he appears on the stage.
He plays this role very well, and he is really handy.
Finally, there is Liu Jun.
Liu Jun used to always play some incompetent fathers, but this time he finally played a good father. The gentleness, calmness and calmness of the performance are particularly satisfying. The way he comforted his son was also very decent, and he gave support and comfort without panic, which made people feel very comfortable. While chopping vegetables, his pause allows the audience to see how guilty he feels for Ma Kui. It can be said that he is really one of the old drama bones.
Another actor, Fang Bin, failed to create the image of a good policeman in "The World", but this time he finally succeeded in interpreting the role of a good policeman, and he is also the new leader of Ma Kui Wang. In the face of the old man's rehabilitation, he has no arrogance, he is very easy-going everywhere, giving people a feeling similar to the leaders of his era, in addition to doing things in an orderly manner, he also pays attention to human feelings. The cooperation between the new and old actors is very tacit, and the choice of roles is also very suitable, which makes the winter train of "South to North" more and more fascinating.
When it comes to "period dramas", many people may have some aesthetic fatigue. But "South to North" is unusual. It has three highlights that make it stand out from the crowd of period dramas.
First of all, it cuts into the story in a unique way, incorporating multiple elements. Although it is an old theme and new packaging, "South to North" mixes and matches a variety of genres with ease.
The story line of the resentful master and apprentice debuts, coupled with various strange passengers, and the comedy plot of the hero and heroine is also shown. Whether it's comedy, group portraits, emotions or criminal investigations, every element is very exciting. The audience's attention was completely drawn to the past.
It solidifies the foundations of the genre in a whole new way. The second highlight is the authentic atmosphere of the period and the strong Northeast style.
If a period drama loses the feeling of the era, it is like a dumpling without a dumpling skin, although the filling is there, it can hardly be called a real dumpling. Zheng Xiaolong is the most stable in this regard, whether it is clothing, food, housing and transportation or other aspects, he handles the details of the age just right.
In particular, the train scene seems to make people feel in it, the carriage is crowded with people, lively and extraordinary, and there is a sense of damage with traces of time, which will surely evoke the memories of many people. There is also the taste of the Northeast. The title of the play was originally called Three Trees, which was the terminus of the Northeast Railway Station.
In the past two years, period dramas have involved the Northeast, often giving people a sense of desolation, such as Xiao Se in "The Long Season", the old case in "Who is he", and the wilderness and loneliness in "Black Soil Without Words". But "South to North" successfully restored a passionate Northeast.
The train is full of people and festive atmosphere, the sound of firecrackers in the small courtyard is endless, and the neighborhood has held meetings to discuss the case of the chickens in their homes. The sense of age and region are just right, this is the real period drama.
The third highlight is that it has deeply excavated the theme of "era" at the spiritual level. Viewers are disgusted with TV dramas that exaggerate for no reason.
The story is not clearly explained, so what is the exaggeration? But "South to North" not only explains the story clearly, but also presents it in an unpretentious way, full of the festive atmosphere of life. The whole story comes and goes, and there is only one common goal, which is to go home.
Even in 2024, this warmest and most sincere collective emotion of the Chinese is still as strong as the 1970s in the play.
Returning home for the Chinese New Year" This feeling is hidden deep in the hearts of Chinese and will never change.
So, when the various stories on the train kept unfolding, all of them were propped up and crossed the barriers of time.
The story spans 40 years, Ma Kuiwang and the new master and apprentice have experienced the changes from steam locomotives to electric locomotives, and then to the era of bullet trains and high-speed trains, but the green trains of that era still carry many passengers home.
Being old isn't necessarily bad.
Such a story, which has both laughter and dramatic tension, and is full of pyrotechnics, is undoubtedly an indispensable "delicacy" at family gatherings.
The good thing about this "dish" is that it is convenient to serve and is suitable for all ages.
And the story is full of heaviness, without too much dramatic plot, but it is fascinating enough that the audience is not only watching the drama, but also reminding of their own experience of rushing to catch the train.
All kinds of life on the train, the warm and cold friendship between neighbors, are full of warmth in this winter.
Life is like a journey, a train whistle, and decades pass by in a hurry.
But no matter how times change, some things will never change.
Today's people still long to go home, the Chinese New Year is still a major event for the Chinese, and the green train is still running smoothly in the snow.
The so-called good period drama is to be able to represent the old story, inject new elements, and most importantly, touch people's hearts, because despite the changes in the world, there will always be some beautiful emotions and beautiful characters that will last forever.
Another year of ups and downs, coming and going from the south to the north, the story of the world never stops. I wish you always had a train to take you back to your hometown. I hope that everyone who has left their homeland can find a place to eternity.