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The movie "Solid as a Rock" won the 2023 National Day box office champion with a box office of nearly 1.4 billion. Behind the all-star cast, there are ridicules and criticisms from the audience and film critics: the lip movements don't match, the logic is not established, and the story is shallow and empty. Jin Xing angrily criticized the "four trends" of the film: the flow of the subject matter, the cyber-like images, the conventional money-making, and the old-age insensitivity...

Now, the film is about to fall below the passing score on a certain platform, becoming the most disappointing film in Zhang Yimou's career.Second worst reputations work.

There has been a saying in the past two years that the highest standard for Zhang Yimou to entertain VIPs isInvite him to watch the uncut version of "Rock Solid" in a private theaterThe authenticity is of course impossible to verify, but it shows that the audience is very curious about the complete version of this work.

In early 2024, the film's screenwriter Chen Yu published a novel of the same name, claiming that "the ending of each story is different from what is released in the movie", filling in the deleted and modified plots of the film version, "with richer details than the movie and a deeper portrayal of human nature."

After reading it, Uncle Chai said that such a description is naturally exaggerated. For readers who have been reading serious literature for a long time, the original work of "Rock Solid" is not a must-read classic (7.4 points on a certain Ban.com). But for audiences who want to complete the plot of the movie, it is worth staying up all night. By comparing the original work and the movie, Zhang Yimou's directing level will naturally come to light.

Casting: There are more flaws than highlights

The biggest flaw in casting is the protagonist Su Jianming.

As a leader in the "coward" track, Lei Jiayin accurately interprets the middle-aged man's stubbornness, bad behavior, and submissiveness, while retaining a sense of belief at the critical moment of awakening, using the character to promote the dramatization of events.

However, Su Jianming in the original novel of "As Solid as a Rock" does not have such a character arc.

Su Jianming is Zheng Gang's adopted son, a veritable second-generation official. Before the bus bombing, Su Jianming was an out-and-out dandy. At the beginning of the story, he used his position to flirt with a female clerk in a cafe. From the ostentatious M5 sports car, the lines full of dirty jokes, the fearless speeches at the conference table, and the procedurally unjust law enforcement methods (Su once used secretly taken photos to threaten David to turn against him), it can be seen that this character has too much power protection from Zheng Gang.

In the original novel, Su's transformation came from the bus explosion. In the moment before the bomb exploded, Su threw himself on Zheng Gang. This moment sublimated Su's instinct to sacrifice himself to save his father into the belief of punishing evil. Regardless of whether this motive is valid, Lei Jiayin aloneWithout the performance, I can't show such a transformation.。

Since this first level of transformation is not valid, the subsequent narrative of collapse of faith and spiritual patricide is difficult to convince the public.

Another casting failure comes from Zhou Dongyu, who plays Kelly Lee.

In the original book, there are several key words in Kelly Lee's biography:Adopted daughter, sharpshooter, harming innocent people。

When these words are combined, the image of a female criminal investigation police officer should be like Angelina Jolie, who combines strength, scars and professionalism.

In the movie, this character is as thin as a piece of paper. On the one hand, it sets off Su Jianming's resourcefulness, and on the other hand, it helps the audience to sort out the plot, and it has completely become a background board.

In fact, after years of training, Zhou Dongyu is not unable to act out a sense of power and fragmentation. "Better Days" is a good example. When it comes to "Rock Solid", it is obvious that Zhang Yimou is unable or unwilling to dig out Kelly Lee's deep base, so he set up a group of acquaintances and ended the matter hastily.

This kind of thinking inertia also extends to the selection of supporting roles. Xu Yajun and He Zhengjun were used to play the public security officials, Chen Chong was used to play the good wife and mother, and Wang Xun was used to play the bus robber.

Although the film received poor reviews, most audiences were positive about the character of Li Zhitian.

It must be admitted that the faces of the villains in the original novel were portrayed quite well in the film.

After reading Chen Yu's Li Zhitian, this character has only one expression in the conventional narrative:Poker face。

No matter facing the police investigation or the scene of fishing out the phone with bare hands from the hot pot, Li Zhitian is always "silent" and "keep silent". This setting, on the one hand, fits the calmness that Li Zhitian has accumulated from working hard from Bangbang to becoming the richest man; on the other hand, it highlights the turmoil and struggle in his heart through apparent silence.

Perhaps because of the same class-jumping resume, Zhang Yimou saw through Li Zhitian's true nature: he was not a smiling tiger, nor a two-faced person.The devil of the abyss。

While Uncle Chai was reading the original novel, he was completely immersed in Yu Hewei's feelings and could not help but sigh that Li Zhitian was chosen by God.

The secretary played by Li Naiwen, the son-in-law played by Sun Yizhou, and the executive played by Tian Yu were all chosen in the same way. The characters were quickly established with just one or two simple plots. With just a few strokes, the huge size of the evil forces and their inevitable fate of sinking came to life on paper.

Plot: A half-finished product

The movie version of "Rock Solid" touches on too many topics, including criminal investigation, anti-gangsterism, human choice, fairness and justice, etc. The existence of large blank spaces and the lack of large amounts of facts make the entire plot framework full of loopholes and the logic bizarre. Every topic is superficial and sloppy, and ultimately becomes a semi-finished product that is neither fish nor fowl, making it impossible for us to empathize with the characters.

After reading the original novel, Uncle Chai had two understandings of the story title "Solid as a Rock". The first is the relationship between evil forces and the foundation of society; the second is that human nature is as solid as a rock and difficult to shake.

Zheng Gang and Li Zhitian, both black and white,The character is also complexZheng Gang rose to become the top leader of Jinjiang by relying on his father-in-law's relationship, and Li Zhitian became a gangster by relying on his hard work. In the process of climbing, the two experienced too much blood and blood, and exchanged interests. They had already figured out the veins of human nature in actual combat. Both of them understood that only by becoming a real insider can one understand the tricks of officialdom and the operating mechanism of the entire underground society.

From Su Jianming's perspective, this is a story of cutting off the spiritual benchmark and rebuilding values. From Li Zhitian's perspective, there is also a father-daughter relationship, that is, his relationship with his daughter and David. The original work describes in detail the psychological motivation of the son-in-law to please his father-in-law. There are also two profound conversations between the daughter and Li Zhitian. The daughter clearly realized that her husband had touched her father's reverse scale, so she kept acquiescence to her husband's treatment. The comparison of the two sets of father-son relationships shows that human nature is as complex as the abyss and cannot be looked at directly.

Perhaps Chen Yu wants to express that the social power structure is like a rock, and each individual is a replaceable one clinging to it. And each person who makes up this rock is a combination of cruelty and tenderness. People pursue power and money at all costs, and are decisive in killing in the face of temptation, but in front of their loved ones, they will still expose their softest and most vulnerable side.

Audiovisual: Cyberization is unnecessary

The excessive use of neon has reached the level of visual pollution, which is another major flaw in the film.

There are not many scene descriptions in the original novel, and most of them play a connecting role in the advancement of the plot. For example, during the "father-son time" when Su Jianming and Zheng Gang ride the cable car together, there is a description of the scenery that fits the characters' mood.

It's a very conventional and moderate description, and doesn't distract from the plot.

However, why does it become so bizarre and uncomfortable in the movie?

Because of laziness。

"Solid as a Rock" was filmed under the title of "Chongqing's Crackdown on Crime", so the shooting scenes were made as close to the local characteristics of Chongqing as possible.

So what is Chongqing style?

Cyberpunk is popular. Young people like it.

It coincides with the topics of official corruption, capital greed, and the gap between the rich and the poor in the film.

Isn't Director Zhang a photographer by profession? So he should have used dozens of truckloads of light tubes and light boxes. Gang fights, axe chopping, people being pushed off rooftops and other violent scenes with magical realism are perfect for Director Zhang to stimulate the audience's senses through colors.

This is what Uncle Chai calls "lazy".

The artistic setting of "As Solid as a Rock" is almost entirely based on existing online concepts, and there is no sign of any desire for innovation from Zhang Yimou.When the starting point or motivation of creation is to cater to and follow established impressions rather than to create something new, then its authorship will certainly be greatly discounted.。

Just like when Li Shaohong remade "Dream of the Red Chamber", the hair crowns and headdresses of the Twelve Beauties were all custom-made according to the description in the original novel, rather than being made up on the spot as in the 1987 version. It seemed that they were sticking to the original novel in detail, but in fact they were just being lazy under the guise of industrialization.

I remember there is a saying in the art world thatPainting, realistic is a derogatory word。

The same applies to this movie. When every detail is copied, the creator's originality will be greatly reduced.

While reading the original novel, the audience also read out Zhang Yimou's clever side: he wanted to shoot sensitive topics to attract attention, but he could only hammer at a paper wall; he wanted a win-win situation in both box office and art, but he could only be mysterious with simple narrative and colors; he wanted the audience to help him redress his injustice, but he lacked the spirit of preferring to have nothing rather than something mediocre.

The best evidence came in "Rock Solid", where it was obvious that Zhang Yimou was unable or unwilling to dig out Kelly Lee's deep base, and he just set up a group of acquaintances and ended the matter hastily.

This kind of thinking inertia also extends to the selection of supporting roles. Xu Yajun and He Zhengjun were used to play the public security officials, Chen Chong was used to play the good wife and mother, and Wang Xun was used to play the bus robber.

Although the film received poor reviews, most audiences were positive about the character of Li Zhitian.

It must be admitted that the faces of the villains in the original novel were portrayed quite well in the film.

After reading Chen Yu's Li Zhitian, this character has only one expression in the conventional narrative:Poker face。

No matter facing the police investigation or the scene of fishing out the phone with bare hands from the hot pot, Li Zhitian is always "silent" and "keep silent". This setting, on the one hand, fits the calmness that Li Zhitian has accumulated from working hard from Bangbang to becoming the richest man; on the other hand, it highlights the turmoil and struggle in his heart through apparent silence.

Perhaps because of the same class-jumping resume, Zhang Yimou saw through Li Zhitian's true nature: he was not a smiling tiger, nor a two-faced person.The villain who is so evil that he is in the abyss。

While Uncle Chai was reading the original novel, he was completely immersed in Yu Hewei's feelings and could not help but sigh that Li Zhitian was chosen by God.

The secretary played by Li Naiwen, the son-in-law played by Sun Yizhou, and the executive played by Tian Yu were all chosen in the same way. The characters were quickly established with just one or two simple plots. With just a few strokes, the huge size of the evil forces and their inevitable fate of sinking came to life on paper.

2. Plot: A half-finished product that is neither fish nor fowl

The movie version of "Rock Solid" touches on too many topics, including criminal investigation, anti-gangsterism, human choice, fairness and justice, etc. The existence of large blank spaces and the lack of large amounts of facts make the entire plot framework full of loopholes and the logic bizarre. Every topic is superficial and sloppy, and ultimately becomes a semi-finished product that is neither fish nor fowl, making it impossible for us to empathize with the characters.

After reading the original novel, Uncle Chai had two understandings of the story title "Solid as a Rock". The first is the relationship between evil forces and the foundation of society; the second is that human nature is as solid as a rock and difficult to shake.

Zheng Gang and Li Zhitian, both black and white,The character is also complexZheng Gang rose to become the top leader of Jinjiang by relying on his father-in-law's relationship, and Li Zhitian became a gangster by relying on his hard work. In the process of climbing, the two experienced too much blood and blood, and exchanged interests. They had already figured out the veins of human nature in actual combat. Both of them understood that only by becoming a real insider can one understand the tricks of officialdom and the operating mechanism of the entire underground society.

From Su Jianming's perspective, this is a story of cutting off the spiritual benchmark and rebuilding values. From Li Zhitian's perspective, there is also a female emotional line, that is, his relationship with his daughter and David. The original work describes in detail the psychological motivation of the son-in-law to please his father-in-law. At the same time, there are two profound conversations between the daughter and Li Zhitian. The daughter clearly realized that her husband had touched her father's reverse scale, so she kept acquiescence to her husband's treatment. The comparison of the two sets of father-son relationships shows that human nature is as complex as the abyss and cannot be looked at directly.

Perhaps Chen Yu wants to express that the social power structure is like a rock, and each individual is a replaceable one clinging to it. And each person who makes up this rock is a combination of cruelty and tenderness. People pursue power and money at all costs, and are decisive in killing in the face of temptation, but in front of their loved ones, they will still expose their softest and most vulnerable side.

3. Audio-visual effects: Cyberization is unnecessary

The excessive use of neon has reached the level of visual pollution, which is another major flaw in the film.

There are not many scene descriptions in the original novel, and most of them play a connecting role in the advancement of the plot. For example, during the "father-son time" when Su Jianming and Zheng Gang ride the cable car together, there is a description of the scenery that fits the characters' mood.

It's a very conventional and moderate description, and doesn't distract from the plot.

However, why does it become so bizarre and uncomfortable in the movie?

Because of laziness。

"Solid as a Rock" was filmed under the title of "Chongqing's Crackdown on Crime", so the shooting scenes were made as close to the local characteristics of Chongqing as possible.

So what is Chongqing style?

Cyberpunk is popular. Young people like it.

It coincides with the topics of official corruption, capital greed, and the gap between the rich and the poor in the film.

Isn't Director Zhang a photographer by profession? So he should have used dozens of truckloads of light tubes and light boxes. Gang fights, axe chopping, people being pushed off rooftops and other violent scenes with magical realism are perfect for Director Zhang to stimulate the audience's senses through colors.

This is what Uncle Chai calls "lazy".

The artistic setting of "As Solid as a Rock" is almost entirely based on existing online concepts, and there is no sign of any desire for innovation from Zhang Yimou.

When the starting point or motivation of creation is to cater to and follow established impressions rather than to create something new, then its authorship will certainly be greatly discounted.。

Just like when Li Shaohong remade "Dream of the Red Chamber", the hair crowns and headdresses of the Twelve Beauties were all custom-made according to the description in the original novel, rather than being made up on the spot as in the 1987 version. It seemed that they were sticking to the original novel in detail, but in fact they were just being lazy under the guise of industrialization.

I remember there is a saying in the art world thatPainting, realistic is a derogatory word。

The same applies to this movie. When every detail is copied, the creator's originality will be greatly reduced.

While reading the original novel, the audience also read out Zhang Yimou's clever side: he wanted to shoot sensitive topics to attract attention, but he could only hammer at a paper wall; he wanted a win-win situation in both box office and art, but he could only be mysterious with simple narrative and colors; he wanted the audience to help him redress his injustice, but he lacked the spirit of preferring to have nothing rather than something mediocre.