The "Youth Version of Dream of Red Mansions" is worth young people's appreciation and understanding
2024-08-19
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Text｜Ni Shengzi
"The paper is full of nonsense, and a handful of bitter tears; everyone says the author is crazy, but who can understand the meaning?" Over the past 200 years since Cao Xueqin wrote "Dream of Red Mansions", there have been countless versions of the interpretation of this classic masterpiece, including expert comments passed down by word of mouth, as well as opinions from unique perspectives.
Shakespeare once said, "There are a thousand Hamlets in the minds of a thousand people." Similarly, there are a thousand Baoyu, Daiyu, and Baochai in the minds of a thousand people, and a thousand people have their own different interpretations of "Dream of Red Mansions." In this sense, the movie "Dream of Red Mansions: A Perfect Marriage" currently being screened can be described as a "youth version of "Dream of Red Mansions." "Youth" has become the entry point and the most important label of this version of "Dream of Red Mansions," which is unique among many film and television works of "Dream of Red Mansions."
The "youth" of the youth version of "Dream of Red Mansions" is first reflected in the actors. The film and television adaptation of "Dream of Red Mansions" has always been performed by adult actors to interpret the characters in the novel. Adult actors are naturally better in acting, but some of them are very inconsistent with the original work. Baoyu was 14 years old at the beginning of the story, Daiyu was only 12 and a half years old, and Xue Baochai was 14 and a half years old. If we want to find actors who are already famous in their 20s to play young boys and girls who are just beginning to fall in love, it does not conform to the spirit of the original work. The leading actors of the movie "Dream of Red Mansions: Golden Jade Marriage", such as Baoyu, Daiyu and Chai, are all amateur actors selected from tens of thousands of candidates. The crew also conducted intensive training for them for up to 9 months, including reading the original work, training in body shape and lines, such as embroidery experts to teach girls embroidery and sewing, and inviting calligraphy teachers to teach them calligraphy, and they have to complete calligraphy homework every day... Let them immerse themselves in all aspects of Chinese traditional culture. Judging from the presentation of the film, through the interpretation of these young actors who are similar in age to the characters in the original novel, we see the youth in the Grand View Garden and the vibrant life and love.
The "youth" of the youth version of "Dream of Red Mansions" is also reflected in the innovation of the film's presentation, which conforms to the aesthetic sense of modern people. Most of the Red Mansions film and television works start with Nuwa mending the sky, the stubborn stone on Qinggeng Peak, and a monk and a Taoist priest. The movie "Dream of Red Mansions: Golden Jade Marriage" mainly talks about "Golden Jade Marriage", mainly about the fate and love of three young people, focusing on "conspiracy and love". The film and television works first show the Redology research point of view of "Jia swallowing Lin's wealth", and such a plot setting is more in line with the dramatic requirements of the film. The "wood and stone alliance" representing Baoyu and Daiyu sounds a bit awkward, and it is relatively unfamiliar to a large number of viewers who have not read the original work. "Golden Jade Marriage" is actually an irony. In addition, the costumes and props of the film are also trying to be close to modern aesthetics. For example, bright yellow was not allowed to be worn by ordinary people in ancient times, and it was taboo, but Wang Xifeng in the film wore a bright yellow dress. In addition, Mrs. Wang's clothes were gray-blue, and there was actually no such intermediate color in ancient times. The movie "A Dream of Red Mansions" actually uses contemporary aesthetics and film language to reflect the classic masterpiece, which is more easily accepted by contemporary audiences.
Overall, the movie "A Dream of Red Mansions" is relatively faithful to the original novel, including the lines and plots are all derived from the original novel, and the expression is more youthful. This youthful expression is actually in line with the basic situation of the original characters. The "youth version of "A Dream of Red Mansions"" is more worthy of young people's appreciation and understanding.
