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After six years away from the big screen, director Gu Changwei brings his new film "Hedgehog". This film starring Ge You and Wang Junkai has sparked a lot of discussion among fans after its release. The film takes into account both literary and popular qualities. In the absurd and humorous atmosphere, it arouses the empathy and thinking of many viewers. It is a poem dedicated to idealists. As of August 27, the cumulative box office of the film has exceeded 85 million yuan, and the final box office is expected to reach 168 million yuan.

Continuing Gu Changwei's creation: Shooting for the frustrated people who are not understood

"I come from the wilderness and go to the sea. The whistle has sounded in the distance, but life has blocked my way." This poem, which appears repeatedly in "Hedgehog", best represents the situation of the protagonists Wang Zhantuan and Zhou Zheng being "stuck in life" and their mentality of always yearning for freedom.

In the film, Ge You plays the uncle Wang Zhantuan, who has become a "devil" and a mentally ill person in his family because of his early adventures. Wang Junkai plays the nephew Zhou Zheng, who is out of tune with his surroundings because of his stuttering and academic performance problems. His parents' rough education methods also make him resist and feel depressed. This aunt and nephew are not understood by others, but they can see each other's heart and become precious "weird" friends regardless of age. They are "aliens" in the secular world, but they are normal people in each other's eyes.

Gu Changwei's previous works often focus on the frustrated people who are not understood, which is also the image of the little people he has always been best at creating. The sister in "Peacock" is "ambitious but fragile", and she wants to be a paratrooper. The scene of making a homemade parachute left a romantic picture that is enough to be recorded in the history of Chinese-language films. Wang Cailing in "The Beginning of Spring" is ugly, but because she has a voice for singing opera and a noble personality, she is unwilling to live a mediocre and secular life and wants to sing in Paris. The male and female protagonists in "The Most Beloved" are cursed by fate because they have AIDS, and what is even more heartbreaking is the cold eyes and discrimination of others. Fortunately, love can give them a little warmth in the world. These characters are often oppressed by the times, society, and fate, but they have been working hard to fight and break the shackles of the environment, hoping to realize their personal self-worth.

In "Hedgehog", Gu Changwei once again writes a monument for the little people who are unwilling to be ordinary, bringing the "idealist" Wang Zhantuan and the taciturn and stubborn boy Zhou Zheng to the public.

In the film, the emotional bond between Wang Zhantuan and Zhou Zheng, who supported and redeemed each other, is very touching. The emotional bond between the two has always been there, and their persistence in their ideals has also continued. Zhou Zheng fled with Wang Zhantuan's unfulfilled ideals, and after graduation he became a seaman and was able to run towards the sea called freedom.

Adaptation of Zheng Zhi's novel: full of strong Northeast flavor

"Hedgehog" follows Gu Changwei's habit of drawing materials from novels. It is adapted from the short story "Xian Syndrome" by Zheng Zhi, one of the "Three Musketeers of Northeastern Literature". Zheng Zhi is also one of the screenwriters of the film. The film retains the Northeast background and long time span of the original work, focusing on depicting the escape and return of two generations to their own destiny.

In recent years, the "Northeast Renaissance" has been gaining momentum. Compared with dramas such as "The Long Season" and "Moses on the Plain" that place the narrative space in factories or small families, "Hedgehog" on the one hand strengthens the regional characteristics of the Northeast through lines and props, and on the other hand shows more stories of large families.

The grandmother in the film, as the head of the family, treats playing mahjong as her job and smokes all day long; in this family with more yin than yang, the ones who are more worried are the eldest aunt and the mother, but they are also prone to excessive anxiety; the whole family is closely connected, often meeting and having parties, and sticking together during festivals. They help each other when there is something to do, but they are also inevitable for daily quarrels... Many typical regional symbols in the film, such as eating chicken racks and stockpiling cabbage in winter, all make people feel the strong Northeastern atmosphere.

Zheng Zhi believes that compared to the original title "Xian Syndrome", the title "Hedgehog" is clearer and more intuitive, and can better express the true meaning of the film's creative team. "The hedgehog is also a very important character in this movie. It has thorns all over its body, but its thorns are not for hurting others, but for protecting itself. The stories of Wang Zhantuan and Zhou Zheng are also related to the image of the hedgehog in a certain sense - why do soft people have to endure so much harm? So when Director Gu proposed this name, I thought it was the most appropriate title."

Compared with the original novel, the movie gave Wang Zhantuan a more benevolent ending. Zheng Zhi was also moved to tears when he watched the movie for the first time. "The text of the novel is more sad, while the movie adds a touch of warmth, making some changes to Wang Zhantuan's personal destiny, leaving hope, and the bond between the aunt and nephew is more profound and moving."

Ge You's performance is shocking: both tragic and absurd

The 67-year-old "Ge Da Ye" put away his Beijing accent and spoke in Northeastern dialect in the non-comedy work "Hedgehog", and once again burst out with great performance energy. Although there are many comedy elements in the film, Ge You performed the profound and heavy tragedy of Wang Zhantuan. The mixture of sadness and joy not only did not seem disconnected, but instead had a sense of absurdity.

Ge You has brought to life a crazy and foolish Wang Zhantuan who lives his life as he pleases, by accurately grasping the character's state. When encountering unfair things, he always speaks out the six words "Should it be? Shouldn't it be?" clearly, clearly stating his position, and showing his kind and upright character. He focused on directing the hedgehog to cross the road, causing a traffic jam at the intersection, showing Wang Zhantuan's stubbornness. The scene of watching his daughter get married touched the tear glands of many viewers. As the wedding convoy slowly moved, Wang Zhantuan exhaled the smoke from his mouth with a feeling of melancholy. When tears fell, his back was full of loneliness for not being able to accompany her in person.

In addition to speaking in Northeastern dialect, Wang Zhantuan also has many original performance details, such as "grabbing cigarettes". Wang Zhantuan's initial performance of grabbing cigarettes was closer to comedy, but when his son died and was cremated in the funeral home, Wang Zhantuan was sent from the mental hospital to attend the funeral. At the last moment, he rushed to the chimney that was spewing clouds of smoke, stretched out his hand to "grasp" the smoke tightly, and then "stuck" it into his pocket with force. Many viewers commented that this scene is enough to be selected as the "highlight moment of the performance of Chinese-language films of the year."

Compared to the novel, many of Zhou Zheng's scenes are original, and Wang Junkai also contributed a qualified performance. Not only did he play the stuttering boy in full detail, but the emotional changes in the important scenes were full of tension, showing Zhou Zheng's inner rebellion and stubbornness. Some viewers commented that Zhou Zheng is Wang Junkai's most subversive role, which makes people see the deep harm that parents bring to their children in the name of love.

Ge You and Wang Junkai collided and redeemed themselves in the play, and continued their friendship outside the play. The two called each other "Uncle-in-law" and "Zhou Zheng". Ge You said with a smile that "Wang Junkai is a young old actor". When the two of them were filming, they discussed the scenes together, and Wang Junkai often made important suggestions. "It's a matter of mutual learning and common progress." Wang Junkai admitted that he learned a lot from Ge You. "There was no crying scene in the scene of my daughter's marriage, and the uncle showed his true feelings on the spot. The moment he shed tears, I felt from the bottom of my heart that he was Wang Zhantuan."

Source: Beijing Daily Client