is it unfair that popular movies are criticized one after another?
2024-09-03
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this article is reproduced from [china news network];
china news service, beijing, september 3 (reporter shangguan yun) in august, the movie "dream of red mansions: the golden jade marriage", which had attracted widespread attention, was finally released. many viewers chose to go to the cinema to feast their eyes.
however, just after its release, this movie adapted from the literary masterpiece "dream of red mansions" caused a lot of controversy. topics related to the plot, character setting, etc. have been on the hot search list one after another. as of now, the douban score is less than 4 points.
image source: douban rating screenshot
some people think the film is well made, while many others think the casting and some of the adapted plots are not appropriate. so why is this film being criticized?
a controversial film
when the main creative team of "a dream of red mansions" was first revealed, it was actually very exciting.
the cast includes veteran actors like lu yan and zhang guangbei; director hu mei is regarded as a representative of china's "fifth generation" of directors, having directed a series of works including "the emperor of han wu" and "the yongzheng dynasty", all of which are classic dramas in the film and television industry.
unfortunately, the painstakingly produced dream of red mansions sparked controversy soon after its release. many netizens believed that the film had some problems in terms of adaptation and casting.
firstly, from the content point of view, some shots are indeed quite aesthetically pleasing, and the movie tries its best to present famous scenes such as daiyu burying flowers, but the problem is that there is no effective logical connection between these classic scenes, and the plot looks a bit fragmented.
secondly, there is the issue of the compatibility between the actors and the roles. for example, some people believe that zhang miaoyi, the actress who plays lin daiyu, is lively and cute, but her temperament does not match the original novel's description of lin daiyu as "three points more beautiful than xi shi when she is sick."
therefore, many people feel that this version of lin daiyu is a bit unlike "sister lin", and compare it with the character image of lin daiyu in the 1987 version of "dream of red mansions" and li shaohong's version of "dream of red mansions". soon, "one dai is not as good as another" became a hot search.
image source: screenshot of weibo hot search
the creators have obviously noticed the controversy. hu mei posted on social media that this work is the one she has put the most effort into. in addition, "as for the audience, some like it and some criticize it, which is a very normal phenomenon." hu mei said that she will listen carefully to all opinions.
zhang miaoyi also responded to the controversy in a long article, in which she mentioned, "after these seven years, after playing more roles, i know where my problem lies." zhang miaoyi said that she will always remember the role of "lin daiyu" and will always motivate herself.
the attitude was sincere, but the controversy did not subside. some people even asked, "can't we have some respect for literary masterpieces?"
why is it being criticized?
objectively speaking, it is not easy to adapt a masterpiece as huge as "dream of red mansions" into a film or tv series, and to do it well. there are many characters in the novel, and there are many foreshadowings in the first 80 chapters. it is a test of the screenwriter's skills to condense its essence and present it in a film or tv series.
image source: screenshot from the trailer of the movie "a dream of red mansions: a perfect marriage"
the adaptation stage is also prone to problems. if the creators do not fully understand the content of the original work, the quality of the script may not be high enough. if the casting is not so "close" and the acting skills cannot keep up, the finished product will inevitably cause controversy.
to sum up the complaints of netizens about "a dream of red mansions part two: the golden marriage", they are roughly concentrated in these aspects: the story is piled with "famous scenes" from the original novel, and there is a lack of emotional progression between certain plots; granny liu looks good and does not look like someone with a "difficult family situation" at all, nor does she need to go to the jia mansion to "beg for money".
for another example, lin daiyu's character is somewhat broken. in the scene of "sending palace flowers", she threw the flowers on the ground; the idea that "lin family's money was misappropriated" or "jia swallowed up lin's wealth" was actually quite obscure in the original novel, but it almost became a "clear plot" in the film.
based on this, some netizens believe that this version of "dream of red mansions" has "magically changed" the plot and the character portrayal is not realistic enough.
"dream of red mansions" is a classic. everyone likes the original work and is familiar with it, which often means that the adapted tv series will be subject to more stringent scrutiny. once the story theme and character personality are not established, it is likely that even the "passerby popularity" will be lost.
image source: screenshot of netizens’ weibo
how to win a good reputation?
in fact, "dream of red mansions" has always been a rich ip mine, but some adapted dramas have failed, while others have become classics.
the tv series "dream of red mansions" directed by li shaohong was criticized a lot after it was broadcast: baoyu lacked spirit, "daiyu was plump, baochai was thin", and they did not look like the characters in the book at all; the "copper coin head" makeup was also criticized for not being lifelike enough.
the 1987 version of dream of the red chamber has a relatively good reputation. director wang fulin likes the original novel very much. he read dream of the red chamber for a whole year behind closed doors during filming. almost all the actors who appear in the play have undergone strict selection to fit the characters.
the makeup was also very thoughtful. makeup artist yang shuyun made profile cards and sketches for each main character before giving the actors a trial makeup. wang xifeng's makeup was different for different story scenes, and was divided into "big makeup", "banquet makeup", "main makeup", "prisoner makeup" and so on.
this kind of strict control of details is very common in the 1987 version of "dream of red mansions". it is also for this reason that this tv series, which has been broadcast for more than 30 years, is still the "white moonlight" in the hearts of many viewers.
image source: screenshot of netizens’ weibo
there are also good adapted versions of movies. for example, the movie dream of red mansions, shot by the famous director xie tieli, brought together well-known actors such as tao huimin, zhao lirong, and he qing, and restored famous scenes such as the meeting between baoyu and daiyu and fengjie throwing vinegar, and it has a good reputation.
to sum up, classic ips are timeless, and audiences hope to see lin daiyu, jia baoyu and others in the book appear in front of everyone in vivid and tangible film and television images. some people are willing to try to adapt this masterpiece, and this courage deserves recognition.
however, novels and film and television are different art forms. film and television dramas can certainly have innovations and their own ways of expression, but if they want to receive good reviews, a prerequisite is that the plot must be based on the self-consistency of character behavior and story logic.
in a word, only films and tv series that respect the original work and are guided by artistic value can have a good reputation. shoddy films and tv series will eventually be eliminated by time. (end)
