On the second day of the Lunar New Year, as the Lunar New Year war officially kicked off, people who were still immersed in the cheerful atmosphere of the New Year had another way to entertain themselves, entering the cinema and watching the feasts carefully prepared by the filmmakers for the audience.

The first meal to be served to this feast was Feng Xiaogang's "1942", perhaps in order to seize the opportunity, "1942" was advanced by two hours according to the original release time, and the original 8 o'clock was now advanced to 6 o'clock.

Many people haven't had dinner at this time, but this still can't stop people's enthusiasm for watching movies, although Feng Xiaogang's last work "Night Banquet" disgusted people, but Feng's comedy is like a brand, and it has already been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

Even though Feng Xiaogang has repeatedly emphasized that this is not a comedy as early as the promotion stage of the movie, people still have preconceived ideas about Feng's movies and give this movie a comedy label.

After all, earlier Feng Xiaogang directed "No Thieves in the World" and "Mobile Phone", he also claimed that this was not a comedy, but after the release, the heartfelt lines in the movie can still make people laugh.

And really waited until the movie was released, and people knew that Feng Xiaogang really didn't plan to take the comedy route this time, but played a serious game.

What was opened by Feng Xiaogang was no longer the story of the little people who blurred the background, but directly rose to the level of national disaster.

The opening chapter is full of devastation, which obviously people did not think of before entering the cinema, and "1942" is still such a special movie, at the time of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and national disaster, our party and our army were absent throughout the whole process, and the protagonists who were busy before and after became the Kuomintang and its army, because of ideology, this rarely appeared in the mainstream films in the mainland in the past.

In the memory of many audiences, this kind of movie in which I, the Party, and our army are absent in the face of major history, and the protagonist gives way to the Kuomintang, the Kuomintang, and the Party is only "The Bloody Battle of Taierzhuang", and it is commendably humanized to Lao Jiangdu.

Although it also shows the insensitivity of Jiang Dingwen and other Kuomintang generals, and the corruption, corruption and corruption of Kuomintang government officials, at the same time, the audience can also feel the helplessness of Lao Jiang in domestic and foreign affairs, he needs to seek refuge from international forces, and he needs to seek help from local consortia.

This kind of performance is undoubtedly a huge breakthrough, and it also shows that the inherent cultural and ideological field is gradually softening, and many forbidden areas of creation are gradually being opened.

Returning to the film itself, this is a movie "on the road", the victims are displaced due to famine, Feng Xiaogang and screenwriter Liu Zhenyun adopted the narrative technique of five clues of disaster victims, the army, the government, religion, and journalists, so that these five types of people can face the famine and respond.

From the perspective of the play, there are 19 protagonists and 50 secondary roles, which is taboo in both drama and film, not to mention that the characters do not intersect with each other, which poses a huge test to the drama of the film, and the risk is extremely high.

It is true that the multi-line narrative will inevitably disperse the emotional power of the characters, leaving the audience accustomed to following the fate of several characters at a loss, and judging from the finished film, the clues of the two priests played by Zhang Hanyu and Tim Robbins can be cut off, too far from the main story line, perhaps, Feng Xiaogang should have more ideas in the original story design, but due to the overall structure, he had no choice but to cut a lot of scenes.

There is also an advantage of multi-line parallelism, that is, it will form an atmospheric pattern, and this pattern is a major element to improve the level of historical themes.

However, "1942" lacks this kind of grandeur, Feng Xiaogang does the opposite, his intention is not to pursue a certain ideal, but more to expose ugliness.

In the previous publicity stage, Feng Xiaogang once said that "1942" is like a mirror, his face in the mirror is very ugly and not good-looking, but at least it can make him "know ugliness", which is better than being stinky in a daze.

In the film, the audience saw Feng Xiaogang's criticism of the inferiority of the nation, and in the face of famine, the obscenity and selfishness of the Chinese people were presented. This critique is similar to Spielberg's critique of Jews in Schindler's List, in which Jews do not forget their greed for money even when they die.

Seeing the big from the small is a consistent technique of Feng's films, but on the larger level of "1942", it must be admitted that this is a very big leap forward in Feng Xiaogang's film art.

Previously, many people said that in terms of the artistic form of the film, Feng Xiaogang is still only at the level of TV drama creation, and the main evidence of those who hold this view is that Feng Xiaogang's lens has always lacked a sense of power, and the attraction of the audience depends on the popular plot, and these can be completed as long as they can tell stories, control the shooting scene, and have good luck.

In the movie "1942", Feng Xiaogang adheres to the narrative he is good at, as well as the portrayal of small people, and the visual impact presented is also perfect.

In fact, there is no need to be so strict with Feng Xiaogang, because first of all, Feng Xiaogang's contribution to the domestic film industry is far greater than his contribution to the film itself, whether it is a previous comedy or a serious work like "1942", he has always grasped the emotional death hole of the public, like a midwife, to help the stressed audience vent their emotions, there is no need to force him to make a masterpiece that penetrates the soul.

Specific to the movie "1942", it can only be regarded as excellent, it is obviously not a small distance from the classics, the first 80% of the performance of the whole movie is good, restrained, forbearing, heavy, and tells such a cruel hunger scene in a natural tone, which is not exaggerated but conveys the sense of suffering of life, and even has a few places of Liu Zhenyun-style black humor, embellished with the pain of crying and laughing.

If the whole movie can continue at this pace, "1942" has every chance to become a classic of disaster films, but it is a pity that when it comes to the last 20 percent, what Song Zheng had been worried about earlier finally happened, Feng Xiaogang still did not abandon the means of sensationalism, and directly tore through the psychological defense line that the audience was still thinking quietly, bursting out tears and hatred.

From jumping off the train on a hitch and finding that he didn't have millet with him, to being stabbed in the throat by a Japanese, to the suffocation of his grandson by Fan Caizhu, this series of dramatic conflicts has pushed the calm and grand atmosphere painstakingly created by the film to a narrow, and what was originally a high tide of deepening the theme has become a high tide of emotional venting.

It can be said that it is the overly full dramatic narrative that destroys the cruelty of the disaster itself to a certain extent.

In addition, in terms of structure, there is also some dragging, the four clues laid out in the movie, the experience of the disaster victims escaping the famine is to show "what", the response of the national government is to show "why", the reporter Bai Xiude is the "discoverer of the problem", and the missionary is the "questioner of the problem".

The first two are the main line, the last two are the auxiliary lines, and if you add the attitude of the Japanese soldiers towards the disaster victims, it is five clues and five positions.

The film's attitude towards the Kuomintang, the Kuomintang, and the Party is relatively neutral, giving Lao Jiang a respectable and pitiful image, but the connection between the two auxiliary lines and the theme is not close enough, if Bai Xiude's role is to connect the disaster victims and the government, then the role of the missionary is somewhat ambiguous.

Xiao An's torture about God is more like a play, and it does not play a role in purifying the soul, but the old lady's sentence of "Amitabha" when facing Lao Jiang is more shocking.

In contrast, the Japanese army's understanding of the victims is the finishing touch, "they are Chinese, but first of all, people", this sentence should be used as the "title" of the whole film, because it wants to show the human state in hunger, but unfortunately it is not deep enough.

Of course, if you have to criticize "1942" on this, there are some eggs to pick and choose, in fact, this movie is still good, at least in the increasingly impetuous Chinese film and television industry, "1942" is also a rare masterpiece.

First of all, the theme is clear, at the beginning of the movie, in the voice of Lao Chiang's anti-Japanese speech, the subtitles of the main creators appear; at the end of the movie, subtitles are used to explain Lao Chiang's retreat to Treasure Island in 1949.

This analyzes the reason for the failure of the Kuomintang and the Kuomintang from one side, that is, it has lost the support of the people, which is no different from the official answer, and is actually the best answer.

But for "1942", what exactly is it to express, is it human nature, politics, war, or history?

Maybe there's everything, maybe there's nothing.

But it is undeniable that it did erect a monument for our suffering nation, and the appearance of the monument is not mentioned for the time being, but the inscription is accurate.

In addition, throwing off the burden of the system, Feng Xiaogang and Liu Zhenyun used the previous page of the history of New China to reflect a reality rotation that cannot be escaped.

It is difficult to say how tragic the various tribulations in "1942" are, and the unique Feng humor gives this layer of suffering of the Chinese a little bit of adventure blockbuster joy and public watchability.

These two points seem to be commercial behaviors, but they make people deeply feel that the tribulations in "1942" are far less memorable than the "special period" that Chinese cannot talk about, and the advance of the story time has made a qualitative change in the "Feng tragedy".

"1942" is the biggest drama Feng Xiaogang has ever filmed since the film, and it is very rare to be able to shoot at this level, first of all, it is very rare, a large number of group scenes and multi-clue narratives in the film test the director's ability to control, and the final effect of the film has actually exceeded many people's expectations.

Like most historical subjects, 1942 presents a forgotten past in a low-saturation nostalgic tone. The low profile of the color does not reduce the visual impact and watchability of the film in the slightest, but brings a rather textured reality to the film.

The highly condensed script in the film also makes each frame of the film rich in information, clues about the victims, clues about local officials, clues about American journalists, clues about Lao Jiang, and clues about international wars, and the film pattern is very huge.

No matter how sad Liu Zhenyun is, there will be a black humor in it, and the cooperation between Feng Xiaogang and Liu Zhenyun makes his movie a little more thick in the chicken thief temperament.

The film opens with the landlord's son taking advantage of the famine, which lays the black tone of the whole film that is absurd and not detached from reality, and the analysis of human nature is very capable, and the lines are not nonsense, which has a great effect on the plot promotion and character of the characters. The description of various social classes makes it very easy for the audience to understand the main creative expression, and sorts out the huge story in a very orderly manner.

In terms of directing techniques, Feng Xiaogang has made a lot of progress compared with previous films, and this progress still comes from black humor, which is reminiscent of Jiang Wen's "The Devil is Coming", which paid equal attention to ideology and artistry.

The only difference is that "1942" does not focus on the ferocity of the Japanese army, and the audience sees that the inaction and corruption of the national government are far more infuriating than the two rounds of bombing by the Japanese army.

Probably in order to avoid the fate of "The Devil is Coming", the film deliberately arranged a scene in which a Japanese officer killed a long-term bolt column, which is neither absurd nor realistic, and is the only sound in the whole film, but fortunately, the flaws are not concealed.

The two main clues in the film are handled very well, one is the clue of the old landlord's escape from the famine, and the other is the clue of Lao Jiang's daily trivialities.

In the film, there is a huge difference in class between the two, but their fates continue to intersect. Step by step, the landlord became a member of the famine, and Lao Jiang also became a lost dog from the people's heart.

The contrast of the two parallel threads suggests that the fate of the people and the regime is linked, and Lao Chiang sacrificed the people to resist the Japanese, but was eventually abandoned by the people.

Another commendable point is that Feng Xiaogang's use of black humor in the movie "1942" can be said to have reached its peak, black humor as an artistic expression deliberately reflects the creator's satirical intentions, and the core content of "1942" is precisely irony.

The women's initial conceptions of culture, sexuality, and class in the film gradually changed as the famine spread. Decent people gradually lost their dignity and became incestful.

After the Japanese invasion, the Chinese soldiers snatched the people's materials, which is a true portrayal of national and human nature.

It's a pity that the tragic situation of father-son cannibalism is not visually presented in the film, and only dogs eat people instead, which weakens the tragedy of reality, which is the biggest loss in art.

The ridicule of faith has also been used many times in this movie, the Chinese priests are not firm in their beliefs, and gradually begin to doubt God, and the church seems to be just a refuge for the spirit and the body, because God makes people save themselves, and the dialogue between Chinese priests and Western priests in the film is meaningful.

It's either a land abandoned by God, or God doesn't exist in Himself.

Faith can give people strength, but without food, the soul will eventually lose its attachment. Interestingly, there is no priest in the war blockbuster "Saving Private Ryan", only the church that has been blown up. It can be seen that Chinese and Western filmmakers have different beliefs, but their views on God are very consistent.

In addition, the actors' performances in this film are even more classic, most of the actors in the film are acting schools who have cooperated with Feng Xiaogang for many years, and each leading actor is a master of interpreting inner drama.

Chen Zhiming restored a more realistic Lao Jiang, and performed Lao Jiang's helplessness and desolation beyond the domineering of the leader of a country. Zhang Guoli, who is the main player, is extremely rich in psychological activities, which is the biggest attraction of the whole film, Zhang Mo, who plays opposite him, is reckless and bloody, he has become the biggest highlight of the whole film, and Xu Fan's performance is no longer like a chicken blood, and it has improved compared to before.

Probably the capacity of the film is limited, Feng Yuanzheng's character is not prominent enough, but there is no lack of joy, Li Xuejian's helplessness, Zhang Hanyu's confusion, Chef Fan's stealing life, Wang Ziwen's Qingli rebellion, etc., are all impressive.

There are also two international superstars, Brody and Tim Robbins, who also shine brightly, albeit with few scenes, but enough to make the film flourish.

In general, "1942" is not classic enough, but it is good enough to be handed down, but it can make people start thinking after watching it, so that they will not walk out of the cinema, and they can't even remember what they just watched, they just remember the chaos.

"How?"

Song Zheng sat in the car, calculated the time, waited until the premiere over there, and immediately called Feng Xiaogang.

Feng Xiaogang's voice was a little low, and he was silent for a while before he said, "It's okay, at least the audience didn't scold my mother!"

Song Zheng smiled, Feng Xiaogang should indeed feel lucky, for the New Year, he had to come up with such a movie, and he didn't give people a chance to prepare at all, and directly opened the most tragic page in the history of the nation, and it was presented bloodily, showing it to the audience who was still immersed in the joy of the Spring Festival.

Song Zheng didn't say anything cool, this was expected a long time ago, the box office of this movie will not be particularly high, but it will definitely allow Feng Xiaogang to improve a rank, if Feng Xiaogang can only be regarded as a film craftsman before, after this movie, Feng Xiaogang can touch the master's edge.

"There's still half an hour left over there, and I won't be there!"

Song Zheng smiled and said, "Got it! Let's talk about it later!"

Song Zheng hung up the phone and stepped on the accelerator.

"Slow down!"

Sitting next to Song Zheng was Fan Bingbing, who had just gotten off the plane, and the plane was supposed to arrive at Yanjing Airport at seven o'clock, but the flight was delayed and an hour late.

At the premiere of "Inception", the guests invited to the scene are estimated to have already begun to walk the red carpet.

"It's still slow, it's slow, let's get over there, I guess the movie should be over!"

Song Zheng said, changing gears quickly, the speed of the car increased again, and galloped away in the direction of the premiere of "Inception".