When it comes to "A Chinese Ghost Story", the first reaction of modern audiences is probably Ning Caichen played by brother and Nie Xiaoqian played by Joey Wang.
This old movie directed by Cheng Xiaodong and produced by Tsui Hark has become a classic in the hearts of a generation.
Over the past 33 years, various film and television drama versions have been released one after another, which seems to be unable to shake its status. Before the release of "A Chinese Ghost Story: Love in the World", it used the self-positioning of "tribute to the classics".
The first reaction of many people is the 87 version of "A Chinese Ghost Story".
But do you know that Ruan Jizhi is the screenwriter of the 87 version of "A Chinese Ghost Story" and "A Chinese Ghost Story"?
It can even be said that these two works, separated by 33 years, are both to pay tribute to the classic-"A Chinese Ghost Story" produced by Shaw Brothers in 1960 and directed by Li Hanxiang.
The 60th edition of "A Chinese Ghost Story", the classic international award
In 1987, Ruan Jizhi won 24th edition with "A Chinese Ghost Story" Best Adapted Screenplay Award at Taiwan Golden Horse Film Festival. And this has become the pinnacle of his independent screenwriting works.
The pressure to remake the 60th version of "A Chinese Ghost Story" is not small.
In order to hit the international award, Li Hanxiang selected the story of "Nie Xiaoqian" from "Strange Stories from a Lonely Studio", intercepted the first half of the plot, adapted it, and put it on the screen.
The story of Nie Xiaoqian is not the most brilliant in Pu Songling's pen. The reason why Li Hanxiang chose it is not only the plot twists, but also the background of the times.
1960 is also the year of Gengzi.
At the end of the 1950s, it was the Cold War period when the East and the West confronted each other.
Faced with the turbulent changes in the world pattern, Li Hanxiang set the background of the film to the late Ming and early Qing.
Ning Caichen, an upright scholar, and Yan Chixia, a heroic hero, talked about "the rise and fall of the country, everyone is responsible."
The story of Nie Xiaoqian and Ning Caichen, not so much as "the love between people and ghosts is not over", it is better to wake up the world: Yes Don't be blind, there is no distinction between people and ghosts.
Although this film was only nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 13th Cannes Film Festival, it has worked hard on the artistry. History and traditional Chinese culture are incorporated into it.
Under the technical conditions at the time, each lens was polished to the extreme, full of oriental beauty.
87 version, the most lingering but a "love" character
To remake such a classic, it is difficult to surpass it from the artistic point of view .
Ruan Jizhi and Xu Ke took a different approach, starting from the story, and turning the 87 version of "A Chinese Ghost Story" into a commercial film.
Jinhua Temple became Lanruo Temple; the upright scholar became the stupid and timid Ning Caichen; the brawny Wufu gained the 90s port The unique quagmire spirit of the film; the realistic feature film style has become a seductive light comedy...
And the core of the story has also changed from righteousness to human affection. The charm of the
87 version lies in the lingering love between Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian. Leslie CheungWang Zuxian's deduction is extremely important, which is exactly what was not expanded in the 60th edition.
Several confrontation plots between humans and ghosts are a combination of comedy and time suspense, layer by layer to create a rhythm of peaks and valleys, which firmly drew the attention of the audience.
"Good-looking", only these two words are needed to make the 87 version of "A Chinese Ghost Story" popular in Asia, and therefore the 90 and 91 versions of the next two sequels.
is just such a success, but also has the background of the times.
In 1987, Hong Kong’s entertainment industry ushered in a prosperous era. It was also this year that the Hong Kong stock market crash gave countless people a life from heaven to hell.
Under the prosperous world of paper drunk and gold fans, can the truth in the world be used to awaken the lost?
Or is it possible to use true feelings to help people who are not in pain?
In another year of Geng Zi, demons and demons will also have to be team-worked
If the car accident in 1989 had not hurt the brain, perhaps Ruan Jizhi would continue to serve The screenwriter of "A Chinese Ghost Story".
After a lapse of 33 years, although I have collaborated with two new writers on "A Chinese Ghost Story: Love in the World", it may be regarded as a long-cherished wish for Ruan Jizhi.
This remake, from which angle should we start to innovate?
scenes and special effects, blessed with new technical means, will surely have a breakthrough.
But this is not enough.
plot and core, if you don't give new elements, there is no need to remake again and again.
used the "Five Elements" Legion’s fishing to catch monsters to break through the previous two classics, with special effects polished, it really surprised me.
Nie Xiaoqian has a sister who is willing to sacrifice for her, which is also different.
Nie Xiaoqian became a monster, Yan Chixia became a monster catcher, and Xiahou and Zhiqiu Yiye merged into one role.
and the old demon in Montenegro became a collaboration of four.
The emotional scene is reduced, and the demon guard has become a team battle.
may have joined young screenwriters and integrated the idea of online game team battles into the plot. The practice of weakening individual heroes made me see the shadow of "A Chinese Ghost Story".
The question is, what kind of "A Chinese Ghost Story" do we need in 2020?
I don’t think it’s a good choice to remake the 87 version of the story. Under the background of different times, the truth of the story is always different.
If you say that the 60th edition is "responsibility" and the 87th edition is "love", then this edition in 2020 could have been named "A Chinese Ghost Story".
Regardless of justice, no matter what justice, the word "righteousness" can be deepened.
Unfortunately, the new version of the plot gave up polishing the word "yi", and chose the softer word "love", which will be compared with the 87 version, which is inevitable.
In fact, remake classic works, it is not necessary to go beyond, differentiated to promote strengths and avoid weaknesses, may be the correct opening posture.
