I never imagined that 30 years after his debut, Zhao Wenzhuo became a "comedian".
In the just-concluded "'s overcoming difficulties brother ", he successfully joined the group with 11th overall popularity and 5th place in the group, making his "debut" again after 30 years.
In many people’s minds, Zhao Wenzhuo should be a typical star.
Since his debut in 1991, Zhao Wenzhuo has relied on his kung fu to make a name for himself, such as the nine-door admiral in "Kung Fu Emperor Fang Shiyu", Huang Feihong in " Once Upon a Time: The Style of the King ", and " Green Snake " Fahai...
picture | In 1991, Zhao Wenzhuo played the villain Admiral Jiumen in "Kung Fu Emperor Fang Shiyu" and performed an extremely exciting fight scene with Jet Li.
Before he started acting, he had won many national martial arts competition championships, which is very similar to Jet Li 's career trajectory.
So at first many people regarded him as the "Successor of Jet Li", but later he gradually faded out of public view due to various reasons.
Until recently, he finally became famous because of his "contrast cuteness" in his serious and cute personality.
The most classic thing is that on the first stage, he sang the song "Meteor Shower" with a "Meteor Hammer" feeling, and single-handedly captured the most barrage hahaha.
The way he clenches his molar teeth and sings a love song makes everyone exclaim "the light of the right path" when they see him.
Picture | From the variety show "Brother Overcoming Troubles" - Zhao Wenzhuo
has been ups and downs in the entertainment industry for so many years. After many ups and downs, he risked his life and punched the flesh, which earned him the false reputation of "Jet Li's successor".
But now, the image of a "comedian" has made it easy for him to get out of the circle and attract countless fans.
is somewhat sad.
A powerful star who once had a lot of honors appears in front of us again, but his skills have long been nowhere to be used.
Chinese martial arts movies that were once popular all over the world seem to have been submerged in the tide of the times.
The names that have inspired generations of people will eventually be forgotten.
Picture | In 1995, Zhao Wenzhuo met Leslie Cheung while filming "The House of Gold", and the two became close friends since then. Leslie Cheung once commented on Zhao Wenzhuo: "Zhao Wenzhuo is too upright, can't speak, and often offends people. In fact, he is not suitable for the entertainment industry."
In his early years, Jackie Chan once said that among the stars, he was most optimistic about the two Successor: One is Wu Jing, the other is Zhao Wenzhuo.
Now, of these two people, one has turned around to embrace the main theme, while the other is almost "transparent" and has only recently returned to the public eye. The same thing as
is that they have become emoticons that netizens love to use.
It’s not that this won’t work, but looking back, it’s hard to avoid feeling a little disappointed.
Once upon a time, martial arts movies and martial arts stars were almost symbols that could represent Chinese culture.
Now, if you open any video website, you will find that there are still only a few truly "good-looking" martial arts movies.
Whether it is a movie or a TV series, workplace, school, suspense, comedy... no matter what type of film, there is a steady stream of newcomers, but where is the next star?
I really can’t think of it.
The Chinese people’s martial arts complex can be traced back to 1928. The film " Burning Red Lotus Temple " ignited the first fire of Jian Guang Xia Ying.
Since then, the history of world cinema has added a film type with strong Chinese characteristics - martial arts films, or kung fu films.
At that time, the Chinese people were in a state of depression and anger after the failure of the Great Revolution in 1927, and the fire lit by "The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple" just gave them an outlet to vent and relieve their pent-up feelings.
In the next four short years, more than 250 movies of the same type were broadcast in Shanghai alone.
The martial arts films at this time were mainly based on Peking Opera and focused on strict routines. From today's perspective, it is far from wonderful, but at that time, it was really rare.
Pictures | Stills of "The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple"
Of course, it was Bruce Lee who really made martial arts films go abroad.
In 1971, after Bruce Lee was rejected by the flourishing Shaw Brothers Pictures, he switched to the small company Jiahe for US$7,500. The boss also promised to "meet all Bruce Lee's requirements."
As a result, " Tangshan Big Brother " turned out, breaking the historical box office record in Hong Kong and causing a sensation all over the world.
Chinese martial arts films have since become popular all over the world and ushered in a golden age.
The 1972 " The Dragon Crosses the River " broke the box office record in almost all regions of Southeast Asia. One of the most exciting fight scenes was named one of the "Top Ten Textbook Fights" by the authoritative American martial arts magazine "Black Belt" "NO.1.
Picture | In 1972, "The Way of the Dragon", written, directed and starred by Bruce Lee, was the first film in the history of Hong Kong films to be shot in Europe.
Bruce Lee's movies go against the traditional stereotyped fighting scenes, instead emphasizing swiftness, force, and surprise.
People who were accustomed to seeing traditional routines suddenly had their eyes lit up, "It turns out that fighting scenes can be filmed like this!"
Unfortunately, God is jealous of talents. On July 20, 1973, Bruce Lee died of illness at the age of only 33.
An era suddenly came to an end, and martial arts films entered a period of downturn until Jackie Chan appeared.
He was initially trained as Bruce Lee's successor, but he never made any splash.
So he began to transform, and cooperated with Yuan Heping to launch the " Snake Shape Trick Hands " and " Drunken Master " series, which combined kung fu with comedy, and the results were a great success.
Chinese martial arts films have since entered the era of kung fu comedy.
While Jackie Chan was leading the revival of Hong Kong movies, a kung fu king - Jet Li - also appeared in the mainland.
In 1982, "Shaolin Temple" starring Jet Li created a miracle in the history of Chinese film.
In that era when ticket prices were only a dime, the box office of "Shaolin Temple" reached 160 million, and broke historical box office records in Japan, South Korea and other places...
At that time, the mainland had just ushered in the spring breeze of reform and opening up , people’s spiritual culture and entertainment are still lacking. Especially when it comes to movies, a movie is needed to support the scene.
The National Sports Commission also attaches great importance to this film and directly said to the producers: "You can choose the actors you want within the system."
Therefore, "Shaolin Temple" can gather so many martial arts masters.
Picture | In 1982, Jet Li became famous through "Shaolin Temple" and triggered the "second global martial arts craze" after Bruce Lee.
In " One Man's Martial Arts ", Wang Baoqiang has a line: "Who would have thought that the actor's kung fu is not performed."
In that era when special effects were not yet developed, Chinese martial arts films became popular all over the world because of one word: true.
The kung fu is real, the fighting is real; the people who make the movie have a "real" heart.
Take "Shaolin Temple" as an example. Needless to say, the entire cast has a solid foundation in martial arts. He won military awards; Yu Hai, who played the role of the master, was a martial arts athlete in the 1950s; Ji Chunhua was once a member of the Zhejiang Wushu Team, Yu Chenghui won the Qingdao Wushu All-Around Championship at the age of nineteen...
Director Zhang Xinyan’s first request for fighting scenes is also true. Ji Chunhua later recalled: “There was no action director at all, and whoever shot the scene would design the actions himself. Every time the director tells you how long it takes and where to go, start preparing, then use a video recorder to record it and go back to split the shots. ”
It is precisely because everyone has a background in martial arts that "Shaolin Temple" is filled with a large number of medium and long shot fight scenes instead of frequent camera changes and cuts, which is really eye-catching.
This is also the most fascinating thing about martial arts movies in the past. Whether it is Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Sammo Hung..., every fighting scene is based on real kung fu. | Jet Li
In that era of movies dominated by Hollywood, Chinese martial arts films were one of the few that could compete with them.
It is said that most American teenagers had two posters hanging in their rooms, one of which represented their sexual enlightenment. And the other one is Bruce Lee.
Even during the Yugoslav Civil War, he was a Catholic. Croatians and Bosnians who believe in Islam decided to erect a new peace monument in the city of Mostar in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. After a poll, it was found that Bruce Lee was the only one supported by both parties. People who respect each other, they regard it as a symbol of unity, justice and peace - "We will always be Muslims, Serbs or Croats , but we have one thing in common, that is Bruce Lee!" "
As a result, the world's first Bruce Lee statue was erected in the city of Mostar, earlier than Hong Kong.
Until the epidemic Before the incident, countless foreign friends traveled thousands of miles to China every year to learn martial arts from Shaolin Temple, Wudang Mountain and other "sacred martial arts places". | On September 29, 2019, at the Shaolin Temple in Songshan, Henan, the closing ceremony of the "Ministry of Culture's 7th Shaolin Kung Fu African Student Class" was held.
This kind of influence relies on generations of martial arts practitioners in the past. A solid punch
in order to highlight that. They also never shy away from "risk".
For example, Jackie Chan, jumping off buildings, jumping into the sea, jumping out of cars... are all routine actions in his movies.
The shocking jump in "Who Am I". It is still talked about and viewed repeatedly.
pictures. | In "Who Am I", Jackie Chan did not even use any protective equipment in order to achieve the best results, and he quickly slid down the 21-story building with his flesh and blood body. This action also won the Guinness World Record "Most Dangerous Action". Lens".
also There is the street fight between Wu Jing and Donnie Yen in "Slaying the Wolf"
For that short 45-second shot, Donnie Yen broke four sticks, and each stick hit Wu Jing's arm firmly. Wu Jing couldn't even hold the knife steady, but he still gritted his teeth and carried it.
Later, a friend said to Wu Jing: "The filming was so good, all your hatred is written on your face."
Wu Jing responded jokingly: "Man, because it really hurts."
Picture | When "Slaying the Wolf" was released, Wu Jing was 31 years old and Donnie Yen was 42 years old. It is said that this scene was not originally in the script, but was added at Donnie Yen's request. In the blink of an eye, 16 years later, both people have come a long way on their respective paths.
The documentary "Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts" released some time ago is an in-depth restoration of the martial arts industry of that era.
Longhu martial arts master, also known as "martial arts", usually refers to martial arts stand-ins. Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Lin Zhengying, Yuan Hua , Yuen Biao, Qian Jiale ... They were all originally from martial arts backgrounds.
Most martial arts practitioners are poor children who come from poor backgrounds. They are willing to do anything in order to make a living.
At the same time, because Hong Kong action movies were at their peak at that time, the entire industry was extremely involution. In order to prove themselves, they did not hesitate to risk their lives.
Donnie Yen once said: "In order to show that you are the best in the kung fu world, you will do a lot of stupid things."
There is a scene in "情 encounter" where Donnie Yen needs to fly out through the ropes around the ring. He hit a wall 3 meters away and then fell to the ground.
Before filming started, the director asked him: "Do I need to wear armor?" Donnie Yen refused very domineeringly.
As a result, after taking three photos, he fainted.
And the most dangerous one is Sammo Hung’s "Heart of the Dragon".
The last scene of the movie requires 8 people to jump from the 7th floor at the same time, accompanied by explosions.
Before the filming started, the demolitionists were too nervous to press the button, and tremblingly said to the director, "How about you press it?"
Later, there was an explosion, and eight people jumped down and fell heavily to the ground. on the carton.
The first thing the director shouted was not "CUT", but "Save people!"
At that time, ambulances were parked at the entrance of many studios every day, ready to save people at any time.
This was the daily life of the martial arts industry at that time. Countless martial arts practitioners worked desperately to achieve the glory of Hong Kong martial arts movies.
Picture | In the last scene of "Heart of the Dragon", some people from Hollywood came to visit the team and were stunned: "You dare to do this? Whoever does this action will die!"
That was the best era of Chinese martial arts movies .
And the best often means the swan song.
The pace of the era never stops. When the time entered the late 1990s, everything changed.
The Asian financial crisis in 1997 plunged all walks of life into turmoil, and the film market was the first to bear the brunt and suffered an overall downturn.
In 1998, the drama "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" ushered in a new era of palace dramas. Subsequent dramas such as " Love is Deep and Rainy" and "Another Dream" further brought It started a trend of domestic romantic dramas.
At the same time, as people’s entertainment needs become increasingly diversified, the situation of martial arts films has become increasingly declining.
Zhao Wenzhuo felt this change, so he moved to the mainland after 2000, moving from the big screen to the small screen. He initially earned some fame with martial arts dramas such as "风云" and "The Beauty of the Supremes". Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. .
When Wu Jing chose to drift to Hong Kong in 2003, he was undoubtedly trying to "change his destiny against nature."As a result, we have also seen that what really made him successful was the main theme of military-themed movies.
and Shi Xiaolong , who was also regarded as the successor of Jackie Chan and Jet Li, is only 33 years old this year. He is in the prime of his career, but he has fallen into the embarrassing situation of having no movies to film, so he had to retreat behind the scenes and change his career to become a professional. Action guidance.
Traditional martial arts films with hard work and hard work are no longer welcomed by the market.
Picture | "The Whirlwind Boy" released in 1994 was the first movie starring Shi Xiaolong. At that time, he was 6 years old and Hao Shaowen was 4 years old. Now both seem to have been long forgotten.
In addition, advances in technology and special effects have further compressed the living space of traditional kung fu.
In 2004, Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu" grossed over 100 million in box office despite the overall market downturn, becoming the box office champion of the year. It has been proven that can produce a well-received Kung Fu movie just by relying on special effects.
Although there are many powerful stars such as Liang Xiaolong, Yuan Hua, Yuan Qiu in the film, their martial arts skills have become foils, and the special effects are what really attracts the audience.
At the closing ceremony of the 5th Jackie Chan International Action Movie Week in 2019, Jackie Chan also lamented: "In the past, actions had to be done by real people, but now many use computers, and almost anything can be done. "
Those punch-and-punch movements have finally been replaced by dazzling special effects. Traditional martial arts scenes can no longer satisfy the current audience. What they prefer is to fly into the sky and escape from the ground, with three heads and six arms.
Picture | From "Qing Ya Ji" - Deng Lun
Although the progress of technology is gratifying, the martial arts industry that once gathered stars has really dimmed.
Looking back, Sammo Hung is 69 years old, Jackie Chan is 67 years old, Jet Li is 58 years old, Donnie Yen is 58 years old, Zhao Wenzhuo is 49 years old, Fan Shaohuang49 years old...
Even the youngest Wu Jing and Zhang Jin are already 47 years old. .
As early as 2012, after filming " Zodiac Signs ", Jackie Chan often lamented that it was the last time he "worked hard to make a movie"; in 2019, " Ip Man 4" was released, which marked the end of this series At the end, Donnie Yen also said: "I feel liberated."
They really couldn't fight.
The "Oriental Hollywood" of the past is a thing of the past. Where can we find the next star?
I couldn’t help but think of what Sammo Hung said in a “Master Lecture”: “We are all old, young people can’t see hope.”
In the early years, there was still discussion in the market about who the next generation of “stars” would be. who? Now, the word "star shooting" has long disappeared from daily sight.
has no successor, which is the current situation of Chinese martial arts films.
Today’s society is very tolerant of actors’ requirements.
In the past, most martial arts actors had to make a name for themselves based on their skills before they had the chance to embark on the road to fame.
And now? Celebrities and idols who enjoy the traffic bonus don't have to put in so much effort. They can learn a routine temporarily. If it doesn't work, they can find a substitute, show their face casually, and later on, they can quickly produce the film with just one operation on the computer. How effective is
? With traffic guaranteed, there is no need to worry about box office or ratings; as for whether it is professional or not, that seems to have been an issue that only needed to be considered in the last century.
Looking through domestic dramas in recent years, most of the fighting scenes can almost be described as "horrible".
In the past, fighting scenes pursued "truth", but what about now? It seems to be "slow".
Picture | "New Heaven and Dragon Sword" broadcast in 2019, the Douban score is only 5.8 so far, and netizens call it a "slow-motion masterpiece".
The camera zooms in, slowly freezes, the breath is heavy, and time freezes... This seems to have become a common fighting routine in domestic dramas.
Constantly switching lenses, flickering images, fragmented movements, coupled with slow motion and replays that appear from time to time... It is more like a ppt than a fighting game.
Perhaps the director team wants to remind everyone in this way: the energy here is high, the scenes are explosive, and you understand the applause.
But I turned it over and over, looking horizontally and vertically, and I could only see the word "bad".
"New Heaven Slaying the Dragon", which was broadcast in 2019, was criticized by netizens for abusing slow motion: "If the 50-episode plot is adjusted to a normal speed for fighting, maybe ten episodes can be saved directly."
Director Jiang Jiajun was scolded to the point of posting an apology on Weibo:
I couldn’t help but think of Jackie Chan who also designed thrilling action scenes for Maggie Cheung and Rosamund Kwan when he was filming the sequel of "A Project ".
Although the two beauties were so scared that they shed tears, they still climbed up the tall building and got ready.
Today, it is difficult to expect any popular young person to be willing to endure such hardship.
After all, if you can make money just by "comparing your feelings, staring, and forming CPs", who would be willing to "jump off the building"?
The entire era is progressing, but there are some things that technology can never replace.
That is the true desire to make a good work.
Most viewers are still willing to buy works that are truly shot with care.
At the end of July this year, when " fury·serious case " was released, many people watched it with full emotions.
Although the fighting scenes in the film can only be regarded as quite satisfactory, this does not prevent them from praising the film:
What people miss may be the golden age of movie stars.
It may be difficult for us to see pure martial arts movies anymore, but people’s enthusiasm for exciting and hot scenes has never changed.
"Fighting drama" in a broad sense will not really disappear, but will be integrated into various films.
At this point, I am reminded of a 2017 micro-movie "". The cast included Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Wu Jing and many other powerful stars, but they were all knocked down without exception.
And the protagonist of the movie is Jack Ma.
There are not many viewers to explore whether the fighting scenes are exciting. The most popular one on the Internet is a set of emoticons:
Jet Li was knocked to the ground and asked: "What kind of martial arts are you doing?"
Jack Ma replied: "This It’s the power of money.”
Picture | On November 12, 2017, "Gong Shou Dao" was broadcast exclusively on Youku, with more than 127 million views in three days. The Beijing News published an article questioning: In an era of aesthetic collapse, what kind of "effort" must be done in order to "keep" the "Tao" that one wants to convey to the audience?
is no longer around, and the times have long since changed.
Professional martial arts actors are no longer just what the industry needs.
It is almost impossible to have "grandmaster" stars like Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
But today's actors are lucky. They don't need to work too hard, even just being "on time" can be an advantage.
The current audience is also lucky, because even special effects and post-production alone are enough to sustain one commercial blockbuster after another.
was just a Chinese martial arts movie that once lived in the memory of several generations. It has really declined.
I still miss it very much, not only for the martial arts movies of that era, but also for the people of that era.
Picture | The "Hong Family Class" with Sammo Hung as the core, members include Lin Zhengying, Eric Tsang, Eddie Peng...
Picture | The "Marriage Class" with Jackie Chan as the core
In the past, they had no technology, no special effects, and no sky-high remuneration and benefits , but they are all "real".
Every frame, every scene, the play is real and the people are real.
does not rely on "personality", only "kung fu".
I would like to write this article to commemorate our once sincere and passionate youth.
References
. Ifeng.com丨82 version of "Shaolin Temple" is the collective memory of a generation
. South China Morning Post丨 Revealing the rise and fall of martial arts movies: "Burning the Red Lotus Temple" pioneered
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