Special feature of 1905 film network "Jin Yong era? It feels so long ago … "Talking about this topic, the younger brother who usually likes to watch Hollywood blockbusters said," I don’t seem to know many actors in several movies. "
Hearing this, what makes Xiaobian more sad than age crit is the "drifting away" in the Jin Yong era under the background of the decline of martial arts in the new era.
Should the story written by Jin Yong really come to an end?The answer is naturally no.As a national super IP, Jin Yong’s works are no less "powerful" in China than Marvel Comics and DC. It has built a complete world view for book fans and fans, and also has the potential to develop into a movie universe.
In fact, in recent years, the related adaptations and creations of Jin Yong’s works still appear frequently, and they have attracted the attention of "post-70s" and "post-80s" for their nostalgia. Unfortunately, it seems that there are more "topics" than "content" and more "doubts" than "appreciation" in those repeated "broken circles".
Recently, another film adapted from Jin Yong’s classic works has been quietly put on file after the Jing Wong version of "The Dragon Slayer with a New Eternal Hand" attracted much attention due to the marketing of cast topics such as "Xiao Zhao is not Dilraba". Although it is not as "eye-catching" as Tsui Hark’s version of The Condor Heroes and Jing Wong’s version of The Dragon Slayer, it can be seen from sporadic messages that netizens are not optimistic about it.
What is good about the classic Jin Yong movies in the audience’s mind? If Jin Yong’s films still have unlimited potential, what expectations do today’s audiences have for Jin Yong’s works once again after more than 20 years?
We specially invited Hong Fan, an associate professor of Beijing Film Academy, to discuss with us the recent phenomenon of many Jin Yong films being made together and the market prospect of related topics.
1. Jin Yong’s films are less and less expected?
Since Lechuang Entertainment announced in June last year that the trilogy of "The Condor Heroes" directed by Tsui Hark was fully launched, the news of the remake of Jin Yong’s works has appeared in major media news one after another. To "The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Nine Yin and White Bone Claws", it is already the fourth part.
After reading the outline of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Nine Yin and White Bone Claws" — — After "Huang Yaoshi found that Mei Chaofeng’s feelings for himself were beyond his master’s and apprentices’ feelings", a group of Jin Yong fans stopped buying it, and even some people said that it would be a "dog blood love triangle" and "ruin the original work".
In this regard, Hong Fan pointed out that the current creators seem to "have an illusion", that is, "the martial arts films are very simple", and Mr. Jin Yong’s novels have provided a mature content text. "They seem to think that they can just pick a few characters, take a love affair, do visual effects, and then find a few young actors with value."
As a result, martial arts film and television works that have been approved as "dog blood" have appeared one after another, and the audience’s expectations for them are getting lower and lower, and their acceptance is getting smaller and smaller. And "Don’t remake again" has become a "one size fits all" choice and cry made by many Jin Yong fans.
"A martial arts film should have the spirit of chivalry from the characters to the theme," Hong Fan said, and his example is the classic the legendary swordsman, which "embodies the spirit of chivalry better, and it is really a chivalrous feeling to have such an idealized personality that is not for fame and fortune."
In Hong Fan’s view, the second element of martial arts films is action design."Classic Hong Kong martial arts films, the action design comes from some real kung fu, plus some dance design," Hong Fan said. "In a pub, props such as chopsticks, cups and plates can be the design inspiration for fighting actions, which makes me feel very thoughtful."This is the case.
These two points in Hong Fankou’s mouth may also be the key to the breakthrough of two films and TV works adapted by Jin Yong, "the legendary swordsman" and "The Demon Master of Eternal Dragon Slayer".
Second, should Jin Yong’s films be adapted or rewritten?
Throughout Jin Yong’s history of film, there is actually no film that does not change the original settings. Even if Mr. Jin Yong doesn’t want to, the duration of a movie can’t bear all the contents of the original, and it is often difficult to reproduce the whimsy in the novel with simple scenes and stunts. For Jin Yong’s films 20 or 30 years ago, they are mostly restoring the chivalrous way in Jin Yong’s novels.
Although the characters in Jin Yong’s works have different personalities, they often have a heart of serving the country, such as Guo Jing in Legend of the Condor Heroes, Chen Jialuo in The Book of Swords, Yang Guo in The Condor Heroes, Zhang Wuji in The Legend of the Dragon and the Dragon, and Xiao Feng in The Eight Dragons.
This is also reflected in Jing Wong’s "The Demon Cult of Eternal Dragon Slayer". Although Zhang Wuji in his story has changed from indecision in the original work to black belly and ambition, he still chooses to put down his hatred and defend his home in the face of his parents’ plot to destroy the country in Chou He.
Director Tsui Hark’s creation has made a greater "rewriting" of the original work. Brigitte Lin plays Dong Fangbubai, which completely breaks through the audience’s conventional imagination of this role. "If you have the ability to make some adjustments or variations, you can also create a new classic," Hong Fan commented.
But the most important thing is that the quality of creation itself is up to standard.Hong Fan analyzed that the reason why the martial arts films of the Jing Wong era in Hong Kong showed such a good situation as a whole is that "their entire production team is very professional and serious, including photography, art and music."The sea oneLaughterIt has been passed down to this day. "
"From a more poetic point of view, each of them is more like a chivalrous man, making movies in an idealistic and true way," Hong Fan said with some emotion.
This may also be the answer we are searching for. The story written by Jin Yong should not come to an end, and the establishment of Jin Yong’s film universe needs to wait for those real "movie knights" to appear.