Special feature of 1905 film network How long has it been since I saw a real martial arts movie on the big screen of the cinema?After 2017 and 2018, there are few martial arts movies released in domestic cinemas.
The martial arts film that went online on March 8 was originally a movie customized for Cloud Cinema, but it landed in the cinema early on March 2. Li Wei, the director, told 1905 Film Network that after a small-scale film viewing survey, he got a lot of positive feedback from the audience, so he decided to meet the cinema audience first, so that more people could see the film on the screen.
It’s a pity that the total box office of "Stranger Knife" was less than 500,000 yuan after it was released for a week. This movie, which is performed by,,,,,, and so on, should not only have this box office figure.
At present, the lack of popularity of martial arts films in the cinema market is also the main reason. Martial arts films launched at the beginning of the yearArrogant 2Originally planned to go to the cinema, I finally gave up and returned to the online platform. After the broadcast, I still gained wide acclaim from netizens, but unfortunately I didn’t get on the big screen.
The director used to explore the types of domestic martial arts films, but he said that he should not worry too much about the current predicament. "Martial arts films are a major type of China and have cultural characteristics. Thirty years in Hedong and thirty years in Hexi, it doesn’t matter, we are of this type, and we will also shoot martial arts films that are popular all over the world. "
Like Zhang Yimou’s point of view, director Li Wei still believes that martial arts films from glory to decline will be brilliant again in the future, because the audience who like martial arts films has always been there, and the key depends on whether the filmmakers can make good works.
Li Wei, director of "Stranger Knife"
Li Wei, a professional director, had just had the opportunity to write "Eight Minutes in Beijing" at the closing ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics with director Zhang Yimou. Later, he was asked by Zhang Yimou to help Zhang Yimou shoot three films with the first assistant director.
"I learned a lot from him. From the’ Taoist magic device’, the level of Tao is to learn his awe and love for movies. The following level is how to shoot a movie better."
Li Wei benefited a lot from the Zhang Yimou crew, and at the same time got to know Zhang Yimou’s behind-the-scenes cast over the years, such as modeling director, editing director Yong-yi Li, photographer Zhongshuo, artist Cui Yaochen, etc. When he wanted to be an independent director to shoot "A Stranger’s Sword", they all came to help and jointly created this brand-new martial arts film.
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01
"From the early days of floating around in the bamboo forest, using the sword to plunge into the water to borrow strength, to the realistic style of seeing meat with a knife, with the change of the times and the different aesthetics of everyone, martial arts movies will also change."
In Li Wei’s view, a good martial arts film should meet the needs of the audience and also have its own unique expression. Although there are many difficulties in martial arts films nowadays, this genre still exists. Many production companies and directors are trying to create and break through, looking for the appearance of martial arts films that the audience likes now.
"In the future, and the director, the director seems to also want to shoot a martial arts film called" Knife ". So in fact, martial arts movies have always been there, and everyone is watching what kind of martial arts movie to shoot. "
Li Wei likes to watch martial arts films since he was a child. From Hero to Embroidered Spring Knife, he has always been deeply influenced by martial arts films. "When the road is rough, draw a sword to help each other, and when it’s time to make a shot, I will make a shot. I grew up with such a martial arts spirit and culture."
When he became a director, and it was the first time to make a martial arts film, he wanted to show the martial arts spirit of loyalty to the liver, righteousness and bravery in A Stranger’s Sword. "It is a poetic martial arts with more loyalty. The children in the film are less affectionate, and more brotherly and paternal. We express loyalty in this emotion."
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02
One of the main reasons for the decline of martial arts films is that there are too many stereotyped stories. How to tell a more fresh and refreshing martial arts story is a question that Li Wei has been thinking about.
He believes that "The Stranger Knife" has found a difference from other martial arts films at home and abroad — — "The role of selling charcoal Weng has basically not appeared in China’s films. I use a charcoal to tell a story. Tian Anye is like a charcoal. The strange knife in the movie should also have never appeared in the movie before. The knife is like a man, and the strange knife is Tian Anyi, and Tian Anyi is a strange knife, like a shadow. "
Li Wei was delighted to tell a martial arts story with a charcoal this time. "How to restore the environment in which charcoal was produced and manufactured in those years, from the birth of charcoal, through the perspective of charcoal, from outside the city into the city, into the palace, and have a relationship with people in the palace, this process is very interesting."
In the film, Tian Anye, the former head coach of the Mo Dao Army, became a charcoal seller. He is also a symbol of charcoal. "Although he is usually ruthless and really wants to burn, he will ignite himself to warm others."
The film also extended many interesting ideas through charcoal. For example, Qiansun Zhao, a fortune-teller who lived alone with Tian An’s powers, was like a fuse. "With Qiansun Zhao’s fuse, Tian An’s powers were ignited, and Tian An’s powers picked up a strange knife again, which restored justice and helped heaven," Li Wei said.
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03
An excellent martial arts film must be "both civil and military", the literary drama should be brilliant, and the action scene is the most important.
The action feature of The Strange Knife lies in the strange knife. At first, the length of the stranger’s knife was 2 meters 1, and the master felt that it was not murderous enough. Finally, the length of 2 meters 6 was set, weighing 40 pounds. Max Zhang, a martial arts athlete, has mastered many weapons, but this is the first time he has played such a big knife, and he has spent a lot of time training for it.
Through this creation, Li Wei realized the difference between martial arts films and martial arts films. Martial arts films like "A Stranger’s Sword" need weapons, so it is very difficult to design.
"What kind of professional attributes, character, and what kind of weapons to take, all action designs are logical." Li Wei revealed that the characters, weapons and fights in the whole movie were all set by a set of logical thinking.
For example, Tian Anye’s strange knife is fierce; Qin Gu’s basic knife is unsheathed, very neat and clean; At the head of Zhang Xuqing, there was pressure from the king of Qi, while at the bottom, there were eyeing deputy heads, who were excluded from each other, so he was relatively flexible, so he designed the long and short knives as his weapons.
Based on this complete set of action logic, before each scene is filmed, the specific how to fight has been designed. The final showdown between Tian Anye, played by Max Zhang, and Zhang Xuqing, played by Geng Le, is the climax of the whole film. Li Wei said that in this scene, "it is necessary to study how to fight broadsword and long and short knives. In fact, it is a spatial distance, and it is a close combat. According to this distance, a set of specific styles of play is extended."
In the last big battle, there was an action competition on one side, and Nie Linger, the widow of Prince Xia Meng, was dancing. "One is dancing, and the other is martial arts. What kind of sparks will collide between dancing and martial arts?" The director hopes to add a little romance and poetry to the film, and cross-edit the two scenes together to present different visual enjoyment to the audience.
A friend of Li Wei called to tell him that his two sons came home after watching the movie and took toy knives as strangers, learning the incantations in the movie and fighting each other.
"Let the next generation of young people see such martial arts movies, and they will be satisfied if they like them." If there is an opportunity, Li Wei wants to continue to make martial arts movies. "Like I was influenced by previous martial arts movies, I will continue to convey the martial arts spirit flowing in our blood and influence the next generation."