In 2016, Ang Lee used "Billy Lynn's Midfield Battlefield" to bring the new 120-frame movie technology to the audience. While Chinese audiences joined in, they were met with cold eyes from European and American audiences.
In 2019, Ang Lee once again applied 120-frame technology to his new film "Gemini Killer". This time, the Chinese word-of-mouth ban has not been lifted, but North America and Europe have been torn apart for the quality of the film.
, the North American film critics with arrogant attitude, can’t let go of their arrogance, it seems that the release prospects of "Gemini Killer" are “not optimistic enough”;
and the French media people on the other side are generally impressed by Lee's new film, believing that it is 120 frames The new technology has brought an unprecedented movie-watching experience. Professional film critics even describe it as "revolutionary movie", and they are self-evident about word-of-mouth and box office prospects.
Regardless of whether it is the complaints of North American audiences or the praises of Nordic audiences, the "Gemini Killer" attracting everyone's attention this time is Lee Ang, who has constantly tried 120-frame HD technology and cutting-edge CG technology.
Ang Lee, 65 years old this year, is quietly kicking off a new film era. Although the road ahead is bumpy, the bright future of HD movies has been revealed to the audience through Ang Lee's lens.
1. The film revolution is always accompanied by doubts.
Many viewers have not understood Li Ang's obsession with 120-frame technology in recent years: Now that the film imaging technology has become perfect, why bother to strive for perfection?
But looking back on history, we will find that every revolution in the film industry is accompanied by similar doubts.
In 1989, the Lumière brothers opened the curtain of the movie era with a short video of a train entering a station, but at that time, many people were afraid of the train roaring on the screen and avoided it.
In 1927, when the sound film came out, filmmakers and critics who had become accustomed to silent films rallied to attack. The mime master Chaplin even used "garbage-like invention" to describe sound films.
In 1935, people were hostile to the emergence of color films, believing that color films weakened the quality of the film and affected the depth of the film, and there was no need for it.
This fear of new things continued until 2009 and did not disappear. "Avatar" was released with a 3D effect, but it was also questioned. Many viewers said that they could not see the necessity of 3D movies. The history of
is always surprisingly similar, and in the midst of waves of doubts and dislikes, sound, color, and 3D have become common and even indispensable movie elements in the eyes of audiences.
As for the exploration of high frame rate movies, it may seem that after more than ten years, it is just a throes of film reform.
The film industry never lacks people who can enjoy the fruits of revolution, but it lacks people who have the courage to lead the revolution.
When "Billy Lynn's Midfield War" was scrutinized and discussed in the North American market, Ang Lee waved his hand openly: "It's bad, please scold me, don't scold technology, technology is innocent." Compared with
For his own reputation, he pays more attention to the reputation of 120-frame technology. It is not so much that he wants to rely on 120 frames to re-create his fame. It is better to say that he is paving the way with his own prestigious name 120-frame. .
After 3 years, Ang Lee made a comeback with the 120-frame technology of "Gemini Killer". In order to make up for the fact that many theaters did not have 120-frame screening conditions before, a large number of audiences could not feel the charm of high-definition movies. A 60-frame version is prepared. The audience can watch the 60-frame/3D "Gemini Killer" in more than 2500 theaters across the country, and experience an unprecedented visual feast on the screen.
Pico wants to explain that although you may not be able to enjoy 120 frames, the dynamic rendering effect of 60 frames is enough to be eye-opening, and the absolute sense of immersion will definitely make you admire.
2. "Change" and "unchanged" of Ang Lee
Some people say: Ang Lee has changed. His previous works focused on connotation and audience, but now they only focus on technology!
At first sound, this is a painful sorrow for Li Ang's creative passion no longer, but when I think about it carefully, it turns out that people with such emotions have never really understood Li Ang.
It is undeniable that Li Ang’s early works contain a strong oriental charm, such as poetry, wine and tea, which can be refreshing at a glanceSpleen, endless aftertaste.
However, with the progress of the times, it is no longer enough to simply please the audience with feelings. Technology is a topic that every mature and thoughtful director cannot get around.
In fact, Li An understands very well: story is the core of the movie, and technology is only for better narration.
This can be seen from "The Fantastic Drifting of the Junior School". After all, who doesn't like impactful pictures?
And in "Gemini Killer", Ang Lee implements this idea of "technology for the story and for the audience" to the fullest.
The young audience nowadays would rather play games in Internet cafes than go into the theater. Why? Because online games can provide a better immersive experience.
Faced with this situation, all filmmakers are trying to find a way. Netflix has launched an interactive movie. When Lee Ang used the cutting-edge technology of 120 frames + 3D, he also made a comprehensive innovation in lens language based on the latest technology.
If you study the trailer carefully, you will find that there are a lot of first-view shots in "Gemini Killer", and there is no shortage of close-up and long-shot follow-ups.
These shooting methods can provide the same sense of participation and immersion as online games, and the high frame rate of 120 frames makes every action appear extraordinarily real. Such shooting methods and lens presentations capture the youth The panacea for the audience's heart.
is also worth mentioning, as well as the incredible CG technology-through expression and motion capture to create a new screen image, the film also uses this technology to produce a young version of "Will Smith", to create rejuvenation effects When the two versions of Smith in the middle and the youth stage played rivals in the same frame, it was really hard to distinguish between true and false.
It can be said that whether it is the unpretentious Ang Lee in "The Wedding Banquet", or the Ang Lee who uses technology to create dreams in "The Fantasy Drifting of the Boys' School", or try it in "Billy Lynn" and "Twin Killers" Ang Lee of new technology has only one purpose: to provide audiences with a better viewing experience and make everyone fall in love with movies.
This is Ang Lee that we are familiar with, but Ang Lee that many people don't know.
3. The elderly Ang Lee is more worth looking forward to. There is a saying in the
film industry: the creative ability of a director is a parabola that opens downward.
Looking around, many directors are indeed full of talents after they shine in middle age, but these directors definitely do not include those who still dare to make breakthroughs in their later years and are willing to learn.
Ang Lee’s idol, Ingmar Bergman, broke through the era’s inertial understanding of movie duration at the age of 64 and created a 3-hour-long "Fanny and Alexander".
Akira Kurosawa first tried to make a Russian film when he was 65 years old; Martin Scorsese, who was 65 years old, still put his body down to adapt and shoot the Hong Kong movie "Infernal Affairs."
Old Ji Fufu, aspirational. As long as the heart is not old, the artistic life will not be old.
65-year-old Ang Lee is still immersed in the fun of continuous exploration of movies. He treated the 120-frame technique with the attitude of a new director.
For a technology that is not yet mature and cannot be mass-produced, Ang Lee's effort to make good use of it can be imagined. When the
movie was held in North America in advance, Ang Lee's right eye was blood-red and full of bloodshot eyes. It can be seen that the huge amount of work in the later stage made this Huafa director a bit overwhelmed. In an interview, he revealed that 90% of his energy is now spent on technology.
But he never tire of it. Speaking of 120-frame technology, he is still full of energy, and his pride is even more expressive.
He told the media and movie fans: 120 frames is the future. When I see this technology, I even hope that I can be 20 years younger, so that I can have more energy to study him.
65-year-old Li Ang, with 120 frames of technology, is obsessed with the exploration of new technologies, facing the world's doubts and applause, calmly.
Lian is quite old, can you still eat? This is the question of the world to Ang Lee, and Ang Lee is bound to give the most powerful answer with a "Gemini Killer".
