She is the one with long waves, high heels, and the golden flowers at No. 27 on the Bund. She is also the one with disheveled hair, gray work clothes, and wild flowers in the storm. Tang Yan said that Xiao Wang has the vitality of savage growth, like "an unbeatable Xiaoqiang". That kind of simple vitality is the beauty of a girl in different stages. (Drawing: Zhang Ji)
Regarding the TV series "Flowers", there is a topic on the social platform "×天前 and ×天后 watch the flowers", which refers to the psychology of watching the drama that changes with the plot. With tens of millions of views on the topic, the first popular post was full of praise for Tang Yan. Comments such as "amazing", "Wong Kar-wai got Tang Yan right" and "life role" dominated the mainstream for a while.
Back in time before "Flowers" aired, Wong Kar-Wai was still sculpting the images, and almost no actors had seen the entire film. The director is always mysterious and the plot is kept secret, so no one dares to easily reveal the details during the road show. The public is waiting and watching, and the creators are also waiting to see if this TV series, which has been filmed for three years, will "ring" or "not ring" after it is broadcast.
On the day when this newspaper interviewed Tang Yan, she was in this waiting period, waiting for "Miss Wang" to be known to the public, waiting for "Flowers" to be recognized by the audience, and waiting for more people to give the actor Tang Yan's latest verdict. Regarding some questions, she said that "the time has not yet come", but there were three things that were certain at that time: she said that "beauty" is multi-dimensional and multi-directional; she said that "Flowers" is irreplaceable for her current self. ; she said that part of the character "Miss Wang" remains in Tang Yan's body.
"Flowers" has been aired so far, at least the name "Wang Mingzhu" has "knocked" in the hearts of many people, not just because this seemingly cute girl shouted "I want to be my own dock" in the storm , and it’s not necessarily because she was impressed by her first order after setting up her own business. The charm of "Miss Wang" that can stir people's hearts often lies in a "sense of tomorrow", which is the bright and bright light that always believes that tomorrow will be better in the law of the jungle; it is after penetrating the gilded tones and strong light and shadow, people feel Tang Yan's "Miss Wang" shows how broad and spiritual a Shanghai girl can be.
Never Seen Myself When the crew of
officially announced the lineup for the first time, the outside world was quite shocked. "Miss Wang", a character with a rough life in the original work and a sensual character with "complex human relationships and entangled everything", how she will be presented in the TV series, whether she will still be fierce or gentle and kind, no one can guess Wong Kar-wai's trump card.
When the question came to Tang Yan, the actor answered dialectically, "She makes people feel distressed and admired at the same time." I feel sorry for her that she still has ups and downs despite the ups and downs. I admire her for being "tenacity, drive, responsibility, sincere and sincere, able to take things up and let them go, and dare to fight and fight... She has a very complete character growth line, A few labels are not enough to describe the full dimension of expression." A moment of pity is given to the character, but "kindness" is shared by the character and the actor. In particular, Wong Kar-Wai's reformed "Miss Wang" opened up a side of herself that Tang Yan had never seen before.
In 1988, during the prime years of "Miss Wang", after graduating from a foreign school, the girl replaced her father and entered the foreign trade building. The tone of her life and daily life was somewhat high-spirited. "Wearing nylon sleeves and half-length woolen gloves, behind the thick-soled myopia glasses that look like beer bottles, I look a little green, a little serious, and lively, just like my mother's generation when they were young." During the filming break, Tang Yan made a video call at home, The mother on the other end of the phone blurted out, "Ling, Deng Yang", both Shanghainese words are beautiful variations. "It's really beautiful." Tang Yan said, the cute "Crying Girl", the "Ms. Wang" who is surrounded by stars, the "Hongkou Xiao Wang" who grew up in the storm, and the independent "Wang Mingzhu", "one look It has a sculptural beauty.”
There is no doubt that beauty is a talent for actresses. Because of her superior image, Tang Yan was selected by Zhang Yimou to be the "Olympic Baby" in the "Beijing 8 Minutes" closing ceremony of the Athens Olympic Games when she was still in school at China National Theater Academy. But it cannot be denied that beauty, or appearance, is an "asset" that makes many actresses subtle in the noisy Internet era.
When the invitation came from the crew of "Flowers", Tang Yan did not deny that it was unbelievable.What surprised her even more was her first meeting with Wong Kar-Wai. "During the chat, the director kept asking me not to put too much pressure on myself. Many of his words made me feel that he already knew me very well." Looking back now, that day seemed like an opportunity, an opportunity for actor Tang Yan to examine herself. Why did Director Wong Kar-Wai find her and what qualities did he see in her... She put the answer she was looking for on "Miss Wang", and in the end, Long Waves , high heels, and the golden flowers at No. 27 on the Bund are hers. She is also the one with disheveled hair, gray work clothes, and wild flowers in the storm.
The actor himself said that makeup is just the external expression of the character's heart, "Xiao Wang has a wild vitality, like an 'unbeatable Xiaoqiang'. That kind of simple vitality is the beauty of a girl in different stages, and I fully accept it."
Teacher Wang Jiawei
In the early 1990s, Tang Yan was still a little girl. At that time, her perspective of observing her hometown was definitely different from that of the adult Ms. Wang. Even so, Tang Yan is very sure: "Every scene in "Flowers" seems familiar, and the sense of immersion is too strong."
Some intimacy is created by "hardware". Walking into the Jinxian Road built on the set for the first time, Tang Yan was excited about the "divine restoration" in front of her. Alleys, cigarette paper shops, bicycles, and street signs first come into view, and then the scenery changes as you move around. There are surprises almost every step of the way. Lollipops, "Old Tanks", sewing machines, thermos bottles, spittoon jars with enamel chipped off the edges... there were so many details. When the actors just entered the set, they saw that there was this thing, and that thing was also there, and they exclaimed one after another. The crew also invited the first-generation white-collar workers who worked at No. 27 on the Bund to give lectures to the actors. The memory of the city overlapped gently with individual life.
Many viewers have reached a consensus: "Flowers" must be watched in the Shanghainese version. Firstly, Shanghainese is a language used on the set, and the distance, weight and even airflow of the sound field are in line with the performance; secondly, Shanghainese is the mother tongue, which reveals the actors' instinctive reactions and subconscious performances. Tang Yan admitted that her hometown dialect is the key to quickly entering the character's heart. "When I read the script, I will automatically switch to Shanghainese dialect, which has never happened before." Shanghainese not only brings a sense of intimacy, but the subtext under many words also adds meaning with the unique expressions of Shanghainese. The actor described the lines as "thousand-layer cakes", written in the same way as in Mandarin, but behind the breath and frustrated pronunciation, "the dialect habit carries a tacit code", allowing the actors and characters to recall the memories of years of nostalgia and transform them into Waiting for the audience to come and recognize each other in the smoke of fireworks.
But Dialect doesn’t just “unseal” or “reduce difficulty,” especially for Tang Yan. The Shanghainese dialect is brisk and lively, but "Miss Wang" speaks quickly and quickly. When the mood comes up, her lines are almost breathless. When the Mandarin version was re-dubbed later, the same cast members secretly complained for "Miss Wang". Tang Yan took a deep breath and said, "The only way is to play it again in front of the microphone with all your heart and soul, and experience Miss Wang again in Mandarin."
In Tang Yan's eyes, "rolling" herself is the norm for the crew of "Flowers". She regards Wong Kar-wai as her "mentor". "The director will constantly dig deeper based on our performance in front of the camera. Listening to him talk about the drama will often give you a feeling of enlightenment." With such a director who is both a teacher and a friend, and who is good at exploring the potential of actors, filming is the most enjoyable thing for everyone, and calling it a day becomes a depressing moment. "Every day when the work is done, many people are reluctant to leave. Why is it over? They are still unfinished." So, there are behind-the-scenes footage of Wu Yue taking the initiative to drag him in, and then re-shooting after being caught by the director. What made it happen was that "Xiao Wang" finished the work in tears. From Master's stamp collection, there is an emotional scene of crying tears of affection for the precious years.
Traces of Life
"Flowers" has been filmed for three years. "It has been completed for a long time" is a joke among netizens, but the problem facing the actors is very real: how to take on the role? The connection between makeup and props is left to the crew. How to keep the character's state consistent is a test for the actors. In terms of appearance, you cannot be fat or thin. Even a few wrinkles will be captured by high-definition lenses; what is more important is your eyes and state of mind.
Life will leave traces over time, but for the same role in a drama, actors need to be "traceless", hiding their own traces in real years and erasing the traces brought by other characters in the crew. "I may not have such a problem." Tang Yan said, "Because in the past three years, I have devoted myself wholeheartedly, and my emotions have actually been led by Miss Wang. I feel sad for her, and happy for her. "These words sound easy to hear, but if you touch them a little, you can easily distinguish the mixed flavors. It is said that the "flowering period" of an actress is precious. She only takes on one drama in three years, and only sticks to one role for three years. The torrent of time will bring and take away many people and things. Tang Yan doesn't talk about choice, only about worthiness.
Director Wong Kar-wai is his mentor. It is said that he brought Tang Yan to a new realm as an actor. However, the actor himself said: "The most important lesson he taught me is not just about acting, but about life. Acting is playing another person." "My life, when chatting with Director Wang on the set, I often feel like I have walked into a life class." She regards her opposite actors as "mountains", noble people in and outside her own scenes. Wu Yue, who plays Section Chief Jinhua, and Dong Yong, who plays Mr. Fan, are both seniors with superb acting skills. “It’s a lot of pressure to play against them.” Fan Zhiyi, the foreman of Hongkou Wharf, came from football to make a cameo. “His performance The state is very free, and the more free you are, the more powerful you are, and it is still a challenge." In the story, Master, Mr. Fan, and the foreman are all nobles and revolutionary comrades of the characters. "In the play, they helped me transform from 'Miss Wang' to the real Wang Mingzhu; outside the play, they helped me, Tang Yan, and let me know, Even if my opponent is a strong actor, I can also be strong when faced with a strong one."
There are still some traces that remain in life subtly and become a part of Tang Yan. "'Xiao Wang' has strong mobility and full vitality. Every word and word seems to be doubled." Suddenly one day, Tang Yan found that her movements had become faster at home, and the time she used to spend washing and blowing her hair was almost doubled. . "In the past three years, I have been Miss Wang, body, mind and soul integrated into one. I don't think I am Tang Yan anymore."
Wang Mingzhu's story continues, and so does the actor Tang Yan. Born in Shanghai in 1983, Tang Yan was 40 years old when "Flowers" premiered. ""Flowers" made me love acting even more." After three years of hard work, I hope she can be like "Miss Wang", escaping the tangled chaos, passing through the charming eyes of flowers, and truly reaching "no confusion" on the road of being an actor.
(Source: Wen Wei Po)
