's new year's hit drama "Flowers" is coming to its finale. The show caused some controversy when it first aired, but as the plot developed, its reputation continued to rise. The current Douban score is as high as 8.2. How well does the
drama version of "Flowers" restore Shanghai in the 1990s? Is the Shanghainese dialect in the Shanghainese version authentic? How do you evaluate Wong Kar-wai’s shooting techniques and the performances of the actors in the play?
The Paper invited Zhou Li, the blogger and media person of "Lao Zhou Wang Ye Yan", and Ding Dimeng, a researcher of Shanghainese and Shanghai-style culture, to talk about the TV series "Flowers".
Click on the picture to ask a question
Is Shanghai in the 1990s in "Flowers" real?
@米博博: Compared with the real 1990s, is Shanghai in the TV series too glamorous?
Ding Dimeng: In the 1990s, each area of Shanghai was different. The kind of bosses who ate on the Yellow River Road were probably more advanced, wealthy, and arrogant. I did see them. It cannot be said that they are like Hong Kong people. They are indeed imitating the appearance of Hong Kong people, but they are not imitating them and are more vulgar. The life of ordinary Shanghainese in the 1990s was relatively simple, and they would not wear clothes that were too flamboyant or inappropriate. But such flamboyant clothes did already exist at that time.
's intoxicated appearance is what appears on these specific occasions. It is rarely seen in other places in Shanghai. Ordinary citizens still live peacefully at two points and one line, and their standards are not high. But Shanghainese have always pursued the quality of life. Even home-cooked meals also pay attention to four dishes and one soup, the combination of meat and vegetables, and all kinds of etiquette.
Zhou Li: Maybe is a bit of a luxuriant one, but I think looking back at the 1990s from the current time point, it is indeed shining with golden light. Director Wong Kar Wai used such filters, costumes and makeup props to reflect that era. As someone who has been there, I accept it. Maybe it's an exaggeration, but Van Gogh's starry sky and Monet's water lilies may be even more exaggerated. Just have the emotion in place.
@澎湃 netizen iowug: The uncle in "Flowers" is very powerful. In real life, what kind of character is the so-called Shanghai uncle?
Zhou Li: There are some "old masters" in all walks of life. They may not have a position, but their existence represents the quality and heritage of an industry. Nowadays, many industries are growing wildly, and the decline of the old masters in Shanghai is also a kind of helplessness.
@ Rainy season has a car: I watched the first episode. When Po was changing clothes in the Peace Hotel room, the half-built Oriental Pearl Tower appeared outside the window. This scene left a deep impression on me, like it.
Zhou Li: Many details in 's "Flowers" are very real.
@Read the news quietly: "Flowers" allowed me to see the market culture of Shanghai.
Zhou Li: should be said to have seen a small part of Shanghai's urban culture.
Why "Flowers" received good reviews
@澎湃 netizen nytes: Although Wong Kar-wai's father is from Shanghai, he grew up in Hong Kong after all. I always feel that "Flowers" still has the flavor of a Hong Kong film in it. Does this fit with the temperament of Shanghai?
Ding Dimeng: Maybe you don’t know much about . In the past, there was a saying of Big Shanghai and Little Hong Kong. The economic development of Hong Kong was far lower than that of Shanghai. The rise of Hong Kong came after 1949. A large number of wealthy people from Shanghai moved to Hong Kong to develop, and Hong Kong gradually became prosperous. Therefore, the status of Shanghainese in Hong Kong is very high. When many people hear that you are from Shanghai, they will look at you with envy and think that you Shanghainese are great. Therefore, it is actually Hong Kong who learned from Shanghai, rather than Shanghai learning from Hong Kong. In the early 1980s, Shanghainese in Hong Kong were finally able to return to Shanghai to visit relatives. Their first impression was that it was old and dirty. Looking back at Hong Kong, it is an international metropolis.
"The A Bao I played is no longer the same as the A Bao in the novel. What you see in the play is the growth process of A Bao from A Bao to Mr. Bao in the early 1990s." Starring Hu Ge said in the interview.
Zhou Li: As far as I know, many of Wong Kar-wai's brothers and sisters stayed in Shanghai. He still knows a lot about the lives of some Shanghai people, but of course it is impossible to be comprehensive. The taste of Hong Kong films is there. Wong Kar-wai directed his work. He has no obligation to reflect the temperament of Shanghai. The temperament of Shanghai cannot be reflected in a TV series. You should still discuss whether a TV series is good or not. If it fits "to a certain extent", then that's it.
@selinaa: Is the Shanghainese dialect in the drama authentic?
Zhou Li: The Shanghainese dialect in dramas is still acceptable. Of course, we cannot withstand "catching words". Shanghainese is also called "catching old white lice", but this is basically the state of Shanghainese speaking Shanghainese in daily life. It's really standard, but it's like a Shanghai opera or a comedy, it's unreal.
@大 Desert Guy Yan: The drama is like the calligraphy of the title, which is very "flowery". At first glance, it seems to have returned to "Shanghai Beach" during the Republic of China, with the "repair" remaining as it was before. The feasting, the crowds and the noise, the shrewdness and acrimony of Shanghainese people, and the hypocritical and selfish atmosphere of the market spring into my mind. What does it want to express and express?
Zhou Li: The people you mentioned in Shanghai before liberation were actually in their 80s and 90s. Most people understand it through works of art. Speaking of shrewdness, sharpness, hypocrisy and selfishness, of course many Shanghainese are like this. This is common to human nature and is not unique to Shanghainese. There are more than 20 million people in Shanghai, and there are all kinds of people. The proportion of various types of people is not necessarily higher than that of people in other parts of the country or anywhere in the world.
Chen Long, who plays Tao Tao, said that acting in Shanghainese was like falling into a rice vat, and it was very satisfying to be "abused" by working with Wong Kar-Wai.
@澎湃 netizen byets: Which actor in has the most outstanding performance?
Zhou Li: Personally, I like Fan Zhiyi’s performance the best, even though it’s just a guest role.
[10 lines from the Conferred God in "Flowers"]
1 Getting ahead is a process of being taught a lesson.
2 Don’t speak louder than your strength.
3 has an opinion, can handle it, and make it smooth. The last thing is that you have to be able to afford to lose.
4 The capital market's revenge will only tell you to come and go wherever you want.
5 Doing business is not about making more money than who else, but about who lives longer. Don't think about reaching the sky in one step, but one step at a time and work steadily.
6 The market is always right, the only one who is wrong is you. If you rush too fast and escape too slowly, you will definitely be defeated. Your head is on your shoulders and your feet are on your body. As long as you protect yourself, the opportunities are always greater than the risks.
7 No matter how brave the cricket is, no matter how sharp its teeth are, in the end of the fight, they will still lose and die. The same goes for people.
8 A mountain is difficult to overcome, but getting over it is a way to feel proud. On the other hand, the mountains are high and the water is far away. Being unable to get over it becomes a lesson, a warning to those who come after you.
9 After the great heat, there must be a great cold. You must remember that this is the rule.
10 A layman looks at the facade, an expert looks at the back door.
