"Some of Li Li's characteristics are very similar to mine: he has goals, courage, and is a person who is not afraid of anything." As the actor, Xin Zhilei said in an interview.
"There is a sense of loneliness in Li Li"
When they first met, Xin Zhilei had read through the original work, but she didn't talk much with Wong Kar-wai. "I didn't talk too much about "Flowers" at that time. I talked about my experience and personality traits. Director Wang will not say in advance who he wants you to play when choosing roles. He will observe the actors themselves more. Characteristics, do you have something that meets the needs of the role?"
Half a year later, Xin Zhilei finally got her wish and officially joined the crew of "Flowers" to play the role of Li Li.
Li Li in the drama is wise and elegant, and he becomes a team by himself. But in Xin Zhilei's view, Li Li has a sense of loneliness: "She is a northerner who went to Shanghai alone, with no teammates or friends. I often thought about it when I was acting, how would Li Li be alone at home?" What to do? She opened such a big restaurant, but maybe she just eats a simple bowl of clear noodle soup when she goes home."
There is a scene in "Flowers" where Li Li goes to Mr. Bao to thank him. He saw Mr. Bao eating with relatives and friends. At that moment, Xin Zhilei felt Li Li's loneliness the most: "They also invited her to dinner, but Li Li refused. This is Li Li's character. , she knows her purpose, and rarely makes friends and lets other relationships affect her personal feelings. But deep down in her heart, she is envious of this lively scene."
"I spent two years Learn to walk well"
Maggie Cheung wearing a cheongsam and walking late at night in "In the Mood for Love", Brigitte Lin wearing a trench coat walking in "Chungking Express"... Wong Kar-wai likes to shoot walking, and even more likes to shoot the back of actresses walking. In "Flowers", Wong Kar-wai It's still the case, which stumps Xin Zhilei. Before, Xin Zhilei had never paid attention to her walking posture, and when she played other roles, her walking posture was also relatively loose. "The director likes to take back shots, so when you walk, you must show off the person's spirit. But I don't walk in such a feminine way at all." Xin Zhilei said helplessly.
Xin Zhilei spent more than two years learning to walk. "At that time, both my feet were bleeding, but I still couldn't achieve the desired results. I was in a state of collapse every day. That's when I discovered that walking is not a simple thing."
Later, Wong Kar-wai asked Xin Zhilei to go Take dance classes. Practicing manners has also become her biggest challenge. In the first two years of filming "Flowers", Xin Zhilei learned various dances such as Latin and tango, and finally gained recognition from Wong Kar-wai.
is well on its way, but there are still many external details that need to be adjusted. Xin Zhilei said: "There was a scene of eating hot pot. As soon as I started eating, I ate as hard as if I had been hungry for three days. The director immediately stopped and said, think about it, why is Li Li here today? She is here to promote this business. , will she just stare at those pieces of meat?" After that, Wong Kar-wai asked Xin Zhilei to eat with chopsticks dipped in a little sesame sauce: "Eating is not your purpose, you are here to discuss business, so be elegant."
"Wang The director asked me to find another way to perform."
In order to keep improving, Wong Kar-wai would repeatedly ng during filming. When Xin Zhilei felt anxious, he would pull out relevant interview videos and watch so many powerful actors being "tortured" over and over again. , which made her feel much better.
However, there are times when you have to go over it again. Because the investment failed, Mr. A planned to commit suicide by jumping into the sea. Before he died, he and Li Li stood on the beach, giving a final hug and farewell. Watching his lover commit suicide by jumping into the sea, Li Li cried hoarsely in the car. Xin Zhilei only shot this scene once, which can be said to be both a surprise and a surprise.
"Flowers" also brought Xin Zhilei a breakthrough and turning point in her performance. Because she had never studied acting in her early days, Xin Zhilei admitted that she had always been an "experientialist" in acting before: "I have been acting for more than ten years, and I interpret roles based on my inner feelings, which is from the inside out. But Director Wong Kar Wai let me I found another way. He let me know that the character can slowly go inward through the outside, so that the character can be integrated from the outside to the inside."
The role of Li Li also entrusts Xin Zhilei's own expectations. : "Li Li is not inferior to men in career. In reality, many women also have this sense of power. I also want to tell everyone through the role of Li Li what a truly beautiful woman looks like."
article / Reporter Yang Wenjie
Source: Beijing Youth Daily
