""City within a City" is not only a physical concept, it tells the story of a financial city in a city; at the same time, it also represents a 'city' in the hearts of urbanites from all walks of life, and the dilemma of human nature in a besieged city." Teng Huatao, director of the Shanghai-produced TV series "City Within a City," said, "Although this drama is about finance, it shows human nature. Everyone makes their own choices in their own 'city within a city.'"
on CCTV Comprehensive Channel The TV series "City Within a City" broadcast by iQiyi has reached its finale. The play is adapted from the novel of the same name by Teng Xiaolan, winner of the Lu Xun Literature Award. It is set against the background of the financial reform around 2018 and tells the story of two generations of financial people facing the financial crisis and constantly making choices between their career bottom line and monetary interests. The reason why he chose the financial theme is that Teng Huatao said that he was attracted by the characters in the novel. The two generations working in banks represent the changes in China's finance in a specific historical period. The difficulties and complex human nature of these people during the changes are What he wanted to express most.
In the past, Teng Huatao filmed "Heart Home", "Double-sided Tape", "Wang Gui and Anna" and " 33 Days of Love ", showing different aspects of human nature and the times through family life, and "City Within a City" seems to have changed the game. Tao, in fact, is just using the shell of finance, and ultimately focuses on "people". "We are not a financial industry drama, let alone a business war drama. The struggle for billions in those business war dramas seems thrilling, but in fact it is far away from the audience. I hope to establish a connection between the characters and the audience, so that everyone can feel the fate of the characters and complexity." Teng Huatao said, "The banking industry is very close to money, and it also has the power to decide how money is used. Some people maintain the financial order, and some people destroy the financial order. Are you willing to be hunted, or are you brave enough to fight against it? "Such questions don't require professional qualifications, they question people's hearts.
Specifically speaking, Zhao Hui, played by Yu Hewei, is the most complex character in the whole drama. He has always adhered to the principle of "white shirts will not stain with dust or black" in his career, but he is also facing the problem of his daughter's eye disease. The pressure of huge medical fees, and the pervasive traps of Xie Zhiyuan and others... "When people face these situations, everything is not black and white." Teng Huatao said, "Zhao Hui's idealism has been compromised in reality. , continues to turn gray, until it gradually slides into darkness. Every step he takes seems reasonable, but the audience also knows that the so-called reasonableness is wrong, and it is one of the steps that will make the white shirt gray and black. He will take chances and be dragged into the abyss in the end. This complexity makes the character more real. "
This kind of "choice" not only exists for the middle-aged Zhao Hui, but also for the newcomer Tian Xiaohui in the play. Troubled. "What Tian Xiaohui faced was a multiple-choice question for a newcomer to the workplace and a childish version. When she made the first small mistake, she may not have thought that she would slide deeper and deeper in the future." In addition, in the play, Zhao Hui and Tao Teng Huatao makes Wuji the master and disciple, making the two mirror images of each other. Zhao Hui saw Tao Wuji as if he were seeing himself when he was young; Tao Wuji had always idealized that he could become Zhao Hui in the future.
In the financial circle, apart from the intrigues of Xie Zhiyuan and Wu Xianlong, Su Jianren in the play is loved by many viewers. "We did a lot of interviews in the early stage and obtained many real cases in the context of financial reform in 2018. Xie Zhiyuan and Wu Xianlong in the play are typical representatives of the villains of capital." Teng Huatao said, "Su Jianren is relatively simple, he does not have that He is a person who has a pure desire for material things or power. The audience will like this kind of character because it is very close to them. "
"City Within a City" has many scenes of Shanghai. Teng Huatao said: "I like to shoot Shanghai very much, and present the characteristics of the city and people to audiences across the country. But the Shanghai in "City Within a City" is different. It is not just about shooting Shanghai in a narrow sense, it is also a symbol of a city. Financial center." Indeed. This 40-episode TV series focuses on the country's financial reform and development, presents the life of the financial industry under the wave of the times, and inspires people. (Xinmin Evening News reporter Wu Xiang)
