A night of chaos!
html It was a dark and stormy February day, and our protagonist was shot dead by a machine gun.
Yes, this is the beginning, not the ending.
In the troubled times of the Republic of China, the Haidong City newspaper tycoon Shen Zhiheng ( Gao Weiguang ), who adheres to principles, has just rejected the Haidong Army's approach.
The next second, the warlord ordered: kill him, but the movement should not be too big.
Then take advantage of the night to create an accident.
html February is high in the sky, and the moonlight is so murderous.
The lights of a car were shining, and Shen Zhiheng was confused by the lights.
Then the car rushed straight towards Shen Zhiheng,
It was not enough to knock him down. Two more shots.
Shen Zhiheng, who was shot in the head, got up and killed the two of them.
until the leader fired with a machine gun,
was hit by dozens of bullets and fell down, and was repeatedly run over by cars twice. It’s time for this to sink in.
But in the shady alleys on the snowy night, Shen Zhiheng, who was still alive, made a request to the blind girl Mi Lan ( Ouyang Nana ).
Republic of China vampire? Dark fairy tale style? Sex-changed version of "Si Teng"?
The above plot comes from a fragment of the domestic fantasy drama " Ice and Snow Ballad " starring Gao Weiguang and Ouyang Nana.
In the fictional environment of the Republic of China, the fantasy setting of the male protagonist being immortal for a hundred years is also a key for us to open this fantasy world.
Oh boy, it’s been a long time since I’ve had such a gripping fantasy drama!
As we all know, in 2024, Chinese dramas will explode.
The costume detective drama includes "Tang Gui 2", the period drama includes " Flowers ", the urban love drama includes " The Story of Roses ", and the costume time-travel drama includes " Celebrating More Than Years 2".
However, among these hit dramas, there is only one missing theme, which is fantasy dramas.
Although there are various fantasy dramas appearing every year, it seems that except for the drama version " Under the Stranger " last summer, they are essentially ancient puppets and fairy tales, and the stories are similar.
until this one, "The Ballad of Ice and Snow".
"Fantasy of the Republic of China", is it possible nowadays when there are so many fantasy dramas in fairy tales and ancient costumes?
premiered for 4 episodes and directly hit the platform with 9.2 points.
After catching up on 4 episodes in one go, I have to sigh: the fantasy drama finally has a "turnaround".
1. Story: Night attack, resurrection, counterattack. As soon as this drama started airing, it firmly caught my eye.
The opening chapter of "Ice and Snow Ballad" shows us what is called "the rhythm of a fantasy drama".
To put it simply, "The Ballad of Ice and Snow" is a fantasy drama adapted from Nile's original work "Like the Moon" and tells the story of "another world".
In the context of the Republic of China, Shen Zhiheng contracted a strange disease due to his experiences a hundred years ago and had to drink blood to survive. But just like this, he relied on drinking chicken blood to become immortal and lived for a hundred years.
But his old friend died, and he also lost his human desire. He just wanted to find his aunt who transformed him a hundred years ago, and his missing brother.
And this is the general world view of "Ballad of Ice and Snow".
While the ancient heroes and heroines fell into the rut of "not being able to love", "The Ballad of Ice and Snow" opened up a new path.
Against the fantasy background of the Republic of China, three hooks are thrown out at the beginning, which not only grips the audience, but also makes the fantasy atmosphere so rich that it almost overflows the screen.
The first hook: saving people on a snowy night.
Following the previous story, Shen Zhiheng was hunted for refusing to win over from the Haidong Army. He happened to meet the blind girl Mi Lan who originally wanted to die. At this time, he was already dying.
People from the Haidong Army are still searching for his body.
At the critical moment, Mi Lan followed Shen Zhiheng's instructions and went to the hospital to find his best friend Situ Weilian and asked him to save people.
rescued him overnight and turned the corner into safety.
But of course, this matter cannot be left alone.
The second hook: banquet counterattack.
At the party, Li Yingliang, who had sworn to the governor that Shen Zhiheng was dead, discovered that Shen Zhiheng appeared in front of him in a graceful manner.
, isn’t this person already Si?
But at this moment, he was drinking with him at the same table in great style.
What's going on? Before he had time to think about it, Shen Zhiheng suddenly said: Today, I want you to pay for my life.
The next second, this newspaper tycoon who was famous throughout the city actually ducked and locked Li Yingliang's throat.
took him hostage and left calmly amid the encirclement of the warlord's brigade.
What is the origin of this man? Why do you dare to go against the warlord?
The third hook came soon: the century-old showdown.
Another night, Shen Zhiheng set up a trap and brought out an old friend.
This masked man is probably his younger brother, Shen Zhiqian.
A hundred years ago, my aunt turned Shen Zhiheng into the immortal body he is today, and he and his brother disappeared without a trace.
Shen Zhiheng has also been looking for his younger brother for a hundred years.
The two of them fought, evenly matched, but the other side was not interested in fighting and turned around to run away.
But this led to Shen Zhiheng’s real secret.
And the grand structure of a fantasy world of the Republic of China was finally slowly unfolded due to this encounter and confrontation a hundred years later.
On the one hand, the blind girl Mi Lan inadvertently rescued Shen Zhiheng, and then was passively involved in the disputes in this undead fantasy world. On the other hand, in order to investigate Shen Zhiheng, the Haidong Army began to join hands with the descendants of the Mu family to arrest him.
The fate of one is a disabled newspaper boss and the other is a frail blind girl who was abused by her mother has been entangled since then, and the wheel of fate has begun to turn.
I have to say that "Ice and Snow Ballad" really brought an immersive fantasy and refreshing feeling to the audience.
brings the audience into the game with fantasy, and at the same time buries suspense, firmly attracting the audience's attention.
Multiple story lines go hand in hand, and the fighting scenes are chaotic but not chaotic. The warlords in the troubled times of the Republic of China, the mysterious power of the undead, and the cursed Mu family appear one after another.
The suspense gradually unfolds, giving the audience a sense of decryption like peeling an onion.
All good fantasy must be because of a good story.
The fantasy drama "Ice and Snow Ballad" has become.
2. Perception: The foundation of fantasy, the sense of suspense and the sense of substitution go hand in hand. It is a new way to open fantasy.
After watching 4 episodes of "Ice and Snow Ballad", if you ask me what my most direct impression is, I will say two words, Fantasy.
Although the story of a vampire meeting a blind girl is indeed not new, once the background of the Republic of China is added, it immediately adds a wonderful look and feel.
And this story does have a unique look and feel that makes people forget to leave.
First, there is a sense of suspense.
Suspense is originally indispensable for fantasy dramas, but at this point, most domestic fantasy dramas are boring.
Because fantasy dramas generally have a grand story background, domestic fantasy dramas in the past were either cultivating immortals or three lives and three lives. The beginning of the fantasy was a ppt-style introduction to the worldview structure.
What follows is nothing more than the male and female protagonists experiencing a turning point in love. In the end, the male god of war or the female god of war defeats the villain, in exchange for peace in the three realms, and renews their relationship in reincarnation.
To be honest, this kind of plot is a bit the same. There is suspense but there is no suspense. It feels to the audience like the same bottle of wine has been changed into several bottles, with no new ideas at all.
"Ice and Snow Ballad" is not like this.
It does not focus on introducing a grand world view at the beginning, but throws out an introduction: immortal people.
This core suspense, like throwing a brick to attract others, snowballed into the following series of suspense: The fantasy background of "Ice and Snow Ballad" slowly unfolded simultaneously with the story line: What kind of grudges does Shen Zhiheng have with the Mu family?
His immortality, if it is a disease, is there an antidote? Where are my aunt and Shen Zhiqian who have disappeared for a hundred years?
How will he avoid the successive plots by the warlord and the Mu family?
The audience enters this fantasy world unconsciously, like travelers under the moonlight. Once the journey begins, it cannot end easily.
The second is a sense of fantasy, or, in other words, a sense of horror.
This is not just a love story between a sinister boss and a broken little girl. It is also a thrilling fantasy legend about the immortal.
Let’s talk about the scene where Situ Weilian rescues Shen Zhiheng. The language of this scene has the feel of a horror film, and the atmosphere is just right.
In an empty hospital, Situ Weilian dragged Shen Zhiheng, who was covered in blood, into the operating table. A sense of suspense arose: What kind of fantasy surgery is this? Why can’t Situ Weilian’s modern medicine save people?
There is also the appearance of the psychedelic aunt, which arouses a lot of suspense.
After the core concept is thrown out, the background stops abruptly, and the echo left behind is the imagination of the audience.
Looking down with questions, fantasy is given a special look and feel, and the audience's attention is attracted.
You will find that this scene is more "fantasy" than scary.
The third one is the cinematic feel.
Many passages in the series have the feeling of watching a blockbuster movie.
Today’s online dramas have indeed completed a complete upgrade in quality.
For example, the scene where Shen Zhiheng battles the warlords and horses takes Shen Zhiheng's state as the core and sets up a lot of intensive fights. The army opens fire on the night streets and there are thrilling fights in the banquet hall.
The switching and scheduling of different characters changed the flat camera movement of the fight, allowing each character to have sufficient space for display. The camera movement, scheduling and shooting made a seemingly chaotic, but actually interesting, battle between the immortals and the Republic of China The warlords fought in a melee, which left a deep impression.
’s martial arts style that combines virtuality and reality is different from the popular air combat with flying and flying special effects, creating a "pragmatic" and "retro" martial arts world for the audience.
Another example is director Li Muge’s unique fantasy aesthetics.
is no different from other fantasy films, which mostly have an imaginary background or are set in ancient times. The biggest source of the sense of immersion in "Ice and Snow Ballad" is that the story takes place in the imaginary Republic of China, and most of the scenes in the play are in winter.
In the moonlight and at night, the whole painting style presents a chilling atmosphere, but also reveals an eerie beauty.
Although the story cannot be said to have any breakthrough compared to the previous fantasy dramas of the Republic of China such as "Wuxin Master", it is better because of the director's skill, editing, switching, and grasping the atmosphere just right, and the fantasy tension comes out.
3. Acting skills: Gao Weiguang took over the Han Dongjun and transformed into the "Immortal of the Republic of China", the drama came out
Yes, when it comes to the fantasy dramas of the Republic of China, of course we can't avoid "Wuxin Master", which was also adapted from Nero's novel. , just like Wu Xin played by Han Dongjun, Shen Zhiheng in this drama not only carries the core setting of the entire drama, immortality.
is the biggest key to the whole drama. This actor is of course very important.
There is no doubt that Gao Weiguang is a highlight of this drama.
No one is more suitable to play the immortal than Gao Weiguang! With a handsome mixed-race face and a 191cm tall figure, Gao Weiguang looks like he was fighting in the busy traffic of the Republic of China. The aura of a mysterious and lonely nobleman naturally hits his face.
In terms of characterization, Shen Zhiheng is a complex image.
After hundreds of years of immortality, he has long lost the joy of being a human being and wants less and less, but he maintains the pride of being a human being and is unwilling to go with the flow in times of chaos. Even if the Haidong Army draws threats, he will not be moved. This Persistence puts him in crisis.
Gao Weiguang never disappoints when it comes to handling complex characters.
In the play, he has to face the coercion and calculations of the warlord forces, and he uses every trick to deal with it.
His performance was very exciting in the scene where he fought back against Li Yingliang who had tried to kill him.
At the beginning of the dinner, he was smiling, as if nothing was wrong, but in fact he was paralyzing the other party.
Just when the other person was fooled by his calmness into believing him and not killing him, he suddenly changed his face, with a cruel face, and then a cruel hand, and directly took the opponent down.
From verbal retaliation to physical pressure, Gao Weiguang acted out the sense of oppression on the characters.
A scene, a variety of emotional expressions, multiple expression changes, Gao Weiguang's performance is as sharp as winter.
But when facing Mi Lan who saved him, he was gentle and elegant, as warm as spring.
The character design is impressive and the acting skills are impressive. Gao Weiguang still has room to play this three-dimensional and complex character. After Partridge Whistle, he may have to create a new representative character.
What also amazed me was the actresses in the drama. As soon as they appeared, the "sexiness" of the fantasy drama of the Republic of China came out.
For example, Ouyang Nana’s acting originally had a lot of controversy, but with her innocent face and a sense of fragility in her temperament, she was a perfect match for Mi Lan, a blind rich girl who suffered abuse.
Another example is Meng Ziyi who plays the mysterious aunt Wei Qiu.
is already very stunning in appearance, with a melancholy and eerie beauty that makes people excited and frightened.
has a miserable character design. Because her mother-in-law thought she was an ominous creature, she wanted to burn her and her children to death, so she had to kill the Shen family and turned into a crazy woman who has disappeared for hundreds of years. The character design is really touching. , more suitable for her acting skills.
There is also Tang Jingmei, who stunned the audience with the charming Madam Ma in "Tang Gui 2". This time she plays the ruthless Mu Lihua.
is dressed in a Republican style that is both retro and fashionable. Flowers, charming and murderous Overflowing, like a stunning ghost blooming in the dark night, with its own enchanting charm.
It is precisely because of the excellence of these female characters that this fantasy drama has more colors and highlights.
4. After "Wuxin Master", the fantasy drama of the Republic of China should shine.
As another long-lost fantasy drama of the Republic of China after "Wuxin Master",
"Ballad of Ice and Snow" is naturally not perfect.
The most obvious thing is that some of the plots are too taken for granted. The fantasy setting is wonderful, but the plot is not rigorous enough. For example, how does Shen Zhiheng, a celebrity in the city, cover up his century-old body? Why should he fight against the warlord's power on his own?
But the good thing about the series is that it has its own style.
is an adaptation of Nile's original work. On the one hand, it does not abandon the high-energy and famous scenes of the original work.
In terms of casting, it is obvious that the main creator has also done his homework. For example, the casting of Gao Weiguang, the core character Shen Zhiheng, is in line with the audience's expectations.
On the other hand, it made cinematic changes to some plots.
Li Muge has incorporated his own Si Teng Republic of China aesthetics, and the effect is not bad.
For viewers who are looking forward to domestic fantasy breakthroughs, the shortcomings become tolerable.
is still the same as "Wuxin Master". In addition to introducing the fantasy of the Republic of China, some scenes reach a thrilling level. The
series also captures the most moving essence of Nile's original work.
What is really touching about Shen Zhiheng’s story?
Loneliness.
The character Shen Zhiheng has endured for hundreds of years and remains immortal.
The most attractive thing about this setting is-
He is a person with a past but no past. He is also a person who is constantly searching for himself.
But the cycle repeats and cannot find itself. This is the tragic core of the character.
The special thing about the blind girl Mi Lan is that she gave him a reason to live under the moonlight.
In the final analysis, underneath the fantasy story packaging, it is actually the mental journey of many urban men and women.
The results of such attempts vary from person to person. Just like the first 4 episodes of the show, the main line is the struggle between the male and female protagonists. Some people are satisfied with it, while others are dissatisfied.
but I think.
At least it is trying to change something today when fantasy genres and themes are gradually becoming homogeneous.
As a "Republic of China fantasy" drama, "Ice and Snow Ballad" still brings a sense of freshness and surprise to everyone. This "Ice and Snow Ballad" is worth watching.
