[Global Times Reporter Liu Mingjiang Li] The War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea TV series " Shangganling " directed by Liu Weiqiang continued to increase in popularity after its launch. As of October 29, it ranked first in the average ratings of all prime time channel dramas, with 2.3772 %'s average viewership is temporarily among the highest in the 2024 drama series' average ratings. During the popular period of the series, all episodes have been viewed more than 20 million, arousing widespread public attention.
A few days ago, Liu Weiqiang accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from the Global Times. He crossed the long river of history, looked back on those turbulent years, and explored how main theme movies can connect people's emotions and inspire contemporary young people to pursue peace.
From commercial films to the main theme
"Many people think that war films are about killing and killing, and constant gun battles, but I don't think so - I want to change this idea." Liu Weiqiang expressed this emotion in an interview. He was born in Hong Kong, China, in 1960. After graduating from high school in 1980, he joined Shaw Brothers International Film Company as a photographer and participated in the filming of Lau Kar-leung 's movie "Eighteen Martial Arts". In 2002, Liu Weiqiang established his own "Basic Film Production Company". The first film he produced was " Infernal Affairs ". In the following three years, the "Infernal Affairs" trilogy pushed his career to the peak.
In 2017, the historical film "The Founding of the Army" directed by Liu Weiqiang was released. Since then, " Chinese Captain ", " Peacekeeping Riot Squad " and many other theme movies directed or participated in the production of him have appeared on the screen. His new works "Shangganling" premiered on CCTV in October this year. It tells the story of the volunteers who took the initiative to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea in 1952, and the "United Nations Forces" (the United States used the name of the United Nations to gather troops from 15 other countries, including the United Kingdom and France, to send troops to North Korea). The story of Shangganling’s final defeat.
Liu Weiqiang, file picture
When asked why he transitioned from commercial films to a director of main theme film and television works, Liu Weiqiang said: "I feel very lucky. Many mainland film companies have given me opportunities and are willing to let me film "Initial" d "Directors of commercial films like this try to make more emotional works, such as my first main theme movie "The Founding of an Army""
After filming "The Founding of an Army", Liu Weiqiang had the idea of getting involved in a main theme TV series. Because the episodes are longer, the development of each character and event can be shown in more detail. Therefore, when the boss of a mainland film and television company said that he would make a TV series "Shangganling", Liu Weiqiang immediately agreed, "I hope to express emotions through a longer length."
The core of war movies is emotion
"During the meeting, the prop team I watched a lot of documentaries, and some people even cried while watching them, because they had deep feelings about this period of history," Liu Weiqiang recalled, "This emotion was also passed on to me, and I felt that I had to do something real with my heart. Something of value”.
"Many people may have some stereotypes about the main theme of film and television works, but I think the core thing is to capture the emotions of the characters." Liu Weiqiang said, whether it is filming "Initial D" or "Captain of China", the characters' The processing techniques are similar, the key is how to show the character's mentality. There are many similarities between the psychology of the racing driver in "Initial D" and the psychology of the soldiers in "Shanghailing". For example, how senior commanders care about young soldiers. The human care between them is the soul of the movie, not just It's a simple gun-and-bullet drama.
Liu Weiqiang, who is good at shooting big scenes, focuses on the emotions of the characters when narrating history: "The general also has a strong and tender side. How does he face difficult choices? Ordinary soldiers may be afraid and tremble in battle. , how did their psychology change after seeing their predecessors sacrificed? How did the leaders comfort them? If tens of thousands of bombs exploded every day, what would be the psychological state of people in the dark? The cruelty of war, with broken legs, death, and corpses strewn everywhere... was rarely shown in many TV dramas in the past."
Liu Weiqiang hopes that in this way, the audience can truly feel the ruthlessness of the war. The dilemma of giving up or persevering when the volunteer soldiers faced on the battlefield is still fresh in his memory: "There was a line at that time, 'Either you endure it or you die.' This sentence touched me very much. It not only reflected their mental state at that time, but also ran through the entire work, inspiring the volunteers to continue moving forward. "
shoots domestic dramas with the mentality of "cannot lose"
"Many people say that there is a gap between our TV dramas and Korean dramas and American dramas, but I believe we can also produce equally excellent works. " Liu Weiqiang said, "The essence of movies is the same - you need to move the audience through the film and make the audience identify with your story - this is the most basic task of every director. No matter what the subject matter is, it must be viewed from different angles. To touch people's hearts."
Liu Weiqiang said firmly, "We must shoot with the mentality of 'cannot lose'. Fortunately, many people on the crew are from the team that worked on "The Founding of the Army" before. They are very familiar with war themes, especially the art teacher - his parents are both soldiers, and he understands these themes better than I do. "Profound".
During the filming process, Liu Weiqiang often consulted military experts to learn more details, such as the daily status of the volunteers in battle. This knowledge was very helpful for the film crew to restore the real scenes. Liu Weiqiang also talked to veterans and wounded soldiers Communication, showing the transformation and growth of the soldiers in the war.
"Lighting and photography are only the foundation. The real art comes from the actors' ability to truly understand and interpret the characters - when the actors truly understand the emotions of the scene, they His performance can impress the audience. Liu Weiqiang gave an example. In the shooting locations in the military area, the actors felt that they were "really on the battlefield." The authenticity of the scene made them feel that if the battles in the past were repeated, they might really face death.
Liu Weiqiang said, "Through Through these experiences, the actors grew up and understood the bravery and persistence of the soldiers. So the most important thing is that the actors should act with heart, and I should convey these emotions to the audience. Some people's parents are volunteers themselves, which gives them a deeper understanding of the role and pay tribute to the volunteer soldiers through performances. Without the dedication and sacrifice of these martyrs, we would not be able to enjoy such a long-term peace today."
"Today, many young people only know about war from movies and TV dramas, but real war is much crueler than these movies and TV dramas. Through this work, I hope to amplify those real experiences and let the audience know the hardships of the soldiers in the past. "Liu Weiqiang told the Global Times reporter, "Without them, we wouldn't be able to sit here and drink tea and chat so comfortably now. This is the core message I hope to convey through my work - only peace can bring a better life to the people.
[Global Times Reporter Liu Mingjiang Li] The War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea TV series " Shangganling " directed by Liu Weiqiang continued to increase in popularity after its launch. As of October 29, it ranked first in the average ratings of all prime time channel dramas, with 2.3772 %'s average viewership is temporarily among the highest in the 2024 drama series' average ratings. During the popular period of the series, all episodes have been viewed more than 20 million, arousing widespread public attention.
A few days ago, Liu Weiqiang accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from the Global Times. He crossed the long river of history, looked back on those turbulent years, and explored how main theme movies can connect people's emotions and inspire contemporary young people to pursue peace.
From commercial films to the main theme
"Many people think that war films are about killing and killing, and constant gun battles, but I don't think so - I want to change this idea." Liu Weiqiang expressed this emotion in an interview. He was born in Hong Kong, China, in 1960. After graduating from high school in 1980, he joined Shaw Brothers International Film Company as a photographer and participated in the filming of Lau Kar-leung 's movie "Eighteen Martial Arts". In 2002, Liu Weiqiang established his own "Basic Film Production Company". The first film he produced was " Infernal Affairs ". In the following three years, the "Infernal Affairs" trilogy pushed his career to the peak.
In 2017, the historical film "The Founding of the Army" directed by Liu Weiqiang was released. Since then, " Chinese Captain ", " Peacekeeping Riot Squad " and many other theme movies directed or participated in the production of him have appeared on the screen. His new works "Shangganling" premiered on CCTV in October this year. It tells the story of the volunteers who took the initiative to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea in 1952, and the "United Nations Forces" (the United States used the name of the United Nations to gather troops from 15 other countries, including the United Kingdom and France, to send troops to North Korea). The story of Shangganling’s final defeat.
Liu Weiqiang, file picture
When asked why he transitioned from commercial films to a director of main theme film and television works, Liu Weiqiang said: "I feel very lucky. Many mainland film companies have given me opportunities and are willing to let me film "Initial" d "Directors of commercial films like this try to make more emotional works, such as my first main theme movie "The Founding of an Army""
After filming "The Founding of an Army", Liu Weiqiang had the idea of getting involved in a main theme TV series. Because the episodes are longer, the development of each character and event can be shown in more detail. Therefore, when the boss of a mainland film and television company said that he would make a TV series "Shangganling", Liu Weiqiang immediately agreed, "I hope to express emotions through a longer length."
The core of war movies is emotion
"During the meeting, the prop team I watched a lot of documentaries, and some people even cried while watching them, because they had deep feelings about this period of history," Liu Weiqiang recalled, "This emotion was also passed on to me, and I felt that I had to do something real with my heart. Something of value”.
"Many people may have some stereotypes about the main theme of film and television works, but I think the core thing is to capture the emotions of the characters." Liu Weiqiang said, whether it is filming "Initial D" or "Captain of China", the characters' The processing techniques are similar, the key is how to show the character's mentality. There are many similarities between the psychology of the racing driver in "Initial D" and the psychology of the soldiers in "Shanghailing". For example, how senior commanders care about young soldiers. The human care between them is the soul of the movie, not just It's a simple gun-and-bullet drama.
Liu Weiqiang, who is good at shooting big scenes, focuses on the emotions of the characters when narrating history: "The general also has a strong and tender side. How does he face difficult choices? Ordinary soldiers may be afraid and tremble in battle. , how did their psychology change after seeing their predecessors sacrificed? How did the leaders comfort them? If tens of thousands of bombs exploded every day, what would be the psychological state of people in the dark? The cruelty of war, with broken legs, death, and corpses strewn everywhere... was rarely shown in many TV dramas in the past."
Liu Weiqiang hopes that in this way, the audience can truly feel the ruthlessness of the war. The dilemma of giving up or persevering when the volunteer soldiers faced on the battlefield is still fresh in his memory: "There was a line at that time, 'Either you endure it or you die.' This sentence touched me very much. It not only reflected their mental state at that time, but also ran through the entire work, inspiring the volunteers to continue moving forward. "
shoots domestic dramas with the mentality of "cannot lose"
"Many people say that there is a gap between our TV dramas and Korean dramas and American dramas, but I believe we can also produce equally excellent works. " Liu Weiqiang said, "The essence of movies is the same - you need to move the audience through the film and make the audience identify with your story - this is the most basic task of every director. No matter what the subject matter is, it must be viewed from different angles. To touch people's hearts."
Liu Weiqiang said firmly, "We must shoot with the mentality of 'cannot lose'. Fortunately, many people on the crew are from the team that worked on "The Founding of the Army" before. They are very familiar with war themes, especially the art teacher - his parents are both soldiers, and he understands these themes better than I do. "Profound".
During the filming process, Liu Weiqiang often consulted military experts to learn more details, such as the daily status of the volunteers in battle. This knowledge was very helpful for the film crew to restore the real scenes. Liu Weiqiang also talked to veterans and wounded soldiers Communication, showing the transformation and growth of the soldiers in the war.
"Lighting and photography are only the foundation. The real art comes from the actors' ability to truly understand and interpret the characters - when the actors truly understand the emotions of the scene, they His performance can impress the audience. Liu Weiqiang gave an example. In the shooting locations in the military area, the actors felt that they were "really on the battlefield." The authenticity of the scene made them feel that if the battles in the past were repeated, they might really face death.
Liu Weiqiang said, "Through Through these experiences, the actors grew up and understood the bravery and persistence of the soldiers. So the most important thing is that the actors should act with heart, and I should convey these emotions to the audience. Some people's parents are volunteers themselves, which gives them a deeper understanding of the role and pay tribute to the volunteer soldiers through performances. Without the dedication and sacrifice of these martyrs, we would not be able to enjoy such a long-term peace today."
"Today, many young people only know about war from movies and TV dramas, but real war is much crueler than these movies and TV dramas. Through this work, I hope to amplify those real experiences and let the audience know the hardships of the soldiers in the past. "Liu Weiqiang told the Global Times reporter, "Without them, we wouldn't be able to sit here and drink tea and chat so comfortably now. This is the core message I hope to convey through my work - only peace can bring a better life to the people.”
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