I don’t know when, young people of our generation became obsessed with idol dramas. In my memory, when I was first attracted to idol dramas, I probably just entered adolescence. At that time, Korean dramas were not as popular as they are now. Except for martial arts dramas such as "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", it was Aunt Qiong Yao's dramas that dominated the screen. Before the belated arrival of Korean Obamas, the idols of young girls were F4 in "Meteor Garden" and Xu Shaoyang in "Lavender". They always thought that it was Taiwanese idol dramas that first captured the hearts of young boys and girls. Only now, looking back on those ignorant years, I suddenly discovered that long before Taiwanese idol dramas became popular in mainland China, I had already watched a very classic idol drama. It is so classic that it still remains in my mind more than ten years later. It is "Like Fog, Like Rain and Like Wind" directed by Zhao Baogang.
01 A tortuous love story
Just like the title of the play, the love expressed in the play is also "like fog, rain and wind". If love were simple and clear, it would not become an eternal object of expression in film and television works. It is as hazy as fog, lingering as rain, and elusive as wind, so it has endless stories.
After watching this drama, many viewers wondered: Does Chen Zikun, played by Chen Kun, love Fang Ziyi or Du Xinyu? Does Li Yingqi, played by Lu Yi, really love Fang Ziyi? Or just a playboy? Did Fang Ziyi really fall in love with Li Yingqi or was she just seduced by "his perfection"?
It is these questions that show the excellence of the work. Because love is really not that simple.
Chen Zikun and Fang Ziyi can be said to be childhood sweethearts who have been in love for a long time. They are each other's first love, and that is an emotion that has been melted into the years. But Du Xinyu was so innocent and kind, and her love for Chen Zikun was so pure. Facing such a beautiful and lovely girl, Chen Zikun was uncontrollably shaken. He was afraid of letting Fang Ziyi down, so he chose to go fishing and escape. When he came back, he realized that he had no ability to give Zi Yi a good life. At the same time, he discovered Zi Yi's feelings for Li Yingqi, and once again chose to withdraw voluntarily. But, did he really give up because he was afraid that he could not give Zi Yi a good life? Did Ziyi really fall in love with Li Yingqi? The audience was confused and began to think of their own, and different opinions emerged. This is exactly what a good play is, the same performance gives readers different understandings.
Chen Zikun and Du Xinyu were sent to a strange small town by Du Yunhe. The comfortable and peaceful bamboo forest life was as beautiful as a fairy tale. It was here that Chen Zikun was sure that his feelings for Du Xinyu were not just for his little sister. In this dreamlike bamboo forest, boiling water for bathing, chopping wood for cooking, and doing laundry have all become wonderful things. Du Xinyu's childlike smile and easy-to-satisfy happiness perfectly match Chen Zikun's simple character. His love for Du Xinyu deepened day by day, and he seemed to have forgotten everything about Fang Ziyi: her appearance, her voice, and her feelings.
But Chen Zikun couldn't bear the loneliness, so they returned to Shanghai. At this time, Fang Ziyi had divorced Li Yingqi and hid in the countryside. After learning the news, Chen Zikun and Li Yingqi went to find Fang Ziyi. Ziyi did not come back, but he missed his wedding to Du Xinyu. The audience felt heartbroken when they saw Du Xinyu standing outside the gate waiting in her wedding dress. What Ziyi said to Li Yingqi also made the audience emotionally dilemma. The person she has always loved is Chen Zikun. Such a well-educated, beautiful and kind-hearted girl not only lost the person she loved most, but also got divorced and lived in the countryside. This also aroused the sympathy of the audience, and the audience was in trouble with Chen Zikun.
Li Yingqi is a doctor who returned from studying abroad. He has a gentlemanly demeanor, handsome appearance and a wealthy family. Such a character can be said to be the Prince Charming in an idol drama, unable to make a girl's heart flutter. But in the play, his love is the most tragic. A good family background makes it easy for him to get everything he wants, so emotionally what he pursues is what is difficult for him to get. Li Yingqi's love for Fang Ziyi was always rejected. This constant rejection deepened his feelings for Fang Ziyi. He thought this was love. For the sake of love, despite his father's opposition, he chose to escape from marriage and even ran away from home.
Before he married Fang Ziyi, his image had always been infatuated. However, after going through many hardships, he finally married Fang Ziyi, but he showed intolerance towards his cousin and was always soft-hearted, causing the marriage to quickly break down. When he completely lost Fang Ziyi, he was so sad that he turned to An Qi, who had always loved him deeply.
The audience's feelings towards Li Yingqi are complicated. He has both an infatuated side and a weak and sentimental side. He is a three-dimensional character, a person who tends to be perfect but has fatal weaknesses.
In the end, he married his cousin who was in a vegetative state and walked into the church for the third time.
02 Excellent TV Art
"Like Fog, Like Rain and Like Wind" has pictures as exquisite as oil paintings, and every shot can be framed as a beautiful picture. From the era background to the character modeling, it gives people a sense of youthfulness in the glitzy Shanghai era.
The style of old Shanghai
In addition to important factors such as plot and acting skills, a good drama can better reflect its excellence in the presentation of details. The background of "Like Fog, Like Rain and Like Wind" is Shanghai in the 1930s, a prosperous city during the Republic of China. In such a special era, the city has its own unique scenery.
Shanghai's boss Du Yunhe is in charge of large and small docks and warehouses, and operates various dance halls and restaurants, which has the nature of a gang. This not only brings a gangster legend to the TV series, but also naturally introduces many symbols of the era. In the magnificent ballroom, men in suits and ties drank red wine, and women danced in slit cheongsams. The lights were bright, the singing and dancing were lively, and it was a glitzy scene like Shanghai. The young master and the young lady go out and take a car, escorted by thugs. If the conditions are average, there will be a rickshaw to pick you up and take you there. There are both the turbulent waves of the Huangpu River and the exquisite coffee shops on the streets. The entire background is filled with the atmosphere of the times, chaotic, complex, fashionable and exquisite.
Women wearing cheongsam are a unique scenery of the Republic of China. The female protagonists in the play all wear tailor-made cheongsams. Mrs. Du's style, An Qi's elegance, Fang Ziyi's Xiaojiabiyu, Du Xinyu's innocence, the character's personality and the style of the cheongsam complement each other.
Showing the special things of a special era, on the one hand, it provides an accurate and gorgeous background for the play, and on the other hand, it also allows the audience to deepen their understanding of the times and enjoy it while watching the play. The process of appreciating beauty. In "Like Fog, Like Rain and Like Wind", Shanghai in the old days was full of charm.
The importance of character modeling
The modeling design of TV art is the prerequisite and foundation for the success of a TV art work. The character modeling should be carefully crafted based on the character's settings in the script and the character's personality. Idol dramas often make the male and female protagonists handsome and beautiful based on the audience's preferences, so they are all the same and difficult to stand out. In "Like Fog, Like Rain and Like Wind", each character has his or her own unique appearance.
Due to the shadow of her childhood, Du Xinyu did not like to communicate with the outside world. She has maintained the way of thinking and speaking as a child for ten years. Therefore, at the beginning, she wore a small shirt on top and a long skirt on the bottom. , with two long braids, looking playful, cute and innocent.
Chen Zikun, as a clerk in a watch repair shop, was dressed slovenly, an old and yellowed shirt with two buttons open, making him look unrestrained. The pants are baggy and he wears a gray hat. Combined with his running posture and innocent smile, people can tell at a glance: This is what Chen Zikun looks like.
Alai, played by Sun Honglei, is a gentle tough guy. He is straight-faced, domineering, a little emotionally dull, and straightforward. Wu Boping, played by Liao Fan, is a treacherous and spineless villain. This is a negative image. He also studied abroad with Li Yingqi. He wore a suit and a hat, but he didn't have Li Yingqi's decency and grace. His hairstyle is three-quarter length, slightly curly, and sticks oilily to his head. He wears a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, giving him the image of a gentle and gentle man.
The appearance of each character is consistent with its personality. It is carefully designed and matched by the stylist. It not only conforms to the temperament of the actor, but also conforms to the setting of the character. It is very attentive.
The tension of the lens and picture
Excellent drama works not only impress people with the beauty of the picture, but also give people endless reverie with their unique light and shadow colors.
In the seventh episode of "Like Fog, Rain and Wind", Chen Zikun came to accompany Du Xinyu, but Du Xinyu was reluctant to leave him. Chen Zikun thought of a way to walk backwards, just like he came.
In the drizzle, the boy smiled, facing the girl and retreating step by step. The girl smiled and watched him step away, until there was no boy in the picture, only an empty door.
The camera turns to the girl's face, and the smile gradually disappears, leaving a face that is beautiful and lost, which is endearing. When the camera turned to the opposite side, it was an empty shot, without her beloved, or a lonely door.
The girl lowered her head and turned around. Amidst the patter of rain, the little flower umbrella rotated away.
This group of shots is quiet, wordless, but beautiful, with the hope and sadness of love. The sound of rain, the boy's smiling face, and the girl's expression changes blend into one, which is romantic. A lonely door and the little flower umbrella turning away represent the girl's sense of loss in love, with a long-lasting melancholy mood. Love, isn't that what it is?
In the eighth episode, Du Xinyu and Chen Zikun came to the river, and the evening glow filled the sky. Du Xinyu almost fell down on the bridge, Chen Zikun hugged her, and they hugged each other. Chen Zikun was suddenly attacked by a kind of love. He was afraid that his love for Du Xinyu would make him let down Fang Ziyi. So he let go of Du Xinyu and said not to meet again.
The camera zooms out from a pair of men and women, including the entire sky, the entire bridge, and the men and women on the bridge. At this time, the angle of the camera changes to an upward shot, and the two people on the bridge are photographed from a distant perspective under the bridge. What is shown in the picture is the colorful sunset and the two figures on the bridge. Their faces cannot be clearly seen. silhouette. Under the sky covered with sunset, the boy ran away with all his strength. He wanted to escape from Du Xinyu and his own love. There were no words or expressions, only the running posture, and his actions explained everything. However, the more indifferent the character's appearance, expression and language are, the more tension of behavior can be reflected in actions. That was when he was struck down by love and ran away. His panic was because he realized that besides Fang Ziyi, he had uncontrollably fallen in love with another woman.
After the boy's shadow disappeared, it was an empty shot, only the sky filled with sunset glow was empty. Suddenly another running figure appeared in the camera. The girl's long flowing hair and skirt were flying in the sky. It was a gesture of chasing love, without any hesitation. Such a set of shots is not only the climax of the love between the male and female protagonists, but also gives people a shocking power through the combination of shots and the harmony of colors, light and shadow.
03 Elf Girl Du Xinyu
She is the daughter of a gang boss. Everyone in Shanghai listens to Du Yunhe, but Du Yunhe only listens to his daughter Du Xinyu. This gives this girl an aura of wealth. Zhou Xun's acting skills are impeccable in this role. With her hoarse voice, pure and clear eyes, innocent speaking tone, and trembling chin when she cries, Chen Zikun cannot refuse her, and the audience cannot help but fall in love with her.
Kites and fish, to some extent, are both the incarnations of heart rain. She said she hoped to turn into a fish after death, a red fish, and swim freely in the water. She envied the kite flying freely in the sky, being able to cut off all ties and do as she pleased. But there is a very important premise: if she is a fish, then Zikun is the oxygen that keeps her alive. If she is a kite, then Zikun is the wind that blows her to fly. The bustling Shanghai is too noisy and turbid for Xinyu. What her crystal-like heart yearns for is a bay of crystal-clear water and a clear blue sky.
But Zikun, on the contrary, loves Shanghai. He loves this city full of opportunities from the bottom of his heart. The lively street scene, the clanging trams, and the bright neon lights are the world he is used to. . Du Yunhe said that as long as Xinyu liked them, he would send Zikun and Xinyu back to the bamboo forest. Zikun said, "I won't go. It's okay to live there for a while, but it will be too boring to live there for a lifetime.
"
No matter how many times Chen Zikun disappoints her, she will never be disappointed. She firmly believes that he will come, and her love is persistent. She understands that there is a "painful feeling" between Chen Zikun and Fang Ziyi "Thinking", she didn't want her beloved to be in trouble, so she left and escaped into Buddhism, with the Buddhist name "Bamboo Sky".
At the end of the story, the camera showed several close-ups, starting with the girl's face. , and then zoomed in, there was only one pair of eyes in the shot, and those ethereal and memory-filled eyes conquered all the viewers.
"Like Fog, Like Rain and Like Wind" is outstanding in its exquisite production. His acting skills conquered a generation, so many people who watched it as children couldn't help but revisit the show more than ten years later. There are still loyal fans of this show every year on Douban Group, Tianya Forum, and Baidu Post Bar. They write nostalgic words with their unique look and feel. This is not only the nostalgia of the post-90s generation, but also because it is called "Like Fog, Like Rain and Like Wind"
Who do you think Chen Zikun really loves?
1. Fang Ziyi
2. Du Xinyu
3. It’s all true love