Chinese Titanic： A Full Interpretation of the Production of Taiping Wheel
1905 movie network news The romantic blockbuster directed by John Woo was officially released in the Mainland on December 2nd. Based on the sinking of the Taiping wheel in the history of China, this film tells three love stories of three couples. Shipwreck? Love? Many people will think of the film directed by James Cameron that touched millions of people at the first time. In fact, the Taiping Wheel was once called "Titanic of China". There are many similarities between these two films: they are both based on the real shipwreck in history, with love stories as the core, and they both spend a lot of money to restore the shipwreck scene at that time with scenery and special effects, and one third of the special effects of Taiping Wheel were completed by the original special effects team of Titanic.
However, John Woo believes that his films and Cameron’s works are two very different films. The latter takes place almost entirely on ships, but the former is not. Its time and space span is broader, emphasizing the fate of characters under the background of war. And according to him, the ending of this movie is more optimistic than Titanic. What the truth is, I think the audience will have their own minds after watching the film. But before watching the film, you can follow us to learn something that won’t be told on the screen: how did John Woo conceive his love story? What kind of disaster is the sinking of the real Taiping wheel? How is the grand disaster scene created?
David and Zhang Ziyi.
The action movie guide of "Violence Aesthetics": Love seems not to be John Woo’s domain.
Cameron is famous for his sci-fi action movies:, series, all sci-fi movies, and "Card God" rarely touches simple love stories. So is John Woo. For many years, he has been labeled as "action film director" and "violence aesthetics". Whether he became famous in the 1990s, or he marched into Hollywood’s FACE/OFF, until his last work, it was an out-and-out action blockbuster. However, the director had a wish to shoot a romantic film as early as after filming "The True Color of Heroes", but this wish has never been put into practice. Although the Taiping Wheel has a broad background and grand scenes, involving politics, home country and other issues, the center of the story is placed on love.
The film tells three love stories: one is the love between young people in Taiwan Province and Japanese girls, the other is the love between Kuomintang officers and Shanghai rich girls, and the other is the love between prostitutes and communication soldiers. They were adapted by Wu Yusen according to his own experience and stories, and there is no direct correspondence with historical figures. Different from the difference in wealth and status between the two protagonists in Titanic, these three love relationships can basically be called suitable couples. Wu Yusen has his own view of love. In his view, love means responsibility. Although he is not opposed to love at first sight, he believes that whether he can persist after love at first sight is the most important issue of love.
In fact, Titanic is a story of persistence. Although the love in this film starts with the love between Jack and Rose at first sight, its value lies in that Jack can make sacrifices for love after the collision, while Rose can carry on living with this love. Similarly, Taiping Wheel focuses on the power of love and the courage to survive. John Woo hopes to show the greatness of love in turbulent times. No matter what the times are, love will never change. He intends to leave hope for the audience at the end of the film: although things are chaotic and disasters are inevitable, the last survivors have the courage to live.
Song Hye Kyo and Huang Xiaoming.
Open the sense of space with three stories: tell three different kinds of love.
If the cross-class love of Titanic falls into the stereotype, then the love of Taiping Wheel is not so fresh, and its role setting always makes people feel deja vu. However, the connotations of the three love stories are different. Lei Yifang, a Kuomintang officer, and Zhou Yunfen, a rich lady, were played by Huang Xiaoming and Song Hye Kyo respectively. They met at a dance after War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression’s victory and got married soon. After the outbreak of the civil war, Lei Yifang once again set foot on the battlefield, leaving his new wife and children in his womb. Zhou Yunfen suddenly walked out of the carefree world and had to deal with the chaotic world and difficult life alone. Only then did she realize how important her husband’s love is. This is a story of cognition and growth. Thanks to the turmoil of the times, love is no longer superficial, but has become profound.
David and Zhang Ziyi, who play the role of messenger Tong Daqing and prostitute Yu Zhen respectively, live at the bottom of society. The former belongs to Lei Yifang’s troops and is optimistic and cheerful; The latter receives guests at night and takes care of the wounded during the day, and has a strong personality. However, the relationship between these two people is not strictly love, but more like a relationship of caring for each other. They came together just to survive, out of the need for each other. Yu really loved her first boyfriend. She didn’t know that her boyfriend had died the moment she boarded the Taiping wheel. She is a passive role, and she doesn’t have many choices, but she persists in living. It is love that keeps her going, even if it can’t be realized in the end.
Masami Nagasawa and Takeshi Kaneshiro.
Taiwan Province young man Yan Zekun and Japanese girl Masako are played by Takeshi Kaneshiro and Masami Nagasawa. Yan Zekun is a Japanese military doctor who was captured by Tong Daqing in the Sino-Japanese War. The love between him and Masako is pure love of mutual consent. Both of them are simple people, but the differences in nationality and culture and the opposition of Yan Zekun’s mother have greatly hindered their love. Like Yu Zhen, these two characters are also somewhat passive. Probably born in that era, it is difficult for anyone to hold their destiny firmly in their hands. All they can do is struggle. But the separation was inevitable. Yan Zekun got on the boat with a lot on his mind. He didn’t know that there was a huge disaster waiting for him.