Hong Kong Entertainment: The King of Kung Fu

The official translation of "A Song of Elegy" in later generations was "Xibianzhi".

The name is strange because it is a transliteration word meaning a Korean a cappella art that is a world intangible cultural heritage.

The original heroine of the movie was not Choi Jin-sil, but a girl chosen by Im Kwon Taek-hae, named Oh Jung-hae.

But Yang Ye knew that this was a movie that would go down in Korean film history, so he asked Choi Jin-sil to take the role at a friendly price.

Having a big star like Choi Jin-sil can greatly increase the popularity of the movie, which is something Lim Kwon-taek naturally wanted.

Im Kwon-taek is known as the Korean Jang Il-mou because his films pay great attention to composition and color, which is fully reflected in the movie "Western Bianzhi".

"The Western Expedition" is also the most famous film in Im Kwon-taek's career and is specifically mentioned in Chinese film textbooks.

Since the Shanghai Film Festival has been officially certified as one of the world's nine major international film festivals, Choi Jin-sil is a bona fide international film queen.

She walked onto the stage with excitement, received the Golden Goblet Award from Shirley Lansing, and held it high with tears in her eyes.

The guests at the scene gave the girl friendly applause.

Choi Jin-sil gave her acceptance speech in fluent Chinese: “Thank you Shanghai International Film Festival for giving me this award.

Here I would like to thank the director and my colleagues in the crew. It was the director who led us to work together to make such a good movie.

I would also like to thank my mother, brother, and my sisters from Girls' Generation. It is your support that has brought me to where I am today.

Finally, I would like to thank a very important person in my life.

In 1976, in Seoul, there was a little girl who could not even get enough food to eat.

She mingled with the extras in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, thinking that she would be able to eat delicious seaweed rice rolls after the filming.

Suddenly, the horse was startled, the crowd was in a panic, and she was also scared.

At this time, an older brother appeared in front of her.

He saved her and later brought her to Hong Kong, where he taught her to sing, dance and perform...

The little girl is me, and the big brother is Mr. Yang Ye.

Today, on this podium, I want to say to Mr. Yang, you are my hero.

My mother gave me life, and you gave me a brilliant life.

I will always be grateful for your kindness, thank you!"

Cui Zhenzhen said this and bowed deeply in the direction of Yang Ye's seat.

The entire venue suddenly burst into warm applause.

A little girl was discovered by a famous director and after hard training, she grew up to be a well-known and popular star in Asia.

If this story is explored more deeply, it could be made into a movie.

When Cui Zhenli walked off the stage, Yang Ye took the initiative to step forward and gave her a gentle hug, and warm applause broke out again at the scene.

Some media reporters quickly pressed the shutter to capture this moment, and tomorrow's news headlines were there.

After that, the Best Actor award was presented by Marco Muller, the president of the Venice Film Festival and an old friend of Chinese filmmakers.

Lao Ma walked onto the stage and greeted everyone in fluent Wu dialect, which surprised many people and won warm applause.

Lao Ma can speak Wu dialect because his wife is from Shanghai, and this guy is a Shanghai son-in-law.

Then Lao Ma announced the winners: "The winner of the first Shanghai International Film Festival's Best Actor is... Yang Ye, from Hong Kong, for the film, Kung Fu!"

Yang Ye didn't expect that he would win the Best Actor award, because even Stephen Chow himself didn't win the Best Actor award for "Kung Fu".

After Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu" was released, many people were very disappointed with his performance, feeling that his performance in the movie was mediocre and not outstanding.

That year's Golden Horse Awards did not even nominate Zhou Xingchi for Best Actor.

Before the Golden Horse Awards, a reporter ran to ask Zhou Xingchi: "Why weren't you nominated for Best Actor?"

Zhou Xingchi replied self-deprecatingly: "It's normal that I didn't make the list, because my acting was terrible!"

Actually, Zhou Xingchi acted very well in "Kung Fu", but people at that time could not accept that he suddenly stopped being silly and funny. If a comedian is not funny, is he still a comedian?

In fact, the role played by Stephen Chow is so progressive and superb that it has reached the level of returning to nature. The Chinese film industry owes him a Best Actor award.

Why do you say that? Just look at how Zhou Xingchi designed this character, and you can see how much thought he put into it.

The following are Zhou Xingchi’s original words:

"My original thought was that the guy was standing on the edge, he had a good foundation, but the environment made him think he wanted to go another way.

From the first scene he was struggling, it was clear that he was not a bad person at all, he kept saying 'I am not a good person, I want this and that.'

But how can a bad guy say such a line? How can a bad guy say, "I want to kill people, I want to be a bad guy"?
He hit the Fire Cloud Evil God with a bang. In fact, he would do this at any time. He was on the edge, standing on the steel line, waiting for someone to push him...

Who gave him a push? It was the girl who told him, "Hey, have you forgotten that you saved me?"

In fact, the real line is: 'Hey, have you forgotten that you are a good person, why are you robbing?'

So he was very conflicted, and then after one or two scenes he reached the final turning point. Did the previous push make him realize in time: "I understand, I am actually a good person?"

No, it's not like that in drama. You have to go to a certain position, a position of decision, one is this way and the other is that way, and then he goes back to where he belongs, and he ends up hitting the bad guy with the stick.

So finally, I rounded up in the ruined temple again, and Yuen Qiu and Yuen Wah asked why you suddenly became like this? What else do you have to say?
Then he drew a lollipop, which was actually telling everyone: This is who I am. It was also a way of returning to my original position.”

When "Kung Fu" was released, many people said that Zhou Xingchi's transition was too abrupt. How could he suddenly go from a small gangster to a master?

In fact, he did enough groundwork, but it was only on the spiritual level, so many people couldn't understand it.

The most classic and decisive scene in the movie is when Ah Xing goes to rob the mute girl.

He held a knife, threatening the mute girl, and holding her in a posture just like the dancing hero and heroine on the movie poster of "The Top Hat" in the background.

At this time, the beautiful background music "Only Live for You for One Day" sounded. The mute girl shed two tears, took out a lollipop and handed it to him.

This scene is what Zhou Xingchi said himself: "Hey, have you forgotten that you saved me."

The real line is: "Hey, have you forgotten that you are a good person? Why are you robbing people?"

At that moment, the shock in his heart was all written on his face. He collapsed, smashed the lollipop onto the wall, and fled.

At that moment, he had already changed.

And the stupid judges of the Golden Horse Awards didn’t understand it at all.

Later, he saw the Condor Heroes and the Fire Cloud Evil God fighting, and the landlady said: "Since ancient times, good and evil cannot coexist. If I don't go to hell, who won't go to hell?"

His expression was shaken again, because he remembered that someone had said this to him before, the old beggar who had cheated him.

"As the saying goes, if I don't go to hell, then who will? I'll leave this mission of punishing evildoers and maintaining world peace to you, okay?"

At this moment, he thought of his childhood ideal, and it was natural for him to hit Huoyun Evil God on the head with a table leg.

Is it abrupt? Not at all! The plot and performance are perfectly integrated, layer by layer, and very detailed.

That year's Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards both owed Stephen Chow a Best Actor award.

……

Yang Ye walked up to the stage. Lao Ma held the trophy but didn't give it to Yang Ye. Instead, he said, "Can I ask you a question?"

"What's the question?" "At the end of Kung Fu, the little boy and the little girl return to their childhood together. The various characters that appear in the background are all those who have appeared in the movie before. So, this story is actually a dream of the little boy, right?"

As soon as this question was asked, many people at the scene pricked up their ears, and they also wanted to know the answer.

Yang Ye thought for a moment and said, "You can think it is a dream or not.

If you think it is a little boy's dream, then isn't that little boy myself?
From this perspective, you can understand that I had a dream, and everything in this dream... is real!"

Yang Ye's words were ambiguous and he did not give a specific answer.

Everyone was expecting his answer.

If a work can arouse continuous discussion and interpretation among many people, it means that the work has gained long-lasting vitality.

For example, Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and Cao Xueqin's "Dream of the Red Chamber". As long as human civilization survives, the related interpretations will not be cut off and will become eternal.

Therefore, Yang Ye would only give a clear answer if he was stupid.

Lao Ma smiled and said, "Well, there is one more interpretation. Congratulations!"

Yang Ye took the trophy, raised it, and then gave a speech of thanks.

His speech was rather simple; he just thanked a bunch of people and then walked off the stage holding the trophy.

The Best Director award was then given to Zhang Zhiliang for "Prisoners in Cages", and the Grand Jury Prize was given to the Taiwanese film "Hills Without a Word".

And the best film, without a doubt, went to "Kung Fu."

The traffic of the first Shanghai Film Festival was brought by Yang Ye. The quality of "Kung Fu" is also very impressive. It is reasonable and logical that this award should go to "Kung Fu".

In fact, the film that won the Golden Goblet Award in the original time and space was "Hill of No Return". This movie tells the bloody history of Taiwanese miners during the Japanese occupation era and is very classic.

It's just that Yang Ye came out with "Kung Fu" and it had to retreat to the second line.

Yang Ye took to the stage again, this time bringing along the heroine Chen Hong.

There is also Ning Jing who plays "such a beautiful woman".

There are also several Shanghai-born actors including Xu Zhen, Hu Ge and Tang Yan.

These people all lived in Shanghai, so Yang Ye invited them to attend the award ceremony.

Since we won the award, let’s call them up together. After all, the Best Film award is a common honor for everyone.

It was fine for the two kids, Hu Ge and Tang Yan, but the three adults, Chen Hong, Xu Zhen and Ning Jing, were all very excited.

However, Yang Ye did not give them the opportunity to express his gratitude for the award. He thanked the organizers, took a group photo with everyone holding the trophy, and then left.

When organizing such international events, the Chinese always spare no effort and cost to ensure perfection.

As soon as the country decided to hold the Shanghai Film Festival, major Shanghai companies such as Baosteel and SAIC all donated money to sponsor it.

Before the official opening of the Shanghai Film Festival, there was a "Shanghai-Hong Kong Star Party" to warm up, and Hong Kong stars also gave face and accepted the invitation.

Then we mobilized students from major universities in Shanghai to volunteer at the film festival. This is low-cost, highly efficient and very useful.

With this combination of punches, the event was even more lively than the Venice Film Festival that Yang Ye participated in last year, and naturally it was a complete success.

After the film festival closed, everyone returned to the Silver Star Holiday Hotel where they were staying to attend the celebratory dinner.

Yang Ye also brought along Xu Zhen and Ning Jing, who starred in the movie Kung Fu, as well as two kids, Hu Ge and Tang Yan.

As soon as they arrived, they were interviewed by reporters. Yang Ye asked Chen Hong to take them in first, while he and Cui Zhenzhen dealt with the reporters together.

After all, they are the first-time Best Actor and Best Actress, and they have a close relationship, so it is only natural for them to be photographed and interviewed together by reporters.

Twenty minutes later, Yang Ye returned to the banquet hall and found that no one at their table had started eating, waiting for him to start the meal.

A few people were sitting there eating melon seeds and chatting, and Ning Jing was the one who spoke the most enthusiastically.

Yang Ye pulled out a chair and sat down, then asked with a smile, "What are you talking about?"

When everyone saw him coming, they stood up immediately. Yang Ye waved his hand and said, "Don't be so reserved. Everyone, take a seat and let's start the feast!"

He took the lead and opened the soup bowl in front of him. He scooped up the crab meat in it with a spoon, took a sip, and praised, "It's delicious!"

Seeing this, everyone picked up their chopsticks.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit tense, Yang Ye asked Ning Jing, "Jing'er, you were the loudest just now, were you bragging?"

Ning Jing knew that this godfather was easy to talk to, so she stared at him with her big eyes and said coquettishly, "How could I have that?"

Yang Ye thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you go to the capital in a few days?"

Ning Jing asked, "What are you going to do in the capital?"

Yang Ye said: "Our company has invested in a movie by Jiang Wen, and he is looking for a female lead. I think you are quite suitable, go and audition!"

"You still need to audition?"

"Wow, look at how capable you are. You don't even want to audition?"

Yang Ye said, pointing at Cui Zhenzhen beside him, "A big star like Zhenzhen also went to audition honestly when filming a play directed by Lin Quanze."

"Then I'll go." Ning Jing gave in instantly.

"Try hard. If you fail, don't come back to see me in the future, so as not to embarrass me!"

Ning Jing puffed out her chest and said, "I will definitely succeed!"

She was confident that if Yang Ye asked her to go, she would most likely be the heroine, and it would be strange if she didn't succeed.

Yang Ye thought, with your pair of big dice, Jiang Wen was confused at the first sight, it would be strange if you don’t succeed.

Yang Ye didn't care that Ning Jing would expose her nipples in "Sunny Days".

She's just a cheap goddaughter, just consider it as a benefit for the brothers.

He looked at Xu Zhen who was a little reserved and said, "When you were filming Kung Fu with me, I found that you have some talent for comedy!"

Xu Zhen put down his chopsticks and said, "Director Yang, thank you for your praise. I was just acting according to your request."

"How long until you graduate?"

“I’ll graduate next year!”

"Then come to Hong Kong and find me next year. There's a role I want to play. You might be able to try it out!"

Xu Zhenle was going crazy. Just now, he saw Yang Ye casually give Ning Jing the role of a heroine, and he could only feel envy.

After all, Ning Jing was Yang Ye’s goddaughter, and he only hated that he was not Yang Ye’s godson.

Unexpectedly, Yang Ye asked him to go to Hong Kong and said there was a role for him.

Xu Zhen thought that it must be his performance in "Kung Fu" that won Yang Ye's recognition.

He said excitedly: "Thank you Director Yang for your cultivation. I will report there after I graduate."

Yang Ye nodded: "Take some time to learn Cantonese during this period."

"I will!" (End of this chapter)