A widower's entertainment

Beijing, Yenching Film Academy.

As it is a film academy, it naturally attracts attention with its news. Even students on campus have heard that screenwriter Lin Youcheng and director Li An are going to collaborate on the novel "Strange Tales of the Human World". However, it is obvious that making such a film is too far away for film academy students. Even if they want to work with Lin Youcheng, it can only remain a thought in their hearts.

However, since Lin Zhaomei is studying directing at the film academy and has become a well-known figure at the school thanks to her short film "Destiny," some people naturally ask whether the novel "Human Wonders" is really going to be adapted into a film.

"Zhaomei, is your dad's novel 'Strange Tales of the Human World' really going to be made into a movie by director Li An?"

Director Jia was naturally curious about the novel "Strange Tales of the Human World," as he also greatly admired this fantastical yet realistic story and wondered if it would indeed be adapted into a film by director Li An.

Lin Zhaomei nodded and said, "Yes, and the male and female leads have already been decided."

"It's Leslie Cheung and Zhang Manyu."

Lin Zhaomei heard from her father that Li An ultimately chose Zhang Manyu as the female lead. In Lin Zhaomei's view, this collaboration between the two in "Human Extraordinary Events" was, to some extent, due to the considerations of Li An and Columbia Pictures. Although the story is set in mainland China, because of Columbia Pictures' investment, they are still considering the overseas film market more.

Of course, this doesn't mean they won't care about the mainland film market. The film will also be shown in Hong Kong and Taiwan, which naturally requires cooperation with Yanjing Film Studio, since filming also needs to be done in mainland China. In fact, this is similar to cooperation between Chinese and foreign film companies.

Upon hearing Lin Zhaomei's words, Section Chief Jia was quite surprised and said, "I didn't expect it to be Leslie Cheung and Zhang Manyu who are in the role."

Zhang Manyu's acting skills are beyond question. Her performance in "Ruan Lingyu" earned her the Best Actress award at the Berlin Film Festival, making her the first Chinese-language filmmaker to win the Best Actress award at one of the three major film festivals. As for Leslie Cheung's performance in "Farewell My Concubine," it was also quite amazing. Not to mention their other works, this collaboration between the two is truly a powerful alliance.

Lin Zhaomei smiled and said, "Director Li An will definitely make a good film."

Lin Zhaomei knew that her father had talked to director Li An about collaborating at the Berlin Film Festival. She was actually quite surprised that the two would be working on a film called "Strange Tales of the Human World," since she herself really liked the novel. However, she believed that director Li An would do a good job of filming the story. After all, Li An was able to film English-language stories like "Sense and Sensibility" well, let alone the fantastical and realistic story of "Strange Tales of the Human World."

Section Chief Jia nodded and said, "I can't wait to see this movie! I'm really looking forward to it."

To be honest, everyone who heard this news was looking forward to it.

After all, the novel "Strange Tales of the Human World" has a very large influence in the literary world, especially back in the 1980s. It can be said that the influence of this novel is very wide. Of course, every novel by Lin Youcheng is very popular among readers. However, although "Strange Tales of the Human World" won the Mao Dun Literature Prize, it has never been adapted. This is partly because the novel is difficult to adapt.

"I wonder how Director Li An will handle Lin Qi's de-aging."

When Lin Zhaomei heard Section Chief Jia ask this question, she couldn't help but say, "There will be special effects and makeup techniques from Hollywood."

In reality, Hollywood's special effects and makeup techniques are not bad these days. After all, there are movies like "The Mask," and even Jim Carrey's "The Mask" was only nominated for the Oscar for Best Visual Effects but didn't win. There are also movies like "Frankenstein" that were nominated for Best Makeup Design, not to mention the visual effects of movies like "Jurassic Park" and "Alien." Obviously, the makeup and special effects in "Humanity" are not those of a science fiction movie.

Section Chief Jia nodded, clearly aware that Hollywood's makeup and special effects technology were undoubtedly superior. Now, it was just a matter of seeing how Li An would film this highly legendary story.

……

Although the film industry is paying close attention to the preparation of the movie "Strange Tales of the Human World," the general public doesn't know much about it. After all, this is news from the film industry, and the public is more focused on the popular TV series "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner."

As a consistently popular TV series, "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner" has seen its ratings on CCTV rise sharply, rivaling the previous hit "Crossing the Guandong." Especially as the series continues to air, discussions about the show have become increasingly heated, with viewers watching it in Beijing's alleyways and in other places.

Because this TV series completely exceeded the audience's expectations, although we are not in an era where media and information are not as developed, and naturally there aren't as many people discussing it online in real time, it was precisely at this time that many newspapers and media outlets were constantly discussing "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner," praising its groundbreaking breakthrough and innovation. Although there was no internet, there were still newspapers, and newspapers in various regions were also discussing it.

"The Li Family Serial Cases, the Liang Yu Murder Case, and the Case of the Lost Fan Framed—these eleven suspenseful and bizarre murder cases are imbued with a profound sense of compassion. This compassion is both the source of Song Ci's charm and a continuation of the spirit of ancient Chinese intellectuals. When he raised the white silk ribbon at his father's grave and turned to leave, this spirit took deep root in his heart. Like a torrential downpour or a bottomless ravine, the most painful thing for a prison official is to confront the ugliness of the world and experience too much human sorrow. As Wu Miaoshui, dismissed from his post after the Taiping County case, shouted to Song Ci in the street, 'Song Ci, don't think you can rely on...'" "Your paltry skills in autopsies and forensic examinations are enough to clear the world of injustices and restore order. Don't even mention one Song Ci; even ten or eight couldn't make this murky world clear and bright. You've tripped me up this time, but remember this: I, Wu Miaoshui, will definitely meet you again in the officialdom." Wu Miaoshui was telling the truth. Many years later, when Song Ci went to the capital, the dignified fifth-rank prefect of Lin'an he encountered was none other than Wu Miaoshui. And the person who promoted him, subtly hinted in the plot, was none other than Xue Tingsong, the first-rank official and Minister of Personnel—Song Ci's father-in-law—who had once joined forces with him and his father-in-law to solve the mystery of the tragic deaths of two county magistrates in Meixian.

"Those who care about the world often fail to take good care of their own families. In my opinion, Song Ci was indeed not a good husband, but his wife was a flawless person. For more than ten years after their marriage, Song Ci rarely came home. His father-in-law wanted to help his son-in-law, but she suffered his cold words and scorn. Later, when the father-in-law and son-in-law were fighting in the capital, she was caught in the middle and suffered greatly. Song Ci was imprisoned by his father-in-law's scheme, and she went to visit him despite the obstacles. Her father was disgraced by Song Ci in the imperial court. She bid farewell to Song Ci and helped her father back to his hometown, hoping to return to see him after his death. Who would have thought that Xue Lao would commit suicide at the Ten Mile Pavilion? When Song Ci arrived, he only saw his wife supporting her father's coffin on a small boat as they left."

……

It's fair to say that numerous articles commenting on "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner" appeared in newspapers, especially as the series progressed. In the latter half of the drama, the plot steadily climbed to its climax, with each case pointing to powerful figures in the court: Song Ci's father-in-law, the imperial son-in-law, and high-ranking officials throughout the court...

In the final episode, Song Ci, disregarding family ties and unafraid of power, completely changed the situation when the emperor burned those large boxes of evidence and letters. This actually propelled the show's ratings to new heights, with the ratings soaring past 70%!

A 70% viewership rating is truly astonishing!

It can be said that, in the eyes of many artists, the ending of the TV series "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner" was absolutely brilliant!
Originally, Song Ci was falsely accused and imprisoned. Later, facing relentless pressure from his father-in-law, who warned him in prison to continue, Song Ci's overly assertive actions were already quite impactful. However, when the true extent of corruption among the officials was revealed in those large boxes, the audience truly saw whether the power struggles of high-ranking officials came first, or Song Ci's upright investigation. If the officials were honest and incorruptible, would Song Ci even have needed to investigate? How did the chaos in the court become the blame for upholding justice? The blame for being too upright? Weren't they the ones who broke the law and committed crimes first, disturbing the peace of the court? Didn't they deserve it? Their unjust deeds, which could not withstand scrutiny, led to the turmoil of the court.
The audience may not have the literary talent of those artists, but they were all completely moved by the final ending.

The brilliance of the drama "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner" lies in its ending. It not only exposes the hypocrisy of the ministers and the mediocrity of the emperor, but more importantly, it feels real. Song Ci's decision to resign his official post and become a commoner after losing the emperor's support is deeply poignant. Evil spirits roam freely, the setting sun casting a shadow that dispels the darkness. But reality is crueler than imagined; all things ultimately come to naught.

With the finale of "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner" on CCTV, the ratings reached a new high, sparking heated discussions among viewers across the country. The media and newspapers also featured numerous articles about "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner," creating an explosive buzz.

"The entire drama's plot is definitely not about Song Ci solving cases smoothly all the way; it's truly full of twists and turns, and the ending is a stark and realistic tragedy, extremely impactful. In the end, Song Ci presents all the evidence to the emperor, but the emperor burns it all. Song Ci is dumbfounded and asks, 'Burning it all?' Then, the next day, he refuses the summons, resigns, and returns to his hometown. This perfectly illustrates what Wu Miaoshui said: 'Don't think that one Song Ci, or even ten, eight, or a thousand Song Cis, can cleanse this murky world.' This drama carries a heavy mood from beginning to end. Tragedy itself is a sublime collection, tearing apart the most beautiful human values, and it is precisely this kind of ideological sublimation that makes it so."

……

"Song Ci's political ambitions may have been reduced to ashes at this moment, just like those large boxes of evidence, because he couldn't understand whether a loyal minister meant a lackey who acted in the interests of the rulers or an official who acted in the interests of the people; he couldn't understand whether it meant a highly competent judicial officer or a morally upright role model. More thoroughly than crushing flesh is burning a person's dreams and ambitions. In that era, in that context, Song Ci could only sigh!"

……

"The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner" depicts the fierce clash between good and evil, black and white. The camera work and lighting are exquisite, and the actors' performances elevate this segment to its peak. The later plot is thought-provoking and leaves a lasting impression. In the drama, Song Ci, driven by justice and fairness, investigates the truth of the case to bring justice to the victims, even going so far as to investigate his own father-in-law, a high-ranking official, and dare to thoroughly investigate the current emperor's son-in-law. Faced with boxes of incriminating evidence from civil and military officials, he passionately recounts their crimes before the emperor. However, the emperor... He chose to burn the boxes. Upon reflection, this was unacceptable, yet he felt the Emperor's actions were reasonable, and he couldn't think of a better solution. Disheartened, Song Ci resigned and returned home, withdrawing from worldly affairs. Such an upright and incorruptible man as Song Ci was clearly out of place in officialdom. His retirement was his final act of defiance; otherwise, he would have endured daily torment between reality and his own sense of justice. Unable to change anything, his only option was to leave. The ending is profoundly ironic, all too real and poignant.

……

The impact of the finale was truly astounding. In addition to the Yanjing Daily and Wenhui Daily, newspapers such as Literary Review also discussed the series, and various discussion articles appeared as a result.

Because both the audience and the arts community were completely shocked by this ending!
Song Ci also saw things clearly and chose to stay away from the court, leaving behind only the "Collection of Wrongs Rectified" to be remembered for generations. Such an ending, though seemingly regrettable, was the best possible outcome. Song Ci was still the same Song Ci. He was powerless to change anything, so he could only withdraw. However, as the winds of history passed, the darkness and the evils had long since turned to dust, and only his achievements remained.

This is truly a great Song Dynasty judicial commissioner!

It can be said that the final ending is also the climax. The seemingly tragic ending is extremely impactful. As many newspaper reviews have said, tragedy itself is a collection of the sublime, tearing apart the most beautiful human values, and it is precisely this kind of ideological sublimation.

The CCTV drama "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner" truly shatters everything in its final episode, just as idealists face only three possible ends: either die proudly with light, or fade into obscurity with the world, or depart from this mortal realm.

This grand finale, like the great fire that raged within the palace, was truly breathtaking and scorching! (End of Chapter)