Special feature of 1905 film network "In the novel, through the romantic background, the prose poem temperament of the romantic film narrative is constructed, with solid lines and full details, which is unique in presenting the expression of life state, and vividly portrays Shanghai urban culture and male and female group images from a feminist head-up perspective, with various forms, authenticity and credibility, which is highly consistent with the tonality of Shanghai regional cultural aesthetics, forming a unique style of the film." This is the award speech when Shao Yihui won the Golden Rooster Award for Best Screenplay at the 35th Chinese Film Golden Rooster Award Ceremony.
Combined with the contents of the award speech, there are three characteristics worthy of our recollection and discussion. First, the film has a romantic background and is very authentic; Secondly, this film reflects the regional culture of Shanghai; Thirdly, the film depicts Shanghai urban culture and male and female group images from a feminist perspective.
Hong Fan, Associate Professor of Literature Department of Beijing Film Academy:It is different from many feminist films we have seen, such as the suffering of women and the demonization of men. Instead of doing this, this film describes women and men in a more down-to-earth way, so I think this is also very valuable.
Romanticism and authenticity seem to be contradictory, and even the movie title "Love Myth" has reflected this point. "Love" is authentic and everyone can experience it, but "Myth" is very romantic. So how does the film organically combine these two points in narrative? We analyze it through a plot. At the end of the film, the main characters gather together to watch the film related to Lao Wu’s love story. The Love Myth did not deify the film, but the main characters watched it uninteresting and passed hand cream all the time. Laobai asked everyone if they were hungry, so he got up and went to cook. The hand cream and snacks here represent the reality.
@ Hong Fan:When we talk about realistic movies, it seems that they must be tragic and bitter. Then when we talk about romanticism, we feel that it seems to be an escape from reality, or we say that it is a castle in the air and a pink dream. But I think for a young creator, she doesn’t seem to have such scruples, and there is no such thing as rules and regulations. She can combine this thing very interestingly.
Shanghai Oriental Pearl and Shanghai Bund did not appear in this film. How did the film reflect the regional elements of Shanghai? The film focuses on the familiar scenes of Shanghai residents’ daily life, such as their alley and their daily living space.
At the beginning of the film, Lao Bai crosses the street, goes to a small foreign trade store to buy clothes, and then goes to a small supermarket to buy things. During this time, several big men talk about how to cook, and these scenes and characters are naturally integrated into the story narrative. When I arrived at the shoemaker, the shoemaker told Lao Bai all kinds of famous sayings while drinking coffee, and told him in English, "Every woman has at least one pair of Jimmy Choo in her life." Shao Yihui didn’t visualize the texture of Shanghai, but expressed and highlighted the regional culture of the city from the aspects of dialect and life-oriented scenes and characterization, making you feel that this person actually lives in this place.
@ Hong Fan:I think there is a film that is very similar to it to some extent, that is, the director. The film also connects several characters with Beijing flavor in series through a love relationship and an unexpected computer smashing incident. So I think this actually gives us a revelation, that is, we are making regional movies. When a city is just a floating landscape without its local characteristics, it is actually not an advanced practice.
For a female creator like Shao Yihui, feminism seems to give her a unique opportunity for creative expression, but the award speech uses a "head-up" perspective. What did Shao Yihui do right in this regard for the creators who want to show female stories in the future?
@ Hong Fan:The women described in this film are very distinctive. For example, there is a scene in the film, that is, Lao Bai originally wanted to ask Miss Li out at home. As a result, this "private kitchen" turned out to be a big dining hall, and so many people came. In fact, there is a discussion about women, which does not flaunt a feminist position, but looks at these men and women who are actually flawed with very real and loving eyes.
"It is incomplete for a woman to have never raised a child in her life;
It is incomplete that a woman has never dumped a hundred men in her life;
It is incomplete for a woman not to earn a million dollars in her life … "
For example, when Shao Yihui wrote The Myth of Love, she was not bound by some traditional routines in the past and seemed to have some "more accurate views". She would have the courage to tell her own observations on society and human nature. She would break many rules and regulations and create characters in an attitude and style way, which made us feel more credible, lovely and respectable.
At the award ceremony, Shao Yihui said, "I think the greatest significance of my standing here is that I can give some encouragement to other young creators, especially those who are living in a difficult life like me, with no hope and no chance. We may always have opportunities." To a certain extent, the Golden Rooster Award for Best Screenplay was awarded not only to Shao Yihui, but also to all young, brave and free screenwriters.
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