This article tries to analyze the color of the costumes, the gorgeous makeup, the pretty bun, and the elegance of the courtyard in the color system of "Ink Rain and Clouds", and also glimpse the excellence of Huanyu Film and Television's pursuit of drama quality and the ultimate pursuit of oriental aesthetics.
Author | Huang Qiang (Distinguished Professor, School of Arts, Jiangsu Open University, Director of Jiangsu Literary and Art Critics Association)
Editor | time
Edit | peninsula
Source | Sanchuanhui Cultural Industry (ID: schwhcy)
The costume inspirational web drama "Ink Rain Clouds", created by the production team of Huanyu Film and Television, broke 10,000 within three days of its launch on Youku Video, becoming the fastest drama with a popularity value of 10,000 on Youku in 2024, with a strong momentum. This is an ancient costume drama, that is, there is no exact date, but according to the official position of the Chinese book in the plot, the costumes, etc., the time frame is in the Tang Dynasty. Although the costumes of the overhead drama cannot fully correspond to the times, Huanyu Film and Television takes the life aesthetics of the Sui and Tang dynasties as a reference system in terms of costumes, makeup, color, scenery, and vision, and alongside the makeup of the Song Dynasty, integrating the costumes, makeup, and beautiful scenery of the costumes.
Watching "Between the Ink Rain and Clouds", the plot is undulating, the costumes are perfect, the colors are gorgeous and dazzling, and the vision is eye-catching, explaining the aesthetic value of 1+1 greater than 2 formed by the fusion of traditional culture, oriental aesthetics and modern fashion. This article tries to analyze the color of the costumes, the gorgeous makeup, the beauty of the bun, and the elegance of the courtyard of the scenery system, and also glimpses the excellence of Huanyu Film and Television in the quality of dramas and the ultimate pursuit of oriental aesthetics.
1. The dragon and phoenix in the human world, Zhu Zigui - the clothes of color
Watching this play, the costumes are very beautiful, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, blue and purple, whether it is the officials in the court, or the daily life dress, the purple, red and green robes are in the court, and the shirts are busy with politics. In fact, this is the color system of official uniforms in the Sui and Tang dynasties, that is, the color is applied to the official uniform, and the color of the uniform is used to distinguish the rank and grade of officials. "General Examination of Literature" said: "The use of purple, green, and green as the life service, was formulated in the Tang Dynasty by Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty." Zhu Xi said: "Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty paraded excessively, but made hundreds of officials obey the driver, and purple, crimson, and green are the nine grades. "Zizhi Tongjian" said: "In December of the sixth year of the Great Cause (610), hundreds of officials drove separately, all of them wore hakama pleats, which was inconvenient for the army. It is the first edict of the year from the driving distance, and the civil and military officials are all in uniform. above the fifth grade, through the purple robe; Below six grades, scarlet silk is also used; Xu envoys are green, Shu people are white, butchers are soap, and soldiers are yellow. ”
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, due to the attack on the Sui system, the Son of Heaven used yellow robes and shirts. Later, because the Son of Heaven used a red yellow robe, he forbade his subjects to take red and yellow. and set the prince and others and above the third rank to wear the purple robe of the large branch of Ayaluo, the fifth rank and above to wear the vermilion small branch of the silk robe, and the sixth rank and above to wear the yellow silk cloth shuttle double Aya; Six and seven products are green, and nine products are green. Tang Zhen Guanjian also set the third grade to serve purple, the fourth grade to use crimson, the fifth grade to use light scarlet, the sixth grade to wear dark green, the seventh grade to serve light green, the eighth grade to use dark blue, and the ninth grade to use light blue. In the second year of Gaozong Longshuo (662), it was changed to eight products and nine products. In the first year of the general chapter (668), it was decided that nothing should be allowed to enter the yellow. In the first year of the Shangyuan Dynasty (674), the third grade of the civil and military was purple, the fourth was dark crimson, the fifth was light crimson, the sixth was dark green, the seventh was light green, the eighth was dark green, and the ninth was light green. In the first year of Ruizong's civilization (684), the edict of those who served the old clothes below the eighth grade was changed to Bi. Although the above-mentioned clothing colors have changed from time to time, they are generally purple, crimson, green, and blue to determine the dignity and humility of official products. The quality and service system was influenced until the Ming and Qing dynasties.
"Ink Rain and Clouds" officials went to the court, as well as the Zhongshu Ling Jiang Yuanbai and Shang Shu Servant and Tongping Zhangshi Li Zhongnan court, the officials' uniforms are divided into purple, crimson, and blue, and the three-order grades, with the color system since the Sui and Tang dynasties, showing the difference in the level of traditional clothing. The connotation of the color of traditional Chinese clothing is not only a symbol of power and fortune, but also the functional application of "showing the noble and the low, distinguishing the grade", and also reflects the oriental aesthetics. There is an ancient poem: "Zhu Zigui of the Manchu Dynasty is not a silkworm farmer"; "Who cries the most in the seat, Jiangzhou Sima Qing's shirt is wet."
In addition to the color of the official uniforms of the men's clothing, the costumes in the play are distinguished by the color of the official positions. Women's clothing is known for its flamboyance, while scholars (students) are distinguished by white clothes. Huanyu Film and Television considers that ancient scholars wore white robes when they did not enter the official career. "Tang Yin Gui Sign" cloud: "Lifting the son of Mai Tong Thorn called the township tribute". According to the Tang system, the new jinshi are all white robes, so there is a saying that "the robe is like a bright silver and a brocade". In ancient times, the students of the Guozijian had special clothing, and the Tang Dynasty used robes, and the shape is unknown. "Between the Ink Rain and Clouds" beautifies the uniforms of the boys of Guozijian and the girls of Mingyitang, using a round-necked white robe lined with a green collar.
The costume design of the characters in the play fits the characters, Xue Fangfei experienced the perception of life and death, impersonated Jiang Li, and her personality changed from docile to calm. Buried alive by her husband, in the dim light, dressed in white, cold and lonely. In the palace hall to avenge his father's grievances, the green gauze is covered with a semi-transparent black gauze coat, creating a solemn atmosphere, and highlighting Jiang Li's determination and courage. The bright colors of Xiao Yu's clothes for remarrying Xiao Yu allude to the transformation of the character's personality and fate, completing her transformation to maturity. The beauty of the character shape created by the costume, after it is integrated with the environment and personality, will bring visual beauty to the wearer and the viewer, which will elevate the shape of the costume to the height of aesthetic value.
Second, why not pearl makeup - the beauty of makeup
The hills overlap and the gold is extinguished, and the sideburns and clouds want to be fragrant and snowy. Lazy to draw moth eyebrows, late to make up and groom.
Before and after the flowers, the flowers reflect each other. Newly embroidered robes, double golden partridges. (Wen Tingyun's "Bodhisattva Barbarian")
Ancient aristocratic women attached great importance to makeup, and dressing up carefully and combing was an essential item every day, especially when it came to external activities. The heroines in "Ink Rain and Clouds" Jiang Li, Jiang Ruoyao, Ji Shuran, Liu Fu, Mrs. Liu, and the eldest princess are all beauty lovers, and they have good pearl makeup, that is, they are inlaid with several crystal round pearls on their cheeks.
Pearl makeup comes from the Song Dynasty, and in the images of the emperors and queens of the Nanxun Palace, the queens of the Song Dynasty basically wear pearl makeup, but the position of the pearl makeup on the face is different from the number of pearls. Empress Cao of Song Renzong wore a crown of nine dragon flowers, with beads on her face, and nine large pearls; The pearl earrings are also nine. There are two maids behind Pearl, whose faces are close to the sideburns, and the beads are pasted, symmetrical left and right. Seven grains of rice and six pearls of earrings. Empress Yingzong of the Song Dynasty, wearing a crown of nine dragon flowers, with beads on the face, symmetrical left and right, and eight pearls. After Song Shenzong, he wore a crown of nine dragon flowers, with beads on the face, symmetrical left and right, and seven pearls. When he arrived in the Southern Song Dynasty, the face sticker beads changed, with seven beads on the sideburns, two more on the forehead, and one in the dimples. After Song Qinzong, there were six sideburns beads, and the others were the same. After Song Gaozong, Zhu Tian, four sideburns are no longer arranged in a long strip, and become a diamond shape; The forehead is also four diamond-shaped, and one in each of the dimples.
△ Song Renzong Empress (images of the emperors and queens of the Nanxun Palace)
The so-called Tian makeup is Hua Tian, a flower ornament on the forehead, a flower-shaped jewelry made of gold and emerald jewelry, which is glued to the forehead. Li Fuyan of the Tang Dynasty said that Wei Gu's wife: "A flower is often pasted between the eyebrows, although it is bathing and idle, come and try it temporarily." "The popularity of Huadian in the Tang Dynasty is also related to the fact that Huadian can cover up flaws. When Wu Zetian was in power, Shangguan Zhaorong peeped at Empress Wu, and was injured in the face by Empress Wu with a knife, and Zhaorong used Hua Tian to cover up the scars on his face. "Youyang Miscellaneous Tales - The First Collection" records: "Today's woman is decorated with flowers, which is made by Zhaorong Shangguan to cover up some traces. "The pearl makeup of the emperor and queen of the Song Dynasty is attached to the forehead of Huadian, called forehead makeup, also known as plum makeup, plum blossom makeup, plum makeup, from the plum blossom makeup of Princess Shouyang, the daughter of Emperor Wu of the Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty. Tang Dynasty Wu Rong's "Returning to the Vulgar" cloud: "Willow eyebrows and plum foreheads are new".
"Between the Ink Rain and Clouds" pearl makeup, the sideburns are shaped with long strip makeup in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the forehead part is changed to the center of the eyebrows, and its makeup is strip makeup, or star makeup. The makeup name of the emperor and queen of the Song Dynasty is not called pearl makeup, the pearl is just an embellishment, and the prominent one is the light Zhu first, and then covered with white powder, light red Feixia makeup. In the play, pearls are highlighted, and the makeup artist improves the makeup of the emperor and queen of the Song Dynasty, adjusting it according to modern aesthetics, and its makeup is delicate and bright. In fact, it is an attempt to integrate the aesthetic form of the Song Dynasty, highlight the modern aesthetic concept, and inherit the essence of traditional culture as the basis. This is also a bright color and beautiful makeup of "Ink Rain and Clouds".
3. Fragrant hair and half sunken sandalwood - the beauty of the bun
In "Between the Ink Rain and Clouds", Xiao Peach combs a bun with a vertebral makeup on her head and a top bias to one side, which is unconventional and very eye-catching. This kind of bun was quite popular in the Tang Dynasty and was called the throwing bun. The sideburns of the bun are as thin as cicada wings, close to the cheeks, and the temples hug the face, and one bun is thrown. "New Tang Dynasty Book: Five Elements Zhi I": "At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Kyoto women combed their hair in a bun and hugged their faces with two temples, which was like a vertebral bun, which was called 'throwing a bun'. "The Lady of the Kingdom of Qiu", "The Fan Maid" and "The Palace Music" are all reflected.
△ "The Lady of the Kingdom of Qiu" and "The Maid of the Fan"
Jiang Lisui tried to play the piano for a scene, the sound of the piano resounded in the sky, and Jiang Li, who was incarnated as a piano fairy, combed the towering double bun, like a flying fairy. This double-ringed bun has two sources, one is the double-ringed bun of the Southern Dynasties of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the other is the double-ringed comb top bun and the double-ringed Wangxian bun of the Tang Dynasty. The double ring bun divides the braided hair into two strands and braids it into two rings. Evolved into the Sui and Tang dynasties, it developed into a double-ring comb top bun and a double-bearded wang fairy bun. The upper part of the bun is braided with two or more rings, and the ends of the hair are braided into the hair behind the ears; Tie a knot at the bottom of the lower hair.
Whether it is a family bun, a double-ring bun, or a Wangxian bun, it is a high bun. The updo on top is not only visually eye-catching, but also attracts people's attention; The second is to improve the defect of the combing's short stature, and the figure is tall and slim. This is true not only in ancient times, but also today. Models on the catwalk also often have exaggerated high buns to increase visual beauty. The pretty bun in "Between the Ink Rain and Clouds" is not entirely a restoration of the ancient bun, but is injected with fashion elements and aesthetics of the times, making the characters in the play glow and being accepted and liked by the audience.
Fourth, the courtyard is a little deep - the seclusion of the courtyard
There are many courtyards in the scenery of "Ink Rain and Clouds", the residential group and courtyard of the privet hall, and the house and courtyard of Prime Minister Jiang Cheng's mansion. Spring flowers bloom brilliantly, flowers are red and willow green, pond spring grass, birds and birds are happy; In the courtyard of the Suguo Mansion, the west wind is tight, the red maple is like fire, and the autumn color is as thick as frost. The scenery and space of the Chinese courtyard are closely related to the development of the plot and the stories of the characters. Jiang Li played a scene in the courtyard of Su Guogong, which was to ask the doctor girl to treat wrist pain, the autumn color is like frost, and the autumn air is cold, just as Ouyang Xiu's "Autumn Sound Fu" said: "Its breath is cold, and it is full of muscles and bones; Its meaning is depressed, and the mountains and rivers are lonely. "It is the righteousness of heaven and earth, and it is always the heart of slaughter." The autumn colors of the courtyard set off the plot, in order to fit the experience of the characters at this time, the difficulties they face, as if the autumn air is slaughtering, and the future is worrying. Blending the scenery into the love and blending the feelings into the scene is a commonly used technique in literary and artistic creation.
The Chinese garden is an extraordinary world of Chinese, which is essentially a personalized expression of the state of mind and the garden landscape advocated by Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi,[1] reflecting the aesthetics of the builder or occupant. The courtyard is the external expression of the architectural meaning of oriental life and aesthetics, enjoying the scenery in daily life and focusing on life. Li Qingzhao's "green, fat, red and thin" is also a common sight, that is, begonias, plantains, peonies, bamboo bushes, etc. in front of the court, which can be seen from afar with mountains and near with water. Living in such an environment and living space is psychologically satisfying and emotionally pleasurable.
The courtyard setting is not optional, and the different courtyard scenery is in line with the needs of the plot, the development of the story, the character of the characters, the front is contrasted, the back is contrasted, strengthened and rendered. There are literary considerations here, as well as aesthetic considerations for the setting of film and television dramas. Give the audience a sense of beauty to watch the drama, and also practice the life promotion of oriental aesthetics, so that the audience can feel Chinese culture and re-examine the beauty condensed in daily life. When we carefully examine everyday things, even if it is a very ordinary thing, a thing, it will have its shining point, and if we examine it from an aesthetic point of view, it will have aesthetic value. As Wu Hailun said: "If you pay attention to the things in life with an artistic mentality, the things will exude vitality and be full of business; If you treat things in life with an aesthetic attitude, you can place emotions on things; Integrating into the living environment with a relaxed attitude will bring a happy living environment, a leisurely life conception, and a transcendent life mood. ”[2]
Fifth, Fangfei falls off the pear blossom white - the color is gorgeous
"Between the Ink Rain and Clouds" continues the use of large color blocks in entertainment film and television, with rich color. Xiao Yu took Jiang Li from the Privet Hall and let her go in a dialogue scene, Jiang Li's white clothes, Xiao Yu's big red robe, and the background is ancient buildings and pear blossoms flying all over the sky. Large areas of white, brown, and small areas of red, the color blocks are contrasting and the visual contrast is strong, which also produces a sense of color beauty and aesthetic examination that attracts the audience.
Under the pear tree of ginger pear and maid Tong'er, the color contrast of pear blossoms in full bloom. Xiao Yu chased after the red robe of the criminal who sold illicit salt, with a black lining, and a black and red block; Xiao Yu's outfit to attend Jiang Ruoyao and the ceremony, and the color contrast between the environment of the Jiang family's ceremonial field and the costumes of the characters, are all the use of bright color blocks. Blue, green, purple, orange and red colors are used more and have a strong visual impact. The designer believes that the use of such color blocks is to set off the plot, environment, and character of the characters, and form a feeling of mixing heavy ink and light ink. Another example is the interior of the palace, which is expressed in a stronger color, and the folk use the effect of fresh ink to express the two different styles of the palace and the folk.
Color is emotional, tendentious. The colors of the Chinese Five Elements Theory, blue, red, yellow, white, and black, are often used as color symbols of joy, anger, happiness, sorrow, and resentment. [3] Today's society still follows the symbolism of color, red represents war and warmth, black represents sorrow and death, and green symbolizes vitality and activity. Zhang Yimou's films like to use large color blocks to express and form a visual impact, the red of "Red Sorghum", and the yellow of "The City Full of Golden Armor". "Between the Ink Rain and Clouds" is also very clever in the use of color blocks and colors, not only a single color, but also a layering of colors, forming a contrast of different styles, carrying out visual temptation, and rising from sensory stimulation to the cultural thinking and aesthetics of the brain.
"Between the Ink Rain and Clouds" is an aerial drama, with a time span and space jump, and the creation is based on the aesthetics of the Tang Dynasty and takes into account the aesthetics of the Song Dynasty. This has the situation that the official uniforms of the Tang Dynasty, the women's clothing of the Song and Tang Dynasties, the heads of the five dynasties, and the makeup of the Song Dynasty are brought together. The idea of using the aerial drama is intended to select the representative costumes in history and display them in a concentrated manner to express the beauty of oriental life. The aesthetics of the Tang and Five Dynasties are still realistic, the aesthetics of the Song people are still meaningful, the aesthetics of life in the Tang Dynasty are strong, rich and gorgeous, and the Song Dynasty is delicate and elegant, elegant and euphemistic. Therefore, the richness of the costumes and the elegance of the makeup in the play form a contrast and contrast, which needs to be expressed with Tang Dynasty costumes, five dynasties, and Song Dynasty pearl makeup.
In general, the center of aesthetics is charm, artistic conception, and taste. The production of Huanyu film and television costume dramas is not a simple reproduction of costumes and antique depictions of makeup, they carry out aesthetic examination with ideals, creatively restore and display, excavate the feelings and aesthetic values of beauty, and achieve the shaping and conveyance of oriental aesthetics.
Exegesis:
[1] Nakamura Suren, translated by Liu Tongtong, Jiangnan Courtyard - Dialogue with Gardeners Through Time and Space, p. 17, Nanjing: Jiangsu Phoenix Science and Technology Press, 2018.
[2] Liu Yuedi, ed., Oriental Life Aesthetics, p. 105, Beijing: People's Publishing House, 2020.
[3] Jiang Clarification: Chinese's View of Color, p. 64, Nanjing: Jiangsu Education Press, 2000.