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At the end of 2023, an unprecedented storm has been set off in the Chinese TV circle. A TV series called "Flowers" has become the focus of heated discussions among viewers and industry insiders in just a few weeks with its unique audiovisual language and excellent production.
This work, which cost hundreds of millions of yuan and took three years to shoot, not only gathered first-line stars such as Hu Ge, Xin Zhilei, and Ma Yili, but also shocked the audience's senses with its unique artistic style.
However, what is unexpected is that the driving force behind this aesthetic revolution is actually a director known as a "scoundrel" - Wong Kar-wai. Why did this director, who has been controversial in the film industry, choose to get involved in the field of TV dramas? How did he subvert the deep-rooted aesthetic concepts of Chinese audiences with a single work? Let's uncover this amazing story together.
Wong Kar-wai, a well-known director in the film industry, has always been known for his unique artistic style and perseverance. However, his path to success was not all smooth sailing, but was full of setbacks and challenges.
Back in 1990, Wong Kar-wai suffered a major setback in his career. Although his film "The True Story of A Fei" has won many accolades and awards in the professional field, it has been met with a cold reception in the Hong Kong domestic market.
Audiences generally expressed difficulty in understanding and appreciating the work, and although the innovative elements such as frame extracts, jumping timelines, and deep and restrained line design were used in the work, they failed to impress the general audience.
This defeat not only led to a dismal box office, but even the publisher Deng Guangrong suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized.
Faced with such a heavy blow, many directors may choose to compromise and change their style to cater to popular tastes. But Wong Kar-wai chose a more difficult path.
He resolutely established his own production company, Zedong Pictures, and started the road of independent creation. In this process, he also invited his best friend Liu Zhenwei to participate, and the director who later directed the classic comedy "Journey to the West" became his solid backing.
On this challenging road, Wong Kar-wai continues to break through himself and challenge his limits. He completed the filming of "East Evil and West Poison" in just 27 days, and this movie not only successfully broke into the top ten box office rankings that year, but is still regarded as a classic by fans and maintains 8 on Douban. A high score of 7.
However, Wong Kar-wai's way of working also often bothered the cast and crew. He is not bound by time and does not care about the emotional needs of others, and this almost paranoid pursuit of perfection has earned him the title of "scoundrel".
As Liu Zhenwei said: "To be friends with scoundrels will eventually pay a heavy price."
Nevertheless, it is this spirit of uncompromising and non-giving up that makes each of Wong Kar-wai's works able to surprise and shock the audience. When he decided to get involved in the TV drama space, many were skeptical.
However, the broadcast of "Flowers" completely subverted people's expectations, proving that this "rogue" director also has extraordinary creativity in the field of TV dramas.
The broadcast of "Flowers" is like an audio-visual feast, completely subverting the audience's inherent impression of Chinese TV dramas. This work has shown an unprecedented height in terms of picture composition, lens use, light and shadow processing, and sound design, which can be called a comprehensive improvement in the production level of Chinese TV dramas.
In terms of picture composition and use of lenses, Wong Kar-wai shows his consistent and unique style. Taking the confrontation scene between Reiko played by Ma Yili and Li Li played by Xin Zhilei in episode 18 as an example, Wong Kar-wai did not use the traditional positive and negative fighting techniques, but skillfully incorporated the two heroines into the picture at the same time.
What's even more amazing is that Xin Zhilei's image is presented through the reflection of the mirror, and this blurry visual effect not only adds to the layering of the picture, but also subtly hints at the complex relationship between the two characters, allowing the audience to feel the tension between the characters in the play more deeply.
The treatment of light and shadow is another commendable highlight of "Flowers". Unlike traditional TV dramas, which pursue bright and uniform lighting, "Flowers" adopts a more complex and changeable light source design.
This treatment not only enhances the texture of the picture, but also successfully shapes the inner world of the characters. In episode 20, the confrontation scene between Mr. Qiang played by Huang Jue and Li Li is a typical example.
One side of Mr. Qiang's face is illuminated by ordinary light, while the other side is pale red by the flashing neon lights outside the window, and the central area of the face is shrouded in shadow. This unique lighting and shadow design subtly reveals the complex emotions of the characters, allowing the audience to feel the tension of the scene without the need for dialogue.
In terms of the use of sound elements, "Flowers" also shows Wong Kar-wai's ingenuity. He carefully selected a series of classic pop music as background music, such as "No More Hesitation" and "Glory Years" by BEYOND, "Stealing Hearts" by Jacky Cheung, etc.
The music not only fits the story, but also evokes empathy for the audience. In particular, in the scene depicting the protagonist introducing business partners in Japan, the use of the theme song "Sudden Love" of "Tokyo Love Story" skillfully integrates the plot and music, which arouses a strong emotional resonance among the audience.
In addition, "Flowers" also makes extensive use of the Shanghai dialect. This not only adds a sense of regional character, but also adds realism to the characterization. Although it was later changed to Mandarin dubbing, the original Shanghainese version is still considered by many viewers to be a version that better reflects the essence of the script.
The reason why the audiovisual language of "Flowers" can reach such a high level is inseparable from its strong production team. The film's cinematographic consultant is Bao Dexi, who has won the Oscar for Best Cinematography.
Under his direction, every frame of Blossoms is a work of art. As one veteran film critic put it: "Every shot of 'Flowers' is like telling an independent story."
This breakthrough audio-visual language not only brings a new viewing experience to the audience, but also sets a new benchmark for the production level of Chinese TV dramas. It proves that a TV series can fully reach the artistic level of a film, and even surpass it in some ways.
The success of "Flowers" will undoubtedly promote the entire Chinese TV drama industry to a higher artistic realm.
The success of "Flowers" is not accidental, but the culmination of the tremendous efforts of Wong Kar-wai and the entire team. The production process of this drama is full of challenges and innovations, showing an artistic pursuit that borders on paranoia.
First of all, Wong Kar-wai boldly adopted a single-camera shooting method, which is extremely rare in TV drama production. This method puts forward extremely high requirements for the director's visual composition ability and lighting arrangement skills.
Every shot needs to be carefully choreographed, and every transition needs to be carefully considered. This almost demanding requirement made the whole filming process extremely difficult, but it was precisely this challenge that made every frame of "Flowers" full of artistic sense and uniqueness.
Secondly, in order to pursue perfection, Wong Kar-wai often asks the actors to shoot the same scene repeatedly. Famous actor Dong Yong revealed in an interview that some scenes even need to be filmed dozens of times to meet the director's requirements.
This almost paranoid attitude towards perfection has made many actors feel unprecedented pressure. However, it is this unremitting pursuit that creates every wonderful moment in "Flowers".
In addition, the production cycle of "Flowers" is as long as three years, with an investment scale of hundreds of millions of yuan, which can be called a major event in the Shanghai entertainment industry. This kind of long-term, high-investment production model is extremely rare in the current fast-paced TV drama market.
It not only tested the patience and perseverance of the production team, but also provided the necessary time and resources to finally present a high-quality work.
In terms of narrative skills, "Flowers" also shows a superb level. Despite the flashback narrative, the plot doesn't seem confusing or lengthy. Instead, every shot moves the story forward just right.
This efficient narrative technique successfully avoids the common "water injection" problem in many domestic dramas, making the whole story compact and full of tension.
As one crew member put it: "On the set of "Flowers", every day is like participating in an artistic creation. Although it is hard, but seeing the final result, all the efforts are worth it.
This arduous production process not only trained the entire team, but also set a new standard for the production of Chinese TV dramas. It proves that only 100% effort can be achieved in creating something that truly touches people's hearts.
The success of "Flowers" will undoubtedly inspire more creators to pursue higher artistic standards in the production of TV dramas.
Although "Flowers" has been widely recognized for its artistic achievements, its broadcast has also caused a lot of controversy. The unique style and high-level production of this work have not only surprised the audience, but also caused some doubts and discussions.
Some viewers praised "Flowers" for creating a new era of Chinese TV dramas, believing that it raised the artistic level of TV dramas to an unprecedented height. They believe that every frame of "Flowers" is comparable to a movie, and the use of audiovisual language can be called textbook level.
Especially in terms of light and shadow processing, lens composition and music use, the artistry of "Flowers" has fascinated many audiences.
However, there are also some viewers who have questioned "Flowers". They think the show is too artistic to understand. Some people said that the picture of "Flowers" is too gorgeous, like watching a movie that is more than 1,300 minutes long, and it is doubtful whether this production method is suitable for the daily viewing of TV dramas.
Some viewers compared it with Wong Kar-wai's classic film "In the Mood for Love", believing that although "Flowers" is visually stunning, it is inferior to the former in terms of depth of emotional expression.
This controversy actually reflects the diversity of the audience's aesthetic perceptions. With the broadcast of "Flowers", more and more viewers began to pay attention to the artistry of the TV series, not just the plot.
A veteran film critic noted: "Flowers may not be the most perfect work, but it is undoubtedly one of the most courageous attempts. It has opened a new door for Chinese TV dramas.
Despite the controversy, it's undeniable that "Blossoms" has really pushed the conversation about the artistry of the TV series among viewers and industry insiders. It makes people think: what kind of qualities should a good TV series have? Is it possible to break through traditional narrative and audiovisual language? This kind of reflection and discussion will undoubtedly promote the development of the entire industry to a higher level.
The broadcast of "Flowers" is not only a success of a work, but also a profound baptism of the entire Chinese TV drama industry. It proves with practical actions that high-quality and high-artistic TV dramas can also win the love of the audience and the recognition of the market.
The impact of this work goes far beyond that. It is cultivating a group of audiences with a higher aesthetic level, and the presence of these audiences will promote the entire industry to continuously improve the level of production and artistic pursuit.
At the same time, the international vision and artistic standard shown by "Flowers" have also paved the way for Chinese TV dramas to enter the world stage.
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