Exclusive interview丨Xu Anhua’s first positive response to the controversy caused by “First Incense”Fly into the homes of ordinary people
Wang Anyi (left) and Xu Anhua
Since the announcement of the cast more than two years ago, the controversy surrounding the film “The First Incense” has been endless. After the official release on October 22, ridicule, ridicule, or sharp criticism came even more. However, there is no pre-screening road show or post-screening interpretation of “First Burning Incense”, and it has almost always responded to disputes with silence. Until last night, director Xu Anhua and screenwriter Wang Anyi appeared in the “Private Movie Viewing Meeting of “The First Incense” in Shanghai” to discuss the team’s work and fans’ doubts.
On the stage, Xu Anhua said the first sentence to the audience: “I hope you like it, you don’t like it, it doesn’t matter.” When she stepped off the stage, she sat side by side with Wang Anyi and accepted an exclusive interview with the Evening News. She said: ” In fact, I accept all the criticisms. We must accept everything on the screen now, including why Ma Sichun’s state is not good, I just don’t think it is necessary to explain them one by one.”
Ma Sichun is not a related household
Although she didn’t want to explain one by one, Xu Anhua still took the initiative to clarify without waiting for reporters to ask questions: “Many people on the Internet say that because I know Jiang Wenli very well, I will give Ma Sichun a “double yellow egg”. “July and Ansheng” won the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress because of the support of Xu Anhua, the chairman of the jury), and said that I have a good relationship with her family, and this time Ma Sichun was used.” Xu Anhua said sternly, “I am I never use an actor because of my personal relationship, nor because I like a person. Maybe I will use the wrong actor, maybe I think she is suitable, but in fact she is not very suitable for this role. This is a judgement Error, not a bottom-line error. So, I have to clarify.”
Ma Sichun role poster
As for Ma Sichun’s performance, the director said frankly: “When I chose her, of course I hope she can perform better than now. But if you ask me about her later performance, I think it’s quite satisfactory.” A little bit of her emotions, Xu Anhua said although I was surprised that so many viewers were so dissatisfied and didn’t buy it. “But everyone is free to express their opinions and talk about a movie. It’s a very good thing after all.” She said that she has to think hard next, “Literature When it comes to film adaptation, what must be done to satisfy most of the audience.”
Wang Anyi didn’t shake the pot
There is one more thing that made Xu Anhua a little angry: “Many people said that An Yi was interviewing “Southern Weekend” as the director of the “won the pot”. I want to clarify that everything she said was what we said before. If she has no intention of throwing the pot at all, right?” After she said, she looked at her partner and partners around her, and everyone laughed. Wang Anyi, who usually doesn’t use WeChat, also saw some sharp comments that were particularly “violent” this time. She said that she would be a little bit unhappy, “I feel misunderstood, but on the other hand I also find it very lively. I am writing a novel. It’s hard to get real feedback from readers when I write it. The (comments) I publish are generally good things. I have been saying good things to others since I was young, so I think I might owe everyone a scolding.” After finishing, everyone He laughed again.
Xu Anhua (Part 1) and Wang Anyi
That night, Xu Anhua, 74, and Wang Anyi, 67, both wore white shirts tacitly, one with a small satchel and the other with a long skirt. They were youthful as girls. The old friend took out his mobile phone to take a selfie as soon as they met. Before the interview, the two ate authentic local dishes together. Between them, they probably wouldn’t be willing to “flick the pot” with each other. Wang Anyi even said emotionally before the end of the interview: “I know this movie is difficult along the way. I really hope that more people can go into the cinema to watch it. It is very special and worth seeing. “
I made the English title
The most controversial part of the adaptation of “The First Incense” is that the film condenses the barrenness and desolation of the chaos in the novel into a relatively crude love story. Even when the film was released, the slogan was Not an anniversary”. Regarding this, Xu Anhua also said: “If we want to photograph their depravity and the darkness of society, it is a bit difficult and old-fashioned. Then, we take the initiative to shoot a love story.” She said somewhat unconvinced. “Furthermore, if the original novel does not have this love story, there will be no backbone. It has a critical social or human nature part, but it is through this love story (presented).”
Movie poster
The English title of this love story “Love After Love” was created by Xu Anhua herself. “I made a reservation before going to the Venice Film Festival.” She confessed to the Evening News herself. “Love After Love” is an English poem by Derek Walcott, winner of the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature and 2011 Eliot Prize. It explores exactly what happens when a person is freed from desperate love. You should have the right attitude, love will cover people’s eyes, while being out of love gives people a “painful” opportunity to know and fall in love with themselves again.
Make a movie but with love
Xu Anhua reached the first peak of his personal director career 39 years ago because he shot the classic Hong Kong New Wave movie “Death to the Wrath”. The investor in “To the Wrath Sea” is the Jade Bird Film Production Co., Ltd. founded by the legendary actress Xia Meng, known as the “Princess of the Great Wall”. Five years ago, with the consent of Xia Meng himself, Liu Ren, a younger friend, established Jade Bird Films (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in Shanghai. Jade Bird (Shanghai)’s first work was exactly what Xia Meng failed to achieve in the past. “. In most media reports, it was because of Xia Meng that Xu Anhua agreed to be the producer of the film after receiving Liu Ren’s invitation. Regarding the argument of “returning favor”, and even whether it would take courage to adapt “First Incense” after “Love in the Fallen City” and “Half Life”, Xu Anhua said: “I never thought that it would require a lot of courage. I went to do something, to make a movie, just because this thing, this story, attracted me, I went.” (Xinmin Evening News Chief Correspondent Sun Jiayin)
Reporter’s notes on a 74-year-old girl
One week after its release, “First Burning Incense” had a box office of less than 50 million and a Douban score of 5.5. I am really sorry Wada Emi’s clothing, Du Kefeng’s photography, Sakamoto Ryuichi’s music, and even Xu Zidong, a well-known cultural scholar, for “a glimpse.” Cameo.
In the face of the turbulent controversy, Xu Anhua exaggeratedly said “I’m surprised”, and seriously replied: “But I am not angry, nor feel unfair.” She just said several times in the interview, “We have to think. The question is, why is it so, and how we can do it in the future, will it be better.”
Poster of “The First Incense”
It turns out that for a 74-year-old female director who has been making films for more than 40 years, has a lot of works and honors, and has even won the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Venice International Film Festival. Faced with a bad reputation and an almost foreseeable failure, she thinks The most frequent one is “later”.
She said that she is really not a big director, “I hope I will try to be one of them before I die, but I am not yet. Because I don’t know how to do other things, I can only continue to make movies.” She is already thinking about the movie. Whether the lines should be so faithful to the original text of the novel; when thinking about inserting some black humor, is it necessary to “raise” the audience more clearly. She said: “In some places, now everyone laughs in the cinema. I think we didn’t write it well. In fact, we are special. I just think that literary and artistic films can also laugh, comedies can also cry, and movies should not be typed.’ Be trapped’.” At the age of 74, Xu Anhua’s love for movies is the same as before, “I still want to have something new in every movie.” (Sun Jiayin)
Editor: Lu Weixin
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