Restore historical details and shoot new ideas of the times
Huang Jianxin and his partner talk about the behind-the-scenes creation of the movie “1921”
On the screen, Mao Zedong, played by Wang Renjun, gallops on the streets of Shanghai 100 years ago. The montage technique brings the audience into memories and beautiful longings; on the roof, Li Da, played by Huang Xuan, shouts, and the early morning sun strokes the eaves tiles. , Also stroked this glorious city; on the red boat, the sky was raining, and Wang Huiwu, played by Ni Ni, held up the oil paper umbrella on the bow of the big meeting. The rain gradually stopped, and red light spread on her face. It was also sprinkled on the road of the Chinese revolution… Six days ago, the film “1921” was the opening film, and it was screened for the first time at the Golden Jubilee Ceremony, which won long-term enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Seeking a new international background
Yesterday, the 24th Shanghai International Film Festival Golden Goblet Chairman Forum opened. The chairman of the main competition unit of the Golden Goblet Award, Huang Jianxin, director of the film “1921”, co-director Zheng Dasheng, producer Ren Ning, screenwriter Yu Xi, starring Wang Renjun collectively appeared. Seeking innovation, digging out the details, one hundred years, youthfulness, director Huang Jianxin used “1921” to be “1921” in 2021″ to define this movie.
From “The Founding of a Country” to “The Founding of a Party”, the audience seems to be used to the main theme film directed by Huang Jianxin. Ten years ago, “The Great Cause of Party Founding” wrote from the “Wuchang Uprising” in 1911 to the convening of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 1921, spanning 10 years, there have been countless historical details, involving many historical figures. When faced with the historical moment of “party building” again, Huang Jianxin said that some changes and innovations should be made: “In 10 years, the research on this period of history has become very detailed, and there are many new materials appearing. We must Change the perspective to express this new idea.”
In “1921”, Huang Jianxin led the creative team to open up the international background of the party’s founding period. For example, the film specifically introduces a Japanese perspective. Huang Jianxin said that this is because the crew obtained particularly important information during the filming. “The Japanese co-production team and our planning team found a telegram record in the archives of the Japanese Metropolitan Police Department. It recorded that on June 30, 1921, the representatives of the Communist International were going to hold a meeting in Shanghai. The Japanese side had mastered the time. The situation of the meeting.”
Screenwriter Yu Xi also feels deeply about the “cosmopolitan” in the process of searching for information. “We discovered that the two representatives of the Communist International, Marin and Nicholsky, actually have a division of labor. They came to Shanghai openly and secretly to do their own work. Marin was appointed by Lenin to come to Shanghai to observe China. He is a bright figure in the labor movement; Nicholsky has participated in the Red Army and was sent to support work.” Yu Xi said that they wanted to avoid the hunting of the concession patrol. A drag scene in the film made the film more. A bit of the texture of the spy movie.
Seek truth and deliberate on the details
According to producer Ren Ning, apart from restoring the site of the First Congress and Second Congress of the Communist Party of China in the same proportions at the Chedun Film and Television Base, the new youth editorial office, Bowen Girls’ School and other scenes, the crew is also in many old buildings in Shanghai a hundred years ago. Real scene shooting. “What impresses the audience more is the real fireworks shown in the film. There is a scene where Mao Zedong first arrived in Shanghai and Li Da and Wang Huiwu invited Mao Zedong to dinner.”
Ren Ning recalled, “In that season, Shanghai people used to set up a table and a few small bamboo stools in the back alley in summer. What kind of dishes they would eat. These were not placed randomly, but the directors discussed with the art props team. It took a long time and was carefully designed. It must conform to the characters and plot, and it must also conform to the daily habits of Shanghainese.” In a scene in the film, Li Da came to the rooftop with frustration and hesitation. To comfort Li Da, Wang Huiwu gave him Brought up a bowl of glutinous rice balls. It turns out that this bowl of glutinous rice balls from “Qiaojiazha” has also been carefully discussed, “What kind of snacks Shanghainese often eat at that time, and this store had to exist 100 years ago. This is not an implant. It’s the homework that needs to be done in order to reflect the historical reality.” Ren Ning said, there are many such details hidden in the film, “just for the purpose of understanding the life and culture of Shanghai in the 1920s, from the subtle to the gradual enlargement of the whole picture. Style display.”
Youthful and vigorous
The youthfulness permeated in “1921” makes young audiences feel particularly close. Wang Renjun also felt the director’s good intentions after watching the finished film. The film was to restore the youth image of a generation of leaders. “He doesn’t want to substitute Mao Zedong’s foresight into his youth. His youth is full of enthusiasm. Ideal, brave to explore, and daring to be the first image of a passionate youth.”
The film’s co-director Zheng Dasheng added: “100 years ago, they were all unknown young people. What we want is the image of living characters.” Especially, this vigorous youthfulness does not only exist in the main characters. When filming the May Fourth Movement, Ren Ning found based on information that there were four girls from Beijing Women’s Normal School who were very famous in the May Fourth Movement and were called “May Fourth Fourth Young Masters.” Huang Jianxin insisted on finding similar college students, “20-year-olds, because they have not experienced the various complex ups and downs of the society, so their eyes are bright and clear.” So, the crew played in Nortel, Zhongxi, Shanghai. Chinese opera and other art colleges found a group of first- and second-year college students, “These real college students are not the same. When they walked over from the parade, when the camera was put in their eyes, it would make people feel that, that It’s youth.”
Chief reporter Sun Jiayin
Editor: Giabun
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