Global Film Emperor

Chapter 236 Film Review
"Wow, why do I have to book my medical check-up for August already?"

A comprehensive physical examination costing over 3,000 yuan per person can't be bought in bulk. Lu Bo originally wanted to get his parents a physical examination after reading "To Live," and he was willing to spend a month's salary to pay for it. But he didn't expect there to be so many people queuing up for the examination. Sure enough, there are still a lot of rich people.

There was nothing I could do; the appointment was scheduled for August. After sending the appointment form to my parents back home, I took a sip of coffee and focused my attention on the blank WPS application.

After watching "To Live", Lu Bo's mind was in a mess the whole way home. He kept thinking about the plot of the movie, and he almost ran a red light and crossed the line, nearly hitting the roof of another car.

With a sense of shock, or perhaps a feeling of oppression in his chest, Lu Bo finally decided to write a film review of "To Live" to share his understanding and insights with netizens.

"Let me write a long review for 'To Live' and 'Lin Qin in the Living'. Ever since I learned that Lu Ze was going to team up with Zhuang Yu and Wang Zhen again, I have been looking forward to 'To Live'. The reason why I haven't written any other film reviews for Lu Ze before is that the core of Lu Ze's other films really doesn't move me, I don't like them."

"So rather than saying I'm a fan of Lu Ze, I'd say I'm a fan of Zhuang Yu. I like Zhuang Yu's dark and realistic style, and I also appreciate Lu Ze's increasingly superb acting skills."

"Perhaps for me, the combination of Zhuang Yu and Lu Ze is the best combination. Zhuang Yu's work is like a scabbard, which can bear the sharpness of Lu Ze's sword. Only when the sword is sheathed and its sharpness is concealed can it delve into the darkness within the scabbard. At this time, Zhuang and Lu are complete and perfect."

"Sure enough, 'To Live' did not disappoint me, no, it should be said that it exceeded my expectations. But I have to mention that Zhuang Yu's editing skills are really not good. After all, he is a director who was transformed from a cinematographer. With a lack of professional knowledge, his editing skills are to be expected. So I have to thank another director, Guo Mingde."

"The film's editing is full of Guo Mingde's style, crisp and clean, without any dragging. The story is quite complete. Although the film is depressing, it has a kind of refreshing feeling without being long-winded. It gives people the illusion of watching Guo Mingde's military drama. Zhuang Yu's style label has not disappeared. His excellent use of color and set design skills are no less than those in Mr. Tree in "To Live". It achieves a perfect balance with Guo Mingde's editing. It has to be said that without Guo Mingde, this film would drop at least two levels."

"Let's talk about the main framework of the script. The sense of despair in the entire script is not created by forced sentimentality. On the contrary, it is compact yet understated. Inadvertently, Lu Ze, the sword that cuts through hair, will cut a narrow, long, and unfathomably deep wound on your body. Before you even have time to cry out in pain, blood has already spurted out."

"The actors' performances go without saying. Lu Ze went all out in this film, truly deserving of his double Golden Horse Award for Best Actor. He was incredibly strong. With just a glance, he could completely express the emotions. His facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice were all flawless. But I won't praise him because this is what he should do. He has raised our standards for appreciating acting in domestic films, so he should maintain this level of performance. Although Lu Ze will definitely face considerable pressure, this is the pressure he should bear as the leading young actor."

"And Wang Zhen is also not mentioned. She is the strongest contender for Best Actress this time. If she is not nominated, I will cut off my head. The one who really deserves my praise is Mao Shengjun, who is only sixteen years old. He plays Er Mao in the film. This is one of the most tearful moments in the whole film. I looked up his information. He debuted as a child star. After attending junior high school normally, he did not take on any more roles. This child, who has not been on screen for several years, has maintained an extremely high level of acting. It can only be said that acting really requires talent. Some child stars who moved us from the start should really reflect on why they are still making trashy idol dramas."

"Getting to the point, although the opening scene is cheerful, the use of color in Lin Qin's office already foreshadows the tragedy. What I admire is that the office walls are gray, and the floor is also gray tiles, which is the main color tone of the film. However, Lin Qin's desk is red. The shot of his colleague sliding on the chair with his feet is the first time Lin Qin enters the audience's view. And from that angle, it looks like Lin Qin is touching a red coffin. When I saw this, my hair stood on end. I can only say I admire Zhuang Yu's use of color."

"The first scene in the hospital, which appears in the first trailer, is a bustling hospital with people coming and going. Everyone is expressionless, like a group of people who are about to die. Countless 'dead' people leave the hospital, and countless 'dead' people come in from outside, like a huge cycle. Perhaps Zhuang Yu wanted to express the idea of ​​cause and effect and destiny."

"What's most ironic is that none of the guests at this hotel called Ping An are safe. This reminds me of a line from the movie 'Dying to Survive': 'There's only one disease in people, and that's poverty.' 'To Live' also expresses this idea, but it doesn't say it outright. Instead, it calmly uses the camera to show you the joys and sorrows of these terminally ill patients."

"This is terrifying, revealing the cruelest poverty and the desolation of dying far from home. All the patients in the story express different social phenomena caused by illness." "When Old Mrs. Shen died, she was still thinking about treating everyone to a good meal. Apart from Lin Qin, she paid the most for treating everyone to a meal, reflecting the common mentality of the elderly who like to leave money to their descendants."

"Er Mao is a typical example of someone who didn't want to be a burden on his family and chose to die alone in a corner. He didn't see his family one last time before he died, leaving them with endless grief."

"Shen Mengxi is a representative of being abandoned by her family. People say that there are no filial children at the bedside of a long-term sick person. In fact, this is also true between husband and wife. The only people who will never abandon you are your parents. But what if you can't rely on your parents anymore? To be honest, Shen Mengxi is the most tragic and miserable character."

"There are many other characters, such as Lao Zhao and Lao Zhou, who are all patients and have their own way of living. But in the end, because of poverty, they all end up living the same way. Zhuang Yu's cleverness lies in the fact that he doesn't teach the audience how to live, but instead presents many choices for the audience to choose for themselves. And we know the choices in our hearts."

"What's even more interesting is the character of Wang Shucai, the old man. He is extremely disgusted by the idea of ​​sleeping with other men's wives and understands some of the principles of Yin and Yang. However, he has been selflessly helping patients, showing his rigidity and kindness. In the end, he also shows his tolerance and acknowledges that Shen Mengxi is Lin Qin's wife."

"Finally, there's the love story between Shen Mengxi and Lin Qin. I can only say that Tiancheng Media's promotion of it is disgusting. In reality, it's not love, or it's not that pure. At first, the two were only together for a promise. They were actually afraid of the loneliness of dying alone and just wanted to find someone to accompany them. You can tell from their appearances that their choices were also related to their looks."

"As for the omnipotent God, what Zhuang Yu wanted to express is obvious to anyone, no need to elaborate. When Lin Qin said, 'How could we not know?' I couldn't think of any other word besides sorrow. In the end, it was understandable that the two gave up treatment. I've read many film reviews, and they all forgot one point, which is the fear of infectious diseases throughout the film. If someone has an infectious disease, they can't even stay in a safe hotel. Where can they go? This is the deepest level of fear that is detached from the rest of the film."

"This film doesn't have much profound content, but it reflects quite a few social phenomena, though not to an exaggerated degree. Zhuang Yu is simply telling a story, and the reason why 'To Live' has such a good reputation is simply because he told the story well. But a good story is enough, isn't it?"

"The whole film is filled with despair. Only in order to maintain some balance is Lin Qin being a bit sarcastic to lighten the mood. But what remains in the audience's heart is a deep sense of despair and helplessness. Perhaps Zhuang Yu hopes to use this sense of despair to bring some thoughts to the audience: if you were diagnosed with cancer, how would you live?"

After thinking for a while, Lu Bo took a sip of his now-cold coffee, lit a cigarette, stared blankly at the computer screen, sighed, shook his head with a wry smile, and published the film review.

He got up and went to the balcony, opened the window, flicked his cigarette ash, and looked out the window. The neon lights were dazzling, but further away, it was still dark, which made him sigh a little.

Life is full of suffering.

"."

(End of this chapter)