New Age Artists

Chapter 670 Cultural Watershed

Shen Santong was also surprised by the box office performance of "The Return of the Great Sage".

The main reason is that it is the fourth day of the Chinese New Year, and the box office is still rising. Basically, no matter how many screenings the theaters schedule, "The Return of the Great Sage" can take up as much.

The average attendance rate is as high as over 80%, especially in the afternoon and evening when the attendance rate is close to 100%.

so horrible.

Just like a secret code, Shen Santong could sometimes hear the little brother singing "The Lone Brave Man" when he was walking in the neighborhood.

Shen Santong received feedback from the distributor that many children watched the song until the end and sang along.

“Perhaps the only thing that limits box office performance is the construction of theater chains.”

In February 13, there were nearly 2 screens nationwide.

It took 15 years to reach this number in my previous life, but it was increased by two years in this life.

In recent years, cinema chains have expanded rapidly, to the point where cinema construction has surpassed urban construction, with cinemas driving the development of urban commercial districts.

However, cinema construction is still constrained by the overall level of urban development.

It's been 13 years, and it's still hard to get tickets for a movie. It's too scary.

When "Avatar" was released, the IMAX theaters were packed, and when "The Monkey King: Hero is Back", even the ordinary theaters were full.

Just pull up a screen, even if there is no heating, no air conditioning, and no decoration, it will still be packed.

Shen Santong feels that "The Return of the Great Sage" might be even more terrifying than "Nezha 2".

After all, not many people watched "Nezha 2" twice, but many people watched "The Return of the Great Sage" twice, some of them just for the ending song.

The Lone Hero actually controls the kid brother, and he can't be refused at all.

Not only the box office, but also the overall word-of-mouth and public opinion are very good.

So good that no one could have imagined it.

Shen Santong originally wanted to guide the audience to discuss the pilgrimage team.

If a movie wants to be shown for a long time, it needs some in-depth interpretation.

Metaphors can also be interpreted, but Shen Santong is unwilling to guide the interpretation of metaphors, and the movie should just remain a movie.

There is room for interpretation of the pilgrimage team, and the mountain god can be seen as Sha Seng.

Now it’s all complete.

Jiang Liuer is Tang Monk, the Great Sage is Monkey King, Zhu Bajie is Zhu Bajie, the mountain god is Sha Monk, and the dragon is Little White Dragon.

There are many interpretation directions.

For example, the Monkey King and Jiang Liuer were master and disciple five hundred years ago, but now their relationship has changed, which is a very interesting setting.

For example, Sha Seng opposed the Monkey King’s reforms, Zhu Bajie chose to support him, and Xiao Bailong was neutral and inclined to support him, representing different positions.

There's lots of room for expansion, too.

Jin Chanzi has long been dissatisfied with Tathagata, and the relationship between the dragon clan, to which Xiaobailong belongs, and the Heavenly Court is in crisis.

Xiaobailong’s dragon background can share the same world view with Nezha.

Of course, guidance is guidance, and the film company will not admit this kind of matching.

Because it will limit the settings of the second part.

Shen Santong wants to construct a brand new mythological universe, and Journey to the West five hundred years later is just an anchor point.

His ambition is not just to go beyond five hundred years, he wants to include all of Honghuang, Fengshen, and Journey to the West in one fell swoop.

"Nezha" can be placed under this movie universe.

He also planned to capture a period of 500 years of resistance against the extraterritorial demons and make a story about Erlang Shen.

Refer to "Top Gun 2".

The demons from outside the domain have infected a small world in the wilderness. This small world is facing a crisis of destruction and there are restrictions on realms to enter it.

So Erlang Shen trained a group of young monks, and Nezha or the Monkey King can also train a group.

Competition between two or three parties.

Finally, a huge crisis arose in the small world, and Erlang Shen took action personally.

One clone crossed two realms and defeated the final BOSS.

The incarnation of Erlang Shen taking part in cross-border combat is much more reasonable than the cross-generational battle between the F2 and the Russian-made Su-14 stealth fighter in "Top Gun 57".

If the first part of Erlang Shen is successful, a prequel to Erlang Shen can be released.

How to rebel against the Jade Emperor and incorporate it into the mythological universe of "Fighting Heaven and Earth".

As for the stupid settings like Erlang Shen's funny character, Shen Santong would never adopt them. Self-sealing and self-castration are incomprehensible to him.

In Shen Santong's eyes: I, Erlang Zhenjun, am awesome, my uncle is the Emperor of Heaven, and my ancestor is the Three Pure Ones. There are monsters in the Three Realms. In order to save the world, I specially trained a group of people to complete an impossible task.

This is the Yang Jian in his eyes, the True Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao.

Following the path of Erlang Shen, agarwood can also be made.

Other mythological characters can also be integrated into one worldview along the lines of "fighting against heaven and earth".

And the whole thing isn't forced at all.

Because Chinese mythology is a history of fighting against nature.

The key is to "fight against heaven and earth" and have fun fighting.

With this, the box office will not be bad.

However, the popularity of "The Return of the Great Sage" was too strong, and the original promotion and marketing strategy seemed unnecessary.

Perhaps it was Shen Santong’s accumulation, coupled with the audience’s love for the Monkey King.

There may also be certain forces helping to guide public opinion.

In short.

"The Return of the Great Sage" has a similar ecological niche to Hollywood blockbusters, creating a good atmosphere for discussion.

"This is the Chinese superhero!"

"Jiang Liuer reminds me of my rebellious self."

Young people are crazy about watching it for the second time.

#Problem Child Jiang Liuer# topped the Weibo hot search list.

It's not just teenagers.

A large number of netizens spontaneously edited funny videos of "Jiang Liuer confronting the Monkey King", and the number of clicks quickly increased.

“It is so good that it exceeds expectations. It breaks the established imagination of the Monkey King myth and legend, and creates a new core for the story that suits the times.”

"Jiang Liuer's distorted worldview and the stigmatization of the Great Sage. If you break out of the old rules, you will find a new 'truth'. No matter how difficult it is, even if the whole world stands in your way, don't forget the fire in your heart and have the courage to fight the world. On the surface, it's the return of the Great Sage, but it implies the proposition of the entire era. If you taste it carefully, you will find a thousand kinds of emotional resonance."

Many middle-aged audiences were moved to tears while watching the film.

It’s not because the movie is good, but because they see their own youth.

"It should be said that Shen Santong never goes against the audience, and "The Return of the Great Sage" is full of emotion."

"When the theme song of the 86 version of Journey to the West and the accompaniment of the sequel sounded, I was instantly transported back to my youth. I have never seen such a tragic and heroic Monkey King, but it somehow fits the image in my mind!"

"The Return of the Great Sage" appeals to people of all ages.

There are all kinds of interpretations and comments, and there is no need for any guidance. The vast sea of ​​​​audiences automatically refreshes the wonderful comments.

The movie channel urgently launched a special observation program.

"The Return of the Great Sage" reconstructs the grand pattern of the Journey to the West universe, extending the story to five hundred years after the journey to the West, and using the invasion of "foreign demons" as a lead, constructing a complex world where gods, Buddhas, demons, and the human world are intertwined.

The power struggle between Heaven and Lingshan, and the conflict between the old and new forces between the garrison and the old nobles, give the story a heavy epic feel.

Sun Wukong lost his "Monkey King" halo and his holiness, becoming a common monkey, his essence dried up and his appearance ruined. His five hundred years of fighting alone and being stigmatized created a tragic hero with a deeper humanity. The character creation realizes the dual arc of subversion and growth.

Sun Wukong went from being the Fighting Buddha to becoming depressed and retiring, and then was awakened by Jiang Liuer and reborn in Nirvana.

The core of the character is sublimated from the original self-salvation to the persistence of faith and truth.

The struggle between his "Buddha nature" and "monkey nature" is a metaphor for the hero's feeling of being torn between the secular world and his ideals.

The setting of Jiang Liuer as a problem child subverts the image of ordinary children.

His utilitarianism and distorted values ​​reflect modern society's alienated worship of success.

Ultimately, through the bond with the Monkey King, he was able to reshape his values ​​and complete the transformation from "admiring the strong and being selfish" to "protecting all living beings."

In the portrayal of the group, each supporting character has his or her own characteristics.

Erlang Shen's insight, Zhu Bajie's humor and sacrifice, and the Chaos Demon King's greed all give the supporting characters a three-dimensional sense.

The "divine corruption" of Heaven and Lingshan deepens the irony of the power struggle.

The theme core realizes the dual narrative of deconstruction and reconstruction.

Through Jiang Liuer's distorted worship of the "big devil" Sun Wukong and the smear campaign against heroes by the Heavenly Palace and Lingshan Mountain, the author criticizes the narrative hegemony of "the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit" in historical writing and calls for a return to the essence of heroes.

It conducted a dialectic between divinity and humanity, and proposed that "mortals' magic is emotion, and God's emotion is magic", breaking the boundary between God and man, emphasizing that the power of faith comes from action rather than result, and echoing the call for individual initiative in modern society.

The metaphor of Eastern and Western governance, the order of the Tang Dynasty in the East contrasts sharply with the "land of bones" at the foot of Lingshan Mountain, alluding to the success and failure of different governance concepts, giving the story a realistic and critical color.

Various interpretations that dig deeper into the connotation have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain.

Further expanded the connotation of the film.

The Dialectical Relationship between the Great Sage's "Buddha Nature" and Jiang Liuer's "Demon Nature"

The Great Sage is pure and kind, like a spring breeze to the weak.

He was extremely cruel to the God of Land at first, but when he saw that the other party was very weak, his attitude suddenly became gentle and he treated the children who offended him gently.

The "de-deification" of Fighting and Victory Buddha retains the monkey nature in his Buddha nature. He is angered by the nickname "horse monkey" and quarrels with Jiang Liuer. Although he becomes a Buddha, he retains the characteristics of a naughty boy, breaking the traditional stereotype of Buddha as "neither sad nor happy".

This "imperfect Buddha nature" actually makes the character more vivid.

To become a Buddha does not mean to destroy one’s nature, but to practice the great way with one’s true heart.

The Monkey King was eroded by evil spirits and turned into a "horse face", but he refused to use his magic power to repair his appearance, suggesting that he had reached the level of spiritual practice where he accepted his own flaws.

The character of Jiang Liuer carries the fall and redemption of an anti-hero.

Because of his childhood trauma, he developed a worship of power, which led to distorted values ​​and a belief in selfishness. After experiencing setbacks and awakening, Jiang Liuer, in this respect, is more of a Western superhero character.

Jiang Liuer worships the stigmatized Monkey King, projecting a distorted faith that is alienated by reality. For those who are close to him, such as Han Bing, this forms a mirror dialectic with the Monkey King.

"The Deconstruction and Reconstruction of the God and Buddha System in "The Return of the Great Sage""

The stories of Heaven and Lingshan Mountain are full of realistic allegories. The corruption of the system of gods and Buddhas, the struggle for fame and fortune, and the whitewashing of peace directly point to the chronic diseases of the actual bureaucratic system.

The Monkey King's innovative ideas, promoting mortals to become gods and eliminating fallen gods, are essentially a rebellion against "class solidification", which echoes the spiritual core of his havoc in heaven.

According to public opinion, there was a contrast between the "free eating and drinking" in the Western Paradise and the "demonic energy blockade" in the human world. When the truth came out, there were piles of bones under the sacred mountain, but it was the Eastern Tang Dynasty that maintained stability.

With a wonderful reversal, it not only satirizes the separation between the privileged class and the people's right to survival, but also satirizes the chaos in public opinion.

This is even more obvious in the story of the Monkey King being stigmatized.

Considering Shen Santong’s personal experience, it is hard to say that he did not bring in his own personal emotions.

Perhaps this is the charm of classic works, which can be interpreted on multiple levels, and everyone can see the side that they are concerned about.

The movie's understanding of power is also full of philosophy. It does not emphasize fighting monsters and leveling up, but emphasizes practice.

"Mortals' magic is emotion, and gods' emotion is magic." Jiang Liuer's outbreak broke the traditional upgrade system, which stipulates that "magic power = cultivation".

"The opposition between the golden body and the demonic appearance is a metaphor for the eternal struggle between divine faith and human exhaustion."

Experts from all walks of life also joined in and provided serious academic interpretations based on their respective professional knowledge.

The Political Economy of the Deity and Buddha System

The Heaven and Lingshan Mountain have become a bureaucratic system, with gods and Buddhas fighting for incense offerings and seating rankings. This setting is consistent with Weber's theory of disenchantment.

The Political Metaphor of Triple Space

The ternary space composed of the high-pressure control of the Tang Dynasty Garrison, the false utopia of Lingshan Pure Land, and the ideal enclave of Huaguoshan reflects the dilemma of social governance in reality.

In particular, the settings of "evil spirit leading to social stagnation" and "lie of the Western paradise" show profound thinking on the crisis of modernity.

The Avant-garde of Narrative Structure

Plots such as the Five Elements Mountain ice sculptures, the fight for talismans, and the broken golden hoop are essentially a systematic deconstruction of the classic symbols of Journey to the West.

When Jiang Liuer showed off the Buddha's talisman as a trophy, he completely severed the signifier and signified of the authoritative symbol.

The use of metanarrative strategies

Through Jiang Liuer’s obsession with the legend of the “big devil”, a narrative nesting is constructed within the story.

This parody and subversion of heroic narrative, just like the "metafiction of historical writing" technique proposed by Linda Hutcheon, gives the text a critical distance.

The Monkey King: Hero is Back: A Thought Experiment with Philosophical Profundity, an Innovation in the Concept of Transcendence

The setting of "mortals' magic is emotion, and gods' emotion is magic" is a fantastic translation of Kant's "practical reason" and Heidegger's "thinking about existence".

Jiang Liuer's awakening of power no longer relies on sudden enlightenment, but requires a Lacanian "crossing fantasy". Only by breaking the obsession with the symbolic Monkey King can he touch the truth.

Deconstructing the Postcolonial Perspective

The invasion of the extraterritorial demons as "others" forms a polyphonic narrative with the internal corruption of the sacred mountain in heaven.

This setting is consistent with Homi Bhabha's "hybridity" theory, which reveals that the collapse of any civilization system stems from the resonance of internal and external crises.

At the same time, the reversal of Datang and Lingshan at the end not only deconstructs traditional mythology, but also constructs a new mythological paradigm in the postmodern context.

When the Great Sage steps on the void, the golden hoop that pierces through heaven and earth is both the sword of Damocles that pierces the illusion and a Kafkaesque ruler that measures the emptiness of civilization.

This kind of creation that combines fantasy narrative with philosophical thinking can be regarded as a pioneering experiment in domestic stories.

"The Return of the Great Sage" creates multiple levels of interpretation space.

There are both popular comments from the audience and teenagers' pursuit of popular culture.

There are also excellent works that emerge from popular reviews.

More inclined to serious analysis by professionals.

The influence of the movie "The Return of the Great Sage" will be further expanded, showing unparalleled social influence.

It's not that there aren't some groups trying to sabotage it, but they are simply unable to shake it.

Such fermentation ability used to only appear in Hollywood phenomenal movies. "The Return of the Great Sage" has woven an unprecedented cultural landscape.

This is not only a victory for the film, but also a cultural watershed.

at this point.

Industry insiders have also seen it.

A small circle gathering.

523 was furious.

"The story of the Golden Armored God and A Lan, Shen Santong thinks we are fools, can't we see it?"

"How dare he, how dare he!"

The story of the Golden-Armored God and A Lan is completely a cultural dog whistle.

523They understand it too well and are too familiar with it.

Many viewers didn’t even notice it, but they heard it and felt offended!

(End of this chapter)