Back to 80: My Literary Life

Fang Minghua expressed his opinion to Song Tangtang:

Can't shoot.

It rained today, the first rain since autumn, and the originally sultry weather suddenly became cooler.

While his wife was at work, Fang Minghua was squatting in the yard playing with the pot of epiphyllum when he heard someone ringing the doorbell.

Patting the dust on his hands, he went to open the door and it was Zhang Yimou.

"Come on, come in." Fang Minghua greeted.

"Growing flowers?" Zhang Yimou asked when he saw the mud on his hands.

"Yes, let's clean up this pot of epiphyllum and see if it blooms tonight." Fang Minghua said, squatting down and continuing to loosen the soil in the pot with a shovel.

Zhang Yimou squatted down beside him and watched him play with it.

"Yimou, you don't go to the Three Treasures Palace for anything. Do you have anything to do with me?" Fang Minghua asked while working.

"It's a bit about the script. I heard Mr. Song say, do you think that script is not good?"

"It really doesn't work. To be honest, if you follow this script, the box office won't be too bad. After all, your Zhang Yimou's fame and acting skills are there. But the problem is that you are Zhang Yimou, and the film you make is not as good as "Hero" Movie, what’s the point?”

Zhang Yimou was silent.

Fang Minghao put down the shovel, turned around, looked at him, and said:

"Yimou, you have won gold medals at the three major film festivals: Cannes, Venice, and Berlin. This year you also won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. It can be said to be a grand slam in the film industry."

"Moreover, we have already had enough food and clothing, and making movies is no longer just for box office. In this case, why should we make such a script with its own flaws? My point of view is, if you want to make a film, find a good script and shoot it well, or don't make it. Just follow me and dance around for a day."

After hearing what Fang Minghua said, Zhang Yimou was a little touched.

Indeed, he has long passed the stage of making movies for box office and fame. Every time he makes a new movie, it is an attempt and a breakthrough.

But this time, Fang Minghua clearly told him that the script was not good and there was no point in filming it.

So he asked: "Then tell me, if you don't film this script, what will you film?"

"I suggest you return to literary films, find a good novel, and then let Lu Wei adapt it into a script for you. Of course, if you still want to make commercial blockbusters, don't touch martial arts again."

"Why?"

"What's good about martial arts? From Shaw Brothers' martial arts in the 1970s to Tsui Hark's new martial arts, to your film "Hero", and Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", everything that needs to be filmed has been filmed. , there’s nothing new behind it, you might as well make a fantasy movie.”

"Fantasy? I heard that Brother Kai's "The Promise" script was also shot by you." Zhang Yimou said with a smile.

"It's too bad." Fang Minghua also laughed and patted the mud on his hands: "I'm not the only one who said this. All the screenwriters in the company think so. It's recognized as bad. After he makes it, you wait and see. , it would be strange if the audience and film critics don’t curse him to death.”

"Let's not talk about him. If you want to shoot fantasy, I will tell you a theme." Fang Minghua finally said.

"What subject?" Zhang Yimou perked up.

"The List of Gods"

"'Fengshen Bang'? But it has been adapted many times." Zhang Yimou said.

Indeed.

In addition to the 1990 TV series starring Fu Yiwei, which is well-known to the mainland, there are also the 1981 and 1986 TV series produced by Hong Kong and Taiwan. Even the original Xijing Film Studio also produced a 5-episode TV series in 1989.

The most recent version is the 2000 Taiwanese mythological TV series starring Chen Yizhen, Wang Genghao and others from Taiwan Central Television.

After listening to Zhang Yimou's words, Fang Minghua clapped his hands and said with a smile: "This shows that this subject is a hot topic with a large audience and high attention. If it is filmed well, everyone will definitely like to see it, and it has not been put on the big screen yet, right?"

This is true.

Zhang Yimou nodded.

"Fengshen Yanyi" is originally a novel that combines mythology and history, and the story is well-known to everyone, and the audience can easily identify with it, just like "Hero".

"Then you will help me write the script?" Zhang Yimou said again.

"Look for Lu Wei. He is a gold medal screenwriter of Shengshi Film and Television. You are absolutely right to find him."

"Oh well."

Zhang Yimou knew that Fang Minghua rarely wrote scripts for others in recent years.

After sending Zhang Yimou away, Fang Minghua continued to play with his epiphyllum.

Today is the weekend. Fang Minghua went out for a run in the morning and wrote a novel. He didn't even take a nap after lunch and set up mahjong in the mahjong room on the first floor early.

Two days ago, Bai Miao called and asked to come to Fang Minghua's house to play mahjong. He said that you went to the United States to stay for more than a year and could not see anyone. This time when he came back, he wanted to come to your house to make it lively and prepare dinner.

Well, Fang Minghua agreed.

Fang Minghua has given up his mahjong addiction after not playing mahjong for more than a year in the United States. It seems that he will have to resume his old career when he comes back.

People arrived one after another, and Lu Yao, Jia Pingwa, Bai Miao and Fang Minghua happened to be at the same table.

Chen Zhongshi is already old and will soon be sixty. Now he rarely participates in their entertainment activities.

Since "Qieyou" produced the first self-produced fully automatic mahjong machine in China in 1997, this thing has rapidly become popular.

Fang Minghua also bought one to save himself the trouble of having to code and shuffle the cards himself every time.

Everyone drank tea, smoked cigarettes, and chatted.

"Hey, Minghua, I heard that you wrote a script that killed two great directors, Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou?" Bai Miao asked while typing.

"How do you know this?"

"The news has spread in Xijing's film and television circles. Even those of us outside the industry know about Ping Wa, right?"

"Well, I heard from Jianxin that you don't give these great directors face at all." Jia Pingwa replied while smoking a cigarette.

Jianxin is Huang Jianxin. He and Jia Pingwa are alumni of Northwest University. He was a former director of Xiying Film Studio and is now a contracted director of Shengshi Film and Television. His representative works include "The Black Cannon Incident" and "Stand Up Straight, Don't Get Down".

Jia Pingwa's novel "Five Leaders" was once adapted for the big screen, and the two have a good personal relationship.

Recently, the comedy movie "Who Says I Don't Care" is being prepared, and comedian Feng Gong has joined the film.

Seeing this, Fang Minghua had no choice but to reply: "This is not a matter of losing face, it is really a matter of poor script, and I am not the only one who thinks so. Ask Lu Wei, he means the same thing."

After hearing this, Lu Yao took over the conversation, "Some time ago, Chen Kaige held a special press conference in Yanjing and announced the filming of "The Promise" in a high-profile manner. It seems to be a demonstration to you."

"It's useless to demonstrate to me. In the future, the box office and reputation will prove who is right and who is wrong." Fang Minghua played a card and said calmly.

"Chen Kaige is not from Shengshi Film and Television. I have no control over whether they film or not. However, Yimou is the number one director of Shengshi Film and Television. We cannot destroy his golden name!"

"Indeed, Yimou made a successful transformation by filming "Hero"."

The four of them were chatting, and suddenly Fang Minghua looked up and saw the door open through the window, and the nanny was greeting a man to come in.

It turned out to be Zhang Yimou.