The Classical Romantic Era of Gangster Films

Eulalia 2022-03-21 09:02:48

In 1986, people saw Fago's sunglasses, windbreaker, double guns, and a toothpick in his mouth for the first time on the screen. That same year, I was put in a nursery with a pacifier in my mouth. In the following 20 years, people who have common memories of "The True Color of Heroes" have always had a low fever in nostalgia, but I have never been able to see Fa Ge, the treasure at the bottom of the box. ——So when I saw a few cool men who couldn’t be killed holding pistols with infinite bursts, facing a group of small shrimps whose marksmanship was like the shooting of the Chinese team, they carried out a combine harvester-style massacre, I really didn’t feel the so-called violent aesthetics. . Turn on the cheating device and adjust it to invincible state. What is the excitement even if Contra is cleared? ——Most of the people outside the common memory are like this. It’s like many people can’t understand the fanaticism of 70S and 80S about Transformers; it’s like many Chinese people can’t understand what it means to fight each other with fluorescent tubes when they watch Star Wars.

History cannot be perceived, I can only imagine it. Fortunately, gunfights will be outdated, but Fager's charm is timeless. To describe Fa Ge's charm, the positive description is destined to fail to show its case. I can only prove it from the side as follows: Fa Ge is a born male number one. It is unfortunate that the actor who plays with Fa Ge is unfortunate. No matter how hard they perform, they cannot steal Fa Ge's limelight. In fact, if you can play with Fa Ge without appearing to be clumsy, you are already a great actor-level star, such as Dillon, Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung, and Ren Dahua. More people waited and waited: Li Xiuxian's performance in "Blood Two Heroes" basically did not have any bright spots; Lv Liangwei's Ding Li in "Shanghai Beach" was always the turtle beside Xu Wenqiang; as for Liang Jiahui, whether in "True Color 3" or In "Prison Situation", they all exist to set off the great charm of Fage. He has succeeded in this.

With Fa Ge, this movie is worthy of the name "The True Color of Heroes". There is no need to say much about the scenes such as dancing and hiding guns, and killing and ringing. Small actions such as holding a toothpick and burning money have also become classics. In addition, I tried to imitate the small doorway with a crisp sound on the cheek with my fingers for a long time without success; After Fa Ge made it, it would be clumsy to imitate.

Let's talk about the other two protagonists. Leslie Cheung, although he couldn't grab the limelight of Brother Fa, his performance was still in place. The purity, immaturity, impulsiveness, vigor, and inner contradictions and resentment of young people are all vividly displayed.

As for Dillon, I always thought he was a very wretched old man, but after seeing the pictures of him in the Shaw Brothers a few decades ago, I was surprised by his demeanor when he was in his prime. I once heard such an anecdote: Before Jackie Chan became famous, he was brought to dinner with Gu Long by his manager. During the dinner, the agent asked Gu Long attentively, when will Jackie Chan have the opportunity to appear in a movie based on his novel. Gu Long said coldly: "Only people like Dillon will act in my movies!" - Even though Jackie Chan is extraordinary, he finally only played some small characters with extraordinary skills; even though Jackie Chan was a superstar later, he was only a superstar who played small characters. , Gu Long's vision is really good, so you can also imagine the style of Di Long's heyday. However, Lu Yao knows horsepower, Dillon is not Sean Connery. In "The True Color of Heroes", Dillon's performance style is irreparably outdated. How can that indecision and emotional expression show the calmness and arrogance that a big man should have? "I haven't been a big brother, it's been a long time!", - In 1986, Dillon had already aged prematurely, and his time had passed. He said this classic line, which was unusually appropriate.

The gangster films in the era of "True Colors of Heroes" still show the classical elements of simplicity, simplicity and passion. In the "Young and Dangerous" series in the mid-1990s, the style changed, and the romanticism of a lone hero was no longer; when it came to Du Qifeng and others, the style changed again, showing us more of the social and human nature. complex and profound. This trajectory of change is not unique to Hong Kong gangster films: in terms of art, the transition from classical to modern is more or less the same; in terms of social style, there are also quite a few coincidences.

Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that "The True Color of Heroes" is a symbol of an era.

Finally, there are two irrelevant rhetoric:

1. In an era when homosexuality was not taken seriously, film and television works often used a lot of overly intimate body movements in order to show the friendship between men, and "The True Color of Heroes" is no exception. This makes the film look a bit like a gay film today. At the beginning of the film, Brother Fa and Di Long are licking and licking in the car, which makes people feel evil... The brother relationship between Di Long and Leslie Cheung always makes people feel a little abnormal...

2. The death of the little brother has different effects from different angles. "Being a brother..." As soon as he was about to be impassioned, he was shot in the head. ——The original intention is of course to exaggerate the tragic, but it seems that it might as well be regarded as funny. In "East and West Achievement", Wang Chongyang, a martial arts expert, was hit by a pointed boot and died as soon as he left the customs. And the death of Brother Xiao Ma and the death of Wang Chongyang have the same comical effect of weightlessness to a certain extent.

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Extended Reading
  • Briana 2022-03-29 09:01:07

    In the dazzling golden age of Hong Kong films, "The True Color of Heroes" is undoubtedly a dazzling pearl. The dark gangster themes are based on romanticism, and John Woo's violent aesthetics have created a peak of competition in the arena. A heroic character is so expressive, and it has created a classic character of the times - Brother Pony.

  • Emmanuel 2022-03-29 09:01:07

    171118 Cinema: John Woo is poisonous, only one person came for three tickets. This piece is suitable for releasing mylars, and the identification is completed.

A Better Tomorrow quotes

  • Ho Tse Sung: Wow. You're good at bullshitting. Your english has improved. You can even say "Of course."

    Mark Gor: [in English] Of course!

  • Father Sung: Ho...

    Ho Tse Sung: Dad...

    Father Sung: You should get out of the business. Your brother has no idea what you're doing. I remember when you kids played Cops & Robbers together. Even when he lost, he still wanted to be the cop. I don't want to see you two brothers play this game for real.