RPAGF Chapter 24 "Three People on the Screen"
Chapter 24 "Three People on the Screen"
In a dimly lit corner booth, two untouched glasses of whiskey are reflected in a low-profile light bulb.
A plain-colored file folder was silently pushed across the table.
The man across the table, with his large knuckles, paused for a moment on the bag, his fingertips feeling the outline of the paper inside and the thicker object.
"Target: The woman." The voice of the person pushing the bag was muffled by the background music. "Her private activities over the past two years, focusing on intimate social interactions. Ideally, we need solid evidence."
The man who took the bag was a "middleman" in the industry known for uncovering secrets; he slightly raised his eyelids.
In the recent high-profile celebrity divorce case, the woman was the "perfect victim" at the center of public opinion. Investigating her now makes the implications crystal clear.
"You're taking a lot of risk." The 'middleman' picked up his glass, but didn't drink; he just stared at the amber liquid.
"Purely commercial risk control. I understand the rules, and the fees are negotiable."
After a moment of silence, the other party put away the file folder.
"Yes, but it will take some time."
"As soon as possible. Be sure to hide."
The glasses touched very lightly, the sound drowned out by the mournful strains of the saxophone.
......
The recording scene of the latest episode of the popular film review program "Three on the Screen" on a podcast platform.
Lights, microphones, and the aroma of hand-ground coffee filled the air.
The three hosts, Ning Jing, a senior film and television planner, Su Qing, an independent film critic, and Zhou Yuan, a "top student" majoring in media studies, sat together for their weekly "in-depth" film and television discussion.
This episode's theme is naturally the phenomenal web series "Yu Zui".
"Alright, welcome back to 'Three on Screen,' I'm Ning Jing."
"I am Su Qing."
"Zhou Yuan".
"Recently, a web series has swept across social media, that's right, it's 'Yu Zui'. Today, let's talk about this 'hit' series."
Su Qing adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses and continued the conversation.
"The data is indeed astonishing: two billion clicks and various trending topics. From a market perspective, it's undoubtedly a very successful case. However, as content creators, perhaps we can set aside the data and talk about it on its own merits."
College student Zhou Yuan immediately followed.
"Yes, many of my classmates are watching it too. But to be honest, after watching it, I talked to some of my friends who also love British and American dramas, and the feeling was... quite disappointing."
"Really? So you all think so too, hehehe."
Three women's tacit laughter came through the microphone.
Ning Jing: "Let's give it a score first, out of ten. Personally, from a production standpoint, the actors' performances, pacing, cinematography, and even the use of some real street scenes are pretty good for a web series. I'd give it 6.5, which is above passing grade."
Su Qing: "I agree with Sister Ning Jing. But if we raise the bar a bit and compare it with high-quality dramas of the same genre, such as AMC's Breaking Bad and HBO's The Wire, compared to their depth of exploration of human nature, Yu Zui seems... too straightforward and functional."
"It's more like a meticulously calculated 'product,' with every plot point stimulating the audience's adrenaline, but lacking a core that truly touches the soul. I can only give it a 6 out of 10."
Zhou Yuan: "I might be a bit stricter. 5.5 points. Besides what Teacher Su Qing said, I think the character development is too 'stereotypical.' The protagonist, Yu Zui, the so-called 'anti-hero,' is actually catering to a certain 'rags-to-riches' trope in feel-good novels. If you think about it carefully, his growth arc and inner complexity are far inferior to Tommy Shelby in 'Peaky Blinders,' and even less than the portrayal of minor characters in some Japanese dramas. The supporting characters are even more thin, and their tool-like attributes are obvious."
The three of them took turns comparing "Yu Zui" with the dramas they considered masterpieces, crushing it in every aspect, from narrative structure and character depth to audiovisual language and cultural connotation.
Using professional terminology and "high-level aesthetics," they attributed the popularity of "Yu Zui" to "market penetration," "the need to improve audience aesthetics," and "precisely catering to viewers' enjoyment points."
Ning Jing: "Okay, now that the reviews are done, let's talk about the creative team. I'll go first."
"I'm very curious about this director, Qi Yue. He's very young, just graduated from film school, and has only directed a few lowbrow films before. The fact that he was able to make 'Yu Zui' shows that he has a keen eye. But this keen eye is probably more due to his 'internet savvy,' which has a bit of a shortcut feel to it."
Su Qing: "I've looked up his interviews, and he seems quite ambitious. But young directors often get caught up in techniques and stylistic elements, neglecting the deeper social value and artistic pursuits of their works. In 'Yu Zui,' the fast cuts and sound-driven elements show that he wanted to experiment, but it always felt... a bit like showing off, form for form's sake."
Zhou Yuan: "The actors' performances are also problematic. The performance of the protagonist, Yu Zui, does have a lot of energy, but the details are handled too roughly. Many emotional transitions rely on shouting, and the small gestures are also somewhat deliberate. You can see the traces of a stage play. It is still far from 'natural' and 'precise control'."
Ning Jing: "Take the lead actor Jiang Qiming, for example. His problem is that he 'let go' too much but 'restrained' too little. Compared to the subtle nuances of Walter White's micro-expressions in 'Breaking Bad', or the almost documentary-like relaxation of the actors in 'The Wire,' the performance in 'Yu Zui' is still too 'acted.'"
Su Qing: "From the perspective of the overall performance, the male characters at least have room for development, while the female characters are more instrumental. Li Qing's portrayal of Lin Yujing, apart from being 'cold' and occasionally 'frowning with worry,' doesn't show the rich inner world of this policewoman."
Zhou Yuan raised her voice slightly, "This is also what I want to complain about the most. It's actually the portrayal of female characters in this drama, or rather, its attitude towards women! It's completely and utterly straight-male aesthetics!"
"The female lead, Lin Yujing, nicknamed 'Big-Breasted Sister,' is a name that itself is full of male gaze and objectification! What is her role? Most of the time, she serves as a foil for the male lead's abilities and an object of his fantasies. Other female characters are either decorative or background figures. The whole drama is permeated with a crude, unreflective atmosphere of male hormones, which is very unfriendly to female viewers."
Ning Jing and Su Qing echoed, "So, this Director Qi may be a clever commercial director, but he probably still has a long way to go in terms of humanistic concern and feminist consciousness in his creations. You can even see it from his casting preferences."
Zhou Yuan continued, "Speaking of casting, the latest news is that they're actually going to cast Pan Yueming as the male lead in their next drama, 'Day and Night'? My God, what was this director thinking? What's Pan Yueming's reputation like now? Domestic violence, infidelity, gambling... How dare they use an artist with such a deplorable private life, whose scandals have been confirmed? This isn't just risky; it's downright disregard and provocation of the audience, especially female viewers!"
Su Qing shook her head and sighed: "That's right! Choosing an actress accused of severe misogyny and violence sends a terrible signal to the market, inflicts secondary harm on Ms. Dong, and is a provocation to all those who oppose gender-based violence. I don't understand how such a team can produce truly respectful and progressive works. The success of 'Yu Zui' may have been accidental, but their subsequent choices have revealed their true nature."
Ning Jing: "So, if I were to rate 'Yu Zui' purely from the perspective of market success and entertainment value, I would give it a 7. But in terms of artistic value, social significance, and creative foresight, it might barely pass, or even fail. And the new choice of the director team undoubtedly makes us reserved about its future. Okay, due to time constraints, let's stop here for now. Let's play some music..."
After the recording of the program ended, the three hosts exchanged a knowing look, as if they had successfully demystified and sophisticatedly critiqued the "popular trend".