Wang Baoqiang has an attitude of acceptance and gratitude for everything given by the audience. No one thought highly of him as an actor, but he did it; No one believed that he could still lead a good show, but he did.
Author | Dong Zhao
Title map | "octagonal cage" work photo
"Stupid Root" reminds people of the standard Wang Baoqiang smile: eight neat teeth, a pair of dimples and three lines in the corner of the eye. Times have changed, but now when I laugh, there seems to be a gap between the two front teeth, and the dimples are covered by the folds of the skin. The original shallow lines in the three lines have deepened, and new shallow lines have appeared.
Poster of octagonal cage.
Wang Baoqiang’s "Xiang Tenghui" in the movie "The Octagonal Cage" is very different from his previous classic roles. He mostly smiles, and there are several times of "fake smiles". There are only a handful of happy smiles, which are not 100% "standard".
These smiles are not from the so-called "true feelings" or "flashes of light", but from his conscious performance. "Laughing is definitely conscious, and you can’t laugh indiscriminately. It is the expression of the inner feelings of the characters and the expression of the relationship between the characters, and so is crying."
It is the consciousness that a professional actor should have to know where the characters are and what kind of feelings they should use to present and show them.
This is obviously what he didn’t have when he was a fledgling 20 years ago. Even though "The Blind Well" and "world without thieves" won recognition from both inside and outside the industry, it must be admitted that he performed more according to the director’s instructions at that time, with many elements of true feelings and sudden inspiration.
Wang Baoqiang is conscious of his maturity in performance.
Hello in 2009! On the day when Mr. Tree was finished, Wang Baoqiang, who was still immersed in the role, said with a smile: "In the future, the role of Mr. Tree will definitely become a classic and a case of a performance textbook." One side of Han Jie heart way, words so full, gaffes in the future he is not responsible for the director.
《Hello！ Still photos of Mr. Tree.
Over the past ten years, more than 70,000 people have scored full marks for this film on Douban, and some people call it Wang Baoqiang’s "Godly Work" and "The Peak of Acting". From this, Han Jie thought that Wang Baoqiang was not complacent, "it all stems from his belief after he went all out to create".
"The meaning of living in this life"
Wang Baoqiang’s belief began with a kind of consciousness at the beginning of his life.
When he was born, Shaolin Temple starring Jet Li came out. At the age of remembering, Wang Baoqiang, inspired by the movie hero Jue Yuan, wanted to go to Shaolin Temple to practice martial arts. "After learning martial arts, you can make a movie and play a role. Wow! Then who saw it in the village? My father and mother have more face, right? That is fantasy. "
His father sent him to Xingtai Railway Station by bike and watched him "leave it alone" after getting on the bus. After arriving in Zhengzhou, Wang Baoqiang transferred to the bus to Dengfeng, but was seriously carsick due to poor road conditions and car conditions. "I vomited all the way, and the bile in my stomach was spit out. When I got there, I was almost half dead."
Now Wang Baoqiang said with a smile that his carsickness may have been cured in Shaolin Temple. Practicing not only changed his physique, but also exercised his will. For him, the sacredness of Shaolin Temple lies in that it allowed him to find his own "way out of the future" and strengthened his initial heart and dreams.
"I think people have to have their own dreams, which may be just one direction, but it allows you to fight and work hard for it. If you don’t have a dream, where to work hard and where to fight? " Dreams are the source of his energy and pride, and "the meaning of living in this life".
Young Wang Baoqiang.
Later, more and more people knew the story of Wang Baoqiang realizing his dream as an actor. Some people regard him as a symbol of the times and put a crown like "civilian hero" on his head.
Wang Baoqiang won’t be under pressure because of these grand statements. He feels that the pressure is not on others, but on himself. "What kind of yourself do you want to be? In this process, in fact, I have always lived in my own rhythm. "
Playing martial arts, he understands that he must practice the basic skills firmly in order to challenge difficult movements such as turning and somersault. Doing business is the same. Therefore, whether acting or starting a business, he has his own rhythm and way, which may be relatively slow, but he is confident that every step is solid.
In this way, Wang Baoqiang went to great success. Since 2003, he has created many characters that are deeply rooted in people’s hearts, and also made the public remember the standard Wang Baoqiang smile.
In 2015, Wang Baoqiang was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the Hong Kong Film Awards, and people expect to see more possibilities of him as an actor. But for him, acting alone seems to be no longer enough to exert his creativity, and it is no longer enough for him to pass on his experiences and ideas along the way to the audience.
Wang Baoqiang thinks that only by being a director can we have enough initiative to express ourselves. His first directorial work, Make a Big Scene in Tianzhu, started shooting. Two producers found Han Jie and asked him to determine the itinerary as soon as possible, and to help Wang Baoqiang sit in the Indian town, "even if it was to accompany him for a director’s journey".
Poster of "Make a scene in Tianzhu".
The filming process was more difficult than expected. Han Jie remembers that Wang Baoqiang, who worked under high pressure, seldom laughed outside the camera and even cried in front of him.
In 2017, the film was released, and the box office performance was satisfactory, but the word of mouth was not ideal. Wang Baoqiang knew that this huge failure would be the beginning and tied to his career as a director forever. His smile when he promised the audience with the "Golden Broom Award" in his hand was also frozen forever by the camera.
After years, people came to their senses. The bitterness in Wang Baoqiang’s smile came not only from the failure of his works, but also from the injury of the people closest to him.
"Why didn’t the first work be so successful, and the second one chose such a theme instead of something that people might think you are better at?" Faced with such doubts, Wang Baoqiang gave the answer with "In the Octagonal Cage".
In the middle and late July, 2023, Wang Baoqiang finally ended the national roadshow of "The Octagonal Cage" for more than one month and returned to Beijing for an exclusive interview with New Weekly. Faced with this question, he replied without hesitation: "I think this is what I am good at."
A recent photo of Wang Baoqiang.
Illuminate the reality of "changing your life against the sky"
Wang Baoqiang was grateful for the "messy" first work six years ago, because the failure made him reflect, "Let me think and ponder about my self-knowledge and judgment in all aspects". The result of reflection is to create a realistic film, and the story is based on the incident of "fighting orphans".
The story of the children in the mountains "changing their lives against the fate" by fighting is like a reflection from other places, illuminating Wang Baoqiang’s past with the film "changing their lives against the fate". This fateful similarity has aroused his resonance to the greatest extent. However, when this kind of resonance turns into expression desire, it is inevitable to worry about the necessary objectivity in creation.
Poster of octagonal cage.
"Will there be?" Wang Baoqiang self-examination, "in fact, relatively speaking, I am still relatively calm, because the preparation time is sufficient. Second, I know what I want and what I want to express, so this time I am very confident. "
But when the film first faced the audience at the Shanghai International Film Festival, Wang Baoqiang was still so nervous that he stayed up all night. He is worried that everyone’s high points are not on the same channel as himself-all creators are easy to get into such a dilemma.
Wang Baoqiang tried to get out of the predicament with the help of external forces, but he found that everyone has different perspectives and ideas. The best advice is to "be the truest self"-there is no absolute right or wrong in movies. "The most important thing is how to shoot your own style, how to make the audience feel substituted and empathetic".
Therefore, "sincerity" has become the atmosphere throughout Wang Baoqiang’s creation. Under its infection, everyone in the crew grew up more or less.
The little actor in the film is Wang Baoqiang and the team "one in Dongshan and one in Xishan". In order to show the relationship between the characters needed for the plot, they were arranged to live together as soon as they entered the group. Children will quarrel and fight. Some children are born with children’s heads, while others need to be protected.
Stills of "octagonal cage"
"These children were a little stiff at first. Later, after letting go, one child recognized the makeup elder sister as a dopted mother, and he didn’t want to leave after he liked it. Being on the crew is the first time the child has seen the world. It’s so happy to see so many people together. It’s so happy. "
Wang Baoqiang was also very happy when he recalled these things. He smiled and sighed "Oh, Oh", just like a parent, who was happy to witness the changes of children. "I think it is more fun for everyone to be together. When they see the happy time of children, they are also sensible and know that this opportunity is hard-won."
Wang Baoqiang didn’t put the so-called flow in the first place when choosing the actors when the children grew up. "Because of the tonality and genre of this film, it is not suitable for finding big stars, but it will make the audience jump. To truly let the audience feel your sincerity, it is necessary to come down in one continuous line, and the audience is more likely to be substituted by stories, plots and characters. "
Three young actors, Chen Yongsheng, Shi Pengyuan and Zhang Yiyun, were a little tight when they first joined the group, especially in some heavy scenes. Wang Baoqiang remembers that he mobilized his experience as an actor at that time, patiently giving them advice, eating and chatting, and waiting for them to relax before entering the role.
Chen Yongsheng acted as a careless adult.
Wang Baoqiang can’t remember the other details of the set now. He has to direct and act. "Most of the time he is at work, and he is also precipitated in filming, with everyone."
Wang Baoqiang also works as a screenwriter this time, because he found that every screenwriter has his own set of logic. "Everyone has his own lovely place and his own place to learn from, but because this is Wang Baoqiang’s work, you must be uncomfortable taking pictures of others."
In order to be competent for many duties other than being an actor, Wang Baoqiang was naturally not idle in those years. But he doesn’t want to list what he has learned, practiced and done, and he doesn’t want to describe the difficulties. He believes the audience can feel it from the film.
"To turn over a few somersaults, said I didn’t practice at ordinary times, who believe? I fell down when I turned’ pa’. You said that I practiced every day. Who believes it? " Wang Baoqiang smiled and compared the painting. "It’s one minute on the stage and ten years under the stage. When you put it here, you will know what you have done behind you. If you haven’t practiced, learned or done anything, you will know."
"This tone has always been with"
The difficulties encountered in filming "The Octagonal Cage" are no less than those encountered in filming "Make a scene in Tianzhu", and some hurdles are even more difficult to overcome than any in the past. For example, the problem of funds, "It’s expensive to make a movie, just throw money in it and spend money every day", so Wang Baoqiang has to spend money on the cutting edge.
He believes that "you get what you want at a price" and "a competent team" can not only help you present what you want, but also provide more creativity. Since he had to take on the job of producer, he tried his best to invite such a team under pressure. So the audience saw many famous names in the credits, from actors to the cast.
"Because this play is really very difficult," Wang Baoqiang said with a smile, "I tried my best, and I kept holding my breath, and then I overcame all kinds of difficulties myself and made this play and brought it to the audience. It is true that everything is hard-won, and it has been helped by many friends. It is really touching. "
Not everyone who has failed has the ability to turn around against the wind, but it seems that people believe that Wang Baoqiang can. Although he has confidence in this creation, he still feels that the fact that everyone is willing to help him is "very interesting".
At different stages of Wang Baoqiang’s acting career, many predecessors have helped and supported him. He regards mutual help and assistance in this industry as "inheritance" and hopes that he can help his aspiring peers and pass on his love and energy.
Stills of "octagonal cage"
"In fact, people who can really come out have great love, and they don’t say that they are going to compare or what. Everyone just hopes that the peers in the film and television industry are good, and then they can drive the whole market, and then they also hope to see the younger generation who have the heart to struggle and be driven. "
Wang Baoqiang is not always so lucky in interpersonal communication. After being cheated and even betrayed, he still forced himself to become a "social cow". "You are afraid of others hurting you and being used by others, but don’t forget that you still have many friends worthy of communication."
As a public figure, he understands the purpose of others when they associate with him. On the other hand, he cannot guarantee that he has no purpose when he associates with others. He told himself not to be afraid, because everything is a double-edged sword, don’t think too well of it, and don’t think too pessimistically.
Life still has to go through some, in order to break the inner fear and make yourself mature. "You can’t disappear just because you are a public figure. You strangle yourself too tightly and die too much, and that life is too boring. I still have to live. "
In the octagonal cage, Xiang Tenghui thinks about life when he is stuck in a traffic jam, and is stimulated by the sudden change of face of Sichuan Opera. In life, Wang Baoqiang rarely thinks about anything else when it comes to traffic jams. "It’s a terrible traffic jam. Can you hurry up?" I want to have a smooth journey. "
Stills of "octagonal cage"
Before the beginning, Wang Baoqiang relied on himself for everything, and his life skills were full; After his success, his creation occupied most of his energy, so that he became an "idiot" in life, "I don’t know anything, I can’t remember anything". He thinks this is not good, and he has to return to life and the masses.
Wang Baoqiang dedicated The Octagonal Cage to the masses, who responded with enthusiasm and praise. He knows that today’s success is not for no reason, and the efforts and painstaking efforts contained in it are only known to himself and a few relatives and friends around him.
"Of course, I think this will show your greatness and your own energy." Wang Baoqiang’s quiet face burst into a smile. "That is to say, after six years, I fought back again. I felt that I was out of breath before, and I lost my points quickly. I turned red again through this play, because you did it."
Wang Baoqiang thought at that time, if we had worked hard and learned what we should have learned, and we couldn’t put everything into it, there was nothing we could do but make money to pay off our debts and put an end to our career as a director for the time being. But anyway, it’s worth the risk.
Of course, he can’t be completely unsure. He has a basic judgment on the quality of a work.
On this basis, it is enough for him to do what he should do with the team and make a good film in a down-to-earth manner. He can’t control everyone’s attitude, and he shouldn’t.
"Tolerance, tolerance, or targeting, or what? I think these are the audience, and there is nothing wrong with the audience. I think the audience is always right, because he spends money to see your movie, and he has his own freedom and right to judge. "
Stills of "octagonal cage"
Wang Baoqiang has an attitude of acceptance and gratitude for everything given by the audience, including the label of "grassroots", which is what he and Xiang Tenghui have in common. "Even if you come all the way, you will be indomitable. Perseverance is a kind of spirit, a kind of strength, and the strength of not admitting defeat and not accepting fate. "
No one thought highly of him as an actor, but he did it; No one believed that he could still lead a good show, but he did. To be a grassroots representative in everyone’s eyes, "it’s not up to you, but if you achieve a certain degree, (everyone) will naturally give it to you."
Wang Baoqiang has always been so realistic. "He doesn’t speak in words, but proves himself by his actions.".
Proofreading: Lai Xiaoni, Operation: Hee Hee, Typesetting: Wen Wenqing
Original title: "No one is optimistic about Wang Baoqiang, but he did it again."
Read the original text
