Andy Lau and Hongkong Film for 20 Years

We all call Andy Lau "Huazai", Chow Yun Fat "Fazai" and Tony Leung Chiu Wai "Weizai". They seem to be a part of our lives. Nowadays, no one will call a new actor, such as Daniel Wu "Zuzai".

From grassroots to middle level

"refugee prince"

Andy Lau graduated from TVB/KOOC-0/0 artist training class in/KOOC-0/98/KOOC-0/. The first TV series he starred in was "Little Hero on the Flower Boat", and the first one that made him famous was1Falcon, a popular police drama in February 1982. 1982 participated in the first film "Colorful Clouds". 1984 was snowed in by wireless for half a year due to contract disputes. 1985 became active in the film circle immediately after changing visas with wireless.

In 1980s, Andy Lau's films obviously had the flavor and shadow of his TV series, such as Hero (1987) and Jianghu (1987). "Andy Lau's performance characteristics have been presented for a long time. I have always thought that he has a' neighborhood flavor' and is particularly considerate when dealing with grassroots roles. For example, when he filmed chasing girls and young people in his early days, he felt like a refugee prince. On the one hand, he is a refugee, but at the same time he has the pride and confidence of the prince's brother. " Deng Tu, vice president of the Hong Kong Film Critics Association, said in an interview.

"Now, of course, there are many actors who have this kind of' refugee' flavor, but they lack the star flavor of Andy Lau. In this respect, he is unique. "

In the 1980s, when Hong Kong films established local consciousness, this feeling of refugee prince was the development feature discovered by Andy Lau. His role has always been grassroots in nature, but he finally gained the posture of a middle class or a professional and showed his charm on the screen. In the view of Hong Kong film critic Lang Tian, "this corresponds to the frequent flow of the bottom-up class in society, which is in line with the expectations of mainstream movie audiences from grassroots to middle class."

"In fact, with the prosperity of the local film industry, Andy Lau itself has become more and more aware of the middle class consciousness and upper-middle class status. From gambler (1989) to gambler (1990), he formally established the position of Chow Yun Fat's successor. 199 1 year, he set up the awning, became the boss of the film company, and began to make "September 1st Hero". Two episodes of "Vegas tycoon" (1992), playing a new brother, directly presented a self-made legend on the screen. Show a complete mastery of upper-class gadgets (from golf to despicable power games); In "Ambition of Heaven and Earth" (1997), Andy Lau played the role of' enterprise elite' and was well received by the audience. "

Shu Kei, a senior lecturer at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, believes that this grassroots quality makes Andy Lau a particularly kind actor. In Shu Kei's view, the most important feature of Hong Kong films is intimacy. One of the reasons for the decline of Hong Kong films is that both the performers and the films themselves have lost their original intimacy.

"We all call Andy Lau hanako, and Chow Yun Fat is purple and Tony Leung Chiu Wai is purple. They seem to be a part of our lives. Now new actors, such as Daniel Wu, we will not call him' Zuzai'. " Shu Kei said.

Love Bad Boys and Tragic Heroes

"At the beginning of filming, Andy Lau mainly made two kinds of movies, one was chasing girls and the other was dangerous in youth. Young and dangerous films represent the trend of hero films and Jianghu films in the 1980s. His role in it is usually punk, and he is such a symbol (idol) by his own efforts. " The lothario said.

Some film critics believe that Andy Lau has already established the image of a "soulful rotten man" in Tears Like Rain (1988) and If There is Love in Heaven (1990), and his role is always a myth of life and death, and he is bound to die, which makes this image a romantic hero.

"At that time, his film image has always been a tragic hero. This is very similar to the tragedy in Hong Kong in the 1980s, when the whole society was dying. In the 1990s, this tragedy intensified. He also played a terminally ill role and had an atmosphere close to death. " The lothario said.

"After 90, Andy Lau played many anti-hero roles. In the whole social background, there were no heroes in the society at that time, and the whole film circle didn't want heroes. For Andy Lau, playing this role well is a breakthrough. From hero to anti-hero, "Chariot of Fire" is a particularly obvious film about anti-hero. "

Andy Lau himself once said that in the transition from hero to anti-hero, he had a period of performance confusion. His heroic image has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. In Infernal Affairs, Andy Lau's anti-hero role is a successful model in this respect. Now it seems that his anti-hero interpretation has attracted the attention of more professionals.

"Andy Lau's anti-hero movies have a lot to do with Du Qifeng. Du Qifeng doesn't want his heroic side, such as dark war, big guy, infernal affairs. Later, when he filmed "Full-time Black Boy", he was asked to play a hero. He said that he could not go back. " The lothario said.

"Corresponding to the gradual decline of the Hong Kong film industry and the aging of Andy Lau, the story of that smelly boy began to be lamented by' seeing the sun, shining brilliantly'. Therefore, the dragon Andy Lau (1998) and the gambler 1999 (1998) in the rivers and lakes left the most natural and unrestrained posture on the verge of disappearing; Compared with the high spirits of Las Vegas tycoons, the dragon of the edge dragon has already faced the smell of bad luck. " Film critic Lang Tian once had such an analysis.

In the eyes of film critic Li Zhaoxing, whether it is a bad lover or a tragic hero, to some extent, it summarizes Andy Lau's most irreplaceable position in the Hong Kong film industry: such roles are often full of villains and decency. No matter what the character's occupation is, in short, he is affectionate and righteous, going through fire and water for his brother and making a chariot of fire for his lover.

"Andy Lau's consistent smelly boy or heroic style belongs to Mong Kok, a kind of grassroots, an immortal vitality, and a kind of heroism in the 1980s. Because of this, he is irreplaceable. I wonder how many times the tide outside has changed. The wind of fashion has blown away and come back. Japan and South Korea, only Mong Kok, will never change. That is the most authentic Hong Kong aesthetics, or rather Mong Kok aesthetics. He told us young people what style heroes should have. " Li Zhaoxing said.

Middle-aged turn

The film industry in Andy Lau, the production period is 1988 to 1992, (1988 10, 1989 16,1990/kloc. 1989, with the reduction of production in Chow Yun Fat, Andy Lau accepted the demand of the film market and became the most sought-after minority of popular hero films at that time.

Andy Lau, who is in a prolific period, is often regarded as "having no depth and dealing with personality and emotion with typed roles". Zhang Shuhao, a film critic, said, "He likes to play with shapes, lighters, guns and tricks in the camera, and he doesn't even change his hairstyle. It can be said that he has been playing two roles at the same time, and the way is very narrow. The productive period has also created another major feature of Andy Lau's performance, that is, imitation. "

With the decline of Hong Kong's film industry, Andy Lau, who didn't want to die with Hong Kong's film industry, had to transform in the film industry. He wants to explore the possibility of multiple Andy Lau.

"Andy Lau is too absorbed and eager to get rid of himself." The supreme Supreme II will rule the world forever "is a mocked struggle in Lan Kwai Fong, which is slightly rainy at night. "Dark War" takes pretending as the life interest of limited life. Slim men and women and big guys constitute the "two-part" of the body. Is an idol saying goodbye to himself at some stage? This is his transformation, giving up himself and finding his own position again. "Zhang Shuhao analysis.

The Big Guy (2003) is regarded as an important symbol of Andy Lau's transformation. "The role of" Big Guy "made Andy Lau put everything down, and great changes have taken place from his inherent image to his personality and acting skills. From then on, we saw another Andy Lau, the ancient policeman in Travels around the Flying House and the wolf in world without thieves. Let go of Andy Lau itself, let go, the sky is naturally big. " Li Zhaoxing said.

Regarding the transformation of Andy Lau, Du Qifeng once commented: "I think his transformation began with the filming of Dark War. We discussed whether to perform in a different way, and he promised to try. In fact, he paid a lot to break through this barrier. I think after that, he has lost his former "very Andy Lau" acting skills. Start to pay attention to personality (character). Your previous opinion of him was Andy Lau? In recent years, his films have a wide range. "

Andy Lau, which constantly seeks transformation and breakthrough, has won more praise. He opened a bloody path for his career as an actor. After he put down his figure and gradually entered middle age, he showed more plasticity. "We don't see a child like Andy Lau, but a mature role."

After he entered the mature period, one of the roles repeatedly mentioned was Liu Jianming in Infernal Affairs 3, which ended in a wheelchair. "How much mourning, Liu Jianming will always live in memory, and remember with me the biased qualities such as childishness, impetuousness, inferiority, complacency and showmanship-my Andy Lau moment." Zhang Shuhao said with emotion.

Go to the mainland

"1997 After the return of Hong Kong, films from Hong Kong and the Mainland have cooperated, with Andy Lau as the representative and Stephen Chow as the other. But when I watch movies in Stephen Chow, I always think they are Asian movies, and when I watch movies in Andy Lau, I always think they are domestic movies. For example, world without thieves is like this. " Being an apprentice feels very delicate.

"Andy Lau should be the first Hong Kong star to develop well in the Mainland. He can find ways to cooperate with domestic filmmakers. In fact, there are very few stars who can make Hong Kong movies and mainland movies. " The lothario said.

Going to the mainland, in the eyes of some film critics, is an inevitable choice after the shrinking of Hong Kong films. Lang Tian said, "Who said that" Dragon and Phoenix Fight "(2004) is not about the death of Hong Kong movies? Represented by Andy Lau, the king of Hong Kong films, the unparalleled scenery in the past was easily stolen and exchanged (many people say that Hong Kong films are all brought in, and there is no real creativity). At the end of 2004, it was a medical stone and was buried by the side of the road! "

Stealing a life, of course, is a magician of life, which really combines the beautiful images of Andy Lau (a professional elite with deep feelings). Even so, he had to face the real ending, and the ending of the film just left a beautiful dream and touching memory for everyone.

"Hong Kong films are facing the end of the road, but Andy Lau has turned around, still beautiful, and has opened up a new world. In "world without thieves", Andy Lau successfully told Xiaogang Feng an ideal of hoping for world without thieves. Although this dream is not Hong Kong's, it also shows Andy Lau's direction to the mainland. Together with the previous "House of Flying Daggers" (2004), Andy Lau has obviously taken steps towards the broad road of Chinese stars. " Langtian analysis.

On going to the mainland, Andy Lau himself once said, "Recently, after watching world without thieves, Chen Kexin congratulated me, which has benefited me for life. He said that I never thought that Hong Kong actors would go back to the mainland to film. He could train his rhythm to be the same as that of mainland actors, and no audience would resist me playing mainlanders. Chen Kexin told me,' Congratulations, you can play a mainlander. There are no such actors in Hong Kong for the time being. In fact, because there is this market in the mainland, if I shoot "alive" one day, can I do it? I couldn't do it before, but now I think I can. "

Hong kong symbol

"Andy Lau has always been super hard, enthusiastic about her career and devoted to her career. In recent years, just as Hong Kong's economy is in recession and transforming, Hong Kong people need to find an idol. Andy Lau was naturally chosen at this time. During this period, Andy Lau has become the protagonist of many TV advertisements, especially public service advertisements. Perhaps, Hong Kong people can get some faith from him. He has greatly inspired Hong Kong people and even become the spiritual sustenance of Hong Kong people. " This is Deng Tu's understanding of Andy Lau's symbolic role in Hongkong.

Shi Qi, another famous Hong Kong film critic, said in an interview, "The second half of1990s and the beginning of 2 1 century are the low tide periods of Hong Kong films. Many big stars didn't make movies or go to America, such as Chow Yun Fat, Jet Li and Jackie Chan. In this process, Andy Lau played a great role in supporting Hong Kong films.

"Andy Lau was popular for many years before, but he was not the most popular star. He has made many small movies, such as Tears Flow. However, in the past 65,438+00 years, the entertainment industry in Hong Kong has gone downhill. He never gave up his efforts, performing singing, playing traitors and playing chubby, which is crucial for the rebirth of Hong Kong films in adversity. He is one of the protagonists in the blockbusters Dark War, Lonely Men and Few Women, Slimming Men and Women, Ah Fu, Full-time Black Boy, Infernal Affairs and Big Guy. The romantic comedy "Lonely Men and Widows" co-starred by him and Sammi Cheng was the happiest, which made the Hong Kong film that died in 2000 rebound and recover. "

Shi Qi thinks that Andy Lau has performed particularly well in recent years. "He constantly changed his career and made many alternative films. He is no longer the original pure feeling and hero, but also plays the role of an old bean, and sometimes does not play the leading role. He also went to make mainland movies, still full of energy, and became a symbol of the downturn in Hong Kong movies. With his support, today's Hong Kong films will not be completely lost.

"It turns out that Hong Kong people have a strong sense of belonging, but their confidence in 10 has been very poor. Andy Lau is regarded as the last one or two generations of male stars made in Hongkong. He reminds Hong Kong people and Hong Kong entertainment circles of their past glory. "

Since entering the new millennium, Andy Lau's acting skills have been widely recognized. After years of failure, he finally won the best actor award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for the first time. Infernal Affairs in 2002 pushed him to the top of a superstar. In 2003, he won the Taiwan Golden Horse Award for Best Actor for Infernal Affairs 3.

"I think Andy Lau has reached such a state: whoever mentions the history of Hong Kong movies in the future will mention Andy Lau, and his popularity, output and diversity are rare. His popularity will span generations. " This is Shu Kei's summary of Andy Lau's position in Hong Kong film history. Isn't that the opinion of the general audience?