Editor's note: This is a nostalgic theater.
Due to the twists and turns of the story and the strong legend, the Tanci "Rebirth Fate" written by Chen Duansheng of the Qing Dynasty, although it was published in fragments, has attracted countless audiences since its publication, and some even called "Rebirth Fate" and "A Dream of Red Mansions" together. From today's perspective, the meaning of "Rebirth" is not as heavy as "A Dream of Red Mansions", but in the more than two hundred years of its circulation, the worldly happiness it brings to the audience has never been reduced.
Tanci work "Rebirth Fate" was published in 1821, and "Rebirth Fate" produced by Hong Kong Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd. was produced in 2001 and broadcast in 2002. This wonderful two-hundred-year-old fate continued to compose "Rebirth" in the dark. Fate" legend.
standard rebellion
If you want to ask the audience today how a woman who lives in an ancient legend will show her maverick, then audiences can easily think of women disguising as men, martial arts unrivaled, talented and heroic, and of course, also There are standard scenes such as studying in a school or even participating in the imperial examinations, and being an official in the court. If it is more unpleasant, this legendary woman will of course wander around the windy occasions, rescue the dusty women, and even attract the attention of other women.
These factors are all found in "Rebirth". Chen Yinke also commented on the plot as "vulgar and disgusting", and praised the beauty of the prose outside the plot, as well as the valuable perspective of showing "women's injustice". However, from the perspective of today's audience, how is it not "vulgar and obnoxious" that the gods of the Three Realms subvert the common people for love, and how is it not "vulgar and obnoxious" when the workplace bully first insults the personality with the shadow of the original family and the heroine's reunion ", read hundreds of years of legendary stories, but as long as the audience likes to hear about it, naturally no story will jump out of the box, as long as it can make you laugh at this moment, why should it care whether it is "vulgar and disgusting"?
In line with TVB's consistent story rhythm, Meng Lijun, played by Michelle Ye, said the theme of the entire play at the beginning:
Michelle Ye as Meng Lijun
Unlike modern urban dramas, our rebellious girl Meng Lijun only needs to prove the question "I won't lose to men" without thinking about the point of proving this, or in feudal times (albeit in legendary dramas), How to go back to what is right, universal, one that allows one to live normally without being overworked -- everyday life after proving it out for yourself.
The rebellious girl Meng Lijun can act recklessly, but as an ordinary person, as a father Meng Shiyuan who cannot bear the consequences of her actions, she sincerely asked from the beginning:
"We are simply born into the world"
"How can you ignore the eyes of worldly people?"
In the TV series, Meng Shiyuan's father was changed from a Shangshu to an ordinary doctor. It also has its own considerations. Officials still have the ability to undertake their children's extraordinary behavior and can pay for their children's reckless behavior, while ordinary people can only rely on the heaven and earth. Fortunately, "Rebirth" is just a legendary drama adapted from classical literature, and there is no need to burden it with overly realistic meanings. Therefore, Meng Lijun is a standard rebellious girl, and of course she can have a cool life in this 32-episode TV series.
Meng Lijun disguised herself as a man and followed her brother to study. She could easily take off the crown of the academy's knowledge competition, and she could compete with the strong men on the street without losing the slightest. Her father blamed her for not showing up and causing trouble, but she must prove that a man can do a woman. It must be done, women are not born to be judged.
Such a story is of course wonderful. Meng Lijun encountered difficulties one after another, but she could overcome difficulties again and again by virtue of her talent, her strength, her cleverness, and her little cleverness. In today's shuangwen rhythm, the audience only needs to watch Meng Lijun play a pig and eat a tiger, and watch Meng Lijun save the day, it is enough to understand Meng Lijun's character charm. And in this process, our rebellious girl Meng Lijun, of course, will also run away from marriage because she refuses to marry blindly, and run away from home, not knowing that danger is behind her.
The people around her have to bear the risks of this world, and put herself in a position that needs to be saved by Meng Lijun. These dangers keep escalating, which also makes Meng Lijun's story more in line with Shuangwen's standard rhythm.
open life
Meng Lijun wanted to find a soulmate with a side of fate. She didn't know that what she was attracted to was her actual fiance, Huangfu Shaohua, but the audience knew it well; Huangfu Shaohua was wholeheartedly waiting for Meng Lijun, who had a relationship with her when she was young. She got married, but fell in love with Meng Lijun's "fourth younger brother" who disguised herself as a woman and married her. Emotions change, but the audience knows it.
The story line of the whole drama revolves around when the two know each other's true identities. On this road, of course, the "good girl" Liu Yanyu, who is attracted to Huangfu Shaohua and contrasts sharply with Meng Lijun, is inevitably attracted to Meng Lijun. Tie Mu Er, who has taken the lead in all aspects, and the line of men disguising themselves as women, must appear the beautiful village owner Wei Yong'e who "doesn't know Meng Lang is Meng Niang".
Made Bell as Timur
Lin Feng as Huangfu Shaohua
Myolie Wu as Liu Yanyu
With misunderstandings, interruptions, and escalating crises, Meng Lijun and Huangfu Shaohua didn't recognize each other until the end of the story, and the big stone in the audience's heart could finally land in the high and low. Looking back at the whole story, Meng Lijun naturally has the aura of the protagonist who has outperformed other people by a lot, which makes her achieve this open life.
If Meng Lijun wants to escape from marriage, then she can escape marriage successfully, and the rebellious girl will never look back to see the explosion. Even if Huangfu's family was framed by a traitor and even imprisoned after she escaped from marriage, and her fiancé Huangfu Shaohua became a convict, it would not affect Meng Lijun, who wanted to roam the world in the slightest. Until the Meng family was involved and Meng Lijun was responsible for rescuing her father and brother, she would of course think of one after another subtle way. Just being able to do it again and again.
In countless plots superimposed with cool stories, with the phrase "the boat will naturally go straight to the bridge", the rebellious girl Meng Lijun does not need to bear any suffering and responsibility. We rarely see such a protagonist in a story. She does not need to be responsible for any events, and the audience has no expectation of any sense of responsibility from her. She does not need to face the pointing of others on the moral high ground, and she does not need to be for others. self-sacrifice for the fault. Even, she can occasionally sacrifice others harmlessly. The most interesting part of this show is this. Our protagonist only needs to work hard to achieve her goals. The starting point of every behavior of her is "I want", no need to Be responsible, don't need to grow up, as long as she faces the next tomorrow with high spirits, the audience can enter the next difficulty with her with the sense of immediate feedback.
This is not a story about the growth and transformation of a rebellious girl, nor is it a story about a superhero who needs to take responsibility. This is just a story with a very simple purpose. As long as the rebellious girl keeps completing the task, the audience can learn the motivation to start the next episode. .
reasonable end
How will a story that is different from the secular world and needs to face the torture of public opinion will end? This is a question that must be answered by this type of work. "Rebirth" gives a very reasonable ending, that is, when Meng Lijun uses the whole plot to explain that she is no worse than a man and that her life should be under her own control, she must face a choice, a choice She has worked hard, and she still has to worry about the path of her life. She still has to choose the path that meets the expectations of others. Of course, she chose the safest path.
After rescuing her father in Meng Lijun's high school, the proof question she threw at the beginning of the story has already been completed. Meng Lijun has used enough examples to prove herself, she no longer needs more efforts, the key is how to choose after the proof. At the end of the story, we are very clear that her purpose is not to create a world where women are not discriminated against, and she does not want to make this proof question her lifelong pursuit. She proves that she can do it, so she has the right to choose. She chose to end with such a self-proven gesture and return to the life she once rejected.
She has been in love with her husband Huangfu Shaohua for a long time (exactly what her parents once persuaded her to do), she refuses to enter the palace to become the emperor's caged bird, and she no longer serves as an official, because the purpose of her officialdom is to rescue her father and not Huize side. Because she has a wealth of choices, even if she chooses to wear women's clothes and marry her husband, the story will not lose that tone. It just so happens that she dares to act and fight for her life, and it makes sense to choose a safe path even after she has many options, because the "safe path" is only one of her many choices, not that she has to choose and is bound by it. "safety cage".
The end of the story, of course, is the big reunion that TVB's legendary dramas have always had, and every important character found their own reunion at the end of the story. Unlike Tanci "Rebirth", TVB's "Rebirth" does not have any metaphysical reincarnation setting, and the word "rebirth" in the title of the play has a new meaning. Meng Lijun escaped from marriage, and the fate with Huangfu Shaohua had ended, but he replanted with each other in the setbacks along the way; Tie Muer was infatuated with Meng Lijun, and had already given birth to delusional thoughts, but his wife Kuozhen really gave him to understand that he should cherish The most interesting one is Li Mingtang and Su Yingxue. Li Mingtang and Baoer are separated by Yin and Yang because of their Mongolian and Han status. Su Yingxue has a face that resembles Baoer, and becomes the righteous daughter of Baoer's parents. Because of her adoptive father's prejudice against Han people, Meng Lijun took advantage of Li Mingtang's identity to marry Su Yingxue in high school, and then returned her identity to the real Li Mingtang. Therefore, Li Mingtang and Su Yingxue reborn a fate between life and death.
Yang Qianyao as Su Yingxue
As said at the beginning, for today's audience, "Rebirth" may be a bit cliché, and some are too perfect. Every plot of it will not exceed the audience's expectations, and it will not make the audience's heart suddenly fall. But this is the ancient legend that does not use one small twist after another to attract the audience, and it is possible to use the rebellious girl's cool life to calm down the anxiety of not achieving KPIs. It is not a problem today.