Note: This article contains serious spoilers
The ancient costume legendary drama "Legend of the Canghai" will soon usher in the finale. In such a story with revenge as the main line, the male protagonist Canghai, played by Xiao Zhan, is undoubtedly a very special and unconventional one.
On June 3, the night of Youku’s closing ceremony for “Legend of the Lost Tomb”, the effective broadcast market share of the show’s main film on Yunhe reached 37.9%.
He didn't have the golden finger, and didn't have the support of huge wealth and endless connections. When he first sneaked into the Marquis' Mansion, he was bullied. Starting as a small aide, and as he climbed up step by step, he didn't care about the gold under his knees. He often knelt when he was told to, and was full of the bitter taste of a working man's life.
His martial arts value is almost zero, and he often has to rely on others for rescue. When he was shooting Pingjin Hou in the later period, he actually picked up a crossbow, climbed up the city wall stealthily and ambush, and acted as fiercely as a tiger. However, his record was zero out of five, and netizens nicknamed him "the fragile shooter."
Letting Xiao Zhan play the role of Cang Hai is the wisest choice for the production team. It is not because of his top-tier status, but because he is really suitable. He can play the scholarly air and weakness of a civil servant, as well as the wisdom and scheming of a counselor far beyond his age. In his eyes, you can see the sincerity and kindness of this character.
The double reversal of the Tibetan sea
How could such a character finally succeed in rising to the top, find the culprit who had wiped out his family, and kill his three enemies one by one? He relied on his careful strategy, his courage to get involved, and his determination to fight for the truth.
"Legend of the Canghai" is not a refreshing drama, but a growth story of a small person. In the process of following the drama, the audience will easily be moved by Canghai and worry about his situation - will he be exposed suddenly? Will he really take the initiative to expose himself? Can he get away with it? ! This plot direction and treatment are completely different from most of the power struggle and revenge dramas we have seen in the past, which can be said to be unconventional.
At the same time, in terms of plot setting, each episode can leave a hook to attract the audience to continue watching, which is also the subtlety of "Legend of the Canghai". Among them, the most pressing question for the audience is who is the masked man? Who is the third person? Of course, among these hooks, some details do not stand up to scrutiny, but fortunately, in the general direction, there are no particularly obvious bugs, and the flaws do not outweigh the merits.
"I just shouldn't die!"
There are many famous scenes that leave deep impressions in the play: the scene where Zang Hai is forced to be buried alive with the Queen Mother but successfully saves himself; the scene where Eunuch Cao plays drums and sings Kunqu opera, and Pingjin Hou is killed by his son Zhuang Er; and the scene where Zang Hai plays a game with a third person in winter and summer, and uses the hallucination created by the smell of the mural to make the third person offline...
Among them, the relationship between Zang Hai and Pingjin Hou (played by Huang Jue) is a highlight of the show. In the process of upgrading and seeking the truth, the person Zang Hai deceived the most was Pingjin Hou. Almost 80% of the tricks he learned from Master Gao Ming (played by Liang Chao) were used on this general. The brain battles between the two were full of tension, which made people feel very addicted. Pingjin Hou was infinitely close to the truth several times, but was always further deceived by Zang Hai.
To be honest, as a "Dayong succubus" in the eyes of the audience, Xiao Zhan's character Cang Hai is really too beautiful, which makes him look like a beauty trap in the end no matter whether he uses the palace scheme or the self-torture scheme. Mr. Huang Jue, promise me that you will not be deceived by young and beautiful boys next time, okay?
Stills from The Legend of the Hidden Sea
As Xiao Zhan said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency, "Thrilling, exciting, everything you can think of, we have it."
Talking about his view of Zang Hai, Xiao Zhan said: "Zang Hai is a very complex person. It is difficult to summarize him with one character. He has the determination to seek revenge, but he also has the softest part of human nature. He possesses both."
Yes, "Legend of the Hidden Sea" has revenge, power, games, as well as life-like details and emotional expressions. The twists and turns of the suspenseful main line are certainly eye-catching, but what really makes the audience enter the heart of the character are those warm or soft details.
In the second half of the story, my favorite scene is the crying scene in the study when Zang Hai finds out that the masked man who has cultivated him for many years is the third enemy he has been looking for.
Unlike some actors who cry out loudly to vent their emotions, Xiao Zhan's crying in this scene was restrained, but very touching. The ten-year obsession with revenge, the kindness of his benefactor in raising and teaching him, the shock of suddenly learning the truth, and the indelible disappointment and discomfort engraved in his heart were all handled in a very appropriate way.
Speaking of the difference between this and previous costume dramas, Xiao Zhan said in an interview with People's Daily that it was mainly a change in performance style. "In many cases, I have to be a little restrained. I can't be too exaggerated, but I can't be nothing either. Sometimes after shooting a take, I will go to the monitor to discuss with the director whether this is okay, whether I need to show it a little more or be a little more restrained."
Only by thinking carefully, trying to understand the role, and repeatedly considering, can one achieve unity of spirit and form with the Cang Hai at that moment. Xiao Zhan has done this. I believe that after watching "The Legend of Cang Hai", many viewers will change their views on Xiao Zhan. He used his acting skills to tear apart the previous labels and break through the shackles of the word "top streamer", allowing people to truly see the growth and transformation of an actor.
Stills from The Legend of the Hidden Sea
Although the promotion point at the beginning of the series is "the revenge of the male protagonist", every character in "Legend of the Canghai" has his own shining points. Even if it is just a short appearance and a glimpse of a supporting role, it can make people feel distressed.
For example, Xiang Antu, who has the highest combat power, is cute, arrogant, smart, and lives in a foreign land. Who says there are no outstanding female protagonists in male-dominated dramas? Our Xiang Boss is one of them!
For example, when the hated Pingjin Hou rushed into the fire alone to save Zang Hai, it reminded us of the fire many years ago, which set everything on fire. If we had known this would happen, why did we do it in the first place?
For example, Cao Jingxian, who had been taking the blame for his friends since childhood, never betrayed anyone until his death, and entrusted his children to him. The shadow of childhood will leave an indelible mark on a person's life. Eunuch Cao may be the most tragic person in this drama.
For example, there was the Queen of Winter and Summer, who was deeply in love with the previous "Great Yong Succubus" Kuai Duo, and formed a brief alliance with his son Cang Hai, but lost her life trying to save her daughter.
For example, he taught Cang Hai the art of strategy since he was young, helped him collect information and intelligence, served as his bodyguard, provided psychological counseling, and took care of his daily life, until finally he deceived everyone and helped Cang Hai escape. Who knows how many tissues I used when the master and apprentice said goodbye at the city gate!
As Liang Chao, who plays Master Gao Ming, said in an interview with The Paper, "Director Zheng Xiaolong has very high requirements for acting. He doesn't want costume dramas to be pretentious, but lifelike. First of all, you play a person, and you have to make the audience believe in the character you are playing."
In addition to training the actors, the director gave enough emotional value and was ingenious in controlling the style of the entire drama. The beautiful empty shots and Chinese aesthetics that are everywhere in "Legend of the Canghai" can be said to be the leader of costume dramas in recent years. From the long paragraphs of geomancy lines, the exquisite mechanical settings in the mausoleum, the animal shadow play when Canghai analyzed the three major enemies, and the rhythm of Cao Gonggong beating drums and singing Kunqu before the decisive battle... all of them show the good intentions of the entire crew and their self-pursuit of perfectionism.
Details of the empty shots and props in "Legend of the Hidden Sea"
Finally, I would like to say a few more words. The ending of "Legend of the Canghai" starts from the childhood experiences of the three major enemies and completes many foreshadowings buried in the previous drama, and it is completed well. You may wish to watch it a second or third time to appreciate the key points.
Hallucinations can bewitch people, and words can kill people, but what really engulfed the third person was the greed, desire, and obsession in his deepest heart.
On the contrary, there is the control group - Cang Hai - who has spent many years learning how to manipulate people's hearts and is willing to devote himself to the game. However, after completing his mission of revenge, he will not be greedy for power and can withdraw at any time.
You can use people's hearts, but you won't be swallowed by desire, you won't be obsessed with power, you will keep your original intention and have good intentions. Perhaps this is the meaning behind "The Legend of Cang Hai" and the background of the hero Cang Hai.
A heavy snowstorm made a drama a hit, which may just be a legend in Hengdian. But the audience can definitely see whether a drama is made with heart.
As for Zang Hai, where will he go with the Gui Xi? The Pingjin Marquis Mansion welcomes a new marquis. After the new emperor, who seems gentle as jade but is actually quite scheming, ascends the throne, how many next chapters will there be of stirring up the storm?
The tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop. In this court, the wind has never stopped and the story does not end yet.
Stills from The Legend of the Hidden Sea
