Chinese melodramas in recent years have become increasingly popular in Russia. The filmmakers of this country shoot a large amount of quality content that pleases viewers and critics.
"Thirst for love"
Among the Chinese melodramas, one should mention Chu Huilin's film "Lust for Love." It was released in 2016. The tape tells about the bright, but short-lived love of Tien Xiang and Xue Er. Once the heroine suddenly left her lover, just disappearing from his life.
After some time, the lovers met again. Old feelings surged with renewed vigor, especially at the young man who was very worried about the runaway bride. The girl behaves as if they had never been so close friends. How could this happen, because of which such serious changes occurred in the relationship of lovers, says the Chinese melodrama "Lust for Love."
"Loving mood"
One of the most famous Chinese directors of recent years is Wong Karwai. It was he who shot one of the most popular Chinese melodramas - "Love mood".
The film takes place in the 60s in Hong Kong. Journalist Chow Mo Wang and Su Lee Jung drive into the adjacent rooms of a large apartment building. Each of them has their own family, but their spouses constantly disappear at work. They have to be bored alone, each in their room. In time, a friendship develops between them.
Soon she grows into something more. Especially when Su and Chow begin to share with each other suspicions of the infidelity of their soul mates. Chow comes up with the idea of ​​playing in the faces everything that most likely happens between their spouses and their lovers. Very quickly, the line between the game and the passionate romance is erased.
In addition, Su asks her new acquaintance to help him with his book on martial arts. So they are becoming closer to each other every day. At first it was an exclusively platonic relationship. They assure that their communication will not end in treason, they will not do what their soul mates did to them.
The end of the tape is very sad. From it we learn that Chow travels throughout Southeast Asia. At one point, he finds himself in Hong Kong. The city in which he once met Su and experienced some of the most exciting moments in his life. At the same time, he clearly understands that their relationship is already in the past, nothing can be returned, nothing can be fixed. Then Chow leaves for Cambodia. There, in the great and ancient temple of Angkor Wat, he intends to bury his secret forever - the love of Su. A secret in which he himself often refused to confess.
One of the main features of the picture is the non-standard artistic techniques that the director used. He uses a repeat of similar scenes, which in reality are a collage of numerous meetings between the two main characters of the tape.
Cameraman Christopher Doyle played a major role in this work. Together with the director, they managed to create an effect thanks to which each viewer has the impression that the characters repeat the same actions for a long time. But if you carefully monitor the dresses of the characters, you can see that they are constantly changing clothes. It turns out that this is not the same scene that was repeatedly re-shot, but independent doubles, each of which is made with a new make-up and unique costumes.
"2046"
It is worth recognizing that in our time, Wong Karwai is one of the most outspoken Asian directors. In 2004, he shot another Chinese melodrama with Russian voice acting called "2046".
The picture is a continuation of the tape "Love mood". The main character is again a journalist Chow Mo Wang. He spends several years in Singapore and returns to Hong Kong.
In the cheap hotel where he is staying, Chow wants to rent room 2046. She reminds him of the past, but it turns out that this is impossible. Therefore, he stops in the next room. Most of the tape is devoted to the relationship that occurs between Chow and guests number 2046.
The protagonist himself, formerly a journalist, now earns by writing. His novels are a mixture of science fiction and tabloid eroticism. In his works, he describes a fantastic future in which a global transport network swept the entire Earth. With its help, you can instantly move at any time and place.
The key year is 2046. It was at this time that people began to strive to get in order to find something forgotten and lost.
"My Blueberry Nights"
The classic of Chinese cinema Wong Karwai was honored and for the third time to get into the list of the best melodramas in Chinese in recent years. In 2007, he shot the film "My Blueberry Nights."
The main character, Elizabeth, is in despair. She just found out about the betrayal of a loved one. Trying to recover, she tells her disappointing story to the owner of one of the catering establishments.
Jeremy listens attentively to her. After this conversation, a few long and attentive looks, as well as a blueberry pie, a new feeling is born. True, the heroes are in no hurry. A series of subsequent events make both Elizabeth and Jeremy take a different look at their lives, rethink a lot and, finally, understand what they expect from this life and what they aspire to.
"Basketball player number 5"
The directors of this Asian country have been shooting Chinese melodramas about love for a long time. For example, in 1957, the picture "Basketball Player No. 5" was released. Its author, director and screenwriter is Xie Jin.
The film tells about the daughter of a basketball team coach named Lin Jie, who falls in love with team leader Tian Zhenhua. A difficult relationship is developing between the players and the club management.
Before the match with foreign players, the coach takes a bribe, pledging to lose. But Tien is a true patriot of his country who does not agree to such a deception. He does everything in his own way and leads the team to victory. The coach is plotting revenge. He hires the fellows who beat Tian, ​​and makes his daughter marry a rich and successful person, and not a novice athlete.
The events in this Chinese romance about love carry forward 18 years in advance. In the courtyard of the 50s, socialism is being built in China. Tien now leads the basketball team - the women's team. Among his pupils, his daughter Lin Jie randomly appears. Young Xiao Jie is talented, albeit with an unbearable character. Moreover, he treats his sports career with undisguised prejudice.
After Xiao is injured, Tian and Lin accidentally meet in the hospital, where the injured athlete is. In this Chinese melodrama film, they immediately realize that their feelings have not died out yet.
"Five minutes to midnight"
In 2014, director Isao Yukisada directed the film Five Minutes to Midnight. This is a Chinese and Japanese melodrama. In this case, joint production played into the picture only on hand.
In this confusing and frank film, everything that happens keeps the viewer in suspense throughout the film. The main character's name is Re. He lives in Shanghai and works as a watchmaker. One fine day he meets a charming woman, with whom he immediately falls in love.
But he soon begins to doubt whether that day was really so happy. Everything is confused due to the fact that this woman has a twin sister who looks like her like two drops of water. It will not be easy for the watchmaker Re to understand these relationships.
"Real love"
Chinese melodrama series are very popular with viewers . In multi-part paintings, the creators have a lot of opportunities and time to realize their wildest ideas.
In 2017, the picture "Real Love" was released on television. This is a kind, sincere and sometimes very funny film about two modern people who are completely different from each other.
The girl dreams of a well-paid job, so she devotes almost all her time to her career. About love, she does not even have thoughts, she just has no time. After all, there’s no time even for an ordinary romantic evening or date.
Another hero of this Chinese melodrama about love in Russian is an ordinary IT specialist. His trouble is that he is practically not adapted to the real life surrounding him. Because of this, he regularly gets into ridiculous situations.
Communication between these two completely dissimilar people leads to various awkwardness, often they can not understand each other, laugh or cry. But that sincere and real feeling that is born in them, everything wins.
"Peony arbor"
Among the Chinese films-melodramas, the painting "Peony Arbor" deserves special mention. In 2001, it was directed by Yunfan.
The name of this painting was given by the famous play of the same name by a Chinese playwright, who lived in the 16th century, during the reign of the Ming Dynasty. On stage, the performance is played in the genre of Chinese opera. The film itself has little in common with the plot of a medieval production, but at the same time actively uses music and the images that appear in it.
The events of this tape take place in the 30s of the XX century in the city of Suzhou. At the center of the story is a girl named Jade. She is young, talented and very beautiful. She gets the main roles in the Chinese opera, many high-ranking and wealthy people pay attention to her. As a result, she becomes the fifth concubine of a noble businessman.
Jade moves to live in his real palace. But there she was sad. Life in the yard is surprisingly monotonous, and she sees her lover only occasionally.
The consolation for Jade is only communication with the cousin of the master, whose name is Doe. This is an independent and freedom-loving woman who received a quality education, and now teaches at a public school. She sincerely believes that in this way she can help her country by raising an educated young generation. At the same time, the Doe often comes to the palace to his rich relative, participates in the holidays and celebrations that take place in it. Doe almost instantly amazed at the talent and beauty of Jade.
In the meantime, her master’s business is not going well. He lowers almost his entire fortune and plunges into an opium dope. Jade has a daughter born from him, the girl understands that she must now be responsible not only for herself, but also for this little man. She is forced to leave a rich house, but where to go, Jade does not know.
Doe comes to the rescue, who happily agrees to shelter a young mother with her baby. A new storyline in this Chinese melodrama in Russian begins to develop when Doe has a serious relationship with a school inspector named Xing. The catch is that Sin really liked Jade, and now her heart is completely broken. Doe also does not find a place, which understands that these relationships greatly upset her close friend.
Suddenly, Xin throws a Doe. Girlfriends reunite. Now, it seems, nothing can separate them.
"Goodbye my concubine"
Another film that can be attributed to the category of the best Chinese melodramas is Chen Kaige's film "Farewell, My Concubine." The director took it off in 1993. She became one of the key works for the entire fifth generation movement. It was then that the whole world began to closely monitor Chinese cinema and directors.
In the film “Farewell, my concubine”, the theme of life in China in the middle of the 20th century is examined in detail. Influence on individuals and entire social groups of political instability. Specifically, in this film, viewers watch two heroes, the stars of the Beijing Opera, as well as a woman who tirelessly follows them everywhere.
At the famous international Cannes Film Festival, the ribbon received the main prize "Golden Palm Branch".
The plot of the film tells about the creative and life path of two actors of the Chinese opera. All their lives they played the same drama called Goodbye My Concubine. In this work, the concubine remains faithful to her emperor to the very end; in the finale, she even commits suicide for his sake.
At the very beginning of the film, we can watch an episode in which one of the actors, carefully made up as a woman, plays the concubine of his master. The second at the same time gets the image of the emperor himself.
Throughout the film, we can follow the friendship of these heroes, together they have been more than half a century. During this time, many conflicts occurred, but each time they found a common language and put up. At the same time, one of them specialized in female images for almost his entire creative career, while the second hero played noble warriors.
Melodrama "Chinese New Year"
Not only Chinese films attract domestic viewers, but also the work of Russian directors related to the realities of life in this Asian country, its customs and traditions. A striking example is Artyom Nasybulin's melodrama "Chinese New Year."
In this tape, released in 2017, many famous domestic actors and actresses played. This is Karina Andolenoko, Artyom Manukyan, Eugene Pronin.
The main character is Svetlana. She is an assistant to the mayor of the city. By nature, the girl is brisk and punchy. She is able to keep every little thing under her strict control, which is why she is valued at work. At the same time, there is absolutely no time left for personal life. Romantic relationships have to be sacrificed for a career.
Once she had a husband, but they divorced a long time ago. Now Svetlana is raising her son Vovka alone. At the same time trying not to complain about anything.
Ahead is an important event in her life, on which her career progression may directly depend. But right on the eve of this, everything in her life goes awry. The whole rhythm that has been established over the years literally collapses in an instant. At an important reception, you even have to take a young and mischievous Vovka with you.
On the same hectic day, another important event takes place in her life. She meets Eugene. The young man dreams of becoming a polyglot, while in the meantime he is very clumsy and at first annoys Svetlana too much. Annoying with her relaxed attitude to life, while the girl herself is always extremely focused and focused.
But after this acquaintance, incredible events follow that make her reconsider her attitude to Eugene and to her life.