Chapter 354: All the talents have arrived


    "Hello everyone, my name is Gong Xue, and the character I play in the film is Li Mingyu, a teaching assistant in a missionary school."


    "Hello everyone, my name is Yan Shunkai, and the character I play is Zhou Jiasheng, a tailor."


    "My name is Tieniu, and I play Li Mingyu''s father!"


    A fat old man with a broad face and big ears stood up and smiled very happily.


    Tieniu is a stage name, and he is a veteran actor from Shanghai Film Studio. His most familiar roles to the audience should be Han Zhongli in "The Legend of the Eight Immortals" and Maitreya Buddha in "Journey to the West".


    Most of the content of "Life is Beautiful" is relatively light and has many comedy elements. The heroine''s father is responsible for part of the laughter, so he was chosen to act.


    Immediately afterwards, another little old man stood up, with a round head and a rather friendly face.


    "My name is Cheng Zhi, and I play the role of a Japanese doctor!"


    Cheng Zhi is one of the four bad guys at Shanghai Film Studio, similar to Chen Qiang and Ge Cunzhuang from Beijing Film Studio. He has a son named Cheng Qian.


    ha!


    Chen Qi was happy, it was very good, very good, Elder Jinchi also came.


    It''s a pity that the actor is a Japanese, not a Jew, otherwise I could have added a sentence: "Gaza, my precious Gaza!"


    A brief introduction one by one.


    "My name is Li Baotian, and I play the role of a small official from the pseudo-city government who often comes to blackmail Zhou Jiasheng."


    "My name is Wei Zongwan, and I play Zhou Jiasheng''s neighbor and friend."


    "My name is Zhou Yemang, and I play the role of a Japanese soldier."


    "My name is Xi Meijuan, and I play Li Mingyu''s good friend."


    "My name is Li Lingyu, and I play the role of Gong Xue''s younger sister!"


    Most of these people are Shanghainese, or have lived in Shanghai for a long time. Especially the few supporting roles that are not obvious and showy are all played by veteran actors from the Shanghai Film Studio. Chen Qi is relieved.


    The creators got to know each other.


    Li Wenhua said: "Today we collectively follow the script. The time is tight and the tasks are heavy. Let''s work together to win this drama!"


    …


    It is said that in 1937, Japan occupied the Chinese community in Shanghai.


    In 1941, the Pacific War broke out, and the Japanese army occupied the concession again.


    In 1943, the Wang Puppet Government "taken over" the French Concession and the Public Concession. After the concession was taken back, it remained the most prosperous central area of ??Shanghai.


    The story begins in 1940. The heroine''s name is Li Mingyu. Her father is a celebrity in Shanghai. In order to establish good relations with foreigners and protect herself, she pretends to be religious and donates money to church schools.


    Li Mingyu was not young when she appeared. She was married once, and her husband died young. She received a new education, knew English, and worked as a teaching assistant at a church university.


    The name of this school is fictitious, but it has a prototype, called St. John''s University.


    Founded by American church members, it is very influential and includes many Chinese teachers and students. Famous alumni include: Gu Weijun, Song Ziwen, Lin Yutang, Rong Yiren, Zou Taofen, Zhang Ailing, I.M. Pei, etc...


    The male protagonist is Zhou Jiasheng. He is a very famous tailor. He has opened a shop of his own. His customers are celebrities and dignitaries. There are also foreigners who come to him to customize their suits. He has had many contacts, can speak a few foreign languages, and has a Japanese doctor who is his regular customer.


    Li Mingyu often asked him to make clothes, and he became familiar with him after going back and forth.


    Zhou Jiasheng is not good-looking, but he is humorous and sincere, and he slowly captures Li Mingyu''s heart.


    Her father is westernized on the surface, but in fact he is traditional. He doesn''t like Zhou''s family, and he doesn''t like his daughter to be in the public eye. But his daughter is a second-married woman. Not to mention the old society, there are still people making irresponsible remarks now... In short, Li Mingyu still got married and gave birth to a child. Had a child.


    Zhou Jiasheng regarded it as a treasure and was very happy after marriage.


    In 1941, the Japanese army occupied the concession and began to strictly manage the household registration of European and American expatriates. In 1943, the concentration camps began to detain people.


    At that time, there were more than 100,000 foreigners in Shanghai, from dozens of countries. Japan classified 16 of them as enemy aliens. From 1943 to 1945, a total of more than 6,000 people were imprisoned.


    There were 1,369 Americans in Shanghai at that time, and about 700 were sent to the concentration camps.


    Although Japan also persecuted church institutions in Shanghai, it was relatively less inhumane. By the beginning of 1945, there were only a few months left before Japan''s defeat and surrender. The Japanese army in the late period of the Anti-Japanese War was different from that in the early period. Its combat effectiveness was stretched, it lacked food and clothing, and its military discipline was loose. Especially those who were not on the front line only wanted to make money and make a fortune.


    A close colleague of Li Mingyu was found to have engaged in anti-Japanese espionage. She helped him conceal his implication, and his family went to a concentration camp.


    During this period, soldiers were constantly being transferred to the front line, and there were not enough Japanese soldiers to guard the camps. Many concentration camps were merged, and the prisoners began to flow. Li Mingyu''s family was imprisoned in a concentration camp where people from different countries were interned.


    Zhou Jiasheng and Li Mingyu started that game in order to protect their children.


    People in the same cell had different reactions, some were indifferent, some were crazy about themselves, some were irritable, and some were sarcastic. However, they were gradually infected by the love of the parents for their children, especially an American couple, namely Ed Harris and his wife joined in unconsciously...


    This is Chen Qi''s version of "Life is Beautiful".


    This kind of script has never been seen in China. There has never been a drama set in the Anti-Japanese War era. As a result, the protagonist did not make a heroic sacrifice, but the starting point of everything was for his own children.


    It is not a blockbuster, but a small film, both in scale and story frame. The biggest scene is only a few seconds of shots of airplanes and tanks.


    But it has a big core.


    It''s easy to excel by using a small story frame to express a big core.


    On the contrary, it would be very funny to use a large frame to express a small ideological core. Chen Kaige likes to do this the most. The shots are magnificent and full of flowers. In the end, the theme of the film comes out, just like a joke.


    For example, "The Promise" and "The Legend of the Demon Cat".


    …


    "Grrrrrr!"


    "puff!"


    In the water room, Gong Xue spit out the mouthwash, washed her face again, opened a small white bottle, dipped some in it, wiped it on her face, and massaged it gently.


    A voice next to me asked: "What is this?"


    "Cleanser!"


    “Cleanser??”


    "It just removes oil, sweat, and removes dirt from the skin. Here, try it!"


    "I don''t have to!"


    "It''s good to use, but you also need to take care of your skin."


    "I''m okay, I''m still young..."


    "Tsk!"


    Gong Xue turned his head and Li Jianqun wiped his face with a towel. Quan pretended not to see it and walked away, saying: "I have some new inspiration for your costume. Let the teacher at the Shanghai Film Studio change it. I will go and give it to you." You take it.”


    "Jianqun!"


    "Oh, let''s go."


    She ran away in a flash.


    Gong Xue hummed and continued to wash her face, brushed her teeth, and came out of the water room carrying the washbasin. She was wearing a floral vest and big shorts, revealing two smooth calves and red slippers.


    The phone will be turned on tomorrow, and she will have to live in a guest house from today on.


    There were many people in the crew, and even the big names had to live together. Her only privilege was that she could choose her own roommate, so she picked the one she knew best and was the least familiar.


    Yes, Gong Xue thinks Li Jianqun is out of tune.


    He looks pitiful on the outside, but he is free and easy inside, and he dares to say that he is old... Humph! I was so embarrassed that I didn’t even dare to say it.


    (End of chapter)