371. The Screenwriter's Candid Review of Lu Ban's Transformation

Lu Ban clicked on this report.

The article was written by a film critic who had previously criticized Lu Ban for being unambitious and only staying in his comfort zone making horror movies. Now, he has come forward, probably because he sees that Lu Ban has really transformed his career and wants to offer his opinions.

A director should have his own style. I admit that Lu Ban has a great advantage in making horror films and special effects blockbusters, but he is still a newcomer in the field of art films. Lu Ban previous film style is clearly not suitable for art films, and his attempt this time will inevitably encounter setbacks.

In short, I think Lu Ban's desire to make a new movie is based on his past achievements; he's become arrogant. But is Lu Ban's movie really that good? If high box office equals excellence, then does that mean superhero movies are necessarily better than classic films?

The reason Lu Ban's films achieved such high box office returns is related to the pent-up demand from domestic audiences after long-term exposure to Western films. The quality of his films doesn't justify his current success; in other words, his talent doesn't match his achievements.

I'm not optimistic about Lu Ban's work, not because of personal likes or dislikes, but because venturing into an unfamiliar field is bound to lead to failure. Lu Ban is currently being highly praised by the domestic industry; if he were to fall from grace, people might blame the domestic film industry, which would be a serious blow to the nascent domestic film industry!

After reading this report, I'm a bit stumped by Lu Ban.

This is the same person who previously said Lu Ban was stuck in his ways, immersed in his comfort zone, and unwilling to try new themes. Now, this same person is saying that Lu Ban's change of style and attempt of new themes is arrogant and conceited. You've said both good and bad things, so here's your three-dimensional defense.

This article has attracted a lot of attention and discussion regarding Lu Ban's new movie, with audiences and industry insiders mostly divided into three attitudes.

The first type of person is looking forward to Lu Ban's new work, believing that Lu Ban, who has made such excellent films since his debut, will surely create brilliance in a new field as well.

Another viewpoint is similar to that in this report, believing that Lu Ban will definitely fail. He's a horror film director, what does he know about art films?

The last type is the bystanders, who believe that they should wait until Lu Ban's movie is released before watching it. After all, he has not shown his abilities before, and taking sides in advance is likely to be proven wrong. This is what is commonly known as the fence-sitters.

The film's production was carried out simultaneously on both fronts.

The entire film is about 120 minutes long, with the first 100 minutes or so dedicated to growth, healing, and a heartwarming journey.

The ending takes a sharp turn, revealing the cruelty of the world.

At the end of March, just before the deadline for submitting entries for the exhibition, "Spring No War" finally completed its final production.

Bai Qiquan watched the film they had finished producing again.

Something feels off.

"This movie seems to be missing something, it just feels like it's missing a crucial element."

Bai Qiquan muttered to himself.

As a coming-of-age romance film, this movie is quite excellent. It vividly portrays the naivety, growth, excitement, and regrets of a young girl. The visuals are beautiful, the scenery is stunning, and the plot is well-paced.

But is this the kind of movie that Lu Ban would actually make?

In Bai Qiquan's words, this movie is too bland.

Although I know that art films are all about simplicity and authenticity, and that a good art film is one that can put people to sleep, this film is definitely Lu Ban's style.

Could it be that Director Lu has really suffered some kind of shock?

After completing the film's application for participation in film festivals, Lu Ban released its first trailer.

Bai Qiquan had no experience in producing trailers, so this was the first time he had seen one.

Upon opening, the first sound is of piano music—gentle, soothing, and deeply moving.

The screen lit up, and a cherry blossom color covered the field of vision.

Those were cherry blossoms falling from the sky, and the warm spring sunshine shone on the girl, making her more dazzling than the sun.

"From a young age, my family told me that you would go to the shrine shrouded in Divine Cherry Tree and become a person above all others."

The entire trailer consists of a girl's monologue. She walks in the spring when cherry blossoms fall, practices archery in the scorching summer, brews tea with an elegant posture as maple leaves turn red, and looks up at the fluttering snowflakes like willow catkins in the snowy winter.

Bai Qiquan mesmerized.

Not only because he had seen the film they produced and learned about the girl's later experiences, but also because of the film's powerful expressiveness and immersive feel.

The background music, accompanied by soft and gentle piano sounds, makes the listener feel as if they are a family member who grew up alongside the girl, watching her grow step by step and become an outstanding person.

The trailer perfectly captures the essence of a young girl's spirit. Although it consists of everyday scenes and trivial daily matters, the fact that all the tasks are done by a beautiful young girl makes it a delight to watch.

"Director Lu is really amazing to be able to create such a girly scene."

In Bai Qiquan's view, male directors generally pay more attention to the visual presentation within the overall framework. Their shots are more purposeful, and each shot must have a meaning and a function, either to express something or to explain something. Just like when men browse shopping websites, they usually directly search for the target product, place an order, and pay in one go.

Such shots appear very "hard" and are easy to analyze and deconstruct.

For female directors, emotion is more important in their shots. Sometimes, the shot is just a vehicle, and even meaningless shots will appear in the film. In these cases, emotions will be expressed through music, the mood between the preceding and following scenes, etc. When you feel that a shot is meaningless, the director may not have thought about anything at the time and simply felt that it should be placed there.

Such shots would be a bit "softer".

For example, in this trailer, the transition between the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter could be directly switched, making people think, "Oh, this is to show the female lead's past experiences." However, Lu Ban cleverly inserted a lot of scenery, many shots of insects, plants and flowers that no one else appeared in. These shots would not have felt out of place if they were replaced with other ones, and it would have looked like they were just filling up the runtime.

But in reality, these scenes successfully eased and prepared the audience's emotions. After watching clips from all four seasons, the audience could only sigh, "She's so beautiful, so cute, so gentle."

I have to say, after watching this trailer, Bai Qiquan felt that he had completely fallen in love with Amber.