Chapter 00190: The Dawn of the Martial Arts Era
# The Dawn of the Martial Arts Era
Chapter 190
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 190: The Dawn of the Martial Arts Era
After "Tai Chi" premiered in Beijing and Henan, it gradually made its way to other provinces, sparking a nationwide frenzy for the film.
Surprisingly, the 480 copies of the film were not excessive, as nearly every cinema saw a 90% occupancy rate.
This revealed the market capacity of urban cinemas in the country, which could handle at most 20 more copies, bringing the total to 500. These were the 35mm copies shown in cities.
In towns and rural areas, 16mm copies were used, and the number of these was much larger.
The reason why box office statistics were inaccurate was that it was impossible to track the screenings in towns and rural areas, where many showings were even free.
The only way to estimate was by the number of copies distributed.
Though it arrived over two months later than in Hong Kong, "Tai Chi" lived up to expectations on the mainland, bulldozing its competition with unstoppable momentum.
"It seems like overnight, martial arts became wildly popular among teenagers. However, the side effects of the film began to show as well. Group fights and even criminal cases started popping up everywhere. Many teenagers even ran away from home to seek apprenticeship in Chenjiagou."
One parent complained, "My child practicing martial arts is one thing, but they started imitating that 'Jade-Faced Erlang Pink Butterfly' character from the movie. They cut up a pink mosquito net to wear as a robe and started talking like a ruffian. I had to give them a good beating!"
"Tai Chi" is overly entertaining and filled with violence, which is harmful to teenagers.
The martial arts in the film are completely made up and misleading!""Not long ago, Shanghai TV station introduced the Japanese drama 'Sugata Sanshiro,' but it was criticized for promoting Japanese bushido spirit and was taken off the air midway.
Now, 'Tai Chi' is also facing some criticism, and its future is uncertain."As the film swept across the nation, various voices emerged. There was always a clash between conservatives and reformers, and since the suspension of"Sugata Sanshiro"happened earlier this year, many were worried that"Tai Chi"might suffer the same fate. However, the outcome was completely different. Unlike the handling of"Sugata Sanshiro,"the higher-ups showed great tolerance toward"Tai Chi."The People's Daily even published an article:"A film can have positive effects, but it may also bring some negative side effects.
If these side effects are not political in nature but rather social, we should not overreact.
We should guide and educate teenagers to have a correct understanding of martial arts, rather than cutting it off at the source. 'Tai Chi' may be a small step for the film, but it could be a giant leap for society."The People's Daily's article set the tone. Seeing that"Tai Chi"was safe, smart people across the country began to act, sensing that a special era was about to begin. ... At the Shanghai Film Studio, Deputy Director Wang Linge excitedly pounded the table. He had bet correctly. He had bought four martial arts scripts from Chen Qi early on, just in time for this wave. In a way, making movies was like investing—you had to catch the trend. He immediately called a meeting and said,"The situation speaks for itself.
From now on, our studio must produce at least one martial arts film every year.
I have four stories: 'Invincible Mandarin Duck Legs,' 'Wudang,' 'Shanghai 1937,' and 'Black Box Bloodshed.' Let's discuss which one to start with.""Are they all written by Chen Qi?""Yes! They were published in 'Story Magazine,' right under our noses.
But it's not too late to start now."Everyone got excited, discussing and debating passionately. Naturally, the Shanghai Film Studio should start with"Shanghai 1937,"but since they lacked experience, they decided to practice first and chose"Invincible Mandarin Duck Legs."... At the Xi'an Film Studio, Wu Tianming was also taking credit."The Shanghai Film Studio got there before me and wanted to buy all the scripts.
Luckily, I was quick and managed to grab one.
You said I overpaid with 2000 yuan, but look at it now! Martial arts films are about to take off.
We need to hurry and start filming 'The Ballad of Kyoto.' I volunteer to go to Beijing to select actors and assemble a team!""Old Wu, you've never made a martial arts film before.
Are you sure you can handle it?""Which director in the country has? We're all starting from scratch.
If you're worried, I can team up with Old Teng for double insurance!"Old Teng, director Teng Wenji from the Xi'an Film Studio, was a well-known figure. His son, Teng Huatao, was also in the industry. Wu Tianming and Teng Wenji had already collaborated on two films. Don't think Wu Tianming only made art films—he had a knack for the bizarre. The 1989 version of"Fengshen Bang"was his creation, filled with nudity, blood, and violence, exuding a strange, primitive vibe. Unfortunately, only five episodes were made. His daughter was studying in the U. S., and to make ends meet, the father-daughter duo had run a video rental store and even sold dumplings. After five years, with the help of friends, he finally returned to China. The Xi'an Film Studio was at its peak then, but without a leader, it quickly declined and never recovered. After much consideration, the studio head nodded."Alright, 'The Ballad of Kyoto' is yours to direct!"... In Guangzhou, at the preparation office for the"Martial Arts"magazine. In the past, martial arts were considered a toxic influence. In 1979, the state issued a notice titled"On Excavating and Organizing Martial Arts Heritage,"and martial arts slowly regained their status. This magazine was created in response to that call and had been in preparation for some time, set to launch in the second half of the year. However, the explosive popularity of"Tai Chi"disrupted some of their plans."Our original content for the magazine included professional martial arts knowledge, strange tales from the martial arts world, short comic strips, and some folk stories.
That was fine before, but now everyone is watching 'Tai Chi.' I have a suggestion: could we contact the Beijing Film Studio and the screenwriter to adapt 'Tai Chi' into a novel and include it in our magazine?""Great idea!""That would definitely increase the magazine's appeal!""Exactly.
The first issue has to sell well, or we'll lose confidence.""Speaking of appeal, I have another suggestion..."Suddenly, someone raised their hand."I know an old scholar in Guangzhou who has connections with the Hong Kong literary scene.
We could work with him to reprint some Hong Kong novels, like those by Liang Yusheng and Jin Yong.
What do you think?""This..."The editorial team hesitated. Liang Yusheng was a leftist, so that was fine, but Jin Yong was a different story. His newspaper,"Ming Pao,"had always been critical of the mainland. In the silence, the person added,"I have news that Jin Yong has formally requested to visit the mainland through the Xinhua News Agency's Hong Kong branch!""Really?""Is it reliable?""Absolutely reliable.
Moreover, since the reform and opening up, 'Ming Pao' has rarely criticized the mainland.
Instead, it has praised various open policies and even lauded the leaders, with many articles personally written by Jin Yong."Hearing this, everyone understood that, due to the united front policy, Jin Yong's relationship with the mainland might be changing. Guangzhou, being at the forefront of reform, was bold. After much thought, the editorial leader made the decision."Reprint it! We'll reprint Jin Yong's works.
Our first issue must make a big splash!"
(End of Chapter)