Chapter 83 Isn't the stage play worth watching?

There is a friend who came back from studying abroad to make movies. When chatting, he said without hesitation that he never watched stage plays, and his tone was dismissive and contemptuous. Of course, he also referred to foreign stages. drama. I was stunned and couldn't answer the words for a long time! At that time, I was not only surprised, but also confused why he had that kind of ideology?And the attitude is so firm that there seems to be no room for discussion.I have no choice but to be speechless! Regardless of whether film is called the eighth art or the ninth or tenth art in the future, it is basically a form of dramatic expression, just like the skeleton of a human body, which cannot be removed by anyone. The shape can have its differences and different evolutions.Movies have a history of only 50 to 60 years, while stage plays have existed since human beings have cultural activities; although the art of film and drama has appeared with the advancement of science, stage plays have not been eliminated or eliminated. Decline, and even use science and electrification to sublimate the effect of the performance.In other words, film theater was born out of stage play, and stage play is still the matrix of other forms of expression of theater.For example, regardless of the modern costume dramas performed in Broadway theaters in New York, or the new and old operas performed in Europe, all successful ones are still popular on the screen, and even won many film awards. But have you ever heard of the adaptation of a film and drama to the stage?Possibly, but rarely.

Anyone who studies and studies drama literature or works in drama does not pay attention to Shakespeare's works (China also has good works), and Shakespeare's works are all stage plays, and there seem to be endless mysteries to be discovered.Some people may say that there were no movies and TV in that era.Otherwise, Shakespeare would also create movies and TV dramas instead of stage plays.I dare not completely agree with this statement. If that is the case, if Shakespeare was born in the modern age of the 20th century, he would probably have achieved nothing.Because the creation of film and TV scripts has undergone too many alterations (both intentional and unintentional) during the performance, which can make the original work more colorful but also ruin the original work, even beyond recognition.This is why good stage scripts can be passed down for a long time, but not good film and television scripts are read; the French film library keeps copies of good movies, not good movie scripts.Ever since, in the film industry, there has been a director-writer theory, which has replaced the status of script writers; thus, some film directors despise stage plays, and regard the performance of the camera as the supreme.

But in fact, it cannot be denied that the success or failure of a stage play is also the expression of comprehensive art such as script, director, actors, scenery, lighting, music, sound effects, etc., and the plot structure of a stage play must be concise, compact and powerful, especially higher than that of film and television scripts requirements.For a good stage script, if it is put on the screen, those who strive to be loyal to the original work will have a high success rate, and vice versa.Costume dramas such as Shakespeare's works are made into films again and again, and their success depends on how faithful the transformation process is; modern dramas such as Arthur.Miller's social drama has moved from the Broadway stage to the Hollywood studio, and the factors for its success and failure are all the same.However, Arthur, a film producer and known as a social playwright.Miller's social drama movie script was a failure when it was shot. Too many side scenes were added and improperly used, which was not only a waste, but also loosened the plot and the original atmosphere of drama.

We all know that film editing is very important, and the connection between the scenes of the stage play can also be seen from the quality of its montage.It is not easy for a dramatic story to be completely and seamlessly expressed on the stage in just a few acts.Whether it is a success or a failure, there is something worthy of careful study and reference.As far as Shakespeare's works are concerned, many of them were modified, added or deleted after the first performance that year. As far as the director is concerned, the shape of the stage play and the composition of the status of the actors can be seen from the director's skill.The stage is just like the picture on the screen, you can see how it will make the audience feel, and it also has a sense of color in the eyes of the audience.The status, angle and transformation of actors can also be figured out with the camera in their hearts.Also, what kind of background should be appropriate can also be experienced at the same time.

As far as actors are concerned, no matter whether they are Chinese or foreign, any actor who comes from the stage will not be too bad in acting and acceptance; and many well-known acting actors on the screen have already become famous on the stage or Department of stage origin.Those who have become famous on the stage will not fail on the screen; but actors who have become famous on the screen may not necessarily succeed on the stage.Therefore, stage play is the most effective way to hone and cultivate outstanding actors.Movie directors need to find excellent actors, and they usually get them from watching stage plays; another reason is that the cost of stage plays is relatively low, and if the cost of film production is too high, they are unwilling to take the risk of using new actors. Hard to get ahead.

Actors, film producers and directors who have become famous from the stage can be used with confidence, and the possibility of acting is extremely small.In addition to the acting skills have been honed.Another important condition is language. Its ability to recite words and express emotions from dialogue voices can be trusted. At least there is no need to ask others to dub.And the voice and expression of Nianbai are also very important factors for the success or failure of a scene.For example, the famous British actor Laurence Oliver played the role of Prince Hammond in Shakespeare's "Hammonlet". In one scene, he wandered alone under the corridor or sitting on the castle, in the dark In the bright light, I can't see his facial expression clearly, only hear his monologue: To be or not to be, that kind of painful and contradictory struggling mental state and complicated emotions can be fully expressed from the voice, giving the audience a better understanding Feel the emotion from the voice and resonate, the effect is very good.But I remember seeing such a movie a long time ago. The director arranged for Prince Hammond to sit on the castle or on the rocks by the sea (can’t remember exactly) for this scene. The light was quite bright, and he gave the prince A big close-up shot of the face, read this monologue, the taste is completely wrong, and the facial expression can't be so deep, it's a failure.Maybe the actors still use someone else's dubbing, and the director is also likely to be a pure film school, abusing scenes and close-ups, and the effect is counterproductive.

Suppose a certain film director saw this scene performed by Laurence Olivier on the stage and was infected, but thought that it would be better if the actor's facial expressions could be clearly shown at the same time by taking advantage of the advantages of the film lens. Well, what if a film director who treats a play with a similar plot with complete contempt, who never watches the stage play and studies its merits and demerits? As far as the above aspects are concerned, stage play is still the foundation of drama activities and development, especially drama education.In our country, Mr. Li Mangui has been perseveringly engaged in the promotion of stage plays during his lifetime. He has his lofty ideals. No matter how low the tide is; even though many people are no longer enthusiastic about drama, he still persists in advocating it.Taking our national drama as an example, it is also a type of stage play. There are many dramas and rich content, which certainly fascinates lovers, and film directors and screenwriters who are engaged in drama work are also worthy of professional viewing. For example, every scene in a national drama can be taken out and performed separately. When all the scenes are connected together, it becomes a big play. When two or three scenes are connected together, they can also form a unit. This is the advantage of the plot structure. , it is worth observing and studying.

It can be said that most of the more accomplished directors, screenwriters, actors, and even artists in Chinese films were born in stage plays or have connections with stage plays. This is an undeniable fact.It is understandable for the newly emerging film directors who have returned from studying abroad to say that they have no good stage plays to watch; but it would be puzzling to say disparagingly that they have never watched stage plays.Even if you go to a bad stage play, if you can see where it is bad, wouldn't it be rewarding?