I am a historical film director in the entertainment industry.

Chapter 74 The Reasons for Not Filming "Red Cliff"
Cheng Sheng greeted the security guard in the security room, and the guard immediately opened the door for him with great enthusiasm.

Cheng Sheng handed the other person a pack of cigarettes, said "thank you for your hard work," and then entered the campus.

After all, security guards have a tough job, and they have to stay here even during the Chinese New Year.

Cheng Sheng did not go to the teachers' building, but instead headed towards the school's teachers' dormitory building.

Now that it's a holiday, teachers certainly won't stay in the teachers' building to prepare lessons.

He spoke with Teacher Zhang Yang on the phone yesterday and learned that he was still at school.

Teacher Yang Chao had already returned to his hometown on the first day of school holiday.

They knocked on the door of Mr. Zhang Yang's house.

The door opened quickly, and Zhang Yang looked at Cheng Sheng with surprise and said, "You've finally come out of seclusion, kid? Come in quickly, it's cold outside."

When Cheng Sheng came in, a blast of warm air dispelled the chill from his body.

It was just too cold outside. If he hadn't wanted to see his teacher about the script, he would never have gone out.

"Here, have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up."

Zhang Yang poured Cheng Sheng a cup of hot tea and handed it to him.

"Thank you."

Cheng Sheng didn't stand on ceremony and took a small sip. His lips, which had almost frozen, finally warmed up a little.

Zhang Yang sat opposite Cheng Sheng and asked, "How's the script coming along? Is it finished?"

"I just finished writing it today, so I brought it over to show the teacher and ask for some pointers."

As Cheng Sheng spoke, he took a thick script out of his small bag and handed it to Zhang Yang.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang's face lit up with joy. He had been eagerly anticipating Cheng Sheng's script, so he quickly took it and eagerly opened it.

Seeing Zhang Yang engrossed in the script, Cheng Sheng didn't disturb him, but instead sat there and sipped his tea.

Zhang Yang didn't keep Cheng Sheng waiting for long. A dozen minutes later, he glanced at the script, then closed it with an expression of amazement on his face, and said, "It's really well written, Cheng Sheng. In the field of screenwriting, there are probably very few people who can do better than you."

"You flatter me. I've only done a little refinement. It's not as good as you say, teacher," Cheng Sheng said modestly.

Zhang Yang rolled his eyes and said, "You're just too conservative. If you write well, you write well. Why be so humble? You don't have any of the spirit of a young person."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Sheng scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Could he really blame himself?

Although he was young, he received another memory, and his passionate and unrestrained personality as a young man transformed into one of caution and prudence.

“The script is well-written, even perfect, but there’s one thing I don’t understand,” Zhang Yang said.

"what?"

"Although the Yellow Turban Rebellion is famous in the Three Kingdoms period, why didn't you choose to film Red Cliff, which is more well-known than the Battle of Red Cliff?" Zhang Yang asked curiously.

Indeed, as a classic battle based on the Three Kingdoms period, "Red Cliff" has become the first choice for film and television adaptations due to its historical significance and dramatic conflicts.

The Battle of Red Cliffs in the Three Kingdoms period was the most decisive battle of the Three Kingdoms period, which directly laid the foundation for the tripartite balance of power and has a profound historical influence.

Its core elements, such as "overcoming the strong with the weak" and "winning through strategy," provide rich dramatic tension for film and television creation. "Red Cliff" possesses the dual characteristics of "heroism of overcoming the strong with the weak" and "showcasing Chinese wisdom," which aligns with its creative philosophy of pursuing "the spirit of Eastern culture."

Furthermore, the Battle of Red Cliffs is widely known and is a globally recognized historical event, with broad recognition in East Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

This has also become the preferred subject for many directors in the industry.

However, Cheng Sheng did not choose Red Cliff mainly because the Battle of Red Cliff had been filmed to death.

In particular, none of the upcoming movies related to Red Cliff are watchable.

Wu Baige's "Red Cliff" in two parts boasts a truly impressive cast, combining good looks and acting talent. The battle scenes are grand in scale, and the special effects are top-notch. However, after watching the movie, you'll need to wash your eyes afterward.

The plot is nonsense; even if the story of Red Cliff were drastically altered, it wouldn't be changed like that!

"Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon" is a story specifically about Zhao Yun. However, the plot contains too many fictional elements. Although it features many talented actors, the adaptation is so extensive that it's practically nonsense for fans of the Three Kingdoms.

The action scenes in the movie were fairly good, which somewhat salvaged the terrible plot.

"Guan Yu" tells the story of Guan Yu passing through five passes and slaying six generals, but it also includes the story of the Battle of Red Cliffs.

Jiang Wen's acting is the only highlight of the film, perfectly portraying Cao Cao's admiration for Guan Yu.

Forehead!
I feel a bit nauseous. This film looks like it's made by two men trying to create a romantic pairing.

There's also the action scenes with Yu Zhou Dan, which feel a bit like time travel, similar to the action scenes in modern action movies, but relatively speaking, there are still too few fight scenes.

The film wasn't particularly good; it made me feel a bit sleepy.

According to Cheng Sheng, "The Assassins" is a palace intrigue drama about the Three Kingdoms period, and it feels similar to the plots of "Curse of the Golden Flower" and "The Banquet," with nothing particularly outstanding.

Dynasty Warriors is an adaptation of the game of the same name. The exaggerated battle scenes in the film are very well recreated, truly showing how one person can sweep away thousands of troops.

This movie was destined to be a bad film from the moment it was made, but I never expected it to be so utterly terrible. It's truly exceptional. Han Geng's portrayal of Guan Yu is even worse than the worst.

These films are mostly directed and starred by Hong Kong directors and actors.

It's fair to say that Hong Kong directors and actors are truly incompetent when it comes to making historical films; every film they make loses money.

Since the Hong Kong film market gradually declined, many Hong Kong directors have started to go north to make movies.

There are many good films, but there is one type of film that Hong Kong directors just can't seem to make well: films related to historical themes.

When Hong Kong directors make historical films, audiences often feel awkward watching them because of lines or storylines that shouldn't appear in ancient times. It makes the viewing experience very uncomfortable.

For example, Wu Baige's "Red Cliff" was a huge investment with a star-studded cast, but it flopped at the box office and received terrible reviews. A big reason for this was that Wu Baige did not understand the Three Kingdoms period and did not respect the original work and history!

That's why so many brainless lines have appeared, such as "The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every woman."

"Why bring a fan on such a cold day? And then Zhuge Liang says he brings a fan so I can stay calm at all times." It's utterly speechless.

There's also Li Rengang, the director who made works such as "14 Blades" and "The Last Supper". Putting aside everything else, the most common theme in this director's films is UFO helmets!

The characters in almost every movie wear UFO-shaped helmets.

Zhao Zilong carries it, the Embroidered Uniform Guard carries it.

(End of this chapter)