1905 movie network feature What else can Hong Kong police films do? This weekend’s release provides an answer.The producer and director have boldly moved "financial crime" into the cyber world: actors travel through the screen to dive into the cyber forest, and fight against hackers in the dangerous dark web…
While the various visual wonders refreshed the audience, they also provided the starring actors with an unprecedented performance experience."It showed me a new way out for Hong Kong films, and it also created a new precedent for Chinese films," Guo Fucheng said.
At the same time, "Broken Network" also continued the action scenes that classic Hong Kong films are proud of. Close hand combat, street gun battles, and flying car blasts are all available. Guo Fucheng also did it himself throughout the process, and there was no complaint about "dangerous actions".
He admitted that he had not filmed such a high-intensity action scene in five years, but he still insisted on going into battle in person for the "real" fighting effect, "I think it is appropriate for actors to’work hard ‘, and you should fight for what the director requires!"
In his 34 years of filmmaking, Guo Fucheng has starred in dozens of works. "Seeking innovation and change" and "Daring to challenge" have always been the criteria for his role selection. This time, "Broken Network" is also the same.
"On the movie stage, my pursuit has always been not to be Guo Fucheng and to constantly challenge different characters. This original intention has not changed."
Change and Constant
"’Disconnected’ shows me a new way for Hong Kong films"
Mr. Kwok is a long-time acquaintance of producer Cheng Po Rui, who worked with the former on the "Journey to the West" series, and director Huang Qingxun, who later co-created realistic films with the duo.
What Guo Fucheng admires most is the spirit of courage to break through in the two of them. "Mai Passerby" is a rare realistic theme in Hong Kong films, focusing on the survival plight of marginalized people in society, and this time "Internet Disconnection" can be regarded as an innovation in the theme and shooting methods of Hong Kong-made police and gangster films.
When presenting the theme of Internet financial crimes, the film cleverly uses visual effects to visualize "cybercrime methods" such as money laundering crimes and virus intrusions, and even makes virtual and invisible dark net transactions appear on the screen.
This is also what attracted Guo Fucheng the most about "Broken Network". "Hong Kong movies have always been dominated by action, police and bandits, but in the new era, to give the audience a new sense of stimulation, this time the whole team has worked very hard to create the concept of Internet Forest. This shooting method has created a precedent, and it has also allowed me to see a new way out for Hong Kong movies."
In addition to the whimsical cyber world and the blood-curdling action scenes, the emotional part of "Broken Network" is also very full. Guo Fucheng plays the male protagonist who, in addition to his status as a programming expert, is also a father who loves his daughter as much as his life.
"I’ve never played a father, and everything is centered on his daughter. Because she has a congenital disease, everything he does is to protect her."
Mr. Kwok revealed that the special father-daughter relationship was a reflection of the screenwriter Zheng Borui’s own experience. "During the filming, Zheng Borui’s daughter also had a disease [tumor], and he was always in a state of beating his heart for his daughter. The character of Zhuo Jiajun is a person who loves movies and puts his own experience into movies."
In reality, as the father of two daughters, Guo Fucheng could empathize with this heavy fatherly love. "I put the mentality of being a father in reality and put more emphasis on the movie. He bears more responsibilities than ordinary fathers.
Refuse to repeat itself
"It’s right to work hard as an actor!"
"I haven’t filmed such a fight scene in five years," Guo Fucheng sighed about the super-high intensity of the action scenes in "Disconnected Network".Zhuo Jiajun, who he plays for most of the film, is in the extreme state of being chased and blocked by villains, sometimes fighting hand-to-hand in alleys, sometimes flashing on scaffolds, sometimes falling from the sky, landing heavily, and sometimes fighting in a room of less than a few square meters, hanging by a thread.
The audience was thrilled to see it, and the shooting process was equally thrilling. Guo Fucheng admitted that he was covered in bruises and sore after shooting every day. "After going home, he had to pretend that nothing had happened, saying’Dad is fine, ‘but his legs were already in pain."
Especially the scene where he had to pull the villain down by stepping on the broken glass, the risk factor was very high. "I’m not afraid of fists or swaggers, but that scene was the most thrilling, because you can’t control the glass, and it is very likely that the skin will be cut open after breaking."
In Guo Fucheng’s opinion, although there is a risk of injury, only by going into battle in person and punching to the flesh can the director meet the director’s requirements for "authenticity". This so-called "desperation" is also the actor’s job.
"I think it’s right to work hard as an actor. You should fight hard to achieve what the director wants, so that the audience can see the real fight."
Not only is it about breaking through oneself and challenging difficult action dramas, but "seeking innovation and change" has always been Guo Fucheng’s motto as an actor.
From early "idol" actors to those who gained mainstream recognition with other films, transforming into powerful characters, and then to the vivid characters in various police and gangster films, Guo Fucheng bluntly stated that the first criterion when choosing a role is not to repeat itself.
"I have two stages. On the stage of music, I only be myself and present the true side of Guo Fucheng to the audience, but on the stage of film, my pursuit is not to be Guo Fucheng, but to be a person (character) in the film," Guo Fucheng said. "I will definitely choose a role that I have not played before. I have no burden, have the courage to challenge, and am not afraid of failure."
"Favorites."
Along the way, Guo Fucheng has personally supported a large number of new directors, including Huang Qingxun, who has worked with him twice. He said that the most attractive thing about the new director is the drive of "the newborn calf is not afraid of the tiger", which also gives him more creative space.
Seeing these new directors grow up one after another, Guo Fucheng couldn’t help but secretly "itch", "They all have their own piece of sky, and sometimes they sit down and ask themselves, when will it be me!"
The seed of "director" had been germinating in Guo Fucheng’s heart for many years, and the script was constantly being polished. At present, it could be revealed that this would be a very comprehensive work.
Previously, it was reported that Guo Fucheng planned to fulfill his dream of directing before the age of 60. To this, he responded with a smile, "It’s not a matter of age. If you are someone who likes movies, even if you are in your 70s or 80s, as long as you have the ability and dream, you can do it!"