As soon as the movie ended, the applause in the cinema hall was like a faucet that had been turned on, gushing non-stop.
For those film critics, this movie was simply an inexhaustible treasure mine; there was an endless amount of material to delve into!
Interpreting this movie from various angles was as easy as playing a game for them.
However, these guys were all very clever; they knew perfectly well that if they wrote too deeply, they might not gain popularity and would be restricted themselves, which would be a huge loss!
So, when writing film reviews, they all walked on a tightrope, carefully balancing their words.
But no matter what, this movie gave them a super big surprise, directly stunning them!
Once this movie was released, who would dare to say that Su Yu's script lacked depth?
Its connotations and metaphors were as profound as a cosmic black hole, incredibly deep!
As soon as the first batch of premiere audiences, film critics, and media personnel left, the internet immediately exploded, and film reviews about “let the bullets fly” poured out like snowflakes.
“The movie 'let the bullets fly' is absolutely packed with cultural metaphors.
The layout of Goose City and the blockhouse architecture in the film are like a mirror, clearly reflecting the social strata and power structure of a specific era.
Zhang Mazi, this “bandit,” is simply a hybrid of a grassroots hero and a revolutionary, a living hammer that breaks traditional order.
Huang Silang’s “blockhouse” is the old lair of feudal forces; it looks solid, but inside it's already rotten like a smelly apple.
Through these metaphors, the film uses a small perspective to fully display the cultural conflicts and clashes during a great era of change, making people clap their thighs and fall into deep thought.”
“The film’s black humor is like sticky chewing gum, running through the entire movie.
The bandits robbing a train and surprisingly getting a county magistrate’s appointment letter is such an absurd plot that it makes people laugh like pigs.
Huang Silang and Zhang Mazi have multiple confrontations; on the surface, they are talking and laughing like good friends, but in reality, there are undercurrents, like a big shark hidden beneath a calm lake.
For example, in the Hongmen Banquet scene, they go back and forth, using humor to easily defuse the tension, and at the same time, severely satirizing reality.
This black humor is not only a mockery of the absurdities of the old era but also makes the audience laugh until they cry while feeling the film's sharpness, experiencing the helplessness and cruelty of reality amidst the absurdity; it's absolutely brilliant!”
“The soundtrack truly added a lot of points to the film, like adding a layer of delicious cream to a cake.
The lyrics of “Farewell” are so flavorful; Su Yu’s songwriting ability is simply an invincible war god, everyone has to admit it.
The opening song “The Sun Also Rises” is incredibly passionate and enthusiastic, combined with the spectacular scene of horses pulling a train, it's like a pair of big hands grabbing the audience’s eyes, instantly setting a passionate and unrestrained tone for the film.
In the battle scenes, the dense drum beats in the music are like pounding on one's heart, maximizing the tension, making the audience feel as if they are personally on the battlefield.
The soundtrack for the lyrical segments, on the other hand, perfectly brings out the characters’ emotions, like dressing their emotions in beautiful clothes.
The soundtrack and visuals are as tightly knit as conjoined twins, either driving the plot or setting the mood, making the film's appeal and expressiveness soar, truly one of the key elements for the film's success.”
“The character relationships are incredibly complex, like a tangled mess, yet a fascinating one.
Zhang Mazi and Tang the Advisor, from initially using each other to later depending on each other, have both conflicts of interest and a subtle friendship, like two frenemies.
Zhang Mazi and Huang Silang represent good versus evil, yet they are evenly matched opponents; their contest is like a thrilling boxing match, pushing the plot to climax again and again.
The relationships between characters like Liu Zi, the wife, and Sister Hua with the main cast enrich the emotional layers of the characters, like adding many seasonings to a dish, making it more flavorful.
These character relationships are not simply black and white but full of contradictions and changes, vividly displaying the complexity of human nature, making the entire story more tense, like a balloon blown full, incredibly deep.”
Su Yu looked at the incredibly popular film reviews, and the taut string in his heart finally loosened.
He also knew that some sharp, deeply insightful film reviews hadn't appeared, but the current situation was completely sufficient.
The opening score of “let the bullets fly” was directly heaven-defying, soaring to 9.2 points!
Looking at “the breakup guru,” which finished earlier than “let the bullets fly,” its opening score was only 7.6 points, and its discussion and popularity were simply dwarfed by “let the bullets fly,” lagging far behind.
Most comments about “the breakup guru” were simply that it was relaxing and funny, with jokes that weren't forced or awkward, an excellent comedy film above average, and that was about it.
Both Deng Yue and Su Yu were extremely satisfied with this result, and now they were eagerly waiting for the first-day box office results of both movies to see if they could meet their expectations.
...
While Su Yu and the others were anxiously waiting for the first-day box office results of the two movies, Ma Da, after his own movie's premiere, ran to the adjacent “let the bullets fly” screening hall like a curious baby.
Actually, he had heard some things about this movie from Old Man Ge, after all, the protagonist of his movie was Old Man Ge.
But how the movie was actually made and whether the plot was as divine as Old Man Ge said, he still had to see it with his own eyes to feel at ease.
When he came out of the cinema hall, he was completely stunned, silent, and walked somewhat unsteadily, as if he had lost his soul.
With his professional eye as a great director, he naturally understood at a glance what story this movie was telling.
The metaphors in the movie, for someone his age, were as easy to see through as child's play.
It was precisely because he understood that he more profoundly realized how terrifying the collaboration between Su Yu and Zhang Guoshi was this time!
Even audiences who couldn't understand anything could be thrilled by the humorous plot and enjoy it immensely, like drinking a large glass of iced cola, refreshing to the core.
This movie was so masculine, like an extremely strong liquor, very potent, making people feel tipsy just by watching it.
This movie was simply an audience “magnet,” capable of firmly grabbing the audience’s hearts and making them deeply immersed and unable to extricate themselves.
There was an audience member in front of him who, after watching it for the first time, seemed to be under a spell and immediately went to buy tickets for a later showing, muttering that there were many parts he didn't understand and needed to watch it again.
My goodness, watch it again?
Can't you just calm down and go watch the movie he directed? A change of pace would be good too!
Ma Da knew in his heart that there must be many audience members like the one in front of him, and that was the most critical part.
Now what? How would the Spring Festival box office battle be fought? It felt like the outcome had already been decided on the first day!
As time came to midnight on February 1st, the box office results for the first day of the Lunar New Year were hotly released.
Unsurprisingly, “let the bullets fly,” directed by Zhang Guoshi, proudly led the Spring Festival box office chart with 175 million yuan.
The second place was Ma Da's new work, “high customization,” but its box office was only over 73 million yuan.
The third place was “the breakup guru,” directed and starred by Deng Yue, which also had 69 million yuan in box office.
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