Hong Kong 1990: From stuntman to King of Kung Fu

Chapter 26 Hot Discussions and Benefits

The impact of "The Blade" was somewhat beyond Tang Long's imagination.

As the film continues to be released, more and more people are participating in discussions about "The Blade".

Li Zhuotao, former editor-in-chief of Film Biweekly, head of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, and president of the Hong Kong Film Critics Association, personally published a commentary in the latest issue of Film Biweekly:

Unlike the elegant and unrestrained style of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", "The Blade" presents a rare ruggedness, bloodshed and realism.

The visuals are dim and oppressive, the characters are dirty and rough, and the violent scenes are not concealed, giving it a strong cult film feel.

But it is the most authentic portrayal of the martial arts world and the most authentic depiction of society.

"The Blade" can be said to be a subversion of traditional martial arts films, quite different from "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer".

Calling it a new martial arts film is truly well-deserved...

The lengthy 500-word essay is a testament to the author's appreciation of "The Blade".

His film review and an article by Chen Zhiyue, a senior columnist for Film Biweekly, titled "The Real and Cruel Martial Arts World: Another Path for Hong Kong Martial Arts!"

This is seen as the greatest support and affirmation from critics for "The Blade".

Of course, for every person who approves, there will be someone who criticizes.

Tang Zhenzhao is a veteran film critic who has long served as a film program host on Hong Kong Radio. He is known for interpreting Hong Kong films from a socio-cultural perspective and also has extensive research on Japanese culture.

He held a negative attitude towards "The Blade".

"The story of 'The Blade' is chaotic, the clues are out of control, and the characters are underdeveloped."

The film is immersed in an extremely excited and angry mood from beginning to end, giving the audience no room to breathe.

The editing is so fast that it's hard to keep up with the plot, and it's even hard to tell who's who.

Most importantly, the entire film is filled with a kind of madness, conveying a very negative value system that will bring a very bad atmosphere to society.

Besides Tang Zhenzhao, Oriental Daily News, Tin Tin Daily News, and Sing Tao Daily all published criticisms of "The Blade" by film critics or columnists.

"The entire film is filled with unrestrained angry dialogue, hysterical shouting, and a noisy soundtrack, which completely ruins the charm of the movie."

"The film's style is violent, but its narrative approach is extremely artistic, creating a repressive and artistic tone that seems pretentious."

......

One side was led by *Film Biweekly* and *Ming Pao*, while the other side was spearheaded by *Oriental Daily News*, *Sing Tao Daily*, and *Tin Tin Daily News*.

Numerous film critics, directors, and even actors engaged in heated debates about the film "The Blade."

This has led to a continued rise in the popularity of "The Blade," and the film's box office has also increased accordingly.

After grossing HK$1.08 million on its opening day, the film's box office revenue continued to climb in the following days.

It grossed HK$8.2 million in the first seven days, a truly remarkable achievement.

So despite the ongoing debates outside, Tang Long and his companions were in a very good mood.

"Over eight million in the first week, so the movie's final box office could reach sixteen million?" Tang Long asked with some surprise.

In Hong Kong, apart from those blockbuster films whose box office performance defies expectations, most films typically achieve half of their total box office revenue in their opening week.

"Sixteen million is unlikely. This week, the controversy surrounding the film has attracted a lot of viewers, which is equivalent to overdrawing the box office potential."

Now that the hype is starting to fade, "The Blade" ultimately lacks both commercial appeal and entertainment value.

We need to be prepared that box office revenue may experience a precipitous drop in the near future.

"Xiaodong is right, don't have too high expectations. 'The Blade' should eventually only make around 13 million," Tang Jia added.

"Thirteen million is not bad either. Our initial target was only ten million Hong Kong dollars."

I have a question: Li Zhuotao has such a high status in the industry, why would she so unequivocally support our film?

The debate surrounding "The Blade" began to intensify with Li Zhuotao's film review.

Then the critics quickly followed up, and the situation escalated rapidly.

Therefore, the high popularity of "The Blade" is largely thanks to the other party.

Upon hearing this, Tang Jia and Cheng Xiaodong exchanged a glance, and the former replied:

"Li Zhuotao did so because Shao Daheng put in a good word for her."

"No wonder." Tang Long suddenly realized. "What about Chen Zhiyue?"

"I know Chen Zhiyue. He has always been a big fan of new martial arts films. He must have been impressed by 'The Blade' and wrote that report on his own initiative."

"Boss, what's the deal with Tang Zhenzhao and his group? Did you guys bribe them?"

"No, didn't you notice that the media outlets where these people published their comments were mostly entertainment-oriented newspapers like Oriental Daily and Tian Tian Daily?"

Perhaps these newspapers saw the buzz surrounding the topic and specifically commissioned them to write commentaries, which inadvertently helped us out.

"The newspaper gained in sales, we gained in box office revenue, and the audience gained the enjoyment of watching the drama unfold. It's a win-win situation for all three parties."

Tang Long was quite impressed, and at the same time gained a more direct understanding of Shao Daheng's influence.

It was precisely because Li Zhuotao, a well-known figure in the industry, made a comment that others were drawn into the fray.

Li Zhuotao holds a very high position in the industry, which none of the three of them can match.

He responded very enthusiastically to Shao Daheng's call.

Tang Long didn't even know if he really thought so highly of "The Blade".

This heated discussion about "The Blade" is friendly to everyone, but it's not so friendly to Tang Long.

Everyone focused on the movie itself, paying little attention to the actors.

Tang Long was the male lead in the film, but while the film was generating a lot of buzz, there was very little reporting about him.

He naturally wanted to be known by more people, and was somewhat frustrated by the situation.

However, "The Blade" is a movie that has generated a lot of discussion, and he is the male lead, so he has become somewhat familiar to the audience.

More importantly, he is recognized by many people in the industry, especially by Xu Ke.

Tang Lung has begun to make a name for himself in the Hong Kong film industry.

As Cheng Xiaodong predicted, the film's box office plummeted in its second week of release.

The daily box office dropped below one million, and in seven days it only grossed three million four hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars.

"The Blade" grossed HK$11.6 million in its first two weeks of release.

Debao Cinemas began to reduce screenings, which further squeezed the box office revenue of the films.

After "The Blade" was shown in theaters for another ten days, for a total of twenty-four days, it ultimately grossed HK$13.6 million.

With the film's run ending, Tang Long, Tang Jia, and Cheng Xiaodong all breathed a sigh of relief.

The three of them worked on this film project for more than four months.

"Ah Long, now that the movie has ended, have you written a new script?" Cheng Xiaodong asked with a smile.

Although filming "The Blade" was tiring, he found it very comfortable and enjoyable.

He felt that "The Blade" was the only film he could truly call his own.

Films like "A Chinese Ghost Story" and its sequel, as well as "Swordsman," are credited to him as director, but are generally considered to be his works.

Even he himself thought so.

Even without Tsui Hark's involvement, the industry and beyond have been impressed by his directing abilities in "The Blade".

Therefore, Cheng Xiaodong actually hopes to continue cooperating with Tang Long.

"Boss, the script will definitely be rewritten. Right now, I just want to know how much of the profits from 'The Blade' will be ours."