Although “House of Flying Daggers” has some shortcomings in terms of plot, the hype brought about by events such as Catherine’s ostentatious behavior at the premiere did play a real role. The number of screenings on the first day increased significantly, and theaters have made more time for it, hoping to make a fortune from this popularity.

The box office also rose accordingly, and the pre-sale situation was even more impressive, presenting a hot scene.

According to estimates by professional organizations, the box office is expected to exceed 3 million yuan. This figure surprised many people and also gave Zhang Yimou hope of making a profit.

However, in terms of film ratings, the situation is not optimistic. On the first day of its release, it received a score of only 7 points, which is only considered average among many movies.

Moreover, based on past experience, as more audiences watch the film and give their reviews, this score will most likely continue to decline. After all, the film’s flaws in plot logic, character creation, etc., will make it difficult to satisfy all audiences.

Considering all factors, the box office will not be much different from the original time and space. It cannot reach the heights of “Hero” and cannot win the 2004 mainland annual box office champion.

Shen Lang no longer paid attention to this as he had his own things to do, but he asked someone to send two songs about kung fu to Zhang Yimou.

He now has saved a lot of songs. Once he has time, he will go to the recording studio to record the audio of these songs in advance. This will save a lot of time and energy in the future.

In fact, there are more than just these two songs related to Kung Fu, but after careful screening and consideration, he believes that the two songs “Huo Yuanjia” and “Da Xia (original name: Zhou Da Xia)” will better meet Zhang Yimou’s requirements in terms of music style, lyrics and overall style and atmosphere.

Zhang Yimou had previously made a plan for Athens Eight Minutes, but his superiors kept asking him to revise it. The main reason was that the three programs were too traditional and lacked modern elements, making them seem a bit monotonous and old-fashioned.

These two songs skillfully combine Chinese style with modern style.

“Huo Yuanjia” shows the profoundness of Chinese martial arts and national spirit with its passionate melody and profound lyrics;

“Da Xia (original name: Zhou Da Xia)” has a brisk rhythm and is full of vitality. It perfectly combines modern music elements with martial arts culture, injecting new vitality into the traditional kung fu theme.

Theoretically, it can add highlights to Zhang Yimou’s planning scheme and bring new breakthroughs.

“Huo huo huo huo, huo huo huo, the Huo family boxing moves are flexible, live live live, live live live, live life should be spent completely…”

“I don’t sell tofu, tofu. What I learned in the martial arts school is called Kung Fu, Kung Fu, Kung Fu. Hurry up and put on the cheongsam, otherwise you will say that I am taking advantage of you…”

After listening to this, Zhang Yimou fell into deep thought.

Both songs are fast songs with beautiful melody, rich charm and strong penetration.

The lyrics and melody are typical of Shen Lang’s style, simplifying the complex and making light of heavy things. There are R&B, super fast rap, and a little hip-hop, just like humming along with the nodes of Kung Fu punches and kicks.

Zhang Yimou repeatedly sketched the scene of these two songs and the program performed together in his mind. It turns out that there is such a unique flavor of perfect fusion of tradition and modernity.

But soon, his expression turned serious again, and he thought to himself: Can this lyric really be performed on the stage of the closing ceremony of the Olympics? Can such an expression show the culture and spirit of China to the world?
After careful consideration, the song “Hero” was quickly rejected. Although its lyrics were full of fun and creativity, the depth and solemnity of its expression did not quite meet the requirements of such an important occasion as the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.

Let’s look at another song “Huo Yuanjia”. Huo Yuanjia was a famous patriotic martial artist in the late Qing Dynasty. With the courage and spirit of “using martial arts to protect the country and strengthen the race”, he founded the “Huaxia Jingwu Gymnastics Association”. The song cleverly tells the story of Huo Yuanjia and expresses the sincere praise for the spirit of self-improvement, patriotism, noble martial arts, cultural heritage and the pursuit of dreams. Isn’t that just right?

“That’s it!”

Zhang Yimou’s eyes were determined and he made the decision without hesitation.

Afterwards, he quickly called Shen Lang to express his recognition and gratitude for the song “Huo Yuanjia”, and also briefly communicated some subsequent ideas and arrangements.

After hanging up the phone, he immediately gathered the actors participating in the “Kung Fu” program.

An hour later, in the spacious and bright dance rehearsal room.

“What edition is this?”

“I can’t even count them all.”

“I hope it can pass sooner rather than get cut off while waiting in line.”

“please do not!”

“I also want to be in the Olympics. That’s a performance that represents China.”

“Everyone be serious later!”

……

None of the nine martial arts actors wanted to miss such a rare opportunity.

Not long after, Zhang Yimou came in, looking serious and earnest. He swept his eyes over each martial arts actor in turn, “I know this is an extremely rare opportunity for you. It is also of great significance to me and our entire team. The closing ceremony of the Olympic Games is a stage that attracts global attention. The eyes of the world will be focused on it. We will use this stage to show the world the charm of Chinese Kung Fu and the profoundness of our Chinese culture.”

The actors all stood up straight and listened to Zhang Yimou’s speech attentively, with determination and desire in their eyes.

“Let me first say that your program will include a song performance, and the song will be sung by Shen Lang.” Zhang Yimou paused, then continued, “I think everyone is familiar with Shen Lang. His talent is obvious to all. This time, he created “Huo Yuanjia” for us, and I believe it will add a lot of color to our program.”

When they heard Shen Lang’s name, excitement showed on the actors’ faces.

One of the young actors couldn’t help but say, “Director Zhang, I’ve heard all of Brother Lang’s songs. I’m so excited to be working with him.”

Another actor chimed in: “Yeah, I’ve always liked Brother Lang too.”

Zhang Yimou nodded slightly, with a gratified smile on his face: “I hope you can cherish this opportunity. In the next rehearsal, you must perfectly integrate the song and martial arts movements. The rhythm and melody of the music must serve as a guide for your movements, so that kung fu and music complement each other and show a unique charm.”

The team leader said confidently, “Director Zhang, don’t worry, we will work hard!”

Zhang Yimou nodded and said, “Okay, Shen Lang will be here in a while. You guys should familiarize yourself with the song first and feel the rhythm and emotions in it.” After that, he signaled the staff to play the music of “Huo Yuanjia”.

As the passionate melody sounded, the actors closed their eyes and listened quietly. Some swayed their bodies gently, trying to keep up with the rhythm of the music, while others conceived corresponding martial arts moves in their minds.

After the music ended, Zhang Yimou called the music director and martial arts director to start choreographing the actions with the actors.

At the beginning, everyone’s coordination with the song was not coordinated enough, but no one was discouraged and they practiced over and over again.

“Pay attention to the strength and rhythm of the movements, and make sure they match the song perfectly!”

Zhang Yimou reminded the actors loudly. Under his command, the actors kept repeating the rehearsal. Their clothes were soaked with sweat, but no one complained of being tired. Everyone understood that this was a rare opportunity. Only by going all out could they show their best on the stage of the Olympic closing ceremony and showcase the elegance of Chinese Kung Fu.

After returning from lunch, the spacious dance rehearsal room was filled with an atmosphere of tension and anticipation.

The actors gathered in twos and threes, discussing the results of the morning rehearsal in a low voice. Their faces showed both the satisfaction of completing the preliminary arrangement and the expectation of working with Shen Lang. At this moment, Shen Lang appeared at the door of the rehearsal room. He was wearing a casual but fashionable sportswear, with a gentle smile on his face and confidence and calmness in his eyes.

The actors all stood up and greeted him enthusiastically: “Hello, Brother Lang!”

Shen Lang smiled and waved his hand, saying, “Hello.”

Zhang Yimou also stepped forward and said, “The movements we choreographed this morning are quite suitable for your song. Let them show you later.”

Then, the actors took their positions and began their performance.

They were in high spirits, with determined eyes. Following the rhythm of the music, their moves were sometimes as swift as a tiger descending from a mountain, and sometimes as agile as a dragon playing in the water. Their boxing, palm and leg techniques coordinated with each other, combining both hardness and softness, showing the charm of Chinese Kung Fu to the fullest.

Shen Lang stood aside, watching the actors’ performance intently, with surprise in his eyes. As expected of a national master’s team, they put together such a complete program in just one morning. After the performance, he was the first to applaud and said with a smile, “It was wonderful. The movements and songs were well coordinated.”

“However, I do have some small suggestions.” He changed the subject and continued, “In some details, such as the amplitude and intensity of the movements, you can enrich them a little more. When the tempo of the song speeds up, the speed and strength of the movements can also be increased accordingly. This will better highlight the momentum of the song. Also, in terms of facial expression management, everyone can be more involved and let the audience feel your love for kung fu and your passion for performance.”

The actors nodded and listened carefully to Shen Lang’s suggestions.

Zhang Yimou also said: “Xiao Shen’s suggestions are very pertinent. Everyone should remember them. Next, we will rehearse a few more times to perfect these details.”

This time, Shen Lang joined the rehearsal.

With everyone’s joint efforts, the performances became better and better, the movements became more smooth and natural, and the integration with the songs became more perfect.

Time passed by unknowingly, and the afterglow of the setting sun poured into the rehearsal room through the window, covering the entire room with a layer of golden glow.

After an afternoon of rehearsal, although the actors were very tired, their faces were filled with satisfied smiles.

They knew that they were one step closer to a wonderful performance at the closing ceremony of the Olympics, and Shen Lang’s joining made them full of confidence in this performance.

Zhang Yimou looked at the time and said, “Everyone has worked hard today. Go back and have a good rest. We will continue rehearsing tomorrow and strive to make the show perfect.”

The actors said in unison: “Good!”

Afterwards, everyone left the rehearsal room one after another, while Shen Lang and Zhang Yimou stayed in the room and continued to discuss some details of the program.

A week passed in a flash. One day, the sun was shining brightly and the leaders from above came to the rehearsal room.

The actors had made preparations early on, and they were all in high spirits, with a hint of nervousness and anticipation in their eyes.

Shen Lang was also standing by, ready to go. He was very confident about this show, but he did not dare to slack off at all.

The leader sat down in the front row of the rehearsal room. Zhang Yimou walked up and briefly introduced the general situation of the program and the results of the rehearsal during this period.

Then, the performance began.

Shen Lang’s singing voice came through the sound equipment, full of penetrating and infectious power, complementing the actors’ martial arts performances.

The entire rehearsal room was filled with a passionate atmosphere, making people feel as if they were in a fierce kung fu showdown.

During the performance, the leaders stared at the stage intently with focused expressions.

They nodded from time to time with expressions of appreciation on their faces, but sometimes they frowned slightly, as if they were dissatisfied with something.

Zhang Yimou, on the other side, nervously observed the leader’s reaction and prayed silently in his heart that the program would go smoothly.

He couldn’t stand the torture anymore.

When the last movement ended and the music gradually faded away, the actors stood in a row neatly, waiting for the leader’s evaluation.

After a brief silence, a leader started to applaud first, followed by others, and the applause echoed in the rehearsal room for a long time.

“Very exciting!” A leader smiled and said, “Your performance fully demonstrated the charm of Chinese Kung Fu. The coordination between the song and the martial arts movements was also very perfect. It can be seen that everyone has put in a lot of effort.”

Hearing these words, the actors immediately showed happy smiles on their faces. The fatigue and pressure of the past week seemed to disappear at this moment.

Zhang Yimou also breathed a sigh of relief, a gratified smile on his face.

“However, there are still some small details that can be optimized.” Another leader continued, “For example, the continuity of some movements can be strengthened to make the whole performance more smooth and natural. In addition, some fine-tuning can be done in terms of stage movement to make the picture more beautiful.”

In fact, the requirements from the top are not harsh or tricky, but are based on a comprehensive consideration of the entire program.

Zhang Yimou divided the short 8-minute performance into three programs. The first program was about 2 and a half minutes, which was a performance of “Jasmine Flower” by pipa, erhu and hand drum; the second program was about 3 minutes, with 1 and a half minutes of kung fu performance and 1 and a half minutes of Peking Opera performance; the third program was about 2 and a half minutes, with a little girl singing “Jasmine Flower”.

Looking at these three programs, although they each have their own characteristics, they seem to be integrated into one, and they are all presentations of traditional art.

However, the idea of ​​the top management is simple and clear, which is to integrate modern elements while showing the charm of traditional culture, so as to fully demonstrate the modern, fashionable and vibrant new side of the city of Yanjing.

This time, Shen Lang brought an innovative combination of rap songs and traditional martial arts. The fast-paced rap and the soft and hard martial arts set off each other. It not only retained the essence of traditional martial arts, but also gave it the vitality and passion of modern music. It just cleverly met the requirements of the upper level to incorporate modern elements into the program, and injected new vitality and contemporary atmosphere into the entire program, which also met their requirements.

Zhang Yimou said modestly: “Thank you for the guidance of all the leaders. We will definitely make improvements according to the requirements to ensure the most perfect performance at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.”

The leader said with satisfaction: “Okay, then I look forward to your wonderful performance at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.”

Shen Lang didn’t say much the whole time; he just came to help.

After seeing off the leader, Zhang Yimou came back with a look of sincere gratitude in his eyes. He said, “Xiao Shen, you don’t know that I have been under a lot of pressure since the beginning of planning this program. The higher-ups have very high requirements for the program. It must reflect Chinese characteristics and have modern elements. However, the plans I prepared before have not satisfied them very much.”

He paused, recalling his previous troubles, with a helpless look on his face. “Those traditional program formats, although they have charm, lack innovation and vitality. Adding too many modern elements will easily lose the essence of Chinese culture. I have been unable to find a good balance until you gave me these two songs, especially “Huo Yuanjia”, which immediately gave me inspiration and made me see new possibilities for this program.”

Shen Lang nodded to show his understanding and said, “Chinese culture is extensive and profound. It is not easy to present it perfectly in a program of just a few minutes.”

Zhang Yimou felt relieved and said, “Thanks to you this time. If it weren’t for the song you created and your help and guidance during this period, the show wouldn’t have such a good effect.”

Shen Lang smiled and waved his hand, saying, “Director Zhang, you are too polite. I just did what I could.”

After saying this, the two looked at each other and smiled. (End of this chapter)