If you want to understand Romance, you must clarify these 18 relationships.

《The Wasted Times"has a complex network of people.

1905Film network feature　　If it’s a gluttonous feast, it’s more like a pot of fragrant tea with a strong taste, which is sweet after swallowing, and tastes better after soaking (watching) for the second time.

　

The film is about the fate of a group of people in old Shanghai in 1930s and 1940s. Gangster violence is mixed with romantic tenderness. Romanticism represents not only love, but also a chaotic but free old time. When Uncle Ge said slowly, "I sometimes think of you, you should be in the north", the meaning of death was embarrassing.

　

Many people say that "The Romance of Death" is a film that challenges the audience, because its non-linear narrative structure looks messy, not only with many time points, but also with many characters in the film, and some people who have never appeared but have been mentioned many times (such as Mr. Dai). Each character’s appearance time is not too long, and each story seems to be independent, but when you finish watching the movie and put them together in your mind, you will feel that everything is so complete and harmonious.

　

The Relationship Diagram of Romanticism

Movies are the art of editing, and Romantic is a film that exudes the charm of editing. Of course, to understand it, you need to know these characters and clarify the relationship between the 18 characters in the picture.

　

Mr. Lu (Ge You)

Identity: gangster

　

Mr. Lu’s prototype is Du Yuesheng

Mr. Lu, played by Ge You, is a gangster who is all-powerful in Shanghai. The archetypes of Mr. Lu, Mr. Wang (Dahong Ni) and Mr. Zhang (Ma Xiaowei) in history are the famous "three tycoons" in Shanghai — — Du Yuesheng, Huang Jinrong and Zhang Xiaolin.

　

In the movie, Mr. Lu has a loyal concubine, Xiao Wu (Gillian), and there is a restrained ambiguity between him and Xiao Liu (Zhang Ziyi).

　

Ge You has an affair with Zhang Ziyi and Gillian in the play.

In the film, Uncle Ge abandoned the audience’s familiarity with his bald image, and inch plate and his gown brought him back to old Shanghai. Mr. Lu was gentle in appearance, but ruthless in doing things. After the fall of Shanghai, Mr. Lu refused to win over the Japanese, and his family and cronies (Ma Zi played by Du Jiang and housekeeper played by NI YAN) were killed. He escaped from an assassination and retreated to Chongqing during the war. After the war, he dealt with his "brother-in-law" who betrayed him and then moved to Hong Kong.

　

After the war, Mr. Lu moved to Hong Kong alone.

Before leaving, he returned to his former mansion with his box, which was already desolate.

　

Watanabe (Tadanobu Asano)

Identity: Mr. Lu’s Japanese brother-in-law

　

Tadanobu Asano first appeared as a Shanghainese in the film.

Tadanobu Asano, who first appeared in the audience’s field of vision, is Mr. Lu’s brother-in-law. He has a beautiful Shanghai wife and two lovely sons. Watanabe is from Japan, but he wears a gown and speaks authentic Shanghainese. He talks and laughs with Mr. Lu and Mr. Zhang at the mahjong table. He says he is from Shanghai. At the poker table, when asked "What should I do if the Japanese really come in?", Watanabe replied without thinking: "I must protect Shanghai and fight hard with them."

　

In order to be more like Chinese, he married Chinese and spoke fluent Shanghainese.

Watanabe also opened a Japanese restaurant in Shanghai, where he changed into Japanese clothes, carefully cut sashimi, and talked to cats in Japanese, which seemed infinitely gentle. However, when the audience saw the second part and pieced together these timelines, they realized that Watanabe was a spy.

　

It is thought-provoking to manage the scenes of Japanese food shops.

He talked about protecting Shanghai, caring for his wife and children, feeding cats leisurely, and planning to kill Mr. Lu with the Japanese. He promised to help Mr. Lu send Xiao Liu to the north, but on the way, Japanese military vehicles and bright lights aroused his desire. She raped Xiao Liu in the car and took her back to Shanghai to be detained in the basement. In an assassination, Watanabe "let go" Mr. Lu and later changed his identity by playing dead.

　

A few years later, in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines, Watanabe was found by Mr. Lu. He saw his son killed with his own eyes, and he himself was killed by a small six gun.

　

Xiaoliu (Zhang Ziyi)

Identity: social butterfly

　

Zhang Ziyi plays a female star in the film.

Xiaoliu is a character who has no clear contrast prototype in history. In the film, she and Mr. Wang, the boss played by Dahong Ni, are husband and wife, but she is unwilling to be lonely and yearn for freedom, and only wants to be a superficial anthomaniac. On her first appearance, Xiaoliu danced with the dance teacher (Wallace Chung).

　

I fell in love with the actor Mr. Zhao for the first time.

In order to save the boss’s face, Mr. Lu let Xiaoliu stop showing off and promised to arrange a movie for her. In the process of acting in the movie, she hooked up with the big star Mr. Zhao (Han Geng). These two people who angered the boss were arranged to be sent out of Shanghai. On the way, Mr. Zhao was killed by Watanabe’s gun, and Xiaoliu was raped by Watanabe and brought back to Shanghai. She was humiliated, and she changed from a social butterfly with heavy makeup at first to a deadpan woman.

　

Xiaoliu flits between several men in the film.

Many years ago, Xiao Liu excitedly told everyone about her experience in the audition. She asked the director, "How did I die, suicide or homicide?" But the director clearly had a script, but after thinking for a long time, he didn’t know it. Xiao Liu’s own understanding was, "I may not have died, but I survived after thousands of hardships."

　

Finally, she killed Watanabe, who abused herself.

In the end, as Xiaoliu herself said, she survived many hardships and finally killed Watanabe herself.

　

Xiaowu (Gillian)

Identity: Mr. Lu’s concubine

　

Gillian appeared as a retro beauty.

Xiao Wu is a neglected but loyal concubine. Her scenes are few, but impressive. Xiaowuben is a dancer from humble origins. Because of Mr. Lu, she has lived a better life, so she is full of kindness and affection for Mr. Lu, and she is loyal even if she is left out.

　

It turned out to be Miss Wu’s little five, and she was grateful to Mr. Lu.

After the war broke out, Mr. Lu sent the coachman (Du Chun) to kill Mr. Zhang, the second brother of treason. Mr. Lu called Xiaowu just to ask her to help him get a pass, but she was determined to help Mr. Lu kill people. Because of Xiao Wu’s help and sacrifice, the driver successfully killed the second brother.

　

The final outcome of Xiaowu is very tragic.

It is romantic to give your life for your lover.

　

The coachman (Du Chun) & Wang Ma (NI YAN)

Identity: Mr. Lu’s right-hand man

　

The coachman played by Du Chun is the man behind Mr. Lu.

"The coachman and the killer are both professions that send people on the road." This is the annotation of Du Chun’s role. He is a coachman on the surface, but in fact he is a cold-blooded killer who only collects transportation fees. The coachman is Mr. Lu’s "man behind him". He has a cold expression and almost no lines, but he is the only person who accompanies Mr. Lu from beginning to end in the whole movie.

　

Wang Ma is a profound and unpredictable person.

At the beginning of the movie, Mr. Lu warned the men at the poker table "Don’t mess with Wang Ma". Wang Ma is Mr. Lu’s housekeeper. She dresses simply, but she is an unfathomable and powerful person. Before being killed by the Japanese, she was in charge of the internal affairs of the whole gangster family, and she also introduced such "talents" as coachman to Mr. Lu.

　

When a shot was fired, many viewers thought that Wang Ma was lucky enough to avoid the bullet when she ran to the corridor. In fact, after being shot, she steadily walked into the house, put down the key and chose to sit and die, even if she died, she would have great dignity.

　

Messenger (Eric Wang and Du Jiang) & Prostitute (Huo Siyan)

Identity: messenger and prostitute

　

Eric Wang and Du Jiang play Mr. Lu’s men.

The roles played by Eric Wang and Du Jiang have no names, and they are both foes under Mr. Lu. They are young and fearless, working for Mr. Lu to kill people, and they are also "good friends". When they first appeared, Du Jiang finished his pancake fruit, and Eric Wang handed the rest to Du Jiang, taking good care of his younger brother.

　

Huo Siyan and Du Jiang have subtle feelings in the film.

On the way to work, the two chatted. Eric Wang, the "old driver", began to inquire about Du Jiang’s emotional situation and actively tried to help him "lose his virginity". On the day when Mr. Lu was ambushed, the messenger played by Eric Wang was killed, and Du Jiang, who was under his pressure, escaped. He found a prostitute with the key given to him by Eric Wang, and the two later developed feelings.

　

Miss Wu (Yolanda) and Miss Wu’s husband (Lv Xing)

Identity: big star and husband

　

Yolanda and Lv Xing play a star couple who are far apart from each other.

Miss Wu is a glamorous movie queen in the film, but she was abandoned by her husband. The prototype of this role is Hu Die, the movie queen in the Republic of China. In the film, she treats her husband wholeheartedly (played by Lv Xing), but she is betrayed by her husband. When her husband is caught cheating, Miss Wu asks Mr. Lu for help, and Mr. Lu asks Mr. Dai for help. Because of this, Mr. Dai took a fancy to Miss Wu. She wanted to refuse, but her husband accepted the benefits given by Mr. Dai and chose to leave her.

　

Miss Wu’s prototype is Hu Die

It is worth mentioning that Miss Wu said a line worth pondering in the film, talking about the film she played. Miss Wu said, "The director didn’t want us to understand. This is an art film, which is for people in the next century.