This is a series of short articles by the same author which will be a 6 part analysis on Xiao Zhan’s various roles.
- Part 1.1 – Wei Wuxian
- Part 1.2 – Wei Wuxian
- Part 1.3 – Wei Wuxian
- Part 2.1 – Yan Bingyun
- Part 3.1 – Period Dramas
- Part 3.2 – Period Dramas
Original Article: https://www.weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404476606478418045
Original Author: 诗债累累
In traditional Chinese opera, roles are determined by the following types:
- 生 Sheng – Gentleman
- 旦 Dan – Lady
- 净 Jing – Warrior
- 末 Mo – Wise Elderly
- 丑 Chou – Comedian
Each of this archetypes represent an iconic character, and these characters usually have the ability to progress the storyline as well as stir up the audience’s emotions. We will focus on Sheng today in our analysis.
Nowadays, when we speak of Sheng, we usually refer to a young male actor. While it appears to be limited by age, the archetype Sheng actually encompasses most of the roles available to male actors.
In terms of the roles available to a male actor, it refers to the standard types of performances and scripted circumstances in the role. With this, we are usually able to determine the usual tropes that can occur in the script, and how the actors should react.
Contemporary dramas are not as detailed or compartmentalized as traditional Chinese opera, but in terms of character creation, we can use opera archetypes to provide examples:
For period dramas (as opposed to contemporary dramas), their difficulty lies in realism. Contemporary dramas could follow the classic theory of studying life > experiencing life > displaying life to create the performance. The actors could observe life details, be inspired, record these emotional experiences, and reuse these emotions on screen in order to allow audiences to be able to relate to the performance and hence generate sympathetic response.
Period dramas in China need to fulfill the rules and customs of the timeline in which the story was set in and project that era as reality. Performances need to create realism within that logic, and on top of that, popular dramas also have to create aspirations beyond the depicted era, so this needs to be added as another layer in the performance.
Previously, I used a table to summarize Xiao Zhan’s roles, and I have recreated it below:
| Character | Feature | Emotion | Appearance | Relation | Inner Self |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beitang Moran | Military Power Regent | Restrained | Noble, discreet | Diplomatic | Apathetic |
| Wei Wuxian | Intelligent Strongest Cultivator | High strung | Energetic | Teasing Sharp | Unyielding |
| Yan Bingyun | Elite Nation-minded | Restrained | Cold, acute | Concise | Righteousness |
| Zhang Xiaofan | Kind, sincere Tragic background | Direct | Warm, simple | Simple, straightforward | Confused |
There are four different body movements in period drama performances – relaxed, overall, modus, aesthetic:
(1) Relaxed
Even if the theme of the drama can be heavy, when performing, the actor will need to be able to stay relaxed in the delivery of his lines, movements and facial expressions, etc. For example, when Wei Wuxian was being chastised in Never Night City, he remained relaxed and this contrast elevated the severity of the situation, where the lines between good and evil have been blurred. Another example, when Fan Xian rescued Yan Bingyun, his movements remained relaxed while his mind was in overdrive, analyzing the situation – Was Fan Xian here to rescue him? Could Fan Xian actually be a traitor, and were there anyone else in cahoots with him? Was his teacher, Fei Jie, actually being used by him?
(2) Overall
Every role has its own set of movements and lines, with introduction, body and conclusion. Even if the character is not part of the main scene, he will need to stay in character, for example, when Wei Wuxian was having classes in Cloud Recess, even when the camera panned past him, he would be seen seated ungracefully. Another example, when Zhang Xiaofan’s teacher wanted to test his skills during meal time, all of his fellow disciples assisted him – this was repeated at the end of movie when all of his fellow disciples tried to assist him by bringing him back to his senses.
(3) Modus
An actor needs to be in control of his character’s styling, strength and tact, and always stay in control. For example, Beitang Moran was a general with military power despite his youth, but he always remembered his station, as well as maintained his job as the main antagonist. Such tact is required during performance. Another example, Zhang Xiaofan’s naivety – he remained ignorant of the strength he wielded in the stick, and hence he never held it tightly and always tossed it around as if it was any other normal stick.
(4) Aesthetic
Any character will need to be created as a piece of art, and not copied from a stereotypical character or referenced from some kind of archetype character. For example, Beitang Moran could have been acted as a typical court official with great power, but instead, the character was portrayed as a character who did not care for power, as his power was only beneath that of the Emperor. Wei Wuxian looked like someone who did not care for much, but underneath his smiles and carefree nature, he was actually someone who would persist on doing what was right. Yan Bingyun focused on the righteousness and the nation, but he was also someone who could be negotiated and convinced, as long as it did not clash with his principles. Zhang Xiaofan might seem to be direct and innocent, but he remained faithful to the oath of secrecy and refused to speak of it. These unity of opposites fleshed out the characters’ aesthetics.
Conclusion
The above four points required good control of movements, emotions and expressions, and period dramas gave Xiao Zhan a good opportunity and space to learn and unleash his acting skills. There are technical skills required in utilizing these theories, and to become a “lookalike” to a character is not easy. We hope that we can see him creating his own performance art as he stars in more period drama roles.
Lastly, many thanks to @颜阿帧 for editing the pictures and providing them for this article.