Combining creativity and touching emotions

/ Encountering God in Society and Culture / Talking about the TV series "Nirvana in Fire"

The TV series "Nirvana in Fire" is adapted from the online novel of the same name by writer Hai Yan. It is written by the author himself and produced by Shandong Film and Television Media Group. When it premiered in September 2015, the ratings were mediocre. However, as the plot developed and fans worked together to recommend it on the Internet, good reviews gradually swept in like a tide, and the ratings climbed steadily, triggering heated discussions and responses. It is known as One of the best TV series in recent years.

This fictional drama is set in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. The male protagonist Mei Changsu, whose real name is Lin Shu (played by Hu Ge), was born in the century-old handsome mansion of the Liang Kingdom. He is the nephew of the current emperor. He has been extremely smart and cheerful since he was a child. At the age of seventeen, he became the commander of the "Red Flame Army" handsome. At the age of 19, when he led 70,000 elite troops to Da Yu with his father Lin Xie, the commander-in-chief, Lin Xie and Prince Qi were falsely accused by powerful officials of conspiring to rebel.

▲Promotion poster.

When the emperor was young, he was a close friend of Lin Xie. However, due to suspicion and jealousy, he believed the words of his powerful ministers and ordered the death of King Qi. He also sent troops to kill the 70,000 "Red Flame Army" who had just fought hard to defeat the enemy. Before Lin Shu fell into the valley, Lin Xie told him to stay alive for the "Red Flame Army".

Lin Shu escaped by chance, but was poisoned by "fire and cold poison". With the help of the old pavilion master of "Langya Pavilion", he endured the pain of skin peeling and bone crushing. His appearance was completely changed, his breath was completely destroyed, and he became frail and sickly from then on.

He changed his name to Mei Changsu and established the "Jiangzuo Alliance". After twelve years of planning, he returned to the capital, hiding his true identity, and acted as a counselor to assist his friend Prince Jing in seizing the heir, setting up a trap to induce powerful officials to expose their past evil deeds. He also joined forces with Prince Jing to make a plan and asked the emperor who made a big mistake back then to issue an order to find out the truth and restore the innocence of Prince Qi, the Lin family, and the "Red Flame Army".

▲The TV series "Nirvana in Fire" premiered in September 2015, sparking heated discussions and being hailed as a "drama of conscience".

After completing his mission, because Daliang was surrounded by enemies, Mei Changsu once again put on his war robe and returned to the battlefield. He put down the war in just three months, but eventually passed away due to exhaustion of physical strength.

This drama touches the hearts of countless viewers. Many "hardcore fans" can't bear to leave the show and watch it again and again. The relevant online message boards are also lively and full of audience's highly praised experience of watching the show and discussions. Here are some factors that contribute to the success of this series.

▲The protagonist Lin Shu (Mei Changsu)’s fiancée Ni Huang and her former colleague Meng Zhi (right) support each other and fully assist him in redressing his grievances.

Make good use of the Internet and solicit suggestions

Although this drama was aired at the end of 2015, the official website was established as early as 2011. The "Nirvana in Fire" novel has more than 100 million clicks on the Internet and has many readers. After the crew decided to adapt the novel, they interacted with future audiences through the official website, asking for their favorite plots and scenes, and soliciting character comics and drawings from fans. Character relationship diagrams, continuous progress reports during the preparation process, and videos of actors sharing, filming behind-the-scenes and other videos are often uploaded after the broadcast. Since the establishment of the official website, the number of fans has exceeded 670,000, ranking highest among other dramas.

The actor Hu Ge, who plays Mei Changsu (Lin Shu), was strongly recommended to the production unit by readers. Hu Ge once said that many years ago, a fan gave him a set of "Langya Bang" novels and suggested that he try to play the role of Mei Changsu (Lin Shu). Hu Ge was involved in a major car accident in 2006. His friend who was in the same car died. The right side of his face was severely damaged. After numerous repair surgeries, his right eye still has obvious scars. Readers believe that Hu Ge, like Mei Changsu, has experienced the ordeal of escaping from death, and his personal temperament fits the role, making him the best candidate to play Mei Changsu. Hu Ge lived up to expectations and performed the character deeply into the hearts of the people with his sincere acting skills.

▲The character relationship diagram illustrations are provided by fans.

The "Nirvana in Fire" TV series is a collective creation that combines the creativity of the crew, actors, novel readers, and film and television fans. What is very interesting is that the reason why Mei Changsu, the protagonist in the play, is able to fulfill his long-cherished wish can also be said to be the result of "collective creativity." In the play, the elegant living room of "Su's House" is filled with books. Mei Changsu often holds a volume in his hand to absorb the wisdom of his predecessors, or holds meetings with friends and subordinates to brainstorm and study strategies carefully. Although he is personally resourceful, thoughtful, and determined in his goals, without a large group of friends and subordinates to help collect intelligence, survey the situation, and cooperate in executing the plan, it may still be difficult to achieve his goals.

▲Mei Changsu and Prince Jing Xiao Jingyan (left) consulted information and discussed state affairs in Su's house (Mei Changsu's house), which has a rich collection of books.

Combining expertise and paying attention to details

Although the content of "Nirvana in Fire" is fictional, the crew used experts in different fields and paid more attention to details than many historical dramas. A large number of etiquette scenes in the play are directed by dedicated personnel. For example, when greeting each other, there are different gestures and postures depending on family distance, gender, occasion, etc. The actors wear different clothes at home, when going out, and when entering the palace. Even the emperor and princes wear different clothes. The number of dragon claws on their clothes and the position of the jade pendants on their waists are also meticulous.

▲The secret passage between Su Zhai and Prince Jing’s Mansion. Light shines into the dark room, and two unrecognizable friends look at each other across the stairs, creating a very image-rich scene.

In order to truly show Mei Changsu's elegant taste and education, the staff used a ready-made house in the studio to actually build the "Su House". The jade ornaments for Mei Changsu's hair were also specially customized with real jade. The original soundtrack, which combines Chinese and Western music styles, is sometimes majestic and sometimes sad; the theme songs and interludes are tailor-made according to the plot and sung by the protagonists; as well as the composition and color matching like movie scenes, etc., all show the serious creative attitude of the crew. And respect for the audience. Writer Zhang Dachun took more than 800 screenshots of the plot and used them on Facebook.

▲The etiquette teacher instructs the actress playing the role of a palace maid how to serve soup to the noble concubine.

It is also worth mentioning that this play requires many roles, but there may not necessarily be supporting roles in the main role, such as Jiang Zuomeng's men, the prince, the prince's assistants, ministers, etc. It is difficult to recruit experienced professional actors for such a role. If a newcomer is cast, the acting skills may not be up to standard, which will affect the quality of the drama. The production unit creatively solved this problem by using behind-the-scenes staff such as executive directors, casting directors, assistants, etc. These personnel have received professional drama training and have excellent acting skills. They stay on the crew for a long time and are ready to perform at any time. This not only saves the cost of hiring professional actors, but also gives the staff the opportunity to show off their acting talents.

▲The crew paid attention to the costumes of the actors and carefully designed the tones and proportions of the pictures.

A longing for friendship

Due to the frame-up by powerful ministers and the suspicion of the emperor's uncle, Lin Shu's young life, which was high-spirited and had a bright future, completely turned around. He lost everything he owned overnight and became a wandering Mei Changsu.

If we follow the scriptwriting logic of most dramas, Lin Shu could justifiably change his temperament and become the bitter avenger Mei Changsu, setting traps at all costs to trap and kill traitorous ministers and emperors... But he didn't do that. He chose to still believe in friendship and stick to the law even though he was burdened with blood feud. He only had two simple goals: to clear the name of King Qi, the Lin family, and the 70,000 Red Flame Army by legal means, and to support his friend Jing who could continue King Qi's philosophy of governing the country. The king succeeded to the throne to prevent the Liang Kingdom from being destroyed at the hands of the prince or King Yu who only wanted to fight for power and position. This kind of character that sticks to the original intention, does not abandon the original love, and does not indulge in using evil to fight evil because of the mistakes of others. In today's era where people often abuse each other and shirk responsibility, it is particularly admirable.

▲Mei Changsu’s assistant Li Gang (first from left) is played by deputy director Wang Hong.

Mei Changsu's character of attaching great importance to love and justice, and treating others with sincerity, like a magnet, attracted a group of friends who had similar personalities, shared goals, and worked together with him. The friendship between him and his old friends, fiancée, personal bodyguards, subordinates of the Jiangzuo Alliance, and the Young Pavilion Master of Langya Pavilion, regardless of personal interests, life and death, and mutual perfection made many viewers yearn for it.

In contrast, in the play, the emperor, Lin Xie, Yan Hou and others were close friends who studied together and pursued their dreams together when they were young. Unexpectedly, after the emperor ascended the throne, he betrayed the friendship in order to consolidate power and put his former close friends to death, which is sad. "Treat others how you would like others to treat you." (Luke 6:31) I believe that deep down in everyone's heart, they not only long to be loved, accepted, and treated sincerely, but also long to be capable of loving and accepting others. , The ability to treat others sincerely.

▲The villain Xia Jiang in the play is played by executive director Wang Yongquan.

life choices

"Choice" affects the life direction of the characters in the play: the emperor chose to believe the slander, leading to the unjust death of more than 70,000 people; King Qi chose to rather die than rebel, leaving an admirable example; Yanhou chose to accept Mei Changsu's advice, Giving up the plan to blow up the emperor gave him a chance to rehabilitate the one he loved; King Yu chose to rebel and lost his life, causing his wife's unborn child to become a posthumous son; King Jing chose to believe in Mei Changsu, giving him a chance to change In the end, Mei Changsu chose to stick to his friendship and finally completed the difficult mission with his friends. In the end, he chose to return to the most familiar battlefield, display his talents in leading troops, and use the last three months of his life as a Return to Lin Shu.

▲The ministers asked the emperor to review the unjust case, and the emperor was shocked and angry.

In real life, don’t we make many large and small choices consciously and unconsciously every day? Which books to read, who to associate with, how to use time, believe or doubt, be honest or deceive, forgive or hold grudges, persevere or give up... Some choices may seem trivial, but they lead life to an unexpected path; some choose to look at it now It seems correct, but it leads to irreparable consequences. I believe that most people want to make the best choice. However, how can we transcend temptation, lies, and fear and make wise and sincere choices? If you make a mistake and make an inappropriate decision, do you have the courage to admit your mistake and start a new beginning? This is a lesson that everyone must face constantly throughout their lives.

In the play, Mei Changsu said: "Since I have survived, I cannot live in vain." The process of Christians taking off their old self and being reborn can sometimes be as heartbreaking as peeling off skin and crushing bones. However, the medical skills that helped Mei Changsu survive could only keep him alive for a while, and at the cost of having his breath completely destroyed, making him frail and unable to live a long life. The rebirth of a Christian, on the other hand, is a new life that becomes stronger and stronger with each passing day and has endless hope. . Now that we have been reborn in God's love and grace, we must make every "choice" in life more carefully, live a wonderful life, and never live in vain. (The pictures in this article come from the Internet.)

▲Mei Changsu spent the last three months of his life and returned to the battlefield Lin Shu was most familiar with.

Discussing faith while appreciating "Nirvana in Fire"

~Colleagues in Chuangwen~

The co-workers of the "Genesis Literary Training Bookstore" located in Southern California brainstormed in the "WeChat group" and enthusiastically discussed the TV series "Nirvana in Fire". Several of the co-workers extended their understanding of faith from the plot. Here are three selections: Thought provoking sharing.

Lin Zi'en: "Nirvana in Fire" reminds me of "trust". Lin Shu, his entire family, and the Red Flame Army were framed by traitors and annihilated, and were falsely accused of treason. However, his childhood playmates and childhood sweethearts, Xiao Jingyan and Princess Nihuang, always believed in his innocence and his innocence. As a human being, even if all kinds of seemingly obvious "evidence" showed that he was unpardonable, they still chose to believe and stand on his side. This kind of friendship moved me very much; I thought that church co-workers also need each other's "trust" and covering-especially for pastors, and we must pray and watch for them. Pastors are often easy targets for Satan's attacks. When the shepherd is struck, the flock is scattered. Sometimes when faced with gossip, rumors that are made out of nothing, or even groundless and vivid, can we choose to "believe in the pastor's character first" instead of following the rumors? May God keep our mouths and our hearts, so that we can all become good and loyal co-workers that others can trust, trust, and rely on in times of trouble.

Xu Yufang: The line in the play "Since I survived, I can't live in vain." carries the motivation of the male protagonist to survive. I admire his perseverance very much. With a weak body, he relies on perseverance, intelligence, and machinations to overcome Against all odds, injustice can be vindicated. After watching it, I feel very happy that the evildoers will finally be punished. However, if you think about it more carefully, do people live only for revenge? What kind of life is it to live with hatred? Can people turn conflicts into friendship and live a more wonderful life? This reminds me of the story of Joseph in the Bible. When he was young, he was framed by his relatives and suffered a lot of torture. Years later, he had the right and ability to take revenge, but he chose to interpret the suffering that happened to him through God's eyes, regardless of past grudges. Treating his brothers kindly brings joy and blessing to the whole family. Yes, you can have choices when facing suffering in life. However, different choices will definitely bring different life scenery. Su Yayu: This play inspired me to yearn for a "counselor" in my life who can give me wisdom and strategies at any time during all the choices I make in life. In addition, it is best for this person to be a wise man who understands my strengths and weaknesses, teaches students in accordance with their aptitude, never gives up, and loves me to the end. When I think about this, I can’t help but be grateful, it turns out I already have it! He is not Mei Changsu, but Jesus! Thank God, we not only have Jesus as our teacher, but we also have the power of the Holy Spirit to protect us. We are more powerful, more thoughtful, more resourceful, and more powerful than the leader of the Jiangzuo Alliance. Moreover, He is a wonderful counselor who has already passed from death to life and lives forever and never leaves us. How blessed are those who believe in Him and accept Him into their lives!

Author profile Zheng Qiongyu, from Taiwan, writer, editor of the related unit of this journal. Love simple and honest life.