First, I think director Ang Lee asked Tang Wei to grow armpit hair in order to fit the background of the times, reflect the characteristics of the characters and make the film more perfect. The main story of this film took place in the Republic of China. In order to give the audience the truest sense of the times and a strong sense of substitution in art, Ang Lee spared no effort in scene layout and character setting, especially the protagonist, and approached the character characteristics of the Republic of China with the most rigorous attitude. Under this strict requirement, Ang Lee discovered another detail. During the Republic of China, girls did not have the habit of shaving armpit hair. This detail is obviously very different from that of modern women.
Director Ang Lee found Tang Wei after noticing this detail, hoping that Tang Wei could sacrifice his personal image for the sake of art and restore the characters in the Republic of China more truly. For modern women who love beauty, it really takes some courage to grow armpit hair. But for this hard-won role and the opportunity to cooperate with the great director Tang Wei, Tang Wei readily agreed to the request of director Ang Lee. However, due to physiological characteristics, armpit hair grows very slowly. Therefore, it took Tang Wei eight months to meet the requirements of director Ang Lee.
As for this film, it is the first time that director Ang Lee tried a historical drama film after he achieved great success in the commercial blockbuster market. Therefore, from the beginning of the film, Ang Lee had great expectations for the film, and Ang Lee spared no effort to ponder every detail in the film. Moreover, in order to let Tang Wei reflect the truest female image in the films of the Republic of China in the last century, he waited for Tang Wei for eight months, which made her grow thick armpit hair. The most fundamental purpose of these efforts is to make the most perfect movie for the audience.
Perhaps, many viewers think that the details about armpit hair need not be so serious at all, and there may not be many scenes about armpit hair in the movie. Director Ang Lee made Tang Wei spend so much time growing armpit hair, which was actually a bit of a storm in a teacup. Besides, Tang Wei, as a young actress, if she does this, her beautiful image will be damaged a little, or she will be misunderstood.
However, the purpose of director Ang Lee's doing this may not be to embarrass Tang Wei, let alone to destroy Tang Wei's personal image. Ang Lee's internal starting point is based on the consideration of movie characters. After all, Ang Lee is making a movie about the Republic of China. During the Republic of China, women at that time did not have the habit of shaving armpit hair. Moreover, people's ideas and aesthetics at that time were not ugly for women to keep armpit hair, nor did they think it was inappropriate to keep armpit hair.
Therefore, if Tang Wei wants to be completely close to the figures of the Republic of China in appearance, Tang Wei needs to make adjustments in every detail, and keeping armpit hair is also one of the tasks. Only in this way can Wei truly restore the most practical situation of women in the upper class in China in 1930s.
Secondly, I think director Ang Lee is testing Tang Wei. In the initial cooperation of the crew, Tang Wei obeyed the request of director Ang Lee almost unconditionally, while Tang Wei obeyed Ang Lee. Tang Wei's attitude has also been affirmed by director Ang Lee. And, according to a period of time together, Ang Lee's heart, also appreciate the young man Tang Wei, think that Tang Wei can definitely play this movie well. I think Ang Lee gave Tang Wei armpit hair to test whether Tang Wei can really become the leading role in the movie.
Thirdly, I think Ang Lee made this film into a classic in order to better shape the role of the film. Ang Lee, as an internationally renowned director, Ang Lee knows the quality of a film, and the characters in it are very important. Therefore, from casting, Ang Lee has an almost demanding pursuit. Ang Lee took a fancy to the young Tang Wei among the many people being tried. However, judging from the situation at that time, Tang Wei's acting skills were solid, but in order to shape the heroine in the film, many aspects still needed to be changed and improved.
In this process, Ang Lee also patiently guided Tang Wei, but as for keeping armpit hair, in fact, we can also see Ang Lee's insistence and request for art. Judging from the numerous favorable comments this film has received, it may be Ang Lee's request and Tang Wei's spirit of not being afraid to sacrifice his image for the sake of art that gave the audience an excellent classic.
Fourthly, I think Ang Lee directed this film to make it more in line with artistic aesthetics. From the growth experience and fame experience of director Ang Lee, we can see that the reason why this director enjoys a high reputation in the world is inseparable from Ang Lee's unique pursuit and views on art. In many excellent classic works, Ang Lee once joined his own understanding of art. This detachment from ordinary people's aesthetic and ideological cognition also pushed Ang Lee's film art to a new height. Specific to this film, we can actually see Ang Lee's personal understanding of art.
The fact that Tang Wei has armpit hair also belongs to Ang Lee's personal understanding of art, although it seems to many modern people that it is undoubtedly a move that does not conform to modern aesthetic concepts. But from a higher artistic point of view, Ang Lee can see a kind of beauty different from ordinary people, and Ang Lee thinks it looks better. Judging from the popularity of the later films, it also proves that director Ang Lee has a superb artistic aesthetic vision, which is of great help to the success of the films.
Verb (abbreviation of verb) Personal opinion: The success of art is closely related to "personal sacrifice and dedication". The reason why a movie will become a classic includes all aspects of efforts and efforts, and in the final analysis, only by doing every link involved in the movie can we make an excellent classic movie. This film is a good example.
This film is from the choice of theme, to the choice of leading actor, and then to Tang Wei's keeping armpit hair in order to restore the true image of women in the Republic of China. This series of efforts is actually to make the film more perfect. After all, a perfect movie needs to be handled properly in every detail. Only by doing all these things well can we achieve the expected results.
At that time, with this film, everyone remembered Tang Wei, and Tang Wei jumped from an unknown young actor to a first-line star. Judging from the results, Tang Wei spent eight months growing armpit hair for this film, which is really worth it. Perhaps it was Ang Lee's high standards and strict requirements for details that made the actors make some sacrifices for art, and finally made a generation of female star Tang Wei. From this incident, we may also see that art is closely related to "personal sacrifice and dedication".