I think its good they finally said something about the makeup. - I'll explain:
I actually do not understand these sentiments I seeing being thrown around:
◼️ "it's a fantasy, it doesn't have to look realistic" ❌ Correction: Historical Fiction* - meaning the setting and war and politics are fiction. Not that reality is fiction. Also even in the case of "Fantasy" -> Game of Thrones is a Fantasy, and it has both eye-candy Kit Harington (who regularly places on fan-voted lists and media roundups as one of Hollywood's most attractive leading men) and also Emilia Clarke who frequently topped "Most Desirable" and "Sexiest Woman Alive" lists during the 2010s. And both of them are in a Fantasy but still have makeup fx that make sense. Yes, it's not solely a romance but there is romance in it - and we aren't arguing semantics of romance - the fact of this statement is "its a fantasy" and "realism"... I'm sorry but what? Yeah sure, duh, in the sense that Fantasy allows things beyond what is real, like talking animals and magic powers, NOT the fact that someone who is in a brutal dirty bloody battle looks like he just took a pampered spa retreat instead of being in battle. He isn't super-human. And the story of Pursuit of Jade IS all about RAW and down-to-earth messages and ideologies. Xie Zheng representing deep loyal piety especially as a protector to the innocent. A Chinese knight in shining armor. Multiple times displaying acts and personality traits as a humble man who knows when to act and protect.
Even with Zhang Ling He himself saying in the interview that: 🔸"When I read a script, I pay a lot of attention to logic." 🔸"It's not about whether it looks good or not" (speaking on expressing emotions) 🔸"And with the man kneeling before him, he was certainly going to let a trace of his true nature show. Even just that [small glimpse], everyone would realize that Xie Zheng really is the Marquis of Wu'an. He is not just the seemingly delicate, weak, wounded man in Xigu Lane." 🔹 He talks a lot in the interview about making a story believable and realistic, and how the audience needs to see aspects that make things believable in terms of emotion, cinematics, expressions, etc.
So from a logical standpoint, since Zhang Ling He likes to pay attention to logic, though it is a Historical Fiction, how is it logical that he looks too clean/tidy after a fight. In this "Fantasy", he's not super human. He's not magical. He's human. It's basic human logic that anyone on a battlefield or after a fight would look actually war-torn or a least reasonably disheveled or battered. It also takes nothing away from him actually looking good. And like he said himself, when it comes to his acting and showing the emotion its not about looking good. It's about looking convincing and real. Whats that called? oh right - Realism / Realistic.
Of course the story is fantasy, but the excessive makeup / filters / blurring / whitening of supposedly decorated or awarded "Generals" is so highly unrealistic that is actually sticks out like a sore thumb. We fall in love with a character for having these deep raw attributes of strong protective masculinity / strong protective feminine - yet vanity is more important than the ethics and morals of the story they are trying to convey? It's a contradiction to the literal essence of the story's main ethics it is trying to teach. Especially from Zhang Ling He's own words himself: "He is not just the seemingly delicate, weak, wounded man in Xigu Lane." Okay. Then show that. He nailed the death stare, has a badass highly detailed armor, a powerful strut - but he can't get some dirt on his face? They hype him up as this daunting "not to be messed with" war General - but the grand reveal of his true self falls flat when the bigger concern is beauty rather than displaying his "true nature", as he said himself.
As a Creative Director myself with a degree in art and design + 15 years of art and design experience in multiple fields of art / design / entertainment. I have a deep background with creative direction in general, and that spills over into all creative fields for creatives like myself. The artistic cinematic choices from camera angles, lighting, to costume design, to set design, post production-editing, color grading, and other detailed nuances. Coming from a background where we talk about how all art is meant to evoke emotions / thoughts / ideals. If I were to say a piece of art for me is suppose to express very specific nuanced ideals - and then I did the opposite of the ideals I'm trying to express - then thats a contradiction and does not meet the mark of my original intent. In this case - Vanity and Greed are looked down upon in the stories main ethical teachings - so why is the most important thing for a General, in battle, is to come across as vain or concerned with looks?
I actually do not understand these sentiments I seeing being thrown around:
◼️ "it's a fantasy, it doesn't have to look realistic" ❌
Correction: Historical Fiction* - meaning the setting and war and politics are fiction. Not that reality is fiction. Also even in the case of "Fantasy" -> Game of Thrones is a Fantasy, and it has both eye-candy Kit Harington (who regularly places on fan-voted lists and media roundups as one of Hollywood's most attractive leading men) and also Emilia Clarke who frequently topped "Most Desirable" and "Sexiest Woman Alive" lists during the 2010s. And both of them are in a Fantasy but still have makeup fx that make sense. Yes, it's not solely a romance but there is romance in it - and we aren't arguing semantics of romance - the fact of this statement is "its a fantasy" and "realism"... I'm sorry but what? Yeah sure, duh, in the sense that Fantasy allows things beyond what is real, like talking animals and magic powers, NOT the fact that someone who is in a brutal dirty bloody battle looks like he just took a pampered spa retreat instead of being in battle. He isn't super-human. And the story of Pursuit of Jade IS all about RAW and down-to-earth messages and ideologies. Xie Zheng representing deep loyal piety especially as a protector to the innocent. A Chinese knight in shining armor. Multiple times displaying acts and personality traits as a humble man who knows when to act and protect.
Even with Zhang Ling He himself saying in the interview that:
🔸"When I read a script, I pay a lot of attention to logic."
🔸"It's not about whether it looks good or not" (speaking on expressing emotions)
🔸"And with the man kneeling before him, he was certainly going to let a trace of his true nature show. Even just that [small glimpse], everyone would realize that Xie Zheng really is the Marquis of Wu'an. He is not just the seemingly delicate, weak, wounded man in Xigu Lane."
🔹 He talks a lot in the interview about making a story believable and realistic, and how the audience needs to see aspects that make things believable in terms of emotion, cinematics, expressions, etc.
So from a logical standpoint, since Zhang Ling He likes to pay attention to logic, though it is a Historical Fiction, how is it logical that he looks too clean/tidy after a fight. In this "Fantasy", he's not super human. He's not magical. He's human. It's basic human logic that anyone on a battlefield or after a fight would look actually war-torn or a least reasonably disheveled or battered. It also takes nothing away from him actually looking good. And like he said himself, when it comes to his acting and showing the emotion its not about looking good. It's about looking convincing and real. Whats that called? oh right - Realism / Realistic.
Of course the story is fantasy, but the excessive makeup / filters / blurring / whitening of supposedly decorated or awarded "Generals" is so highly unrealistic that is actually sticks out like a sore thumb. We fall in love with a character for having these deep raw attributes of strong protective masculinity / strong protective feminine - yet vanity is more important than the ethics and morals of the story they are trying to convey? It's a contradiction to the literal essence of the story's main ethics it is trying to teach. Especially from Zhang Ling He's own words himself: "He is not just the seemingly delicate, weak, wounded man in Xigu Lane." Okay. Then show that. He nailed the death stare, has a badass highly detailed armor, a powerful strut - but he can't get some dirt on his face? They hype him up as this daunting "not to be messed with" war General - but the grand reveal of his true self falls flat when the bigger concern is beauty rather than displaying his "true nature", as he said himself.
As a Creative Director myself with a degree in art and design + 15 years of art and design experience in multiple fields of art / design / entertainment. I have a deep background with creative direction in general, and that spills over into all creative fields for creatives like myself. The artistic cinematic choices from camera angles, lighting, to costume design, to set design, post production-editing, color grading, and other detailed nuances. Coming from a background where we talk about how all art is meant to evoke emotions / thoughts / ideals. If I were to say a piece of art for me is suppose to express very specific nuanced ideals - and then I did the opposite of the ideals I'm trying to express - then thats a contradiction and does not meet the mark of my original intent. In this case - Vanity and Greed are looked down upon in the stories main ethical teachings - so why is the most important thing for a General, in battle, is to come across as vain or concerned with looks?