Wintry Night 2
Based on novels by Chiao Li "Wintry Night Trilogy"
Producer: Shi Zhe, Wu Zhi Yu
Director: Cheng Wen-Tang
Screenwriter: Zheng Jing Fen
Cast:
Zhu Liu Hao
Xu Le Mei
Mei Fang
Ji Hong Quan
Michael Wang Guang Liang
Wu Yu Zhi
Lin Hong Xiang
Mo Zi Yi
Lan Wei Yu
Zhou Yi
Yin Xin
Premiered: 15/12/2003 (Taiwan Public Television Service & Hakka Television)
Merchandise:
DVD (Taiwan)
Hakkanese drama 'Wintry Night II' is adapted from the trilogy of the same name by Chiao Li, and its plot and main characters are the same as in the novel. The sequel to 'Wintry Night' tells about the struggle of Hakka immigrants who maintained fortitude in natural and human disasters, and how they spent blood and sweat to seize their survival foothold.
The pivotal character of the trilogy is Deng Mei, Tong Yang Xi (a woman adopted in her childhood to marry a son of the family) of the Pengs, and 'Wintry Night II' revolves around the Laus that got involved in peasant movement and conscription of young men for a war in Southeast Asia under the Japanese colonization.
The Hakka language is used throughout the drama (some lines are in Japanese, Minnan, and indigenous people's languages,) and the plot is focused on Hakka people and their never giving up spirit, as well as their reserved expression of strong feeling such as tender-heartedness, love and friendship. However, the drama has another in-depth significance: It guides viewers through a period of hardships in Taiwan, when Taiwanese people, oppressed as second-class citizens under colonial rule, had an unfair treatment in various ways, the situation that triggered grass-roots movements such as Culture Association and Peasants Union Movement, as you can see in the drama. It is also tells how local youths were driven to a sad and horrible end under a foreign sky. The plot, referring to the historical data, epitomizes a story of Taiwanese soil through a few Hakka families.
'Wintry Night II' has been filmed using cinematographic technique. Acting of the cast, coupled with production technology, creates exquisite and touching quality, which underlines heroic verse-like verve of the whole drama, not to mention literary intension.
Michael played an important role for the first time in the Hakkanese literary drama series directed by Cheng Wen-Tang. Wong faced many challenges in acting: unlike some comic characters he played before then, he had to memorize and speak his lines in the Hakkanese language through most of the drama, which contained not a few emotionally-fueled tragic scenes.
Liu Ming Ding, the character portrayed by Wong, is one of very few youths who have received higher education in the reclaimed land. In Episode 1-2, Mingding as a child witnessed his father Liu Ahan resisting Japanese security officers and being led away. This incident has an impact on Ming Ding and formed the foundation of his anti-Japanese ideas.
Wong's first appearance is in Episode 3 as Mingding in his teens. The very first scene is really impressive - he is squatting down barefoot on the rock! You would be amazed to see him suntanned. Another surprise: he speaks Hakkanese as well as Japanese! In the sequence where Ming Ding visits Changhua Erlin to join Peasants Union Movement in Episode 6, Wong's pronunciation of a Taiwanese language is accurate. After accepting offer of this role, Wong not only listened intensively to a tape of model reading recorded by a native speaker of Hakkanese, but also read the script carefully so that he could convey emotion, anger, sadness, hesitation, anxiety, etc. He really paid close attention to every detail for this role, taking great care of linguistic aspect of 'Wintry Night II'. As a result you would never feel any language barrier when watching it-- you will be able to completely put yourself into the situation then!
Wong's previous roles as an actor, though they were comic ones, used to be a torchy or broken-heated boy. However in 'Wintry Night II', Ming Ding falls in love with Guo Feng Gi and they are deeply in love with each other. He loves her so much that he doesn't want to cause her hardship by marriage--just like his mother Deng Mei who has been always concerned about her husband and lived in fear. However, Feng Gi insists on following Ming Ding, sharing her fate with him in anti-Japanese movement, which makes their love reserved but even stronger. The couple was killed in the end, and a fire destroys their unsuccessful resistance against Japanese rule, as well as their love that would have lasted longer on earth. It is a regrettable catastrophe.
There are some noteworthy scenes. In Episode 5, Ming Ding is working as an odd-job man with the police. One night he is taken to a punishment room and told that he will be given a special training. Once the light is turned on, he sees a blood-soaked man hanged upside down, and he takes a few fearful steps back. Then a policeman tells Ming Ding to see how they punish a suspect. The suspect's scream of pain is so dreadful that Ming Ding withdraws his eyes, but as he is dragged back and forced to watch the torture, he resists by writhing in torment and groaning out for resistance, followed by gasping respiration filled with hatred. Though Wong does not have a line in this sequence, his physical, facial and vocal expression implies fright is transformed into anger within Ming Ding.
Another notable scene is in Episode 6. Ming Ding's co-worker at the police has an apple given by Japanese officer Kimura. He says, "Look, Ming Ding! Kimura specially ordered some apples from Mainland and gave one to me, and I'm the only one Taiwanese who got it." Ming Ding turned to him, saying in angry voice, "Come to yourself! How can you be happy with a little boon like this? In our village the Japanese has deprived many people of the land, and they are now in jail (Ming Ding gives a penetrating glance at the co-worker.) As your parents are farmers, you should take a good look at it; those bosses are no good guys (His glance becomes more penetrating, and his tone of voice suggests that he is containing anger welling up within.) The co-worker replies, "I just carry out my duty, and what’s wrong with seeking promotion?" To hear his words, Ming Ding laughs scornfully at him and says, "I see how it is. Colonialists always control you with carrot-and-stick approach (Ming Ding sneers again and turns his head to look at the co-worker.) As you work harder, you will become more like a slave before you know it." The co-worker nervously says, "I don't understand what you are talking about. All I know is my life is much happier than yours now." Then Ming Ding stands up and puts aside the book, saying, "Everybody is different, so enjoy your apple." In this episode Ming Ding is in hesitation and anxiety, wondering whether he should keep working for the Japanese. However, he resents his co-worker's boastful remarks, deeply concerned about and upset at the friend who has become obedient in exchange for benefit.
When quitting the job, Ming Ding had the courage to express his decision to resign, though he almost got a slap from his boss. In filming, Wong had wanted to be really slapped by the scene partner. He also responded with the same professionalism in another scene where Ming Ding is hanged upside down for punishment - Wong himself got hanged and did not call in a stunt person. On coming back to the attic of the Guos' house, Ming Ding starts to throw things around him at random and pounds the bedclothes, to give free vent to his irritation, while worrying about whether he is seen by the Guos. As he stops to run wild, he laughs in vain. Later Wong said in an interview that he opened himself completely in this scene, and that he even did not know what he was doing for a few seconds!
When Ming Ding is arrested and placed in a jail, Feng Gi misses him so much that she comes to see him through the assistance of a Japanese officer. Ming Ding knows Fenggi has spared no hesitation to seek help from the enemy. Feeling strong attachment as well as pain inside, he raises his voice at her, "Go back! Go back now!" It is a surprising scene to behold.
Wong cries for several times in the drama, which would leave profound impression on viewers. In one scene Ming Ding's tears are for his mother Deng Mei, who is touched by her son's concern and affection. In another scene, Ming Ding goes out to search for his father Ahan anxiously, and finds him at the shrine--actually Ahan is afraid of being found by Ming Ding. They become emotional enough to shed tears for each other. Finally just before he and Feng Gi are killed by Japanese security troops at the hut, Ming Ding cries as a wave of sentimentality takes over his original composure - Wong's delicate and serious expression of emotion is really touching.
Ming Ding at first is an educated youth working as a management class employee at the sugarcane mill, and then gradually drawn to the anti-Japanese movement. Especially after released from the jail, he confirms the decision to undergo any hardships in the struggle. He goes through enormous psychological changes, which even makes his visage and back look tougher and stronger. Overall, Wong marked a great breakthrough and tapped his potential by appearing in 'Wintry Night II'. He not only expanded his range of acting but also got inside of the character to verisimilitude, and thereby he won acclaim from Director Cheng. In a TV program, original author Chiao Li also praised Wong's understanding of Ming Ding as amazing, saying he was looking forward to see the character played by Wong!
All fans of Wong are proud of his appearance in such a literary historical drama. If you have not seen this brilliant Hakkanese production yet, we strongly encourage you to look for an opportunity to see it over and over again!