B FOR BUSY<愛情神話>，DIR. Shao Yihun, 2016
Shanghai alley and Mr Bai’s house
[Mr. Bai and Miss Li leave the scene of the play, scene from B FOR BUSY (2021), directed by Shao Yihun]
This is a city movie with a story about love. The film opens with Mr. Bai and Ms. Li watching a play together at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center. The words in the picture seem to imply the main tone of the movie – Dramatic. At the same time, the film’s camera always follows Mr. Bai’s delicate Shanghai alley life, and the Shanghai dialect throughout the film, so that the audience can see the unique Shanghai life and Shanghai life atmosphere. Such a unique life atmosphere is also the most distinctive feature of the film.
[Mr. Bai teaches painting in his house, scene from B FOR BUSY (2021), directed by Shao Yihun]
Mr. Bai is a painter and he has a detached house in Shanghai, and the interior of the house is very literary and exquisite. Mr. Bai’s character is also like the characteristics of this house. He is very rich and frugal, but does not skimp on the money he should spend. Through this contrast of shots, a typical Shanghai man is portrayed. Most of the scenes of the storyline also take place in this house.
[Left is Dinner table after a party of five, scene from B FOR BUSY (2021), directed by Shao Yihun]
[Right is Five people are having a dinner party, scene from B FOR BUSY (2021), directed by Shao Yihun]
This is the most important episode of the film, an after-dinner scene where a date between two people unexpectedly turns into a party of five. The three women, each with their own thoughts, gather at Mr. Bai’s house. They seem to be laughing and joking all the time, but in fact they are infighting with each other for Mr. Bai. This scene uses light and shadow to highlight the meaning of the film. In the picture on the left, the light is gathered on the dining table, and all the things in Mr. Bai’s house become dim, except for the dining table, which is the focus. At the same time, the cups in the scene seem to imply the final end of Mr. Bai and Miss Li.
[Three people talking in the exhibition hall, scene from B FOR BUSY (2021), directed by Shao Yihun]
This is a highly formal and dramatic showroom conversation. This dialogue is full of connotations for the real issues of the day. It starts with two men who fail in their search for a showroom and is finally solved by two women who adore Mr. Bai. The dialogue between Mr. Bai and them is filled with subtle emotions such as gratitude, self-esteem and ambiguity. The director uses light and shadow to bring out the subtle haziness to the extreme. Mr Bai is in the light and shadow of the two women, as if he is in the middle of the prejudice against femininity in the world’s eyes.In this moment, the director tries to use silhouette as an expression of light and shadow to break the social stereotype of women. At the same time, the subjective scrutiny and imagination of women by the opposite sex in society is satirized to the extreme.
The director presents a realistic Shanghai city life through a lot of alleyway and house scenes. Not only that, the use of dialect in the film also makes the film more realistic. The age of the characters is positioned after 1970s.Their life experiences seem to be as magical and dramatic as the city of Shanghai. They are growing up with the city. They have an ideal of life, but they also have to travel through the alleyways to face the reality of life. The same definition of love, we can see their subtlety, but also feel the influence of the city, especially women’s pursuit of gender relationships.
Miao Luxing
UID: 3035917769
As all of the images you used are from the movie, I wonder if you have virtually visited/ researched about the site? You have made a few points on the techniques of the film but it would be nice if you could direct us to specific set locations and make comparisons between the real space and their appearances in film to enrich your analysis.