Wu Jinyan - Tumblr Posts
Duke Su longing for our FL while practicing swordplay in the rain shirtless is literally what the romance genre was invented for.
AAAAAA!
Meanwhile Li is also thinking of him. In a rose bath. This is SO gloriously extra!
Someone will escort me.
THE DOUBLE 墨雨云间 (2024)
The Double (Ep. 1): Beauty in death
Since starting The Double, I've mainly been distracted by Wang Xingyue's perfect bone structure and fan work (please let that thing make an appearance in a future bed scene 🙏🏼).
But when my brain cells do decide to kick in, the one thing it keeps returning to is just how beautifully evocative all the death (-related) scenes are.
Many of the scenes use cinematic techniques inspired by horror and fairytales to create a dream-like feeling of loss where we're left overwhelmed by the possibility of it all being real.
But the shot that sticks out most to me has to be this one from Episode 1, when our main character, Xue Fangfei, is found near death after being framed and buried alive by her husband:
The scene is beautifully set.
Large trees line the river, its glassy water lapping at Fangfei's splayed body. She is in the center of the frame, abandoned yet trapped by the decisions made by others. The simple white of her sinking robes connect her to Jiang Li and Tong-er, two women who had been similarly betrayed by loved ones. The shot reminds me of Ophelia, another young woman who had drowned with grief and madness while surrounded by flowers.
But this time, "Ophelia" survives, ready for revenge in the garden of her enemies.
The Double (Ep. 26): A place to rest your head
"Everywhere else is not comfortable, but the place you picked sure is not bad."
Can we just take a moment to gush about THIS scene?
There's so much going on here and it's equal parts delicious and beautiful. Look, the writers and director of The Double don't always get it right, but when they do? Perfection. Fangfei and the Duke might now be one of my fave OTPs ever.
I've said this before but one of my favorite elements of The Double's storytelling is its use of extended metaphor, particularly its use of theater to represent Duke Su's character. Not only does he put on a good show but he also appreciates one. And Fangfei looks like a piece of art he can't help but admire.
Look at how lovingly the camera glides over her to represent his gaze. He could stare at her for hours and never grow bored. It's sexy but also incredibly intimate, especially since there's nothing really else in the frame but their faces. Both might say they lack a home, but it seems like they've been able to carve out a space for only the two of them just fine.
(See all those window and doorway frames within frames--they’re like a cocoon, protecting them from the outside world.)
But unlike Rapist Zhou, Duke Su doesn't want to conquer and possess Fangfei like an object, and you can immediately see him repressing the rage he feels at seeing her bruises in the close-up edit that lasts a beat too long.
It ties back to their earlier conversation about her wanting to switch roles with him and be the player instead of a pawn. He doesn't balk or make fun of her desire to see the world from a more powerful vantage point and instead clarifies whether she'd like him to be her pawn as well.
The fact that he knows what she has suffered at the hands of her ex husband and Rapist Zhou but only asks about what would make her feel empowered? Telling you, the man is trauma-informed. He knows when to ask questions and when to shut up.
And this close-up shot after the camera slowly pans from her bruised wrist to her gently smiling face? This shot made my heart twinge.
That Fangfei felt comfortable enough to come to his home and even rest in his private quarters after almost being assaulted is so incredibly telling. She knows he's gazing at her bruises and she smiles at him because she trusts that he'd never do the same.
I love that his presence gives her space to heal. It's such a marked difference from when they first met in that room.
SIDE NOTE: Whenever she gets to use that fan on him, I will go freaking feral.
Give me what I want, show.
The Double (Ep. 32): You reap what you sow
I'm always riveted when I watch a Shen Yurong scene because not only does Liang Yongqi have electrifying chemistry with the actresses around him but my goodness do I LOVE how the show's visual storytelling reinforces what a pitiful man he is.
Framing, Blocking, Lighting
For example, this episode makes fantastic use of doors and other forms of architectural framing to show Yurong's fundamental flaw: his cowardice.
At the beginning of the episode, we see Fangfei gaze at two doorways, one that could lead to her future (Duke Su) and the other a painful reminder of the trauma Yurong has caused her. It's only when she recalls Duke Su's reassurance ("A'Li, from today onwards, there's no need to be afraid of anyone") that she's able to step forward and face her memories.
But when Yurong enters the hall and offers to open the door for her, suggesting he knows her true identity, Fangfei side-steps him and their blocking slowly changes. Fangfei now faces the light, her back to the door of their past.
They've never been quite aligned as husband and wife, and in this moment the gulf between them is even clearer.
Unlike Fangfei, who fights for survival and will no longer compromise what she believes in, Yurong refuses to see that he has always had a choice to fight for his conscience, regardless of how difficult it might be. His constant need to pass blame instead of choosing the path he knows is right has left him a pitiful shell of the vibrant scholar he once was and so he remains shrouded in the darkness of the hall.
SIDE NOTE #1: I love the parallels between Fangfei's argument with Yurong ("So, in your opinion, the crimes of your mother and sister don't need to be atoned for, while my innocence and grievances don't need to be compensated") and Grandmother Jiang's admonishment of Minister Jiang ("Can you really let this go?...You haven't fulfilled your responsibilities as a father for all these years"). Both are men who have failed their families--my heart broke when Yurong distinguished between Fangfei and his "family"--by choosing who they decide to protect.
Camera Angles
Ok, this scene has GOT to be one of my favorites from the whole show and so much of that is due to the way it plays with camera angles and the visual language of power.
In cinematography, low-angle and high-angle shots are often paired to visually enhance the power imbalance between characters. Low-angle shots make the subject look more powerful and threatening while high-angle shots make the subject look weaker and more vulnerable.
But in this particular scene, that visual relationship is subverted.
The scene starts with Yurong taunting Princess Wanning.
He is at such a low point after being accused of assaulting Fangfei that he embraces the idea of banishment or death. He is shot at a high angle with the Princess looming over him as usual but it's clear that at this moment he has reclaimed some power now that his all-consuming despair has liberated him from his fear.
When she tries to attack him, he pushes her back and then gets up to bow mockingly. It is he who is now shot from a low angle, signifying his dominance.
But then Princess Wanning seductively leans back in the straw. As they trade barbs, she is shot from a high angle but it's clear there has been another shift in power:
Yurong: Your highness, you don't have to save me. You've fooled me for so long, I'm sure you're bored of it. Princess Wanning: I'm not bored. Shen Yurong, in this world, I'm the only one who can decide how you die. Your life is in my hands.
As noted by @dangermousie, Yurong's lack of self-interest just "makes her more interested again, because someone broken is not her thing but someone who she can potentially break more?" And we can see the fear creep over his face again once he realizes that.
Regardless of the temporary relief he might have felt challenging her, it was all an illusion, as demonstrated by the constantly shifting meaning of the scene's camera angles to maintain her power within the scene. He is completely trapped now.
SIDE NOTE #2: The fact that Princess Wanning always finds a way to make a crop out of anything even a piece of straw and bring a man to his knees (literally or metaphorically) cracks me up.
SIDE NOTE #3: This moment? Hot. Am eagerly waiting for the fanfic.
