“Hong Lou Meng” 2024 Criticized as a Cinematic Disaster: Young Actress Zhang Miao Di Also Faces Criticism
The 2024 film “Hong Lou Meng” (full title: “Hong Lou Meng Chi Jin Yu Liang Yuan”) adapted from the famous novel by Cao Xueqin, premiered in China on August 16. However, the film is currently facing a wave of criticism on the review site Douban, receiving numerous one-star ratings from viewers.
Comments on Douban are filled with disappointment and scathing reviews. Many viewers criticize the film’s characters, plot, dialogues, and overall execution. Some reviews read, “Don’t watch it just out of curiosity about how bad it is or just to criticize. The cast, plot, dialogues, and entire film are completely deviated from the original work. From the plot details, scenes, to dialogues, everything is unbearably crude,” and “This must be the birth of a historical cinematic disaster.” Others even predicted the film would be bad, but they were shocked by how poorly it turned out.
A particularly contentious point is the portrayal of Lin Daiyu by young actress Zhang Miao Di. Born in 1998, Zhang has faced criticism for her lack of suitability for the role and poor acting. Viewers have noted her often blank expression and lack of emotion in most scenes, leading to Lin Daiyu being considered the least memorable version of the character in Chinese cinema.
Notably, Zhang Miao Di had beaten out thousands of candidates in the casting process to be selected by director Hu Mai for the role of Lin Daiyu. In a defense of Zhang, Hu Mai stated that her unique charm made her a fitting choice for the role. Before “Hong Lou Meng 2024,” Zhang was known for her innocent and charming roles in films such as “When He Runs Towards You,” “The Only Fairy Tale,” and “The Reason I Returned to Seventeen.”
Another controversial aspect of the film is a scene where the character Qin Keqing wears a thin dress and lies languidly among rose petals. This scene has been criticized as vulgar and excessively offensive. However, director Hu Mai explained that this scene was necessary to portray the psychological changes of Jia Baoyu. Additionally, the film features some gratuitous and revealing scenes that have left audiences displeased.
“Hong Lou Meng Chi Jin Yu Liang Yuan,” directed by Hu Mai and scripted by Ha Yanjiang, was prepared over a long period and began filming in 2018. The cast was selected from thousands of candidates and includes Bian Cheng, Quan Xiaodong, Yuan Qun Dan, Zhang Miao Di, Yang Dongshu, and Lin Bang. According to Maoyan, as of August 18, “Hong Lou Meng 2024” has earned only over 3.9 million yuan, while the film’s production cost exceeded 200 million yuan. Media outlets like Sohu and other Chinese sources predict that the film is facing significant financial losses and may join the list of poorly performing films in Chinese cinema this year.
