Nowadays, the concept of “actor” is gradually being overwhelmed by “stars”, and the core of true character is eroded to a certain extent by fame, fortune and vanity. Therefore, the documentary film “The Actor” is like a trace back to the source, shooting the old artist’s narration of light and shadow memories in a calm manner, not only salvagingly recording the history of New China’s films that coexisted and prospered with New China, It also redefines the profession of an actor, re-establishes pride and dignity for this identity, and provides a precious value and outlook on life for contemporary reality.
In the 1960s, the “22 New China Movie Stars” were selected from three generations of outstanding actors, old, middle and young. Decades have passed, and when the film was being filmed, only 10 of them were alive, all of them 90-year-old seniors. In this sense, the documentary carries a major mission, imbued with the historical urgency of a rescue record. Yu Lan, Qin Yi, Tian Hua, Yu Yang, Jin Di, Xie Fang, Wang Xiaotang, Zhu Xijuan… For the new generation of viewers, their names and screen images may be a little distant and unfamiliar, but this is exactly what this documentary is about. Treasures – China’s first documentary that backtracks and returns to classic old movies and people’s artists.
In this documentary composed of real interviews and screen images, these earliest Chinese film artists interpret not the halo of stars but the brilliance of art. They go deep into and experience life with awe, and they put the characters and the audience in the supreme position. Zhang Jianyou, who plays the walking crew in “Shangganling,” sheds tears as he recalls the shooting of that year – he went down the trenches with real surviving fighters. The fashionable Shanghai girl Jin Di was washed away and turned into a rural girl in “The Young People in Our Village”. Tian Hua, who lost his mother and grew up under the care of the Party, interprets “The Party’s Daughter” with his own life experience. Their purity and passion are a rarity today – acting not with technique but with heart.
Handed down is always a classic. This documentary, which pays tribute to classics, old artists, and real performing arts, not only enables a new generation of Chinese audiences to return to the golden years of classic movies on the big screen, but also enables the older generation of audiences to satisfy their fans of old domestic films. complex. It is true that from an artistic point of view, “The Actor” has shortcomings and regrets in the rhythm of editing, the use of old movie episodes, and the richness of materials. This project has also faced many difficulties – it lasted five years, went through difficult financing, the death of an old artist, and filming during the epidemic, but the creative team adhered to the same belief as its protagonist, and finally paid tribute to the century-old Chinese film. A touching design of the film is: It starts with Yu Lan and ends with Yu Lan. This peer of the Chinese Communist Party, whose performance in “Sister Jiang” allowed the audience to see the blood and tears of the older generation of revolutionaries for the establishment of a new China, she passed away on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party. Therefore, this oral history is also a history of new China, a history of new Chinese films, and a spiritual history of new Chinese actors.
Through the big screen, we can feel the splendor of a generation of legendary movie stars in their youth from the film of the past, and feel the wisdom and elegance of their old age from today’s interview. Xie Fang, who established the image of a new youth in “Song of Youth”, still has the same belief: “Without an audience, there will be no actors.” In that simple and difficult era, it was not the stars who attracted them to this profession. Aura or vanity of fame. It is such pure love and awe that has created the charm of classic old movies and the brilliance of a generation of artists.
Wang Xiaotang’s four different roles in “Mysterious Traveling Companion”, “Heroes and Tigers”, “Wildfire and Spring Breeze Fighting the Ancient City” and “Sea Eagle” vividly exemplify the professional quality of the possibility of an excellent actor. At the age of 90, Qin Yi stood on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and directed a film written by herself, speaking from the inside out about the style and character of the star. In contrast, today, some performers can be described as red carpet stars, traffic stars, endorsement stars, and reality TV stars, but they cannot be called actors; what they forge is not their strength but their reputation, what they admire is not works but shows, and what they study is not characters but roles. It is a character design, and the driving force is not love but interests. This is also the power and meaning of the documentary film named “The Actor”, back to the source – what is a real star? What is a real actor?
In an era of globalization, film and television works play an important role in national image and cultural soft power. “Actor” leads us to go back and think about how to discover the wealth that is inspiring and constructive to today in the historical and cultural heritage, so as to make it the starting point of our departure and innovation, so as to establish cultural confidence with a source of identity .
(Author: Wang Tian, associate researcher at the School of Drama, Film and Television, Communication University of China)