Source: Jun Zhengping Studio, PLA News Communication Center Fusion Media Author: Three Inch Daylight
In May 1942, a symposium lasted more than 20 days, unveiling a new era in the development of Chinese culture.
At the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art, Comrade Mao Zedong delivered a speech entitled "Introduction." He said that in our struggle for the liberation of the Chinese people, there are two fronts, one is the military front and the other is the cultural front, and stressed: "If we want to defeat the enemy, we must first rely on the army with guns in our hands, but it is not enough to have such an army, we must also have a cultured army." This is an army that is indispensable for uniting itself and defeating the enemy."
Group photo of representatives of the Yan'an Literary and Art Forum
At the beginning, Mao Zedong fully emphasized the combat role of literature and art. Then, he raised the fundamental question of "why people" in literature and art. "All revolutionary writers and artists can only be meaningful in their work if they are in touch with the masses, express themselves, and regard themselves as faithful spokesmen for the masses. Only by representing the masses can we educate the masses, and only by being a student of the masses can we be the masters of the masses. Mao Zedong fully expounded the relationship between the source and flow of literature and art, and pointed out the direction and follow for the literary and artistic creation at that time.
The epic of Yan'an culture has thus fallen into the ink. For a time, a large number of literary and art workers put forward the slogan of "going to the countryside, to the factories, to the troops, and becoming a member of the masses," went deep among the masses, went into life, and plunged themselves into the fiery revolutionary struggle. They collect material and get inspiration in real life. From "The Marriage of Little Erhei" to "Wang Gui and Li Xiangxiang," from "Brothers and Sisters Opening Up the Wasteland" to "Stormy Storm," from the "Battlefield Society, the War Song Society, and the New Yangge Movement," a large number of outstanding literary and artistic works that are touching, popular, and far-reaching have aroused the revolutionary passion of the Chinese nation to unite and forge ahead and resist the enemy.
In the peak and loop of history, there are always some things that run through the years and are in the same vein.
The cause of literature and art is an important cause of the party and the people, and the literary and artistic front is an important front of the party and the people. Recently, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the official establishment of the National Drama Theatre of China, President Xi Jinping extended warm congratulations and sincere greetings to all the cast and crew of the National Drama Theatre, affirmed their important role in continuing the red blood of Yan'an, actively practicing the lofty mission of art for the people, and prospering and developing the cause of literature and art, and "hoped that everyone would continue to work hard, closely follow the pulse of the times, adhere to the people's position, adhere to the integrity and innovation, tell Chinese stories with affection and strength, and create more excellent works worthy of the times and the people." To make greater contributions to the prosperity and development of literary and artistic undertakings in the new era and to enrich the spiritual world of the people." A congratulatory letter, short and long paper. This is not only a hope for the art of drama, but also a requirement for all literary and artistic workers.
For "the people's literature and art", President Xi Jinping has always been here. "The people are the mother of literature and art", "Originating from the people, for the people, and belonging to the people, is the fundamental position of socialist literature and art, and is also the driving force for the prosperity and development of socialist literature and art"... Not long ago, In his speech at the opening ceremony of the Eleventh National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Tenth National Congress of the China Writers Association, President Xi Jinping vividly and profoundly expounded the dialectical relationship between literature and art and the people.
What kind of literary and artistic works can be called good works? I believe that there are a thousand Hamlets in the hearts of a thousand people, and different eras have different criteria for judging. But at least one thing, good works, no matter at any time, can withstand the evaluation of the people and reflect the voice of the people.
Why is the song "On the Songhua River" created during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression still stirring people's hearts? Because it sings the sorrow and indignation of the blood-stained mountains and rivers and the destruction of the country and the death of the family, it awakens the soul of the nation and inspires generations to move forward courageously. Why can the main theme of the TV series "Mountains and Seas" be "out of the circle"? Because people feel the breath of real life here, the actors fade the aura of idols, and put into creation in a down-to-earth "barren land", playing the faces of sentient beings from "Yongquan Village" to "Hanging Village", and writing a stirring history of struggle on the screen. Some netizens commented: "This drama has to be slagged off, but I am deeply moved!" It does not add a 'filter' to the times, nor does it render the characters 'tall and complete', nor does it avoid the contradictions in the process of poverty alleviation by immigrants and the complex mentality of ordinary individuals. But it is precisely this kind of 'there is life, no slogan', 'there is suffering, more hard work', so that people have empathy for 'little people' and an understanding of 'big times'. ”
Stills from "Mountains and Seas"
Literary and artistic creation is not a simple patchwork of words, nor is it a superposition of pictures without emotion, but it needs to truly enter people's hearts and gain insight into human nature. Whether or not the "methodology" of enthusiasm is better than all technical levels, whether or not to pay attention to the people and hear the voice of the people determines whether literary and artistic works have vitality. As President Xi Jinping said: "There are a hundred or a thousand ways to create literature and art, but the most fundamental method is to take root in the people." Only by always being with the people can the tree of art be evergreen. ”
And facts have just proved that once the spotlight of the literary and artistic stage is aimed at the people, the picture of the times and history is particularly vivid and realistic. In recent years, under the call of the word "people" in the spiritual core, the vast number of literary and art workers have actively forged ahead, adhered to their original intentions, and produced many outstanding literary and artistic works that have been "applauded and applauded": there are not only the main theme works of "breaking the wall and going out of the circle" like "The Age of Awakening", "Meritorious Service", "My Motherland and Me", and "Changjin Lake", but also film and television masterpieces such as "No One Can Be Less" and "Great Rivers and Great Rivers" that reflect the weather of the times and the spirit of acura struggle, as well as documentaries such as "Wuhan 24 Hours" and "Square Cabin" that show the story of China's war epidemic. One after another, vivid literary and artistic works have brought together the people's epic poems of struggle. Those vivid and warm images, the persistence of upward goodness, and the courage to protect the people of the world have cultivated the spiritual homeland of generations of Chinese people, and have stimulated the majestic force to promote national development and national rejuvenation.
Of course, there are also some problems. Although today's Chinese literature and art have entered an unprecedented period of abundance, there is still a phenomenon of lack of quantity and quality, a lack of "plateau" and a lack of "peaks", and the impetuous wind that is divorced from reality is also quite obvious. Some literary and artistic works simply pursue sensory stimulation, pursue low-level interests, take ugliness as beauty, and over-render the dark side of society; some in order to make quick money, shoddy manufacturing, plagiarism and imitation; some pursue luxury, excessive packaging, empty, and form is greater than content; some are keen on the so-called "art for art's sake", seriously divorced from the public and divorced from reality... These chaos have seriously polluted the literary and artistic ecology and endangered the development of cultural undertakings, especially the negative impact on the establishment of correct values among young people.
Why is there such a big contrast? The fundamental reason is that these literary and art workers do not have the people in their hearts. If a person is surrounded by crooked thoughts and evil thoughts, wandering outside the people and out of touch with life, of course, there will be no profound expression, profound thoughts, and in-depth interpretation, and naturally he will not be able to create excellent works. On the contrary, with the people in mind and deeply involved in the masses of the people, literary and artistic works will be full, and the details in the works will be vivid and exquisite, naturally presenting the spirit of realism and making it always shine.
"I hope that the vast number of literary and art workers will adhere to the people's stand and write endless people's epics," "The people are real, realistic, and simple, and they cannot use fictitious images to fictionalize the people, they cannot ridicule the people with a ridiculous attitude, and they cannot defame the people with ugly brushstrokes," "The vast number of literary and art workers must adhere to the people-centered creative orientation, put the people in the highest position in their hearts, and regard the people's satisfaction or dissatisfaction as the highest standard for testing art." Create more excellent works that meet the cultural needs of the people and enhance the spiritual strength of the people, so that the hundred gardens of literature and art will always bloom for the people"... President Xi's important speech sounded the rallying cry and injected new and strong impetus into literature and art.
Great times call for great art. At any time, the word "people" should always be the eternal focus of Chinese literary and art workers on the vast creative stage. At present, the whole party, the whole army, and the people of all nationalities throughout the country have embarked on a new road to achieve the goal of the second centenary struggle, which also provides a broader space and richer materials for literary and artistic creation in the new era. It is believed that as long as the vast number of literary and art workers are with the people, adhere to the people's stand, and embody the Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength, the fine works will surely leap through the sea and the weather will be ever-changing.
(Produced by Jun Zhengping Studio and PLA News and Communication Center)