Message of the times
"Some time ago I went to WanquanHe, went to the beautiful countryside, and went to many places and places where I used to go and shoot movies, and these places have now undergone earth-shaking changes. I think that today, we should not forget our original intention, inherit the revolutionary tradition of the Red Detachment of Women, and carry forward the revolutionary spirit of the Red Detachment of Women. ”
——Zhu Xijuan
Wish Xi Juan a recent photo.
"Moving forward! Move forward! The responsibilities of warriors are heavy, and the grievances of women are deep. In ancient times, there was Mulan, who went to the army for her father, and now there is a girl army, carrying a gun for the people..." This song that has been sung to this day is the theme song in the movie "Red Lady Army". In 1961, the movie "Red Detachment of Women" directed by Xie Jin and starring Wang Xingang and Chen Qiang was released and became a classic of a generation. The heroine of the film, Wu Qionghua, is played by Zhu Xijuan, an 83-year-old performance artist.
Stills from "The Red Detachment of Women".
Looking for "Hot Big Eyes"
On May 1, 1931, the Special Agent Company of the Women's Army of the Second Independent Division of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was established in Qiongya Su District, which was the first women's revolutionary armed force under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.
The movie "Red Detachment of Women" is based on this real history. In 1957, the military writer Liang Xin came to Hainan to experience life, where he met the famous veterans of the women's army. Liang Xin's creative inspiration was ignited at once, and it took only four days and four nights of work for him to write the film script, the original title of which was called "Qiongdao Hero Flower". Later, this script was seen by Xie Jin, a young director who was flourishing at the time, who was so excited that he immediately decided to shoot it, and after consulting with Liang Xin, changed the script to "Red Girl Scout".
As for how Zhu Xijuan was selected by Xie Jin to become the actor of Wu Qionghua, this process is quite dramatic. At that time, the film was about to start, but Qionghua's candidate was not decided, the script said that she had a pair of "hot eyes", however, although the studio stars gathered that year, Xie Jin still wanted to find another "strange face", so he expanded the casting scope to students.
At the time, Zhu Xijuan was a junior at the Shanghai Theater Academy and was rehearsing the play "In Days of Peace." One day, Xie Jin just came to the school experiment rehearsal hall and saw a pair of young men and women arguing loudly, and the female classmate had an excited expression, and a pair of large eyes flashed with anger and stubbornness. In this way, Zhu Xijuan was accidentally "matched" by Xie Jin.
Zhu Xijuan laughed and said that in fact, Xie Jin not only watched her quarrel, but also watched her perform drama and play the piano, and after full investigation, it was decided that she would play Wu Qionghua. "Xie Dao resisted the pressure of going up and down in the factory and used me, a student who had neither qualifications nor acting experience, what a lot of perseverance and courage it took!" I have thanked him all my life. Zhu Xijuan said.
"The skin is tanned and the heart is redder"
Even from the perspective of that year, the cast of "Red Detachment of Women" can be said to be star-studded: the male protagonist Hong Changqing is played by Wang Xingang, the "male god of the whole people" at that time; Chen Qiang plays the number one villain Nan Batian; Xiang Mei, who emerged in "Women's Basketball No. 5", plays Honglian; Niu Ben plays the correspondent Xiao Pang. Subsequently, Xie Jin pulled the entire crew to Hainan Island and began a month-long experiential life.
"We lived in the homes of the local people, and the one who trained us was Feng Zengmin, the company commander of the Niangzi Army, who told us many true stories of female soldiers." Zhu Xijuan said that in addition to reading novels and memoirs about the revolutionary struggle, they got up every day according to the schedule of the Niangzi Army Company, went out to exercise, did military training, and in their free time, they also had to do farm work with their fellow villagers. "Wearing the military uniforms, straw shoes and shorts of the Women's Army of the year, she wears leggings every day, and the 'gun' is not left in her hand for 24 hours." The sun in Hainan was too strong, and in the end everyone's nose was sunburned and peeled off, and their faces were blackened, but the experience was really worth it, because we went through the transformation process from city girls to female warriors. Zhu Xijuan said that after experiencing life, Xie Jin asked her how she felt, and she replied: "The skin is tanned, and the heart is redder." ”
Xie Jin's strict requirements for actors also left a deep impression on Zhu Xijuan. At that time, she saw the actor Chen Qiang in the crew, and the little girl's admiration for the big star immediately surged up, but Xie Jin knew it, and directly called Zhu Xijuan over for a training: "You usually don't talk to Chen Qiangduo!" The two of you are sworn enemies in the play, and you have a deep hatred with him. The relationship between the two of you actors is too familiar, and the relationship between the characters will be wrong when filming. ”
Lucky to be selected as one of the "Twenty-Two Stars"
Recalling the time when "Red Detachment of Women" was filmed, Zhu Xijuan sighed: "I have always said that I was a 'lucky person', and the first time I made a movie, I met excellent filmmakers like Xie Jin, Wang Xingang, and Chen Qiang. What makes me even more grateful is that many of the supporting roles in the film are played by the bones of Shangying, such as Feng Qi, Iron Bull, Yang Mengchang, Zhu Sha, Shu Zhi, Cheng Zhi, Yu Fei, Jin Naihua and other teachers, and there are more comrades in the Girl Scout Army who have no lines, they are my classmates or alumni, such as Liu Yu, Zheng Yuzhi, Xia Qiying, Lu Shichu, etc., all of whom are good actors, but they come to help me. ”
Zhu Xijuan said that although the shooting conditions were difficult at that time, everyone was extremely serious and dedicated to filming, and the relationship between the crew members was also very warm. Zhu Xijuan still remembers that the first scene she shot in the crew was wu Qionghua being hung in a water prison, and Chen Qiang, who did not have a scene that day, still came to give her a "scene", standing behind the director and staring at her very sternly, so Qionghua's hatred for Nan Batian came out at once. "My path to art is inseparable from the teachings of teacher Chen Qiang." Zhu Xijuan said.
Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe it was a destiny, July 1, 1961, the day "Red Detachment of Women" was released, it was precisely the day Zhu Xijuan joined the party. After the film was released, it quickly set off a "red" whirlwind, causing a national sensation. Later, when the "Twenty-two People's Actors" of New China were selected, which was later commonly known as the "Twenty-Two Stars", three actors from the "Red Detachment of Women" were selected, Wang Xingang and Chen Qiang were on the list, and Zhu Xijuan became one of the youngest "Twenty-Two Stars".
In 1962, in the first Popular Film Hundred Flowers Awards, "The Red Detachment of Women" won four awards for best feature film, best director, best actress and best supporting actor, and Zhu Xijuan became the first film queen in New China with the role of Wu Qionghua. At the award ceremony, Guo Moruo wrote an inscription for her: "Out of the old cage, out of the dead and into the life of the old cage, hainan island are all east wind, poured with heroic blood, a qiong flower is extraordinarily red." ”
On the eve of "July 1" this year, Zhu Xijuan returned to Hainan again. Qionghua, who was once heroic and cheerful, has become an elderly person, but the spirit of the Red Detachment of Women who has accompanied her for so many years still exists, and "always moving forward" has also become her motto in life.
(Original title: The movie "Red Detachment of Women" released in 1961 created the first film queen in New China Zhu Xijuan: "Always move forward" is the motto of life)
Source: Beijing Daily | Reporter Yuan Yun'er
Process Edit: U016
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