It has been more than 20 years since the 87th edition of the Red Chamber, which was regarded as the flagship work of domestic TV dramas, in the 1980s.
In the play, Chen Xiaoxu reads Daiyu's lines, and the desolate and mournful "Funeral Flower Yin", although it is spoken from different eras and different populations, clearly narrates two similar lives.
At that time, the crew of the 87 version of the Dream of the Red Chamber was filming a segment of "Dai Yu Funeral Flower".
Dai Yu funeral flowers
On that day, Suzhou was still only in March, and the weather was slightly cold and did not warm up. Chen Xiaoxu, dressed in a gauze suit, is waiting for the camera to start shooting.
But because something went wrong with the props, she had to stand in the cold wind shivering.
Suddenly, for some reason, her emotions broke down, and she stood where she was, crying so much that even her shoulders couldn't stop shaking.
Chen Xiaoxu
Seeing such a scene, the sensitive photographer immediately picked up the camera and recorded the scene. Chen Xiaoxu's every move was like a cluster of Daiyu, and it was like Lin Daiyu coming out of the book.
When seeing this clip, people around her can't help but wonder, what exactly is she crying for? Is it for the falling flowers in the play, or for daiyu in the book, or for herself?
When Chen Xiaoxu saw this clip, even she herself could not say it clearly.
The broadcast of "Dream of the Red Chamber" has made Chen Xiaoxu and other actors, and also the director Wang Fulin. Since the 87th edition of "Dream of the Red Chamber" was broadcast, it can be described as an empty alley.
To this day, the 87th edition of "Dream of the Red Chamber" has been replayed on TELEVISION again and again, and no matter how long it has been reappearing, it still attracts the love of the audience.
In the eyes of many people, it was the 87th edition of "Dream of the Red Chamber" that made the crew of that year, but carefully speaking, it was they who achieved "Dream of the Red Chamber" after all.
When someone asked, why can "Dream of the Red Chamber" last for a long time? Wang Fulin gave a four-word answer: "The heart of reverence."
Wang Fulin
Different from the impetuousness of the current television industry, in the face of such a topic as literary adaptation, director Wang Fulin believes that the principle of change is to be faithful to the original work and not to damage the spirit of the original work.
Being afraid of famous works and not pretending to understand them is Wang Fulin's insistence.
As early as the 1970s, Wang Fulin went to London to investigate, hoping to learn from the Western world and learn some television experience.
When he saw Shakespeare's classic plays being put on TV, his heart was shocked, there are four famous works in China, which are also very classic, since the United Kingdom can shoot Shakespeare's works, then why can't we let Chinese classical works appear on the screen?
With such a fresh idea, Wang Fulin excitedly returned to China and put forward his own ideas.
Unfortunately, there was no case of adapting famous works in China at that time, and for the television industry at that time, this would be an adventure, so Wang Fulin's proposal could only be shelved for the time being.
Fortunately, after a long period of consideration and discussion, in 1982, the CCTV Station Council decided to officially start filming the TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber", and the director was selected as Wang Fulin.
After receiving such news, Wang Fulin was excited, and his wish for many years finally came true. But in addition to the excitement, Wang Fulin also felt the pressure multiplied.
When recalling this experience, Wang Fulin frankly said: "I know in my heart that this burden is not easy to pick up, not to be overwhelmed, but also tired enough, and there may not be any results." However, there is one thing I can guarantee that I will work creation. What fame and fortune, fame and family are all left behind. ”
For this shooting, Wang Fulin invested great enthusiasm and energy. During the day, he was always full of confidence and energy; however, whenever he came home at night, he often could not sleep at night.
The adaptation of "Dream of the Red Chamber" is not just a TV series broadcast, it is closely related to Chinese culture, so it needs to be taken more seriously.
87 edition of "Dream of the Red Chamber"
Regarding the original work of "Dream of the Red Chamber", he actually only briefly read it in his youth, and he had not finished reading it yet.
Therefore, although he was the general director, for him at that time, he did not understand the profundity and elegance in "Dream of the Red Chamber".
Fortunately, Wang Fulin is not a perfunctory person, in order to have a better shooting of the Dream of the Red Chamber, Wang Fulin applied to the station to cancel his original daily task of recording and broadcasting programs, so that he could concentrate on studying "Dream of the Red Chamber".
It is reported that in the following year, in addition to studying "Dream of the Red Chamber", he also found many academic articles that evaluated and analyzed "Dream of the Red Chamber", and strived to jump out of the superficial surface and present the audience with superior content masterpieces.
In China, due to the classic circulation of "Dream of the Red Chamber", there has also been a "Red Study" specializing in the study of "Dream of the Red Chamber", where experts and scholars who love "Dream of the Red Chamber" from all over the country have gathered.
Soon after, Wang Fulin found Wu Shichang, an expert in red studies. After communicating with Wu Shichang, Wu Shichang suggested that he could first hold a symposium on "Dream of the Red Chamber" to listen to what everyone said.
After that, whenever he encountered a part he did not understand, he would ask the red scholar for advice, and in the conversation with the red scholar, Wang Fulin had a deeper understanding of "Dream of the Red Chamber", and at the same time, after each communication, the script also had a higher level of improvement.
In 1982, the winter in Beijing seemed particularly cold, and a hut at the China Conservatory of Music was crowded with red scholars, and the enthusiastic participation of many scholars in the script made the harsh winter less cold.
Mr. Wu Shichang, a famous red scholar
Although Wang Fulin attended the conference as a director, every time he was afraid that his understanding was not deep enough, so he did not often express his own opinions, but like a student, he always listened carefully to the discussion of the red scholars and recorded effective information.
According to director Wang Fulin, "At that time, every day was like stepping on a landmine, carefully taking every step. ”
With the discussion and revision of Wang Fulin and the red scholars, the script is taking shape and improving day by day. The gradual formation of the script is not the end, but the beginning.
After this, Wang Fulin also needs to face one of the most important problems, that is, casting.
Some of the actors in the 87th edition of "Dream of the Red Chamber" set makeup photos
At that time, Wang Fulin reversed the normality of TV series casting and decided not to use stars, but to use all newcomer actors. The issuance of this decision has attracted the attention and suspicion of people in the industry.
After all, from the experience of Hollywood, stars are the guarantee of ratings and box office, and abandoning stars will be a huge adventure.
But Wang Fulin did not think so.
To this end, Wang Fulin gave such an example: in the scene "Yi Mian Mian Quiet Day Jade ShengXiang", Dai Yu was lying on the bed taking a nap, Bao Yu quietly lifted the embroidery soft curtain, climbed onto the bed, woke up Dai Yu, and the two lay face to face.
Wang Fulin said: "If you let two well-known actors aged 27 or 8 to play, the two pull and pull on the bed, it is difficult to show the purity of the two." ”
It is Wang Fulin's persistence that allows us to see the content that has a more sense of substitution and is more in line with the original work.
After issuing the audition request, for a while, people from all over the country hoped to go to Beijing and participate in the casting audition of "Dream of the Red Chamber".
So, how did Chen Xiaoxu stand out in the team of beautiful women?
Wang Fulin once commented on Chen Xiaoxu, saying that she is not particularly beautiful, and her acting skills are not very good, but there is one thing that is very special, that is, she is particularly suitable for playing Lin Daiyu.
It was Chen Xiaoxu's characteristics that eventually won her the important role of Daiyu.
At that time, the crew declared to the actors who came to the audition: they should take care of their own food and accommodation, and if they were not selected, the travel expenses would not be reimbursed.
In the 1980s, the material level was far less than the current level, and the cost of traveling and traveling to and from the car and horse and living expenses were also the concerns of many people.
Although Chen Xiaoxu was very moved, she was only eighteen years old at the time, full of curiosity about the world, and wanted to try it, but she never had the courage to take the first step.
Eventually, with the encouragement of her boyfriend Bi Yanjun, she wrote a cover letter to Wang Fulin, along with a small poem and photo she wrote.
The poem that Chen Xiaoxu sent was called "I Am a Willow Flower", which was written and published when she was fourteen years old.
In the poem she writes: "I am a willow flower, growing in the beautiful spring, because my parents abandoned me prematurely, and I became a confidant with the spring wind." ”
Although it is a poem written when Cardamom was young, between the words, there is a somber atmosphere, reminiscent of the daiyu girl who is also brilliant in literature but often conveys a melancholy mood.
Fortunately, in less than a week, Chen Xiaoxu received a handwritten reply from Wang Fulin.
In the letter, Wang Fulin invited her to Beijing for an interview.
After reading Wang Fulin's reply, Chen Xiaoxu's confidence was greatly enhanced, although she was somewhat worried in her heart, she still packed her bags, took a three-day leave with the drama troupe, and took the train to Beijing.
On the day of the interview, Chen Xiaoxu took a wet umbrella and came to Wang Fulin's office. She was dressed in a green dress, and the whole person looked very plain.
Wang Fulin asked her, "What is Miaoyu's sentence?" ”
For the average reader, there is no doubt that this is a very tricky question, however, before that, Chen Xiaoxu had already read "Dream of the Red Chamber" several times, so she confidently replied: "If you want to clean He Zengjie, the clouds may not be empty." ”
Hearing Chen Xiaoxu's answer, Wang Fulin was also a little surprised, if he was not a loyal fan of "Dream of the Red Chamber", it would be difficult to tell Miaoyu's sentence so quickly and accurately.
Miao Yu in the 87th edition of "Dream of the Red Chamber"
The slender, weak-looking girl in front of her, when she talked about "Dream of the Red Chamber", she seemed to have a big energy.
The results of the interview did not come out on the spot, and Wang Fulin told her to go back and wait for the news. Before the separation, the director specifically told her to keep the ticket and maybe reimburse her.
Suddenly, Chen Xiaoxu felt that the confidence in his heart had gained a little more.
After returning to her hometown, Chen Xiaoxu did not idle, she reopened "Dream of the Red Chamber", carefully read it twice, during which she also made a thick notebook.
The good news finally flew in April of the following year, Chen Xiaoxu received good news from Beijing, the crew informed her that she had passed the interview, and she was going to Beijing to participate in actor training.
It turned out that although she passed the first round of interviews, if she wanted to truly become an actor in the "Dream of the Red Chamber" TV series, she also needed to go through several months of training and observation like other actors.
Some time later, the group of actors came to the Yuanmingyuan in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing.
Among the ruins of this piece of history, there should have been a heavy sense of historical vicissitudes, but due to the arrival of the crew of "Dream of the Red Chamber", the lively atmosphere came to the face.
The actors who came to participate in the training took physical fitness classes in the morning, lectures by experts in the morning, performance practice time in the afternoon, and in the evening, they were also required to put on costumes and practice piano, chess, calligraphy and painting.
The day of the actors was arranged to be full, and the Yuanmingyuan, which had been silent for a long time, was really as lively as the Grand View Garden.
Some of the actors of the 87th edition of "Dream of the Red Chamber" are group photos
Since "Dream of the Red Chamber" is a classic masterpiece, the director has strict criteria for the choice of roles.
Actors not only need to look like oriental beauties, but also need to have an elegant temperament. During the training period, the program team attaches great importance to cultivating the ability of actors to play chess and calligraphy.
In fact, in "Dream of the Red Chamber", not all characters need to know how to play chess and calligraphy, but the director hopes to add a classical temperament to the actors in this way.
At that time, Chen Xiaoxu once spent two days playing the piano, and finally in the play, if she was not a professional, she could not see it at all, and she only spent two days to temporarily learn to play the piano.
In Wang Fulin's view, to let the actors know so well and enter the role is to let them "fall in love" with their roles, whether it is suitable or not, you can immediately see it.
His method also allows actors to get closer to and understand the role.
Interestingly, after entering the training period, Wang Fulin once again went against the tradition, he did not take the initiative to assign roles to the actors like other directors, but let them choose their own, which one they felt was suitable, they could try which role.
Therefore, many actors do not put their hopes on the only role in order to be able to stay in the crew, as long as it fits the role slightly, they will try.
For example, Deng Jie, the actor who played the role of Wang Xifeng, in addition to trying Wang Xifeng's play, also played the play of You Sanjie, who has similar personality characteristics to Wang Xifeng.
The role of Wang Xifeng, played by Deng Jie
In fact, this is also the way for actors to survive, after all, it is not an easy task to enter the crew directed by Wang Fulin, and it is not a bad thing to leave yourself one more choice.
At that time, lin daiyu's candidates, in addition to Chen Xiaoxu, actually had Zhang Lei, Wang Xiaojie, Hu Zehong and Shen Lu, and the competition was very fierce.
However, despite this, Chen Xiaoxu firmly chose the role of Daiyu, and during the training, her whole heart was laid out on Daiyu, never caring about what other roles were.
Later, Wang Fulin asked Chen Xiaoxu: "If you don't play Lin Daiyu, how about you choose another role to play?" ”
Chen Xiaoxu immediately replied very affirmatively: "I am Lin Daiyu, if I go to play other roles, the audience will say that Lin Daiyu is going to play other roles!" ”
Chen Xiaoxu's bravery and persistence were like Lin Daiyu's own answer.
In the face of Chen Xiaoxu's persistence and love for Daiyu, Wang Fulin was even more impressed by Chen Xiaoxu, who seemed to be weak and could not help the wind, but was actually full of energy.
Finally, after three months of training, Chen Xiaoxu was highly recognized by the director and the crew, and they no longer chose other actors.
When entering the play, Chen Xiaoxu seems to have crossed the barrier of time and merged with Daiyu in the book.
Lin Daiyu in the play, in fact, is not only a sad emotion, Dai Yu loves to read, speak, witty words, whether in the book or in the play, have contributed a lot of excellent laughs.
Outside the play, Chen Xiaoxu is also such a woman.
From the appearance point of view, Chen Xiaoxu is a well-behaved girl, but in the interval between filming, she often has many ghost ideas, and Ouyang Fenqiang, who plays Jia Baoyu, is responsible for implementation, and the two sing a harmony, just like the Daiyu and Baoyu in the book came to reality.
Ouyang Fenqiang and Chen Xiaoxu
Once, Shi Xiangyun's actor, Guo Xiaozhen, was tricked into going to the zoo gate to meet the assistant directors of other crews, and when she returned, she didn't know that this was their prank.
When Wang Fulin heard about this, he couldn't help but laugh.
In the crew of "Dream of the Red Chamber", when filming, everyone is particularly focused, but outside the scene, everyone is very friendly, and the atmosphere is also very cheerful.
In 1987, as soon as the TV drama version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" was broadcast, it received a wave of applause, and Chen Xiaoxu, who played Lin Daiyu, also attracted the attention of the audience and became the "Lin sister who fell from the sky" in people's hearts.
After the 87 version of "Dream of the Red Chamber", there have also been directors remaking new versions, however, no matter how many people play Lin Daiyu again.
In people's hearts, Lin Daiyu, played by Chen Xiaoxu, has become an irreproducible classic, and no one can surpass it.
To this day, whenever people mention Lin Daiyu in "Dream of the Red Chamber", it is inevitable that they will think of Chen Xiaoxu's image.
After "Dream of the Red Chamber", Chen Xiaoxu has become popular all over the streets and alleys, and for a while, invitations have continued.
Soon, Chen Xiaoxu and other actors in the crew boarded each David TV, and the scenery was unlimited.
Since then, she has also taken over some new plays and made attempts in addition to Lin Daiyu. Unfortunately, Chen Xiaoxu's in-depth portrayal of Lin Daiyu's image has become a disadvantage in other plots.
Because whenever the audience sees Chen Xiaoxu, no matter what kind of clothing and style she is, people will first think of Lin Daiyu, and it is inevitable to jump the scene.
At this time, Chen Xiaoxu also found that it was difficult for him to break through the image of Lin Daiyu, so soon after, Chen Xiaoxu no longer appeared in the public eye and cherished his feathers.
In this way, in people's memories, she has always been a pity Lin Daiyu.
At that time, many people did not know that although Chen Xiaoxu gradually launched the screen, she did not give up her life.
Soon, she had a new goal: to be a businessman.
Chen Xiaoxu said frankly: "'Dream of the Red Chamber' opened a window for me, and closed another window, I couldn't enter, so I had to open up a new road, but unexpectedly found that it led to a more beautiful faraway place." ”
In 1996, Chen Xiaoxu joined Great Wall International Advertising Co., Ltd. and served as the manager of production headquarters.
Since then, Chen Xiaoxu has abandoned acting and engaged in business, and on this somewhat unfamiliar road, he has gone farther and farther, and has embarked on a rather wonderful trajectory. She has become an outstanding female practitioner in the advertising industry.
When she was an actress, she had the agility and variety of an actor; when she transformed into a warrior in the mall, she had a clever mind and creative thinking.
Soon, she took a seat in the advertising industry and made a considerable fortune. In 2005, Chen Xiaoxu was named "China's Economic Person of the Year" by World Manager Weekly.
Unfortunately, God can't open too many windows for a person, and when we get something, it seems doomed to pay something.
In October 2006, Chen Xiaoxu was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer.
Such news, no matter who it is placed on, is a shocking event. Suddenly, Chen Xiaoxu felt that the sky was about to fall, and the people around him were amazed when they heard such news, but they were more sorry.
They also advised Chen Xiaoxu to actively fight the disease and regain his health.
Experts told her that patients with stage I and II breast cancer should undergo local surgical resection, and then cooperate with systemic drug treatment, so that there is a possibility of cure.
Hearing that part of his body was to be removed, Chen Xiaoxu felt difficult to accept, and soon after, Chen Xiaoxu made a difficult decision: to give up treatment.
She told her father: "If surgery and chemotherapy can cure it, and if you don't do that and die, then I choose to die." ”
As a parent, I must hope that my children can live a healthy and long life, but seeing that her daughter has made up her mind, her parents have also given her the greatest respect.
The world hopes to be born like the splendor of summer flowers and die like the quiet beauty of autumn leaves.
Chen Xiaoxu, like Lin Daiyu, is stubborn and brave, and will not waver in the face of what he believes, no matter how others persuade him.
She would rather give up her life than accept her imperfections.
In the eyes of many viewers, many years later, Chen Xiaoxu has not yet come out of the shadow of Daiyu, and pursues romance and ultimate idealism.
On February 23, 2007, Chen Xiaoxu held a shaving ceremony at the Baiguo Xinglong Temple, and since then, she has abandoned her elderly parents and laid down hundreds of millions of dollars, leaving home and taking refuge in Buddhism.
During that time, Chen Xiaoxu ate all day long, meditated and chanted, washed his body and mind, and left everything in secular society behind.
One day more than two months later, Chen Xiaoxu died of illness in Shenzhen at the age of 41.
In "Dream of the Red Chamber", Dai Yu has an unparalleled spiritual beauty. Her frankness, persistence, and transcending the limitations of words strike us as readers.
In the real world, Chen Xiaoxu not only externalizes the spiritual beauty of Daiyu in the book, allowing us as viewers to peek through the screen, but more importantly, she herself penetrates the beauty of Daiyu.
She played Daiyu and eventually "became" her.
Suddenly, more than ten years after Chen Xiaoxu's death, she and Daiyu, her life was short, like a comet, across the sky.
After Chen Xiaoxu, whenever we mention Daiyu, we will also think of Chen Xiaoxu's wonderful performance in "Dream of the Red Chamber".
At the same time, when we think of Chen Xiaoxu, we will definitely remember the surprises she has brought to the audience and her own infinite charm.
Although the Si people such as Daiyu and Chen Xiaoxu have passed away, the imagination and memory they left behind for future generations will be eternal.