文 | THE
Edit|Laughing Shi Yunyan
Preamble:
In 1964, a war movie "Heroic Children" was screened nationwide.
The heroine "Wang Fang" became famous in one fell swoop, and the actor Liu Shangxian became popular all over the country.
The audience scrambled to imitate the hairstyle and clothing of "Wang Fang", and even named her daughter "Wang Fang".
After becoming famous, Liu Shangxian no longer had a masterpiece, and her career fell into a trough.
Decades later, the aging Liu Shangxian had a vague remorse in her eyes: "I'm sorry for the audience!"
What happened to her, and why was she so sad?
The bumpy journey of a rising star on the silver screen
At the end of 1940, Liu Shangxian was born in a scholarly family in the coastal city of Shanghai.
His father was an engineer, his mother was a teacher, and his family was wealthy. Liu Shangxian is the second among the five sisters, and the sisters have a deep relationship. As a child, she lived a happy and comfortable life and had the opportunity to receive a good education.
Liu Shangxian when she was a girl had Tian Hua's gentle and dignified temperament. By chance, she was selected as Tian Hua's stand-in to complete the filming of two scenes in a war film. This inspired her to pursue a career in acting.
In 1959, Liu Shangxian was admitted to the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy and began a four-year professional study career.
At that time, the development of the film industry was still in its infancy. After graduating, Liu Shangxian did not star in her own screen works as she wished, but moved to different crews in three years as an extra. It wasn't until the winter of 1963 that the goddess of fate opened her doors.
In the winter of that year, when Liu Shangxian was doing homework alone in the dormitory, three uninvited guests suddenly came. It turned out that the famous director Wu Zhaoti was preparing to make the film "Heroic Children" adapted from Ba Jin's novel of the same name, and invited Liu Shangxian to audition for the heroine.
This is not only a rare opportunity for Liu Shangxian, who is still studying, but also an unprecedented challenge. Despite her doubts, she plucked up the courage to accept the audition.
Liu Shangxian couldn't sleep that night, and Wu Zhaoti's expectant eyes repeatedly appeared in her mind. She got up early the next morning to practice, and came to the director after lunch.
She performed well and won the role of the heroine Wang Fang through the audition. In order to fit in more with the character, she went home for the summer vacation to have her teeth shaped. This became a sign of her transformation from student to actress.
In the Spring Festival of 1964, "Heroes' Children", which premiered in cinemas, received a warm response from the audience, and Liu Shangxian also performed brilliantly in the movie.
When asked about her relationship, she smiled and said, "I believe that the military is my soulmate in this life." Later, she also married a military man. This makes the beautiful encounter from the screen to life.
Forced to change careers
At the end of the 50s of the 20th century, Liu Shangxian became famous with her outstanding performance in the movie "Heroes' Children" and became one of the hottest young actors at that time.
Her acting talent and youthful spirit have deeply touched the hearts of countless audiences. After graduating from university, Liu Shangxian successfully entered Bayi Film Studio, and her future seems to be very good.
However, the good times did not last long, and soon after, in an era of sudden changes, her father was implicated in political events and suffered unfair treatment.
As her father's daughter, Liu Shangxian was also immediately marginalized, and no one dared to cooperate with her anymore. The film circle that once revolved around her instantly became cold, and her former popularity faded completely.
At this most difficult moment, a man named Shen Guorui appeared in Liu Shangxian's life.
Shen Guorui and Liu Shangxian met in the film studio, and he is a professional sound engineer. 3 years older than Liu Shangxian, he has a gentle and introverted personality, and he is focused on his work and vows to do his best.
The relationship between the two was not particularly close at the beginning, until Liu Shangxian encountered difficulties, Shen Guorui overcame many obstacles and resolutely chose to support Liu Shangxian.
He took meticulous care of Liu Shangxian's daily life, enlightened her through psychological obstacles, and took the initiative to share her various trivial labors. Gradually, Liu Shangxian found herself increasingly dependent on Shen Guorui.
In order to confirm her inner thoughts, one day she bluntly asked Shen Guorui if she liked herself. Shen Guorui confessed frankly and admitted his intentions.
Liu Shangxian also realized that when she was most helpless and difficult, it was this seemingly simple man who always silently accompanied her. So, the two hearts found support in the ups and downs of the times, and relied on the strength of their feelings to tide over the difficulties, and finally came together.
At that time, many friends advised Shen Guorui and strongly opposed their relationship.
How can a young man who is on the rise in his career ruin his future because of a woman?
But Shen Guorui did not back down from the advice. He calmly and firmly chose to stay by Liu Shangxian's side. Soon, Liu Shangxian was sent to the countryside for labor reform.
When parting with her, Shen Guorui promised her that no matter what the price, he would wait for her to come back. In those arduous and long years, Shen Guorui fulfilled his promise with actions as promised, and has been waiting for the return of his lover.
At the end of the 60s of the 20th century, the two entered the marriage hall hand in hand after the catastrophe and welcomed their children. But even at that time, Liu Shangxian's marginalization as an actor has not fundamentally changed.
She is still unable to be active on the screen, and can only do chores and scene notes in the cinema. Seeing his former peers busy under the spotlight, but he couldn't do anything about it, Liu Shangxian's heart was tormented. And Shen Guorui still patiently and lovingly watched by her side, giving her warmth and motivation from time to time.
It wasn't until 1978 that Liu Shangxian finally resumed his identity as an actor. But she missed the best years of development, and she was no longer able to catch up with the glory of the year. She can only play some supporting roles to make ends meet, such as mother, wife and so on.
As the years go by, there are fewer and fewer roles suitable for Liu Shangxian. In the mid-80s, with the advice and encouragement of her husband Shen Guorui, Liu Shangxian began to learn directing knowledge and worked hard to complete her career transformation.
She taught herself theories, asked the older generation of directors for practical experience, and under the careful care of her husband, she finally accumulated enough experience to be a film director.
She has participated in directing many film and television works, such as "Chinese Interpol", etc., all of which have received good responses, and Shen Guorui has also made small achievements in his own recording field, and many films he has participated in the production have won many awards. The two supported each other on the road of career development, faced difficulties together, and finally created their own world.
Later life
Although Liu Shangxian has long since disappeared from the entertainment industry, she is still a highly respected figure, and her lifestyle has had an impact on many people.
Like many other seniors, Liu Shangxian chose to stay active and participate in various activities. "I feel so happy every day," she says. She opted for a lot of fun activities, such as gardening, reading, and learning new skills.
The elderly Liu Shangxian goes for a walk in the nearby park with her wife every morning. After breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the sun, the two will go home and make breakfast together. After dinner, Liu Shangxian will practice calligraphy to improve her handwriting, or she will carefully cultivate various flowers in the small garden of her home.
Surrounded by plants, she felt very calm. Of course, reading is also one of Liu Shangxian's favorite activities. She would often quietly flip through some literary masterpieces. These light-hearted recreational activities enriched her life.
Liu Shangxian also values the importance of family and friends. Her son often brings the family home for reunions. Liu Shangxian will cook and prepare sumptuous home-cooked food, and everyone will sit around and eat happily.
She is also often visited by her friends, and she is always able to listen to the worries of others and offer kind advice. These intimate interpersonal interactions make Liu Shangxian feel warm.
Liu Shangxian's lifestyle is a great example of how seniors can make the most of their time and live their lives to the fullest. This is something that we all can learn from. She shows us what it really means to be optimistic, positive, and cherish life.
epilogue
From Liu Shangxian's life experience, we can see the power of love.
When she fell into a trough, her husband Shen Guorui was always by her side, and we have no way of knowing whether their marriage was really happy at that time.
Love needs consensual thinking after all, if only one party is trying, is the other party equally satisfied?