In 1956, an unknown young man, Wang Xingang, tried his first hand in a film at Changchun Film Studio. His handsome face, strong physique, and innate gentleness and elegance refreshed the audience.
Although the performance is still a little stiff, this excellent external condition has successfully attracted the attention of countless movie fans.
Two years later, Wang Xingang played the leading role again in another war-themed film, this time mastering the role of the young herdsman like a fish in water.
Wang Xingang talked and laughed with the heroine, rode a horse and galloped, perfectly interpreting the image of a sunny and confident young man. Critics at the time praised him as "like a natural fit for the character".
However, Wang Xingang knew in his heart that this was just a "true performance" using his own conditions, and he was still far from a real acting actor.
A turning point occurred in 1958. In that movie that reflected the life of a spy, Wang Xingang unexpectedly played a villain role - the cunning and cowardly spy Yao Wei.
For the sake of a corner, he did not hesitate to shave his head and pierce his ears, and even learned the actions and demeanors that all kinds of treacherous villains often have. In the end, Wang Xingang portrayed this dark and dirty character vividly, which caused a shock.
Since then, people have seen that this small-level actor has such excellent acting skills, and the threshold of "character actor" has been flattened for him. A real movie god was born.
It may be difficult to find another actor who shows the spiritual outlook of Chinese soldiers through the screen image like Wang Xingang so three-dimensional and vivid. Since his debut, Wang Xingang has successfully created dozens of well-known military roles, among which the most memorable ones are Captain Zhang Min, martyr Hong Changqing, General Cai Yi, etc.
The reason why Wang Xingang can perform these soldiers so well is that he is a veteran of the army's art troupe. Wang Xingang, who was conscripted into the army at the age of 17, has experienced a harsh military life and has a deep understanding of the qualities of a soldier.
This laid the most solid foundation for him to portray a military man on the screen.
What is even more commendable is that Wang Xingang himself is righteous and awe-inspiring, and his noble character can be said to be the most perfect fit for the military role he plays. This also makes any soldier who falls into the hands of Wang Xingang have an innate power and unyielding.
While the audience was fascinated by the characters on the screen, they were also invisibly impressed by his character.
In the end, Wang Xingang's ability to learn Xi is extraordinary, and he will grasp the different characteristics of each character and render and portray them. Therefore, the soldiers he portrayed are all unique and have their own distinct personalities, which enriches the military portraits in Chinese movies.
There is no doubt that without the existence of Wang Xingang, this category in Chinese cinema would be eclipsed.
When we examine Wang Xingang's film career, we will be pleasantly surprised to find that he not only perfectly interprets the role of a Chinese soldier, but also creates many soft and melancholy intellectual images just as well.
In 1962, Wang Xingang played a withdrawn botanist Nan Lin in the movie "The End of the Green Sea". This is a character who is introverted and well-educated.
In order to interpret accurately, Wang Xingang read a large number of botanical monographs behind closed doors, and even personally conducted specimen classification Xi. In the end, he portrayed this well-known intellectual, who was full of knowledge of the past and the present, and left a deep impression on the audience.
A similar success was the literary youth Juan Sheng, who gave his voice in 1965. If Nanlin is introverted by rules, then Juan Sheng is clever and thoughtful to be depressed. In order to present the delicate and fragile soul of Juan Sheng, Wang Xingang put his demeanor extremely hazy and soft, as if the whole person was permeated with compassion and compassion, which moved the judges.
Through these two representative roles, we see the openness and inclusiveness of Wang Xingang's acting skills, he can turn from a mighty and domineering general to a weak scholar, and interpret them all perfectly.
This kind of multi-faceted acting breakthrough is something that few actors can do. From Wang Xingang, we found the answer - that is, selfless dedication to art and unremitting pursuit of acting.
The Chinese films we can watch today are largely due to the unremitting efforts and painstaking efforts of this group of outstanding artists in the fifties and sixties of the last century.
Among them, Wang Xingang's contribution is even more significant. It can be said that without Wang Xingang's brilliance, the development process of Chinese films will be greatly reduced.
First of all, Wang Xingang perfectly interpreted a large number of most memorable male protagonists in the history of Chinese film through his strong physique and superb acting skills.
This kind of screen image represented by him has greatly enriched and enhanced the masculinity in the film, and injected all fresh blood into Chinese films.
What's even more commendable is that Wang Xingang successfully implanted a large amount of positive spiritual food into the hearts of the audience. Whether it is the image of a soldier or an intellectual, he consciously or unintentionally conveys his noble personality and unyielding fighting spirit.
In that special era of turbulent social transformation, this undoubtedly produced a major moral edification effect.
In general, Wang Xingang represents the highest level and the most determined pursuit of the Chinese film industry. At a time when the entire industry is going downhill, having a master like him who is loyal and persistent to art is in charge, which makes people rekindle their confidence in the art of film.
There is no doubt that without the iron backbone of Wang Xingang and his colleagues, the yesterday and today of Chinese cinema would be very different.