The mid-to-late 20th century was a golden age of vigorous development of China's film industry. In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, films were entrusted with the important task of promoting the main theme and spreading positive energy.
As one of the most important film production bases in New China, Beijing Film Studio has produced many outstanding filmmakers. They have devoted themselves to art and made important contributions to the development of China's film industry.
However, the road to filmmaking has not been easy. Especially during the "Cultural Revolution", the film industry was not immune, and many filmmakers were affected.
Some people lose themselves in the turbulent environment and become accomplices in the criticism of their peers. This has undoubtedly brought great harm to the creation of films and filmmakers.
This article will take Guo Shutian, a veteran actor from Beijing Film Studio, as an example to tell the story of an ordinary person who struggles in the film industry, and where he finally goes when he is faced with a choice in the era of dark clouds.
We may be able to think about the dilemma and awakening of human nature in the macro historical process from the choices of micro destinies.
I hope to explore a universal proposition by telling the life experience of an ordinary person: how should we walk on the right path without losing our humanity in turbulent times.
Guo Shutian was born in 1917 in an ordinary peasant family in Xiongxian County, Hebei Province. In 1938, he responded to the call of the revolution in his hometown and joined the revolutionary ranks. As an older generation of revolutionaries, Guo Shutian experienced the hard life of the Yan'an period.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Guo Shutian entered the Northeast Film Studio to work. In 1950, he moved south to Changchun with the film studio and became an actor in the Changchun Film Studio.
Later, he transferred to Beijing Film Studio and worked side by side with many predecessors in the film industry.
Guo Shutian has a simple appearance and a loyal personality, and often plays the role of a simple old farmer in movies. He is somewhat similar to the famous old actor Gao Baocheng, and he is good at interpreting the image of a simple and kind ordinary person.
In terms of career, Guo Shutian is a generation younger than many of his peers and has older qualifications. But for a variety of reasons, he spent most of his time in obscurity, and it wasn't until the 1960s that he gradually made some progress.
In 1954, in the movie "Land", Guo Shutian played a role in a role, which was the beginning of his screen career.
In the following years, Guo Shutian was unknown, and basically played some small roles. He has participated in the filming of many important films, but due to the small number of scenes, it is difficult for the audience to impress.
For example, in many main theme films such as "Shanghai Girl", "Walking Side by Side", and "One Day and One Night" released from 1958 to 1959, Guo Shutian only made a cameo appearance in one or two scenes.
Although he tried his best to portray characters with different identities and personalities in the limited scenes, he contributed little to the film as a whole.
In the 60s, it entered a turning point, and Guo Shutian's performance opportunities increased significantly. In 1964, in the movie "Kunlun Iron Rider", he successfully created an image of a kind cook who moved the audience.
Immediately after in 1965's "Fenshui Long Flow", Guo Shutian's role as a farmer of Sun Maoliang was also widely acclaimed. These two movies made Guo Shutian break away from the identity of a dragon actor and become a screen actor in the real sense.
The years in the 60s were the peak of Guo Shutian's acting career. He has played important supporting roles in many important films, and has played his acting expertise.
However, the good times did not last long, and the arrival of the "Cultural Revolution" followed.
In 1966, the "Cultural Revolution" swept across the country like a hurricane, and the film industry could not escape its doom. In this unprecedented political movement, many filmmakers have been criticized and brutalized.
Guo Shutian also gradually lost in the turmoil, and became an activist who participated in criticism and fighting.
It stands to reason that Guo Shutian is over the age of sixteen and should be full of life experience and wisdom. But he showed an extremely fanatical and out-of-control side in his sport. In response to the criticism of some of his peers, Guo Shutian actively questioned and tortured to extract confessions, and brutally abused and physically punished his "targets."
He completely ignored the identity of the elders in his fellow travelers, and did not consider whether he was excessive, but only joined the team of critics and fighters, blindly following the political wind.
The most painful thing is that many of the people Guo Shutian treats are old friends who have worked with him for many years. For example, the famous actor Hemmer died of his forced confession.
Many old colleagues were also severely beaten and insulted by him. These are unbelievable, how could an amiable old man do such a cruel thing.
Guo Shutian during the "Cultural Revolution" completely exposed the extremes and extremes in his character. He lost his mind in the political campaign and became a demonic thug.
This is undoubtedly the darkest page of his acting career.
In 1976, the "Cultural Revolution" ended, and Chinese society finally emerged from the turmoil and embarked on the track of normal development. Guo Shutian also deeply reflected on what he did in the "Cultural Revolution" for a long time after that.
He realized that he had lost his mind in the political movement, blindly followed, and became an accomplice to harm his peers. These tragic facts made him very remorseful and painful.
He repeatedly took the initiative to seek reparation from his old colleagues, hoping to obtain their forgiveness.
But for Guo Shutian's behavior, many peers are unforgivable. For example, Ge Cunzhuang has never been able to forget the scene of Guo Shutian's brutal forced confession. Many of the older generation of Beiying will sigh when they mention Guo Shutian, life is like a game of chess, and if you lose your mind, you will lose the whole game.
Guo Shutian's apology and remorse cannot make up for the harm he has caused to his peers. The few films he performed in his later years were also unable to regain respect.
The stupid choice in the "Cultural Revolution" has become a stain on Guo Shutian's life and a permanent regret for him.
Ge Cunzhuang, who is also an older generation of Beijing Film actors with Guo Shutian, has a life experience quite similar to Guo Shutian, but in the end he has a completely different ending in life.
Both of them entered the film industry in the 40s of the 20th century and worked in Northeast Film Studio and Changchun Film Studio successively. The 1954 collaborative film "Land" was the starting point of the relationship between the two.
Before the 60s, Ge Cunzhuang had become famous, while Guo Shutian was still unknown.
The key difference lies in the choice of the two men during the Cultural Revolution. Ge Cunzhuang remained rational, while Guo Shutian blindly followed ignorance. Guo Shutian actively participated in criticizing his peers and pulled Ge Cunzhuang into the water.
And Ge Cunzhuang has always maintained the bottom line of human nature and has not completely lost himself.
After the end of the "Cultural Revolution", Ge Cunzhuang continued to regain his strength in the film industry and was awarded the honor of a national actor. And Guo Shutian not only reaped the consequences, but also couldn't regain friendship because he had hurt Ge Cunzhuang.
By comparing the two, we can clearly see the importance of reason and humanity. The environment can affect a person, but it cannot determine a person. Only by standing firm in the turmoil can you not lose your way.
Looking back on Guo Shutian's life, I can't help but feel a lot of emotion.
As an older generation of film actors, Guo Shutian does have extraordinary talent and hard work in acting, and has successfully shaped many screen images and made contributions to the Chinese film industry.
Especially in several films from the 1960s, his positive character roles are still unforgettable.
However, in the face of the catastrophe of the "Cultural Revolution", Guo Shutian also exposed the extremism and lack of decisiveness in his own character. Unable to maintain rational and independent thinking, he chose to blindly follow and enforce the law in a thug-style manner, thus seriously hurting his peers and friends.
The temporary loss of control and dementia eventually led to Guo Shutian's infamy in his life. His remorse in his later years could not make up for his mistakes. This shows that in turbulent times, individuals must maintain rationality and bottom line in order not to fall victim to the times.
Guo Shutian's life has both bright moments and dark sides. It inspires us that to be great, the cultivation of personal character is equally important. Only when the heart is strong can we not waver in the wind and waves.
Through Guo Shutian's life experience, we can get some enlightenment worth reflecting on:
First, the environment can affect a person, but it cannot determine a person's character. Even in turbulent and difficult times, a responsible and rational person should keep thinking independently and not blindly follow.
Second, life is like a game of chess, and losing your mind is equivalent to losing the overall situation. We need to be rational and judgmental at all times, especially when faced with important decisions.
Failure to do so will result in irreparable losses.
Third, words and deeds that hurt others will eventually come back to oneself, and the lost trust and friendship cannot be regained. Therefore, we must always pay attention to our words and deeds, and do not easily hurt others.
Fourth, the most precious qualities of life are love and tolerance. In the face of the mistakes of others, we need to forgive more than blame. Only by resolving grievances can we bring the society to light.
In life, we all face choices. But as long as we are kind and rational, we will be able to achieve steady and far-reaching results in turbulence. This is the true meaning that we can understand from Guo Shutian's story.
Guo Shutian's life is a microcosm of ordinary people in the film industry back then.
He has been active on the screen and has touched countless audiences with his acting skills. But when the tide came, he couldn't avoid the baptism of the times, and finally lost himself in the turmoil.
Many years have passed, and when people mention Guo Shutian, they are no longer spurned and hated, but regretful, reflective and nostalgic. Because the joys and sorrows of an ordinary person actually represent the hardships and sufferings of ordinary lives in the vast expanse of thousands of smoke.
To understand Guo Shutian today is to understand the history of a generation. His honest appearance and superb acting skills, as well as the guilt and remorse in his later years, are the epitome of this era.
We should not be harsh on a generation that has passed away, but tolerant and understanding. Draw wisdom from their experiences and not repeat the mistakes of the past. Only by looking at the world with reason and love can we bridge the gap and move towards the light.
May Guo Shutian's story become a mirror for us to think about life and examine history.