I suddenly found that today's directors rarely make literary films, and if you think about it carefully, there are probably two reasons: one is that in the current film and television environment, capital is unwilling to invest, and the audience is unwilling to buy it;
Looking back at those literary films of the 80s, every one of them is really a masterpiece of art. At that time, the movies were solemn, the directors and actors at that time were sincere, and the movies made could naturally highly reproduce the charm of the original work. These movies are rare masterpieces even now.
The first "The True Story of Ah Q"
"The True Story of Ah Q" is directed by Cen Fan, co-written by Chen Baichen and Lu Xun, and starring Yan Shunkai. It was released in 1981 as a meticulous work of Shanghai Film Studio to commemorate the 100th birthday of Lu Xun. This drama has a score of 8.8 points on Douban.
Based on Mr. Lu Xun's 1921 novel of the same name, this film is set in the countryside of Zhejiang before and after the Xinhai Revolution, depicting the life of a poor, backward and ignorant peasant Ah Q. It reveals that Ah Q was oppressed and ideologically bound by feudal landlords, longing for freedom but having no choice, and being mentally tortured.
Compared with the original work, the film successfully shows the core connotation of the work, retains the main line of the original work, and moderately cuts it according to the needs of the film. At the same time, the language style of interspersed narration and discussion is used, and voice-over and narration are inserted in a timely manner to enhance the rendering of the emotional atmosphere. This film is the first time that burlesque actor Yan Shunkai has been electrocuted on the big screen, and he has vividly interpreted Ah Q, which not only shows Ah Q's warm side, but also vividly interprets the spiritual victory method of the little people, which makes people feel sad in laughter, both anger and pity.
In 1982, "The True Story of Ah Q" was qualified for the main competition unit of the Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Chinese masterpiece to enter the main competition unit of the Cannes Film Festival.
Part 2 "Teahouse"
"Teahouse" was directed by Xie Tian, starring So Zhi, Zheng Rong, Lan Tianye, Huang Zongluo, Ying Ruocheng and others, and was released in 1982. The movie has a score of 9.6 on Douban.
The film is adapted from Lao She's play of the same name. It depicts the historical changes of Yutai Teahouse from the beginning of the 20th century to the eve of liberation, and shows the reality of ordinary Chinese people struggling to survive in hardship. The teahouse in the film seems ordinary, but a rich life story is staged every day.
The appeal of "Teahouse" lies in its down-to-earth story and the director's subtle handling of details. Director Xie Tian retains the key plot and essence of the stage play, while subtly highlighting some elements that are not easily noticed. He excels at handling his lines, making the dialogue more expressive through the use of camera language. The audience follows the rhythm of the film, as if they are in the real old Beijing, and feels the joys and sorrows of the people of that era.
In the film, the performances of the old actors are superb, which also greatly adds points to this movie. And a lot of the lines are quite charming. This movie is a "masterpiece" in the minds of many people.
The third "Wrangler"
"Wrangler" is directed by Xie Jin, starring Zhu Shimao and Cong Shan, and was released in 1982. Based on the adaptation of Zhang Xianliang's novel of the same name "Spirit and Flesh", it tells the story of the protagonist Xu Lingjun in the northwest pasture transformation, during which he was taken care of by local herdsmen, and at the same time entered the marriage hall with the peasant girl Li Xiuzhi; after the end of the ten years of catastrophe, he decisively gave up the opportunity to go to the United States and chose to stay in the motherland. The movie has a rating of 9.1 on Douban.
This film is a thought-provoking and philosophical masterpiece. Through real and moving artistic images and unique artistic ideas, it praises the beauty of human nature and the goodness of human feelings. Its artistic structure is exquisite, concise and clear, and the layers are clear. The choreographer and director have a combination of rigidity and softness in the plot design, with appropriate shades, presenting the artistic effect of "laughing with tears". The success of the film lies in the in-depth depiction of the inner world of the characters and the vivid display of the characters' spiritual outlook.
In the film, Zhu Shimao's rugged and introverted male beauty and Cong Shan's simple and natural female beauty came to the face and fascinated many young men and women. It is understood that the film was watched by more than 130 million people, and when it was released, it sparked a national heated discussion about "what is patriotism", and was praised as full of love for the motherland and a call for human morality.
Part 4 "Shoko 骆驼子"
"Camel Xiangzi", directed and written by Ling Zifeng, won wide acclaim after its release in 1982 with the wonderful performances of Zhang Fengyi, Siqin Gaowa, Yan Peter and others. This film is based on the classic novel of the same name by Mr. Lao She, showing Xiangzi, a rickshaw driver who is burdened with the pressure of life, struggling on the edge of life and death, and cannot escape the fate of being oppressed by the old society after all. The movie has a rating of 8.5 on Douban.
With its deep emotional atmosphere, beautiful pictures and excellent performances of the actors, the film fully demonstrates the director's fine handling of details and deep insight into human emotions. The strong atmosphere of old Beijing life in the film, as well as the complex and changeable depiction of human nature, are the vivid embodiment of director Ling Zifeng's concept of "the original work plus me". The success of the film is not unrelated to the creation of Tiger Girl, a unique female image of pungent and capable, worldly shrewd and kind.
In 1983, the film won the 3rd Chinese Film Golden Rooster Award, the 6th Popular Film Hundred Flowers Award for Best Feature Film, and the 1982 Outstanding Film Award of the Ministry of Culture of China.
The fifth "Old Things in the South of the City"
"Old Things in the South of the City" is written by Yi Ming and Lin Haiyin, directed by Wu Yigong, starring Shen Jie, Zheng Zhenyao, Zhang Min, Zhang Fengyi and others. It was released in 1983. The film is adapted from Lin Haiyin's short story of the same name published in 1960, and the film tells three heartwarming stories through the childish eyes of the little girl Yingzi, but it expresses the joys and sorrows of the adult world. The movie has a rating of 9.1 on Douban.
This film shows the social scene of Beijing in the 20s of the 20th century from the innocent gaze of a little girl. The film is unique in structure, abandoning the traditional narrative mode, with "faint sorrow, strong lovesickness" as the main line, using a beaded structure to connect Yingzi and the crazy girl Xiuzhen, Yingzi and the thief, Yingzi and the nurse Song Ma three stories without causal connection. This structure gives the film a multifaceted characteristic, presenting the whole picture of the life of ordinary people in that era from different angles.
With its delicate prose style, the film has been hailed as an innovation in Chinese cinema and led the artistic innovation of directors in the 80s. The extremely beautiful picture makes the audience feel as if they are in a dream, and they are intoxicated. "Old Things in the South of the City" not only evokes people's memories of youth, but also triggers endless thinking. The theme song "Farewell" in the film was very popular and has been sung to this day.
"Old Stories in the South of the City" won the Golden Eagle Award for Best Feature Film at the 2nd Manila International Film Festival, the Best Film Thought Award at the 14th Belgrade International Children's Film Festival, and the Equator Award, the second prize at the 10th Quito City International Film Festival.
Part 6 "Thunderstorm"
"Thunderstorm" was written and directed by Sun Daolin, starring Sun Daolin, Zhang Yu, Ma Xiaowei, Gu Yongfei, Qin Yi and others, and was released in 1984. This film is adapted from Cao Yu's play of the same name, which tells the story of the cruel rule of coal mine owner Zhou Puyuan, which makes the Zhou family increasingly cold, and finally leads to a tragic ending. The movie has a rating of 8.2 on Douban.
Although this is Sun Daolin's first time as a director, he has received strong support from Mr. Cao Yu in the creative process, which makes the film highly restore the theme and artistic style of the original work. Whether it is the shaping of the characters' personalities, the arrangement of the plot, or the display of contradictions and conflicts, they all accurately convey the spiritual connotation of the original work.
In addition, the film also skillfully uses montage techniques to depict the dialogue in the original book in detail, which not only does not damage the theme and artistic style of the original book, but enriches the plot and deepens the audience's viewing experience. It is worth mentioning that "Thunderstorm" has been adapted into film and television works many times, among which the 84 version of "Thunderstorm" is the most classic.
The seventh "Border City"
In 1984, the film "Border City" directed by Ling Zifeng was released. The film is adapted from Shen Congwen's novel of the same name, which tells the life story of an elderly boatman and his granddaughter Cuicui in Chadong Town, Xiangxi during the Republic of China. The movie has a rating of 8.2 on Douban.
Shen Congwen's works are rich in human feelings, humanistic charm and natural beauty. "Border City" accurately grasps the texture of the novel, conveys this aesthetic paradigm, and presents these beauties to the audience through exquisite cinematography. The whole film is like a fresh picture, which can be called a poetic masterpiece.
This movie is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, this is a movie that touches the soul, and the portrayal of the image shows the artistic attainments of director Ling Zifeng. He uses a unique aesthetic perspective and emotional expression to make the storyline nuanced and fascinating.
At the same time, the film is also a time tunnel to the past, leading the audience to immerse themselves in that special era and environment, experience the emotional entanglements and historical changes, and gain insight into the diversity and complexity of human nature. The film won the Jury Honorable Mention at the 9th Montreal International Film Festival in Canada.
The eighth "Life"
"Life" is directed by Wu Tianming, starring Zhou Lijing and Wu Yufang, and premiered in 1984. The film is adapted from Lu Yao's novel of the same name, revolving around Gao Jialin, a rural intellectual youth, who went to work in the city as he wished, and then abandoned his wife and children in the countryside, and finally lost everything. The film reveals the conflict between personal desires and moral choices. The movie has a rating of 8.5 on Douban.
The film gives a beauty that is both real and naturally flowing. With its realistic and smooth narrative style, it shows the magnificent natural scenery of the Loess Plateau and the life of the simple people. The emotional depiction of the characters is deep and delicate, reflecting the unique charm of loess culture. The director is ingenious in shooting techniques, using wide-angle lenses to create vast and far-reaching visual effects, showing the majestic momentum of the Great Northwest, so that human feelings, customs, poetry, philosophy and other elements can be perfectly presented on the screen.
After the film was released, Zhou Lijing and Wu Yufang both quickly became popular. Zhou Lijing became a traffic niche in the 80s, and Wu Yufang became the queen of the Hundred Flowers Award with this film.
The issues discussed in the film are still relevant in today's society. Although the times have changed, the choice between career and love has always been an eternal topic. If you were Gogarin, how would you choose?
The ninth "Old Well"
Directed by Wu Tianming and starring Zhang Yimou, Liang Yujin, etc., "Old Well" was released in 1986, and the film is based on Zheng Yi's novel of the same name. Set in Shiyu Village, Zuoquan County, it tells the story of generations of farmers looking for water. The movie has a rating of 8.1 on Douban.
This film can be seen as a microcosm of the struggle to get rid of poverty after the reform and opening up, and Laojing Village and Sun Wangquan represent the image of the vast number of Chinese countryside and farmers. The film uses realism to show the dedication of contemporary rural youth and praise the perseverance of the Chinese nation.
This is Zhang Yimou's first time participating in the film, and his true performance in "Old Well" shows the tenacity and burden of rural intellectual youth in the new era, highlights the dedication of the character, and gives the character rich cultural connotation. He became the three best actors of Tokyo, Hundred Flowers, and Golden Rooster with his own office, which may be a lifelong pursuit for many actors, but Director Zhang achieved it decades ago. Whoever says a good director is not a good actor.
"Old Well" won many important awards at home and abroad, and Wu Tianming used the 100,000 yuan prize money to dig a well for Shiyuyu Village, Zuoquan County, Shanxi Province, where it was filmed.
Part 10 "Furong Town"
"Furong Town" is directed by Xie Jin, written by Ah Cheng and Xie Jin, starring Liu Xiaoqing and Jiang Wen. This film is based on Gu Hua's novel of the same name, depicting the story of Hu Yuyin, a female trader in Furong Town, who became rich through hard work, but suffered repeated hardships in the political movement, and fell in love with the "rightist" Qin Shutian after going through ups and downs, until the chaos was set right. It was released in 1987. The score of this movie on Douban is 9.3 points.
The film skillfully integrates moral criticism and historical criticism, and reveals profound social connotations through the changes in the fate of the characters, which has won wide acclaim. Liu Xiaoqing successfully created the vivid image of Hu Yuyin, a small town working woman, in the film, and her portrayal of the character's psychological and emotional ups and downs in the past ten years, as well as the transformation of interpersonal relationships, is delicate and layered, which is very infectious.
In addition, the film's storytelling, art design, use of lighting and filming techniques are all excellent. The unique narrative structure, the perfect combination of joy, anger, sorrow, movement and order, creates vivid and rich emotions of the characters. No matter what kind of situation you are in, that innocent feeling is always the same, and the testimony of the bluestone slab and the exhortation of "living like an animal" are the love of that era.
Hu Yuyin and Qin Shutian have gone through the vicissitudes of life for half a lifetime, achieving classics in Chinese film history and are also known as immortal masterpieces in the history of world cinema. Some people say that "there is Xie Jin in the times, but Xie Jin has no era", which shows that his works have an influence across the era.
After taking stock of these works from thirty or forty years ago, it is not difficult to find that their scores are at least 8 points or above. This is not easy for a literary film. At the moment when bad movies are rampant, I really miss the good movies of the 80s!
Which movie can be called an artistic masterpiece in your mind, please leave a message in the comment area.