Have you ever heard the words of Peking Opera master Li Baotian? He said that when singing model plays, don't talk about those useless backgrounds and merits. As soon as these words came out, they aroused many people's reflections.
Li Baotian mentioned in an interview that this kind of political kidnapping of art makes all art works monotonous.
He said that art should come from life, not be forced to be subordinated to a certain ideology. He recalled that Wang Zengqi tried to integrate some folk art elements, such as real five-character singing lyrics, into Peking Opera in the creation of "Shajiabang".
During that time, Peking Opera seemed to have regained new vitality and affinity as a result. With the popularity of "boilerplate play", this attempt was quickly stifled.
The performance on stage becomes a kind of repetition of a preset script, the audience can guess the end by looking at the beginning, and everything becomes predictable and dull.
Returning to Li Baotian's point of view, he specifically pointed out the problem of depicting female characters. In many "boilerplate plays", female characters are portrayed as flawless heroes or helpless victims, a dichotomy that seriously ignores the diversity and complexity of women.
He believes that this kind of artistic treatment is not only unrealistic, but also seriously limits the imagination of the audience. This politicized form of artistic expression began to be questioned and reflected on by more and more people.
More and more artists and audiences are looking for art forms that can touch people's hearts and reflect real life. Li Baotian's views have gradually been recognized and supported in wider discussions.
Li Baotian's remarks are not only a reflection on the past, but also an expectation for the future development direction of art.
He hopes that people will draw more inspiration from life and create authentic, diverse and in-depth works of art, rather than simply pursuing political correctness.
As Li Baotian said, art should be free and pluralistic. It should be able to express the richness of life, and not become a tool of some ideology.
This redefinition of the role and positioning of art may cause some controversy and friction, but it is also an integral part of the development of art.
We can see that this diversity and complexity are increasingly reflected in theaters, films, and literary works today. Whether it is a profound discussion of social issues or a delicate depiction of human character, artists are striving to break through tradition and find new ways of expression.