1. Affectionate review, feeling the fast passage of time
In the early morning of February 18, 2023, a sad news spread rapidly in the nationally eye-catching Bayi Film Studio-the legendary veteran actor Liu Bingzhang, who has served Bayi Factory for more than 60 years, died suddenly due to illness, and the annual ring of life stopped at the age of 98.
This news was as shocking as a thunderbolt from the blue, and it deeply pierced the hearts of the majority of fans and old colleagues who had fought side by side.
Although Liu Bingzhang has never been among the ranks of first-line superstars, he has worked in obscurity in the film industry for decades, established the selfless dedication of "willing to be a green leaf", and won the sincere admiration of countless audiences.
With the news of his passing, people can't help but look back on the glorious life journey of this old artist.
In July 1925, Liu Bingzhang was born in an ordinary family in Raoyang County, Hengshui City, Hebei Province. At the age of 13, Liu Bingzhang, a young man full of enthusiasm, resolutely devoted himself to the anti-Japanese team of the Eighth Route Army, and experienced the cruel reality of war for the first time as a young actor in the avant-garde drama club of the Eighth Division of Jizhong.
Despite the extremely difficult living conditions, Liu Bingzhang's perseverance and willpower allowed him to thrive in the midst of difficult conditions.
Whenever he talks about that passionate era, the old man Liu Bingzhang is always full of affection, and his eyes are shining with light. On the humble stage, he is both an actor and a singer, singing and dancing at the same time, constantly tempering his acting skills.
This valuable experience laid a solid foundation for him to shine in the film industry in the future.
Second, the historical picture scroll of Bayi Factory has created an eternal classic masterpiece
In April 1956, the actor troupe of Bayi Film Studio was officially established, and Liu Bingzhang, who was 31 years old at the time, together with Liu Jiyun, Qu Yun, Wang Runshen, Yuan Xia and others, stepped into the door of Bayi Factory with enthusiasm and became the earliest group of film actors in the troupe.
Since then, Liu Bingzhang has begun his film career that has lasted for more than 60 years.
Although Liu Bingzhang has always played a supporting role in the long years, he has an extremely serious and responsible attitude towards the portrayal of each role. In 1957, he made his debut on the screen in the early film "Five Colds" of Bayi Factory, and successfully played the role of Shi Pinchun, the commander of the guerrillas, leaving the audience with the majestic and calm image that a leader should have.
Immediately afterwards, in the work "The Eve of the Fierce War", Liu Bingzhang escorted the love story between the male and female protagonists Lu Weizhi and Zhou Jie, and his superb supporting performances made the whole film even more exciting.
In 1958, he once again successfully created the distinctive image of Commander Lin in the classic film "Heroes and Tiger Courage", which was co-starred by famous actors such as Yu Yang and Wang Xiaotang, and the role he played undoubtedly supported half of the film.
The most memorable thing for the majority of fans is that Liu Bingzhang in the two popular war masterpieces "Fighting the Invaders" and "Fierce Battle of the Nameless River", brilliantly and flawlessly interpreting the heroic image of the North Korean generals, showing a high degree of performance art.
Whether it is the role of the head of the regiment in the previous work, or the role of Colonel Hong in the latter work, he has won warm applause and high praise from the audience with his calm and calm acting skills.
In addition to his outstanding performance on the screen, Liu Bingzhang was also the main actor of the troupe's stage plays, and dubbed many film and television dramas. After years of tempering, "senior military cadres" has become a professional field in which he has studied deeply and is good at.
Liu Bingzhang himself has also said frankly many times that he has spent a long career in Bayi Factory, and although he has starred in countless movies, he has never been able to play the leading role, and can only play a supporting role for big-name stars such as Yu Yang and Sun Daolin.
Although this may sound a little frustrating, the old man never felt sorry for himself, but instead saw each role as a new challenge and devoted himself to the creation and interpretation of the role.
3. In his later years, he lived a peaceful life and his comrades-in-arms were affectionate and friendly
Although Liu Bingzhang bid farewell to Bayi Film Studio in 1993, he did not stay away from the screen from then on, but in the years that followed, he successively made cameo appearances in well-known TV series such as "365 Sundays" and "Three Color World", which fully reflected his enthusiasm and dedication to his acting career.
Even at the time of retirement, Liu Bingzhang still maintains a positive and optimistic attitude towards life and insists on exercising every day. His wife Zhang Shumin is always by his side, gentle and kind, and the two work together to spend the ups and downs of life, and their love is as good as ever.
In the courtyard of Bayi Factory, you can often see the warm picture of them supporting each other and strolling, quiet and beautiful.
However, as he grew older, Liu Bingzhang gradually faced amnesia. In November 2022, his old comrade-in-arms Daniel Zhang, who co-starred with him in "Fighting the Invaders", came to visit.
Unfortunately, in the face of this 88-year-old former partner, Liu Bingzhang could not be recognized, which made Daniel Zhang's hands cry.
Daniel Zhang recalled that when he was filming "Fighting the Invaders", he and Liu Bingzhang were close friends who talked about everything, who would have expected that the reunion after decades would be so completely forgotten by old friends.
Seeing Liu Bingzhang's old and resolute face, Daniel Zhang's palms were full of complex emotions, and he felt that time passed in a hurry, which made people feel a lot of emotion!
A touching scene occurred when Daniel Zhang got up to say goodbye, and Liu Bingzhang's eyes were full of tears, and he seemed to still have a knot in his heart about the comradeship that once fought side by side.
This touching scene deeply touched every audience present.
As old artists who once shined on the screen with Liu Bingzhang, Daniel Zhang, Zhang Liang, Hu Xiaoguang and Li Songzhu and others all felt extremely sad after learning this unfortunate news.
They all sighed that the cast team that had participated in the classic film "Fighting the Invaders" was now only Daniel Zhang and a few members of Zhang Liang who were still alive.
Other senior actors such as Li Yan, Yu Chunmian, Huang Huanguang and other senior actors have left us one after another, which is heartbreaking.
Every veteran artist who has worked hard to make a name for himself in the art world in the last century has used the blood of youth and hard work to write a magnificent chapter for Chinese films. Faced with the loss of their old friend, they could not hide the sadness in their hearts.
However, it is more about Liu Bingzhang's deep respect for Liu Bingzhang's drama spirit of "being a teacher and being willing to be a green leaf".
Part 4: Netizens cherish affectionate memories and live on in spirit
Liu Bingzhang's life, 85 years of military career, coupled with more than 60 years of film career after entering Bayi Factory, can be called overcoming obstacles and forging ahead. He never pursued fame and fortune, always obeyed the organization's arrangement, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the shaping of each role.
Although he is a little famous in the industry, he has never won any acting awards, but in the eyes of a large audience, he has won an eternal personality charm with his superb acting skills and dedication.
Therefore, when the news of Liu Bingzhang's death spread, many netizens left messages on the Internet to express their final respect to this "green leaf actor". Someone wrote: "The old man Liu Bingzhang has gone through hardships in his life, but he has always adhered to his love for his career, and this spirit is worthy of our eternal memory."
Some people also sighed: "Although he has never played the leading role, he has left such a deep impression on us, and he has interpreted what a real actor is with practical actions."
Looking back on Liu Bingzhang's life, he did show us the true meaning of "green leaves" with practical actions. Whether in film and television works or in real life, he has always maintained a modest and low-key, hard-working style.
Ambitious since childhood, this hero who threw himself into the revolutionary torrent at the age of 13 overcame many difficulties with his heroic and fearless determination, and selflessly dedicated his best youth to the great cause of serving the masses!
Although fate did not give him too many opportunities to be noticed, he always adhered to a fiery sincere heart, used what he had learned and excelled, and unswervingly made significant contributions to the party and the people.
Growing up vigorously in the war-torn era, and forging ahead in the dazzling film industry of Bayi Factory, Liu Bingzhang used his life experience to perfectly interpret the noble spiritual quality of enduring hardships and standing hard work and bravely climbing the pinnacle of art.
There is no doubt that this kind of firm dedication and perseverance to the cause is the most precious spiritual wealth that actors of our time should cherish. Liu Bingzhang shows this spiritual core with practical actions, and his death is undoubtedly deeply regrettable, but the glorious image he left in the film industry will forever be recorded in history and worthy of eternal memory by our descendants.