<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="2" > preface</h1>
Picture | Armageddon (film)
On September 12, 1948, the three major battles that attracted worldwide attention were officially launched.
Chinese the strategic decisive battle between the People's Liberation Army and the Kuomintang army is not only in The history of China, but also in the history of the world, and it is also a large-scale battle that is unique.
With the conclusion of the three major battles, the main military strength of the Kuomintang army was basically destroyed, and basically laid the foundation for the victory of the national revolution.
In view of the fact that the three major battles have greatly affected the course of Chinese history, in fact, as early as the beginning of the founding of New China, some people had thought of making the Armageddon into a movie.
How to use the form of art to show the unparalleled momentum of the Armageddon has become a top priority.
< h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="118" > "Armageddon" will definitely stand</h1> up
In January 1986, Hu Yaobang, then the country's leader, decided to make a feature film of the three major battles.
After discussion, the Central Military Commission decided to hand over the shooting task to the Bayi Film Studio.
After receiving the task, the Bayi Film Studio did not dare to be sloppy, and immediately held extensive discussions, and at the beginning everyone proposed that they should go to Shanghai to find an old director to guide.
In the end, the leaders of Bayi Factory decided that Li Jun would be the general director.
Li Jun is a famous director of the third generation in China, who directed "Muslim Detachment" as early as the end of the 1950s, and "Shining Red Star" in 1974 has become the memory of a generation.
What is more crucial is that Li Jun joined the army at the age of 15, participated in large-scale battles such as the Hundred Regiments War, and also served as the head of the army's cultural and industrial regiments, and was familiar with the situation of the troops.
Pictured| Li Jun, the general director of "Armageddon"
When director Li Jun later recalled this experience, he also had a lot of feelings:
"Tell me to do it, I'll do it, and I wasn't afraid at all at the time because I felt I was capable of doing the job, and I had confidence. A person must believe in himself, so that he dares to think and dare to do, dare to fight, dare to play, and not believing in himself is equal to zero. ”
But even so, with the scale of "Armageddon", director Li Jun cannot do everything, so in each film of "Armageddon", a chief director is set up:
Yang Guangyuan in the Liaoshen Campaign, Cai Jiwei in the Battle of Huaihai, and Wei Lian in the Battle of Pingjin
Of course, for a film, the most important thing is the script.
The scale of the Armageddon is grand, the history of all parties must be very accurate, since the beginning of the "Armageddon" project, the collection team has launched a three-year text interview work, and the three major battle literature materials alone have exceeded 60 million words. Field visits were also made to the old battlefields of the three major campaigns.
It is not enough to have complete information, and the script writing team also specially found front-line reporters who participated in the three major battles to control the creation of the script.
Yang Shangkun, then vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Yang Shangkun, director of the General Political Department, attached great importance to the creation of the script, and also summoned the main creative staff to discuss it many times.
"'Armageddon' will certainly be able to stand up when it comes out, the script is not good, it is necessary to change the script, and it cannot be changed in the future films."
Picture | Nie Rongzhen
Nie Rongzhen, as a veteran commander who personally experienced the three major battles in that year, also paid great attention to the creation of the script.
To this end, I have seen Li Jun, the general director of "Armageddon" more than once, from the planning layout of the entire campaign to the jokes between the soldiers of that year, almost everything is in detail, providing a wealth of materials for the creation of the Armageddon script.
After the script discussion is completed, there are basically no difficulties in the post-shooting stage.
Director Li Jun later sighed:
"The relationship between the three chief directors and I are very good, if the relationship is not good, there is no way to work, how can the relationship be good, open and honest, if you have any opinions, say it." 」
It is precisely because of this attitude of excellence that the script of "Armageddon" has been revised as many as 8 times.
Once the script is finalized, shooting becomes an important issue.
In order to accurately restore the real situation on the battlefield, the preparation of costume props is also a top priority, as early as before the start of filming, these costume props have been fully prepared.
Director Li Jun said:
"We have guns, artillery, and airplanes, and the equipment of the various field armies varies greatly, so we must investigate and study them. "Armageddon" basically used all the sea, land and air, and it cost about a hundred million. Some people say that "Armageddon" is unprecedented and unprecedented, because the troops, manpower, material resources, and financial resources it uses are huge, and no film is willing to spend so much money. ”
Picture | "Armageddon" to interpret the war scene
Filming Armageddon, there was a key set of data:
There are 160 tons of explosives, more than 10,000 sets of cotton coats, 50 tanks, 100 explosive cars, more than 1.7 million empty shells, and more than 10,000 real shells. Not to mention all kinds of large military equipment such as aircraft, tanks, cannons, ships, etc.
In addition, among the participants, the actors of the Bayi Factory were almost all on the battlefield, and the masses reached more than 150,000 person-times, and in order to reflect the grand scale of the war, 130,000 cadres and fighters from various military region units were drawn to participate.
At that time, the soldiers participating in the group performance, each person two yuan per day, director Li Jun said, although the total investment at that time was as high as more than 100 million, but this money is not casually spent:
"The money for the filming of 'Armageddon' was approved by the Central Military Commission, not that I can get the money casually. There are accountants who spend money, and they all write down one by one according to the difference in things. ”
It is in such a difficult environment that the glory of "Armageddon" has been cast.
Picture | old photo of the People's Liberation Army advancing to the front line in the Huaihai Campaign
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="127" > "If you don't write Lin Biao, who fought the battle in the northeast battlefield that year."</h1>
As early as the stage of script creation, there have been many debates about whether to write Lin Biao.
In the early 1980s, in many film and television works, the image positioning of Lin Biao was relatively vague.
For example, "Four Crossings of Red Water", released on February 1, 1983, reflects the period of the Red Army's Long March, Chairman Mao skillfully commanded and got rid of the Kuomintang army's siege and blockade, and the image of Lin Biao appeared in the film.
In the film, Lin Biao is the only character who opposes Chairman Mao's claims.
In the preparation of "Armageddon", Lin Biao, as an important campaign commander, whether to write or how to write? Becomes a big puzzle.
Although some people advocate seeking truth from facts and how to write it like this, there are also many people who make suggestions, it is better to write it in one stroke, and some even propose to simply write as a villain.
The controversy about Lin Biao, before the Armageddon, there were many similar situations.
Pictured| stills from Armageddon
In 1983, the Liaoshen Battle Memorial Hall in Jinzhou City prepared to collect commemorative articles about the Liaoshen Campaign, named "The Decisive Battle of Liaoshen".
The compilers of the "Decisive Battle of Liaoshen" invited Chen Yun, the former principal responsible person of the Northeast Bureau, to write the title of the book, and Chen Yun reviewed the manuscript as usual, and also invited Han Xianchu and Liu Zhen, who had participated in the Liaoshen Campaign in that year, to preside over the compilation work.
Speaking of Lin Biao's exploits in the northeast battlefield, Chen Yun once pointed out:
"Lin Biao is Lin Biao, and The Four Wilds are the Four Wilds."
"We must distinguish between Lin Biao and the Siye cadres." There was a period of time before, Lin Biao's old subordinates were very spirited, and now they were a little low-key. The party, government, and army cadres attached to this book should also write them down to explain their contributions to the liberation of northeast China. ”
Chen Yun believes that Lin Biao has both the right decision-making and the time when the decision-making is wrong, and we should also look at this objectively.
On August 9, 1983, Chen Yun emphasized in his "Opinions on the Preparation of the Book "The Battle of Liaoshen":
The role of the participants in the campaign, the organization and command of the campaign, these are undoubtedly very important for the victory of the Liaoshen Campaign. Lin Biao, as the commander of the four fields, was in the right place at that time, and we did not have to deny it. ”
In March 1985, when Huang Kecheng talked with the editor of the military volume of the Encyclopedia of China, he also talked about Lin Biao:
"Since you comrades represent the official writing of history books, then you should study and write character history like Ma Qian of the Taishi Company, then you must use the viewpoint of historical materialism and the attitude of an objective historian to evaluate historical figures as a bystander without any personal prejudice!" Good, bad, you should write both sides, not one-sided. ”
Figure | the Battle of Huaihai, the People's Liberation Army waded through the trench to launch an attack on Huang Baitao's corps
In "Armageddon", when writing the script about the Liaoshen Campaign, the playwrights also had a fierce discussion. Because it could not reach a consensus proposal, it was reported to the Central Military Commission.
In the end, Yang Shangkun directly decided:
"There must be Lin Biao in the play, if you don't write Lin Biao, then who fought the battle in the northeast battlefield that year?" Moreover, lin biao must be realistic in writing, and he cannot write this person as bad from beginning to end because he is not good later. ”
Also because of Yang Shangkun's suggestion, the image of Lin Biao in "Armageddon" was no longer deliberately avoided, and it also indirectly affected the creation of Lin Biao in the script of later film and television dramas.
Lin Biao in the Armageddon adopted a white depiction of Lin Biao, without adding any emotional color, highlighting his military ability.
In fact, the attitude towards Lin Biao in film and television dramas is also reflected in another key character.
In his 19-page self-question and answer, director Li Jun also talked about whether Jiang Qing should write the question:
"Be good. If you don't, on the one hand, you lack the breath of life around the leader, and on the other hand, you are reprimanded by the audience, saying that we dare not write. To write about Jiang Qing, to write about the idea that Lin Biao is not a person, I have asked more than a dozen people, especially young people, who answered questions without consideration and said that of course they should write. ”
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="148" > actor with both forms and gods</h1>
Since the problem was solved in the stage of script creation, the selection of actors will also come naturally.
At the beginning, Bayi Factory decided that all the actors would choose military actors, and most of the actors who played the great people were special actors, and the casting of these actors also made Director Li Jun very satisfied.
Such as Chairman Mao of Gu Yue, Premier Zhou of Su Lin, Liu Shaoqi of Guo Fazeng, Zhu Laozong of Liu Huaizheng, and Ren Bishi of Lu Xi.
Of course, there is still one person, Lin Biao of Ma Shaoxin.
Tu | Ma Shaoxin played Lin Biao in "Armageddon"
Ma Shaoxin is an actor from the People's Art Theater in Jixi City, Heilongjiang Province, and was the first actor to play Lin Biao's positive image, but when he first recommended the actor, Ma Shaoxin almost played Chen Bray.
Before the filming of "Armageddon", the film crew decided to conduct the audition through "voluntary registration and audition selection", but Mr. Ma Shaoxin did not register, and he was rushing to the provincial parade at that time. There is no time to worry about registration.
In 1988, an assistant director of "The Battle of Liaoshen" approached Ma Shaoxin and asked him for two photos, but even he did not expect that he would later play Lin Biao.
Even after many years, Mr. Ma Shaoxin still remembers how he found him.
When the assistant director came to Harbin that year, he was an actor who chose Chen Bray, a senior counselor next to Chiang Kai-shek, and someone in the Harbin Repertory Theater told the deputy director that there was a Ma Shaoxin in Jixi who looked more alike. The assistant director immediately rushed to Jixi and met Ma Shaoxin himself.
What surprised Ma Shaoxin was that 10 days later, he received a telegram from the Bayi Factory, which did not ask him to play Chen Bray, but to play Lin Biao.
Teacher Ma Shaoxin frankly said:
"At that time, everyone in the regiment felt strange, for so many years, why didn't you see which point I was like Lin Biao?" Moreover, the province is about to perform, and the group said that nothing would let me go. Finally, the comrades of the Municipal Bureau of Culture coordinated and agreed to go to Beijing for a week. ”
Tu | stills of "Armageddon" Gu Yue played Chairman Mao
After Mr. Ma Shaoxin arrived in Beijing, the assistant director took the script for him and asked him to audition, according to the regulations, each actor who auditioned the play had to choose two scenes, and Mr. Ma Shaoxin only chose one, that is, a scene that got off at Zhangwu Station.
It is said that there were more than thirty actors who auditioned for Lin Biao at that time, and on the day of the audition, the assistant director learned that Ma Shaoxin only chose one scene, and he was also a little anxious:
"The rule is two auditions, so how can you prepare for one?" Didn't I tell you before? ”
"As long as this scene can pass, everything else can pass, so you can see it first."
Teacher Ma Shaoxin was very confident, and sure enough, this audition was a complete success, and the director joked afterwards:
"I'm really an old actor who can choose plays."
Many people think that Mr. Ma Shaoxin is both physical and divine, and it is also outstanding to say that it is also outstanding, although Mr. Ma Shaoxin is emaciated and resembles Lin Biao, but there is only one difference.
It's just that the eyebrows are a little light.
At that time, makeup also had requirements, you can't use an eyebrow pencil, that's not real enough, so the makeup artist used filament to outline the eyebrows overnight, and then used glue to glue it when trying out the play.
Pictured| Su Yu, deputy commander of the East China Field Army, and Tan Zhenlin, deputy political commissar, studied and deployed on the front line
Most of the actors who tried the role later passed one after another, but Ma Shaoxin's audition part experienced some twists and turns.
"From the director to the Ministry of Culture of the General Political Department, to the leading group of major themes, layer by layer of scrutiny, they are very cautious about this role. In the end, after finally passing five levels and slashing six generals, the role of Lin Biao fell on me. ”
One scene that impressed Mr. Ma Shaoxin was filmed in Jinzhou Mao'er Mountain and Yak Tun.
There was a scene that day, Lin Biao stared at the map, the shooting process was very smooth, when he was about to go down the mountain, the director stopped Ma Shaoxin and asked him to make up a set of shots. The director asked Ma Shaoxin to stand on a large rock on the side of the mountain and gaze at Jinzhou.
It is not difficult for Teacher Ma Shaoxin to catch the characters, and the most difficult point is that he must stand on a very high rock on the side of the mountain, and if he is not careful, he may fall down. It's hard to avoid some fear.
Teacher Ma Shaoxin recalled:
"No way, the director found several young lads to support me down there. Finally, a close-up of me staring at Jinzhou for six seconds appeared on the screen. ”
All in all, Lin Biao, played by Teacher Ma Shaoxin, has been a great success, and even after many years, people still relish it when they recall it.
Later, when the film "Armageddon" was released in Hong Kong, the crew held an audience meeting, and the Hong Kong audience welcomed Ma Shaoxin very well, and rushed to take a group photo, and Gu Yue, who played Chairman Mao, also jokingly said:
"Comrade Lin Biao, now you are more fragrant than I am..."
Figure| Bo Cheng (middle), Chen Yi (second from right), Deng Xiaoping (second from left), Su Yu (first from left), Tan Zhenlin (first from right) of the General Front Committee of the Huaihai Campaign in November 1948
In a later interview, Mr. Ma Shaoxin recalled a story.
When Yang Shangkun, then vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, received the crew of "Armageddon", he eagerly asked the crew: "What about Lin Biao?" What about Lin Biao? ”
At that time, when someone pointed to Ma Shaoxin standing in the back row, Yang Shangkun took two steps forward, shook Ma Shaoxin's hand, and shook it a few times.
"At that time, I saw that Yang Shangkun's eyes were full of mixed feelings."
Of course, the success of "Armageddon" is also inseparable from the efforts of all actors, each actor in the portrayal of the character at the same time, and strive to achieve true restoration, in order to match the characters in the play, everyone began to lose weight.
For weight loss in that year there was no special way, can only not eat.
Gu Yue, who plays Chairman Mao, and Lu Qi, who plays Deng Xiaoping, often play chess all night hungry in order to lose weight.
In fact, these special actors have also been fully recognized by the posterity of the roles they play.
Lin Biao's daughter Lin Doudou once called the crew to thank Ma Shaoxin, and Deng Xiaoping's daughter Mao Mao also relayed to the actor Lu Qi after watching the film: "Lu Qi acted very well, and I thank him on behalf of my family." ”
In addition, a more positive description of the generals of the Kuomintang army was also appropriately adopted.
For Chiang Kai-shek's choice, many people recommend Sun Feihu, who has played the role many times, and the general director Li Jun has certain opinions on this.
Tu | Zhao Hengduo played Chiang Kai-shek in "Armageddon"
He believes that Chiang Kai-shek, played by Sun Feihu, is limited to the characteristics of the times and is too facial, so he advocates the use of Zhao Hengduo.
Zhao Hengduo has played Chiang Kai-shek many times before, and when playing different periods, he focuses on the psychological portrayal of the characters, especially the role of Chiang Kai-shek in 1986's "Blood Battle Taierzhuang".
This is also the first time that Chiang Kai-shek, who has a positive image in film and television dramas, is unmoved by the bombing of Japanese aircraft. The character is also said to have caught Chiang Ching-kuo's attention.
Facts have also proved the accuracy of director Li Jun's casting, in the Armageddon, every special actor, the characters they play in the film, do not have a very abrupt feeling. Each role is played to life.
So much so that in the following years, they all repeatedly played the role, even Ma Shaoxin, who was not a special actor before, later played the role of Lin Biao many times.
Of course, in addition to reflecting the thoughts and emotions of the commanders and senior generals on both sides, "Armageddon" also has the thoughts and feelings of junior officers, soldiers, and the masses of the people, avoiding the stereotyped and facial image of every character.
Director Li Jun believes:
"The biggest success of the film is that it shows that the victory or defeat of the decisive battle is not simply decided by military command, but an inevitable trend of history."