There may be a few unforgettable things in a person's life, but there are not many most unforgettable things. For me, an 85-year-old man, there is only one thing I will never forget in my life, and that is chairman Mao coming to the studio to watch me shoot "The Red Child." This was the only time Chairman Mao went to the studio of the film factory to watch the film director shoot a film, which I will never forget.
On February 14, 1958, the spring of Changchun was cold and steep, and the cold wind struck people. That day we were filming the scene of "Guns in the Night". The factory informed us that we would have important national leaders come to inspect the factory today, and all the cast members of our "Red Child" film crew were full of expectations.
Near 12:00 noon, accompanied by Wu De, first secretary of the Jilin Provincial CPC Committee, and Yama, director of the factory, Chairman Mao, dressed in a dark velvet coat, strode into the sixth studio of our long shadow filming. Everyone felt that this was like a spring breeze, blowing warm people's hearts, and the studio suddenly burst into joy.
Inside the shed, there is a sheep's intestine path, lined with trees, grass on the ground, dew dripping, insects chirping, is an autumn night scene. The scene being filmed is: during the Second Civil Revolutionary War, after the withdrawal of the main forces of the Red Army from the Central Soviet Zone, several students of lenin's elementary school organized to fight the enemy, they ambushed in the bushes in the dark of night and seized the first rifle from the enemy.
Chairman Mao approached the studio, and everyone gathered around. Yama, the director of the factory, introduced chairman Mao to me and the photographer Li Guanghui and several child actors, and Chairman Mao shook hands with the people present one by one. When I grasped Chairman Mao's big and powerful hand, a stream of heat filled my heart. I tried my best to restrain myself and stay normal. Earlier, I had met Chairman Mao in Yan'an, and when I attended the first National Literary Congress, I was also received by Chairman Mao, who was watching Chairman Mao from a distance. Now that I stand face to face with Chairman Mao and answer Chairman Mao's cordial questions, my heart is indeed full of excitement.
The director of the factory, Yama, pointed to several child actors and said to Chairman Mao: "This is our red children's group member, please ask the chairman to see what looks like the red children of Ruijin back then?" Chairman Mao looked at the children who had put on makeup and said, "Like." Much like the children of the Soviet Union. He also pointed to the actor who played the white army and said, "The white army is also quite like it." Afterwards, Chairman Mao asked cordially, "Are you from Changchun?" The children rushed to answer: "We are Beijingers." Chairman Mao asked which troupe the children belonged to? The children replied that they were all students. The children were all snuggled up next to Chairman Mao, and photographer Yu Zhuming tapped the shutter to snap a picture of Chairman Mao and the little actor who played the little sister.
Chairman Mao walked into the scenic spot along the sheep's intestine path, pointed to the leaves made of oil paper and the grass made of hemp and asked, "Can you really use it?" Yama, the director of the factory, replied, "It can be used." Chairman Mao asked again: "Then why didn't this scene go to the real scene?" At this time, I told the chairman, "Because of the seasons, we set up a scene in the studio. Chairman Mao said humorously: "It is permissible to make a movie." One sentence made everyone laugh. Chairman Mao left the studio amid the laughter of everyone.
Chairman Mao went to the studio to watch me shoot the scene, which gave me great strength. Before filming began, in order to show the heroic spirit of the red children in the old revolutionary base area of Jiangxi in their struggle against the White Army, I led the film crew to visit Jinggangshan and Ruijin, to Maoping where Chairman Mao and Zhu De met, and to Ninggang. In order to exercise the children's spirit of hardship, let the children wear the clothes and shoes of local children, and personally lead the children to climb the Lingbei Mountain at the junction of Gansu and Guangdong, so that the children personally experienced the hardships of the revolution. Chairman Mao went to the studio to watch us shoot the scene, which also gave the children great encouragement. Because of the situation, I asked the children to show what they learned when experiencing life in the film, and through the children's efforts, the film achieved better artistic results. After its release, it was well received by various parties. The theme song of the film, "The Song of the Communist Children's Group", was not only loved at the time, but also sung to this day and has endured for a long time. In 1980, "Red Child" won the second prize in the national children's works appraisal jointly organized by the Communist Youth League and other 8 units, and in 1994, among the 100 patriotic films selected by the Central Propaganda Department and other units, "Red Child" was also listed.
The author of this article is "Red Child" director Suri