As we all know, "Song of Youth" is a long novel that positively reflects the student movement created by female writer Yang Mo and came out after several twists and turns.
Famous writer Yang Mo (1914-1995)
The novel was published in early 1958 and received an unusually popular reception from readers and critical acclaim as soon as it was published. The novel is titled after "Nine. One eight "to" one two. This specific history as the background comprehensively shows the revolutionary picture of the patriotic student movement in Beijing in the 1930s, and truly and credibly shapes the typical image of Lin Daojing as an intellectual youth who has gone from seeking personal independence and freedom to devoting himself to national liberation. Lin Daojing's beautiful and stubborn, brave and persistent artistic image of pursuing truth has been admired and loved by thousands of readers, especially young readers.
Cover of the novel Song of Youth
Therefore, it is natural to change the text to the picture to the screen. In the face of the reading pleasure and continuous enthusiasm triggered by "Song of Youth", many sensitive film artists also realized that this is a novel that is very suitable for adaptation into movies. Shanghai Film Studio and Beijing Film Studio simultaneously used their strongest creative forces to adapt film scripts and select actors. However, under the conditions at that time, it was impossible for a film of the same subject to be made by both film studios.
After coordination, in the end, the North Film Studio won the filming rights with the advantages that the author Yang Mo was the screenwriter of the North Film Studio and the background of the novel story occurred in Beijing. The North Film Studio appointed Cui Wei, who had never made a film but starred in several films and had a personal feeling for the student movement, as the general director of the film.
Famous film director Cui Wei (1912-1979)
Stills from Cui Song's movie
Cui Wei was born in 1912, a native of Zhucheng, Shandong, who liked literature and art since childhood, and when he was a student, he devoted himself to anti-Japanese propaganda and drama activities and student movements, and created and participated in the square drama "Lay Down Your Whip", which had an unprecedented influence throughout China. In 1953 he became the director of the Central South China Bureau of Culture. However, Cui Wei's interest lies in film art, after "resigning", he has starred in films such as "Song Jingshi" and "Sea Soul", which have been well received, and the performance is excellent and directed, cui Song indulges in the ocean of film art. "Song of Youth" is his "debut work" directed by hand.
Of course, Cui Wei knows that it is not easy to successfully put such a highly anticipated excellent novel on the screen. Regardless of the other, it is extraordinary to choose the actor of the heroine Lin Daojing alone. The reason is very simple, the novel has too much influence, and everyone has a Lin Daojing in their hearts.
Film and fiction are two different ways of expressing themselves. Characters in the language of words can always give people unlimited imagination space; The character in the language of the film lens is a figurative actor, and the "one" actor must be recognized by most of the audience, otherwise it is likely to "smash the pot".
So how to choose lin Daojing's actor? Who is suitable to play Lin Daojing? After much deliberation, Cui Wei decided to take the mass line first. He proposed to unite with the Beijing Evening News to let the broad masses of the people participate in the creation of this film and the selection of actors, which is what is called "audition" today.
Stills from the film directed by Cui Song
At this moment, the movie "Song of Youth" was unmade, and a kind of enthusiasm from the readers of the novel or the future film audience flocked to the Beijing Film Studio from all directions, and even triggered a national trend.
Cui Wei's daughter Cui Min, who was still in elementary school at the time, clearly remembers those days, the Communication Room of the North Film Studio would transfer a large number of audience letters every day, bundle by bundle, all recommended by the heroine Lin Daojing. Even overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia have sent many letters of recommendation.
Subsequently, the literary and art circles in Beijing also specially held a masquerade party for Cui Wei, which was recommended by insiders; There are also many bold and self-recommended; There are both well-known professional actors and a few amateur actors, with movie dreams and love for Lin Daojing, to try their luck. They all wore Lin Daojing-style blue cheongsams, tied a white headband, and even took one or two old books and newspapers as props. However, there were few girls who made Cui Wei's eyes shine.
With the sub-inspection and statistics of the letters from the masses, the recommended candidates of the masses on the roles were basically concentrated on the famous film actors Bai Yang and Zhang Ruifang at that time. The two also liked this role very much, and both expressed their desire to play Lin Daojing. In particular, Bai Yang seems to be more fond of it, and has expressed his strong desire to play Lin Daojing to the relevant personnel several times.
Portrait of Poplar (1920-1996)
Zhang Ruifang stills (1918-2012)
For Cui Song, it seems that only one of the two can be selected, because in the audience, the insurance coefficient is obvious. However, determining the actor from the role is the creative principle that Cui Wei adheres to. Cui Wei always felt that the two famous actors were older, one was 38 and the other was 40 years old. Although makeup techniques can be used to make up for it, the sense of age in their eyes cannot be concealed in any way, which is far from the theme of "Song of Youth". So Cui Wei could only abandon the two big stars instead of using them.
At this time, people kept recommending actors who played Lin Daojing to Cui Wei, including Di Xin, who was already very popular in Beijing, Yuan Mei, Qin Wen, etc., who were already very popular at the time, they were all actors with suitable temperament and age for Lin Daojing, but Cui Wei was still not satisfied, and felt that their eyes still lacked a simple, bright, firm and fierce look and temperament.
Portrait of Qin Wen
Yuan Mei stills
At this time, it was the end of 1958, only nine months left before the film presented the tenth anniversary of the National Day, and all the actors of the other roles were selected, except for the female number one, which made the entire film crew impatient, and had no choice but to shoot the scene without Lin Daojing first.
The filming scene of the movie "Song of Youth"
Of course, the most stressful is Cui Wei. Choosing a heroine is the first level to make a good film, since the old actors with a large "insurance coefficient" are not used, and the use of young actors has certain risks. The right choice, the discovery of a talent; If you don't choose well, you are likely to lose your qualification as a director in the future. If you find out that the actor is not suitable until the shooting, it will be too late and bad. Therefore, at that time, Cui Wei's heart was full of entanglements, contradictions and struggles.
However, just waiting is not the way, or to take the initiative to "attack". Just when "the mountains and rivers are exhausted and there is no way", Cui Wei suddenly thought of a person, and then a pair of bright eyes flashed in front of his eyes.
Xie Fang movie stills
Who is this person? It turned out that when Cui Wei was the director of the Zhongnan Cultural Bureau in 1953, he met a girl named Xie Fang at the Zhongnan People's Art Theater, this girl was only eighteen years old at the time, but she was versatile, she could play the piano, sing opera and also work as a curtain reporter, her appearance was dignified, her performance was naturally relaxed, and a pair of big eyes seemed to be able to talk. But then Cui Wei left the Central South Cultural Bureau and lost contact with the girl.
Xie Fang at the age of eighteen
When Cui Wei selected actors for most of the day, and even screened the entire Chinese film industry's age-appropriate actresses, and did not have a satisfactory object, the image of this girl with a pair of big eyes suddenly magically emerged. Cui Wei pinched his finger, Xie Fang was eighteen years old at the time, and now it is exactly the age to play Lin Daojing, and in the absence of a very favorite "Lin Daojing", he only has to ask this girl to try it.
So a telegram was sent to Wuhan, by which time the Zhongnan Art Theater had been renamed the Wuhan People's Art Theater, and the girl named Xie Fang rushed to the train bound for Beijing. At this time, Xie Fang did not realize that the god of fate was changing the course of her life.
Xie Fang stage stills
She had already read the novel "Song of Youth", but she never thought that she would have the opportunity to play Lin Daojing. What she thought was, Lin Daojing is so beautiful, am I so beautiful? Since it is an audition, there are two results: trying and not trying. It doesn't matter if you can't try it, you can still perform opera when you come back. Therefore, she is very calm and does not suffer from the psychology of gain and loss.
However, when she appeared in front of Cui Wei and others all the way, Cui Wei did not have a feeling of light in front of her eyes. On the contrary, xie fang's body looked a little thin, his complexion was relatively haggard, and he was obviously not the best candidate for Lin Daojing, and Cui Wei really began to doubt his feelings and vision.
Xie Fang's life photos
The sensitive Xie Fang has already read everything from the eyes of the director and others, but she is still very calm, and she has no desire, but instead has a calm temperament like Lin Daojing.
After all, Cui Wei was experienced, and he knew that there was a difference between looking at the film actor with the naked eye and looking at it from the camera, so he quickly arranged for Xie Fang to try the shot. The so-called test shot is to see the actor's screen image. No actor performance is required, just a few portraits of the front or side.
The miracle was after Xie Fang entered the dressing room. After the makeup artist smeared a layer of oil paint on Xie Fang's face, a girl with a soft complexion and a radiant look immediately appeared in front of everyone's eyes. It turned out that Xie Fang was in miaoling, his facial features were correct, and a pair of large eyes were very energetic, but as for his skin color, he was very easy to make up with oil paint and lighting. So on the screen, Xie Fang was like a changed person, and even Xie Fang herself didn't believe that the smiling girl was herself.
Xie Fang movie makeup photo
The audition worked so well that everyone seemed relieved. But Cui Wei can't relax yet, because the screen image can not be equal to the ability to perform to shape the character, so he has to try to shoot a few scenes to see how the actor's ability to shape the role is.
Stills from the Xie Fang and Qin Wen movies
So Cui Wei focused on Xie Fang to prepare two scenes. One is a scene in which Lin Daojing talks to "girlfriend" Wang Xiaoyan after breaking up with Yu Yongze; The other is a scene in which Lin Daojing reprimands Hu Meng'an in prison and refuses to turn himself in. A test of the actor's inner emotional expression; Another test of the actor's instantaneous explosiveness. Cui Wei, an actor-turned-director, knows how to "tap" the potential artistic brilliance of an actor!
Xie Fang was born in November 1935 in Hubei to a family of intellectuals. His father was a professor at the Seminary, and his mother studied at Yenching University in his early years. Xie Fang has been educated and influenced by her parents since childhood, is talented and intelligent, loves to read poetry and books, and loves literature and art.
In 1949, when she graduated from junior high school, the Zhongnan Cultural and Labor Troupe (the predecessor of the Zhongnan Art Theater) was downstairs from her house, and as soon as she had time, she went to see the members of the cultural troupe practicing and performing programs. The comrades of the literary troupe knew that she loved to sing and was very artistically talented, so they mobilized her to participate in the admissions examination of the literary troupe. Xie Fang's piano and singing were highly appreciated by the examiners, and Xie Fang began her career as an actor.
At that time, the cultural troupe was mainly oriented to the grassroots, often touring and singing in various places, Xie Fang not only performed opera, but also learned to sing local operas such as Kunqu Opera, Henan Zizi, Huagu Opera, and Yu Opera. From 1952 to 1958, she starred in dozens of plays such as the opera "Little Two Black Marriage", "Liu Sanjie", "White Haired Girl" and so on, and was already an excellent young actor with considerable stage experience.
Art is actually connected. Although Xie Fang has never acted in a movie before, she has a good literary accomplishment, strong understanding, strong sense of faith, and full of feelings, she deeply understands the emotional reactions and psychological subtexts that characters should have at this moment according to the concept of "specific people, specific plays, and specific performances", and accompanied by corresponding physical actions, completed the trial shooting of two heavy scenes. Only then did Cui Song's heart land like a big stone on the ground.
Cui Wei told Xie Fang a scene at the shooting scene
Later facts proved that Cui Wei discarded all the things that were scattered and sorted out the narrative chain of "everything from Lin Daojing's perspective" from the intricate novel structure, which was the embodiment of a director's ability to control. The heroine can be weak, thin, pale, but her big eyes must be simple, bright, firm, and hot, Cui Wei "looking for her in the crowd for a thousand hundred degrees", discerning Xie Fang, it can be seen that Cui Wei's grand historical background and a series of character plots shown in the novel have been clearly conceived before the film has begun. As he said: I understand Lin Daojing's thoughts and struggles, understand her happiness and sorrow, because I have also followed the path she has taken.
The film "Song of Youth" has become a classic in the history of new Chinese cinema. Even the original author Yang Mo said that the film was made well and Xie Fang acted well, which exceeded her original expectations.
Poster for the movie Song of Youth
Life is really wonderful, Cui Wei's process of "discovering" Xie Fang, it seems that stepping on the iron shoes is nowhere to be found, and it takes no effort at all. But in fact, it is still derived from Cui Wei's rich life experience and profound artistic accumulation, with a serious and serious creative attitude, adherence to principles, meticulousness, and no concern for personal fame and fortune.
Imagine choosing a young actor to play Lin Daojing, so as to create this image very appropriately and well, but it is also possible to "smash the pot"? Or pick a mature actor who will never "smash the pot", but may also not be so in line with the original intention? Cui Wei would rather take the risk and take the former, which really convinces and admires future generations.
Cui Song life photo
If this kind of courage and courage is lacking, it is likely that there will be no classic works that meet the requirements of the times and shock people's hearts like the movie "Song of Youth". There may not be Xie Fang, a rising star who attracted the attention of the film industry at that time.