Mei Lanfang and the movie

Mei Lanfang and the movie

Mei Lanfang is the most outstanding integrator of Peking Opera art in China, ranking first in the "Four Famous Dans". It makes sense to make a film of his masterpieces of the performing arts. Because even if a theatrical artist performs non-stop for a lifetime, the audience that can see the performance is limited, and making a film can make his skills visible to audiences across the country. Secondly, the performance essence and unique skills of famous artists can be recorded on film, so that future generations can also appreciate the brilliant skills of previous artists, and can be used for future generations to learn from. Third, it is also very good for the artist himself, as Mei Lanfang said: "It is a pity that opera actors perform on the stage and never see their plays." Only from the screen can you see your own performance, and you can see your own strengths and weaknesses for self-criticism and artistic self-appreciation. Movies are like a special mirror that can see their own active faces. ”

(Novel cards have been added here, please check out the today's headlines client)

Mei Lanfang attaches great importance to filmmaking, from the silent films of the twenties to sound films and color films, he has made films. In 1920, Mei Lanfang filmed a fold of "Chunxiang Noisy School" in "Peony Pavilion" in the Activity Film Department of the Tuhai Commercial Press, Mei Lanfang played the maid Chunxiang, Yao Yufu played Miss Du Liniang, and Li Shoushan played the teacher Chen Zhiliang. At the same time, he also filmed "Tiannu Scattered Flowers", Mei Lanfang played Tiannu, Yao Yufu played Hua Nu, and Li Shoushan played Wei Mo. In 1924, Shanghai Minxin Company went to Beijing to ask Mei Lanfang to shoot five films, including "Feather Dance" in "Xi Shi", "Sword Dance" in "BieJi", "Dust Dance" in "Lady Shangyuan", "Walking Road" in "Mulan From the Army", and "Dai Yu Funeral Flower". In the winter of the same year, the Mei Opera Troupe went to Tokyo, Japan to perform, and Mei accepted the invitation of a Japanese film company to shoot two films, "Gun" in "Rainbow Pass" and "Thorn Clam" in "Lian Jinfeng". The above are all silent films, mostly shooting dance movements, and if there is a lyric, it is expressed in the form of subtitles.

In 1930 he began shooting sound films. That year, he went to the United States to perform, and at the invitation of Paramount Pictures in New York, he filmed a clip of "Fei Zhen'e Tiger", which was recorded and filmed in parallel. This was filmed in the form of an audio stage documentary. In March 1935, when the Mei Troupe was invited to perform in the Soviet Union, Eisenstein invited Mei Lanfang to shoot a gun scene in "Rainbow Pass" at the Moscow Film Studio. In 1947, Yan Heming experimented with the development of color films in Shanghai, funded by Wu Shengya, directed by Fei Mu, directed by Huang Shaofen, and starring Mei Lanfang, and filmed China's first color opera feature film "Life and Death Hate". Mei Lanfang plays Han Yuniang, whose beautiful body, rounded singing voice, and inner feelings of eyes and facial expressions are outstanding.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, "New Shadow" filmed Mei Lanfang's "Roselle" opera film, and also filmed the first and second episodes of the large-scale opera film "Mei Lanfang's Stage Art", which recorded Mei Lanfang's life and life, and filmed his masterpieces "Cosmic Front", "Broken Bridge", "BieJi", "Drunken" and other excellent plays. On August 8, 1961, Mei Lanfang, the master artist of Chinese Min, died. The film has forever retained his artistic essence.