A Brief Introduction to The Birth of Hong Haier

Among the children's films shot in New China reflecting the war years, the film Hong Haier left a deep impression with its clear, vivid, simple and natural style. Su Bao and Mei, the protagonists in the film, have also become the classic images of heroes and teenagers of that era. 1957 changchun film studio factory director Suri found a good friend, a famous playwright and composer Qiao Yu. He said, "I want to make a play for the children. Can you write a notebook for me? " Qiao Yu readily replied, "OK, what do you want to shoot?" "It's best to reflect the story of Hong Haier in wartime." Suri made a children's film Brother and Sister before, and this time he wants to make another film about Hong Haier. Qiao Yu readily agreed to su rui's proposal. In fact, both Qiao Yu and Su Li have strong children's complex. They are all red children, and they have unusual nostalgia and enthusiasm for children in the war years. After accepting the task, after some serious thinking, Qiao Yu fixed the content of the script on a group of red children in the Central Soviet Area after the Red Army went north in the 1930s. It was the most difficult period of the China Revolution, and it also best reflected the heroic revolutionary heroism of children in that special era. In order to explore creative materials, Qiao Yu crossed the Yangtze River for the first time in his life and came to the Soviet area to experience life. He went door to door and listened to their stories about the hard struggle of the Red Army after going north. Gradually, a story about "Hong Haier" was born in Qiao Yu's pen. 1934, after the Red Army went north to resist Japan, the Red Guards of Lijiao in Jiangxi Soviet Area went up the mountain to fight guerrilla warfare under the leadership of Li, the chairman of the Soviet Area. Chairman Li's sons Su Baohe, Dongyazi and other friends begged adults to take them up the mountain, but they formed a youth guerrilla in a cave to fight the white army and reactionary forces entrenched in Lijiaao. They bravely and tactfully grabbed the gun and made slogans. Under the leadership of "Li Gonggong", they cleverly rescued the arrested Chairman Li and killed the enemy leader who pursued them. In the face of severe struggle, red children thrive in the baptism of blood and fire. After the script was written, Qiao Yu wrote the theme song "Children's Songs" which will be widely sung in the future. After reading the script, Suri was very satisfied and immediately set out to select the little actors. Soon, the little actors from all schools reported to the crew, but the protagonist Xiao Subao in the film has not yet landed. Just when he was worried, Chen Keran, a young actor who played a role in the movie Flowers of the Motherland many years ago, suddenly flashed in front of him. Chen Keran is very cute. When I was a teenager, I entered the drama troupe of Liaoning People's Art Theatre. His performance in this film is excellent. Why not let him try? However, how many years have passed, can Xiao Keran be competent for the role of "Hong Haier"? Su Li knew nothing about this, so he rushed to Harbin to find out. Although many years have passed, Xiao Keran has grown from a child to a big child, but his agility and liveliness have not changed at all, which makes Su Li feel very excited. He specially invited Xiao Keran to a restaurant to eat a delicious steamed mandarin fish and braised pork. In this era when rare things are precious, this is quite extravagant. Perhaps out of caution, Suri did not explain the purpose of his visit to Xiao Keran. Xiao Keran also thought that Julie's treat was purely for filming that year. It was not until two months later that Suri sent Hong Haier, the deputy director, to pick him up and take him to the crew that he understood the reason. After "Little Su Bao" returned to the team, in order to let the little actors fully appreciate the heroism of the "Red Kids" in the struggle against the White Army, Su Li led everyone to visit the revolutionary base areas such as Jinggangshan and Ruijin with the film crew, and also visited Chairman Mao and Mao Ping where Zhu De joined forces. In order to let the children experience the hardships of the revolutionary struggle in those years, he specially let the children put on the clothes and shoes of local children and climbed the northern mountain of Lingbei at the junction of Jiangxi and Guangdong. Although the marching children have suffered a lot, they have also received vivid revolutionary history and patriotic education, so they have a good grasp of their role in the play. Facts have proved that Julie's "this skill" is very effective, and the trained children are also very handy in filming, and the filming process is tense and happy. However, what impressed the children most was that they met Chairman Mao for the first time in their lives while filming. 1958 February 14 Although it was freezing outside at that time, the studio was Qiu Guang's school: there was a narrow path in the shed, with trees on both sides, grass all over the floor, beads ticking and insects chirping ... It turned out that Su Li took the children to shoot the last scene of Hong Haier, Grab a Gun at Night. Just as everyone was concentrating on filming, someone in the factory suddenly sent a notice saying: an important leader will come to inspect later, and then you can shoot a scene for the leader. Because there are a lot of leaders in the film and television inspection in Lailong at ordinary times, everyone is used to it, so it seems very calm. At about eleven o'clock noon, the door of the studio suddenly opened wide, and a tall man in a gray coat walked in quickly accompanied by Wu De, the first secretary of the Jilin Provincial Party Committee, and Yamaraja, the factory director. "Isn't this the great leader Chairman Mao?" ! This unexpected surprise made the whole studio jubilant at once. Chairman Mao waved to everyone as he walked. After introducing Director Suri, Director Yamaraja pointed to the young actors and said to Chairman Mao, "This is our Red Kids Group. Please ask the chairman to see if it looks like a red boy like Ruijin? " Chairman Mao looked at the children in makeup and said with a smile, "Like, like children in the Soviet area!" " Pointing to the actor who played the white army, he said, "The white army is also quite similar." Everyone can't help being happy. Chairman Mao then smiled and asked the young actors, "Are you from Changchun?" Everyone replied, "We are from Beijing." Chairman Mao asked again, "Which troupe are you all from?" The children replied, "We are all students." Looking at the touching scene of children snuggling up to Chairman Mao, the people present were warm in their hearts. When Mao Zedong walked into a forest and stopped to ask some questions to the little actor who played Xi Mei, the photographers raised their cameras. Chairman Mao smiled and said, "You made a movie for me, too." His kind and humorous words attracted another burst of cheerful laughter. Mao Zedong walked into the scenic spot along the narrow path, pointed to the leaves made of oil paper and the grass made of hemp and asked, "Can it really be used?" Director Yamaraja replied, "Yes." Mao Zedong asked again, "Then why can't this scene be filmed in real scenes?" Suri went on to say, "Because of the season, we can only shoot in the studio." Mao Zedong said humorously: "Making a movie is allowed to be faked." Chairman Mao's arrival gave great encouragement to the film crew, and he was determined to make the play well. Suri also guides children to show what they have learned when they experience life in movies. Children also live up to expectations and focus on their roles. Xiao Keran came later than other young actors, and he had to film as soon as he arrived at the crew, but he was open-minded and eager to learn, read the script carefully, carefully pondered the psychology of the characters in the play and designed their actions. Suri also gave him guidance and patiently told him a play. Fortunately, he has several years of stage performance experience and his own efforts, and finally got through this level. As his outstanding performance Hong Haier has just been completed, Xiao Keran was transferred to Chang Ying and played many roles in The Man in the Painting, Ode to the Qiangdi, We are a Generation, Peacock Gallbladder and Red Flag. Thanks to the efforts of the film crew, the film Hong Haier finally met the audience at 1958. After the film was released, it was well received by all parties. The movie theme song "* * *" is also widely sung and enduring.