Why is "The White-Haired Girl" a classic?

Why is "The White-Haired Girl" a classic?

What kind of literary miracle has "The White-Haired Girl" created in the history of world literature and art?

A true literary classic is by no means something that can be sealed by a few people. It has withstood the severe test of the masses and history, is widely loved and praised by the masses and experts, and has been continuously copied, widely circulated, and A work of art with timeless appeal.

Facts have proved that literary works can only withstand the test of the people’s aesthetic choices and be eliminated by the tide of historical trends; they can only reflect the glory of human justice and the essence of historical society; Only excellent works can become literary classics. "The White-Haired Girl" is such a classic. It has deeply moved countless audiences, is loved by the vast majority of the people, meets various conditions of a classic, and has been recognized by the people and history.

"The White-Haired Girl" has created one artistic miracle after another in the history of literature and art in China and even the world. Historical facts fully prove this.

Facts are the most convincing. Please look at the facts:

On April 28, 1945, a still from the opera "The White-Haired Girl" premiered in Yan'an. The picture comes from the Internet

In 1945, "The White-Haired Girl" just premiered and received the warmest welcome. When it was performed at the Central Auditorium of Yan'an for the representatives of the Seventh Congress of the Communist Party of China and the masses of Yan'an, the audience was moved to tears in the first three performances, and some people were still in tears from beginning to end. Some people saw Chairman Mao wiping his tears when he sang "Redress the injustice under the sun". There were very few people in the audience who did not shed tears. Some lesbians in the back row were even moved to tears. Comrade Li Fuchun turned around and said to them: "Comrades, what are you doing? This is acting!" Some soldiers were so excited that they wanted to go on stage and beat "Huang Shiren".

Chen Geng and Chen Xilian sat on the window sill and watched. After reading it, Chen Geng shouted: "Okay! Great!" He and many other military leaders from the Anti-Japanese Front said: "Hurry up and print out the script and score, we will take it back to the troops for a special performance! ”

At that time, it performed more than 30 times in Yan’an, a city with a small population, and received the warmest welcome from the masses. Many memoir articles and historical works say: ""The White-Haired Girl" caused a sensation in Yan'an!" This is completely consistent with historical facts. It is also unanimously recognized.

"The White-Haired Girl" not only caused a sensation in Yan'an, but also in the whole country and even in many countries in the world. It can be said that wherever it is performed, it becomes popular; wherever it is performed, it sets off an emotional storm and a revolutionary tide. This is what people call the "White-Haired Girl" storm.

The important thing is that after watching "The White-Haired Girl", people were truly moved. Not only did they burst into tears and burst into applause, but the excitement of aesthetic emotions was transformed into great practical actions. strength. After watching "The White-Haired Girl", the soldiers shouted slogans: "Down with Huang Shiren! Avenge Xi'er!" They rushed to the battlefield with high morale and spirit. Some soldiers even engraved these slogans on the barrels of their guns and never forgot them. , charge forward more consciously.

In 1962, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the publication of Mao Zedong's "Speech at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art", Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao took a group photo with all the cast and crew after watching the opera "The White-Haired Girl". The picture comes from the Internet

In July 1956 on the Huailai front line, "The White-Haired Girl" was performed twice in one night, until Dongfang turned white. After watching "The White-Haired Girl", the soldiers entered the forward position, defeated the many with less, and achieved a great victory. Commander Yang Chengwu wrote to the art troupe: "The enemy troops in the Huailai battle were several times larger than mine, but our soldiers were very brave and tenacious because they had culture on the tip of their bayonets - with the hatred and hatred inspired by "The White-Haired Girl" Therefore, the victory of the battle is also due to your art troupe."

Those newly captured "liberation fighters" received greater education from "The White-Haired Girl". Almost all of them were poor peasants who were captured as young men. It is most meaningful to realize from the play that the People's Liberation Army is the people's own army and that they fight for their own liberation.

As a result, he worked even harder to stand up for the people, kill the enemy and perform meritorious service, and join his old comrades in the battle to liberate the whole of China.

"The White-Haired Girl" became a heavyweight weapon in the "New Army Grievance Movement" at that time. It was performed by the army and local theater troupes. In the final decisive battle that overturned three mountains during the entire Liberation War, It has played an extremely huge role in publicity, agitation and aesthetic education.

Because "The White-Haired Girl" is so touching, during the performance, some actors playing Huang Shiren were even injured by fruits or stones thrown from the audience. Chen Qiang, who played Huang Shiren at the time, said that when he was performing in Huai Lai, a fruit hit his eyes and bruised them. In order to prevent someone from shooting the actors, it is stipulated that no guns are allowed in the theater when the troops perform. Because something like this once happened: some soldiers were so excited that they raised their guns to hit Huang Shiren in the play, which almost caused death.

For a literary work to have such great artistic charm is unique and unimaginable, both at home and abroad.

The famous writer Ding Ling participated in the land reform in rural North China at that time. She once recalled the grand performance of "The White-Haired Girl" in the countryside at that time: "The villages were full of empty alleys, on walls, roofs, tree branches, and haystacks. It’s all people.” Such a sensational artistic effect is really shocking!

Where in the world has there been such a touching and attractive work of art? From illiterate farmers to university teachers and students, everyone loves this play so much.

In the newly liberated areas, "The White-Haired Girl" became an ideological and political "pioneer" and a revolutionary textbook, allowing the broad masses of people who had long been brutally exploited and oppressed by the Kuomintang reactionaries to see The Communist Party is the hope for the people's liberation and strengthens the confidence in following the Communist Party to build a new China. Many people, such as Guo Lanying, Zhang Changgong and countless others, actively participated in the revolution after watching "The White-Haired Girl".

On December 1, 2015, Hangzhou, the opera "The White-Haired Girl" was performed at the Hangzhou Theater. Visual China

The famous writer Zhang Changgong even saw a troupe of senior primary school students performing "The White-Haired Girl" in a small place in Inner Mongolia, and was moved and decided to join the revolution. At that time, the acting skills of the primary school students were certainly not high, but they made the audience burst into tears. This is the artistic content of the script at work. The role of script cannot be underestimated. In 1951, the opera "The White-Haired Girl" won the second prize of the Soviet Stalin Prize for Literature.

The famous Mongolian writer Meng He Boyan said: "The first time I saw the performance of "The White-Haired Girl" at the Qingfeng Theater in Zhangjiakou in the winter of 1945, the whole audience cried. Those of us who had just attended the Military and Political University The young man was very surprised that there was such good art in the Eighth Route Army! Although I had also read "Thunderstorm" and "Sunrise" when I was studying, I saw "The White-Haired Girl". A new world, a new world. Mao Dun once made this assessment, which fully expressed our mood at that time. "New characters and new worlds are the most attractive."

The situation at that time was that wherever the People's Liberation Army went, the army and local art troupes would perform "The White-Haired Girl" there. Wherever "White-Haired Girl" was performed, it caused a sensation and formed a "White-Haired Girl" whirlwind. This is indeed an unprecedented miracle in the history of literature and art in China and even the world.

"The White-Haired Girl" made great contributions to the victory of the Chinese revolution and has been written in the history of mankind with large golden characters. This is written by the big hands of the people. Who can deny this historical fact?

Wang Peiyuan wrote in "Yan'an Lu Yi Fengyun Lu": "In the history of Chinese and foreign literature and art, it is rare to see a drama that has played such a huge role in publicity and education like "The White-Haired Girl" In this sense, "The White-Haired Girl" is indeed an epoch-making work - an opera that perfectly combines art and politics. The political agitation power contained and expressed in the artistic works is brought to the extreme."

This is by no means comparable to those slogan-style current affairs propaganda materials.

"The White-Haired Girl" is a true and high-end work of art. Its artistic quality indicators such as aesthetic intensity, aesthetic height, aesthetic depth, aesthetic breadth, aesthetic precision, and aesthetic novelty are all very high. It can withstand high Standard three-dimensional analysis, great work of art. After watching the performance of the North China Art Troupe, the dramatist Ma Yanxiang said: "This play is unexpectedly good!" Indeed, like all great works of art in the world, it is exciting, both elegant and popular, and it is With permanent artistic charm.

After the founding of New China, "The White-Haired Girl" has been adapted into movies, ballets, and many types of operas and folk arts such as Peking Opera, Yue Opera, and Sichuan Opera; these "White-Haired Girl" in various art forms ", performed repeatedly across the country by the best actors of various dramas and genres, has remained popular for a long time. Its strong artistic appeal and wide range of aesthetics are astonishing.

Stills from the new version of the opera "The White-Haired Girl". Visual China

In 1954, the movie "The White-Haired Girl" was officially premiered nationwide. In 25 cities across the country, the audience reached 6 million in the first show. More than 800,000 people watched the first-run movie theater in Shanghai. The venue was full. By 1956, 500 million people in China had watched "The White-Haired Girl". At that time, the country's population was only 600 million. Except for infants and young children and immobile patients, it can be said that almost all adults in urban and rural China have watched the movie "The White-Haired Girl". White-Haired Girl".

Abroad, "The White-Haired Girl" has also aroused great repercussions.

In 1951, Zhou Weizhi led the Chinese Youth Art Troupe to 9 countries including the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Albaria, Democratic Germany, as well as the Austrian capital, music The opera "The White-Haired Girl" was performed in the capital Vienna. Although it passed the translation, it still caused a great response and sensation.

At the end of the performances in Berlin and Dresden, Wang Kun could not hold the flowers presented by the crowd. Occasionally, someone also presented a bouquet of flowers to Chen Qiang, who played Huang Shiren, and the old lady in the audience shouted: "Don't give it to him - don't give it to him -" He snatched the flowers and presented them to Wang Kun.

After watching this play, an old woman in Vienna shed tears and said: "I lost three sons during the war. I thought I would never have a chance to live in this life. After watching this play, I felt... There is new hope in life."

Many foreign viewers said: "After watching "The White-Haired Girl", I saw not only the Chinese people's revolutionary struggle, but also the new life and struggle of the Chinese people. I also see why the Chinese people want to rise up for revolution!"

I think this is the fundamental reason why "The White-Haired Girl" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The depth of its beauty is outstanding, its profound revelation of the nature of society is unparalleled, and its artistic appeal and penetrating power are unparalleled.

The movie "The White-Haired Girl" has a greater impact abroad than the opera. At that time, it was performed in cinemas and squares in more than 30 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, the United States, and Australia. It caused a sensation everywhere.

The movie "The White-Haired Girl" (1950)

At the International Film Festival held in the Czech Republic, "The White-Haired Girl" aroused great interest from the judges and the audience, and received rave reviews. Received the highest award: Special Honor Award.

In Japan, the movie "The White-Haired Girl" had 2 million viewers. Japanese artists also adapted "The White-Haired Girl" into a dance drama. In 1955, the Japanese Matsuyama Ballet Theater performed "The White-Haired Girl" in many places in Japan. It was well received everywhere and continued to be performed for many years.

Many theater troupes in the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and other countries have also translated or adapted "The White-Haired Girl" into dramas and dance dramas. The "White-Haired Girl" storm has spread to many places abroad.

"The White-Haired Girl" not only inherits and carries forward China's revolutionary tradition of "Tangwu Revolution" against tyranny in the "Book of Changes·Ge Gua" three thousand years ago, but also inherits and carries forward the French Revolution and the Paris Commune. and the great struggle tradition of the American Revolution. This is a great work of art that has universal humanity and historical eternity. (Text/Duan Baolin)

From The Paper/