On October 11, 2023, there was shocking news from the film and television industry, and the unfortunate death of director Mr. Guo Baochang is deeply regrettable.
Whether it is his legendary life, or the "Mansion Gate" in the "Dream of Red Mansions", which is known as a modern version of "Dream of Red Mansions", it has always been a topic of conversation.
That year, the drama quickly became popular on the Internet after it was broadcast, and it not only managed to win the highest ratings on CCTV, but also continued for the next 20 years**, until now, its popularity is still very high, and the rating on Douban is as high as 94. It can really be said that it is timeless.
The work depicts the rise and fall of the century-old Chinese time-honored "Baicaoting" pharmacy, as well as the complex grievances and hatreds between the three generations of the medical family "Baifu".
The actors who participated in this film back then were like a match made in heaven, they not only wiped out the stars in the entertainment industry at that time, but also made heavyweights like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige willing to become supporting roles.
However, this work was able to come out, in fact, it has experienced many difficulties and setbacks, not only in the creation process of the script, but also in the process of moving to the big screen, full of blood and violence.
01.Director Guo's legendary experience laid the foundation for the work "Mansion Gate".
The story of a hundred years of changes in the drama "Mansion Gate" actually reflects Guo Baochang's family background.
The "Baicao Hall" in the play is actually based on the famous traditional Chinese medicine brand "Tong Ren Tang", and Li Tianyi is based on Guo Baochang.
Since he was a child, Guo Baochang grew up in the mansion, and he heard and saw with his own ears all kinds of grievances and many ups and downs of this big family. Every character in the play is what he has spent with him, and everything he has personally experienced.
It is no exaggeration to say that there is an indescribable and inseparable deep connection between Guo Baochang's life and the mansion.
Guo Baochang, whose real name is Li Baochang, was born into a poor family at the bottom of society, and his biological father died of starvation on the street when he was only two years old.
In order to make ends meet, his biological mother had twice ** him, but in the last time, she actually sold him to the famous "Tong Ren Tang" Lejia in Beijing for 200 yuan, and made Guo Rong, the second wife who had no children, his son. Since he was not a descendant of the Lejia, he could only take his mother's surname and changed his name to Guo Baochang from then on.
In order to establish herself in the family, the adoptive mother vowed to raise the poor young man to be the true head of the family. He was forbidden to do things in his daily life, such as serving meals and folding quilts, and to do things like the young master did when he was drinking, listening to a play, or going to school.
In the plot, Li Tianyi turned into a naughty young master under his mother's doting, he listened to plays, played balls and watched movies all day long, and even stole his mother's seal and deceived the teacher on a blank leave slip in order to avoid going to school and playing.
In his teenage years, Guo Baochang did watch movies and enjoy theater, so he missed a whole year of classes, which led to his failure to meet the final exam results, and even was repeated.
However, with the encouragement and comfort of his adoptive mother, he became very promising, and despite the fact that he played all day, he performed well in every class.
Guo Baochang not only won the deep love of his adoptive mother, but also received the special favor of his adoptive father Le Jingyu. Since he was a child, he has loved various art forms such as singing, dancing, and painting, especially his painting level is very high. Not only does he have outstanding intelligence, but he also exudes a fearless courage that is reminiscent of Le Jingyu when he was a child.
His adoptive father Le Jingyu is by no means ordinary, as the head of the 13th generation of "Tong Ren Tang", he ranks fourth among his uncles and brothers of the same generation, so people affectionately call him Le Siye.
In the plot, 7-year-old Bai Jingqi lost three teachers because of continuous anger, which caused no one to dare to teach him. Bai Jingqi is actually the prototype of Le Jingyu, and although this childhood episode sounds a bit exaggerated, it does reflect Le Jingyu's childhood experience.
Because Guo Baochang received special favor, his adoptive father Le Siye often prepared a small stove for him and invited him to his adoptive father's study to listen to stories.
Unexpectedly, this treatment sparked Guo Baochang's deep interest in the story, and he even had the idea of recording what he saw and heard at the gate of the mansion.
This long-held wish has finally been realized after more than 40 years of hard work and 3 attempts.
He completed the first draft of the work at the age of 16, and the story revealed the true identity of the adoptive mother holding the dog. When his adoptive mother found out about this fact, he was furious, but he didn't back down.
After he became an adult, he began his second artistic creation in his spare time at the Guangxi studio, and after three years of hard work, he completed half of the work. But surprisingly, when divorcing his first wife in 1980, he decided to take her away due to the displeasure of his ex-wife.
Although both efforts were in vain, his creative passion was not extinguished.
After 14 years, he finally picked up the pen for the third time. This time, without any external interference, he completed the first draft in just eight months, making it possible to publish this weathered historical work.
Guo Baochang thought he was finally freed from the predicament, but when he found investors for this masterpiece and adapted it into a TV series, he encountered all kinds of difficulties, not only was he deceived and saddled with heavy debts, but he also faced court prosecution, and worse, he was also intimidated by ***.
02.The process of finding investors can be seen as a tear-filled history.
In 1996, Guo Baochang started the preparation of "Mansion Gate", but due to a mistake in the first investment choice, the investor chose to leave when the third episode was filmed, so that the entire crew had to suspend filming.
However, Guo Baochang did not expect that this suspension would last for three years, and it also caused him to be saddled with a debt of up to three million, and he was finally sent to court, and even *** was involved.
Guo Baochang's daily life suddenly became chaotic, but he never gave up the opportunity to invest.
Guo Baochang kept looking for the next investor, and in order to attract more investment, he contacted more than 80 investors in a row and drank nearly 2 tons of fine wine.
However, the end result was disappointing, and none of them succeeded, which made him despair.
What made him most uncomfortable was that whenever he talked to an investor, he would accompany him for a drink. There are also some people who are completely **, they just want to see a group photo out of curiosity about the director and the star, but once they are contacted after drinking, they disappear.
Whenever Guo Baochang returned, he would feel extremely angry. However, the next day when the ** sounded and told him that he had funds to invest, he had to adjust his emotions. But when he went again, he found that he had been deceived.
In this situation, Guo Baochang constantly endured humiliation and pressure to attract investment, and he always left hopefully but disappointed. Just when he was tortured to the point of collapse, fate finally opened an eye for him and began to feel pity and favor for him.
Yu Shengli, the ** producer of CCTV, read this script by chance and became interested in it, and he immediately decided: "No matter what price it takes, I will push this drama to the forefront." ”
It was because he was fortunate enough to meet Yu Shengli, who was hailed as a "genius in the film and television industry with a unique vision", that he was able to regain the copyright and direct the film himself, and at the same time had enough funds to continue to pursue his dream of "Mansion Gate".
However, who could have predicted the good fortune that fell from the sky, but did not know that CCTV's generous funding had its preconditions, that is, the need to change the actors and adopt the candidates recommended by CCTV.
This made Guo Baochang, who had just recovered from the predicament, once again shrouded in darkness.
03.The luxury of this cast is indeed unprecedented.
In the TV series "Mansion Gate", Bai Wen's second grandmother is the heroine, and she is the head of this big family. This legendary woman, not only brilliant, but also very skilled in diplomacy, once skillfully recaptured a hundred old brands that were on the verge of bankruptcy.
This character is actually based on the outstanding experience of three generations of women in the "Tong Ren Tang" Lejia. Guo Baochang specially tailored this role for his wife Liu Gege, but CCTV wanted Siqin Gaowa to play it.
Guo Baochang's evaluation of Siqin Gaowa is not high, whether it is from the emotional depth of the character or the coherence of the plot, he feels that Siqin Gaowa is too plump and not suitable for this role.
Siqin Gaowa is a very cold person. When she learned what Director Guo said about her, in order to prove that she was competent for this role, she lost 16 pounds of weight in a month. In the end, Siqin Gaowa's sincerity and attitude towards the role won Guo Baochang's admiration.
After several rounds of filming, the entire crew was impressed by her excellent performance, and generally believed that the role of the second grandmother was her best choice.
Siqin Gaowa successfully played the role she liked, and Guo Baochang also arranged a new role for his wife, that is, the woman who sold the child in the play, which is undoubtedly a consolation for all the efforts his wife put in in "The Gate of the Mansion"!
The selection of the heroine has gone through many twists and turns, and the selection of the male protagonist has also reached an impasse.
In addition to the second grandmother, the core character of this drama also has the male protagonist "Bai Jingqi", who adds unparalleled charm to the whole drama.
The character of Bai Jingqi is extremely complex, integrating the two sides of good and evil. He had the courage to boldly befriend Japanese friends and kill German soldiers, but he also dared to ignore social Xi and make a life in private with enemy women.
Despite this, he was not uneducated, on the contrary, he was extremely intelligent, and when he was young, he created 32 prescriptions to add glory to his family. In addition, he was also a man who loved his homeland and never gave in to the threat of the Japanese.
Whether in temperament or acting skills, Guo Baochang firmly believes that Chen Baoguo is the best choice for Bai Jingqi in his heart.
However, at this critical moment, CCTV put forward a proposal to replace Chen Baoguo, because Chen Baoguo did not have much popularity at that time, and CCTV thought that it would be more appropriate to invite popular stars to perform.
Guo Baochang was adamantly opposed, saying: "We can exchange anyone, but Chen Baoguo is the only exception. ”
Experience shows that Director Guo has an extraordinary aesthetic vision, and Chen Baoguo has vividly interpreted Bai Jingqi's gangsterism, flow and backbone through excellent performance skills, reaching a state of supernatural and winning unanimous praise from the audience.
It is precisely because of Director Guo's firm attitude that this role has been given a chance to succeed.
Although the role swap incident attracted widespread attention and discussion, there was a clear result in the end. Happily, the cast of this show is unusually large and luxurious, and almost all actors in the entertainment industry have been "looted".
In addition to the two main characters of Liu Peiqi, Lei Kesheng, Zhang Fengyi, Jiang Wenli, He Saifei, Li Xuejian and Yu Rongguang, even Ma Sichun and Yang Zi from childhood also participated in cameo performances.
What's even more shocking is that even big directors have formed groups to help.
Zhang Yimou successfully portrayed the role of the great eunuch Li Lianying in the play, Chen Kaige played the role of the government official, Jiang Wen played the prefect of Shandong, and Tian Zhuangzhuang played a Japanese officer.
Why are these heavyweights so willing to participate in the performance of "Mansion Gate"?What kind of story is behind them, and what are the characteristics of them?What is the deep connection between the two?
It turned out that Guo Baochang was their Bole and had the grace of knowing them.
In the early 80s of the 20th century, young filmmakers such as Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, their first collaborative film "One and Eight" did not receive approval from their superiors, and at the last moment of their lives, it was Guo Baochang's words that saved them.
Guo Baochang expressed this opinion: "As a young director, it is never easy to shoot a film, and after a little modification, I feel that there is still room for performance. ”
It was because of Guo Baochang's words and the subsequent support that Zhang Yimou and his team completed their first work and ushered in the birth of the fifth generation of Chinese directors.
Zhang Yimou clearly pointed out in an article in Art Guide: "If there is no Guo Baochang, then the fifth generation of directors would not have been possible."
Therefore, when the filming of "Mansion Gate" began, this group of important actors rushed to play supporting roles for Guo Baochang, and this kind of almost immortal friendship was really enviable.
04.Whether it is a director or an actor, their professionalism is deeply rooted in their hearts.
The work "Mansion Gate" is like Guo Baochang's child, he strives for perfection in all aspects. Whether it is the choice of scenes to shoot or the props used, he will do it himself, and he will not miss a single minute detail, and this professionalism is deeply respected.
In order to restore the real situation inside the family to the greatest extent, Guo Baochang only visited the "Pan Jiayuan" and the thrift market a few times, just to conduct a comprehensive verification and find the most suitable old items.
In addition to this, he also pays great attention to detail in the choice of clothing.
In the old days of old Beijing, people often said that "the head of the horse Juyuan, the foot of the inline rise, wearing the eight auspicious, the waist around the four constants".
The "inline sheng" here actually refers to the cloth shoes of the "inline sheng" brand, which were seen as a status symbol in those days.
In order to ensure complete recovery, Guo Baochang firmly believes that he must choose this brand of cloth shoes.
Although Guo Baochang's physical condition was not ideal throughout the filming process, he still continued to shoot with determination and did not waste a single day.
Despite working 16 to 17 hours a day in a sick state and taking two injections of insulin before lunch and dinner, this did not discourage him, and he remained determined to complete the high-quality filming of "Mansion Gate".
The steadfastness and dedication he showed not only earned the respect of the people, but also deeply influenced the entire crew.
The actor Chen Baoguo, after the filming of "Mansion Gate" started, became the only actor who worked on the shooting site every day, and he was also the actor with the largest workload.
Not only does he have to shoot 70 shots a day, sometimes even late into the night. But in order to ensure the effect and task of the next day's shooting, he even sacrificed his health, taking sleeping pills every night to force himself to sleep, from the initial one to two, and sometimes even to three.
Once, Chen Baoguo was weak due to overwork and sat directly on a chair during filming. But when he threw himself into the play again, his body regained his vitality and lasted a whole day until the end of the last day of the filming mission.
Bai Jingqi's "unpopularity" is largely due to his professionalism.
Both the director and the main characters are shown to be very dedicated, and even the important characters in cameos are always meticulous.
When Zhang Yimou participated in the performance of the great eunuch Li Lianying, due to his sudden appearance and temporary rush, this led to a blockage in communication between him and the competing actors. Due to the tension of both parties, he was never able to fully devote himself to the scene, and the final shooting results did not meet expectations.
Despite the time pressure and the small size of the role, Zhang Yimou did not give up easily, and he still insisted on reshooting the role. In order to complete this role more quickly, he suggested working with Director Guo, whom he was familiar with, and this time the cooperation effect did reach a perfect level.
Regardless of the size of the role, regardless of their social status, they should be treated equally and seriously, which is the attitude and spirit that every filmmaker should have.
Please mention at the end of the article:
The work "Mansion Gate" tells the story of Guo Baochang who has experienced more than 40 years of vicissitudes of time, spent half a lifetime, overcame countless difficulties and obstacles, and finally met the audience.
Guo Baochang dedicated not only a drama to this masterpiece that consumed all his efforts, but also a testimony of his entire life.
However, in the depths of Guo Baochang's heart, how could he finish the legends and stories about the century-old mansion gate at once?
Therefore, after the release of the first work of "Mansion Gate" in 2001, Guo Baochang successively launched the second and third parts of "Mansion Gate", continuing the stories in the mansion gate that we have not yet knew.
In his later years, he also put "Mansion Gate" on the stage of drama and Peking Opera one after another, traveled all over the country, and left it to future generations in various ways.
Despite the great success of this outstanding work, Guo Baochang has always believed that it is contrary to family tradition to translate the family members and events of Tong Ren Tang into real stories and adapt them into films.
As the saying goes, the scandal in the family should not be made public, so he believes that it is not only a debt to his ancestors, but also to his mother. So he rescued his mother from hell, buried her body, and sent his soul back to earth to seek her forgiveness and forgiveness. In order to redeem his past mistakes, the play shows a scene of a man kneeling down in front of the gate to apologize.
Now, this character who created the legendary era of period dramas with "Mansion Gate", and the "treasure master" who is widely regarded as "bold and face-saving" in the art world, has left us forever at the age of 83.
When we miss this talented man who has gone through ups and downs, we hope that he can continue his creative dream in heaven and tell another version of the story of the century-old mansion!