If there is any shortcoming of the 1962 Yue Opera movie "Dream of Red Mansions", it is that compared with many "Dream of Red Mansions" film and television dramas, it is too perfect. This "perfection" is evaluated from the perspective of drama and art.
The connotation of the original work of "Dream of Red Mansions" is broad and profound, although the main characters in the book are young, they have the aristocratic heritage accumulated over generations, profound literary literacy, and the historical environment in which they live, the family atmosphere, the complex character relationships, and the implicit emotional expression are difficult for young actors in New China to understand.
Therefore, the various versions of "Bao Dai Chai" we see, although the image is good, most of them are "true color" performances, and the character portrayal is one-sided, thin and even deviates from the original work, which is far from reflecting the three-dimensionality, fullness and depth of the characters in the book.
The 62nd edition of the Yue Opera movie "Dream of Red Mansions" brings together a group of masters of various genres, who have been immersed in the art of opera for many years, singing and singing, performing sincerely and naturally, and every move is meticulous. They may not be the most similar in appearance, but they really perform the "gods" and "souls" of the characters, making them both happy and sad on and off the screen, both fantasy and reality.
I often hear friends who have experienced the premiere of the 62nd version recall the past, when thousands of people were empty, running more than ten miles, the screening team chased after **, and watched one after another. It let the ordinary people of all China know about the great literary masterpiece "Dream of the Red Chamber".
The old age, thick makeup, and female Baoyu, which are superficial phenomena that are criticized by today's young people, are not at all a problem in the form of opera expression, in the era and conditions at that time.
This version of "Dream of Red Mansions" by Wang Wenjuan and Master Xu Yulan is a well-deserved masterpiece, with beautiful lyrics and songs, excellent singing and writing, and has always been the peak of latecomers looking up to and imitating.
However, it is precisely because of its remarkable artistic achievements and influence that it has had an unexpected impact on the textual reading and comprehension of Dream of Red Mansions.
Known as an encyclopedia by the world, "Dream of Red Mansions" is all-encompassing and complex, and no film and television drama has yet interpreted its entire content, and it is unlikely that there will be.
62 Due to the restrictions of the genre, the 62 Yue Opera movie version only shows the main line of Bao Daichai's marriage tragedy, the storyline is simple, and it is very inappropriate to call it such a big name as "Dream of Red Mansions".
And the plot of "dropping the bag" in Gao E's sequel book is precisely because of the great success of this version, which has become widely known and deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
Dramatic expression techniques require strong contradictions, and it must be admitted that the "bag drop scheme" is too much in line with this requirement.
Some people recalled that because there were no subtitles in the dialogue part of the movie when the movie was shown at that time, many northern friends could not understand it, and the first half of the film could not help but be drowsy. Later, after entering the plot of "Bag Dropping", it suddenly climaxed and was wonderful, which made everyone feel refreshed.
These first-class performing artists, with their voices either tactful and beautiful, or high-pitched and exciting, are overwhelmed by the famous scenes one after another.
For a while, "Daiyu burned the manuscript", and for a while, "Baoyu cried for the soul", crying blood and tear-jerking every word;A duet of "Ask the Purple Juan" mobilized the audience's emotions to the top, and then there was a section of "Throw away the Tongling Jade", which broke through the heavenly spirit cover and went straight to the sky.
Such a dense and intense emotional superposition is impossible to forget as long as you have seen and heard it. As a drama, it can be said that the effect could not be better.
It is precisely because of this that the audience who does not know the original work has a deep misunderstanding, thinking that "Dream of Red Mansions" is written about Bao Daichai's love story, and the cause of the tragedy is "bag dropping".
The storyline and characters of the original work have been simplified, which weakens the artistry and ideology of "Dream of Red Mansions" itself.
This must not be what Mr. Cao Xueqin is happy to see.
This article is an original work for me to see, unauthorized, please do not**.
Wang Wenjuan