At the beginning of the episode of "The Years of the Great River", the eye-catching words "1993" came into view. Coincidentally, in the recent hit "Flowers", the image of Mr. Bao, who was active on the Yellow River Road from 1993 to 1994 and shocked the Quartet, was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. What's even more interesting is that the trailer reveals that Song Yunhui also walked into the Peace Hotel where Mr. Bao and his uncle coexisted. Imagine what kind of drama would happen if they ran into an elevator or a hallway. Will these two trendsetters of their respective eras exchange their unique views on reform and opening up at the meeting point?
Although the "Great River" trilogy is very different from the romanticism of "Flowers" with its realistic style, the two have a deep resonance in the core of the "reform narrative" - if the reform literature of the first decade of the last century has stimulated the enthusiasm and expectations of the majority of readers with its distinctive idealism and met the spiritual needs of the whole society, then with the passage of time, works such as "Great River" and "Flowers" have constantly adjusted the narrative perspective in the retrospection of history, It strives to reconstruct the "reform narrative" with a calmer and deeper gaze and rich and profound aesthetic connotation. Song Yunhui and A Bao seem to have a tacit understanding between the witnesses of the times.
The interaction between the individual and society in reform literature is thought-provoking. One of the hallmarks of Reformation literature is its high respect for the dignity of the individual and its delicate humanitarian concern. In these works, the focus on individual rights gradually reveals its universality, and those individual rights and interests that were once suppressed by collective forces, whether it is the pursuit of personal values or the desire for free love, are given a pivotal position by the theme of reform.
However, "Flowers" and "Big River" quietly revolutionized the meaning of "reform narrative" to some extent. At the end of "Flowers", Ah Bao decided to withdraw from the ** trading market and fade out of the rivers and lakes, which made the stamp Li sigh: "It is difficult to find a character like Mr. Bao on the Yellow River." The "tone" mentioned here does not only refer to Po's dashing demeanor or business acumen, but to his deep sophistication - even if he is facing the difficulties of his own career, he must fully support Miss Wang's business; Even if he folds his wings in the capital market, he must give an explanation to all those who trust him.
Similarly, Song Yunhui gave up the precious opportunity to enter the large-scale chemical plant Guohao, and resolutely devoted himself to the rescue operation of the Pengyang plant, facing the challenges together with the employees. Lei Dongbao led Dengfeng Wire Factory to form the Thunder Cable Cluster by merging small factories, and has always put the collective interests and the well-being of the villagers first despite the cold of the world. These vivid examples illustrate how the new "narrative of reform" is seeking to reconstruct the intimate connection between the individual and the other, and between society.
Tracing back to Jiang Zilong's "The Appointment of Director Qiao", Director Qiao explained his reform measures with a determined attitude of innovation: "In the future, workers can no longer tolerate the phenomenon of doing and not doing the same, and there is no difference between good and bad, and the size of the contribution to the factory must be reflected in the difference in material treatment." This move aims to introduce a competition mechanism, break the original employment system and labor-management relations with the help of scientific management methods, and improve the inefficiencies caused by the "big pot rice" system. But how effective have such reforms been today?
The recent hit comedy movie "The Annual Meeting Can't Stop!" Hu Jianlin, who has been awarded the title of model worker for many years, brings laughter to the audience between laughter and scolding, but behind the laughter there is a warning: simply emphasizing competition is not enough to significantly improve the living conditions of workers. The film profoundly depicts the formalism and bureaucratic ills that need to be eliminated urgently in modern enterprises, and only by changing these systems and mechanisms can we unite the strength of more workers and give them the opportunity to show their talents and abilities.
Thus, the "reform narrative" is not an isolated feat of individual heroism. Whether it's Po or Song Yunhui, their stories are not just about personal struggles or entrepreneurial legends. As Lei Dongbao said in an interview with **, the ultimate goal of operating enterprises and factories in line with the trend of reform is to let "everyone" share a better life; In the process of reviewing listed companies, Bao also said that the key task at present is to let capital play a role and effectively solve the employment problem of female textile workers. The new "reform narrative" seeks to free individuals from the atomization of modern society and reunite them into a cohesive community, thus creating a real source of power for reform.
One of the core themes running through Reform literature is the construction of a framework for the conflict between "tradition and modernity", and the core of the contradiction is not the introduction of modern production methods, but the collision of values and ethical systems. Taking Lu Yao's "Life" as an example, the work vividly shows the protagonist's psychological motivation on the road to modernization and the yearning of the countryside for urban civilization, and at the same time deeply reflects on the value of traditional culture. This richness and complexity is precisely what makes the "reform narrative" unique.
The transition from "Life" to "Ordinary World" shows a process of "modernity" gradually triumphing over "tradition". Although Gao Jialin's heart is towards the city, the traditional power represented by De Shun Ye still gives him spiritual balance; In Ordinary World, Sun Shaoping gradually embraces and practices the principles of commodity economy based on exchange and competition, which heralds the arrival of a social form based on market rules.
The image of the grandfather in "Flowers" once again evokes people's thinking about tradition - not so much as Bao's business mentor, but his profound life guide. Whether it's an allegory about the Empire State Building or an emotion about the impermanence of the world, it reveals a return to traditional values. In the same way, Po still adheres to traditional virtues after his success, reflecting the inheritance of tradition.
In "The Years of the Great River Like a Song", Song Yunhui, who has experienced wind and frost, has become an important guide in Yang Xun's growth process. When Yang Xun fell into crisis due to misappropriation, Song Yunhui emphasized the importance of honesty, enthusiasm and trustworthiness, and pleaded for Yang Xun after seeing his sincere repentance. In the reform of the Pengyang factory, the key reason why the workers trusted Song Yunhui was his sincere affection for his colleagues as family, rather than simply courage or ability.
Whether it is "Flowers" in the context of a bustling city or "Dajiang Dahe" focusing on the reform of state-owned enterprises, the topic of modernity is surging with the powerful influence of folk traditions, injecting a touch of warm humanistic care into the passionate reform story, trying to correct the shallow trend brought about by marketization and commercialization.
If the early reform literature faithfully recorded social changes, today's "Flowers" and "Great River" reconstruct the "reform narrative" through historical retrospection and reflection. However, the new narrative also runs the risk of falling into a mere reflection of reality while ignoring the real issues.
Gao Xiaosheng's short story "Chen Hansheng Goes to the City" reveals the spiritual burden that consumerism may bring about in the process of economic development, and triggers deep thinking about whether economic growth can really improve people's spiritual outlook and quality of life.
Although Blossom Flowers attracts readers with its wonderful story, it is slightly insufficient to show the changes in the spiritual world of people during the reform period. At the same time, Big River seems to marginalize the workers' historical experience when it deals with it. For example, the plot of Yao Baolin, a model worker at the Pengyang Factory, who is voluntarily laid off, seems to idealize the problem, but in fact reflects Wang Xiang's dilemma in "The Long Season".
Whether it is the integration of the individual and society, or the correction of tradition to modernity, "Flowers" and "Dajiang Dahe" are trying to restrain the influence of consumerism and utilitarianism through aesthetic culture. However, compared with the literature of the reform, today's new "reform narrative" has become ambiguous in presenting the necessity and inevitability of reform. Bao's ease of advance and retreat in the business war is like a metaphor, and the overly idealized role is difficult to carry the thick connotation of the "reform narrative". And Song Yunhui, who was supposed to reveal the problems and confusions of reform, lost the weight of reality because of his increasingly perfect image. In general, although "Flowers" and "Great River" do their best to interpret the times, they may not properly interpret the complex background of the times they face, so that everything in the art world can truly reflect reality.