"Wulong Mountain": the place name born of the drama
In the history of modern literature, Xiangxi is famous at home and abroad for famous works such as Shen Congwen and "Border Town".
In recent years, there has been another place in western Hunan named after literature and film and television works: Wulong Mountain.
There is a little-known story behind this.
The geographical ravines in western Hunan are vertical and horizontal, the streams and rivers are densely covered, the peaks and peaks are undulating, and the caves are continuous.
There are more than ten counties at the junction of Hubei, Chongqing, Guizhou and Guangxi provinces and cities.
Since the Song Dynasty, there have been no end to bandits.
Entering the Republic of China, the bandits in western Hunan were particularly harmful, bringing endless disasters to the people of western Hunan.
In mid-September 1949, the People's Liberation Army advanced from Changde to western Hunan, liberating more than ten counties in western Hunan successively.
In late September, several main forces entered western Hunan to suppress bandits.
By February 1951, when the troops went to the DPRK, they had wiped out more than 90,000 bandits and seized a large number of guns and ammunition.
After that, after two years of arduous struggle, the army and civilians in western Hunan eradicated more than 20,000 disabled bandits.
In order to let people remember that extraordinary history and give a biography to the brave and fearless People's Liberation Army, in 1985, the famous Hunan writer Shui Yunxian was entrusted by the leaders who commanded the Xiangxi Bandit Suppression. Moon's Field Interview.
The writer went deep into the village, collected many legendary stories and materials about bandit suppression, and accumulated a wealth of creative materials.
After returning to the provincial capital, the author carefully sorted out the interview materials, supplemented it with reasonable imagination, and completed the legendary novel "The Story of Wulongshan Bandit Suppression" in one breath.
In 1987, the author adapted the novel into a 20-episode large-scale TV series "The Story of Wulongshan Bandit Suppression", which was broadcast on TV stations across the country.
The TV series has become a hot topic after dinner for the whole people.
The film sings praises to the brave and resourceful Liu Yutang in our army's bandit suppression squad, Tian Shitou, who is evil and vindictive, He Shan who is eloquent but full of sacrifice spirit, and humorous Liu Xi and other bandit suppression heroes. He has successfully portrayed the cunning and vicious Tian Dabang, the scheming and stern Shan Leopard and many other villains.
The thrilling fight scenes in the show are legendary and engaging.
People hate bandits and revere heroes.
For a time, the story of bandit suppression became a topic that people talked about after dinner.
Loyal to the people, handsome and martial arts hero Liu Yutang has become an idol sought after by young people.
The TV series "The Story of Bandit Suppression in Wulong Mountain" has also won a variety of awards and has become a classic in the movie and TV series on bandit suppression.
In the more than 30 years since then, "The Story of Wulongshan Bandit Suppression" has been on the air, and it can be said to be a household name.
She Zhidi wrote the lyrics, Feng Guangying composed the music, and Wu Mei sang the opening song "Don't Say It Comes and Goes Without a Trace", which is unforgettable: "Don't say it, there is no trace, not a single flower mark. With that blood to dye the peace, still Give the mountains a touch of blue, a touch of blue. Not to mention, there is no trace, and no cloud is taken away. But the rainbow is turned into a landscape, leaving behind the eagle's eyes, your eyes." The lyrics are elegant and agile, and the tune is clear and agitated. , directly hit the soul of the audience and become a classic of singing, which makes people never tire of hearing it.
Also written by She Zhidi and composed by Feng Guangying, Guan Mucun sang the theme song "Hunting the Soul in High Mountains and Flowing Water", which is also deeply rooted in the hearts of the people: "There are also old mothers and sweethearts. The road is uneven, and the blood is dyed with a smile, and the mountains and rivers hunt for the soul." The song is affectionate and tactful, and it is tear-jerking. It has the characteristics of western Hunan folk songs, with unique charm and strong appeal.
Vivid characters, soul-stirring stories and beautiful songs have accompanied generations of young people through their youth.
Interestingly, the "Wulong Mountain" in the TV series originally didn't exist, it was just a temporary name made up by the writer.
Since the drama became popular, people in several places in western Hunan have claimed to be from Wulong Mountain, which means they are proud of "people from Wulong Mountain".
This shows the great influence of the TV series.
Today, Huoyan Village in Guitang Town, Longshan County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province has been renamed "Wulongshan Village".
The writer Shui Yunxian was appointed as the first "Honorary Village Committee Director" of Wulongshan Village, which became a well-known story in the literary world.
We looked back at "The Story of the Bandit Suppression in Wulong Mountain" again and couldn't help but sigh.
What kind of literary and artistic works are excellent works with vitality?
Today, no matter what kind of literary theory we use to evaluate a work, we cannot avoid the most basic fact, that is, whether the work is popular with the masses, whether it can be broadcast for a long time, and whether it can sell for a long time.
A TV drama has been on the air for decades, and a virtual place name has been so widely accepted and recognized by the audience, which has aroused infinite imagination and nostalgia.
The main characters created in the works are still familiar and familiar to people, giving people a good memory. Isn't this the ideal artistic realm that every writer and artist pursues?
"Poetry and prose follow the world and become new every day." The trend of literature and art changes with the development of the times all the time.
Some new terms, new concepts, and new trends of thought often appear in literary criticism.
But no matter how the concepts and trends of thought are renovated, our fundamental principles for evaluating literary and artistic works have not changed.
Satisfying the people is not only the fundamental point and starting point of literary and artistic creation, but also the evaluation criterion for the success of literary and artistic works.
Literature and art workers should regard the people as the main body of literature and art, as the connoisseur and judge of literature and art aesthetics, and let the youth of literature and art bloom forever among the people.
(Author: Jiang Zhuolun and Zhang Jian'an, Ph.D. students of the School of Literature and Journalism, Xiangtan University; Professor, Hunan Institute of Art Education)