【Editor's note】
Famous director Huang Shuqin passed away in Shanghai on April 21, 2022, at the age of 83.
In 1990, Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang agreed to grant Huang Shuqin the "virtuous niece" the right to adapt the TV series of the novel "Besieged City".
What concerns did Huang Shuqin have before filming "Besieged City"? What are the stories of her relationship with Qian and Yang couple?
This article was originally published in Xinmin Weekly on November 30, 2007, and is now republished as a commemoration.
Text / Wang Yueyang
"Yang Jiang is an open-minded and strong old man. We can't imagine the pain she endured in her old age." Huang Shuqin said.
After 1949, Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang's family moved to Beijing. Because Qian and Yang couple are calm and detached by nature, they often live a secluded life and bury their heads in books. They are inevitably called "eccentric and arrogant" and "difficult to get close to". Therefore, in the late 1970s, when the famous Shanghai director Huang Shuqin thought When I wanted to shoot the TV series "Besieged City", I had many worries. "I'm really afraid. What if the filming is not good and the old man is dissatisfied? Or what if Qian and Yang and his wife do not agree with us to shoot this work?" Huang Shuqin still remembers the trembling when he took over this work. , The mentality of walking on thin ice, "Once, I accidentally broke my leg when I was shooting outside. The first reaction at that time was not pain, but - I don't need to shoot "Besieged City"!" Just because of Mr. Qian Zhongshu's famous words "You think eggs are delicious, so why bother to see which chicken came from?" Huang Shuqin didn't dare to go to Beijing to meet the world-famous couple of scholars. So, screenwriter Sun Xiongfei flew to Beijing alone with a letter of introduction from Mr. Ke Ling in his arms to ask for advice from two elders, Qian and Yang.
"Who knows that the old gentleman and his wife are very enthusiastic when they see the guests from Shanghai! It is completely different from the cold, arrogant and withdrawn legends in the outside world!" Huang Shuqin said with a smile: "Especially the letter of introduction from Uncle Ke Ling, which is full of enthusiasm, and the old friendship moved the two of them. An old man who is indifferent to fame and fortune." When Qian and Yang couple learned that Huang Shuqin was the daughter of Huang Zuolin, the director of "Happy Heart", they agreed to the right of adaptation. Mr. Qian Zhongshu even said emotionally: "People want to talk about friendship. "During the "Island Period", Huang Zuolin's help to Qian and Yang's couple will always be remembered by the two, and this unexpected support and affirmation also moved the creators of "Besieged City".
The extraordinary support of Qian and Yang Erlao reminded Huang Shuqin of a childhood memory: when she was a child, her father Huang Zuolin often took her to the Great Wall Cinema Theater (in the current Fuxing Middle Road, formerly Lafayette Road) on a bicycle to rehearse "Wishful Wishes" ". On the way to work, father and daughter often see Qian and Yang couple walking on Fuxing Road. At this time, Mr. Zuolin would always stop the car and have a few words with the two of them... It was this way of continuing the deep feelings between the two generations that supported Huang Shuqin in his wheelchair to finish the whole play of "Besieged City". In the short 10-episode TV series, Huang Shuqin checked the original work with Chen Daoming, Ge You and other actors, and took a full 100 days of filming, with an average of one episode every 10 days. Such a dedicated work attitude and artistic pursuit of excellence make the TV series "Besieged City" truly reproduce the strong historical style, and also allow the vivid characters such as Fang Hongjian and Li Meiting to be restored to readers decades later.
Shortly after the film was completed, the demo tape was delivered to the Qian and Yang couple's homes. Huang Shuqin, who was unsure, did not know what the old gentleman would say. It didn't take long for Qian and Yang to send letters full of affirmation and praise, "The film is very good, and there is no distortion. Our husband and wife watched it in the middle of the night, as if we were back in that era, back in Shanghai." It made Huang Shuqin put down the worries in his heart.
"After this, I stepped into the house of Mr. Qian and Mr. Yang Sanlihe for the first time." Speaking of the first impression of Qian Zhongshu and his wife, Huang Shuqin introduced, "their husband and wife are frank, indifferent, and have no trace of I can't see the arrogance and arrogance in the legend. On the contrary, they are very friendly and kind to us children. They are never perfunctory, not polite, and not long-winded. They are very essential intellectuals. When I see them, I think of my own. My parents are so detached and sincere, really like it! Maybe because they both studied in the UK." What surprised Huang Shuqin even more was the simple material life of the Qians and his wife. "They lived in the expert building of the State Council, and the living conditions were the highest standard at that time. The house was tall, big, and very empty. But in such a good living environment, Qian and Yang didn't even need decoration, and the concrete floor, The white walls remain intact, not even the floor." In Huang Shuqin's eyes, the Qian family did not even have any decorative objects. "They use whatever the state assigns to them. They feel that all decorations are meaningless, as long as they are practical. Even the clothes they wear have not changed for so many years. Mr. Qian is always in Chinese suits or tunic suits, Yang The gentleman always has a blue shirt and a gray coat." Such a cultural couple with such individuality is so indifferent in terms of life requirements, Huang Shuqin really understands the realm of the two.
The success of the TV series "Besieged City" led to a huge "Qian Zhongshu fever", making Qian Zhongshu and his wife known to the world after being silent for nearly 40 years. In 1998, after Mr. Qian Zhongshu passed away, many media and writers began to notice several of Mr. Yang Jiang's plays more than 60 years ago, and made requests one after another, hoping to purchase the copyright of the adapted TV series. Mr. Yang Jiang insisted: "If this drama is to be adapted into a TV series, I also hope that Huang Shuqin and Sun Xiongfei from Shanghai will do it. They once adapted and filmed "Besieged City" and are familiar with life in that era."
In the face of Mr. Yang Jiang's support and trust, Huang Shuqin did have a plan to put "Making Real into Fake" on the screen, but due to changes in the real creative environment, this plan never came to fruition. "Sun Xiongfei has already written the first draft of the TV series, but the current creative environment makes us very hesitant. Back then, we could shoot an episode in 10 days, but now we usually shoot an episode in 3 days, which is far from our requirements. In addition, today’s investors seem to be reluctant to invest in such literary and artistic themes, for fear of not being able to sell them… After taking all factors together, we still don’t think we can shoot.” Huang Shuqin said reluctantly.
Although the dream of adapting Yang Jiang's works to TV series has not been realized, Yang Jiang and Huang Shuqin still maintain a deep friendship. Whenever Huang Shuqin has the opportunity to travel to Beijing, he will not forget to greet the elderly Yang Jiang in various ways. "Yang Jiang is an open-minded and strong old man. We can't imagine the pain she endured in her later years." Huang Shuqin admires Mr. Yang Jiang's strong forbearance in the face of her husband Qian Zhongshu and her daughter Qian Yuan's successive deaths. "Old Qian and her daughter live in different hospitals. Mr. Yang runs on both sides every morning and afternoon, and has to hide each other's illnesses from each other. All the pain falls on her!" Two years ago, Huang Shuqin visited the 94-year-old. The elderly Mr. Yang Jiang, she was amazed to find that the old man's mind and body are still in good condition despite the great pain. "Compared with when I went to see her in the 1990s, Mr. Yang has hardly changed. It is still so elegant. Calm down, live with the old nanny who has been with him for many years in an old house that has not changed at all, and can't see the passage of time at all." In Huang Shuqin's heart, Yang Jiang will always adhere to the spiritual essence of that generation of intellectuals, and Anything else is already outside the body to her.
Famous director Huang Shuqin passed away in Shanghai on April 21, 2022, at the age of 83.
In 1990, Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang agreed to grant Huang Shuqin the "virtuous niece" the right to adapt the TV series of the novel "Besieged City".
What concerns did Huang Shuqin have before filming "Besieged City"? What are the stories of her relationship with Qian and Yang couple?
This article was originally published in Xinmin Weekly on November 30, 2007, and is now republished as a commemoration.
Huang Shuqin and Sun Xiongfei visited Qian Zhongshu, Yang Jiang and his wife. Photo source "Freehand Light and Shadow Weaving Wonderful Mirror Huang Shuqin" (written by Shen Yizhu and Xia Yu, published by Shanghai Culture Press in 2017.)
"Besieged City" Loves Two GenerationsText / Wang Yueyang
"Yang Jiang is an open-minded and strong old man. We can't imagine the pain she endured in her old age." Huang Shuqin said.
After 1949, Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang's family moved to Beijing. Because Qian and Yang couple are calm and detached by nature, they often live a secluded life and bury their heads in books. They are inevitably called "eccentric and arrogant" and "difficult to get close to". Therefore, in the late 1970s, when the famous Shanghai director Huang Shuqin thought When I wanted to shoot the TV series "Besieged City", I had many worries. "I'm really afraid. What if the filming is not good and the old man is dissatisfied? Or what if Qian and Yang and his wife do not agree with us to shoot this work?" Huang Shuqin still remembers the trembling when he took over this work. , The mentality of walking on thin ice, "Once, I accidentally broke my leg when I was shooting outside. The first reaction at that time was not pain, but - I don't need to shoot "Besieged City"!" Just because of Mr. Qian Zhongshu's famous words "You think eggs are delicious, so why bother to see which chicken came from?" Huang Shuqin didn't dare to go to Beijing to meet the world-famous couple of scholars. So, screenwriter Sun Xiongfei flew to Beijing alone with a letter of introduction from Mr. Ke Ling in his arms to ask for advice from two elders, Qian and Yang.
"Who knows that the old gentleman and his wife are very enthusiastic when they see the guests from Shanghai! It is completely different from the cold, arrogant and withdrawn legends in the outside world!" Huang Shuqin said with a smile: "Especially the letter of introduction from Uncle Ke Ling, which is full of enthusiasm, and the old friendship moved the two of them. An old man who is indifferent to fame and fortune." When Qian and Yang couple learned that Huang Shuqin was the daughter of Huang Zuolin, the director of "Happy Heart", they agreed to the right of adaptation. Mr. Qian Zhongshu even said emotionally: "People want to talk about friendship. "During the "Island Period", Huang Zuolin's help to Qian and Yang's couple will always be remembered by the two, and this unexpected support and affirmation also moved the creators of "Besieged City".
The extraordinary support of Qian and Yang Erlao reminded Huang Shuqin of a childhood memory: when she was a child, her father Huang Zuolin often took her to the Great Wall Cinema Theater (in the current Fuxing Middle Road, formerly Lafayette Road) on a bicycle to rehearse "Wishful Wishes" ". On the way to work, father and daughter often see Qian and Yang couple walking on Fuxing Road. At this time, Mr. Zuolin would always stop the car and have a few words with the two of them... It was this way of continuing the deep feelings between the two generations that supported Huang Shuqin in his wheelchair to finish the whole play of "Besieged City". In the short 10-episode TV series, Huang Shuqin checked the original work with Chen Daoming, Ge You and other actors, and took a full 100 days of filming, with an average of one episode every 10 days. Such a dedicated work attitude and artistic pursuit of excellence make the TV series "Besieged City" truly reproduce the strong historical style, and also allow the vivid characters such as Fang Hongjian and Li Meiting to be restored to readers decades later.
Shortly after the film was completed, the demo tape was delivered to the Qian and Yang couple's homes. Huang Shuqin, who was unsure, did not know what the old gentleman would say. It didn't take long for Qian and Yang to send letters full of affirmation and praise, "The film is very good, and there is no distortion. Our husband and wife watched it in the middle of the night, as if we were back in that era, back in Shanghai." It made Huang Shuqin put down the worries in his heart.
"After this, I stepped into the house of Mr. Qian and Mr. Yang Sanlihe for the first time." Speaking of the first impression of Qian Zhongshu and his wife, Huang Shuqin introduced, "their husband and wife are frank, indifferent, and have no trace of I can't see the arrogance and arrogance in the legend. On the contrary, they are very friendly and kind to us children. They are never perfunctory, not polite, and not long-winded. They are very essential intellectuals. When I see them, I think of my own. My parents are so detached and sincere, really like it! Maybe because they both studied in the UK." What surprised Huang Shuqin even more was the simple material life of the Qians and his wife. "They lived in the expert building of the State Council, and the living conditions were the highest standard at that time. The house was tall, big, and very empty. But in such a good living environment, Qian and Yang didn't even need decoration, and the concrete floor, The white walls remain intact, not even the floor." In Huang Shuqin's eyes, the Qian family did not even have any decorative objects. "They use whatever the state assigns to them. They feel that all decorations are meaningless, as long as they are practical. Even the clothes they wear have not changed for so many years. Mr. Qian is always in Chinese suits or tunic suits, Yang The gentleman always has a blue shirt and a gray coat." Such a cultural couple with such individuality is so indifferent in terms of life requirements, Huang Shuqin really understands the realm of the two.
The success of the TV series "Besieged City" led to a huge "Qian Zhongshu fever", making Qian Zhongshu and his wife known to the world after being silent for nearly 40 years. In 1998, after Mr. Qian Zhongshu passed away, many media and writers began to notice several of Mr. Yang Jiang's plays more than 60 years ago, and made requests one after another, hoping to purchase the copyright of the adapted TV series. Mr. Yang Jiang insisted: "If this drama is to be adapted into a TV series, I also hope that Huang Shuqin and Sun Xiongfei from Shanghai will do it. They once adapted and filmed "Besieged City" and are familiar with life in that era."
In the face of Mr. Yang Jiang's support and trust, Huang Shuqin did have a plan to put "Making Real into Fake" on the screen, but due to changes in the real creative environment, this plan never came to fruition. "Sun Xiongfei has already written the first draft of the TV series, but the current creative environment makes us very hesitant. Back then, we could shoot an episode in 10 days, but now we usually shoot an episode in 3 days, which is far from our requirements. In addition, today’s investors seem to be reluctant to invest in such literary and artistic themes, for fear of not being able to sell them… After taking all factors together, we still don’t think we can shoot.” Huang Shuqin said reluctantly.
Although the dream of adapting Yang Jiang's works to TV series has not been realized, Yang Jiang and Huang Shuqin still maintain a deep friendship. Whenever Huang Shuqin has the opportunity to travel to Beijing, he will not forget to greet the elderly Yang Jiang in various ways. "Yang Jiang is an open-minded and strong old man. We can't imagine the pain she endured in her later years." Huang Shuqin admires Mr. Yang Jiang's strong forbearance in the face of her husband Qian Zhongshu and her daughter Qian Yuan's successive deaths. "Old Qian and her daughter live in different hospitals. Mr. Yang runs on both sides every morning and afternoon, and has to hide each other's illnesses from each other. All the pain falls on her!" Two years ago, Huang Shuqin visited the 94-year-old. The elderly Mr. Yang Jiang, she was amazed to find that the old man's mind and body are still in good condition despite the great pain. "Compared with when I went to see her in the 1990s, Mr. Yang has hardly changed. It is still so elegant. Calm down, live with the old nanny who has been with him for many years in an old house that has not changed at all, and can't see the passage of time at all." In Huang Shuqin's heart, Yang Jiang will always adhere to the spiritual essence of that generation of intellectuals, and Anything else is already outside the body to her.
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