On October 11, 2023, the famous director Guo Baochang passed away in Beijing at the age of 83, surrounded by his family. This director who created several classics died suddenly like this, which made everyone deeply sad.
Wang Haige, chairman of the Huading Awards, published a condolence article through the Huading Awards official account overnight: "The death of Guo Baochang is a huge loss to the Chinese TV drama industry. He pioneered period dramas with "The Mansion Gate" and established his reputation in the Chinese TV drama industry. status. On December 28, 2020, when Director Guo Baochang received the 29th Huading Award Lifetime Achievement Award in Macau, he gave a chapter of the script manuscript of "The Mansion Gate" to the Huading Award as a souvenir. This is extremely precious. I I contacted him a few months ago and he was in good spirits at that time. When the news of his death came, my first reaction was that the media must have made a mistake." Wang Haige's memorial article wrote that Guo Baochang's last recording was The video is a specially recorded blessing video for his parents’ diamond wedding anniversary event held at Aolai Villa in Hongdouxia, Shanxi. When Guo Baochang received the invitation, he called Wang Haige and apologized deeply for not being able to come to congratulate him in person. He said in the recorded video: "Hello everyone, I am Guo Baochang, the screenwriter and director of "The Mansion", and I am a good friend of Hai Ge. Today is the diamond wedding anniversary of Hai Ge's parents. Congratulations! 60 years have passed. , It’s not easy. I hope you two can hold hands today, hug and kiss like first love, and spend this wonderful day sweetly and lovingly!”
Guo Baochang, a very important figure in the film and television industry, his The works have influenced several generations of Chinese people. He spent half his life and spent 26 years creating "The Gate of the Mansion". "The Mansion Gate" was put on the TV screen in 2001. When it was broadcast, it was sold out and set a ratings of 17.74 on CCTV. It has become a masterpiece that has influenced generations. This work is not only his personal emotional expression, but also his in-depth insight into Chinese society and culture. Every character and every plot has its profound historical background and realistic basis. It is this kind of authenticity and simplicity that makes this work win the love and respect of the audience.
Guo Baochang, known as "Master Bao" in the circle, has a legendary life. His family life is not only a story, but also a spirit, a persistent pursuit of art and a love of life.
Guo Baochang's life, just like his "Mansion Gate", is full of legend. Guo Baochang was sold into a wealthy family since he was a child. He has gone through many vicissitudes of life, read all about the world, and met many strange people and strange things.
More than twenty years of life in Dazhaimen has deeply influenced Guo Baochang. As early as the age of 16, he started writing "The Gate of the Great House" based on "Tongrentang". At that time, he used what he saw and heard growing up as material, and the whole story is full of criticism. Unexpectedly, after seeing the manuscript, his adoptive mother Guo Rong angrily scolded him, "You can't write nonsense," and the manuscript disappeared.
After being admitted to the Directing Department of Beijing Film Academy, Guo Baochang started writing again with the encouragement of his mentor Tian Feng. But in the social environment of the time, his creation became a disaster. After that, he wrote "The Gate of the Great House" twice, but unfortunately the relevant manuscripts were not preserved.
until 1995, when Guo Baochang, who already had many masterpieces in hand, turned down some contracts and started working on "The Gate of the Mansion" again. He later recalled that he hoped to write about the struggles of national capitalists, the changes in the relationships between characters in a large family, and more importantly, reflect the impact of history on human nature.
During the four and a half months of creation, Guo Baochang eliminated all outside influences, and forgot about room assignments, classifications, and salary increases in the unit. “I get up at seven o’clock every day and sit down at the desk at eight o’clock to write the script. He goes to bed on time at twelve o'clock at night, does not participate in any social activities, does not meet any relatives and friends, fills the refrigerator with all kinds of cooked food, and boils a large pot of boiling water." Among them, "Li Xiangxiu", who is modeled after his adoptive mother Guo Rong, is the most difficult one for him. I wrote about a character, "My mother's angry face is still vivid in my mind. The prototype of this character is my mother. So I carefully considered every word, every word, every action in every scene, and never allowed my mother to find the slightest fault." .I pinned my memory, admiration, and deep love for my mother on this character. "
Six years later, the TV series "The Mansion Gate" was broadcast. The distinctive characters and ups and downs of the story quickly attracted the audience: whether it was Bai Wenshi, the mistress of the household played by Siqin Gaowa, who was both heroic and ruffian The seventh master Bai Jingqi, the tragic Yang Jiuhong, and the infatuated Peking Opera star Bai Yuting... The TV series not only successfully told the century-old legend of this big family, but also left behind characters who are enough to "become gods".
And In Guo Baochang's own words, the script is 30% fictional and 70% real, and he still has too many stories to finish. With his wonderful pen, he writes about the vicissitudes of the world and the various aspects of life. Baoye is also obsessed with Peking Opera and has been listening to operas since he was five years old. , I have been fascinated by it for more than seventy years and have studied it all my life. In 2017, the Peking Opera "The Mansion Gate" written and directed by him and Li Zhuoqun was sold out every time.
Guo Baochang in life is a theater fan. He started watching operas when he was 5 years old, and he also At the age of 15, he became an apprentice to a teacher, and his relationship with Peking Opera has lasted his whole life. In "The Mansion Gate", Bai Jingqi often talked about the excerpt from the Peking Opera "Pick the Pulley", which exactly reflected Guo Baochang's obsession with the opera. He said, "Look at the black hole ahead, It must be the den of thieves, wait until I catch up and kill him cleanly" is also widely circulated.
In his later years, Guo Baochang continued to write, and successively created "The Great Game" focusing on Peking Opera, and "The Great Game" which tells the story of the characters in the house. "They Are All Big Roles" and the novel "The Mansion Gate". When looking back on his life, he admitted that "The Mansion Gate" may be a peak that he can never surpass, "Someone told me that Director Guo will make some good movies for us. TV show! I replied, I'm sorry, let alone a few, I can't take pictures of any of them! Because I can only do one thing in my life, which is to shoot "The Mansion Gate". "
His contribution in the field of art has made him a representative of China's fifth generation of directors. His charisma has given him extensive influence in the film industry. His talent has also given him great influence in the field of literature. Remarkable results. In addition to the ups and downs of his half-life creation of "Mansion Gate", Guo Baochang is also known as the Bole of China's fifth generation of directors. In 1983, Guo Baochang, who was working at the Guangxi Film Studio, vigorously nurtured newcomers and supported Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige and others created representative works of fifth-generation directors such as "One and Eight" and "Yellow Earth". Many years later, directors such as Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Jiang Wen, and He Qun also made guest appearances in "Mansion Gate". This kind of "starlight" There are few works that can surpass the "shining" scene. Zhang Yimou once said: "Without Guo Baochang, there would be no fifth-generation Chinese directors."
"The Gate of the Mansion" is the entire life of Guo Baochang. In his later years, this work was successively adapted into dramas and Peking operas. The stage has traveled all over the country, leaving it to future generations in different art forms.
Watching operas in childhood, being obsessed with operas as a teenager, obsessed with operas as a youth, thinking about operas in middle age, and studying operas in old age... Guo Baochang wrote "" The book "The Great Game" tells the story of the inability to let go of Peking Opera and the inability to be left out in his own way. He claims to be anxious and finish everything he wants to do in a hurry, just because he is afraid that if he doesn't write it, he will have no chance, and this is what he deserves. The way of our ancestors.
Although he was ill in his later years, Guo Baochang still kept writing. He picked up the pen at the age of 80, and finalized the 600,000-word novel "The Mansion Gate" with blood and tears at the age of 83. He said, "Whenever the strong wind blows, , my thoughts always follow the wind back to that era..." Now, Guo Baochang, who has fulfilled his wish, has left with the turmoil of the mansion. He has done too many things in his life, but it seems that he has only done one thing, and that is "The Gate of the Mansion". In 2020, Guo Baochang won the Lifetime Achievement Award of the 29th Huading Award.
There are mansions left in the world, and Guo Baochang will always be remembered in the world. Guo Baochang’s death makes us once again lament the shortness and impermanence of life. His life is a story full of passion and The epic of struggle is a touching and admirable life legend. His death makes us cherish life more and love life more.
