In 2007, Kang Honglei and Lan Xiaolong accidentally discovered an unnamed tombstone while traveling on the Yunnan-Myanmar border.
Driven by great curiosity, they took a closer look and found that this tombstone was actually the resting place of nearly 8,000 unknown heroes.
This shocking discovery gave birth to a classic domestic anti-war drama - "My Commander, My Regiment", a masterpiece that surpassed "Bright Sword".
Kang Honglei and Lan Xiaolong, the old partners, have been blessed by " Soldier Assault " before. Created by the original team of
, "My Leader, My Team" has naturally grown in popularity, and it was very popular even before filming started.
was later competed by major TV stations and sold an episode for a high price of 1.5 million.
But when it was actually broadcast, it did not usher in a big explosion. Instead, there were many voices of doubt.
such as the picture is dark and the spirit is dull; it is complicated and long-winded and the pace is slow; the details are distorted and goes against history; it imitates American films and is suspected of plagiarism.
Although the first broadcast was not satisfactory, this drama fully explained what it means to make a comeback against the wind.
After experiencing a trough, the popularity and ratings of this drama have continued to rise. In 15 years, it has soared from the initial 8.3 points to the current 9.6 points.
Although "My Leader, My Regiment" has its imperfections, the depth of history and the entanglement of human nature it touches are unique among domestic anti-war dramas.
In addition to the ups and downs in ratings and ratings, there are many little-known stories and hardships behind this drama.
From the original intention to the actual production, every step is full of challenges and surprises, but it is the stories behind these that make "My Leader, My Group" an immortal classic.
01. Struggle for survival on the border
"My Captain, My Group" is set on the China-Myanmar border in 1942, telling the story of the glory of humanity and the struggle for survival during a period of war.
In the small town of Zenda, which was bombed by artillery fire, broken troops from all over the country gathered.
Meng Fanle (played by Zhang Yi), military doctor Hao Veterinarian (played by Luo Jingmin), Northeastern guy Milong (played by Zhang Guoqiang), Hunanese Bulan (played by Wang Dazhi)...
They just want to survive Come down, there is no higher requirement.
But the appearance of the teacher Yu Xiaoqing (played by Xing Jiadong) changed everything.
With the efforts of Yu Xiaoqing, the collapsed Sichuan Army was reorganized and entered the Myanmar battlefield.
However, when the team arrived on the battlefield, they faced a huge rout.
Meng FanLe and others were forced into a hut by the Japanese army. At this desperate moment, Long Wenwen (played by Duan Yihong), who claimed to be the leader, appeared to save them.
Under the leadership of Long Wenwen, Meng Fangliao and others broke through the siege and returned to Zenda Town.
But what they received was not a reward, but a guard.
What is even more surprising is that Long Wenwen turned out to be not the real regiment leader, but a lieutenant who took off his military rank and proclaimed himself the regiment leader.
When everyone was worried about his fate, Yu Xiaoqing officially appointed him as the leader of the Sichuan Army, but this was only the beginning of a deeper whirlpool they faced.
Every character in the play has its own pain and struggle.
"My Commander, My Regiment" is not only a story about war, it also deeply explores the complexity of human nature and the meaning of survival.
02, Blood and Tears Behind the Scenes
During the filming of "My Captain, My Group", the crew also faced unprecedented challenges and grief.
Before dawn every day, the pyrotechnicians will arrive at the new shooting location in advance, carefully place the explosion points, and ensure that each actor understands safety matters to avoid accidental injuries.
However, if nothing else, there will usually be some surprises. In an accident, the point that was supposed to explode suddenly did not explode.
Captain Guo Yan immediately signaled to suspend filming and went to check in person. However, at the moment he was close to the explosion point, an explosion suddenly occurred.
Debris from the explosion killed Guo Yan, and his assistants were also seriously injured.
Although the crew members were filled with grief and uneasiness, they knew they couldn't stop here.
After experiencing such a major tragedy, Director Kang Honglei had to endure his grief and returned to the filming scene.
However, what shocked everyone was that just 12 days later, the crew encountered another major misfortune.
During a scene, a makeshift covered bridge suddenly collapsed, injuring 48 extras.
Fortunately, no one died this time.
Director Kang Honglei and the crew showed incredible tenacity and determination in the face of successive disasters.
Especially the words of Milong (played by Zhang Guoqiang), a Northeastern guy, completely inspired the team's fighting spirit: "Director Kang, are we still going to continue filming?"
Kang Honglei responded unswervingly: "Absolutely!" "If Stop now, then Guo Yan's sacrifice will be in vain."
After receiving the director's firm answer, the actors wiped away their tears and determined to follow him to complete the filming of "My Captain, My Group".
03. Difficult filming process
During the production of "My Leader, My Group", the crew took a series of extreme measures in order to create a realistic battlefield environment and characters.
In order to fit the image of the defeated soldiers in the play, the actors had to shoot outdoors for a long time under strong sunlight, making their skin color look more dry and tanned.
They also needed to apply mud and grease on their bodies before filming to increase the realism of the characters.
In order to maintain the continuity of the character image, the actors' costumes are not washed once they are worn, and even the sweat and mud are left on the costumes to enhance the realism of the characters.
The actors had to endure the discomfort of these clothes in order to embody the harsh living conditions of their characters.
In addition, in order to get closer to the character image, Fan Lei's character "Snake Butt" needs to have his teeth blackened to simulate tartar.
This meant that he had to endure the discomfort of Tartar during the entire filming period. This kind of devotion and sacrifice to the character shows the actor's ultimate pursuit of art.
Although these extreme shooting conditions brought huge challenges to the actors, they also enabled "My Commander, My Regiment" to reach new heights in presenting the cruelty of war and the authenticity of the characters.
04, Wang Baoqiang scenes were deleted, controversy
During the production of "My Leader, My Group", Wang Baoqiang originally had important scenes, but in the end these scenes were completely deleted.
There are rumors that Wang Baoqiang was eliminated from the crew due to remuneration issues. But these speculations are far from reality.
Actually, Wang Baoqiang’s scene was deleted due to post-production adjustments to the script. Compared with novels, about 1/3 of the content of TV series has not been filmed.
Director Kang Honglei explained this, pointing out that the ending they originally set for the characters in the play gradually felt too rigid during the filming process.
They believed that it would make more sense to leave the fate of the characters to history.
Therefore, the last four episodes of the script were cut due to adjustments to the overall story structure. Wang Baoqiang's character happened to appear in these parts, so his scenes were also cut.
This decision was entirely based on the needs of the script and story and had nothing to do with Wang Baoqiang himself.
Kang Honglei insisted that it has nothing to do with Wang Baoqiang's salary. He believed that Wang Baoqiang would be willing to participate in the filming of this drama even if it was free of charge.
"My Leader, My Team" did not receive the expected enthusiastic response when it was first broadcast.
Audiences were initially confused by the complexity of the plot and confusing visuals, and the show initially received less than ideal reviews.
However, as time goes by, this play is gradually understood and appreciated by more people.
Every character in the play profoundly reflects the multi-facetedness and complexity of human nature.
"My Leader, My Regiment" is not only a drama about war, but also a masterpiece showing the history of suffering and reflection of the Chinese nation.
This drama profoundly reveals the cruelty of history, and at the same time shows the brilliance of human nature.
As the audience said, this is a masterpiece that can awaken people's hearts. (Written by: Xi Chuangxue)
