Chapter 00121: The Top Critic of the Era
# The Top Critic of the Era
Chapter 121
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 121: The Top Critic of the Era
The fervor surrounding Lushan Love continued unabated.
The first round of screenings in major cities hadn’t even finished yet.
After the major cities, it would move to smaller cities, then to counties, towns, villages, and even local clubs.
This wave would take two to three years to fully play out.
As the film gained more attention, so did the critiques.
The ratio of praise to criticism was roughly seven to three.
While the criticism only made up 30%, it was harsh and unrelenting.
Among the conservative crowd, bashing Lushan Love had become a form of political correctness.
Among the critics, Zhao Baohua was the most severe, slapping labels on the film without hesitation.
Right at this moment, the China Youth Daily published a public response from Chen Qi:
"Since the release of Lushan Love, it has sparked heated debates in the critical community. This is a normal phenomenon. For any artistic work, there will always be differing opinions. I myself admit that the script of Lushan Love has its flaws. Therefore, I’ve carefully read and reflected on the critical articles in the newspapers, hoping to gain insights that will help me in my future work. However, after reading an article by Comrade Zhao Baohua, which claimed that the film 'blurs the line between right and wrong in the struggle between the two parties, suggesting that the Liberation War was a misunderstanding,' I felt a lump in my throat, as if sitting on pins and needles. This criticism has gone beyond the merits of the work itself and touches on matters of principle. Therefore, I’ve decided to write this response for everyone’s consideration."
Chen Qi then included excerpts from the original script.
The central conflict in Lushan Love revolves around the feud between the fathers of the two main characters.
They were once classmates at the Whampoa Military Academy but parted ways due to ideological differences, eventually facing each other on the battlefield.
This hatred lasted for many years.
It was only with the arrival of a new era and the need for national unity that the father of the male lead forgave the other side.
There was no such thing as "the Liberation War being a misunderstanding."
After clarifying this, Chen Qi began his counterattack.
"Our Party has always said that criticism should be constructive and based on facts. Unfortunately, I’ve seen neither goodwill nor factual accuracy in Comrade Zhao Baohua’s critique. It’s been four years since the Cultural Revolution ended. Everyone says we shouldn’t return to the past, but some people, represented by Comrade Zhao Baohua, are so quick to dismiss a work with such careless judgment, trampling not just the work but also the life of a newcomer like me in the literary world! I really want to ask: Do you not want to return to the past, or do you secretly wish to go back?! As for Comrade Zhao Baohua’s other point, that Lushan Love lacks aesthetic value and panders to the low tastes of the petty bourgeoisie, that’s even more laughable. Who are the masses? Who are the petty bourgeoisie? Aren’t the petty bourgeoisie part of the masses? This is nothing more than an arrogant, condescending attitude, pointing fingers at the people’s tastes and even imposing one’s own preferences over the will of the people! When the masses’ tastes don’t align with yours, it’s called 'low taste.' When they do, it’s called 'refined taste.' Comrade Deng Xiaoping once said, 'It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.' Their common duty is to catch mice. Similarly, making films is about serving the people. Under the guidance of the 'Hundred Flowers' policy, there should be works like Lushan Love—films that fill theaters, earn praise from audiences, and even break records in distribution. Recently, several authoritative critics have offered fair and constructive criticism, which I’ve taken to heart with gratitude. But Comrade Zhao Baohua, who has never written a script or made a film, harbors such malice toward Lushan Love, even resorting to fabrications and slander. This is the epitome of literary jealousy. He’s nothing but a maggot in a clean cesspool! As the saying goes, jealousy makes people unrecognizable. If the masses love it, and you don’t, who do you think you are?!"
The film industry was thriving at the time, and with it came a surge of film critics.
Whenever a new film was released, there would always be a flood of opinions.
The creators often responded with their own articles, engaging in these debates.
But when scholars argue, they tend to use refined language, citing classics and avoiding vulgarity.
This was an unwritten rule, passed down through the ages.
Even Lu Xun, when he called Liang Shiqiu a 'homeless capitalist’s lackey,' was considered crossing the line.
Now, Chen Qi, a newcomer to the literary world, jumped into the fray with crude language, directly calling Zhao Baohua a "maggot in a cesspool!"
Slap! Slap! Slap!
At the Changchun Film Studio’s art department, Zhao Baohua was so furious he slammed his desk repeatedly.
He wanted to tear up the newspaper, but his eyes were glued to the bold words: "maggot in a clean cesspool" and "jealousy makes people unrecognizable."
If you’re handsome and someone calls you ugly, you wouldn’t be angry because you know it’s not true.
But if you’re ugly and someone calls you ugly, you’d be furious.
That’s exactly how Zhao Baohua felt.
He was utterly defeated.
"You insolent brat, spouting nonsense! How dare you challenge me in my own field?!"
Scholarly disputes should be resolved in a scholarly manner.
He calmed himself down and quickly penned a scathing rebuttal.
At the same time, those who disliked Lushan Love rallied behind Zhao Baohua, forming a coalition of critics to denounce Chen Qi.
"Chen Qi is a traitor to the arts, defying moral principles, corrupting the lead actress, and filled with evil!"
Chen Qi, meanwhile, was bored out of his mind in Jixian County.
Finally, he had something to do.
His fighting spirit was at its peak.
He subscribed to numerous newspapers and magazines, specifically looking for articles that criticized him, and then responded to each one.
"At your age, your thoughts about the future are overly romantic. You think there’s always another mountain to climb, but in reality, you don’t need to climb anymore. I think it’s time for you to prepare to descend, to go downhill."
"Comrade Zhao Baohua is nothing more than a self-righteous loudspeaker, always pretending to be the conscience of society while looking down on everyone from his high horse."
"I’ve already explained Lushan Love clearly. If you still don’t understand, I’m also quite skilled in physical combat."
Zhao Baohua and his allies were quickly overwhelmed, unable to mount a counterattack.
Chen Qi emerged victorious from this war of words, thoroughly enjoying himself.
The only regret was the lack of the internet, which made the process slow.
By the time his letters reached Beijing and were published, the heat of the battle had already cooled.
Scholarly disputes were usually left alone.
With the country opening up, even the literary conferences had corrected past mistakes, and this tradition of debate had returned.
Scholars not only loved to argue but also to fight.
There were many examples of this.
Even Lao She, a renowned writer, practiced martial arts and often sparred with other scholars.
Lushan Love was a hit, and so was Chen Qi.
He made a name for himself in the mainstream literary world as a troublemaker, earning the enmity of Zhao Baohua and the conservative faction.
…………
Just as Tai Chi was filming on location and Chen Qi was rising from "unknown newcomer" to "rising star," an unexpected visitor arrived at the Beijing Film Studio.
He was in his fifties, of average height, and spoke slowly and politely.
"Old Director, I apologize for the sudden visit. I hope I’m not disturbing you!"
"You’re a rare guest! Please, come in and sit down!"
Wang Yang was puzzled.
What was a TV director doing at a film studio?
Indeed, the man before him was Wang Fulin, one of the first-generation TV directors at CCTV.
He had been making TV shows since the 1950s and had a wealth of experience.
"Last year, our delegation visited the UK and saw how advanced their TV industry was. When we returned, our leaders were determined to develop our own TV industry."
Wang Fulin spoke slowly, starting from the beginning.
"Although film and TV are different art forms, you are the older brother in this field, and we’ve been learning from you. Recently, I watched Lushan Love. The love story was well-written, and the patriotic theme was excellent. We’re severely lacking in scripts. That’s why I’ve come here today, shamelessly asking if you could connect me with the screenwriter. We’d love to have him write a story suitable for a TV drama…"
(End of Chapter)