The TV series "All Quiet in Peking" is directed by Kong Sheng and Li Xue, written and produced by Liu Heping, starring Liu Ye, Chen Baoguo, Ni Dahong and others. It won the 30th China TV Drama "Flying Apsaras Award" Outstanding TV Drama Award. The drama is adapted from Liu Heping's novel of the same name. It is set against the backdrop of the decisive battle between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in 1948. It tells the story of Fang Mengao, an underground member of the Communist Party of China, who lurks in the Kuomintang Air Force, faces suspicion and investigation, resists conspiracy and oppression, and works with other revolutionary comrades to promote the peaceful liberation of Peking.
"All Quiet in Peking" is currently being broadcast on the "Revisiting Classics" channel. We have compiled and edited the content of the relevant seminar and the director's explanation published in the first issue of "China Television" in 2016. Let us learn about the behind-the-scenes stories, draw creative experience, and see how the drama presents the characters' tortuous fate in the tide of the times.
Director of All Quiet in Peking | Kong Sheng
All Quiet in Peking is not only a drama about anti-corruption in the Republic of China, but also attempts to show the audience the complex historical reasons for the great changes in an era - why the Kuomintang was defeated and the new China was established. It is about the dream of family and country, the destiny of people, and the twists and turns of reunion and separation.
This is a theme that sees the big picture from the small. It starts with Fang Mengao, a special Communist Party member in the Kuomintang, accepting the audit task assigned by the Kuomintang. It shows the national economic collapse, corruption in the Kuomintang government, soaring prices and the people's miserable lives on the eve of the liberation of Peking. Economic reform is also difficult to make, and often gets worse and worse, and falls into a vicious cycle. Although the background of the series is in the process of the fierce war, the war is just a sword of Damocles that has not fallen.
Stills from All Quiet in Peking
The need for the Kuomintang to achieve political stability urgently required a stable financial environment in Peking. However, correct and scientific planning could not be implemented, corrupt officials could not be punished, and economic rectification evolved into a political struggle. Intellectuals and students in the city took to the streets, but only added trouble to the already chaotic situation. When financial reform was just beginning to show signs of life, it became a tool for the Kuomintang's top leaders to seize the people's money. In such a decadent and chaotic Peking, perhaps only a thorough revolution could help it escape its doomsday. Before the liberation of Peking, the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for this deserve our eternal mourning.
Stills from All Quiet in Peking
The main conflict of the play is centered on Fang Mengao, the eldest son of the Fang family. He is an elite pilot of the Kuomintang and a secret member of the Communist Party. The Kuomintang needs him to break the deadlock and control the financial policies of his father Fang Buting through him; the Communist Party needs him to stabilize the situation so that it can smoothly take over a relatively stable Beiping; Chiang Ching-kuo needs him to fight corruption and pave the way for his own line to take over; students all over the city hope that such a fighting hero will lead them to drive away irresponsible bureaucrats... In this chaotic Beiping, he is like a sharp sword that splits the dark curtain.
Numerous influential figures are intertwined in the real historical trend, giving the drama a sense of historical reality and heaviness.
Stills from All Quiet in Peking
Screenwriter, Executive Producer, and Author of the Original Novel of All Quiet in Peking｜Liu Heping
More than seven years ago, my good friend Li Jingsheng, director of the department, asked me about my next creative plan. I said I just wanted to continue writing "The Ming Dynasty 1587". He asked me if I dared to turn my attention to modern times, especially the period of great historical transformation in 1948, which is an even more remarkable period of history. We talked for an afternoon, including the concept of creation, the selection of themes, etc. He said that he believed that I could make innovations in my grasp of historical materials and the construction of artistic truth. I promised, and this promise lasted for seven years.
Three years ago, I showed the script to the Publicity Department of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee. The leaders and experts held a special meeting and eventually designated "All Quiet in Peking" as a key high-quality project in Beijing. This attracted several investors. Later, Director Li Jingsheng specifically asked for director Kong Sheng's team. After they agreed, we talked to the actors one by one, and even invited Mr. Jiao Huang, who had vowed not to make any more movies or TV shows for ten years.
Stills from All Quiet in Peking
I especially want to thank these people. After reading our script and creative team, no one negotiated the price. Everyone reduced their salary by half, which is why we have such a strong cast. From this, we can see that there are actually many great artists in our industry. As long as you are seriously working on a serious and culturally-minded artistic work, everyone only pursues art and does not consider anything else.
Stills from All Quiet in Peking
Zhong Chengxiang
Librarian of the Central Academy of Literature and History, famous literary critic
The mission of the TV series
In the historical process of the development of Chinese TV series, at every critical moment, some iconic works will be produced to lead the creation of TV series. For example, "Fortress Besieged" and "Desire" in the early 1990s were a successful attempt by Chinese TV series to absorb literary nutrition and transform literary language into audio-visual language. "Soldier Assault" and "Drawn Sword" proved that the creation of TV series is ultimately about conveying ideas and spirits. Today, "All Quiet in Peking" inspires us to clearly realize the mission of the times that TV series, a popular art form, shoulders - TV series are the "novels" of this era, which should represent the style of the times and lead the trend of the times.
Stills from All Quiet in Peking
Historical materialism that keeps pace with the times
This play condenses Liu Heping's profound thinking about the history of 1948 and the people who were active in that period of history, and reflects a materialist view of history that keeps pace with the times. He regards the truth of that period of history and the people who were active in history as complete aesthetic objects and presents them truthfully. Moreover, this play grasps the direction of history and shows that the people's choice of the Communist Party is a historical necessity.
Stills from All Quiet in Peking
The importance of literary foundation and performing arts
"All Quiet in Peking" once again proves that literature is the foundation of TV drama creation. In particular, the spiritual breakthroughs of several characters in the play are rich, complex, real and profound. TV drama creation cannot be done without a good script, but this play also tells us that performance also occupies a very important position. With all due respect, some young actors suddenly appear immature under the reflection of old artists. Therefore, the improvement of artists themselves is the key, and young actors should be encouraged to read seriously and learn more about history and philosophy.
As bystanders and witnesses of the development of Chinese TV dramas, we literary and art critics should really do some homework and sum up our experience. This will be of great significance both to the industry and to the improvement of our personal qualities.
Stills from All Quiet in Peking
Xie Fei
Professor of the Directing Department of Beijing Film Academy, famous director
A breakthrough in perspective and viewpoint
All Quiet in Peking is a very successful work of art in terms of art, ideology and business, and it has set an example for us. I personally think that the innovation of this play lies mainly in the breakthrough of perspective and viewpoint. It tells a story from the perspective of the Kuomintang, and tells a story about how they mobilized young forces to fight corruption in order to save the collapsing building. This is different from the previous films about the struggle between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and it reinterprets the past history from a new perspective.
Stills from All Quiet in Peking
Moreover, the screenwriter has a relatively strong skill. The only TV series I have watched in full in recent years are "The Hidden" and "Before the Dawn". Both of these dramas are more pleasing and avoid real people. But "All Quiet in Peking" has a very solid foundation of real historical figures, and at the same time boldly uses the screenwriter's imagination to convey his new perspective on this period of history. Through the creation of a series of characters, it highlights people's beliefs and feelings, giving the whole play a relatively strong era and cultural atmosphere.
Stills from All Quiet in Peking
The practical significance of excellent works
Some young people on the Internet said that after watching this drama, they knew that the Kuomintang also called each other comrades. This is to respect the historical truth and reinterpret it from today's perspective. I often tell my students that if we face reality, work hard on long-form TV dramas, and produce some thoughtful and substantial works, we can gain more audiences, which is very important for our TV dramas to "go global".
TV dramas are the "novels" of the 21st century, and they will be very important to society for a long time in the future. Historical dramas are written for today. I think Liu Heping chose anti-corruption as the entry point, in fact, to use the corruption and failure of the Kuomintang in those days to warn us, and this is its practical significance.
Stills from All Quiet in Peking
If there are shortcomings in this TV series, the screenwriter avoided some major actions in the liberation of Peking in history, which led to the lack of rationality in some plots and caused some confusion for the audience. In addition, there are many things that are not written thoroughly, such as some backgrounds are not explained clearly enough, and some character clues lack foreshadowing, etc. A work that can be preserved should be able to withstand repeated scrutiny from the framework to the details. Although this play is now very good on the surface, it can be improved.
"Telling the fate of people in turbulent times - the director of the TV series "All Quiet in Peking" explained" was originally published in "China Television" No. 1, 2016
