New The Duke Of Mount Deer Controversy： Literary masterpieces are not amulets of TV dramas.

Original title: Literary masterpieces are not amulets of TV dramas.

In the development history of several decades, China TV series has never lost its enthusiasm for the adaptation of famous works, and it is recognized that some early classic TV series also originated from the adaptation of famous works. Famous works have lasting and meaningful vitality. After audio-visual re-creation and putting them on the screen, they can arouse the cultural memory of Chinese people, popularize the cultural connotation of the original works, respond to the audience’s inner expectations, and of course bring considerable economic benefits to the producers. However, why has the rewriting of famous works in recent years continued to decline in terms of quality and word of mouth, which is unsatisfactory? The fundamental reason lies in the change of creative concept. In the past, masterpieces were used as literary matrix to create works of art, but now more masterpieces are used as logo aura to market goods. This can be seen from some recent controversial adaptations.

To some extent, the adaptation of classic literature works is somewhat similar to the creation of prose, which can be "loose in form" but "unfied in spirit". No matter how the perspective changes, how the plot changes, how the characters are added or deleted, and how the expression changes, the adapted work should be basically consistent with the original work in terms of value orientation, theme connotation, aesthetic tonality and so on. Recently, the new version of The Duke Of Mount Deer, which was adapted from the original work of the same name, and The Origin of Love, which was adapted from A Half-Life, have been raved about, mainly because the spiritual texture of the original work was not well implanted in it. The theme of the novel Half Life is that the robe of life is crawling with lice, which is interpreted as "life is a gorgeous robe" in the origin of love. It is difficult for the audience to understand the charm of the novel in the play — — The sense of desolation caused by the mistake of fate or the fall of human nature is replaced by the resentment and misery of bitter drama. Gu Manlu, who dares to love and hate but is full of charm, is interpreted as a domineering "big sister" on the beach in the play, and it is difficult to see the inner calculation and gaudy temperament that the characters should have; Gu Manzhen, who is weak in appearance and strong in heart, and Shen Shijun, who is gentle and weak in character, are simplified into a new youth who pursues love in the play, and all these main characters have dispelled the life flavor of "no character is not sad" in the original work. And,The love tragedy of Gu Manzhen and Shen Shijun in the novel is not only driven by external forces, but also closely related to their inherent characteristics. However, in the play, it is more attributed to "beating a mandarin duck" and loses its original ideological depth and human charm.

Similarly, the problems of the new version of The Duke Of Mount Deer are also due to the serious deviation between the "superficial" effect of the play and the spiritual core of the original. The novel is not only a comedy that makes people laugh, but also a drama that "hides the sadness from it". In addition to expressing the freedom and affection in human nature, it also contains a profound criticism of the social system and national character at that time. However, the so-called "comic treatment" and "young expression" of the new TV series have reduced it to an exaggerated farce. The audience can’t realize the depth and subtlety of history, the decay and decline of feudal dynasties and the individual fate struggling in ukiyo-e painting. once upon a time in america and the chivalrous spirit of joy and enmity have been replaced by gags and posturing.

How to understand "faithful to the original"? Of course, the "loyalty" here does not follow suit, follow the script, and follow the gourd painting gourd ladle. Due to the change of artistic form and aesthetic taste caused by the background of the times, it is understandable and necessary to change some expressions and perspectives, so that some plots or characters can be added, deleted and changed. However, the random "magic change" will go too far. The new version of The Duke Of Mount Deer begins with "Glamour with lime meets Mao Shiba", and Wei Xiaobao, who is winking and screaming, constantly challenges the audience’s patience: overexertion of facial features with the camera shot on the face, confusion caused by exaggerated and deformed body movements, and redundant dubbing … … This way of dealing with a certain attribute of the role in order to seek a certain trait is undoubtedly an unwise move to blind the eyes and lose the big because of the small. There is no need to act arbitrarily under the banner of "innovation", because valuable innovation needs to be integrated into the temperament of the times and abide by the laws of art, rather than deliberately being unconventional for the sake of "going out of the circle".

The adaptation of famous works has stood on the "giant’s shoulders" since its birth, and has also formed a relatively mature market model from casting to production to publication in the course of decades of development. However, if we rely too much on market operation and pursue economic benefits, it is easy to lower the aesthetic level of the works under the tendency of profit-seeking. The most criticized thing about The Origin of Love is the choice of actors. When some older "mature" actors collectively "play tender", their interpretation of the role will inevitably be more exaggerated and less desolate, which will make the audience feel disobedient. The jumping rhythm, the stiff collage of transitional fragments and various details of the new version of The Duke Of Mount Deer caused by the massive deletion of important scenes often make people feel confused and ironic. How to prevent the logic of artistic creation from being shielded and distorted in the market-oriented operation is a realistic proposition that creative producers should ponder deeply.

Masterpieces are not the amulets of TV dramas. There is no right or wrong in the adaptation of famous works, and its success depends on the attitude, sincerity and skill of the creator. What is certain, however, is that if only the famous works are used as the cover, halo, blessing item and glamorous coat of TV series, and only the adaptation of the famous works is regarded as a shortcut to "make quick money", instead of working hard to respect the classic spirit, transform art forms and create ingenious quality, the works will not only fail to make a sound, stand up and go far, but also inevitably escape the market performance of high opening and low walking. (Author: Yan Wei, Shao Jiang; Yan Wei is the deputy director of the editorial department of China Television Art Committee, and Shao will be a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Art and Media, Beijing Normal University).