“德藝雙馨生命似奔流大河綻放一路華芳;影劇齊光心靈如叮咚泉水馥郁滿園瑞草?!边@副挽聯(lián),概括了張瑞芳的藝術(shù)成就和人格魅力。聯(lián)中所含的《大河奔流》和《泉水叮咚》分別是張瑞芳早期和晚期的代表作。
愛唱《漁光曲》的張瑞芳
她是“李雙雙”,她是“陶奶奶”。她是《家》中的大家閨秀瑞玨,她是《南征北戰(zhàn)》中的村長趙玉敏、《聶耳》中的革命女性鄭雷電……-她塑造的那些光彩照人的銀幕形象,定格在影迷心中。
早在上世紀(jì)40年代,在中國的電影、話劇界,曾升起過4顆耀眼的明星,被人們譽(yù)為重慶影劇界的“四大名旦”,這就是:張瑞芳、秦怡、白楊、舒繡文。她們那時(shí)都不過是20多歲的青年演員,卻已顯示了非凡的藝術(shù)才華,形成了各自的演藝風(fēng)格。如今這四大名旦只剩下了秦怡。
2012年7月3日,著名表演藝術(shù)家張瑞芳告別會(huì),秦怡來得最早,躲在角落默默垂淚。當(dāng)年“四大名旦”中,數(shù)秦怡和張瑞芳最親,她視年長4歲的瑞芳為姐姐,“她就像我們的領(lǐng)頭人,有瑞芳在,就覺得安心。我們有什么困難都會(huì)向她傾訴,她也樂于幫大家排憂解難?!被貞浧鹋c張瑞芳在一起時(shí)的往事,秦怡激動(dòng)地說:“瑞芳歌唱得好,而且中外歌曲都會(huì)唱。”“1999年上海國際電影節(jié)期間,張瑞芳提議一起唱《漁光曲》。我說歌詞都記不清了。沒想到她一字不差地把歌詞都默寫下來。幾十年過去了,她還能清楚地記得那首歌曲的歌詞?!?/p>
老導(dǎo)演李前寬回憶起10年前的一次大型活動(dòng)時(shí)說:“瑞芳以84歲的高齡登臺,一首《漁光曲》技驚全場。”
張瑞芳少年時(shí)和母親、姐姐同為黨的地下工作者,曾為在她家中秘密開會(huì)的蔣南翔、榮高棠等在門外放哨。從念中學(xué)開始,她出演進(jìn)步戲劇。1938年,她加入了中國共產(chǎn)黨。1940年開始投身于大銀幕,一生成就斐然。
抗戰(zhàn)勝利之初,張瑞芳正在重慶。1945年8月28日,毛澤東應(yīng)蔣介石之邀,到重慶參加國共和談。在周恩來的安排下,毛澤東接見了在重慶的部分戲劇電影界人士。當(dāng)時(shí),張瑞芳也接到了通知,當(dāng)她興沖沖地來到曾家?guī)r50號八路軍辦事處時(shí),毛澤東已在那里等候了。見了張瑞芳,毛澤東立刻和她親切握手,并致問候。同時(shí)被接見的還有白楊、舒繡文、吳茵等人,都是話劇、電影界的知名人士。由于張瑞芳從1941年至1946年一直與周恩來單線聯(lián)系,因此她同周恩來、鄧穎超夫婦很熟。在每一個(gè)成長的關(guān)鍵時(shí)刻,張瑞芳都會(huì)受到周恩來的鼓勵(lì)和支持。
銀幕上永遠(yuǎn)的“李雙雙”
在中國電影史上,《李雙雙》是一部展示中國農(nóng)村婦女嶄新精神風(fēng)貌的優(yōu)秀影片。李雙雙這個(gè)婦女隊(duì)長爽直潑辣,快人快語,敢于同自私現(xiàn)象作斗爭,遇到開心的事咯咯大笑,遇到麻煩的事處理果斷,同時(shí)對孩子疼愛有加,對丈夫體貼入微。張瑞芳原本就快人快語、大度爽朗,在片中幾乎是本色出演。當(dāng)年,張瑞芳主演李雙雙的出色演藝,令不少電影同行都驚嘆不已。“李雙雙”,讓她達(dá)到了電影演藝事業(yè)的巔峰。在上世紀(jì)60年代,“李雙雙”這個(gè)形象是一個(gè)“接地氣”的平民英雄。一時(shí)間,全國上下出現(xiàn)“三億神州新姊妹,人人競學(xué)李雙雙”的新風(fēng)尚。在第二屆“大眾電影百花獎(jiǎng)”的獲獎(jiǎng)名單上,《李雙雙》一舉獲得四個(gè)“最佳”:最佳影片、最佳編劇、最佳女演員和最佳配角獎(jiǎng)。
1962年,剛結(jié)束對日本訪問回到北京的張瑞芳,被周恩來總理邀請到家中吃飯。周總理見到她的第—句話就是:“今天請你吃螃蟹,是因?yàn)椤独铍p雙》這部好戲?!?/p>
張瑞芳在藝術(shù)上對自己的要求很高,每一次演出、每一個(gè)角色的塑造都致力精益求精。她說:“對于演戲,我一向比較認(rèn)真。演舞臺戲的時(shí)候,不管演出多少場、多么疲勞,我不會(huì)偷工減料,否則我的情緒就難以繼續(xù)。”拍電影也同樣如此,她不僅事先認(rèn)真鉆研劇本,做好充分準(zhǔn)備,而且拍攝時(shí)的每一個(gè)鏡頭、每一個(gè)動(dòng)作都力求真實(shí)完美地表現(xiàn)出角色的情感和性格。她說:“在電影表演上,什么是最美的?我想應(yīng)當(dāng)是最‘真’才最美。這個(gè)‘真’,就是最能將人物在那個(gè)特定情景中最準(zhǔn)確的感情和動(dòng)作表達(dá)出來,這是美的最重要的前提?!?/p>
張瑞芳的一生獻(xiàn)身藝術(shù)、探索藝術(shù)。在話劇、電影和電視的創(chuàng)作領(lǐng)域里,都留下了她辛勤探索的足跡。特別是在話劇表演和電影表演兩個(gè)方面,她都取得了顯著的成績。在中國現(xiàn)代話劇史和中國當(dāng)代電影史上,她所塑造的一些經(jīng)典藝術(shù)形象,不僅載入了史冊,而且還活在廣大觀眾的心里。
她曾獲第二屆“大眾電影百花獎(jiǎng)”最佳女演員獎(jiǎng)、第26屆中國電影金雞獎(jiǎng)終身成就獎(jiǎng)。1993年,張瑞芳與白楊、陳強(qiáng)等被授予中國電影表演藝術(shù)學(xué)會(huì)獎(jiǎng)特別榮譽(yù)獎(jiǎng)。2007年在第10屆上海國際電影節(jié)上,她又榮獲“華語電影終身成就獎(jiǎng)”。在電影后輩的心中,張瑞芳是位大藝術(shù)家、“百花女神”。
上影集團(tuán)總裁任仲倫說,在中國電影界,張瑞芳老師始終是一面旗幟。她是德藝雙馨的典范,德高則人心歸。2005年,為紀(jì)念中國電影誕生100周年,國家有關(guān)部門聯(lián)合表彰“國家有突出貢獻(xiàn)電影藝術(shù)家”,張瑞芳是唯一一名全票通過的候選人。
最放不下電影事業(yè)和“愛晚亭”敬老院
電影界晚輩眼中,張瑞芳是不折不扣的“電影奶奶”,她不遺余力提攜后人,始終情系中國電影的未來。1982年,上影廠開拍兒童電影《泉水叮咚》,已過花甲的張瑞芳出演家庭幼兒園園長陶奶奶,與她搭戲的童星陸毅,當(dāng)時(shí)還只是個(gè)“小不點(diǎn)兒”,但正是這一曲《泉水叮咚響》開啟了一批青年電影人的藝術(shù)生涯。陸毅說,5歲時(shí)第一次拍戲,就和張瑞芳老師在一起,我們一群孩子都親切地稱她“陶奶奶”。我們會(huì)永遠(yuǎn)記得這位可敬的“陶奶奶”?!度_恕穼?dǎo)演石曉華回憶,當(dāng)時(shí)自己是第一次獨(dú)立拍片,想都沒敢想能夠請張瑞芳老師來演“陶奶奶”,她是“讓人仰視的一座高山”。沒想到她看完劇本后非常爽快地答應(yīng)扮演“陶奶奶”?!昂髞韽埲鸱祭蠋焷砹?,幫我們改劇本,把生硬的文學(xué)化語言全部改成生活氣息很濃的口語?!?/p>
晚年的張瑞芳見到前來探望的趙薇時(shí),第一句話便是:“我可喜歡看《還珠格格》了,小燕子,我可是你的‘粉絲’?。 绷⒖贪言趫龅娜硕级簶妨?。
電影演員張芝華回憶起張瑞芳數(shù)度哽咽,“今年一月,去華東醫(yī)院看過張老師,后來斷斷續(xù)續(xù)又去看過她幾次。她清醒時(shí)還告訴我們在聽劇,遺憾的是并不知道她最后都聽的什么劇?!彼f,張瑞芳生前最關(guān)心年輕演員的成長,像他們這一輩年輕演員中不少人的藝術(shù)人生基本都是張瑞芳“帶大”的。張瑞芳病中聽到年輕演員匯報(bào)自己的演藝近況顯得異常高興。那天告別會(huì),后輩的影視名角唐國強(qiáng)、張瑜、張芝華、奚美娟等人幾乎悉數(shù)到場。
據(jù)張瑞芳身邊工作人員回憶,老人最放不下的還是中國電影的未來。
晚年的張瑞芳,又將目光投注到了老人的身上。她用畢生積蓄與老教育家顧毓青合作創(chuàng)辦了“愛晚亭”敬老院,一心要為那些與自己有著共同愛好、共同語言的老人建造一個(gè)溫馨家園。在那個(gè)時(shí)候,敬老院還是一個(gè)新鮮事物?!皭弁硗ぁ本拖袢松奈枧_,上演著一幕幕老人們的悲歡離合和喜怒哀樂,這觸動(dòng)著張瑞芳的心。她生前,但凡自己走得動(dòng),每周都會(huì)抽時(shí)間去跟老人們唱唱歌、聊聊天。她還與《紅色娘子軍》作曲者黃準(zhǔn)等一起創(chuàng)作了敬老歌《百歲不用愁》。她唱起這支歌來,聲情并茂,令后輩為之動(dòng)容。
Zhang Ruifang Passes Away at 94
By Yu Meilan
Zhang Ruifang (1918-2012), a prominent film artist, died at the age of 94 in Shanghai on June 28, 2012. As she is part of China’s cinematic memory over the past 60 years, there has been a wave of recollections in the media tracing her beauty, career, and stories through war and peace and chaotic years of political vicissitudes.
Zhang Ruifang might have been an artist had the Japanese invaders not come killing people and devastating China. Her father was an artillery officer and her mother was an artist. The young Zhang Ruifang wanted to be a painter but the Japanese invasion into China smashed her dream. She took part in street drama shows to promote patriotism. With amateur drama troupes, she traveled across the country staging shows and calling for war efforts against Japanese invasion. The experience of performing and seeing human tragedies caused by the war enabled her to mature as an artist. As her mother and elder sister were undercover Communists, Zhang Ruifang joined the Communist Party of China in 1938. The year 1940 marked the beginning of her film career.
In the 1940s, she was one of China’s four best young dramatists and film artists in Chongqing, the wartime capital of China. When Mao Zedong came to Chongqing in 1945 for negotiating national peace as the war had just ended, the Communist leader met with celebrities in Chongqing during his stay in the wartime capital. Zhang Ruifang was one of these celebrities.
What turned Zhang Ruifang into a national celebrity was her 1962 film Li Shuangshuang. In the comedy, she is a rural woman who is honest and wise, which sometimes causes some trouble with her husband. If her wartime characters were seen by people in Chongqing, her characterization of Li Shuangshuang in 1962 was admired and appreciated by the whole nation. She won Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress in 1963 for her role in the film.
In her 42-year film career, she appeared in 15 films, 13 of which were made after 1949. Her last film was made in 1982. In 1993, she was honored with the special award of China Film Performing Art Association. In 2005, she was designated by the state government as a National Film Artist for Outstanding Contribution. The honor was given in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of cinema. She was the only one who was unanimously selected for the honor. At the 10th Shanghai International Film Festival in 2007, she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Though she seldom appeared in films in her evening years, she still promoted cinematic art. She had many friends, many of whom were young film stars.
One big thing she did in her evening years was that in 2000, the 82-year-old Zhang founded a care house for old people in partnership with her friend Gu Yuqing, an educator. Zhang donated all her savings to the undertaking. Her son in Australia sent in cash. Many people donated. It is called Ai Wan Ting (meaning “l(fā)ove-evening pavilion”), which reminds people of a Tang poem that describes how a poet stops to enjoy a scene of maple woods at dusk moment. The 1,400-m2 house is situated in a small courtyard in Changning District in downtown Shanghai. The three-story house has 20 rooms for 40 people. On the ground floor are a canteen, a poker room, a bar, and a banquet room. She frequently visited the house to spend time with old people living there.