Inspiration
Director Kang Honglei, instead of feeling joyful after the run-away success of Soldiers Sortie, became very worried that this would be the his career apogee (and hence the start of downfall). He began looking for new ideas for his upcoming productions. In early 2007, Kang set his eyes on The Stilwell Papers, the compiled journal of Joseph Stilwell during the American general's time in China as the Allied commander. Kang was immediately interested in the Yunnan-Burma theatre of the struggle against Imperial Japan, as the fighting in southwestern China was often neglected in modern Chinese history textbooks.
Kang, together with his friend Lan Xiaolong, travelled to Yunnan in April 2007, visiting local war museums, soldiers' cemeteries and interviewing many aged surviving veterans. They were shocked by the sheer numbers of casualties and sacrifices, and was ashamed of their own lack of knowledge in that part of history. Lan reportedly broke down in tears after returning to his hotel. Feeling owing to the unnamed fallen heroes, Kang decided that his next TV production will be focused on NRA's Yunnan battlefront. One year later, Kang led a 200-man production team to Yunnan, and spent over 6 months shooting the series. Kang insisted his team to work in the most harsh environment in order for the actors to experience the harsh reality of battlefield. Many actors later stated that the time in Yunnan was like "fighting a war" and a few had openly claimed the decision not to act in any war dramas in the near future.
The final battle in My Chief and My Regiment was directly inspired by the Battle of Mount Song (松山战役) in 1944, the largest campaign in southwestern China during the Second World War. The Chinese casualties in that battle numbered in the rank of over 20,000. The series presented an alternative outcome of the battle (Long's attack squad infiltrated the Japanese tunnel system and disrupted the enemy lines), but the sand table battle in Episode 31 to 33 is actually a true depiction of what really happened (a Chinese frontal assault that was repeatedly ambushed, causing heavy casualty).
Read more about this topic: My Chief And My Regiment
Famous quotes containing the word inspiration:
“Shakespeare carries us to such a lofty strain of intelligent activity, as to suggest a wealth which beggars his own; and we then feel that the splendid works which he has created, and which in other hours we extol as a sort of self-existent poetry, take no stronger hold of real nature than the shadow of a passing traveller on the rock. The inspiration which uttered itself in Hamlet and Lear could utter things as good from day to day, for ever.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Although this garrulity of advising is born with us, I confess that life is rather a subject of wonder, than of didactics. So much fate, so much irresistible dictation from temperament and unknown inspiration enter into it, that we doubt we can say anything out of our own experience whereby to help each other.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“As one knows the poet by his fine music, so one can recognise the liar by his rich rhythmic utterance, and in neither case will the casual inspiration of the moment suffice. Here, as elsewhere, practice must precede perfection.”
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)