Recently, Xie Yuan, a film actor and long-term teacher at Beijing Film Academy, died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 61. As an older generation of film workers, he has contributed a large number of vivid characters to the audience. Many of his students are Chinese film and television workers. Looking back on his life, one can't help but lament his sudden departure.

Xie Yuan

Liang Tian (left), Ge You, and Xie Yuan (right) are known as the "Three Musketeers of Comedy" in mainland China. The pictures in this page are all information pictures

"Kids King" poster

Mainland China's "Three Musketeers of Comedy"

Xie Yuan collaborates with Liang Tian and Ge You The style of most of his film and television dramas is mainly comedy, so he is known as the "Three Musketeers of Comedy" in mainland China. In the late 1980s, the three of them founded a film and television company together, and collaborated on movies and sketches. In 1993, all three gave wonderful performances in the sitcom "I Love My Family" directed by Yingda. "I Love My Family" is the pinnacle of Chinese sitcoms. Its setting style focuses on family life, which was later imitated by many domestic sitcoms. The play is full of irony and clever plots, and often throws away the baggage with just a few understated gags, becoming a comedy memory for a generation. Liang Tian plays the mischievous and cynical second son in the play. Although Ge You and Xie Yuan are just guest appearances, Ge You's "Ge You lying down" in the play is still a hot topic on the Internet until now. In the episode "Two Ghosts on the Door", Xie Yuan plays the role of "Brother Baocai". In his rich Shaanxi dialect, he vividly interprets a migrant worker who comes to work in the city. The simplicity and cunning of this character make people laugh.

The characteristic of Xie Yuan’s comedy style is that he is good at imitation. Today, there are a large number of clips on the Internet of him imitating other film and television stars in variety shows, and his comedy talent is evident from them. As Aristotle said, art is an imitation of reality. Imitation is human nature, and the art of imitation can bring pleasure to people. Xie Yuan's performance is like that of an old-school martial arts master, with seemingly simple moves but actually profound skills. When he imitates characters, he always has an expressive voice and vivid expressions. Although he is a little exaggerated, he is impressive and unforgettable.

Echoes of the "Fifth Generation"

Of course, Xie Yuan is not a comedian in the strict sense. He has also participated in a large number of serious film and television dramas. Xie Yuan, who was once evaluated by his teacher as having an "average image and no acting skills", was lucky enough to star in two pioneering works by fifth-generation directors: Zhang Junzhao's "One and Eight" and Chen Kaige's "The King of Children". Zhang Yimou is the cinematographer of "One and Eight". After Xie Yuan's death, Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, two leading figures of the fifth generation of directors, also issued messages to express their condolences.

Many movie audiences have a vague and distant impression of fifth-generation directors. In 1988, Zhang Yimou's "Red Sorghum" won the Golden Bear Award at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1993, Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine" won the Palme d'Or, the highest award at the Cannes International Film Festival in France. The achievements of that generation of filmmakers became the highlight moments of Chinese cinema.

However, it is a pity that the work "King of Children" did not win any significant awards. The film's stream-of-consciousness narrative and postmodern expression techniques make it difficult for many ordinary viewers to understand. That year, both "The King of Children" and "Red Sorghum" participated in the world's top film festivals. Zhang Yimou's "Red Sorghum" won the first prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, but Chen Kaige's "The King of Children" failed in Cannes. Perhaps it was difficult for Western film judges to understand the Chinese people’s extreme desire for education at that time.

From the film and television industry to the ivory tower

After Xie Yuan’s sudden death, many filmmakers expressed their condolences. Their condolences were more like nostalgia for an era. Xie Yuan was admitted to the Beijing Film Academy in 1978 and became the first acting undergraduate class after the resumption of the college entrance examination. After graduating in 1982, he stayed at the school to teach until June 2019. After participating in the filming of "The King of Children", he successively filmed many movies such as "The King of Chess" and "Big Breath". Among the many roles he plays, his sincere expression in film and television dramas can be clearly felt.

With the continuous commercialization of the film industry, many directors in our country have successively invested in large-scale commercial films and become the focus of the spotlight. Ge You also became a national comedy star through his in-depth cooperation with Feng Xiaogang's New Year film. However, all these noises have nothing to do with Xie Yuan. After experiencing great popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, he quickly retired. He has been working as a teacher in the ivory tower for the past 20 years, only occasionally appearing in small guest roles, so many young audiences are not familiar with him.

In the era of relative scarcity of materials in the last century, actors of the older generation such as Xie Yuan were full of love and passion for the film and television industry. Later, in the turbulent era, they were gradually surpassed by the "back waves", no longer leading the way, and gradually fell into silence. After Xie Yuan's death, Ge You said: "Audiences will always remember Xie Yuan's efforts and contributions to Chinese films and TV series." Liang Tian said: "Everyone in the industry who has worked with Xie Yuan will miss him. The happiness and touch we bring, may his soul face the sea, and the spring flowers bloom... From now on, heaven will no longer be lonely.

"(Yan Xinchao)

Xie Yuan

Born in Beijing in 1959, he was admitted to the Beijing Film Academy in 1978 and stayed at the school to teach after graduation. He has created many classic characters, and his representative works include The movie "The King of Chess", "The Widow's Village", "The Price of Madness", etc.

Xie Yuan has won many acting awards at important domestic film festivals: in 1980, he won the 9th Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor. The second China Film and Performing Arts Society Golden Phoenix Award, and later won the third China Film and Performing Arts Society Golden Phoenix Award, the 10th Popular TV Golden Eagle Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the 12th China TV Drama Feitian Award for Best Supporting Actor. Award and the 18th Popular Film Hundred Flowers Award for Best Supporting Actor and other awards.

(Xu Ji)