CDFF:《火把剧团》梗概
片名(Title)：《
英文名(English Title)：Torch Troupes
片长(Running Time)：110分钟/110 min
年份(Year of Production)：2006.12
世界首映 World Premiere
导演(Director)：徐辛/XU Xin
制片人(Producer)：徐辛/XU Xin
摄影(Cinematography)：徐辛/XU Xin
剪辑(Editing)：徐辛/XU Xin
梗概Synopsis
“火把剧团”的称呼来自于文革期间，当时传统的川剧剧目在公共演出场所被禁，但偏远的农村却在私下演出，因常在夜间，需用火把照明，渐渐有此称呼。
2001年，成都的6个国家川剧团合并为一个剧团，除了出国演出外，在成都已经基本没有演出了。而更多的地方小型川剧团均遭解散。现在的“火把剧团”就是在20世纪90年代后，在国营川剧团渐至解散、演员下岗后自行组建的民间演出组织。它的产生、发展和消亡都与时代息息相关……
成都还有三四个“火把剧团”， 一般都在老居民区里的茶馆里演出，光靠门票收入难以为继：一场演出三个小时，需十几个演员，而观众仅一百多人，三元钱的门票中还有一元是茶水钱。为了生存，他们甚至上门为办丧事的主家表演变脸。
剧团的主要观众是老人，他们越来越老，越来越少，新的观众群却根本不出现。与此同时，茶馆还面临着城市改造带来的拆迁的命运。演员们看到剧团大势已去，纷纷改行，有的去跳舞，有的去做小生意……在市场经济的冲击下，城市面貌、传统文化和生活方式一天天被改变。
李保亭，从八岁就开始学唱川剧的老把式，如今只能告别川剧舞台，改行表演歌舞，走进以低俗流行为特点的流动剧场及酒吧歌厅演出。
王斌，一个坚持以川剧表演为生的人，不得不面临被社会淘汰的命运。老茶馆终于被拆，每天演出的舞台从此消失。数月后，王斌在成都市雕塑公园内一个临时搭建的大蓬里继续表演川剧。默默地坐在舞台的幕布后面，面对这个繁华的世界，王斌是那样的无奈……
“Torch Troupes” got their name from the Cultural Revolution period when traditional Sichuan Opera shows were prohibited in public and troupes were obliged to tour remote rural areas and to perform underground at night. Torches were used for lighting, thus the genesis of “torch troupes”.
In 2001, six national Sichuan Opera companies were integrated into one. Beside a few tours abroad, they have been almost out of activity and out of Chengdu residents’ sight. Smaller local troupes were dismissed. Today, the informal show groups created by Sichuan Opera actors sent off by national companies in 1990s have become new “torch troupes” struggling for existence in rapidly changing times…
There are three or four surviving “torch troupes” which continue to perform in tea houses scattered in the old neighborhood of Chengdu. A session of three hours with a dozen of actors usually attracts only an audience of no more than one hundred elderly persons, each paying three yuan, whereas one third of the earning goes to the tea house. In order to make ends meet, some actors jump at every chance to do“changing-face” shows on funerals.
What’s more, as their aging audience keeps diminishing, there is no sign that younger generations will learn to appreciate this local opera. And tea houses are unavoidably giving way to the city’s modernization plan. Disappointed, some members of the “torch troupes” switched to dancing shows or running small businesses. Their life has been completely changed, the traditional culture as well…
Master of Sichuan Opera, LI Baoting began his career at the age of 8. However, he has no choice but to quit and mingles with showgirls in popular and cheap bars…
On the other hand, WANG Bin who sticks to the art of Sichuan Opera is doomed to witness the downfall of the tea houses and his beloved stage. Refusing to give up, he goes on with his group in a temporary stand in this big city where everybody seems to be in a rush. Between the acts, WANG Bin sits silently backstage…