Written/Delivered: 1 February
1967.
English translation: By Issues and Studies (Taipei), vol. ix, no. 9
(June 1973), from a Red Guard document.
Transcription: www.wengewang.org.
HTML/Markup for marxists.org: Juan Fajardo, 2014.
Chiang Ch'ing: "I haven't heard your opinions for a long time. Today I would like to hear from you."
The representative of the Newsreel Studio summarized the general situation of the Cultural Revolution movement in the studio. In his remarks, he mentioned that the picture showing the Chairman's reception of Red Guards flatters Liu [Shao-ch'i] and Teng [Hsiao-p'ing].
Chiang Ch'ing: "The first preview of The National Day film was not presentable so we returned it to the studio. It was even less so at the second preview, and we returned it again. Why was that? [By this time Comrade Chiang Ch'ing was very angry.] Have you struggled against Chao Hsin-ch'u? [Answer "We struggled against him once."] This fellow is a scoundrel! The film showing Chairman Mao's three receptions of Red Guards is entirely contrary to the spirit of the Eleventh Plenary Session [of the Eighth Central Committee] and flatters Liu [Shao-ch'i], Teng [Hsiao-p'ing], and T'ao [Ch'u]. The Chairman is utterly disgusted at being filmed. He was so when I first met him at Yenan. Many revolutionary photographers wanted to photograph the leader's things, but the Chairman didn't allow his office to be shown. However, those representatives of the bourgeoisie even fought over one such photograph. And Liu Shao-ch'i is a strange man. He always stands so close to the Chairman when he speaks to him, and when he makes a mistake, he unconsciously stands back a little.
"When you return to the studio, can you edit the shots of Liu, Teng, and T'ao? I have had bitter fights with Chao Hsin-ch'u over this every time I met him. I once asked him, 'How can your ministry [i.e., the Ministry of Culture] be so completely devoted to the Liu-Teng line!' You should make him account for flattering Liu, Teng, and T'ao, struggle squarely against him, and thoroughly discredit everyone who should be struggled against."
Someone suggested showing the picture of Liu Shao-ch'i and Wang Kuang-mei's visit to Indonesia together with that of Chairman Mao's reception of Red Guards.
Chiang Ch'ing: "It may be used as educational material. The picture of Liu Shao-ch'i's visit to Indonesia propagandizes the capitalist palace life."
Question: "Should we add commentary and reedit the picture?"
Chiang Ch'ing: "Haven't you destroyed all the surplus film?"
Answer: "Not all, we still have some material left."
Comrade Chiang Ch'ing then listened to the pros and cons of the two opposing groups of the Newsreel Studio.
Chiang Ch'ing: "I can't solve concrete problems for you. If you don't have fundamental differences of principle, don't go to extremes. You should unite together on the basis of moving on the same general course.
"Newsreels differ from feature films. The former should be realistic, not fictional. No matter how, you should produce pictures, you should report on major political events. Your studio is different from a radio broadcasting station. Radio stations have to broadcast everyday, but you should also turn out films and cannot stop production. If when the Chairman receives the Red Guards you don't produce a newsreel reporting the event, the little fighters will come and destroy your studio. You are running a newsreel studio which is charged with political tasks. Why can't you make some pictures concerning the Chairman's reception? You must try to produce something after you go back. Currently, we have to seize power, grasp revolution, and promote production. Since we now have plenty of black-and-white negatives, you should assign some pictures to your assistants to give them some experience. Some people have committed serious mistakes. As long as the contradictions are not those between the enemy and ourselves, we can supervise them and guard against their disfiguring the laboring people. If they don't work well, you can dock their wages. .. .
"Revisionist pictures are not presentable. They are awfully low grade and mean. One can't sleep for several days after watching them. If a picture is not to portray workers, peasants, and soldiers, not to serve workers, peasants, and soldiers, why do we need it? Don't spoil films. Those pictures, having wasted people's money, spread poison gas and twist the life of workers, peasants, and soldiers. I was part of them and was very annoyed. The motion pictures Knew It Three Years Ago and Good Flowers and Round Moon are the worst ones. And Visit the Parents is very bad too. How could it be that everyone except a lonely old man in the village was dead? The Violent Storm by Chou Li-po was applauded up to heaven. However, his creative thought is that good men must die. That was the worst. Aren't your newsreels any better?"
Group: "We have also produced quite a few 'poisonous weed' films. One picture Sweep the Five Airs viciously attacks the Great Leap Forward and attacks Chairman Mao. We have also produced Poet Tu Fu, Mei Lan-fang, Greet the Spring, In Rapid Current, etc."
Chiang Ch'ing: "Why don't your newsreels reflect real life rather than cover these things? I would like to have a look at those poisonous weed pictures."
Group: "Poet Tu Fu and Mei Lan-fang were both made under the advisorship of Ah-ying."
Chiang Ch'ing: "Ah-ying [Ch'ien Hsing-ts'un] is a traitor. And how can Ch'ien Hsiao-chang and Hsu Hsiao-ping (power holders taking the capitalis.t road in the newsreel studio) be Red Flags? (Since the newsreel studio is a red flag unit of the old Central Propaganda Department and the old Culture Department) how could it let them enjoy their lives?"
Group: "Ch'ien Hsiao-chang has three secretaries." Chiang Ch'ing: "I can't say I have even one secretary!"
Representative of the August 1st Studio: "Chang Shao-t'ing is a soundrel. He gave four of our young men jobs as staff officers of the bureau."
Chiang Ch'ing: "Don't covet official titles. The word 'chief’ should be smashed to pieces. Later on you get rid of any 'chiefs.' You should organize a people's commune."
Representative of the Newsreel Studio: "The poisonous effect of the erroneous theory 'the redder, the blacker" left over in our studio by the work team is serious. As a result, many old comrades are afraid to speak. They aren't allowed to work."
Chiang Ch'ing: "In this way the strike zone is too wide. I think we may let them work and we must believe that the majority of people are good. Can't all old members of the Peking Motion Picture Studio be employed? I think XXX has turned out several good pictures. Ideology can be remolded. XXX who has been transferred to the August 1st Studio greatly emphasizes his own style: a little bridge over a creek beside a house. He hardly knows how to produce a magnificent scene. February is right in his style. . . .
"I have seen all the pictures he produced, and have spoken with him. But he just can't change. I hear that he still wishes to change."
At this point, a comrade of the August 1st Studio summarized the status of the movement in his studio and the looting of combat readiness cameras and other materials.
Chiang Ch'ing: "This is looting state property. It is a problem of principle—no small matter. It destroys production and combat readiness, and you should recover that equipment at once. The looters must be punished if they refuse to return it. You have complete authority to do so. You should consider the possibility that the looting of August 1st Studio equipment might have been instigated by scoundrels. [Comrade Chiang Ch'ing was very indignant at the posting of the slogan "Using an iron bar to protect the emperor" on the doors of P.L.A. fighters and the activities of roving struggle fighters.]
"After the Eight-Point Directive was issued, was the situation any better?"
Group: "Much better. But there is still a lot of equipment missing."
Chiang Ch'ing: "Tell them to return it and arrest them if they disobey. That equipment is state property. One machine costs a great deal of money. As to the automobile, whoever drove it away should bring it back. If the automobile was damaged, the damage, however little, must be paid for by the person chiefly responsible. Besides, there must be no house search, as the Military Commission has given orders on this."
Group: "They have also seized the seal." Chiang Ch'ing: "What is Ch'en Po doing?"
Group: "He is feeding himself up to a fat head and big ears at Tienshui."
Chiang Ch'ing: "You can't let them just enjoy themselves. Ch'en Po is really bad. In one of their films about military reclamation, the backdrop to the song adoring Chairman Mao was opium poppy. When I mentioned this, they said poppies can be found everywhere in Hsinkiang. And they insist on doing things their way. The masses also differ about this. The film Lei Feng is very bad. The Chairman's portrait in it is not serious enough. Lei Feng is a biographical film, and yet they attributed Lei Feng's deeds to Wang Ta-li, who was only mediocre. Men like Ch'en Po should be seized and struggled against. We should overthrow and discredit them thoroughly, not jet-speed through the matter. Chairman Mao has taught us that only when we investigate and study, grasp a great volume of facts, and use the facts for reasoning, can we stand undefeated."
A comrade from the Newsreel Studio then summarized the case of Wang Shou-hsiang who in the early period of criticizing the bourgeois reactionary line, faithfully carried out the bourgeois reactionary line. For this, Wang only apologized to middle-level cadres and was allowed to resume work, but he could not regain his reputation among the masses. Comrade Chiang Ch'ing was angry at this and said, "How could this happen in your studio?"
Group: "Wang Shou-hsiang also proposed to give the black elements five democracies, saying that it was directed by the Central [Committee]."
Chiang Ch'ing: "We have directed no such thing. You should tell them to do labor work and give an account of themselves. They should labor in the day time and write out their explanations at night. . . .
"You overlooked the arch offenders. And so they can sleep soundly. Hsia Yen, Ch'en H'uang-mei, and others sleep soundly every day. While we are all hard at work from morning till night, they live an easy life." Group: "We once struggled against Hsiung Fu."
Chiang Ch'ing: "It's questionable whether Hsiung Fu is a Communist Party member or not. Why didn't you struggle against Hsiao Wang-tung? You should have done so. The masses want to struggle against Hsiao Wang-tung but T'ao Ch'u protected him, and sent him to a hotel and a hospital, saying that he was sick. Actually, he was in high spirits enough atop the Tien-an-Men and in better health than I. Several vice ministers of the new as well as the old Ministry of Culture are very mean. They have shielded several black elements. It could be dangerous if you don't struggle against them and seize power from them. . . .
"Ghosts and monsters can't do any harm. You must strictly guard against landlords, rich peasants, counterrevolutionaries, bad elements, and rightists. Only leftists may rebel; rightists are not allowed to cause disturbance."
The group asked: "In accordance with the C.C.P. Central Committee directive concerning intensification of public security work, can we request the Personnel and Security Section to publish the list of landlords, rich peasants, counterrevolutionaries, bad elements, and rightists? Many of the masses in our studio don't know."
Chiang Ch'ing: "Why not? Publish it for everyone to see. You revolutionary masses may publish it. Right in one photography section of the Peking Studio, there are two [Kuomintang] Central Bureau of Statistics agents. How acute and complicated the class struggle in cultural departments is!
"You must unite the masses. The proletarian revolutionaries should be broadminded [towards everyone]. Can a handful of individuals like you do everything? You must allow others to correct their mistakes, you must learn from past mistakes to avoid future mistakes, you must heal sickness to save people, find people in common and tolerate dissidents, unite the majority, and isolate the handful of capitalist-roaders. The motion picture circle has become much too complicated. You must not be too sure of yourselves. If you have been denied the truth, admit it. You should also keep vigilant as to whether there is any one pulling strings behind the scenes. After all, for whom do you seize power? [The group answered: "We seize power for the proletariat."] Without making a great alliance, can you succeed in seizing power? You wouldn't be able to keep the power even if you seized it. You must go back and discuss this. Now you blame each other so violently, I can't tell which group is correct, and which is incorrect. However, one thing you must keep in mind: Don't be swindled. Currently there is some deviation going on. Certain people are directing the spearhead of the struggle towards the very centre of the masses. Still others are playing tricks by creating a proletarian headquarters. You must be on the alert against fighting at random. The worst thing would be to arouse a war among the masses, especially within literary and art groups. Now you two sides are angry with each other. You weren't so angry in struggling against those in authority taking the capitalist road, but are as angry as you are now over this internal matter. There must be someone pulling strings behind the scenes. Some of your activities such as cutting telephone lines and tailing automobiles were odd and probably were not thought up by an ordinary young man. You must be on the alert. Since now you have isolated those in authority taking the capitalist road and let them sit atop a hill to watch tigers fighting they live an enjoyable life.
"You should unite in anger, that is to say, struggle against the handful of persons in authority taking the capitalist road and the handful of people obstinately persisting in the bourgeois reactionary line. I hope individual fighting organizations will overcome small group mentality, eliminate 'self-interest,' and implement a great alliance. Both sides within your organizations must do self-criticism. As long as your problem doesn't involve basic rights and wrongs, you will unite together. You young people are prone to subjectivism and one-sidedness. For the undertaking of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and for the over-all great power seizure, you must go back and open-mindedly rectify yourselves. I suggest you seriously study the editorial of the third issue of the Red Flag magazine. Yesterday's People's Daily [January 31] had a well written article under the title 'Get Rid of Self-interest, Forge a Great Alliance of Revolutionary Rebels.' It was written by the Third Headquarters [of the capital's Red Guards]. I would like to read a paragraph to you: 'We are carrying on two revolutions at once: one is to transform the objective world and the other is to transform our subjective world. We are also carrying on simultaneously two kinds of struggle for the seizure of power: one is to seize power from those in authority who are taking the capitalist road and the other is to seize power from the self-interest in our minds. Only when we have seized power completely from the self-interest in our minds, is it possible to ensure complete victory in the struggle to seize power from those in authority who are taking the capitalist road.' [At this point Comrade Chiang Ch'ing commented, "Without individuals there will be no groups. It is a unity of contradictions. This article was very well written, and I suggest that our comrades read it carefully. There are over 1,000 people in the August 1st Studio, and over 700 people in [the] Newsreel Studio. You two studios can't unite with each other." Comrade Chiang Ch'ing then continued to read.] 'To seize power in one's mind is a painful process. But such a struggle must be waged. Such a struggle calls for the courageous spirit that is needed to bayonet the enemy. The best way of conducting that struggle is to follow Chairman Mao's teachings, plunge ourselves into the mighty torrent of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in the factories and villages, and integrate ourselves with the workers and peasants. Integration of intellectuals with the workers and peasants is the only way for intellectuals to overcome their weak points and revolutionize themselves. The great alliance of revolutionary workers and revolutionary peasants is the core and mainstay of the great alliance of proletarian revolutionaries throughout the country.”
"You should study this article carefully. I also suggest that you carefully study 'On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People.' In dealing with contradictions among the people, you should be lenient with others, think more of the weakness in yourselves, and less of the weakness in others. As you are still young, you young people must understand each other. You should sit down calmly, learn how to consult with others broadmindedly, and adopt an attitude of unity. You should trust in the Chairman's teachings that the majority of people are good. It's good to practice small group mentality behind closed doors."
Question: "How should we treat those who were denied the truth when criticizing the bourgeois reactionary line and are now disillusioned?"
Chiang Ch'ing: "They are the masses. We should adopt a welcoming attitude and unite with them. . . .
"We aren't seizing power for individuals or a small group; we are seizing power for the proletariat. And to seize great power calls for a great alliance. Of course our alliance isn't a political compromise by combining two into one, but a unity for struggle. Comrades, think how the literary and art circles engage in the Great Cultural Revolution. It's now time to seize power. . . .
"It will be dangerous if you don't seize power into your hands. You must rectify yourselves openmindedly, must unite, unite greatly, seize power greatly, and guard against provocation by scoundrels. At any rate, newsreel production will continue. How many photographing stations are there in the whole country?"
Group: "Twenty-seven."
Chiang Ch'ing: "Some [sic] out all units that should be sent out."
Group: "Should we send out every unit?"
Chiang Ch'ing: "Some probably need more emphasis than others."
Group: "There still is the question about which we would like to request your instruction."
Chiang Ch'ing: "No need to request instruction. We are all comrades."
Group: "What do we do about the films of the Ya-Hsin-Hui?"
Chiang Ch'ing: "You should first discuss it among yourselves and organize a small team for the preparatory work. The decision can be made after the great alliance is done."
Group: "Comrade Chiang Ch'ing we would like to ask one more question. You mentioned a while ago that we could not suspend production completely, [Comrade Chiang Ch'ing interrupted by saying, "Newsreels should continue to be produced."] what should we do if the two opposing groups still have differences?"
Chiang Ch'ing: "You should dissolve the differences through discussion. You should learn how to discuss, how to do self-criticism, and study how to do Party affairs well. Time is up; I still have other things to do, and I hope to talk to you again later. Comrades, go back and think about it: how to make the Great Cultural Revolution in literary and art circles?"
Group: "Comrade Chiang Ch'ing, kindly give our regards to Chairman Mao."
Chiang Ch'ing: "Thank you all."