Why Faith Makes Shuangsong's Zhang Guimei Authentic
Despite physical differences between Song Jia and Zhang Guimei, Song’s portrayal resonates as genuine because she grasped Zhang’s core belief in the Party’s mission and values, rather than relying on superficial imitation or melodrama.
The authenticity of Song Jia’s portrayal of Zhang Guimei in “Mountain Flowers in Full Bloom” stems from her deep understanding of Zhang’s fundamental driving force - her unwavering faith in the Communist Party of China’s mission of education and poverty alleviation.
This faith manifests in several key ways throughout Song’s performance. When facing challenges, her Zhang doesn’t resort to personal grief or victimhood, but rather draws strength from her role as a Party member. A pivotal scene shows this when she declares “We have 6 Party members here. During the anti-Japanese war, if even one Party member remained, this position would not fall. How can we, with 6 Party members, let down this poverty alleviation mission?”
Song Jia’s technical brilliance lies in her ability to maintain emotional restraint. While filming emotional scenes, she often held back tears, recognizing that Zhang’s character would focus on the mission rather than personal feelings. This demonstrated Song’s understanding that Zhang’s power comes not from melodrama but from ideological conviction.
The physical differences between Song and Zhang ultimately prove irrelevant because Song captures Zhang’s essence - a dedicated educator driven by faith in education’s power to transform lives. Her performance shows Zhang as someone who derives strength not from personal ambition but from collective responsibility as a Party member.
Song’s portrayal successfully conveys how different audiences - firm yet maternal with students, strategic with leadership, and direct with matchmakers attempting to pull girls from school. This range demonstrates Zhang’s sophisticated understanding of how to advance her educational mission through different channels.
The key to the performance’s authenticity lies in Song’s grasp of what truly motivated Zhang - not personal glory or recognition, but a genuine belief in education’s ability to break intergenerational poverty, especially for girls in rural China. By focusing on this core drive rather than superficial imitation, Song created a portrayal that feels real and resonant despite physical differences.
This faith-based interpretation stands in marked contrast to more melodramatic approaches that might have emphasized personal suffering or romance. Song’s Zhang draws strength from her Party membership and educational mission rather than personal trauma, making the portrayal both more authentic to the real Zhang Guimei and more powerful as a character study.
Through careful emotional restraint and deep understanding of Zhang’s motivations, Song Jia transcended physical differences to capture the essence of Zhang Guimei’s character - an educator whose profound faith in her mission gave her the strength to transform countless lives through education.