According to 163, the film Journey to the West 1986 was produced from 1982, facing numerous challenges due to insufficient funding and resource constraints. Director Yu Rongguang contributed significantly to its success. However, she faced a lot of pressure, particularly from the leading actors. This was also a reason why the female director struggled to establish her authority over the cast, as she was often overshadowed by their strong personalities.
In the memoir Yu Rongguang: 9981 Challenges, the director of Journey to the West recounted the various difficulties she encountered while making the film.
Due to budget constraints, the female director had to personally finance many expenses. As the project reached episode 11, the funds ran out, and Yu Rongguang had to scramble to find financial support. Eventually, the film crew collaborated with the Department of Broadcasting to complete all 25 episodes.
During the search for suitable filming locations, the production team traveled across China for surveys, but they were often reported for misusing public funds. It wasn’t until the inspection team arrived for an investigation that the crew’s activities became publicly known.
However, the challenges the director faced were not as significant compared to the backlash from the main cast of Journey to the West against director Yu Rongguang.
According to reports, after completing the first part of Journey to the West, the cast gained international fame, and there was even an event in Singapore that drew the film crew for exchanges. However, when director Yu Rongguang gathered the cast for a meeting, actors like Liu Xiaoling (playing Sun Wukong), Ma Duy Hoa (playing Zhu Bajie), and Diem Hoai Le (playing Sha Wujing) publicly expressed their refusal to attend the event. The reality was that they were earning significantly more from their performances.
Director Yu Rongguang realized that the accusations against her were being amplified by the main actors. However, the actors found it difficult to confront the director directly, resulting in a confrontation with a senior executive of the Central China Broadcasting System at that time, named Wang Feng.
Wang Feng and Yu Rongguang had their conflicts, and he wielded considerable power over the production of Journey to the West, but the truth remained that the main cast was primarily concerned about director Yu Rongguang’s leadership.
Male singer Tuong Dai Vu, who performed the main theme song for the film Journey to the West: Excuse Me, Which Path Should I Take?, also expressed his frustrations, stating, “Why do people have to criticize me for being so rich? If it weren’t for director Yu Rongguang, would anyone be as famous as they are today?”
Behind the scenes, director Yu Rongguang became increasingly reserved. By 1994, when Journey to the West was set to begin production for its second part, the director noticed that no one could fill her role, leading her to decide to take on the role herself. To continue her role in the production, she had to apologize and formally invite director Yu Rongguang to handle the situation amicably.
However, the pain never ceased. In 2011, during a talk show, Yu Rongguang candidly stated, “I don’t see why Journey to the West is so highly regarded. The film always brings me immense pain. Ten years after the film aired for the first time, I still turn the channel whenever I see Journey to the West on TV.”
In 2017, following the passing of director Yu Rongguang, actors Liu Xiaoling, Ma Duy Hoa, and the cast of Journey to the West paid their respects. However, they faced backlash from the public during the mourning period, as the stars returned to address the media and introduce their new project.
According to Sohu, the film Journey to the West 1986 has been re-broadcast over 4,000 times, making it one of the most frequently aired works in China. During its original run, the film maintained an impressive viewer rating of 89.4%.
This work helped director Yu Rongguang gain recognition as one of the top ten directors of television and film in modern China (1978-1987). Journey to the West also won the Golden Eagle Award for Best Film. Alongside its success, the storylines crafted by the production team were key to attracting viewers.
