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Chinese director Zhang Yimou Le Vision Pictures
\nZhang Yimou, China\u2019s most prolific and internationally acclaimed director, is bringing something new to the country\u2019s booming box office with his latest work, \u201cComing Home.\u201d<\/p>\n
The low-budget period drama, which stars Gong Li and tells the story of a man who reunites with his wife and daughter after years of separation due to the Cultural Revolution, has so far raked in almost 300 million yuan ($48 million), a record for a domestic art-house film.<\/p>\n
Previous works by the 62-year-old director\u2014including his 1987 directorial debut \u201cRed Sorghum,\u201d \u201cJu Dou\u201d and \u201cRaise the Red Lantern\u201d\u2014were influential in shaping the way Westerners looked at old China.<\/p>\n
Mr. Zhang also has run afoul of the government. Earlier this year, he was fined $1.2 million for violating China\u2019s one-child policy, an event he declined to discuss much.<\/p>\n
Days after returning from the Cannes Film Festival, at which \u201cComing Home\u201d screened out of competition, Mr. Zhang sat down with China Real Time at his Beijing workshop. He talked about his love for martial arts, the challenge of making art-house films in China and his favorite American TV shows. Edited excerpts:<\/p>\n
Why did you choose to produce \u201cComing Home\u201d now?<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t choose to do it. It happened simply because I got the novel [on which it\u2019s based]. China is so hungry for a good screenplay and it\u2019s very hard to get a good one. Though getting the novel wasn\u2019t planned, making \u201cComing Home\u201d happened the way it did because I believe in \u201cwalking with two legs\u201d: on the one hand, I make low-budget art-house films like \u201cComing Home\u201d; on the other, I will continue to make commercial films like \u201cHero\u201d [a 2002 martial arts blockbuster starring Jet Li].<\/p>\n
Can the commercial success of \u201cComing Home\u201d help revive the local art-house film industry?<\/p>\n
Yes. I made this film to test the market. If we fail, we\u2019ll just curse a little and forget it, but if it does OK, it will give us confidence. (Watch the trailer on YouTube.)<\/p>\n
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Why did you decide to make \u201cHero\u201d?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m actually a big martial arts fan. I started reading martial arts fiction novels during the Cultural Revolution, when they were banned, and I started to practice [martial arts] when I was 17.<\/p>\n
So why didn\u2019t you start your directorial career with a martial arts film?<\/p>\n
When we\u2014the so-called \u201cfifth generation\u201d of directors\u2014started up, the broader environment was very artistic. So we reflected a lot on history and I put my love for martial arts aside.<\/p>\n
Did the success of \u201cCrouching Tiger Hidden Dragon\u201d inspire your martial arts films?<\/p>\n
No, I started writing a script for a martial arts film before \u201cCrouching Tiger.\u201d When \u201cCrouching Tiger\u201d was released, I actually thought about giving up on the project because I didn\u2019t want people to think I was following suit.<\/p>\n
Do you want to lead other filmmakers to produce art-house films in China?<\/p>\n
I\u2019d like to reverse the trend in this overly commercial environment. People always say the local market needs diversity. I agree that if the market only has commercial films, it isn\u2019t healthy. So I made \u201cComing Home\u201d in a very uncommercial way.<\/p>\n
Your next project is a Hollywood film. Can you tell us more?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s going to be very challenging for me because it\u2019s going to be completely in English. I used to reject this kind of project, but after I made \u201cThe Flowers of War\u201d\u2014which was partially in English\u2014I found the feedback wasn\u2019t bad so I changed my mind. But I only take projects that have a China-related story with Chinese elements. Otherwise, I just can\u2019t do much with it.<\/p>\n
Will the film target local audiences or international audiences?<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll target global audiences, taking the international market into account, from casting to screenplay. It was very different from \u201cComing Home,\u201d and it was the first time I\u2019ve really thought about the international market.<\/p>\n
What will your involvement in this Hollywood project bring to the local market?<\/p>\n
Most Chinese directors are like me: We can\u2019t speak English. But if I can do a good job, maybe more Western studios will come to look for another \u201cLi Yimou\u201d or \u201cWang Yimou.\u201d<\/p>\n
How does working with a Hollywood team differ from working with a local team?<\/p>\n
Hollywood people are very professional. Take crew interviews, for example. The candidates are all masters at what they do with perfect resumes. Some of them even flew to us for the interview. I was so surprised. In China, it\u2019s very different.<\/p>\n
More In Zhang Yimou
\nZhang Yimou: \u2018Coming Home\u2019 to Cannes
\nChina Fines Zhang Yimou $1.2 Million
\nDirector Zhang Yimou Admits Violating China\u2019s One-Child Policy
\n\u2018To Live\u2019 Resurrected on Chinese Stage
\nZhang Yimou Investigation Sparks One-Child Debate
\nDo you watch American TV series or films?<\/p>\n
I watch a lot of them, like \u201c24,\u201d \u201cBreaking Bad\u201d and \u201cHouse of Cards.\u201d I watch all the TV shows that make headlines here, including that Korean TV show, \u201cMy Love From the Star.\u201d<\/p>\n
Do you like House of Cards?<\/p>\n
Yes. The way Netflix put all the episodes online all together is very interesting.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s your favorite American TV drama?<\/p>\n
The first American drama I liked was Steven Spielberg\u2019s \u201cBand of Brothers.\u201d I watched all the episodes all together.<\/p>\n
Do you have a favorite foreign actor?<\/p>\n
Once I saw Denzel Washington when I was on a promotional tour for \u201cHouse of Flying Daggers.\u201d I asked my translator to help me talk to him.<\/p>\n
How do Hollywood films affect the Chinese market?<\/p>\n
They\u2019re good for the market because these world-class films help improve local audiences\u2019 appreciation level. But the bad side is on the taste. [China has] an import quota, and the importers prefer big-budget blockbusters, which makes Chinese audiences picky eaters. I was shocked to find an award-winning art-house film was a total flop in China\u2019s theaters.<\/p>\n
What do you think is the most urgent problem facing China\u2019s film market?<\/p>\n
Diversity of taste really matters. If local audiences\u2019 tastes aren\u2019t diverse, it doesn\u2019t matter how hard you try to build things like art-house theaters. A good film should do more than just cater to local audiences; it should also help to shape their tastes.<\/p>\n
From: http:\/\/blogs.wsj.com\/chinarealtime\/2014\/06\/11\/zhang-yimou-on-failure-house-of-cards-and-coming-home\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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