方 璐 FANG LU

With a few of my friends last night we went to a restaurant with TVs to watch the Olympic opening. The main theme linked through the large scale performance is the glory Chinese history, but of course heavily emphasize on the ancient period. After amazed by the amount of performers like everyone who saw the show, my top impression was that the whole opening ceremony is a film production. There were many scenes were made for cameras. We can see all acting and interactions by performers on TV perfectly clear, because it was said there were 48 cameras to record the event. But I can’t imagine how they work for the live audience unless they also have screens in the seating area.

But there were no lack of large scene of spectacle with that kind of budget. But they remind me all Zhang Yimou’s ancient costume films. Director of the Beijing Olympic opening Zhang Yimou is also one of the most recognized film director in China. Similar to Steven Spielber in America except that Zhang Yimou bears all hopes and expectation from Chinese people and Chinese government.

Last night, Zhang has realized his film fantasy in Beijing Olympic opening. More than once we see performers hanging on cable wires flying in the “bird nest” stadium. And in the end, the past gymnastic champion Li Ning was also suspended by cable to complete the torch rely. A sport champion playing the roll of a stun man has pushes the whole show to the peak of film special effect.

I have gave up my expectation for Zhang’s film after he changed his direction to ancient Chinese action film. But seeing his “master piece” in the birdnest last night made me thinking about his films again. I could not understand why a Chinese realist film director would start making main stream action film that mostly focus on style and extravagance but detach from the everyday life. His earlier film “Ju Dou“, “To Live“, “The Story of Qiu Ju” might not have the most ambitious production budget, and might not be the most recommended film by Chinese official, but they portray certain idealistic characters that are from lower Chinese class and rooted in the social reality of Chinese society. His more recent films like “Hero“, “House of Flying Daggers” and “Curse of the Golden Flower“, other than Zhang’s pursuit of universal Chinese element, I don’t see much value in their content.

Reading one of the interview of Zhang back in 2002 when he was on the press tour for “Hero” helps me to understand Zhang’s decision. I will translate part of the interview here, which will also help us understand Zhang’s art direction in the Olympic opening.

Chinese media and audience are very harsh critics even to their “favorite” film director. Because there are only so few mainstream films for them to critic on. The reporter asked Zhang what did he think about some Chinese media comment that “Hero” had used 30 million USD to create a scenic movie, maybe should not even consider it was a movie. Zhang’s answer in brief was that people should just enjoy the film at ease, and not to listen to other reviews. Because it’s only a mainstream entertainment film, he only wanted to have people to remember how this film had pleased their senses but they can forget about the story.

The reporter then asked if Zhang wanted to copy the foot steps of Ang Lee. Zhang’s answer is: I think the saying of “copying Ang Lee’s foot steps” might refer to the condition of how Chinese film export to the world film market. Only Chinese Kung Fu movies had made their significance in the world film market. Why the most important Chinese stars in the west are Jet Li and Jackie Chan. This is abnormal. Abnormal for how we are a weak culture and strong culture (western film industry) have the tendency to exclude weak culture. They (the west) only select elements that are useful to them. And this is the condition of this kind of movies. It is not that I am copying. But for Chinese film to have a more prominent position, it must be action films! For other kinds of movies, they can only be shown in some art theaters, for shorter time and less impacts. I think the road of copying (refer to copying Ang Lee’s Kung Fu movie path) will still exist for many years. This is a big problem of the society. I want to make changes, but there is no solution. This needs time. Therefore we are making “Hero”. It is to use water to push the boat. Use their (the west) common ways of reception to infuse them and influence them.”

I feel sorry for the director’s proposition that his film making has to representable for a whole country, just like the directing of the Olympic Game opening is for China. And that’s why there is no accident that his recent films and the opening highly emphasize on historical China. The contemporary China has too many unstable factors. For Zhang, they can only appeared in his old films, before his art direction was completely institutionalized. I feel sorry because the rise of a state representative is also a destruction of a film director.

Beijing Olympic Opening

Film still from “Curse of the Golden Flower”