Chinese box
Why are all of my favorite Chinese directors selling out? First, Zhang Yi-mou with Hero and now Chen Kaige with The Promise. They are both now making kitschy martial arts films for money. Nothing is more depressing than to see an amazing director, who used to tackle complex human relationships in real contexts, sell out to make flat, showy movies.
Hero was a beautiful movie visually. The message was interesting, placing more focus on the role or power of the bureaucracy than on the ruler. The power of the masses. I enjoyed the shifting stories and the beauty of the scenes. So while it was not totally devoid of meaning, it is no where near his earlier works. Most people didn’t know of Zhang Yi-mou until Hero, even though he had done some amazing films. Only people who were interested in Chinese culture or film had heard of him. His works include, The Story of Qu Jui, Raise the Red Lantern, Juo Do, Not One Less, To Live, and Shanghai Triad. Some of these stories, such as The Story of Qu Jui, while they received praise international they did not make him China’s favorite son. Not until Hero did the Chinese government support his work, in fact some of his earlier works had been banned in China. When discussing Hero I would tell people to watch Chen Kaige’s The Emperor and the Assassin(Both are based of the same story).
Chen Kaige was much better known in the West than Zhang Yi-mou until Hero was released. Chen Kaige directed Farewell My Concubine. Most people have heard of Farewell My Concubine, if they haven’t seen it. The Emperor and the Assassin, was realized fairly widely in the United States as was Together. Chen Kaige’s style is much more operatic in style. Chen has more dramatic flare to his stories with grand scenes, verses Zhang Yi-mou’s more understated style. (Interesting aside, Zhang Yi-mou began his career as Chen’s cinematographer on Yellow Earth.)
Neither one of these directors were afraid of facing reality, of documenting human frailties, showing life’s ironic side, of showing life and people in a striped down glorious, horrible form. Now they’re directing flashy action sequences set in mythical (not historical) settings. They used to film poetry in motion, life in all its absurdities, its wonderful moments, its dark moments. They showed life, what it meant To Live(excuse my cheeseyness, the Chinese love play on words). But I guess they have to live too, they have to eat. It’s a hard time for dreamers.
*Side note, if you haven’t seen Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love, you should. I would skip 2046 though, try Chungking Express instead. Also, sorry for any typos or mistakes in grammar it’s three a.m. here. I usually write posts late at night, which is why one is titled, ”Sorry You’re Suck with Me,” rather than “Sorry You’re Stuck with Me."
Hero was a beautiful movie visually. The message was interesting, placing more focus on the role or power of the bureaucracy than on the ruler. The power of the masses. I enjoyed the shifting stories and the beauty of the scenes. So while it was not totally devoid of meaning, it is no where near his earlier works. Most people didn’t know of Zhang Yi-mou until Hero, even though he had done some amazing films. Only people who were interested in Chinese culture or film had heard of him. His works include, The Story of Qu Jui, Raise the Red Lantern, Juo Do, Not One Less, To Live, and Shanghai Triad. Some of these stories, such as The Story of Qu Jui, while they received praise international they did not make him China’s favorite son. Not until Hero did the Chinese government support his work, in fact some of his earlier works had been banned in China. When discussing Hero I would tell people to watch Chen Kaige’s The Emperor and the Assassin(Both are based of the same story).
Chen Kaige was much better known in the West than Zhang Yi-mou until Hero was released. Chen Kaige directed Farewell My Concubine. Most people have heard of Farewell My Concubine, if they haven’t seen it. The Emperor and the Assassin, was realized fairly widely in the United States as was Together. Chen Kaige’s style is much more operatic in style. Chen has more dramatic flare to his stories with grand scenes, verses Zhang Yi-mou’s more understated style. (Interesting aside, Zhang Yi-mou began his career as Chen’s cinematographer on Yellow Earth.)
Neither one of these directors were afraid of facing reality, of documenting human frailties, showing life’s ironic side, of showing life and people in a striped down glorious, horrible form. Now they’re directing flashy action sequences set in mythical (not historical) settings. They used to film poetry in motion, life in all its absurdities, its wonderful moments, its dark moments. They showed life, what it meant To Live(excuse my cheeseyness, the Chinese love play on words). But I guess they have to live too, they have to eat. It’s a hard time for dreamers.
*Side note, if you haven’t seen Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love, you should. I would skip 2046 though, try Chungking Express instead. Also, sorry for any typos or mistakes in grammar it’s three a.m. here. I usually write posts late at night, which is why one is titled, ”Sorry You’re Suck with Me,” rather than “Sorry You’re Stuck with Me."
posted by PolskaMando | 12:08 PM
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