An exclusive interview with Yuan Heping
Special feature of 1905 film network Yuan Heping, known as "Eight Lords", has almost no one to compare his position in the Hong Kong film circle. It can be said that without him, there would be no once brilliant action film. From the 1970s to the series popular with mainland audiences, as well as, and so on, all came from him. Donnie Yen, who is now worth a lot, was also brought out by him. Later, Yuan Heping went to Hollywood to act as the action director for films such as "The Movie" and "The Movie". I remember that at the mainland press conference, an American investor made a gesture of holding his fists to salute after seeing Yuan Heping.
When appearing in public view, Yuan Heping usually wears a hat and looks very low-key. Over 70 years old, his skill is still very good. After filming Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of the Green Ghost, the crew circulated a lot of jokes about his personal battle. The play was released on February 19th, and the story can be said to be a sequel made by Ang Lee 16 years ago. However, the two films are completely different.
Sixteen years ago, Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. At that time, Yuan Heping was the action director. Now, he has made a sequel independently, which is very different in style and characters.
In terms of roles, only Yang Ziqiong still plays Yu Xiulian. This time, the hero is Meng Sizhao played by Donnie Yen, and Ben has an engagement with Yu Xiulian. Before Ang Lee, Zhang Ziyi was selected to play the female No.2 Jade Jiaolong, which made her soar. This time, Yuan Heping will shoot again. Female No.2 is also a newcomer, and it is still unknown whether she can become the next Zhang Ziyi.
In terms of action, Yuan Heping must make a breakthrough in every play and refuse to repeat it. The scene of Li Mubai and Yu Jiaolong fighting at the top of the bamboo forest in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 16 years ago is too deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and Tan Dun’s soundtrack is the icing on the cake. The artistic conception of the whole film has reached a new height. In this way, the problem left to Yuan Heping is even bigger, and he must make a big change.
1905 Movie Network: Is there any drama that you have racked your brains to come up with?
Yuan Heping: Every movie’s action scenes have to be racked up, and so does this one. Because of the production difficulties, many actions are not needed, but what I really want is a fight on the ice lake, and another one is shot down from the seven-story tower.
1905 Movie Network: Will it be specially distinguished from the previous version of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon when designing the action this time? Is there any standard?
Yuan Heping: There are standards. The last one was more elegant and romantic. I just wanted to be a little different and play more … … Power-oriented, don’t fly around like the upper part. The feeling of the upper part goes deep into the audience. I don’t want it. Then I don’t want to repeat it. I don’t want to repeat it when I make a movie. I use another form to express the beauty and strength of kung fu, just by skating on the ice lake.
1905 Movie Network: Is there anything new for Yu Xiulian played by Yang Ziqiong this time?
Yuan Heping: Yes, compared with the upper part, she is a little wiser and calmer. She doesn’t have to play too much in movements, just one or two moves, which shows that she is a master. If the characters are compared, she is by going up one flight of stairs and very calm.
1905 Movie Network News: Did Donnie Yen and Yang Ziqiong use body double this time?
Yuan Heping: No, when should I use body double? Unless it’s a dangerous action, Yang Ziqiong has an advantage. If she tries to show her body double, she likes to do it herself. That kind of professionalism is very good, but if it’s really too dangerous, I won’t let her do it. She must do it. It’s very rare for an actor to have this spirit.
1905 Movie News: Chow Yun Fat’s previous role as Li Mubai was very successful. Are you worried about being compared by the audience when Donnie Yen plays first hero Meng Sizhao this time?
Yuan Heping: I never worry, because Chow Yun Fat plays Li Mubai, and he plays Meng Sizhao. The relationship between them and Yu Xiulian is very tangled, but everyone has different personalities, so I don’t worry about this.
1905 Movie Network: What are the characteristics of Donnie Yen’s martial arts actions in the play?
Yuan Heping: It’s very powerful if you don’t make a move. (a fatal move? Although it’s not fatal, he will punish you. It’s in place in a flash, and the action is clean and natural.
1905 Movie Network: Liu Chengyu, who plays the second female, is very young and has never acted before. Is it too bold to use her?
Yuan Heping: I’ve always liked to use new people. I brought him out of Donnie Yen, Jason Wu and many others. I like to cultivate new people very much. The film industry still needs fresh blood. I will cultivate new people if they have the potential.
1905 Movie Network: Zhang Ziyi became popular because of the last Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Will Liu Chengyu be the second Zhang Ziyi?
Yuan Heping: It depends on the script and fate. Why did the first Zhang Ziyi come out? Because the script gave her a very good role. In a feudal society, she was a very rebellious role, and the whole person was very rebellious. Will Liu Chengyu come out? Yes, every script is different, and the characters are different.
Making Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Sword of the Green Ghost is actually the idea of American film company Varnstam, who is also an investor. This film was released as a co-production in the Mainland. Strictly speaking, this is a film that Americans want. In the starring role, Yang Ziqiong is Malaysian, and the second female Liu Chengyu is a mixed-race Chinese-Italian, who can’t speak Chinese. Although the other starring roles are all Asian faces, there are also some Vietnamese, etc. Even Chinese, they all grew up in the United States. The leading actors used English to speak the dialogue on the set, and only when they were released in the mainland, did they add Chinese dubbing. Such a film with a mix of Chinese and western styles is really far from the ancient rhyme Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Yuan Heping doesn’t care if he can get the audience’s approval. After all, he has experienced too much in the past 50 years, and he accepts the criticism when it comes. What should he do if the audience doesn’t accept it if he doesn’t shoot well? He smiled and said "Come again".
1905 Movie Network: Now the mainstream audience in the mainland is very young. This play may not be to their taste. Will it be changed to cater to the audience?
Yuan Heping: There are considerations, including young actors. I have considerations, but American companies also have their own ideas, so I added my considerations.
1905 Movie Network: Does that mean that American companies have more say?
Yuan Heping: Yes, I have a little right to speak, mainly because they want things in their market. I want the martial arts spirit in our Chinese movies, the emotional scenes between young men and women that young people like, and so on. I want to capture these things to shoot.
1905 Movie Network: In fact, most of the stars are not Chinese. Although they are Asian faces, are you worried that the film will not be acclimatized in the Mainland?
Yuan Heping: I don’t worry, because all these people I look for are Chinese’s faces and only look for them with China’s characteristics. Although they grew up in the United States, they all have Chinese’s background in them.
1905 Movie Network: When the actors are filming on the set, they are all in English dialogue?
Yuan Heping: Most of the whole play is in English, and a small part is shot in Mandarin. The boss of an American company wants to shoot in English, because he mainly wants to distribute to European and American markets, but when I shoot, he insists on shooting in Mandarin. He still wants me to shoot in English, so I said I would try to use English. Anyway, in Asia, it is still dubbed in Mandarin, so several scenes are still shot in Mandarin.
1905 Movie Network News: Are you afraid of criticism when Ang Lee’s version comes first?
Yuan Heping: I haven’t thought about it, hahahaha, I haven’t thought about it, because it’s just for the audience to see. Let them give me some advice on what’s good and what’s bad. If you are worried and stressed, just don’t shoot it.
1905 Movie Network: Then you are quite over it.
Yuan Heping: That’s what a man should do. There was a time when I was under pressure, and I couldn’t make a good movie. I put pressure on myself and I couldn’t make a good movie. It was almost three or four years ago. When you are under pressure, you will usually choose the wrong subject. You think this is not good and that is not good. In fact, there are good ones, but you will choose the worst one to shoot. After that year, I just wanted to film. Why put so much pressure on myself? I’ll get better gradually. Be smart. Make a movie. Try to express what I want to shoot as well as possible, and everyone can accept it and feel good about it.
1905 Movie Network News: What if the audience feels bad?
Yuan Heping: Come again, everything will not be good, just like the financial index. It is impossible for every director to keep going up. I don’t believe that there must be high and low tides, so everyone has them. So if you see through it, there will be nothing. If you feel bad, you will come again. If you are good, there will be nothing. Hahaha, you should be like this and be open-minded.
Kung Fu movies have experienced glory. After the Huang Feihong series became popular, countless follow-up movies rose, and the flying martial arts movies also became popular for many years. Now, the film market is really getting better, and the future of kung fu movies seems less clear. Countless, the kung fu stars who can afford to make a larger film are still those people, Jackie Chan, 62, Jet Li and Donnie Yen, 53, and even Wu Jingdu is over 40. It seems that there are no male stars among the younger generation who can take the lead.
Yuan Heping, who single-handedly brought out Donnie Yen and Jason Wu, feels that any kind of film has its ups and downs, and when it reaches the bottom, there will be a turning point and hope. After all, there will always be audiences who like kung fu movies, and there will be a market to survive.
1905 Movie Network: In fact, the traditional martial arts are in the low tide now.
Yuan Heping: Every film has its ebb and flow. See how you break through it and do your best.
1905 Movie Network: You still have confidence in yourself.
Yuan Heping: If you don’t have confidence, don’t film, hahahaha.
1905 Movie Network: What do you think of the overall situation of Kung Fu movies now?
Yuan Heping: Kung Fu movies are in a relatively transitional period, which may depend on the degree of transformation, because I think every movie has a transitional period. I made a comedy kung fu movie, and when it was bad, I made a fashion kung fu movie, and then it changed, followed by a fantasy movie. Now it should be in a period of transition.
1905 Movie Network: Do you still think kung fu movies are promising in the future?
Yuan Heping: Because Kung Fu movies always have a certain audience and hope, depending on how you improve and produce new things, the audience likes new things, and all kinds of movies are the same.
1905 Movie Network: I heard that you have a short temper on the set. What should you do if the actors can’t meet the requirements?
Yuan Heping: If you can’t meet the requirements, you should improve your movements or acting methods. I seldom lose my temper, especially in recent years. It’s no use trying to help an actor. You should improve your movements and things until he plays best, and help him express himself in ways if he doesn’t perform well.
1905 Movie Network: Do you feel that you are a strict director?
Yuan Heping: Actually, I’m not good at it at all. I’m just accurate. I tell each actor’s personality my core idea. I want to be accurate in action scenes and tell them how to perform the play. Then I’ll let them play by themselves. It must be stiff to restrict them. Then the actor will show it to me, let it play freely, and I will naturally show it. If the performance is not right, I will say whether to add a little or subtract a little.
1905 Movie Network: Are you a workaholic?
Yuan Heping: Not really, just a comparison … … I work hard. In fact, I don’t shoot many movies every year, but one or two movies are the most. I just do things seriously.
1905 Movie Network: Don’t shoot anything without thinking about it and go to rest completely?
Yuan Heping: I have never thought about it. I think people need to do things. I feel bored after three days’ rest. I need to find something to do. I need enthusiasm to do my work well. Without enthusiasm, I can’t really do it well.
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