Movie reviews, production notes, and more! - "Hero"

Movie : Hero

Notes provided by Miramax Films The time two thousand years ago. The place the violent dawn of the Qin dynasty The story the soon-to-be First Emperor of China is on the brink of conquering a war- torn land. Three opponents are determined to assassinate him and one loyal subject stands in their way. A Miramax Films Presentation, An Elite Group Enterprise Inc. Production, HERO is directed by Zhang Yimou, written by Zhang Yimou, Li Feng and Wang Bin. Produced by Bill Kong and Zhang Yimou. Christopher Doyle is the director of photography. Production designers are Huo Tingxiao and Yi Zhenzhou. Tony Ching Siu Tung is the Action Director. Costume design by Emi Wada. Music by Tan Dun. SYNOPSIS At the height of China's Warring States period, the country was divided into seven kingdoms: Qin, Zhao, Han Wei, Yan, Chu and Qi. For years, the separate kingdoms fought ruthlessly for supremacy. As a result, the populace endured decades of death and suffering. The Kingdom of Qin was the most determined of all. The Qin King was obsessed with conquering all of China and becoming her first Emperor. He had long been the target of assassins throughout the other six states. Of all the would-be killers, none inspired as much fear as the three legendary assassins, Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Sky. To anyone who defeated the three assassins, the King of Qin promised great power, mountains of gold and a private audience with the King himself. But defeating the killers is a near impossible task. For ten years no one came close to claiming the prize. So when the enigmatic county sheriff, Nameless, came to the palace bearing the legendary weapons of the slain assassins, the King was impatient to hear his story. Sitting in the palace, only ten paces from the King, Nameless told his extraordinary tale: For ten years, Nameless studied the way of the sword and resolved to challenge the three assassins. Using the secrets of swordsmanship; Nameless defeated the mighty Sky in a furious showdown. Following this initial victory, he destroyed the famed duo of Flying Snow and Broken Sword. This time using a weapon far more devastating than his sword their extraordinary love for each other. The King hung on every detail of this curious story. But then something most unexpected happened the King has a different story to tell of how Nameless really came to sit there, face to face with the King! It appears that everything was not so simple. In the centre of the intrigue sits Nameless a solitary ranger and the King of Qin the ruler of the Kingdom, with only ten steps between them. Within those ten steps holds an earth-shattering tale of love, honour and duty, a story that moves beyond the reaches of history. A story about what it means to be a HERO. To bring to life this epic tale of love, loyalty, jealousy and intrigue, HERO assembled an unprecedented collection of Asia's hottest talent. International martial arts superstar Jet Li heads the stellar cast as Nameless, the enigmatic county sheriff who earns his audience with the mighty King of Qin. Hong Kong megastars Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Maggie Cheung Man Yuk, fresh from their award-winning performances in Wong Kar Wai's 'In the Mood for Love', reunite to play the assassins Broken Sword (Leung) and Flying Snow (Cheung). Zhang Ziyi, who has gone from strength to strength since her critically acclaimed debut in 'The Road Home' will play Broken Sword's devoted servant, Moon, whilst distinguished veteran Chen Daoming plays the powerful King of Qin. Rising star and martial artist Donnie Yen will play the third assassin, Sky. Two-time Academy Awardâ nominee, director Zhang Yimou is joined by award winning 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' producer, Bill Kong, Cannes Technical Grand Prize winner Christopher Doyle as director of photography, and straight from his roaring success in 'Shaolin Soccer' comes action director Tony Ching Siu Tung. Academy Awardâ winning costume designer Emi Wada and Academy Awardâ winning composer Tan Dun complete the formidable, star-studded crew. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND HERO is based on events in China during the Third Century BC. From 475 221 BC, the land was divided into seven major Kingdoms: Qin, Zhao, Han Wei, Yan, Chu and Qi. Named 'The Warring States Period' because of the power struggle between the Kingdoms, this was a time of endless brutal wars and much hardship and suffering. War was the predominant way of life. Technological advances enabled the casting of individual weapons, which in turn allowed the arming of foot soldiers. This precipitated a new order of warfare. In previous eras, aristocrats on chariots had fought battles. A General-led infantry replaced this, with peasants pressed into the front lines and commanders directing the strategy. Many treatises on warfare were written during these turbulent times, including the celebrated 'Art of War' by Sun Tzu. This in-depth study of warfare remains a Bible of the battlefield to this day. Dominated by power struggles, the Warring States was nevertheless a period of great classical thought. This cultural flowering is known as the One Hundred Schools Period. Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism developed during the Warring States, and some of the most memorable poetry and prose in China were written at this time. The incessant warfare also contributed to other social changes. It sparked reforms in the economy and the development of iron greatly increased agriculture, precipitating a population explosion. During the Warring States period, a feudal system became firmly established. The Warring States saw the feudal lord of each state vying for hegemony. Each of them believed that they were destined to unite 'All Under Heaven', a phrase taken to mean civilization as they knew it. The King of Qin was most ruthless and ambitious of all. Historically chronicled as a brutal tyrant, the King was determined to conquer and control all of the states. Throughout history, there have been stories of how assassins from all over China plotted to kill the King of Qin. HERO is one of these stories. The seven states would stop at nothing in their goal to create the first Chinese Empire. They placed huge garrisons and enormous walls along their frontiers, military advisors schemed to defeat foreign armies, and alliances between states were formed only to be broken. In the middle of the fray were the wandering warriors. They were skilled fighters who would lend their skills to various states against their enemies. In HERO, the fate of China rests in the hands of three such legendary warriors. PRODUCTION INFORMATION HERO's path to the screen began with the film's director, Zhang Yimou. World famous for his brilliant storytelling and incisive portraits of China, Zhang had always wanted to make a martial arts film. He devoured wuxia (martial arts literature) novels as a child, but rejected the idea of adapting something from literature and instead spent three years developing the story of HERO, which he describes as "Not only a martial arts film, but also a legend [of what] happened in ancient China." Zhang continues to explain his reasoning: "If you look at the history of Chinese martial arts literature", he says, "the plot always hinges on revenge For years, this has been the only theme in Chinese martial arts films whether it's Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. I wanted to take the genre in a new direction. In my story, the goal is to downplay violence. The characters are motivated by their desire to end the war. For real martial arts heroes, the heart is far more important than the sword." For the actors, HERO presented a unique opportunity: a martial arts film that placed equal importance on the plot and the action. "HERO is my dream movie" enthuses Jet Li. "When I read the script, I cried twice. In my twenty-two year career of making movies, this is the first script that made me weep. It is an incredible story, and an important question about what kind of person we can call a hero." Zhang Ziyi, too is excited by her part in HERO: "Most projects offered to me contain many fight scenes," she says, "But I really hoped to experience playing with my heart and not my fists. There are some fight scenes in HERO too, but my role is rich, multi-layered and has distinct personality". Zhang Yimou is a world-renowned storyteller, but HERO is his martial arts debut. He describes the difficulties in directing action: "One move of a sword can be described in a wuxia novel the strength and the speed and it is very exciting, you have plenty of room to imagine. But in a movie, you have less than one second to describe the movement of a sword it is a challenge." He admits to being in unfamiliar territory, but Zhang feels excited by the challenge and the chance to work with Action Director, Tony Ching Siu Tung, who is an old friend of more than a decade. "And then there's the cast," he adds "Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung Zhang Ziyi and Donnie Yen five of the most talented actors in China. It's just a joy to work with them. It takes the pressure off to work with such skilled people." Donnie Yen applauds Zhang's command of a new style: "For a guy who has never directed action, he's got a nuance for certain pauses, certain breaks. He never stops looking at the bigger picture and perfecting as he sees fit." THE LOOK The exacting standards that were set for the story and the action sequences are no less stringent when it comes to the look of HERO. Three versions of the story, told from different perspectives each has its own color scheme red, white and blue. " The aesthetics of this film are inextricably bound up with the plot", says director Zhang Yimou "The idea of using colors to tell the story came about quite early in the process of conceptualizing the film. The look of the set, the costumes and so on was developed in concert with the script itself. I had an image in my head for a long time and then worked through the details of how to realize it through talking with the other people working on the film". In search of perfection, Zhang traveled hundreds of miles to find the ideal backdrop for each scene. The 300-strong crew has moved from Dunhuang in the northwest of Gansu province to Jiuzhaikou in northern Sichuan, before erecting spectacular sets in Hengdian TV & Movie City just three hours outside the historic city of Hangzhou. The company even dropped everything to head to an ancient oak grove in Inner Mongolia to shoot a fight scene between Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi at the height of the fall foliage. "I had a guy out there specifically to keep an eye on the leaves," says Zhang Yimou. "He made videotapes of their progress as they turned from green to yellow." As soon as the leaves turned golden, the crew rushed north. "We used three or four cameras simultaneously at different angles." explains Zhang "And the leaves had to be perfectly yellow. We even implemented a leaf classification system. Special class leaves could be blown in the actors' faces, first-class in front of them, second class behind them and third-class were scattered on the ground." A mat gathered leaves as they fell so that the crew could collect, clean and classify them, then gently send them drifting back down again. Such obsessiveness is matched by Academy Awardâ winning costume designer, Emi Wada who cites director Zhang Yimou as one of her heroes. For the costumes in HERO, Wada tried no less than thirty colors, hand dying each individual sample. However, after her colors were approved, Wada ran into an unforeseen problem. She elaborates: "We couldn't make some colors with the dye and water in Beijing," she sighed "Therefore we brought the dye from England and Japan and used mineral water to dye some of the fabricwe ended up with some thousand meters of cloth." So meticulous was Wada's control of the design that the red costumes were created using fifty-four shades of color. Using different textures to characterize the individuals in the story. Wada sought inspiration from ancient costumes in China, Korea and Japan. The silhouette of the costume is an ancient style. "But as this is an action movie, Wada explains "It also has to be as light as ballet costumes." ABOUT THE CAST Jet LI (Nameless) Jet Li is one of Hollywood's most accomplished martial arts actors who has showcased his talents in a multitude of demanding and diverse roles. Li began training at the Beijing Martial Arts Academy at the age of nine. Just two years later, he captured the title of China's National Martial Arts Champion. This earned him a slot on the prestigious Beijing Martial Arts Team that would go on to tour America. As part of a world tour in 1974, he had the honor of performing a two-man fight for President Nixon on the White House lawn. By his mid teens, he was already a national martial arts coach. By eighteen, Li had earned the title of National Martial Arts Champion a total of four times (1975, 1977, 1978 and 1979) a record no one has broken. Li retired from competition at twenty and was immediately offered many starring film roles and subsequently began his film career with director Chang Hsin Yen for 'Shaolin Temple' (1979). Upon its release, Li was propelled into instant movie stardom, and he would go on to act on the two sequels that precipitated the kung-fu mania in 1980s China. Jet Li was bitten by the silver screen bug. In the late 80s, Jet Li moved his career to Hong Kong where he played such martial arts icons as Huang Fei Hung in Tsui Hark's 'Once Upon a Time in China' (1991), Fong Shi Yu in 'The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk' (1993), Zhang San Feng in 'The Tai Chi Master' (1993), Chen Zhen in 'Shaolin Kung Fu' (1994) and Hung Hei-Kwun in 'The New Legend of Shaolin' (1994). In homage to the great Bruce Lee, he remade Lee's 'Fist Of Fury', as 'Fist Of Legend' (1997). Li then expanded his repertoire to include comedy, drama and romance genres with 'Bodyguard from Beijing' (1994) and 'My Father is a Hero' (1995). Despite his growing fame in Asia, Jet Li was still largely unknown in North America and Europe. This would all change when he took on the role of Mel Gibson's nemesis in the high octane block buster, 'Lethal Weapon 4'. Li was quickly shaping up to be a global force to be reckoned with. Li built on his initial success taking a starring role in Joel Silver's explosive inter-racial take on Shakespeare, 'Romeo Must Die' (2000). In 2001, Li continued to challenge himself with the 'The One', playing the Jekyll and Hyde police officer, Gabriel Yulaw. His latest success was 'Kiss of the Dragon' (2001), where he played the starring role as well as donning writing and producing hats. Li's future projects include a Joel Silver produced action-adventure film in the vein of 'Indiana Jones'. He has also teamed up with Mel Gibson's Icon Productions to produce a martial arts television series for TBS entitled 'Invincible'. Jet Li's Kung Fu features have attracted millions of viewers worldwide. He has earned credibility from all sectors of society from teenagers (nominated MTV Awards for Best Villain for 'Lethal Weapon 4' (1998) as well as Best Fight Sequence for 'Romeo Must Die' (2000)) to women (voted one of the Top 25 Sexiest Men in Showbiz by E! Online). Filmography The One (2001) Kiss of the Dragon (2001) Top Fighter (2000) Romeo Must Die (2000) Hitman (1998) Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) Once Upon a Time in China VI (1997) Black Mask (1996) Dr. Wai and the Scripture Without Words (1996) Letter to Daddy (1995) High Risk (1995) The New Legend of Shaolin (1994) Fist of Legend (1997) Shaolin Kung-Fu (1994) The Bodyguard from Beijing (1994) Fong Sai Yuk II (1993) Last Hero in China (1993) Once Upon a Time in China III (1993) Kung-Fu Master (1993) Fong Sai Yuk (1993) Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) Once Upon a Time in China (1991) Swordsman II (1991) The Master (1989) Dragons of the Orient (1988) Dragon Fight (1988) Abbot Hai Teng of Shaolin (1988) North and South Shaolin (1986) Born to Defend (1986) Shaolin Kids (1983) The Shaolin Temple (1979) Tony LEUNG Chiu Wai (Broken Sword) One of the most sought-after actors in East Asia, Tony Leung Chiu Wai made his mark on world cinema for his work with high profile directors including John Woo, Wong Kar Wai, and Hou Hsiao Hsien. Leung has earned the Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award for his performance in Wong Kar Wai's 'In the Mood for Love' (2000) opposite Maggie Cheung, as well as Best Actor at the 1995 Golden Horse Awards for his portrayal of a dreamy, lovelorn policeman in Wong's 'Chungking Express' (1995). Leung began his acting career at the Hong Kong based Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), and quickly through supporting roles to play the lead in numerous TV Dramas in the early 1980s. He subsequently made the jump into Hong Kong's thriving mid-'80s film industry, where he proved his versatility in a string of movies by Hong Kong directing heavyweights including Stanley Kwan ('Love Unto Waste', 1986), Patrick Tam ('My Heart Is That Eternal Rose', 1987) and Sammo Hung ('Seven Warriors' 1989). But it wasn't until his first foray outside of Hong Kong's movie industry a moving portrayal of a hearing-impaired photographer in Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao Hsien's historical epic 'A City of Sadness' (1989) that the full range of his talent became apparent. International recognition began to come Leung's way in the 1990s. With powerful roles in John Woo's operatic action thrillers 'Bullet in the Head' (1990) and 'Hard-Boiled' (1992), and a long-term collaboration with the acclaimed Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-Wai, Leung solidified his position as a major Asian star. His gently humorous performance as a lovesick policeman in Wong's international cult hit 'Chungking Express' (1995) earned him a Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards, as did his turn as a depressed homosexual exile going through a stormy breakup in 'Happy Together' (1997). He won top honors at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance as a newspaper editor who suspects his wife of having an affair in the sumptuous chamber romance 'In the Mood for Love' (2000). Leung's extensive filmography is testament to his extraordinary acting range. While he is known worldwide for his high-profile work with Hou, Wong, and Woo, he is an even bigger star in his native Hong Kong, where he continues to earn accolades from critics and audiences. Filmography Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002) Love Me, Love My Money (2001) Fighting for Love (2001) Healing Hearts (2000) In the Mood for Love (2000) Tokyo Raiders (2000) Gorgeous (1999) Timeless Romance (1998) Flowers of Shanghai (1998) Chinese Midnight Express (1998) The Longest Night (1997) '97 Aces Go Places (1997) Happy Together (1997) War of the Underworld (1996) Blind Romance (1996) Heaven Can't Wait (1995) Doctor Mack (1995) Cyclo (1995) Chungking Express (1995) The Returning (1994) All of the Winners (1994) Ashes of Time (1994) Tom, Dick and Hairy (1993) Fantasy Romance (1993) The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993) Hero from Beyond the Boundary of Time (1993) Comet, Butterfly and Sword (1993) Once Upon a Mid Autumn Festival (1993) End of the Road (1993) Come Fly the Dragon (1992) Lucky Encounter (1992) The Days of Being Dumb (1992) Three Summers (1992) Ruthless Super-Cop (1992) Hard Boiled (1992) The Banquet (1991) Great Pretenders (1991) Son of the Beach (1991) A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991) Days of Being Wild (1991) 'Til We Meet Again (1991) Bullet in the Head (1990) A City of Sadness (1989) Two Painters (1989) Seven Warriors (1989) Roboforce (1988) Happy-Go-Lucky (1987) My Heart is that Eternal Rose (1987) People's Hero (1987) Love Unto Waste (1986) The Story of Maniacs (1986) Young Cops (1985) Mad Mad 83 (1983) Maggie CHEUNG Man Yuk (Flying Snow) Maggie Cheung is one of the major stars of Hong Kong cinema. From 1983 to 2001 she made nearly 80 films. An action star, a serious dramatic actress, and a skilled comedienne, Cheung is probably best known to international audiences for her roles in Jackie Chan's 'Police Story' (1985), Ann Hui's 'Song of the Exile' (1990), Johnny To's martial arts fantasy 'The Heroic Trio' (1993), Wong Kar-Wai's ''In the Mood for Love' (2000), and Stanley Kwan's 'Actress' (1992) for which she earned Best Actress honors at the Berlin International Film Festival. Born in Hong Kong, Cheung moved with her family to England at the age of eight. She returned to Hong Kong on completing secondary education and in 1983, entered the Miss Hong Kong Pageant where she picked up First Runner Up and Miss Photogenic. This led to contracts with local film and television production outfits TVB and Shaw Brothers Studios. After appearances in several TV drama series and low budget comedies, Cheung teamed up with Jackie Chan for her first major film role in 'Police Story' (1995). A turning point in Maggie Cheung's career came in 1988 when she was cast in Wong Kar-Wai's 'As Tears Go By' with Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung. She was nominated for Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards that year, and would later go on to picking up this honors five times throughout her career 'A Fishy Story' (1990), 'Actress' ('Yuen Ling-Yuk') (1992), 'Comrades: Almost a Love Story' (1996), 'The Soong Sisters' (1997) and 'In the Mood for Love' (2000) making her the only quintuple HKFA Best Actress winner to date. Cheung's remarkable talent has also propelled her to success far beyond her homeland. In 1996, Cheung caught the attention of the acclaimed French director, Olivier Assayas, who cast her as his reincarnation of the super-criminaline of Feuillade's silent serial Les Vampires. The film, 'Irma Vep' (1996), marked Maggie Cheung's first international motion picture. Since Irma Vep she has co-starred with Leon Lai in Peter Chan's award-winning Hong Kong-New York romance 'Comrades, Almost a Love Story' (1996), Mabel Cheung's historical saga 'The Soong Sisters' (1997), and Wayne Wang's 'Chinese Box' (1997) in which she co-starred with Jeremy Irons and Gong Li. Cheung is a five-time Best Actress winner of Taiwan's Golden Horse Film Awards for her performances in 'Full Moon in New York' (1989), 'Red Dust' (1990), 'Actress' (1992), 'Comrades: Almost a Love Story' (1996) and 'In the Mood for Love' (2000). Her role as tragic silent era starlet Yuen Ling-Yuk in 'Actress' (1992) made her a quadruple award winner, sweeping the Best Actress category in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Chicago, and making her the first Asian performer to win the prestigious Silver Bear Award in Berlin. Filmography In the Mood for Love (2000) Sausalito (2000) Augustin, King of Kung Fu (1999) Those were the Days (1997) Chinese Box (1997) The Soong Sisters (1997) Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996) Irma Vep (1996) Conjugal Affairs (1994) Ashes of Time (1994) White Rose (1993) Mad Monk (1993) The Bare Footed Kid (1993) Green Snake (1993) Enigma of Love (1993) First Shot (1993) The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993) Flying Dagger (1993) The Seven Princesses (1993) Heroic Trio 2: Executioners (1993) Moon Warriors (1993) Boys are Easy (1993) What a Hero (1992) Family Happiness (1992) Police Story III: Supercop (1992) Too Happy for Words (1992) Millionaire Cop (1992) Duel of Dragons (1992) The Heroic Trio (1992) New Dragon Inn (1992) True Love (1992) Actress (Yuen Ling-Yuk) (1992) The Perfect Match (1991) The Banquet (1991) Heart against Hearts (1991) Alan and Eric Between Hello and Goodbye (1991) My Dear Son (1991) Today's Hero (1991) Days of Being Wild (1991) Farewell China (1990) Red Dust (1990) Will of Iron (1990) The Dragon from Russia (1990) Heart into Hearts (1990) Autumnal Lament in Exile (1990) A Fishy Story (1989) Time Warriors (1989) In Between Love (1989) Full Moon in New York (1989) Double Causes Trouble (1989) Little Cop (1989) Bachelor's Swan Song (1989) Soldier of Love (1988) Beloved Son of God (1988) Police Story 2 (1988) Paper Marriage (1988) Last Romance (1988) North and South Mamas (1988) How to Pick Girls Up (1988) Double Fattiness (1988) As Tears Go By (1988) Call Girl '88 (1988) Moon, Stars & Sun (1988) Project A II (1987) Chasing Girls (1987) Yellow Story (1987) Heavenly Fate (1987) Heartbeat 100 (1987) Kino Countdown (1987) Happy Ghost 3 (1986) Seven Curse (1986) Police Story (1985) The Story of Rose (1985) Modern Cinderella (1985) Christmas Romance (1985) The Frog Prince (1984) Fate (1984) ZHANG Ziyi (Moon) One of the hottest stars to emerge from China in recent years, Zhang Ziyi stunned audiences with her debut performance in Zhang Yimou's 'The Road Home'. The film went on to win the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival 2000, propelling Zhang Ziyi into the international limelight. Her meteoric shot to stardom continued with Ang Lee's Academy Award winning blockbuster, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'. Zhang Ziyi's interest in the performing arts originated in dance and gymnastics. At age eleven, she was accepted to a secondary school affiliated with the Beijing College of Dance and during the 4 years that she trained in dance, she managed to pick up a number of awards. However, although a career in dance seemed promising for the graceful Zhang, her growing interest and enthusiasm for acting prevailed and she enrolled in the prestigious Central Academy of Drama in Beijing. She was soon discovered by Zhang Yimou, the internationally celebrated director of 'Raise the Red Lantern' and 'Red Sorghum'. Zhang knew immediately that Zhang Ziyi would be perfect for his new film, 'The Road Home' (1999), and cast her in the role of a young girl in love with a schoolteacher in rural China. Her performance was so assured that when Ang Lee was casting actors for his high-profile martial-arts extravaganza, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' (2000) he immediately chose Zhang Ziyi for the role of the impetuous aristocrat Jen Yu. 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon''s roaring success ensured that Zhang Ziyi would become a familiar face to filmgoers, as the high-flying, graceful martial artist who shared fight scenes with Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat. Her role garnered her the Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2000 as well as the Most Promising Actress at the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards. In 2001, she was awarded the MTV Movie Award for Best Fight Scene and was voted one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. Zhang Ziyi's talents have since moved beyond her homeland, working in Hollywood for 'Rush Hour 2' (2001) opposite the comedy duo Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, and starring in the ambitious Korean epic, 'The Warriors'. She will next be seen in Tsui Hark's 'The Legend Of Zu' as well as Wong Kar Wai's futuristic '2046'. Filmography The Warriors (2001) The Legend of Zu (2001) Rush Hour 2 (2001) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) The Road Home (1999) CHEN Daoming (The King of Qin) Starring as the Last Emperor in the smash-hit television series, 'The Last Emperor' (1984), Chen Daoming has become a household name in his native China. For this performance, he won Best Actor awards at both the 7th People's Television Golden Eagle Awards and the 9th National Government TV 'High Flying' Awards. For the acclaimed television series 'Walled City' (1990), Chen was awarded the International Sichuan Film Festival's Golden Panda Award for Best Actor, as well as Best Actor at the 11th High Flying Awards and nominations for Best Actor at the 3rd Chinese Film and Performing Arts Academy Awards and the 2nd National Production Awards. Ranked among Top Ten Movie and TV Stars of China in 1995, Chen Daoming has since gone from strength to strength, picking up the 1996 National Film Society Outstanding Acting Award and the prestigious Golden Rooster Award for his role in 'My 1919' in 2000. Filmography My 1919 (1999) Peach Blossom (1995) Dance Fever (1995) Justice Guan (1990) The Eight Battalions (Ba Qi Zi Di) (1989) Evil Empress (1987) Blood Evidence (Tao Cheng Xue Zheng) (1986) Snuff Bottle (1985) One and Eight (1983) Flying Snowstorm (Jin Ye You Bu Feng Xue) (1982) ˇ@ Donnie YEN (Sky) Rising star Donnie Yen has been hailed as the fresh new face of martial arts. A long-time collaborator with Yuen Wo Ping, the Academy Awardâ winning choreographer of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' (2000), Yen's martial arts performances are well-known for exhibiting an extremely high degree of complex skills. Born in the Chinese province of Canton, Yen moved to Hong Kong at the age of two. He lived there until aged eleven and subsequently moved with his family to Boston, USA. He spent his early teenage years in New England, where his mother, a world famous Tai Chi master ran an internationally renowned martial arts studio and trained her son in the arts almost as soon as he could walk. In his teens, Yen spent two years in Beijing training with the famed Beijing Martial Arts Team, studying under the same master as Jet Li. En route back to the U.S, Yen made a side trip to Hong Kong where he met Yuen Wo Ping, the action choreographer for action extravaganzas 'The Matrix' and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'. Yuen, who launched the career of Jackie Chan in 'Snake in Eagle's Shadow' (1978) and 'Drunken Master' (1978), was looking for a new kung fu star. At once, Yuen was impressed by Donnie Yen's extraordinary physical abilities and the two talents have collaborated on numerous projects including 'Drunken T'ai Chi' (1984), 'Tiger Cage' (1988), 'Once Upon a Time in China II' (1992) and 'Iron Monkey' (1993). Yen's career has since flourished, starring opposite such esteemed martial arts stars as Jet Li ('Once Upon a Time in China II', 1992) and Michelle Yeoh ('Butterfly Sword', 1993). Not content with simply appearing on screen, Yen is also an accomplished fight choreographer, credited in films including 'Blade II' (2002) and 'Highlander: The Endgame' (2000). Yen has also turned to television to develop his directing skills. He starred in and directed the action for one of Hong Kong's all time top rated shows 'Fist of Fury' (1995) a 30-part mini-series based on the classic Bruce Lee movie. Yen made his directing debut with 'Legend of the Wolf' (1997), followed shortly by 'Ballistic Kiss' (1998). 'Ballistic Kiss' earned Donnie Yen the Best Young Director Award at the Yubari Film Festival in Japan and was selected as one of the Best Films of 1998 by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society. Branching out internationally, Donnie Yen has action-directed and starred in 'Blood Flying Snow Princess' (2001), a contemporary sword film based on the Japanese Manga character, Shurayuki Hime. Yen also became the first Chinese film maker to be in creative control of a major German TV production, co-directing and action choreographing one of Germany's highest rated shows, 'Codename: Puma' (1999, 2000). Currently toast of the town with the US re-release of 'Iron Monkey' (2001), Donnie Yen was included in GQ Magazine's list of the Hottest Action Stars, and was voted one of the Hottest People on the Planet by In Gear Magazine in January 2002. He will next star opposite Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson in 'Shanghai Knights', the sequel to the smash-hit comedy, 'Shanghai Noon' (2000). Filmography Blade II (2002) Fist of Fury: The Sequel (2001) Highlander: Endgame (2000) City of Darkness (1999) Ballistic Kiss (1998) Shanghai Affairs (1998) Black Rose II (1997) Legend of the Wolf (1997) Satan Returns (1996) Iron Monkey 2 (1996) The Saint of Gamblers (1995) Fist of Fury (1995) (TV) High Tension (1995) Cinema of Vengeance (1994) Circus Kids (1994) Wing Chun (1994) Cheetah on Fire (1993) Iron Monkey (2001) Hero Among Heroes (1993) Butterfly Sword (1993) Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) New Dragon Inn (1992) China Heat (1991) Holy Virgin vs. the Evil Dead (1990) Tiger Cage 2 (1990) In the Line of Duty 4: Witness (1989) Tiger Cage (1988) Mismatched Couples (1985) Drunken Tai-Chi (1984) Love Meets the Match ABOUT THE FILM MAKERS ZHANG Yimou (Director, Co-Writer, Producer) Ever since his directorial debut, 'Red Sorghum' (1987) won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival, Zhang Yimou has established his reputation as one of the most talented and influential directors today. Zhang Yimou was born in China in 1950 and studied cinematography at the Beijing Film Academy. He became a leading member of China's Fifth Generation Filmmakers, the first group to graduate following the turbulent Cultural Revolution. He is an accomplished actor, starring in 'Red Sorghum' as well as earning the Best Actor Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival for his performance in 'Old Well' (1986). Zhang Yimou is also a skilled cinematographer, with credits including 'Yellow Earth' (1984), 'Old Well' (1986), and 'The Big Parade' (1986). As a director, he has received multiple honours. He is the first Chinese filmmaker to receive Motion Picture Academy recognition, being nominated for Academy Awardsâ in the Best Foreign Film category for 'Ju Dou' in 1990, and 'Raise the Red Lantern' in 1991. He has earned numerous top honors, including the Silver Lion at the 44th Venice International Film Festival for 'Raise the Red Lantern' (1991), the Golden Lion Award at the 45th Venice International Film Festival for 'The Story of Qiu Ju' (1992), the Grand Jury Prize at the 47th Cannes International Film Festival for 'To Live' (1994), the Golden Lion Award at the 52nd Venice International Film Festival for 'Not One Less' (1999) and the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for 'The Road Home' (1999). In 1997, Zhang diversified his craft, directing the Puccini opera 'Turandot' in Florence, Italy, with the acclaimed conductor Zubin Mehta. In 1998, he and Mehta once again collaborated, re-staging the opera in Beijing's Forbidden City. Filmography Happy Times (2000) The Road Home (1999) Not One Less (1999) Keep Cool (1997) Lumiere and Company (1995) Shanghai Triad (1995) To Live (1994) The Story of Qiu Ju (1992) Raise the Red Lantern (1992) The Puma Action (1989) Red Sorghum (1987) LI Feng (Co-Writer) Born in 1968, Li Feng graduated from Nanjing University with a Masters Degree in Chinese Classics. His literary works include the novels 'Confucius' and 'Shattered Father' (Sui Baba), and short stories 'Death of Lu Yin', (Lu Yin Zhi Si), 'China Story' (Zhong Guo Gu Shi), 'The Tang Dynasty', 'No One Can Sleep Tonight' (Jin Ye Mei Ren Jin Shui), and 'Another Monkey King'. Li is one of his generation's leading fiction writers and also a founding member of the new generation of novelists. He was awarded the first ever Internet Quartet Cultural Prize, and lives and works in Beijing. WANG Bin (Co-Writer) Wang Bin hails from Shandong Province. He left home at Fifteen to join the army, after which he worked as a travelling book salesman, a literary researcher and a literary editor. In the 1980s, he began writing literature, and became one of China's first freethinking writers. Wang met Director Zhang Yimou at a discussion group for Zhang's film, 'Ju Dou', and a fruitful collaboration was born. Since 'To Live', Wang Bin has acted as literary consultant on all of Zhang Yimou's films. Outside his work with Zhang Yimou, Wang's other credits include Lu Yue's 'Mr. Jiao', Wang Xiao Shuai's 'Dreamland' (Meng Huan Tian Yuan) and Sun Zhou's 'Breaking the Silence'. He has worked on the TV series 'Let Love Run 'Til the End' (Zhang Ai Qing Jin Cheng Dao Dai) and 'The Friends' (Peng You). Filmography Dreamland (Meng Huan Tian Yuan) (2000) Breaking the Silence (1999) Mr. Zhao (1998) Bill KONG (Producer) Bill Kong is head of Edko Films, one of Hong Kong's longest-standing independent film companies. Kong's production credits include Yim Ho's 'The Day the Sun Turned Cold' (1994) which won Best Picture and Best Director at the Tokyo International Film Festival and the Academy Awardâ winning martial arts epic, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' (2000). 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' became not only one of the biggest hits of 2000, but also the most popular foreign film in US cinematic history. It went on to earn a roaring US$130 million at the box office and win multiple awards including four Academy Awardsâ in Best Foreign Language Film, Best Art Direction, Best Original Score and Best Cinematography, as well as two Golden Globe Awards in Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director. Bill Kong's current projects include Tian Zhuangzhuang's remake of the classic 'Springtime in a Small Town' which recently won the San Marco prize in the 2002 Venice Film Festival. Filmography The Day the Sun Turned Cold (1994) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Springtime in a Small Town (2002) Christopher DOYLE (Director of Photography) Born in Sydney, Doyle fled the banality of the suburbs to spend much of his early life on the road. At various points in his life he was a well digger in India, a Norwegian merchant marine, a cow herder on an Israeli kibbutz, and a doctor of Chinese medicine in Thailand. Moving to Taiwan in the late 1970s, Doyle met such future members of the cultural elite as Hou Hsiao Hsien and Stan Lai. He was one of the founding members of the Lanling Theatre Workshop, the first modern theatre company in Taiwan; he also created the landmark television series, 'Travelling Images'. Doyle's first breakthrough took place in 1981, when Edward Yang asked him to shoot his feature debut 'That Day on the Beach'. For this film, Chris Doyle picked up the Best Cinematography award at the Asia Pacific Film Festival. He returned to the road to shoot Claire Devers' 'Noir et Blanc' (1986) in France, only to discover that his heart still belonged to Asia. Soon after, he headed to Hong Kong to shoot Shu Kei's second feature, 'Soul' (1987), a pastiche of John Cassavete's 'Gloria' (1980) starring noted Taiwanese directors Hou Hsiao Hsien and Ke Yizhong. Doyle's artistic and commercial breakthrough occurred with his first collaboration with Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-Wai in 'Days of Being Wild' (1991). Doyle's loose, ambient style seemed to match perfectly with Wong's poetic and largely improvised script; the two quickly formed a lasting professional relationship that would prove to be mutually beneficial. Chris Doyle has collaborated with such important Hong Kong directors as Sylvia Chang in 'Mary From Beijing' (1992) and Stanley Kwan in 'Red Rose White Rose' (1994). He is a four-time Best Cinematography award winner at the Hong Kong Film Awards for 'Soul' (1987), 'Days of Being Wild' (1991), 'Ashes of Time' (1994) and 'Fallen Angels' (1995). He gained international attention with his groundbreaking cinematography in Wong Kar Wai's 'Ashes of Time' (1994) for which he won the Special Jury Prize for Technical Achievement at the Venice Film Festival as well as Best Cinematography at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards. After shooting the cult hit 'Chungking Express' (1994) and it's quasi-sequel 'Fallen Angels' (1995), Doyle adopted a more restrained look for fifth-generation filmmaker Chen Kaige in 'Temptress Moon' (1996). Teaming up with Wong Kar-Wai again for 'Happy Together' (1997), Doyle was again awarded Taiwan's Golden Horse Award for best Cinematography, as well as Best Cinematography in a Foreign Film by the Italian Association of photographers, the Hong Kong Artist of the Year Award and the Hong Kong Critics Award. In 2000, Doyle was awarded the prestigious Technical Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his work on Wong Kar Wai's 'In the Mood for Love' (2000). Outside Asia, Chris Doyle was Director of Photography on Gus Van Sant's remake of Hitchcock's 'Psycho' (1998), and has also shot Oscarâ-winning director Barry Levinson's 'Liberty Heights' (1999). In the same year, he made his directing debut with 'Away With Words' (1999), co-scripted by film critic Tony Rayns and starring Japanese indie star Tadanobu Asano. Chris Doyle's future projects include Phillip Noyce's 'Rabbit Proof Fence' and 'The Quiet American', Peter Chan's 'Three' and Wong Kar Wai's '2046'. Filmography Three (2002) The Quiet American (2001) Rabbit Proof Fence (2001) Made (2001) In the Mood for Love (2000) Liberty Heights (1998) Away with Words (1998) Psycho (1998) Motel Cactus (1997) First Love (1997) Typhoon Shelter (1997) Happy Together (1997) Temptress Moon (1996) Four Faces of Eve (1996) Fallen Angels (1995) Out of the Blue (1995) The Peony Pavilion (1995) Chungking Express (1994) Red Rose, White Rose (1994) Ashes of Time (1994) The Red Lotus Society (1993) The Peach Blossom Land (1992) Beijing Bastards (1992) Mary from Beijing (1992) Days of Being Wild (1990) I'm Sorry (1990) Love is the Eternal Rose (1988) Soul (1987) Burning Flying Snow (1987) Noir et Blanc (1986) Au Fu (1983) That Day on the Beach (1981) HUO Tingxiao (Production Designer) Production Designer Huo Tingxiao graduated from the Beijing Academy of Film in 1991. In the same year, he was invited to work as Production Designer on Yang Fengliang's 'A Woman from North Shaanxi' (1991) as well as esteemed Fifth Generation director, Chen Kaige's 'Life on a String' (1991). Since this auspicious beginning, Huo has worked with a string of renowned filmmakers including He Ping in 'Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker' (1993), for which Huo was awarded the prestigious Golden Rooster Award for Best Production Design. Huo Tingxiao has collaborated closely with Chen Kaige, acting as Production Designer for Chen's Academy Awardâ nominated 'Farewell My Concubine' (1993) and Chen's 'The Emperor and the Assassin' (1998) for which Huo was awarded the Cannes Film Festival Technical Grand Prize for Best Art Direction. Filmography Song of Tibet (2000) Steal Happiness (1998) The Emperor and the Assassin (1998) Jie Fang Da Shi Bi (1997) Wing Chun (1994) Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker (1993) Farewell My Concubine (1993) A Woman from North Shaanxi (1991) Life on a String (1991) Yi Zhenzhou (Production Designer) Yi Zhenzhou is currently Production Designer for the Changchun Film Studio Group. He was Set Decorator and Assistant Production Designer on Chen Kaige's 'The Emperor and the Assassin' (1998), which won the Golden Eagle Award for Best Set Decoration. Yi has also worked on a number of noted television series such as China Central Television's 'Dung Jou Lie Guo' (1995) for which he was awarded the Golden Eagle Award for Best Production Design. More recently, Yi acted as Production Designer (Pre-Production) for Ang Lee's multi-award wining 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' (2000). Filmography Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) The Emperor and the Assassin (1998) Tou Du Niu Ren (1993) Don't Disturb (1992) The Great Valley (1991) Da Yu Chuan Ren (1991) Tony CHING Siu Tung (Action Director) Acclaimed Hong Kong action director Tony Ching has worked with top names of the Hong Kong movie industry including Jackie Chan in 'City Hunter' (1992) and 'Duel of Dragons' (1992), Chow Yun Fat in 'The Nepal Affair' (1985), and 'Colour of a Hero' (1987) and Michelle Yeoh in 'Wonder Seven' (1994). For his action direction in 'New Dragon Inn' (1992) Ching was awarded Best Action in Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards He was also the recipient of the Best Action Choreography award for 'The Affair from Nepal' (1987) and 'Swordsman' (1990) at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Ching's 'A Chinese Ghost Story' pioneered the craze for Chinese horror films in the late 1980s and was awarded the Best International Fantasy Film Award, and Best Director for Ching, at Fantafestival. In 2001, he choreographed the Jet Li - Mel Gibson TV collaboration, 'Invincible', and the multi award winning smash hit 'Shaolin Soccer' (2001) starring HK superstar Stephen Chiao. Filmography Invincible (2001) Shaolin Soccer (2001) The Duel (2000) The Blacksheep Affair (1998) Adventure King (1996) Wonder Seven (1994) Street Fighter (1993) Flying Dagger (1993) Moon Warriors (1993) City Hunter (1992) The Heroic Trio (1992) New Dragon Inn (1992) Son on the Run (1991) Swordsman II (1991) A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991) A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) The Colour of a Hero II (1987) Peking Opera Blues (1986) The Affair from Nepal (1985) Duel to the Death (1982) The Master Strikes (1980) The Spooky Bunch (1980) Emi WADA (Costume Designer) One of the most highly regarded costume designers working for cinema, Emi Wada has received recognition far beyond her native Japan to become the first Japanese woman ever to win an Academy Awardâ (Best Costume Design for Akira Kurosawa's 'Ran' 1985). Born in Kyoto, Japan, Wada graduated from the Kyoto City College of Arts with a degree in Western Painting. A fruitful collaboration with acclaimed British director, Peter Greenaway, began with 'Prospero's Book' in 1991 and continued with 'The Pillow Book' (1995), starring Ewan McGregor, and '8 1/2 Women' (1998). Emi Wada's work with Hong Kong film makers has also been recognized, and she earned Best Costume Design honors for Ronny Yu's 'The Bride with White Hair' (1993) and Mabel Cheung's 'The Soong Sisters' (1995) at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Wada has also worked as costume designer on numerous stage productions including Shakespeare's 'Antony and Cleopatra' directed by Peter Stein, and Julie Taymor's opera, 'Oedipus Rex' (1992) which for which Wada won Best Costume Design at the 45th Emmy Awards. She has exhibited her costumes and designs both in Japan and abroad, and has published three books on her costume designs. Filmography Gohatto (1999) 8 1/2 Women (1998) The Soong Sisters (1995) The Pillow Book (1995) The Bride with White Hair (1993) Prospero's Book (1991) TAN Dun (Composer) A winner of the Grawemeyer Award, today's most prestigious prize for classical music, Tan Dun began his musical career with the Peking Opera. He is a graduate of Beijing's Central Conservatory, and holds a doctoral degree in Music Arts from Columbia University in New York. Tan Dun's music is played throughout the world by the leading orchestras and ensembles today. Among Tan Dun's compositions are 'Ghost Opera', which toured worldwide with the Kronos Quartet; 'Symphony 1997' (Heaven Earth and Mankind), which premiered with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and was broadcast around the world to commemorate the unification of Hong Kong with China. Tan Dun's Grawemeyer-winning opera, 'Marco Polo', was commissioned by the Edinburgh Festival and was performed in Munich, Vienna, Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, Turin, London, New York, Tokyo, Zagrab and Hong Kong. It was named 'Opera of the Year' by the noted German magazine Oper. Commissioned by the BBA, PBS Television and Sony Classical, Tan Dun's '2000 Today: A World Symphony for the Millennium' was broadcast on the first day of the new millennium by more than 55 major networks worldwide. Tan Dun's 'Crouching Tiger Concerto' is based on his Oscarâ and Grammy winning film score for Ang Lee's 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' (2000). For 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', Tan was also nominated for Best Song with 'A Love Before Time'. Tan's previous film score credits include the jazz-tinged soundtrack for Gregory Hoblit's thriller 'Fallen', starring Denzel Washington. Among the many international honours he has received, Tan Dun was cited by the New York Times in 1997 as one of the 'Classical Musicians of the Year'. He was elected by Toru Takemitsu for the Glenn Gould Prize in Music and Communication, and selected by Hans Werner Henze as one of the artistic jurors for the Munich International Music Theatre Award. Filmography Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) In the Name of the Emperor (1998) Fallen (1998) Operation K (1994) Official Web Site: http://www.herothemovie.com/ Back to main movie page Showing Today at: Click here for other showings