Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 356 Subtle
Well, to put it simply, Chen Kaige's portrayal of the film "Mei Lanfang" was very restrained.

Old Chen is a very proud person. Before he won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, he could listen to opinions and suppress his desire to express himself.

However, after winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes with "Farewell My Concubine," he became completely arrogant, always feeling that no one else understood art and that only he could truly express the art of film.

Some say that his later films were all about trying to express too much, resulting in a hodgepodge of styles.

Actually, this is a bit unfair to Lao Chen.

Old Chen's original intention may not have been to express too much in one movie, but rather he believed that only by including all of these elements could the film be better presented.

Unfortunately, his skills were not enough to "understand" a movie and what he wanted to express, but he thought that others were too "superficial" and could not understand his true thoughts.

Perhaps when the media and film critics criticized him, he was thinking: Am I the director or are you the directors? Did I win the Palme d'Or or did you win the Palme d'Or? Wait until you win the Palme d'Or before you come and discuss art with me.

A stubborn person who thinks he is very self-centered.

Why is it said that Chen's film "Mei Lanfang" was already very restrained?
In this movie, Lao Chen didn't really include too many personal thoughts, nor did he deliberately express them.

The main reason was that "The Promise" was a huge blow to him. If it were just the media and film critics criticizing him, he could have been indifferent.

But audiences are also complaining. The domestic box office is not as expected, and the Hollywood box office, which he especially wanted to compete with Zhang Yimou, is even worse, a complete flop.

Furthermore, with the Mei family still alive, there are always many taboos when filming biographies of modern celebrities, making it impossible to explore many aspects.

Mr. Mei's son is still alive, and as an advisor and artistic director, he was involved in the entire process, from the script to the filming. How can you change it?
Even if Lao Chen had other ideas and wanted to express more, there was no way to do so.

If you only watch the first half of the movie "Mei Lanfang", many people will involuntarily sigh that Chen's skill in making "Farewell My Concubine" has returned. He is really awesome!

After the scenes featuring the young Mei Lanfang, when Li Ming, who played the adult Mei Lanfang, appeared on screen, it just felt like something was missing…

The first half of the movie was full of energy, but the second half was a bit of a letdown. The structure of the two halves didn't connect well, and it felt like it said something, but at the same time, it didn't really say anything.

Furthermore, compared to the exciting plot that came before, it was even more disappointing.

The main reason this film went from a "masterpiece" to mediocrity is that the actors were not well chosen, and the script for the second half was limited—biographical films dealing with that period are indeed not easy to make.

Old Chen definitely wants to find the actress to play Meng Xiaodong from among the four great Qingyi actresses, after all, he still has his heart set on going international.

Of the five leading female roles, four were promoted by Cao Yang, which is one of the reasons why Old Chen sought out Cao Yang.

Cao Yang thought for a moment. Meng Xiaodong was known as the "Empress of Peking Opera," a singer of old male roles. Regardless of her real appearance, in the movie, she would definitely be "a graceful lady displaying heroic spirit, with a dashing charm that shines through the universe."

Therefore, Yu Feihong and Gao Yuanyuan can be ruled out.

As for the rest, Li Xiaoran has that spirit and energy; her appearance and acting skills are both fine.

Dong Xuan is also an option; her appearance at this time naturally exudes a heroic air, as you can see from her portrayal of the goddess dragon.

Fat Bing also has a heroic air, but she's a bit "seductive".

It all depends on what Lao Chen chooses.

In Hollywood, the movie "Inception" propelled Fan Bingbing to near-peak fame as a Chinese actress. If Chen were to prioritize overseas box office success, he might very well choose Fan Bingbing.

Let Old Chen decide for himself.

Cao Yang didn't want to get involved in Lao Chen's movie.

Old Chen is no pushover.

Cao Yang's interference in Xiao Gangpao's film is something Xiao Gangpao believes will genuinely benefit his film. Even if Cao Yang complains and is unhappy inside, he will actually take action.

Old Chen is different. A proud and arrogant person is unlikely to listen to other people's opinions because he thinks that others are wrong and he is right.

Cao Yang called Lao Chen to ask him who his choice was.

"Hey, senior brother, busy?"

Old Chen laughed heartily, "He's discussing things with a few producers. Cao Yang, have you found someone?"

"Does Senior Brother have anyone in mind?" Cao Yang asked.

Old Chen pondered for a moment, then, without standing on ceremony with Cao Yang, guessing that Cao Yang already knew his thoughts, he spoke directly:
"I think both Pang Bing and Li Xiaoran are quite suitable, but I can't make up my mind right now. If they are available, could we let them audition? I'd like to choose one of them."

Cao Yang nodded. It was pretty much as he had expected. Compared to Li Xiaoran and Pang Bing, Dong Xuan's advantage wasn't that great.

Li Xiaoran is a veteran Berlin Film Festival Best Actress winner, having achieved fame much earlier than Dong Xuan.

Fat Bing broke into Hollywood, and her fame and influence there far surpassed that of Dong Xuan.

"Okay, I'll have them call you, and you can schedule a time for the audition."

"Haha, okay." Old Chen didn't say anything polite. He always considered himself the senior brother and didn't treat Cao Yang as an outsider, so there was no need to be polite.

Cao Yang thought for a moment and then asked, "Senior brother, how's the preparation for the new movie going? Have you found all the actors?"

If the male lead is still Li Ming, Cao Yang would still like to try to subtly remind Lao Chen.

As long as the right actors are chosen and they perform normally, even if the second half of the plot is just average, the "gems" of the first half will ensure that the reviews won't be too bad.

Choosing the right actors will at least prevent the audience from being distracted from the story.

"It's still in preparation, and we estimate it will start filming in July. The cast is mostly finalized; the male and female leads are both from Hong Kong, and the rest are all established actors from mainland China..."

At this point, Old Chen added a rare comment.

"This movie is said to have two female leads, but Meng Xiaodong still has more screen time. Li Xiaoran or Fat Bing will definitely be one of the female leads with higher billing."

He was afraid Cao Yang would misunderstand, so he told Cao Yang directly that no matter whether it was Li Xiaoran or Pang Bing in the end, she would definitely be the female lead in terms of billing.

Cao Yang was about to say "okay" when he froze.

Old Chen's words reminded Cao Yang of something about "Mei Lanfang".

Originally, the male lead was Li Ming, the female lead Meng Xiaodong was played by Zhang Ziyi, and the other female lead, who played Mei Lanfang's wife Fu Zhifang, was apparently played by Hong Kong actress Ah Jiao. However, in 08, Edison Chen treated everyone to a taste of the good stuff, and the "Mei Lanfang" production team had to cut scenes and replace the actress.

By then, Ah Jiao had already finished filming all her scenes.

But Old Chen had no choice; the incident had a huge impact. In the end, he had his wife reshoot all the scenes involving Fu Zhifang.

"Senior brother, who are the male and female leads from Hong Kong?" Cao Yang asked.

"The male lead is Li Ming, and the female lead is A Jiao."

"There's nothing to hide," Old Chen replied.

Cao Yang frowned. He didn't care about the scandal. The main issue was why Ah Jiao could be listed as a leading actress alongside Li Xiaoran or Bingbing. Wasn't this obviously an attempt to elevate the status of Hong Kong actresses?

It's not that Cao Yang is meddling; it's just that the people from Hong Kong have gone a bit too far.

Some Hong Kong directors or company executives like to use mainland stars to promote their new actors.

This has happened many times.

Many newcomers who have just debuted in Hong Kong and Taiwan will use popular mainland actors or actresses to elevate their status when they come to the mainland to film movies or TV series.

These newcomers from Hong Kong and Taiwan are cast as the main characters, while popular mainland stars are given supporting roles or acting opposite them.

This gives people the impression that the new actor is on par with, or even surpasses, the popular stars in mainland China.

Actually, the main issue isn't about boosting someone's status; if it's just about promoting someone, Cao Yang wouldn't care.

The key issue is that if such incidents occur frequently, they will gradually create a fixed perception that Taiwanese people are superior to mainlanders!
Look, newcomers who have just debuted in their country can outshine established stars in mainland China. Isn't that a sign of superiority? That's what it means to be a cut above the rest?

Cao Yang has both status and influence in this life, and he certainly doesn't want this kind of thing to happen again—we are all Chinese, and you not only want to make a lot of money in the mainland, but you also want to be superior to others.
Is there anything more ridiculous than this?

Logically speaking, given Chen's status and influence, he shouldn't have someone "boost his status" in his own movie.

"Senior brother, do you mean that Ajiao, like Li Xiaoran and Pang Bing, is a leading actress on par with them?"

Cao Yang asked directly, "What makes her so special? What qualifications does she have to get Li Xiaoran or Pang Bing to promote her?"

Is it because she looks somewhat like Chen Hong when she was young?
Cao Yang's question stunned Old Chen; it was somewhat unexpected.

Old Chen remained silent for a long time, mainly suppressing his anger, because Cao Yang's question was abrupt and questioned, which made him a little angry.

However, Cao Yang was, after all, his junior brother, and someone with a greater reputation and influence than him... so he chose not to stoop to Cao Yang's level.

Well, after all, he is the teacher's last disciple. Last disciples always have certain privileges, and as the senior brother, I should provide the best I can to take care of the teacher's last disciple.

"Cao Yang, A Jiao plays the young Fu Zhifang. Although she has quite a few scenes, she is considered one of the female leads. Well, since she doesn't have as many scenes as Meng Xiaodong, she definitely can't be ranked alongside Meng Xiaodong. There's no question of her being promoted."

"Forget about billing order. There's only one true protagonist in the entire production, and that's me. There's no need for all that nonsense."

Old Chen offered an explanation, but it was another polite rebuff for Cao Yang.

As the senior student, I can choose not to argue with Cao Yang, but I can't back down either; I have to make amends.

Old Chen knew what was going on with the coffee-raising incident. He had secretly made a note of it, but he hadn't really thought much about it before. Now that Cao Yang had mentioned it, he felt a bit of a wake-up call.

That's right, it's waking up suddenly.

He used to be arrogant and aloof, but now that he thinks about it, his movies did indeed do something to elevate his status.

For example, the previous movie "The Promise" can also be seen as an example of this situation.

Liu Ye, who plays the supporting role of Ghost Wolf, is no less famous or influential than any of the main characters.

It's worth noting that Liu Ye won the Golden Horse Award for Best Actor in 01 and the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor in 04. He also starred in "Empty Room," which won Cao Yang the Golden Lion Award, and won the Silver Lion for Best Newcomer at the Venice Film Festival for this film.

Such achievements are unmatched, not to mention Hong Kong's young heartthrob Nicholas Tse, even by the likes of Hiroyuki Sanada and Jang Dong-gun from South Korea.

Using someone from your own country who has greater international recognition and influence as a foil for an outsider—isn't that a classic case of elevating someone's status?

Oh shit.

Old Chen cursed under his breath and decided that when the time came, whether it was for publicity or subtitles, Li Xiaoran or Pang Bing would be placed at the top with Li Ming in the lead role position, and the others, no matter who they were, would be placed in the supporting role position below.

After hanging up with Lao Chen, Cao Yang called President Han and Dean Hou again. To prevent this from happening, President Han and Dean Hou would need to put in some effort.

It's fine to come to the mainland to make money, but you can't eat your meal and then complain about it, always thinking you're superior and looking down on mainlanders.

Furthermore, it's fine to come to the mainland to make money, but don't fucking market yourself as a hardworking and dedicated person all day long, only to end up not even being able to speak Mandarin properly.

Is this the attitude that should be expected from someone who is hardworking and dedicated?

It's not mandatory for you to speak Mandarin. What you speak is your freedom. Whether you speak Mandarin or your local dialect, it's fine.

However, you are an actor, and you are acting in Mandarin versions of movies or TV series. Even if you are just a little bit dedicated, you should speak Mandarin well in the movies or TV series.

I must give special praise to Xiaoming's ex-wife here. Although her acting skills are limited to staring and she has other issues, at least her Mandarin is excellent.

After telling President Han and Director Hou about this, Cao Yang considered whether he should contact the Film Bureau to establish a Mandarin proficiency test for film actors.

Thinking about it later, it seems a bit unrealistic.

It's not that it's impossible, but if a Mandarin proficiency test were actually implemented for film actors, even if the test were very simple, in the end it would either become a tool for some people to manipulate others, or it would become a worthless piece of paper.

The best approach would be to make Mandarin a default requirement for actors within the industry. This would be much easier to promote and would not encounter too many obstacles or negative consequences.

If some directors were to unite and refuse to hire actors who cannot speak Mandarin well when filming Mandarin-language movies or TV series, that would be sufficient.

Currently active film and television directors are mostly graduates of the Beijing Film Academy. Given the current cohesion of the Beijing Film Academy, this requirement is not an excessive or special one, and they should comply.

If this is consistently maintained for several years, and emphasized several times a year at the school, it will gradually become an unwritten rule.

(End of this chapter)