1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 476 Two Plays

The two films, "Red Sorghum" and "Farewell My Concubine," were initiated one after the other.

At the time, Zhai Yuanzheng was on very good terms with Li Zhiying and Mark Simon. The movie was first published as a novel and appeared in major overseas newspapers, which greatly satisfied the emotional needs of a group of foreigners.

Even the filming costs for these two movies were saved.

It's a pity that now Lao Ma and Lao Li are both selling salted duck eggs, and they will never see the two excellent films they invested in again.

Fortunately, General Manager Zhai is still alive and can appreciate it on his behalf.

"Mr. Zhai, Ms. Shi, it's an honor to meet you both."

When the main creators of both production teams saw Zhai Yuan and Shi Nansheng appear, they went to greet them together.

Then, Chen Kaige suddenly accelerated, passing Zhang Yimou and Jiang Wen, and took the lead in approaching the two directors of Jiu Yi Entertainment.

Zhang Yimou didn't react much, but he clearly heard Jiang Wen click her tongue and frown in displeasure.

Chen Kaige's smile remained unchanged as he extended both hands to Zhai Yuan, speaking fluent American English: "I am Chen Kaige. First of all, thank you—thank you for entrusting this story to me, and thank you for giving me this opportunity to make it into a film. My previous film, 'Yellow Earth,' was very niche, only receiving a little attention overseas. This film, 'Farewell My Concubine,' is different; it's more complete. I've done my best to respect the script and the funds and time you've invested..."

In his closing remarks, Director Chen said, "I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and truly, thank you again for your support!"

This initial barrage of words from Arthur was no less impressive than his "Please sit down, Arthur" speech, leaving Zhai Yuan somewhat bewildered.

Fortunately, the housekeeper had seen it all before. She listened to Chen Kaige's opening remarks with a smile throughout and said, "Director Chen, you can speak Mandarin. Mr. Zhai is not good at English."

Chen Kaige's smile froze on his face as he turned to look at Leslie Cheung.

Rong Shao laughed so hard he could hardly contain himself, like a child who had just pulled off a prank. He put his arm around Gong Li's shoulder and said with a smile in his now clearly fluent Mandarin, "I spent eight months creating this aristocratic elite persona for Boss Zhai, and finally someone has fallen for it!"

Zhai Yuan rolled his eyes helplessly. It had been almost a year since they last met, and Leslie Cheung was still as lively as ever.

That's fine, it's good.

“Brother Guorong, you have made me lose face all the way to the Pacific Ocean.”

Chen Kaige quickly composed himself, laughed, and pulled Hong Huang behind him to introduce him: "This is my lover, Hong Huang."

Standing next to Ms. Hong, Chen Kaige seemed to exude even more confidence.

Zhai Yuan glanced at the newlywed couple in front of him.

At this time, Chen Kaige was at the peak of his talent, tall and handsome appearance. Compared to him, his wife, Ms. Hong, was not a good match in terms of appearance, and this period should have been shortly after she ended her previous marriage.

Hong Huang clearly has exceptional qualities to have won over Chen Kaige from among a host of actresses who were willing to offer themselves to him.

Zhai Yuan's gaze lingered on Ms. Hong's face for two seconds. Remembering her background, he smiled and greeted her.

"Hello Mr. Zhai, I came to Hong Kong this time not only to accompany Kaige to deliver the film, but also to get to know you. Perhaps there will be opportunities for cooperation in the future."

Hong Huang appeared very generous, speaking with a Beijing accent reminiscent of a local alleyway, and then handed Zhai Yuan a business card.

Zhai Yuan took it and looked at it; it was printed with—

Chief Representative in China for Metallgesellschaft AG (Yanjing Office), a German metals industry group.

Zhai Yuan raised an eyebrow. MG Metal Industries, one of Germany's largest industrial companies.

He glanced at Hong Huang again and smiled, "Great! I think we'll definitely have a chance to work together."

The two exchanged a smile, then looked at Chen Kaige, who had an expression of pride on his face, his lips almost curled to the back of his head.

At this point, it was the turn of the main creators of the "Red Sorghum" production team to come forward.

Apart from Gong Li, there are only two comrades, Zhang Yimou and Jiang Wen.

Compared to the spirited Chen Kaige, Zhang Guoshi at this stage truly embodied the honesty and integrity of a Northwesterner, rarely smiling.

“Mr. Zhai…” The Imperial Advisor seemed to find the word “Mr.” He paused for a moment and then said, “My name is Zhang Yimou. I am very grateful to you for funding my production of Lao Guan’s ‘Red Sorghum’.”

Jiang Wen also greeted him, saying with her signature deep voice, "Before I came, Director Xie Jin specifically asked me to say hello to you. That's when I found out that the producer of 'Hibiscus Town,' Zhai Yuan, is you, Zhai Yuan. In that sense, we've already worked together before."

After Zhai Yuan finished greeting the two people,
Gong Li and Leslie Cheung came forward last. Leslie Cheung needs no introduction, everyone is familiar with him. However, Zhai Yuan always felt that after filming "Farewell My Concubine" in Beijing, his temperament had become more effeminate.

"Mr. Zhai, Miss Gong Li is a good friend of mine. You're not allowed to seduce her!"

Leslie Cheung said half-jokingly, then winked at Gong Li, "Our boss is young and rich, and he already has many girls chasing after him. You must not fall into his trap."

Get lost!

Zhai Yuan pushed Leslie Cheung aside in annoyance and looked at the 24-year-old Gong Li in front of him.

Zhai Yuan did not interfere in the production of either "Red Sorghum" or "Farewell My Concubine," except for offering some suggestions during the casting process.

At that time, Guan Moyan, as a bridge between the "Red Sorghum" crew and Hong Kong, brought two candidates for the female lead: one was the voluptuous Shi Ke, and the other was the short, match-like Gong Li. Guan Moyan highly praised Shi Ke, but the difference lay in the fact that the cinematographer of the film, Gu Changwei, was impressed by Gong Li's acting skills.

With both sides at an impasse, Zhai Yuan finally made the final decision to cast Gong Li in the role, and later recommended her to the production team for the film "Farewell My Concubine".

No wonder Leslie Cheung warned Gong Li not to fall into the trap. In other people's eyes, Boss Zhai's decision to hand over Gong Li the lead role in two films after only seeing her photos must have been lustful.

As a result, Gong Li received more or less preferential treatment in both film crews. This time, even well-known actors like Zhang Fengyi and Ge You didn't have the chance to meet Zhai Yuan. Only she, a newcomer, came to Hong Kong with everyone else. Everyone understood the unspoken agreement.

However, Gong Li, nicknamed "Matchstick Girl," is compared to Shi Ke. In Zhai Yuan's opinion, this woman, with a height of nearly 170 cm and a large frame, has a more voluptuous figure than the girls in Girls' Generation, and only his own secretary, Zhizhi, can compare to her.

"Mr. Zhai, thank you for giving me the opportunity to act in these two films."

Gong Li stepped forward and gracefully extended her hand to Zhai Yuan: "If you hadn't insisted on using me, I might still be rehearsing plays at school. But actually, I'm quite boring. Don't take Zhang Guorong's rumors seriously."

Her smile was polite, her tone light, yet she spoke clearly and concisely.

Zhai Yuan smiled and shook hands with Gong Li: "I don't believe in rumors either. I chose Ms. Gong as the female lead because your acting skills are good enough."

The people around him chuckled softly.

How can you claim a good actress when you've only given her a few photos and haven't even met her in person?
Zhai Yuan then asked, "I remember Miss Gong's file says she's twenty-four years old this year?"

Gong Li nodded in agreement: "I'll be twenty-four after my birthday."

Zhai Yuan laughed and said, "What a coincidence, I just had my birthday. I'm also twenty-four years old. Everyone, don't be too formal. From now on, I'll call you Lili, and you can call me Brother Yuan. Come on, call me Brother Yuan."

Gong Li, who was new to Hong Kong, was obviously taken aback by Zhai Yuan's ability to climb poles.

The sponsor was harassing the young girl, and the main creators of both production teams didn't intervene, just watching with smiles. Shi Nansheng patted his boss, smiling helplessly, and said, "Alright, alright, we haven't even seen the sample footage of the two shows yet, let's get down to business, okay?"

"Okay~" Zhai Yuan immediately withdrew his gaze from Gong Li, as if nothing had happened: "Come inside and watch the show!"

…………

In the editing room, the first film, "Red Sorghum," was already halfway through its run.

As the director's screen debut, this film, besides featuring Gong Li as the female lead, also had a little episode in the early stages of casting the male lead.

Zhang Yimou originally intended for the male lead to be an actor named Liu Xiaoning, but as a new director, he was not valued. After receiving invitations from other production teams, Liu Xiaoning gave up "Red Sorghum," which led to the addition of Jiang Wen.

Everyone watched the entire show very attentively, and even Chen Kaige's expression changed from relaxed at the beginning to serious.

Director Chen always felt that when Zhang Yimou was filming "Yellow Earth," he was still his cinematographer. How much skill could Zhang Yimou possibly have?

Who would have thought that after only a few years apart, the other party would be able to produce works of such quality?

Chen Kaige glanced at Zhai Yuan beside him and thought to himself that it was fortunate that he still had "Farewell My Concubine" to save face. He was still full of confidence in this film.

The entire film is 90 minutes long.

Although the film's colors are simple, they are exceptionally intense, and Zhang Yimou's unique personal style had already taken shape at this time.

At the end of the film, with the villagers working together, the Japanese soldiers' car was finally destroyed, and Gong Li's character, Jiu'er, fell in the afterglow of the setting sun.

As the smoke cleared, Dou Guan stood in the pit weeping, while Yu Zhan'ao, Jiang Wen's companion, struggled to his feet and walked blankly toward Jiu'er, who lay on the ground.

Two men, one tall and one short, stood in this sorghum field.

As the strained singing began, the movie came to a close.

"Tsk! That's great."

Even after rewatching the film, Zhai Yuan couldn't help but praise it.

While the film's storyline may feel somewhat disjointed and awkward as Zhang Yimou's debut work, its bold and unrestrained spirit speaks for itself.

Shi Nansheng exhaled a long breath. He had only known that the theme of "Red Sorghum" was heavy before, but after watching the original film, he felt it more deeply.

The housekeeper couldn't help but say to Zhai Yuan, "This is definitely a film that can win awards. I doubt anyone in our company could make a film with this kind of theme and style."

Zhai Yuan nodded in agreement.

Both Wong Kar-wai and Ann Hui won awards, but neither could replicate the vibrant life force that Zhang Yimou possesses, rooted in the loess soil yet bursting forth with vitality.

Representative figures of the first four generations of directors in mainland China,

The first generation, including Zheng Zhengqiu and Zhang Shichuan, excelled in family ethics and social education.

The second generation, including Fei Mu and Cai Chusheng, focused on social realities and national sentiments.

The third generation of writers, including Xie Jin, Cui Wei, and Shui Hua, transitioned to revolutionary historical themes and placed greater emphasis on dramatic structures.

The fourth generation, including Wu Yigong, Zhang Nuanxin, and Teng Wenji, launched the first wave of academically trained directors' artistic counterattack.

Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige are now clearly leading figures of the fifth generation of directors.

Zhai Yuan glanced at Jiang Wen sitting on his left... He didn't know if she should be considered a fifth or sixth generation, she was indeed quite unconventional.

"Mr. Zhai, please don't take it out on me!"

Jiang Wen noticed Zhai Yuan's gaze, wiggled her hips and moved forward a little, and said, "The passionate scenes between me and Gong Li in the movie were all done with camera tricks, as required by the director. Please don't misunderstand."

Before Zhai Yuan could speak, Gong Li pushed Jiang Wen and scolded, "Get lost!"

After this little incident, Zhai Yuan didn't say anything more than "That's really good".

Chen Kaige asked impatiently, "Mr. Zhai, shall we play my 'Farewell My Concubine' now?"

Zhai Yuan stretched and said, "Okay, let's watch them all together then."

Compared to "Red Sorghum", "Farewell My Concubine" had a larger budget.

At this time, Chen Kaige also had Hong Huang supporting him, and the entire filming process was almost unimpeded. The control over the scenes and details was just as good as the high-scoring film that Zhai Yuan remembered.

Whether Chen Kaige had this story in mind during filming or not, Zhai Yuan's script undoubtedly brought it to life.

There have always been people who questioned whether the film "Farewell My Concubine" was actually directed by Chen Kaige, which is somewhat unfair. We can't erase all of his past talent and achievements just because of a film called "A Bloodbath Caused by a Steamed Bun".

Moreover, before this, Chen Kaige also had "Yellow Earth" to his name, which was in no way inferior to "Farewell My Concubine".

If Director Chen hadn't been talented during this period, Hong Huang wouldn't have pursued him.

The entire filming of "Farewell My Concubine" lasted more than two hours, nearly twice the length of "Red Sorghum".

Because of the earlier setting, the actors playing the group of young people practicing martial arts in the early part of the film were all changed, which made Zhai Yuan look a bit awkward.

Fortunately, under the mainland film studio system at that time, the selection of talents was extremely selective, with one in ten thousand being chosen. After the advertisement was published in the newspaper, many people took the initiative to audition, and the newly found child actors were all very suitable for the characters.

Zhai Yuan's awkwardness lessened considerably when actors like Leslie Cheung appeared on screen.

The film, which lasts for more than two hours, unfolds in a gentle and detailed manner. Its story structure is clearly stronger than that of "Red Sorghum." As Leslie Cheung draws his sword and commits suicide at the end of the film, the story gradually comes to a close.

Shi Nansheng was once again amazed by the filming style of mainland directors.

As a producer, he could see the intricacies of the industry. Even if Zhai Yuan handed the script line by line to his own director, these people from Hong Kong still found it difficult to recreate this type of film.

I have absolutely no idea what it would be like if a Hong Kong director were to make a film about this subject.

"What does Mr. Zhai think?"

After the movie ended, the editing room was silent for a few seconds before Chen Kaige took the initiative to ask a question.

“Great, excellent.” Zhai Yuan succinctly expressed his opinion again, then turned to Shi Nansheng and said, “Shouldn’t we be able to go straight for the award?”

Shi Nansheng nodded knowingly: "Besides the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards, I'll check what international awards and exhibitions are happening soon and submit these two films together."

Zhai Yuan hummed in agreement, then suddenly remembered something else and asked Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige at the same time, "Have you submitted these two films for censorship in mainland China?"

(End of this chapter)