张艺谋《归来》首次报名金马奖，畅谈中国电影发展

Zhang Yimou, China's most prolific and internationally acclaimed director, is bringing something new to the country's booming box office with his latest work, 'Coming Home.'

The low-budget period drama, which stars Gong Li and tells the story of a man who reunites with his wife and daughter after years of separation due to the Cultural Revolution, has so far raked in almost 300 million yuan ($48 million), a record for a domestic art-house film.

Previous works by the 62-year-old director-including his 1987 directorial debut 'Red Sorghum,' 'Ju Dou' and 'Raise the Red Lantern'-were influential in shaping the way Westerners looked at old China.

Mr. Zhang also has run afoul of the government. Earlier this year, he was fined $1.2 million for violating China's one-child policy, an event he declined to discuss much.

Days after returning from the Cannes Film Festival, at which 'Coming Home' screened out of competition, Mr. Zhang sat down with China Real Time at his Beijing workshop. He talked about his love for martial arts, the challenge of making art-house films in China and his favorite American TV shows. Edited excerpts:

Why did you choose to produce 'Coming Home' now?

I didn't choose to do it. It happened simply because I got the novel [on which it's based]. China is so hungry for a good screenplay and it's very hard to get a good one. Though getting the novel wasn't planned, making 'Coming Home' happened the way it did because I believe in 'walking with two legs': on the one hand, I make low-budget art-house films like 'Coming Home'; on the other, I will continue to make commercial films like 'Hero' [a 2002 martial arts blockbuster starring Jet Li].

Can the commercial success of 'Coming Home' help revive the local art-house film industry?

Yes. I made this film to test the market. If we fail, we'll just curse a little and forget it, but if it does OK, it will give us confidence. (Watch the trailer on YouTube.)

Why did you decide to make 'Hero'?

I'm actually a big martial arts fan. I started reading martial arts fiction novels during the Cultural Revolution, when they were banned, and I started to practice [martial arts] when I was 17.

So why didn't you start your directorial career with a martial arts film?

When we-the so-called 'fifth generation' of directors-started up, the broader environment was very artistic. So we reflected a lot on history and I put my love for martial arts aside.

Did the success of 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' inspire your martial arts films?

No, I started writing a script for a martial arts film before 'Crouching Tiger.' When 'Crouching Tiger' was released, I actually thought about giving up on the project because I didn't want people to think I was following suit.

Do you want to lead other filmmakers to produce art-house films in China?

I'd like to reverse the trend in this overly commercial environment. People always say the local market needs diversity. I agree that if the market only has commercial films, it isn't healthy. So I made 'Coming Home' in a very uncommercial way.

Your next project is a Hollywood film. Can you tell us more?

It's going to be very challenging for me because it's going to be completely in English. I used to reject this kind of project, but after I made 'The Flowers of War'-which was partially in English-I found the feedback wasn't bad so I changed my mind. But I only take projects that have a China-related story with Chinese elements. Otherwise, I just can't do much with it.

Will the film target local audiences or international audiences?

We'll target global audiences, taking the international market into account, from casting to screenplay. It was very different from 'Coming Home,' and it was the first time I've really thought about the international market.

What will your involvement in this Hollywood project bring to the local market?

Most Chinese directors are like me: We can't speak English. But if I can do a good job, maybe more Western studios will come to look for another 'Li Yimou' or 'Wang Yimou.'

How does working with a Hollywood team differ from working with a local team?

Hollywood people are very professional. Take crew interviews, for example. The candidates are all masters at what they do with perfect resumes. Some of them even flew to us for the interview. I was so surprised. In China, it's very different.

Do you watch American TV series or films?

I watch a lot of them, like '24,' 'Breaking Bad' and 'House of Cards.' I watch all the TV shows that make headlines here, including that Korean TV show, 'My Love From the Star.'

Do you like House of Cards?

Yes. The way Netflix put all the episodes online all together is very interesting.

What's your favorite American TV drama?

The first American drama I liked was Steven Spielberg's 'Band of Brothers.' I watched all the episodes all together.

Do you have a favorite foreign actor?

Once I saw Denzel Washington when I was on a promotional tour for 'House of Flying Daggers.' I asked my translator to help me talk to him.

How do Hollywood films affect the Chinese market?

They're good for the market because these world-class films help improve local audiences' appreciation level. But the bad side is on the taste. [China has] an import quota, and the importers prefer big-budget blockbusters, which makes Chinese audiences picky eaters. I was shocked to find an award-winning art-house film was a total flop in China's theaters.

What do you think is the most urgent problem facing China's film market?

Diversity of taste really matters. If local audiences' tastes aren't diverse, it doesn't matter how hard you try to build things like art-house theaters. A good film should do more than just cater to local audiences; it should also help to shape their tastes.

张艺谋是中国最多产、享誉国际的导演，他的最新作品《归来》给中国的影院带来了新的元素。

这部低成本历史片由巩俐等主演，讲述了一名男子因文化大革命与妻女分离多年后又重聚的故事。迄今为止，电影票房已经达到近人民币3亿元，在国产文艺片中创下纪录高位。

现年62岁的张艺谋之前的导演作品包括：1987年的导演处女作《红高粱》、《菊豆》、《大红灯笼高高挂》，这些电影影响了西方人对旧中国的看法。

张艺谋也曾经违反政府规定。今年早些时候，他由于违反中国的独生子女政策而被罚款120万美元。他拒绝过多谈论这一问题。

《归来》未能入围戛纳电影节(Cannes Film Festival)主竞赛单元。从戛纳电影节回来几天后，张艺谋在北京的工作室接受了“中国实时报”(China Real Time)栏目的采访。他谈到了对武术的热爱，在中国拍摄文艺片的挑战以及他最喜欢的美国电视节目。以下是经过编辑的访谈内容：

问：现在为什么选择拍摄《归来》?

答：我一开始并没有选想要拍这个，只是碰巧看到了小说。中国特别需要好的电影剧本，但好剧本可遇不可求。尽管拿到这本小说并非计划之中，但拍《归 来》是自然而然的事情，因为我相信“两条腿走路”：一方面拍像《归来》这样的低成本文艺片，同时继续拍像《英雄》那样的商业片。(注：《英雄》是2002 年上映的武侠片，由李连杰主演。)

问：《归来》在商业上的成功是否有助于重振国产文艺片市场?

答：是的。我拍这部电影就是为了试探一下市场。如果我们失败了，骂两句就算了;但是如果表现还好，就能给我们带来信心。

问：你当时为什么决定拍《英雄》?

答：实际上我是个武侠迷。文化大革命那会儿我开始看武侠小说，当时属于禁书，17岁的时候我开始练武。

问：那拍第一部电影的时候为什么不拍武侠片呢?

答：我们这一群“第五代”导演刚刚开始拍片的时候，整个大环境是文艺片为主。所以我们拍了很多反映历史的片子，我对武侠的热爱也放到了一边。

问：《卧虎藏龙》的成功是否给你拍武侠片带来了灵感?

答：没有，在《卧虎藏龙》上映前，我已经在写一部武侠片的剧本。等到《卧虎藏龙》上映，我实际上是想放弃的，因为我不想让人觉得我在跟风。

问：在拍艺术片方面，你想走在其他导演前头吗?

答：我想扭转电影市场过度商业化的趋势。人们总是在说，中国电影市场需要多元化。我同意，如果只有商业片，市场是不健康的。所以我用完全不考虑商业的手法拍摄了《归来》。

问：你的下一部电影是好莱坞电影。能给我们透露更多信息吗?

答：对我来讲，这将是一个很大的挑战，因为这完全是一部英语电影。过去我拒接这类片子，但是在拍了《金陵十三钗》(部分对白是英语)后，觉得反响还不算太差，所以改变了想法。但是我只接拍有中国元素，与中国有关的电影。不然的话，我实在没有用武之地。

问：这部电影主要是瞄准国内观众还是国际观众?

答：我们瞄准的是全球观众，从选演员到写剧本都考虑到了国际市场。这部电影与《归来》很不一样，这是我第一次真正把国际市场放在心中。

问：你参与执导好莱坞电影对中国电影市场会有什么影响?

答：国内大部分导演和我一样，不会说英语。但是如果这次我能拍出一部好片子，或许更多的西方电影公司会来中国找“李艺谋”或者“王艺谋”。

问：跟好莱坞的团队合作与跟本土团队合作有什么区别?

答：好莱坞的人都非常专业。就说工作人员面试吧。候选人都是各自所在领域的大师，有着非常棒的简历。一些人甚至乘飞机过来参加面试。我非常吃惊。中国的情况就很不一样。

问：你看美剧和美国电影吗?

答：看得很多，比如《24小时》(24)、《绝命毒师》(Breaking Bad)和《纸牌屋》(House of Cards)。国内媒体报道的电视节目我全都看，包括韩剧《来自星星的你》。

问：你喜欢《纸牌屋》吗?

答：喜欢。Netflix把整整一季的节目都放到网上去的做法很有意思。

问：你最喜欢的美剧是什么?

答：我看的第一部美剧是斯皮尔伯格(Steven Spielberg)导演的《兄弟连》(Band of Brothers)。我一次把所有那些集都看完了。

问：你有最喜欢的外国演员吗?

答：有一次，我在为《十面埋伏》做推广的时候看到了丹泽尔·华盛顿(Denzel Washington)，我让我的翻译帮我跟他说了几句话。

问：好莱坞电影对中国市场有什么影响?

答：对市场有好处，因为这些世界级电影有助于提高本土观众的欣赏水平。但不好的方面在于口味。中国有进口配额，进口单位更喜欢花大钱制作的大片，这让中国观众成了挑剔的食客。看到一个获奖文艺片在中国票房惨败，我感到非常震惊。

问：你认为，中国电影市场面临的最迫切的问题是什么?

答：多元化的口味真的很重要。如果本土观众的口味不够多元化，不管你花多大力气打造文艺电影院都没有用。一部好的电影应该不仅仅是迎合本土观众的口味，还要帮助塑造他们的口味。