The Banquet
Zhang Ziyi Talks About Purple Butterfly,
The Day Before Her Trip To Cannes
From MonkeyPeaches, May 20, 2003
The day before flying to Cannes, Zhang Ziyi had an telephone interview with Shenyang Today. She talked about the film, the director, her co-stars and herself...
Acting
"The best way to get experience is to act, because making (a) film is a long process, by which I kept improving myself and rediscovering myself, and (I) need time and effort to understand it. Every time I make a film, I learn, and review what I have learned from the process. And a person grows by continuously accumulating work and life experience."
Favorite Project
"Among the projects I have done, I can't say which one is my favorite, because my productivity is very low. Last year, there was just Purple Butterfly, and this this there are only 2046 and Mo Hua Li Kai (Jasmine Women.) "I'm not the kind person who wants high onscreen appearance rate and take projects without a guideline. I must be responsible for the project I chose, and once I made commitment to it, I must cherish it. For an actor, once decided, must then do their best. Whether one did his or her best, will be seen in the end."
Cinema
"Cinema is just like a steamed bun, just a piece of it, unlike pizza, whose toppings can be clearly seen. Cinema is something of a mixture."
"Cinema is an art of teamwork. It requires a good team and a good overall feeling. After watching a movie, people may not be able to say who is the best or which part (of it) is the best, but (they) will be attracted by it and I think this should be the best result. If only attractive one dimensionally, then I think the audiences do not understand it fully; if only attractive by a section of it, then the film is not very successful."
Purple Butterfly
"Performance in Purple Butterfly is very simple. Actors were not wearing makeup nor lavish costume. You can even see the dots on our faces. (laugh) The director (Lou Ye) is so bold, and the actors are also pretty bold, because we don't look so well. But I believe that's closer to the characters in the film and that's all I want."
"About the characters, I think although they lived in a time different from ours, their reaction and attitude toward (a certain) event are the same. I can't tell whether I like my character or not. Just wait until I see it. I haven't see the film yet! It will be premièred in Cannes on (May) 22nd and it would my viewing of the film."
"The film is talking about a kind of strength. Director Lou Ye didn't give us too much direction and our performances felt very improvisational. The actors were following their feelings, no rehearsal, no telling you to lay down, you just lay down. No telling you to jump up, you just jump up. So it's a big challenge, not only for actors, but also for the cinematographer, Wang Yu."
"Four leads, Feng Yuanzheng, Liu Ye, Li Bingbing and me, are all from Central Experimental Drama Group, and we know each other very well. You know in before, I made movies either in abroad, or worked with actors from Hong Kong or Taiwan, there were many differences. This time it's different, we worked together very relaxedly. The entire team is consisted of young people and Lou Ye is also very young. We worked together very relaxedly. Staying with so many young people, I could feel the existence of enthusiasm.
Lou Ye, the Director
"In before, I hadn't take any role like it, and he but offered me the opportunity. This was a great trust and it made me feel moved. After we wrapped up each shot, I didn't talk too much with him. But I remember in the end he said to me, "Well done, Ziyi!" Then I just couldn't control my tears. I really hope he could win, really. He is very quiet everyday. He probably never praised anyone on the set. So this simple word made feel he was serious. I will watch the film very carefully, to see whether I have done what he has asked for."
Jasmine Women (Mo Li Hua Kai) and Cannes
"We are working overtime to make Mo Li Hua Kai. I even got confused with day and nighttime. I just leave (the set) whenever they tell me to leave. I don't know what I will wear at Cannes. There are many (designers?) working for me. I will decide when arrived in Cannes. I am excited about going to Cannes. I go there to cheer for Purple Butterfly."
Zhang Ziyi's Luck
"That's right, I'm really lucky and I'm a fatalist. Many things have happened to me. They just happened, I don't know why, I don't know when, just happened. But sometimes opportunity is same for everyone. It's up to you to handle it. Lou Ye didn't think I was able to take the role. He gave me an odd of 1:1. Take it or not is up to whether I am capable of."
"Many things are linked together. Nothing happens by accident. Everyone must be worthy of every day, every moment. This is enough."
Success
"An actor should always feel accomplished, but with one condition - treating every project seriously. If the project is the result of your hard work, you will feel deeply. If you don't take it seriously, maybe some gives you a good review, but you can't improve yourself."
"As an actress, I am not afraid of being classified, because each actor wants different kind of recognitions from different roles."
Purple Butterfly's Bid for Golden Palm
"I'm not nervous at all, because I have done my best."
************
Interview in Nanfang Daily, November 15, 2002
Let's talk about Purple Butterfly. It is a story of the relationship between a female spy and several men?
Taking it, I finally got a movie in which I had more than just a few minutes. (Laugh) I think it is not about a "story". Lou Ye (director) still sticks to his own style. The style cannot be found in the script, and it is invisible. But it is not purely just about a story or just about love.
I heard there is a very hot passion scene in the film. Have you ever hesitated?
Yes.
How hesitating?
It's a kind of mood. I played an underground worker. To approach the target, I returned to my ex-lover, the character played by Nakamura Tôru. His superior was also my superior, and was (also) in love with me. He sent me to the boy (Nakamura Tôru's character) and his heart was tortured. There is a scene: I agreed to be his date. I rediscovered the feeling from the past and the feeling of real love came back. This is the scene I remember the most. We left a room and walked to the end of an alley. He kept walking and I started to walk back. We left each other without a word. I kept walking but still wanted to see him. (I) walked slower and slower and suddenly turned around. I run to the end of the alley, once reached the boy, I lighted up a cigarette and stopped. Lou Ye said "cut". Then the only thing left for me was just running back to the boy and giving him a look. But after several takes, I have become very excited and felt there was more to unleash. (I) asked Lou Ye, "can you give me a little bit more time? Don't just let it end now." Lou Ye agreed. At that time my emotion was very high. After run back, once saw him, I started to cry.
To be a good actor is really something extraordinary. I must thank Nakamura Tôru. He didn't have to do anything, but he watched me very cooperatively. Lou Ye was also smart and he had moved in front of me. (?) I just couldn't control myself. I felt that was not acting, couldn't stop, just kept crying. You loved him so much. Then he quietly tried to calm you down. The next was that passion scene. Maybe just walked into the house, left the door open, and jumped to the bed directly. The scene would be done like that.
You just jumped to the bed directly?
No. Because we didn't know much about each other and had few conversations. We were quite reasonable. Nakamura Tôru even said, "to shoot this kind of scenes, our Japanese usually sit down, have a cup of tea, and talk, to gradually built up (the mood)." But the mood had already built up and we didn't have time for any tea, probably just rushed in and left the door open. It was really like that. But we didn't make it too rush. We had a hug first. That scene was a good test for me and (I) didn't have any distracting thought.
Were you asked to wear less?
No. I wore just like everyday. It was to show a kind of attitude. Looks like some people think passion scene is just "bed scene", must stripping and having sex. Some passion scenes, like Moon's big cry after those two persons' death, were also big passion scenes.
Among Nakamura Tôru, Liu Ye and Feng Yuanzheng, who cooperated with you the best?
I remembered the most is the scene with that boy. The most relaxed was Liu Ye. I have known Feng Yuanzheng for a long time. He has shown in many movies and TV series. My mom likes him and even went to see him once. Liu Ye, Feng Yuanzheng and I are all working for the same troupe, China Modern Drama Troupe. So does Li Bingbing.
What is your look in Purple Butterfly?
I curved my hair. This is where the misunderstanding came from: Liu Ye said I changed my look for the film. Later it became I had some plastic surgery. Liu Ye is a bit clumsy (note: not a bad word in Chinese). My look in the film is quite simple, the Qipaos (a kind of traditional Chinese dress) I wore are not as gorgeous as those from IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE. Lou Ye wanted a kind of documentary style. Therefore the actors did not wear makeup and the lightning was also very simple.
(Originally published by Nanfang Daily)