The Banquet
On the set of Mo Li Hua Kai (Jasmine Women)
A reporter from Beijing Youth Daily
asks
director Hou Yong a few questions
translated by Monkeypeaches
I heard you had been preparing for the film for 11 years?
Not that long, (but) I read Su Tong's book Funüshenghuo (LIFE OF WOMEN) 11 years ago. I liked it very much. (I) felt it was very beautiful, very smooth and very enjoyable, and (I think) it was very framable. At that time, I felt the urge to make a film (based on it). For all these years, I just could not forget it. Now everything is ready, therefore making a big-screen adaptation of it is naturally the next step to take.
What from the novel has drawn your attention and what are you going to show us in the film?
The feeling. Su Tong never used quotation marks for dialogues and he rarely use adjectives. I like his way of quietly telling us the fate of a woman. In this book, Su Tong shows us women, lived in different social environments and different times but share the same fate, and causing the sadness of their stories was their own faults. Starting from this, I want to explore some deeper meaning. Maybe I won't make it clearly, but I want to show I have (at least) thought about it and to show my love to women.
In the film, are you going to recreate the feeling from the book?
No. Later when I was working on the script, I realized I felt good while reading (the book) was only because I was fascinated by the language. Therefore in the film I will pursuit a different kind of feeling and taste.
Do you mean there will be a big difference between the book (and the film)?
The first two parts with Mo and Li are basically shot based on the book. The last part with Hua has been changed a lot and the ending will be much more brighter than in the book. I once tried to write the dialogues in Putonghua (Mandarin) with Shanghai slang. But (my fellow) screenwriter Zhang Xian said it was impossible to "translate" Shanghainese to Mandarin, therefore I gave up on writing those so-called Shanghai slang.
Tell me something about the cast. How did you recruit Zhang Ziyi to play Mo, Li and Hua?
I want the best actors in my film, of cause, and Zhang Ziyi is one of the best (Chinese) actresses of our times. I once wanted to cast Gong Li and at that time, Zhang Ziyi was still too young to handle three roles (in one film). I have already had very serious conversations with Zhang Ziyi and I have written down my thoughts of the roles, including many ideas. I believe Zhang Ziyi will handle it very well.
Joan Chen was recommended by Hu Xuehua. She is very humorous and very easy-going. I once worried about having trouble working well with her, because she is such a big star. But later I found out she was a very nice person. I told her she should knew how I felt, just like what she was working with Richard Gere (in Autumn in New York). Then she laughed, very loudly.
According to the script, the visual and music is very vital for the film.
That's right. The music will be Molihua (Jasmines, a Chinese folk song) and the composer (Zhang Ye) is the one who wrote Zou Jin Xin Shi Dai (Walk to New Age). What exactly the music is going to be - I don't want to say right now.
The shooting has started for 20 days. (note: the interview was conduced on March 27th.) As a first time director, are you satisfied by your work so far (note: he is a second time director actually)?
Not bad, just too nervous. There are a lot of things but I just don't have time for all of them. The ratio is 1:15 (14 feet of film wasted for each foot of usable film) and I still think that's not enough. For example, we spent four hours to shoot a hand soaked by rain outside a window. We have wasted too much time. It would be more time consuming for shots which are more tasteful and more enjoyable. I feel I am very nervous.
After becoming a director, I finally realized what an excellent cinematographer I am. That's right! I didn't know that before. As a cinematographer, I know how to completely, efficiently and remarkably achieve what the director is asking for. Therefore I won't give up being a cinematographer. Then I think, in the future, maybe I will be the cinematographer and hire a director to make another movie.
You can be both.
I think it won't be a good movie if the director and cinematographer are the same, so I must have someone else to be the director.
What do you expect from your directing début?
I am satisfied by what I have designed for this project. The design is having Zhang Ziyi to play three characters, the young Mo, Li and Hua. I believe this has never been done before and I will do it with my style.
Hou Yong's Filmography
As Cinematographer:
HERO / YING XIONG (2002) - director: Zhang Yimou
HAPPY TIMES / XING FU SHI GUANG (2001) - director: Zhang Yimou
THE ROAD HOME / WO DE FU QIN MU QIN (1999) - director: Zhang Yimou
NOT ONE LESS / YI GE DOU BU DENG SHAO (1999) - director: Zhang Yimou
LANAI-LOA - THE PASSAGE (1995) - director: Hu Xuehua
THE OPIUM WAR / YA PIAN ZHAN ZHENG (1997) - director: Xie Jin
STRANGERS IN BEIJING / HUN ZAI BEI JING (1996) - director: He Qun
WARRIOR LANLING / LAN LING WANG (1995) - director: Hu Xuehua
THE DAY THE SUN TURNED COLD / TIAN GUO NI ZI (1994) - director: Hao Yan
THE BLUE KITE / LAN FENG ZHENG (1993) - director: Tian Zhuangzhuang
TIAN CHU XUE / SKY IS BLEEDING (lit.) (?) (1991) - director: Hou Yong
EVENING BELL / WAN ZHONG (1988) - director: Wu Ziniu
Sun YATSEN / SUN ZHONG SHAN (1987) - director: Ding Yinnan
THE HORSE THIEF / DAO MA ZEI (1986) - Tian Zhuangzhuang
As Director:
TIAN CHU XUE / SKY IS BLEEDING (lit.) (1991)