With only three major works over the past decade, He Ping is hardly a prolific film director. But he has established himself as a prestigious "Fifth Generation" director, equal to legends like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.
Now he is back with Tian Di Ying Xiong (Warriors of Heaven and Earth), a film, in his own words, "very much superb, one you've never seen before in Chinese film history, one way beyond your imagination."
As an echo to his words, "Warriors" has been nominated in China to contend for next year's Academy Awards in the United States in the Best Foreign Film category.
But since its late September Beijing premiere, the film has received mixed reviews among audiences and critics.
Copycat or unique?
Warriors of Heaven and Earth was shot one month earlier than Zhang Yimou's sweeping box office hit Ying Xiong (Hero) (2002), and its original title was reportedly Heroes of Heaven and Earth.
Inevitably, the two movies are frequently compared as both assume a similar theme - trying to define the true meaning of a hero.
But the director argued that the original idea came out as early as 1984, long before Hero took its shape.
That he did not pick up the idea and develop it into a full length feature until 1991 is just "because the technical and financial conditions were not ripe at that time."
Still, some audiences and critics say they can feel strong influences from previous smash hits such as Japanese film guru Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, the Hollywood film Braveheart, or the South Korean epic film Musa the Warrior (2002) which stars Zhang Ziyi, Jung Woo-sung and Ahn Sung-ki.
At the ending of the film, where the mystic light of a sacred object shines before evil and saves the heroes, reminds the audiences of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) of the Indiana Jones series.
Though the director says the way the film ends is "very unique in Chinese film history" and has labeled it as kind of "magic realism," some movie-goers find it hard to accept the claim of the director, himself the screenwriter as well.
But the director never shows any regret about his work and says whether the film is good or bad is to be judged by individual audience.
He shot to stardom as a top level director after he made the kung fu film Shuangqi Zhen Dao Ke (The Swordsman in the Two-flagged Town) in 1991.
A perfectionist who works slowly, his other films include Pao Da Shuang Deng (Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker, 1994) and Ri Guang Xia (Sunlit Valley, 1996).
A blockbuster?
Although the box office yields high - about 6 million yuan (US$724,000) in the first half of October in Beijing, the film hardly surpasses that of Zhang Yimou's Hero which scored an unprecedented revenue of about 250 million yuan (US$30 million) in the Chinese film market.
But Warriors has been hailed by many as the "first ever domestic blockbuster" made in China.
With a budget of about US$10 million, much more than that for a common Chinese-made film, the film was jointly invested and produced by the Huayi Taihe Brothers, Xi'an Film Studio and SONY Pictures - Columbia Tristar's Asian branch.
The film is reportedly made by a crew consisting mostly of Chinese film professionals.
And the computerized special effects were also reportedly done by Chinese digital artists.
In contrast, Zhang Yimou's Hero, though partly financed by Chinese companies, was made largely with help from overseas professionals, industry insiders say.
To secure box office appeal, the film boasts a mixed cast including veteran actors Jiang Wen and Wang Xueqi, Japanese screen idol Kiichi Nakai, and popular Chinese actress Zhao Wei.
And most importantly, the film has a good story with engrossing plots and interesting characters, and the story is clearly told in a very dramatic way, critics say.
"Although people may be divided when they review the film, I think I have already succeeded in keeping them totally absorbed in my story from the very beginning to the very end," said the director.
The film bears a strong Chinese flavor, but nothing in it poses a cultural barrier for overseas audiences.
Renowned cinematographer Zhao Fei, who has worked with American film master Woody Allen since 1999 in three films, recreates the stunning beauty of landscapes in Northwest China.
Indian composer A. R. Rahman contributes soul-stirring music for this action film.
To promote the film, the production companies have launched a series of publicity stunts in major Chinese cities including grand premiere ceremonies, extensive media coverage, official websites which offers information about the film, interactive games and downloadable content.
"The Warriors set a good example for how Chinese filmmakers can make a successful commercial Chinese movie.
The director is earnestly making a film for himself, for investors and the global audiences as well," said Da Ma, a critic with the New Cinema magazine.
He said that the director has a pragmatic approach toward the film and did not spoil it with the dream of churning out an art-house film that caters only to a handful of people.
According to Da, if cinema is seen as both an art form and a potentially powerful industry, "...the future of Chinese mainstream cinema depends on the amount and quality of this type of well-crafted Chinese films."
Epic or China's Western?
Although the film has lots of spectacular kung fu fight sequences and war scenes, the director refuses to call Warriors a kung fu film.
"My film does not deal with great historic figures or great historic events, but I have tried to bring out an epic that eulogizes common people who were forced by fate to perform heroic deeds," said the director.
However, many say the film falls short of becoming a great epic film.
Rather, some call it a costume "cops-and-robbers" epic, a Chinese version of a Hollywood Western.
"The film is very good, compared with most domestic films," said Xiao Dong, a filmgoer.
"But that is all. Little in the film goes deep into my heart, which I expected but was disappointed."
For one thing, the characterization was not fully accomplished.
"I did not see anything beyond my imagination as the director touted before its screening," said film critic Li Ershi.
"The film is far away from becoming an intelligent box office hit like The Matrix which is both mind-boggling to enjoy, and at the same time offers something deeper to think about," Li said.
Jiang Wen, as the rebel Captain Li, delivered a decent performance, but the weakness in the script leaves the character only two-dimensional.
It is the same with Zhao Wei, in the role of Wen Zhu, who made a better appearance than many of her previous roles after the lovely "Little Swallow" in the popular TV soap opera Princess Huanzhu.
But there is not enough room for her role to fully grow.
Many left unsatisfied when they find no sparkling chemistry between Captain Li and Wen Zhu.
The Japanese actor Kiichi Nakai perhaps had the greatest breakthrough with his role, but some audiences feel that his portrayal of the Japanese emissary is not masculine enough.
Still, his awkward command of the Chinese language makes the role, who stayed in China's Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) for nearly 25 years, a bit unconvincing.
True-to-life roles, instead, are the most interesting and most lively when portrayed, critics say.
Wang Xuqi's role of the bandit leader and Wang Deshun's role as the "never-say-die" old bandit, have impressed the audience most.
A reason why some filmgoers feel disappointed about Warriors is probably because they have too many expectations on this commercial film that had so much hype before its debut.
Why not just see it, enjoy it, then walk away and forget it?
Anyway, it is just a piece of entertainment for audiences to judge on their own.
(China Daily October 24, 2003)
