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14 October, 2002
SPOTLIGHT
ON CHINA
ON THE SILVER SCREEN
I'm no expert, but I'm a fan of Japanese films.
 The somber simplicity of Ozu's "Tokyo Story." |
Yasujiro Ozu's steadfastly steady films were almost entirely shot from one angle (low, as if from the perspective of someone kneeling Japanese-style on a tatami mat) without fancy-schmancy tricks of the trade such as dissolves, fades or cameras panning across a scene. The simplicity of the directing forces you to absorb the characters and the dialogue, and immerses you in the story, not the cinematic effects. His 1953 "Tokyo Story" is a classic about how post-war Japanese values changed and families drifted apart; his 1959 "Hello" updated the theme with a healthy dose of humor.
More recently I've come to enjoy the work of "Beat" Takeshi Kitano, whose deadpan face - made more so by a 1994 motorcycle accident that nearly killed him and required months of physical therapy - has defined the cold fury of modern Japanese gangster films at the same time that he brings a bemused sense of humor to his roles. His 2000 US-funded movie "Brother" is typical of his incredibly violent yakuza stories, while the 1999 "Kikujiro," in which he portrays a tough guy who has a soft spot for a kid he's accompanying on a trip, shows his softer side.
I've also enjoyed individual movies: "Tampopo" (a wonderful story about a ramen shop), "Shall We Dance" (about searching for individuality through dance lessons) and "Afterlife" (a funny and smart film about life and death).
 Beat Takeshi plays a nice guy in "Kikujiro." |
But with few exceptions - anime being the notable one - it's difficult to feed my hunger for Japanese films. I'm at the mercy of my local Blockbuster and occasional shopping sprees on Amazon.com.
So this week, I've been tasting a different diet of movies: Chinese.
For its 25th anniversary year, the Starz Denver International Film Festival is presenting a "Salute to Chinese Cinema" as part of its 11-day lineup at Denver's Starz Film Center. The festival every year spotlights a country or world region with a series of films from that area.
| I'm at the mercy of my local Blockbuster and occasional shopping sprees on Amazon.com it's difficult to feed my hunger for Japanese films. |
This year, 11 out of the DIFF's over 150 movies were made in China.
The films presented in the "Salute to Chinese Cinema" include the US premiere of "Together," the charming latest film by director/actor Chen Kaige, about a 13-year-old violin prodigy from a small village who comes with his father to Beijing and falls in love for the first time. Kaige's other films include "Farewell My Concubine" and "The Empress and the Assassin." A three-film tribute to Chen Kaige, director of "Together" and a leading light of the current generation of Chinese filmmakers, also includes his best-known film "Farewell My Concubine" and his first feature, "Yellow Earth."
Other films featured in the series reflect the variety of historical and contemporary themes being addressed by Chinese filmmakers, and include "Roots and Branches," Yu Zhong's story of love and loss which was China's top-grossing film of 2001.
There are also several classics of the Hong Kong martial arts industry that are right up my pop-culture alley, including "Come Drink with Me," director King Hu's landmark 1966 film, which launched the fabled Hong Kong martial arts career of Cheng Pei Pei. She's now best-known to US audiences at the evil Jade Fox of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Plus, the festival is screening "The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies," a documentary from Starz Films that pays homage to the genre and its history, with narration by Samuel Jackson.
The series even includes a panel discussion,
"Poetry in Motion: The Art of the Action Movie," with Cheng Pei Pei and
Chinese culture expert Scarlet Cheng, which also features a performance
of sword dancing by Cheng Pei Pei's daughter Marsha Yuan.
 Leslie Cheung (left) and Zhang Fengyi in "Farewell My Concubine," director Chen Kaige's epic tragedy. |
Guests from China such as Wu Ke, the director of China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), as well as noted directors and actors, came to Denver to present their films. They were introduced at a press conference, during which Wu spoke about the power of films to serve as a cultural bridge between countries, and how movies are now helping to open Western hearts and minds to the people in China.
Chen Kaige, who attended with his wife Chen Hong, who produced and acts with him in "Together," has attended the DIFF before, to screen his 1999 film, "The Empress and the Assassin." He said that although his reputation was made on historical epics, his current interest lies in capturing the essence of contemporary China and the lives of its people. There are so many changes occurring in modern China as it joins the test of the world as an economic and cultural power, he said, "We want the world to know we're doing something interesting."
In question-and-answer sessions after both "Together" and "Farewell My Concubine," Chen spoke eloquently about his career as a filmmaker and about his life during such life-changing eras as China's Cultural Revolution, when artistic endeavors were frowned upon ("Concubine" powerfully captures the issues that clashed during this time).
The Q&A with Cheng Pei Pei following the martial arts masterpiece "Come Drink with Me" was equally eloquent, with the Hong Kong-based actress explaining how her reputation was sealed by the film even though she had acted in other types of movies for the Shaw Brothers studio before it.
Judging by the attendance at various Chinese films during the DIFF, for martial arts movies as well as art-house releases, Chinese cinema already has a place in American filmgoers' hearts. As Wu Ke noted during the press conference, "Although there is the great distance of the Pacific Ocean between our two countries, we feel there is no distance between us today."
I've cherished the opportunity to enjoy so many Chinese films, and to feel more connected to the Chinese culture and people of yesterday and today. But it would be great if some day the DIFF can turn its annual spotlight on Japan - not only so I can learn more about Japanese films, but also so everyone else can learn more about Japan.
Note: For more information about the Denver International Film Festival and the Denver Film Society, which produces the annual event, visit http://denverfilm.org.