Want to interview Leslie Cheung.

Leslie Cheung-18 Struggle hard.

Q: Why did you go to Leeds University in the UK?

Zhang: Your question reminds me of my boyhood. I didn't study well at that time, but my English was not bad. (In Hong Kong) You have to be good at English, Chinese and math to finish high school, but my math has been very low! Because my English is better, my father encouraged me to study in England. He said so, so I went! At that time, my father was a very famous tailor. He had made clothes for Marlon Brando, William Hutton, Alfred Hitchcock and gary grant. Then I left Hong Kong. My childhood was very unhappy because my parents divorced. I have two mothers, one is my mother and the other is my father's wings-this was very common at that time. Leaving Hong Kong is like going to a "home for teenagers". I was very happy when I studied in England for several years. I finished high school, but I didn't finish college. I studied textile because my father wanted me to inherit his career. But I don't like this major at all. I don't want to be a tailor I just finished my freshman year in college, and my father had a stroke because of drinking, so I had to give up my studies and return to Hong Kong. When I first got back, I did nothing all day. Later, I started selling jeans and shoes in two stores. Then I took part in a singing contest. I passed all the preliminaries and finally entered the finals. It was a new beginning of my life. I was twenty years old that year.

Q: Have you ever sung a song before taking part in a singing contest?

Zhang: Of course! I started singing when I was a teenager. I especially like David Bowie. I don't sing rock music very much, but sometimes I sing in a Chinese restaurant run by my friend. I like singing love songs and folk songs … I didn't sing for money at that time, but I think it was the beginning of my singing career.

Q: Then why did you give up your singing career?

Zhang: Because I'm tired of it. 1989 gave up singing career. At that time, I had a strong opponent: Alan Tam. I was attacked by his fans once. I feel stupid, because as rivals, we can compete in a way that is loyal to ourselves, instead of attacking each other like enemies. 1983 I swore to myself that I would climb the summit in five years, and then I quit, and it really happened! Another reason (my resignation) was the unstable political situation in Hong Kong at that time. Everyone wants to leave and find a way out for the future, so do I, so I went to Canada, the safest and most peaceful place in the world. I like it very much because I feel particularly relaxed there. However, life there is really boring! There is nothing new every day, a pool of stagnant water. I live in Vancouver, a beautiful house with a wide view and first-class scenery. When I first moved here, I liked it very much. I have a cup of coffee, an egg and a piece of bacon every morning, and then what? what am I supposed to do？ Spend the rest of your life there? ..... I don't want to! Even if I have decided to resign and leave Hong Kong, I don't want to live like this all my life! Then a good opportunity came-or I found a good excuse. Before I left Hong Kong, Wong Kar-wai and I made our first film, The True Story of Teddy Boy, for which I won the Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards. At that time, I wanted to give up everything, not just my singing career, because I was really tired and bored, and I didn't want anything to do with Hong Kong or even the mainland. But life in Canada is not for me. Wong Kar-wai, John Woo, other Hong Kong filmmakers and Chen Kaige all called me (telling me to go back to filming), which was a very good excuse for me to go back to Hong Kong.

Q: So how did you start your acting career?

Zhang: When I was a singer, directors paid attention to me. I used to work in a TV production company in the early stage of my singing career because they owned the copyright of my singing contest tracks. I signed a contract with them for three years. I have made many plays for this company, so I have the opportunity to meet many directors. But I hadn't learned how to be an actor at that time. I don't want to be an actor at all. When I had to shoot, I said, "OK, I'll try."

Q: Do you think you are a born actor? Do you like taking those photos over and over again?

Zhang: No one can stop me! I always have a lot of improvisations on the spot, and I like this way! There is a very special situation in Hong Kong, that is, no one will write a script for you. They never have a story outline, except Tsui Hark and John Woo. They just like it when you play live. Of course, it's not the same as filming in Chen Kaige. I got the script three months before filming Farewell My Concubine. If it weren't for this, I wouldn't be able to play (the role) at all, because I have never spoken Mandarin.

Q: Did you play the Man-Han Banquet directed by Tsui Hark?

Zhang: I cooperate with him very well. That movie is not his best, but it is very funny. I work very well with Anita Yuen, and I like filming with her very much. Tsui Hark is a very good director.

Q: Then how did he cooperate with the actors?

Zhang: Don't go to Tsui Hark's set, he is not easy to serve! He scolds technicians, but never blames actors. He always gets along well with actors. But, on the other hand, he wants to be the 1 in the film industry. After John Woo and Wong Kar-wai both made their own achievements, it was not so easy to realize his wish. But I think he is one of the better directors and producers in Hong Kong. I don't think the film "The King of Strikes" that he co-produced with jean-claude van damme is good. I have always disapproved of those directors who make movies in Hollywood desperately. There are more opportunities to make better movies in Hong Kong and Asia. Why do they go to Hollywood to shoot those bad films and ruin their careers, names and reputations?

Not everyone (going to Hollywood) is as lucky as John Woo, but I think he spent more money to repeat what he had filmed before. What else will he shoot after FACE/OFF? He made such a film ten years ago! Hollywood also asked me to make movies, but I feel really sad, because the role I was asked to play turned out to be a Japanese ninja! Why should I act? I will never play the Japanese ninja! Do you know Buffy the Ghost Catcher? That's just a second-rate or third-rate movie in Hollywood! They let me play the vampire in it! Chow Yun Fat is in Hollywood now, but I'm very disappointed in his "Alternative Killer" co-produced with Minasovino. That was definitely a mistake! He is a superstar! He shouldn't have played a role in that movie! Even a good actor like jeremy irons can make such a bad movie in America-what a great actor he is in Europe! But I don't like those movies he played in America. Besides, I have nothing to say about Wang Ying's film: the important moment of Hong Kong's return designed by this film (china box) caters to foreigners completely.

Q: Do you think Tsui Hark is the representative of a new generation of directors who appeared in the 1980s?

Zhang: Even in the late 1970s, he was a representative of avant-garde films. During that time, he made many very important films. At that time, he was the king of Hong Kong movies. He likes politics very much. Every movie of Tsui Hark is about politics. In Ghost Story (Tsui Hark is the producer), the granny tree demon refers to the xx government, which controls the poor ghost. They are completely manipulated. The same is true of the Manchu-Han banquet. Even in his martial arts movie Huang Feihong 1, you can find a similar meaning.

Q: What do you think is the most different relationship between John Woo and Tsui Hark and the actors?

Zhang: It's easier to cooperate with John Woo. He is very nice, so it is easier to communicate with him. In contrast, Tsui Hark is a bit domineering, much like Chen Kaige. Never talk to Tsui Hark when he is angry! I have a very good relationship with Chen Kaige. But John Woo is really a great guy, although he has never shown it on the set. John travolta and Nicolas Cage both said so. John Woo is the kind of person who is willing to do everything for him after you finish filming with him.

Q: Did he give you a lot of performance freedom when you were filming?

Zhang: Yes, a lot. He will explain a lot of things to you first, when I was a big boy. Hero is one of the most important films in my acting career. He was the first person to explain my work in such detail: where is the light and how to have a better angle in the lens ... When making a movie, you must clearly know the lens angle and lighting. What he taught me will be of great help to my future work.

Q: It must be a very special experience for you to shoot The True Story of Teddy Boy.

Zhang: Oh! Wong Kar-wai! I love him and hate him! He is a very talented guy, but acting in his movies is too painful! He didn't tell you anything before he made the movie, and he didn't have a script. I worked with him in three films, each of which was difficult to act. I don't think I will make a fourth film with him again. Although ... maybe not! This guy is really talented! I don't want to talk about my relationship with him. Let's start with him and his assistants. For example, Du Kefeng, a very good photographer, and Zhang Shuping, Mei Zhi and the editor. But as his actor, you are a tool. I improvise a lot in Wong Kar-wai's movies because you never know what he will do next. He will do this today, and he may do that again tomorrow. It's not fair! Hey, tall man! Tell me more about the bad orders! ! !

Q: Is there anything I didn't even tell you when I was filming The True Story of Teddy Boy?

Zhang: It was better when shooting that play. But it was very troublesome when shooting "Ashes of Time". Because he stopped in the middle of filming "Chongqing Forest" (filming "East Evil") and those horrible experiences of staying in the desert. I started playing a role for 20 days, and suddenly he wanted to replace me with another role in the movie, and he also used the scenes he had taken before-there is no denying that he is a genius, but I really hate him! Sometimes I say to him, "Wong Kar-wai! I will never make a movie with you again! " On the other hand, working with him will bring me a lot of happiness, which is impossible when working with other mediocre directors in the industry. I've been in this business for 18 years, I know this circle, and I really want to be a director myself. Wong Kar-wai gave me all the honors. Every time I cooperated with him, I was nominated by the Hong Kong Film Awards and won two Best Actor Awards.

Q: What's the story of Breath in Early Spring?

Zhang: About the relationship between two characters. There is no difference (from other movies) in essence. His only request to us (and I agree with him very much) is: Don't play the gay face that many people imagine … Don't discuss homosexuality like most Hong Kong movies, or deliberately create a "masculine" or feminine role … No! Wong Kar-wai asked me to play two ordinary men naturally, but two men can have sex together. I agree with him that this is actually a very common love story.

Q: What did Chen Kaige tell you when he filmed Farewell My Concubine? What is the script like?

Zhang: Actually, I read that novel ten years ago and I like it very much. Chen Kaige thinks Jiang Wen can play one of the roles. Chen Kaige is a director who wants to control the scene, but sometimes I disagree with him. I know the original novels and characters very well. I think this film caters to foreign markets a bit. Because of this, the role of Gong Li plays a very important role in the play, but in fact, this role only occupies a few pages in the original novel. I think Chen Kaige wants to create a love triangle, so I said to him, "This is obviously a love story between two men. Why do you have to add such a female role? " He thinks I'm right.

Q: Did you know anything about Beijing Opera before filming Farewell My Concubine?

Zhang: Not at all! So I need to study Mandarin and Peking Opera for half a year. I acted all the scenes of Beijing Opera in the movie, except singing. Because my voice is male, and the voice in the play is female. But to my surprise, the Beijing Opera teacher in Shanghai (who suspected that the reporter here had made a mistake-the translator) gave me a high evaluation. They all thought that I had studied opera before.

Q: Then how can you learn Peking Opera so quickly?

Zhang: As a singer, I have a lot of stage experience. I often dance when I sing, which is very helpful for me to master the stage art of Beijing opera. I can act those scenes well, but I can't act the whole play. I have to rely on Chen Kaige. It was the first time I went to Chinese mainland, when I was 33 years old. Before that, I dare not go to the mainland. Now I have many good friends in Beijing and teachers who teach me Peking Opera. At that time, I suddenly couldn't speak Cantonese or any other language, but only Mandarin. You know this is the best way to learn a language: you must speak up and say that if you make a mistake, you will get help to correct your pronunciation.

Q: Will Chen Kaige clearly tell you his thoughts and intentions when filming?

Zhang: Actually, he gave me a lot of freedom. And Wong Kar-wai will talk to me for a long time before the real shoot. We shoot a lot of groups every time we shoot. But it was very different when filming Romantic Moon. Kaige gave me more room for expression and we became good friends. He trusts me very much.

Q: Did he accept your suggestion about this role?

Zhang: He knows more about ancient China and Peking than I do. But he knows little about Shanghai. I don't think something is right-I'm not criticizing him-I mean, Farewell My Concubine is definitely a masterpiece, but romance is not. However, the romantic moon is very passionate, but Beijingers are different from Shanghainese. Kaige is from Beijing, Shanghai is in the south of China, and Beijing is in the north. There are some places in Romantic Moon that I didn't play correctly or in place (regional sense). Although I have never lived in Chinese mainland before, I can feel it personally. Later, some of my friends felt the same way.

Q: The photographer of Farewell My Concubine is Gu Changwei, and the photographer of Romantic Moon is Du Kefeng. What do you think of them?

Zhang: It's hard to compare. Gu Changwei likes to use a long shot with static push, so he must be accurate; Du Kefeng is very special, a very strange guy! You can't see those static push mirrors in Romance-he likes to use his laptop and he is always moving himself. There are many wonderful sparks when working together, and it feels great! Undoubtedly, he is one of the best photographers. He is a very interesting guy! But don't let him drink too much beer, or you'll be miserable! I remember that some scenes had to be reshaped when filming The True Story of Teddy Boy. Do you know why? -Because that guy was drunk while filming! Always dizzy like a drunk cat!

Q: Du Kefeng once talked about the art of getting along with actors.

Zhang: I don't pay much attention to how he did it, because I don't know what the film will look like when it comes out-no one knows. You just have to do what he says. I gave him many different styles to choose from when I was filming Spring Break. He asked for six, so I gave him six. Sometimes I even changed my lines.

Q: Do you like watching (unedited) porn?

Zhang: No, I never watch it.

Q: Do you watch your own movies?

Zhang: There are some. If I think which play is good enough, I will go to see it. But at the shooting scene, I like to look at the scene just taken on the monitor. Discuss with the director while watching: Can this angle be better? How can I do better? Why should I do this? I will ask a lot of questions. But I only ask these questions if I believe in the ability of directors, such as excellent directors like Wong Kar-wai and Chen Kaige. ...

Q: Besides what we talked about today, which of your own movies do you like better?

Zhang: golden branches and jade leaves (1994). The process of filming with Chen Kexin is very interesting. But now he has the same problem-he wants to go to Hollywood. There is really no way! -Guan He is different. Guan is the director of Rouge Kou. "Rouge Kou" is a very good movie, and I think it is the best movie. Chen Kexin's films are about gender identity. The film is funny, but it is not intentional. Everyone is familiar with Guan, Wong Kar-wai and John Woo, but few people know it. In fact, he has made many good films in recent years, such as Sweet Honey by Maggie Cheung (1996). This film is a commercial and artistic success.

Another movie I like very much is Yu Rentai's bride with white hair. This film is very special and unusual. The heroine is Brigitte Lin in Chongqing Forest. This movie is very interesting and romantic. It tells a story about love and betrayal. The expression of this story is very intuitive and dramatic.

Q: Why do you want to be a director?

Zhang: An actor like me who has been in the business for 18 years must work hard as a director, because the director is the soul of the whole movie.

Interview time:1998 February 21;

Interview location: Berlin;

Interviewers: Michelle Simonte, Hubert Nigret.

Published in Positif magazine, No.455, 1999.

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