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"Lust, Caution" Hits Japan

 
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summertime



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 923

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 4:39 am    Post subject: "Lust, Caution" Hits Japan

http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/12/05/1261@301627.htm


http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/12/05/1261@301627_1.htm


http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/12/05/1261@301627_2.htm
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Eri



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 589
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:32 pm    Post subject:

Press interview (in Japanese)

http://blog-wisepolicy.st-margarets.main.jp/?cid=34045

There was a press interview in Tokyo with Ang Lee, Tang Wei and Wang Leehom on 4 Dec. It lasted more than 1 hour, so I can't write all of the interviews but I just translated some of them which I found interesting.
(there might be some mistakes due to the interview was in Chinese with Japanese interpretation and I translated from Japanese to English)

Ang Lee's comments

I tried to search for human's depths through the war in the distorted society at that time. Certainly one of the themes of this movie is the war, although the bullet is not drawn at all, it is about a war between the man and the woman, and not only the war between Chinese and Japanese, but also among Chinese ourselves.

I had two ambitions in production, and to tell the truth, it was a bed scene and scene of the mah-jong.
The mah-jong is one of the games of the national characteristics of China.
Four person's seating position is just like Walled Castle, and I wanted to shoot these scenes as the civil war.
As for an interesting point of Eileen Chang's original was the style starts from the scene to play mah-jong, only the women in the place and drawing how the men rush into the war from woman's point of view. Even though these women don't talk directly, you can see they were thinking about a lot of things. How much does Mrs.Yee knows about ? How many of these ladies at the mah-jong table had an affair with Mr.Yee ? You can see Men's war through women's Colloquial Fighting.
Therefore, though their expressions, actions, and the movements of the body look graceful, when the content of the word is examined closely, a very extreme offensive and defensive battle is developed. That's exactly this film, so I wanted to take the scene of the mah-jong very much.
Moreover, the tablecloth is covering the mah-jong table, and the bed sheet is covering the bed. There is the different world on each sheet, and the relation of the man and woman is drawn in the shape of the occupation and being-occupied in the bedroom scene.
Also the heroine borrowed the role of Mrs Mak, approached Mr.Yee, and wished that he admit her through sex. She wanted him to admit her love and a kind of affection, and finally, she succeeded. That's why the bedroom scene is important. Drawing not only the lust but also human's feelings here, and to make this possible, it was necessary to take it neatly by all means, and we were making an effort for 12 days in a very private environment. I am very happy to be able to do that through three bedroom scenes, and would like to thank wonderful actors who sacrificing themselves to perform these.

After "Brokeback Mountain", it was natural for me to make "Lust Caution" because they are like sisters, and nothing to do with Oscar.
The common feature of these are prohibited love, and an impossible romance.
And both were short stories written by a woman and cruelly drawn from woman's aspect. These stories are also touching taboos in the society. It is scary to treat such a theme. In the "Brokeback Mountain" Cowboy's homosexuality was drawn in the world of conservative man centered society.
In "Lust Caution", it was woman's mind in the age when the patriotism was called out.
Searching for a theme common in a fundamental part was an inevitable for me.

This time, working with these actors including Tony Leung is the luckiest stages in my life. These three people expressed my three sides. Leehom performed my innocence, Tang Wei performed my mind, and though hesitated to say, Tony performed the fragility of the mind as a man. These three people were exactly my doubles.


Last edited by Eri on Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:19 pm; edited 1 time in total
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summertime



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 923

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 6:09 pm    Post subject:

Hi Eri,

Thank you very much for the translation - I really appreciate your efforts Smile

Lots of additional background info from Ang Lee !
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Eri



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 589
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:22 pm    Post subject:

Hello summertime,

I will write a little more about others, later.
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Eri



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 589
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:54 pm    Post subject:

More of the Tokyo Press interviews

Tang Wei said

Tony is a wonderful actor. By acting with Tony, I actually know what "Beautiful and intelligent"¡]¤~¦â­Ý³Æ¡^ means for the first time. It was the first big role for me, and acting with Tony, I am very lucky. Tony didn't treat me as a newcomer, and made me relaxed, sometimes leaded me and helped me to be the person in the film.
I wouldn't be able to act Wong Chachi as alive as that without Tony's help.
Also he is always try his best to be the person and work on it.

Leehom and I were both newcomers in film, so we were growing up together.
Although I was worried at first, because he was a singer, and I wasn't sure he would act seriously, I was surprised by how serious he was. He was taking notes and looking up dictionary all the time and studied Chinese very hard. His acting was also great. At the murder scene, after he turned the man's head by force to kill, I saw his eyes and was so astonished I forgot to act myself.

Leehom said

I met Tony a few times before. He is very warm person, however once it started, we were both into the roles and were enemies, so I was very careful like secured with radar, and we didn't have so many scenes together, so we didn't have much chance to be with, but still I could learn a lot by just watching him acting.

After all shooting's finished, at the Venice Film Festival, I had some time to talk with Tony as actors. We talked about his philosophy, how to relax and how to prepare to be the role, how to keep the motivation etc.

I have some affection toward Tang Wei as the role in the film and also as myself.
When I met her the first time at the audition, she was pretty and very natural and fresh. During 9 months of shooting, she grew up and looking at her changes, becoming the person, I thought she was amazing.

Ang Lee said about Tang Wei

There are lots of funny stories. This is the first movie for Tang Wei, we auditioned 10,000 candidates and chose her. It is just a matter of taste, my taste of woman is very different from men in Mainland China. I prefer a traditional Chinese woman.
I told an assistant that "I want a girl who other people said no good". (laugh)
Knowing this Tang Wei is not an actress who is popular with everyone. (laugh)
Actually I was so surprised by her at the audition. She couldn't sleep the night before and she had bags under her eyes and very sun tanned.(laugh)
Although her posture looked good from front and back, her face was gaunt by having a cold. (laugh) Fortunately, she was relaxed.
At the time, my instinct told me "this is her film and she can do it".
Her personality, way she talked, way she moved, all these things were similar to my parents' generation.
Also she looks like a Chinese teacher at my high school. I thought that's why she wasn't popular. (laugh) I thought I found the traditional Chinese beauty who I had been looking for. It was like a dream. I missed my parents and home town and I felt intimacy toward her, just like I have intimacy to Wong ChaChi.
Only thing I was worried about then was how to deal with bed scene with her.
Anyway, I thought Tang Wei is Wong ChaChi and we can make it.
After reading script and finished shooting, I felt Tang Wei is Wong ChaChi and Eileen Chang, they are Trinity.
Now I am thinking Eileen Chang chose Tang Wei in the heaven. Feeling that kind of fate.
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JC



Joined: 05 Dec 2007
Posts: 1
Location: USA

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:50 pm    Post subject:

First time to leave a message here. So happy to find such a good site of Tony's.

Thank you Eri for the Tokyo Press interviews. Too bad that Tony couldn't make the trip.
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Eri



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 589
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 2:25 am    Post subject:

Hello JC

I knew Tony was very busy, so I thought he wouldn't be able to come to Japan this time.

Actually Lust Caution is going to start from 2 Feb 2008 (now delayed from late January) in Japan, so hopefully fans in Japan can see Tony in early next year. Very Happy
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Eri



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 589
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:26 am    Post subject:

Now, Japanese Official site opened. (in Japanese)

http://www.wisepolicy.com/lust_caution/

You can see the trailer on the top page.
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Eri



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 589
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:07 am    Post subject:

Tony's Interview

I had been acting Mr. Yee under the kind of pressure I've never felt before.

Tony Leung About acting Mr. Yee

Q- This film must be the one which is quite a lot depend on actors, what kind of instructions or advices did Ang Lee give you ?

A- I've been given a very hard instructions from Ang Lee.
Mandarin is not my mother tongue, so I had to learn how to speak with correct pronunciation for about 2 months before shooting the film. Also most of the roles I've been playing were soft mannered man but this time Ang Lee asked me to portray him as a military man, so I had to learn how those man move and understand their customs. All these were a big challenge for me. I had to change even my voice and vocalization. I was under the pressure to change usual myself completely to act Mr. Yee.

Q- What is this film's position in your career ?

A- At the moment, Lust Caution is the one I am most satisfied with. Because I've been acting in more than 70 films now, and having all kinds of experiences, after watching these films for 10 times, I noticed some flows I made. In that sense, I haven't seen Lust Caution so calmly yet, so this is the one I like the best at the moment. (laugh)

Q- What is your impression on Ang Lee, Tang Wei and Wang Leehom ?

A- Ang Lee is very demanding director. He is very sincere and gives you detailed advices and instructions.
Tang Wei is very young and intelligent. Amazingly hard working person. Unfortunately I didn't have a scene with Wang Leehom, but he seemed to be very active and ambitious young man. He is very handsome.
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