On April 6, the news that Ang Lee, a famous director in China, won the British Academy Film Awards Lifetime Achievement Award came, and domestic film fans were excited, and they all called director Ang Lee deserved to be worthy of the glory of the Chinese.
The award is the highest honor awarded by the British Film Institute to an individual in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film, games or television, known as the "British Oscar", the gold content is quite high, and the previous winners are Chaplin, Hitchcock and other "big guys"!
To say that the Lifetime Achievement Award, if other directors won the award, it would have blossomed long ago, but for Ang Lee, this is not the first time he has won the Lifetime Achievement Award.
As early as 2018, Ang Lee was selected by the Directors Guild of America as the winner of the Lifetime Honor Award that year, and the president of the Directors Guild of America at the time praised Ang Lee: "A Chinese filmmaker who has emerged as a legendary director." ”
Ang Lee is a director who has rarely been able to mix well in China and abroad in recent years, and the word "water and soil" seems to be immune to him.
He has been a director for 31 years since he made his famous work "Pusher" in 1990, which is older than many people.
During the film period, he shot dozens of well-known classic works at home and abroad, and he has been nominated for awards large and small or directly won, and receiving awards on stage is like a common thing for him.
Golden Globes, Golden Bears, Golden Lions, Palme d'Or, British Academy Film Awards, Academy Awards, Hong Kong Film Awards, Directors Guild Of America Awards he has won, only you can't think, no Ang Lee can't get it.
Dormant for 6 years, a blockbuster
Anyone familiar with Ang Lee knows that he was silent for 6 years before he gained attention with "Pusher", during which time he was able to go to the kitchen and endure loneliness.
In 1984, at the age of 30, Ang Lee graduated from New York University with high marks, and his graduation work "Dividing Line" also won the New York University Warseman Award for Best Director and Best Picture.
The talented Ang Lee has not been smooth sailing since graduation, all the way to hang, but he married a good wife who wholeheartedly supported his career, and other people's families are male and female, and their families are just the opposite.
When his wife went out to work, Ang Lee was responsible for cooking, doing housework, reading, watching films, and writing scripts at home, which lasted for 6 years.
Of course, the reason why Ang Lee can come out is not only by the unconditional support of his wife, but also thanks to the fact that he has never given up his film dream, accumulated thick and thin hair, and laid the foundation for future fists and feet. This is also an important reason why Ang Lee can stand out and succeed in the same amount of time.
In 1990, Ang Lee finally began to shine, and he won a prize of 400,000 yuan for the original script "Pusher", which was like a charcoal in the snow for Ang Lee who only had $43 left in his passbook at the time, igniting his inner director's light.
As he himself said, he may have been born to eat the director's bowl of rice, and he can't do those things to brush the plate.
So he took the prize money and threw himself into the filming of "Push hand" without hesitation, and found the help of his students at New York University, relying on the huge investment of 13.5 million yuan given by China Film to complete the debut film that filmed for 24 days.
"Pusher" is the first in Ang Lee's "Father Trilogy", the first one started the front line, and the shooting opportunities that followed came pouring in.
Thick accumulation of thin hair, Chinese and Western eating
In 1993, Ang Lee filmed the second part of the "Father Trilogy", "The Wedding Feast", which was also a great success and the beginning of Ang Lee's "Engagement" with international film festival awards.
"The Wedding Feast" was nominated for the Golden Bear award at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival, the Best Foreign Language Film at the 66th Academy Awards, and the Best Foreign Language Film in the Film Category at the 51st Golden Globe Awards for American Film and Television, and Ang Lee's name began to make an international name.
Immediately after, he kept filming the last part of the "Father Trilogy", "Eating Men and Women". It has also been nominated for prestigious international film festivals such as the Oscars and Golden Globes and the British Academy Film Awards.
The "Father Trilogy" embodies Ang Lee's reconciliation of Chinese and Western cultures in the film after accepting Chinese and Western cultures.
In the film, he explores the ethical contradictions between tradition and modernity, the cultural conflicts between the East and the West, accurately grasps the psychology of European and American culture, and shows the contradictions and conflicts between traditional culture and modernization.
"The Wedding Banquet" chooses a clever entry point for Chinese young men and women to hold a Chinese wedding in the United States, vividly showing the tortuous process of Eastern and Western cultures from conflicting to peaceful coexistence, and all the conflicts in the film are actually rooted in the differences between Eastern and Western cultures.
When Ang Lee filmed "Eating Men and Women", there was a good story that was widely circulated: Ang Lee basically cooked the 84 dishes that appeared in the film, which was a skill he practiced in cooking at home for 6 years, and his cooking skills were so good that his mother-in-law had to invest in opening a restaurant for him.
If Ang Lee had agreed, the Lee Ang we see now was holding an iron spoon instead of a glittering trophy.
Break down cultural barriers and create an oriental miracle
In 1995, Ang Lee began to fully integrate into the foreign film industry, directing the first English film "Sense and Sensibility", working with famous British actors such as Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and Kate Winslet.
At that time, Emma Thompson was an Oscar queen, and Hugh Grant had also won the British Oscar and Golden Globe Awards with the box office miracle "Four Weddings and a Funeral", and the pressure on Ang Lee, who was emerging in the international film world, can be imagined.
But the master is the master, and Ang Lee's version of "Sense and Sensibility" cut to the essence of Jane Austen, shooting the charm of human warmth, followed by 7 Oscar nominations and a Berlin bear.
In 2000, Ang Lee collaborated with Yang Ziqiong, Zhou Runfa, Zhang Ziyi and others on the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was released.
This film is far more influential than the "Father Trilogy", and even a miracle that can leave a name in the history of Chinese cinema, creating a legend in the 10th of the Oscars.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon grossed $214 million worldwide, becoming the first foreign-language film in the history of American cinema to exceed $100 million, and it was a success both commercially and artistically.
Giants occasionally fall
Ang Lee is a movie giant in the hearts of many people, but giants will also have lost their souls.
In 2003, Ang Lee directed Marvel's superhero movie "Hulk Hulk", whether the film focuses on the psychology of the Hulk or the gloomy picture, it is Ang Lee's unique painting style.
But as a superhero movie, the audience doesn't buy it. The film is labeled dull because there are too few fight scenes.
Ang Lee was also unlucky, and around 2003 was the time when superhero movies came into everyone's sight. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige once said with relish: "Spider-Man and the Hulk are the two top glories of our Marvel Mountains." ”
However, 2002's Spider-Man was a great success, and Hulk smashed the Marvel brand. The copyright of "Hulk Hulk" is in the hands of Universal, the filmmakers took out a production cost of 137 million US dollars, but finally only recovered 132 million US dollars at the box office, removing various expenses, the film not only did not make money, but also lost a lot.
Not only is Universal's book not good, Marvel's face is not good, so many people regard this film as a stain on Ang Lee's career.
But in the editor's view, the success or failure of a film can not only focus on its box office, Ang Lee's version of "Hulk" is novel in form, advanced in thought, but it is not timely, not accepted by the audience, and it will not be a stain on the career, at most it is a bold attempt.
The Battle of Brokeback Mountain, a shame before the snow
In 2005, Ang Lee relied on the same-sex film "Brokeback Mountain" to fight a beautiful turnaround battle.
Ang Lee won the Best Director Award at the 78th Academy Awards for the film, becoming the first Asian director to win the award.
In 2007, he directed "Color Ring" and Liang Chaowei cooperated, although the film was controversial because of the scale problem, but Li Anshi really brought out the heroine Tang Wei, leaving aside the large-scale lens, the artistry of the film is indisputable.
Can tell stories and use good technology
Looking back at Ang Lee's film career, you will find that he is not only a director who can tell a good story, but also a craftsman who can use good skills.
In 2012, when Ang Lee was filming "The Fantasy Drift of Young Pi", he was really exposed to 3D cameras for the first time, and he needed to learn this new shooting mode, which is also in line with his consistent style of "shooting every movie as his debut".
The film finally presents not only the "showmanship", the film's extremely philosophical ending is still discussed by the audience today...
In 2016, he filmed "Billy Lynn's Halftime Battle", which adopted a new format of 120 frames/4K/3D, bringing a new viewing experience to the audience and strengthening the audience's sense of experience.
2019's Twin Killers continues the 120 frame/4K/3D format, and it's funny that the director who tried this new format again was Ang Lee himself.
"Twin Killers" is not only so real that the audience feels that "this is not a movie", but even the young killers who appear in the film are the first human characters in the history of film to be created entirely of CG, and the cost is higher than will Smith's salary.
Born to eat the director's bowl of rice
Ang Lee has come to this point with his unique understanding of Eastern and Western cultures, and more and more producers are willing to pay for each of his innovations, whether they value his ability to create box office or his creativity in film.
Ang Lee has come to this day not only by talent, but also by the fate of fate and fire. He became an internationally renowned director with the help of two people, the famous Swedish director Ingmar Bergmann, and his long-time friend and colleague James Shams.
In the interview, Ang Lee mentioned that when he was 18 years old, he accidentally saw Ingmar Bergman's "Virgin Springs", and that wonderful viewing of the film was like "taking away the virginity by the director", and since then, Ang Lee has begun his "ambition" for the film.
During the filming of "Color Ring" in 2006, he finally met his idol after being introduced: Ingmar Bergman, who prostrated himself on Ingmar Bergman's shoulder like a child and contributed a famous group photo in the history of cinema.
Not sure whether Ang Lee was lucky or unlucky, Ingmar Bergman died peacefully on his hermit island shortly after the meeting at the age of 89.
At that time, Ang Lee was engaged in the post-production of "Color Ring", and after learning the news, he was devastated and had to stop work. Ingmar Bergman's influence on Ang Lee can be imagined.
Another noble man in Ang Lee's life is James Shams, who is 5 years younger than Ang Lee but has participated in the screenwriting of many of Ang Lee's films, such as "Eating Men and Women", "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Color Ring", "Ice Storm", etc. He has a credit, so he is also known as the man behind Ang Lee.
Ang Lee's films can be recognized by audiences in both the East and the West thanks to the help of such a native American. Director Chen Kaige also bluntly said that he was very envious of Ang Lee having such a nobleman.
Aunt Mei wanted to work with him, even eating her own daughter's vinegar
To see if a director is good or not, it depends on whether the industry's evaluation of him is high. According to incomplete statistics, at least a dozen well-known actors have expressed their desire to cooperate with director Ang Lee.
Li, who has countless fans, is now a fan of Ang Lee, because "You from the Stars" is popular throughout China's Quan Jixian said that he wanted to cooperate with Ang Lee, and Van Diesel received Ang Lee's invitation without even looking at the contract and directly agreed...
When Huang Bo heard that Ang Lee wanted to cooperate with him to make comedies, he used the word "sincere trepidation" to express his excitement, and Aunt Mei was even more jealous because her daughter had cooperated with Ang Lee...
It starts with the talent of the director, and finally the charisma of the personality
Ang Lee has gained the love of so many filmmakers, not only because of his directing talent, but also because of his personality charm.
In 2016, at the 88th Academy Awards, the host used the stereotype of discriminating against Asians as a joke, which caused the dissatisfaction of many filmmakers.
Ang Lee led the protest and joined other members of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from Asia to submit a signed protest letter to the college. The incident was finally quelled by an official Oscar apology.
In fact, Ang Lee's move this time is really commendable, and Asian discrimination has always existed in Europe and the United States. As a director who started his career in the United States, if the Oscar is determined to "protect his family", the biggest loss is Ang Lee, but Ang Lee still did it without hesitation, which is his self-consciousness as a Chinese filmmaker.
In addition to this protest, the 2019 Oscars came out to do things again, making the decision to award the four awards of Best Cinematography, Best Live-Action Short Film, Best Editing, and Best Makeup and Hair Design in advertising hours.
This disrespect for the filmmakers behind the scenes of Ang Lee certainly can't stand it, and he signed a joint open letter with more than 40 well-known directors and cinematographers, including Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Roger Deakins, and more than 40 other well-known directors and photographers, urging the Oscar organizers to change the decision.
There is no second Ang Lee in China
Ang Lee can be said to have given his whole life to the film, and continues to run for the development of Chinese films, and his creative passion at the age of 66 this year has not diminished.
Directed by Ang Lee, "The Battle of Manila" will look into the daily life of many outstanding boxers and boxing matches in the 1960s and 1970s, continuing the 3D style of "The Fantasy Drift of Young Pi", which is expected to be released in 2021.
People may encounter a 6 years of inactivity in their lifetime, but there will never be a second Ang Lee in China!