The success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" for Zhou Runfa and Yang Ziqiong should be a blockbuster masterpiece that adds to the icing on the cake of their acting careers. But for Zhang Ziyi, who was still a newcomer to the film industry at that time, it was of great significance, and she was able to rank among the Chinese superstars who attracted global attention, with resources rolling in and unlimited scenery.
Ang Lee recalled the casting process of the film, using an idiom "a thousand folds".
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The male protagonist of the film, "Li Mubai", Li An originally intended to ask Li Lian to play, but at that time, Jet Li's wife Li Zhi was about to have a child, and the kung fu superstar pushed away all the film contracts because he wanted to "serve the confinement".
Then I thought of Zhou Runfa. In Ang Lee's view, Fa Ge is one of the few most magical Chinese superstars, no matter when and where, as long as he appears, it is always a second of explosion.
Zhou Runfa's image acting skills have nothing to say, the only thing that worries Li An is that he does not know martial arts, he is tall, and he does not know what it would be like to shave his hair and leave a braid to play a Qing Dynasty martial artist, so at that time, he processed his photo on the computer in advance, and the effect of removing his hair looked good.
In particular, a pair of eyes are deep and abnormal, as if there are thousands of hidden, and Ms. Wang Huiling, the screenwriter of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", greatly appreciates Zhou Runfa's eyes, saying that this kind of look "can see both enemies and lovers".
The result was that After zhou Runfa set makeup, it was really good, he was tall, although not very flexible, but he was full of posture, looking like a hero, especially a pair of brilliant eyes, bold.
Zhou Runfa is the first major actor to be identified.
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If it is said that with the identity status and acting achievements of Fa Ge, it is not the first person to play "Li Mubai", then the role of "Yu Xiulian", Li An has determined from the beginning that it is not Yang Ziqiong, whether it is the role itself or the actor's age endowment and commercial influence, in addition to her not thinking of a second person.
Moreover, Yang Ziqiong also has great trust and value for Ang Lee, and when she received his invitation, she agreed to it without even reading the script.
However, there are many good things, and Yang Ziqiong's scene has only been filmed for a week, and she was injured.
The accident happened at three or four o'clock in the morning when filming a scene of "Yu Xiulian" jumping up and spinning back and forth kicking her legs. It may be that the martial arts actors who stayed up late for several days were too tired, and Yang Ziqiong fell to the ground as soon as she landed.
In fact, this action is not complicated, but the martial arts actor has a saying, the more simple the action, the more likely to be injured, but the dangerous action is very cautious, and there are few injuries.
After falling down and standing up, Yang Ziqiong also said two "no problem" in succession, she herself thought that although the injury was swollen, but resting for a day or two would be no problem, but did not expect that the next day walking began to be difficult, a check turned out to be the left leg knee two large ligaments torn off.
This injury is not light, Yang Ziqiong flew back to the United States for surgery, the doctor said that after the operation must rest for a month or two to continue to work, but can only walk slowly, can not run and jump can not do strenuous movements.
As a result, hearing Yang Ziqiong call to explain the situation, Ang Lee's head "buzzed", thinking that she was the only starring actor who could play, why was she the first to be injured?
But there is no way, after all, in Li Anxin, Yang Ziqiong is the only irreplaceable candidate for the heroine "Yu Xiulian", and she can only wait for her to recover at any cost.
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"Jade Dragon" is the real soul of the whole film, and its selection process is the most tortuous.
Ang Lee was first interested in Shu Qi to play this role. Perhaps in his eyes, Shu Qi's certain wild and uninhibited beauty just fit with the personality of the Jade Dragon.
In fact, from the perspective of an outsider, Shu Qi does have a mysterious beauty of sexy wildness, but her bones are flexible, and she does not have the rebellion and ambition that belongs to the "Jade Dragon".
As an aside, compared with Shirley Yang in the web drama "Ghost Blowing Lights" series played by Zhang Yuqi, I privately believe that Shu Qi's Shirley Yang in "Finding the Dragon" is too sweet and delicate, and lacks the courage and heroism that this character should have.
Moreover, Shu Qi's appearance is more suitable for playing modern dramas, and it is not suitable for ancient costumes.
But as an internationally renowned director, Ang Lee's consideration must have his own reasons, but the problem is that Shu Qi was too popular at that time, it is said that there are 8 to 10 plays a year waiting for her to shoot, an inch of time and an inch of gold, and it is difficult to buy an inch of time. Therefore, under the trade-off, Shu Qi's agent regarded the "harsh" conditions proposed by Ang Lee that he had to enter the group for training and not be allowed to shoot other scenes for a year and a half after taking over the play, and thought that the "cost performance was not high" and could not be accepted.
Of course, at that time, whether it was Shu Qi or her agent, they definitely did not expect that this martial arts film would be so sensational and successful in the world in the future, pushing off this drama contract, and I don't know if they regretted it later.
In fact, during the negotiation with Shu Qi, Zhang Ziyi, who was recommended by his mentor Zhang Yimou to Ang Lee, had already begun to carry out various trainings, but Ang Li had always felt that Zhang Ziyi "lacked heroism" and was not optimistic about her. After Shu Qi refused to act, he invited a not very well-known actress, but the actress was really difficult to accept the hardship and even pain of high-intensity training, so she took the initiative to resign.
Zhang Ziyi, who has been secretly accumulating strength and silently insisting on practicing, was allowed to play by Ang Lee.
But at the beginning, it did not go well, the first fight scene, as soon as the camera was shot, the director, photographer, martial arts instructor, and three people rushed up to Zhang Ziyi and shouted: "How can you shoot like this, how can you fight like a girl?" ”
Zhang Ziyi was inexplicably said: "I was originally a girl." ”
She didn't understand, what everyone said was actually "How can you fight so weakly and without a little bit of rigidity?" ”
It is no wonder that Zhang Ziyi originally did not have a little martial arts foundation, and had never filmed a fight scene before, of course, it was just "flower fist embroidery legs". If you can beat the tiger and the tiger as soon as you come up, it is a strange thing in the world.
The first time he lifted the wire, Zhang Ziyi frightened everyone again. Her reaction is different from others, most people will instinctively cover their heads and faces with their hands when they are about to hit the wall, but Zhang Ziyi is not, she directly hits her face against the wall. For an actor, the face, but the guy who eats, how can he not have a little sense of defense, but fortunately did not collide.
In the eyes of director Ang Lee, she has not yet opened her mind. Actors who have not yet learned the art need the director to pay more time and effort to adjust a little bit.
And more importantly, such an actor is full of uncertainty, maybe one or two scenes will be filmed, but you have no way of predicting whether she will eventually carry the whole play down.
So although Zhang Ziyi got the role of "Yujiaolong" because of Shu Qi's initiative to give up, she still did not have any sense of security, she felt that she could be replaced at any time, the whole person was like walking a tightrope in the air, and a mistake would be abandoned.
As a result, Zhang Ziyi's potential was fully stimulated, she practiced desperately, opened up to act, fingernails were cut off by the sword blade during filming, inserted her hand into the snow to stop the bleeding, and then went on the field to shoot.
The director never gives a good face, but as long as she is not replaced one day, she will fight to her limit.
In fact, Zhang Ziyi did not understand at that time that this kind of arrogance that was not willing to accept defeat was actually the life background of "Jade Jiaolong".
And Ang Lee is trying to find a way to stimulate it in the newcomer Zhang Ziyi.
They all succeeded.
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