Behind The Scenes with Chen Kaige, Nicolas Tse and Cecilia Cheung
Yvonne Young talks to director Chen Kaige, actors Nicolas Tse and Cecilia Cheung about "The Promise."
HK Magazine: Why did you cast Nicolas Tse and Cecilia?
Chen Kaige: I knew they were lovers before, and they showed a kind of beauty during the audition. Cecilia is a very simple person, which is perfect for the role of Qingcheng. Many people believe Nic’s an idol for kids, but he actually has a strong desire to show what kind of actor he can be. On the set he listens very quietly, and his response is very simple, like “I’ll try.” This is the attitude of Leslie Cheung - both want to be the best.
HK: And you also have a pan-Asian cast and film crew.
CKG: I wanted to put the Asian talents together, and consider it to be a major Asian film, hoping to conquer the world by breaking records, at least in China first. Making these people known is very important. Our goal is to double or triple the Chinese film market value in several years.
HK: You’ve made clear that you wanted to do something very personal and contemporary Chinese, but “The Promise” doesn’t seem to be the case.
CKG: Obviously there’re still a lot of taboos in the Chinese film industry, many kinds of projects are not allowed. I’m just a single filmmaker - I don’t have the power to take action against the whole industry. I don’t even want to do that. But this is a universal story, and is more than a film. It’s an experience.
HK: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from this film?
Nicolas Tse: I’m the youngest actor in this film. I have made the fewest films and have the least acting experience. But here I get to see different kinds of acting tempos and rhythms. It’s very challenging.
HK: How involved are you in the action scenes?
NT: I learned some swift movements and a lot of finger-controlled weapons. There was a time I trained so hard my fingers ended up swollen. One day I was writing a check to pay the rent and I couldn’t write – kept shaking.
HK: Do you feel like you’re close to the character Qingchen?
Cecilia Cheung: Actually, I feel like I’m her. She’s me, and I’m her. I totally fell in love with her, and understand what she feels. At the end, she can dress up like a bird and fly away with her loved one into the sky. I wish I could too.