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• RED CLIFF : INTERNATIONAL VERSION VS ASIAN VERSION

  Friday, Mar 13, 2009 8:35AM / Information / Hong Kong Cinema

  I had the chance yesterday to attend a press screening of the international version of Red Cliff, which will be released in the French theaters on March 25^th, 2009. The whole movie was in Mandarin like the Asian version, but there was also an English voice-over in the beginning, to introduce the story (just for a couple of minutes hopefully).

  
  

   

  
  

  Here are some of the most obvious differences that I remember between the international version and the Asian version (don’t read if you didn’t see the movie, because there are spoilers)

   

  • Concerning the character of Sun Shangxiang (played by Zhao Wei)

   

  

  
  

  She’s still going undercover in Cao Cao’s camp, but never get caught. All the parts about her friendship with a young soldier from Cao Cao’s army (played by Tong Dawei) were cut. So at the end of the movie, when she cries in front of a dead body, and Zhou You (Tony leung) watch them and says that nobody won the battle, the effect of his sentence is less powerful, because we don’t know that this dead man was her friend.
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Also, the intense relationship between Sun Shangxiang and her brother Sun Quan (Chang Chen) has almost completely dissapeared. So when she comes back from Cao Cao’s camp, the scene where she’s taking her clothes off to show the map, is shorter and has a completely different tone (they cut the part when her brother put some clothes on her and apologies).  From dramatic and emotional, it becomes just fancy and amusing.

  They also cut the hunting “eyes of the tiger” scene with Sun Quan. So at the end, It’s not obvious to understand why there are some roaring tiger sound effects when Sun Quan is chasing Cao Cao like a hunter...

   

  • Concerning the characters Zhou Yu (Tony Leung) and Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro)

   

  In my opinion, the most disappointing change concerns the nature of the relationship between those two characters. In the Asian version, Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang appreciate each other, but they also often challenge and tease each other. So they’re not really friends, but a bit like rivals. They even put their lives in danger just to prove their points.
  

  
  

  

  
  

  But in the international version, there is no more tension between them. Once they played music together, they become friends and that’s it. Because of that, a lot of suspensul elements of the Asian version just dissapear (no more suspense for the “100 000 arrows” scene for example, no more suspense for the “wind scene” etc...).  

   

  

  
  

  Of course, there are more differences, but less important I think. I didn’t took any notes during the screening because I tried to appreciate it without comparing or thinking about the 2-part 4h40 Asian version that I saw before. And it worked, most of the time. This 2h25 version of Red Cliff is still a great movie. The emotion is still there. The storytelling is more fluid  and the characters are presented in a very clear way (It’s very easy to identify who’s who) + you don’t  need to know anything about the historical background to understand the story.

   

  

  
  

  Like for Shaolin Soccer (also distributed in France by Metropolitan Filmexport), maybe we’ll have the chance in France to have the two versions – Asian and International – together when it’ll be released in DVD later...

   

  Frédéric Ambroisine (March 13^th, 2009)

   

  
  

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• HONG KONG PERFORMING ARTISTES GUILD 香港演藝人協會 + "10" SHORTS

  Tuesday, Feb 5, 2008 10:10PM / Information / Hong Kong Cinema

  I noticed that several famous Hong Kong artists recently added on AnD (Andy Lau, Simon Yam, Eric Tsang, Philip Chan, Ray Lui, Franckie Chan, Cecilia Yip, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Lam Ka-tung, Teddy Robin Sammy Leung, John Sham, Cheung Tam-ming, Anthony Wong, Tiffany Lee etc.) were registered as members of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild (香港演藝人協會).
  
  
  For those who don't know about the HKPAG yet, it's a non-profit organization formed in 1993 by several artists including Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Eric Tsang etc... representing over 700 Hong Kong's film and television actors, actresses, singers, stage performers and dubbing artistes.
  
  
  Cheung Tat-ming, directing Ten Steps
  Last year, during the Cannes Film Festival, I was promoting ten short movies for the HKPAG. Co-produced with Phoenix TV, they were made in 2006, for the 10th year anniversary of the broadcaster, by first-time directors. Those filmmakers were, of course, members of the HKPAG, but also established Hong Kong artists as performers - actors or singers - like Cecilia Yip, Chin Ka-lok, Danny Chan, Cheung Tat-ming etc...
  
  
  Joe Koo, as Lam Ah-chung, in Glorious Ten
  The common point of the ten shorts movies is the number "10". Each director had to tell a story related to this number which has different meanings in the Hong Kong culture. The other thing asked by Phoenix TV was to make a short movie no longer than 3 minutes. But I know there're longer version of some them. For example, during the Legend of Bruce Lee French Promo, Danny Chan told me that the director's cut version of his short movie (a touching story between a father and his son) is about 20 minutes. I also know that the original length of the one directing by Chin Ka-lok is 10 minutes (which is logical considering the short movie's title).Here are the synopsis of those ten short movies ( I edited them a little bit, so there's no spoiler) :  
  
  TEN MINUTES (十分鐘) Director / Writer : Ching Ka-lok. Cast : Chin Ka-lok, Ella Koon
  
  
  Ella Koon & Chin Ka-lok in Ten Minutes (2006)
  A pregnant woman on the street is about to give birth.  Chin, who just received a ticket for speeding, is willing to risk his life in sending this pregnant woman to the hospital within the shortest time frame...
  
  MARK TEN (十合彩). Director : Ronald Cheng. Writer : Ronald Cheng, Yip Lim-shum. Casting : Jason Cheung
  
  A father and a son are living closely together and the father always like to buy "mark 6", a lottery that is very popular in Hong Kong.  One time, the son curiously asks his father why he always buy the same 10 numbers and teases him that "mark six" should be called "mark 10" instead.
  
  
  Ronald Cheng's Mark Ten (2006)
  His father's answer was if he were to win, he would not die. (which means, he would be very wealthy. He is playing around with the sound of the "10" here.)  One time, the father nearly forgot to buy "mark 6".  As he rushed off to buy his lottery, he forgot to bring the paper with the 10 numbers on...
  
  PERFECT WOMAN (我要). Director / Writer : Cecilia Yip. Casting : Farini Chang, Franco Leung
  
  
  Farini Chang in Cecilia Yip's Perfect Woman (2006)
  Women are perfectionists when playing different roles in their lives, housewife at work, for a bright future.  But I am afraid of not being able to achieve the best (NB : Ten means perfect in chinese).
  
  PICK UP (拾). Director / Writer : Victor Chui Tien-you. Cast : Victor Chui Tien-you.
  
  The story "Pick up" (in Chinese the pronunciation same as Ten) portrays a young lad who accidentally finds a gun and how this incident "transcends" his life.  Amidst the booming future, there exist dark corners to be dawned upon. 
  
  
  Chu Tien-youn in Pick Up (2006)
  A young lad dressed sloppily runs out feverishly from a dead end alley.  For the first time embracing the glamorous city and breathing the moment of being.  Hysterically running under the neon light emanating from the gigantic signboard, people pass by without noticing. He leaves behind no trail except sweat and tears.  His dazzled gaze and chuckle reach the point of madness and spookiness...   
  
  GORGEOUS TEN (十全十美). Director / Writer : Joe Koo. Cast : Joe Koo.
  
  
  Joe Koo in Gorgeous Ten (Parody characters of Her Fatal Ways, Kung-Fu Hustle & God of Cookery)
  A movie cast is playing snooker.   Not only are they skilled, each and everyone also have their unique way in playing it.  These movie heroes gather together just to send you their heartfelt birthday greeting.
  NB : Intro : Joe Koo is going to pick 10 most representative movie clips that are filled with lots of humor.
  
  CRANK IN TEN (十吓十吓). Director / Writer : Sam Lee. Cast : Sam Lee, Danny Chan, Jazz Lam
  
  
  Danny Chan & Sam Lee in Crank In Ten (2006)
  Sam seems to be destined to be with 10 yet such destiny has brought him…
  NB : Sam LEE, with his cold yet smiling face and outstanding image, is an idol of many youngsters.  He is going to bring you into his 10x 10 world through his imagination.   
  
  TEN YEARS OLD BIRTHDAY (十年父子). Director / Writer : Danny Chan. Casting : Danny Chan, Lee Ting Fung
  
  A father and a son are living closely but poorly together. The father cannot get a job for a long time, and therefore, they have to live on the Social Welfare.  Every drawing of his son is in black and white because they have no money to buy color pens. 
  
  
  Danny Chan & Lee Ting-fung in Ten Years Old Birthday (2006)
  The father repeatedly tells his son that when he has money, he will definitely get him some.  When it comes to the day of his son's birthday, he was going to buy the drawing pen as a gift, but unfortunately, he gets into a really bad mood due to the discrimination from the Social Worker...
  
  TEN STEPS (十級樓梯). Director / Writer : Cheung Tat-ming. Cast : Eugene Yip, Macy Chan
  
  
  Cheung Tat-ming's Ten Steps(2006)
  The 20th year-old "Plastic Bottle (PB), his girlfriend, whose name is "Middle", cannot tolerate PB's hanging out with other girls and has asked for a break-up. However, it has been turned down by PB.
  
  
  Cheung Tat-ming's Ten Steps(2006)
  Middle was very disappointed about the situation and had asked PB to jump down from the ten-step staircase which was right outside his doorway in order to show his honesty and sincerity about their relationship. Otherwise, she would leave him.
  PB looked sadly down the ten-step staircase, which reminded him strongly on how he was brought up in this place in the past 19 years.
  
  TAKE 10. Director / Writer : Sammy Leung. Casting : Sammy Leung, Yan Ng.
  
  Notes from the director : Life is a show business! Sorry, it's not.
  I encase in a boring normal nine to five life like you do! Life embraces you stony for years. Is this all I ask for?
  I want my life runs like an irresistible block-buster. Collaborated by various scenes that rock my days, crashed by a car, big fight with armed gangsters, ghost appeared and more. What can I do to complain this ironic truth? I make a short film.
  
  
  Sammy Leung in Take 10 (2006)
  In the opening scene, a Romeo like lover was shot, my objection to normality, to rescue him from his common dull life. Once he falls in blood, his new life starts. A life that everyone wants to experience but we can only have a sip in movie.
  Bitter real world and movie like scenes merged in my story and director cut the boundaries with a shout "Cut"!
  Life is such!
  
  PHOENIX COMBATANTS CHAPTER TEN (鳳凰戰隊第十話). Director / Writer : Otto WONG. Casting : Otto, Eddie, Cato, Osman, Eric, Kate Yeung
  
  
  Otto Wong's Phoenix Combatants Chapter Ten
  The 3 bullies, Otto, Eddie and Cato, once again tried to pick on a small kid. Kit, Wang and Ki, the superhero, immediately came out to take down on the bad guys. The bad guys turned themselves into the Gig Gig Monsters and were on top of the situation. Kit and his colleagues had no choice but to transform themselves into the Phoenix Combatants. They used all various tricks they had to defeat their enemies....
  
  Check out more pictures of those short movies in the "10" Hong Kong Shorts photo album.
  
  Frédéric Ambroisine (Feb. 5th, 2008)
  
  

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