No Limit Chen Kaige

Author: Kuang Shi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: As a leading figure of the fifth generation of filmmakers, Chen Kaige has directed many representative works. This book uses Chen Kaige's films as the warp and the author's insightful analysis as the weft, employing a tone that is both serious and humorous to showcase the profound artistic depth of Chen Kaige. It critiques his artistic style, the cultural essence conveyed by his films, and his contributions to the development of Chinese cinema and its global reach. They have changed China's imagery and changed us. They carry our almost picky pursuit of perfection, fulfilling countless personal dreams, but they are also just a director, a director who may become great in the future! Chen Kaige is a contradictory figure; he can tear apart and reassemble any artist. He has a grand vision that rises to the level of nation and culture, yet he also holds intricate, personal enigmas of desire and privacy. For example, in Farewell My Concubine, there is Chen Kaige who treats a century of ordinary people and the turmoil of nations as a play, a performance, and a discourse. Even if it is not the "commanding the world from atop the blue sky," it is still the "tragicomedy of having seen all the colors of the world." What is an artistic life? Is it a life that is purer and more transparent than ordinary people, or more complex and confusing? And how many broken Chen Kaige's are there, singing that play where people and roles blur, where male and female are indistinguishable as in Farewell My Concubine? In truth, in my films, I hope to depict magnificent lives. Including Cheng Dieyi in Farewell My Concubine, and Jing Ke and Qin Shi Huang in The Battle of Changping. What is life, after all? Life is like a porcelain vase—when it falls to the ground, it shatters immediately. But some vases shatter without making a sound, while others make a loud noise, causing those around to turn their heads. I believe life should have magnificent moments. That's why my films consistently explore themes like this, no matter how varied their stories may be—they are fundamentally about this. I think the current state of Chinese cinema is in a "Warring States" period, with various schools of thought clashing, each claiming to be the best while criticizing others as garbage, saying "you're wrong, but I'm right." But ultimately, there will be a process of integration—this is inevitable. —Chen Kaige