HAVING been an actor and now a genre-bending director, Stephen Fung wants to change the face of Chinese cinema with his latest movie, Tai Chi Zero.
The director was in Singapore recently to promote the film, together with two of his leading stars – renowned Chinese martial artist but novice actor Yuan Xiao-chao and veteran Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Ka Fai.
Tai Chi Zero, a steam-punk-inspired martial art film, definitely offers a different viewing experience to the Chinese audience. It is loosely based on the life of Yang Lu-chan, a tai chi master in 18th century China.
Yang (played by Yuan) has gone to the Chen village to learn the Chen-style of tai chi but he quickly learns that the village is facing the threat of being attacked by a formidable battalion of western soldiers. The villagers realise that in order to save their village, they must trust this outsider and impart their knowledge of tai chi to him.
Said Fung at a press conference: “Usually, when people talk about tai chi, they visualise elderly people slowly moving their legs and arms in a park. Most people have forgotten that besides the health benefits, tai chi was also practised as a form of self-defence in the olden days.”
The action scenes for this movie was handled by famed Hong Kong choreographer Sammo Hung.
Together with Taiwanese screenwriter Chen Kuo-fu, Fung deliberately set out to create an edgy, hot-blooded and funky Chinese epic, obviously inspired by those visually-striking films from Hollywood such as 300.
With so many similar historical epics now being produced in China, he felt it was the right time to completely reinvent the genre.
“Basically, we wanted to make a Chinese martial art film that is not as serious and historical as the others,” said Fung, adding that it is his wish to put Chinese cinema on the map of the international film industry.
In Tai Chi Zero, Fung introduces machinism, steam-punk and alternate history motifs from science fiction to Chinese cinema. He mixes and matches design elements from different periods in Chinese history to create a unique universe.
It is Fung’s vision that attracted award-winning actor Leung to be part of Tai Chi Zero. “I’d been waiting for something as original as this and I finally found it,” said Leung, who plays the role of Master Chen.
“Over the years, we have seen Chinese films appealing only to the Chinese audience and often I find them to be similar to Hollywood films in terms of idea and direction. Why should we copy other people’s ideas when the Chinese have a rich and colourful history that goes back over 5,000 years?
“When I first read the script of Tai Chi Zero, I was sold to the idea of a creative and alternate history of tai chi master Yang Lu-chan. I knew I wanted to be a part of this new genre in the Chinese film industry.
“Also, I told Fung a few years ago, that I wanted to be in a martial art film again before I become too old to fight and show the world that I still have what it takes to play the role,” said the 54-year-old actor in jest.
Leung also revealed that he believes Chinese films can break through the non-Chinese markets.
Yuan, meanwhile, said he was very happy to part of Tai Chi Zero and to have the opportunity to learn from the best in the industry, such as Leung and Hung.
Yuan, who seemed extremely shy and nervous at the press conference, first came to the attention of the public at the Asian Games in 2006 in Doha, Qatar, after winning the gold medal in the men’s Changquan Wushu event.
He also revealed that both he and Leung learned tai chi from scratch for the movie. “I was fortunate to learn the Chen-style of tai chi from a 13th generation member of the Chen family,” he said.
When asked if he will pursue acting as a career, Yuan said: “Being an actor is different from being a martial artist. If the public likes my performance in this film and if there are people who want to hire me for other roles, I might consider.
“But for now, I still consider myself as a martial artist. Maybe one day, when I retire from martial art, I will turn to acting.”
Tai Chi Zero will be the first of a trilogy by Fung. He also revealed that the second instalment, titled Tai Chi Hero, which was filmed simultaneously with the first, will make its way to the cinema soon.