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ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Zhang Ziyi: Major Talent or Lucky Starlet?
or some she was the most memorable part of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. They were mesmerized by the dark energy she brings to her portrayal of a freespirited young adventuress. For others she was one more annoying thing about a glacial, poorly edited sword-fight flick. They were left cold by the hard, souless gleam of her obsidian eyes and her puckish face.
Regardless of your opinion of Zhang Ziyi, one fact is indisputable: since the release of CTHD in late 2000, the media has lionized the gamin-faced actress. Virtually every glossy and tabloid has hailed her as the hot new Asian female actor and/or great new beauty. In the heat of CTHD's surprise success Zhang was signed to several projects, including Rush Hour 2, The Legend of Zu, 2046 (a science fiction flick), Hero (a Jet Li kung-fu flick) and Musa (a Corean film set during the wars between the Yuan and Ming Dynasties).
Luck is essential to every success, but Zhang Ziyi appears to have enjoyed more than her share during her brief acting career.
She was born February 9, 1979 in Beijing to an economist father and a kindergarten teacher mother. At the age of 11 she enrolled in a dance school. Four years later she decided to switch to acting despite some promise as a dancer. She went for a shampoo commercial audition and was picked out by the legendary director Zhang Yimou to play a schoolgirl who falls in love with her teacher.
When The Road Home was released in China in 1999, the young actress was promptly dubbed "Little Gong Li" on the popular suspicion that she had followed the great actress into Zhang Yimou's bed. (Zhang Yimou had discovered Gong Li in 1987 and lost her in 1994 when she left him to marry Singaporean businessman Ooi Hoe Siong.)
The Road Home received no attention in the U.S. but won the 2000 Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. It also caught the eye of Ang Lee who was casting Crouching Tiger. No one suspected that the low-budget film he was planning to shoot in China would go on to become the next year's most profitable film, ultimately grossing $150 million worldwide. It turned Zhang Ziyi into an international superstar in one fell, elaborately-wired swoop.
Is Zhang Ziyi really a great beauty and first-rate actor? Or is she a second-rater whose fame is as un-credible as her CTHD fight sequences?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:50:02 PM)
What are the opinions of the top directors in the world on Zhang ziyi?
Ang Lee, from an interview with Time (http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/2000/0710/arts.tiger_sb1.html):
"She allows the audience to pour themselves into her imagination. It's not really her in the movie, it's you. That's beyond acting; it's cinematic charisma!"
Zhany Yimou, from an interview with Time (http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/hero/int_zhang_yimou.html):
"Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi¡ªfour of the most talented actors in China. It's just a joy to work with them. It takes the pressure off to work with such skilled people."
These comments are from experienced and highly respected professionals in the field of movie making -- not from armchair experts, like those hear, who've not worked with the best the film industry has to offer, but only "think" they know who the best are. Just some food for thought. . . .
Southern Crane
another187@hotmail.com
Thursday, January 17, 2002 at 09:16:57 (PST)
Well you're right IMO, a few commercials don't make Ziyi an international film star. Winning the Berlin Silver Bear Award, The Toronto Film Critics Award, the Independent Spirit Award, among numerous others, certainly does however. Gee, how many international film awards has Zhao Who won? Now you can't count the McDonald's Hamburger Ronald-The-Clown look-alike award as a qualifying honor, however. The Miss Cutey Pie contest of the East Gate Shopping Mall is also a disqualifier.
Her fan base among 10 year olds in asia minor is certainly far less than Zhao Who's, but then again, the many adults of this world that count for something certainly is the preferred demographic over the bubble-gum hordes of downtown Manila.
Virgule
Thursday, January 17, 2002 at 04:58:42 (PST)
To everyone:
Nobody said I was a Su Qi fan. I'm just stating why Zhang Zi Yi, got her role in CTHD.
And to virgule, it has nothing to do with whether she's smart, it's obviously management. And don't say that she was smart because she "picked" smart management, because she was picked by management.
And IMO is right, she is only popular in mainland China and the Western world. And a lot of popularity could be contributed to the fact that she is more or less the first Asian female to have such an impact on Hollywood.
Chinese21
Wednesday, January 16, 2002 at 18:21:10 (PST)
There is another mainland Chinese actress who looks similar to Zhang Ziyi, however, she is much more beautiful and graceful. If she had gotten the chance to perform in CTHD, she would be the big star.
tv watcher
Wednesday, January 16, 2002 at 16:34:36 (PST)
ZZ is kinda of sexy and cute and I wish I had her " destiny " .
Life is short. Enjoy what you have and what you can make of it.
I now look at girls that look like her in town and think they are sexy and foxy and what not Yo.
JookSeng Doy NYC
Wednesday, January 16, 2002 at 14:38:56 (PST)
ZZ is just another Asian import that Hollywood wants to play another stereotypical Asian Woman role. The only way that we can change how Americans view Asian American Women is by having AA women performing 'real' roles.
Proud AA woman
Wednesday, January 16, 2002 at 14:30:42 (PST)
If there's nothing about ZZ that makes her "bitchy and whorish" like Gong Li - she ain't going to get anymore interesting roles! I hope ZZ keeps getting better, but right now she can't compare to the interesting roles GL has had over her somewhat longish career. Sure, Zhang Yimou made her in the beginning, and she looks good, but without talent she would've been over in just a film or two. ZZ simply hasn't made enough movies to really have a body of work.
nkg-47
Wednesday, January 16, 2002 at 12:19:37 (PST)
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