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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
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(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:49:54 PM)
I am really looking forward to Heroes which will star not one but three of my favourite Asian stars - Jet Li, Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. And Zhang Ziyi of course, except I have only seen her in two movies - CTHD and The Road Home. She was only required to look fresh and pretty in The Road Home and I thought CTHD the most overrated movie ever. So I can't really judged her just on two movies. And I don't find her very beautiful, just a normal pretty Asian girl. But what I think will be a real irony is Heroes will probably turn out to be a far more superior movie to CTHD (not so difficult) but will not be as popular because Asian martial arts movie are not trendy anymore. So Heroes will probably have excellent reviews and a few awards but will be ignored by the majority of movie audience.
Hero for Heroes
Thursday, August 08, 2002 at 01:22:10 (PDT)
I happen to thoroughly enjoy thin, tiny, pale eyes and LONG black hair...
And, I think that Ziyi's abilities, for her age, far surpass those of Michelle Yeoh's. She outpaced her easily in the fight scenes in CTHD, and also has been kissed beautifully by the blessing of beauty. Without a doubt my favorite Asian actress, though I am in no way disregarding Michelle's outstanding performances, either.
But Zhang Ziyi is still number one on my list.
Ziyi Lover
Friday, July 26, 2002 at 11:31:37 (PDT)
I must say I enjoyed CTHD (one of a handful of movies I've been able to see over the last few yrs)-- A LOT even though the story lines/plots weren't particularly unique/creative/original(from an AA perspective, of course. Let me just say that I've read a few classical martial arts books when I was growing up. Well, if you read books like 'Quo Vadis' by H. Sienkiwicz(sp?), 'Ben Hur' by L. Wallace, the Hollywood versions/derivatives, e.g., "Quo Vadis", "Robe", "Ben-Hur", "Spartacus", etc., seem like a child's play in comparison. Maybe not a good analogy. Movies have their appeal too...)
CTHD just had more human drama/romance, the enduring qualities that many cheesy B-rated martial arts movies miserably lacked in the past, like 'Bloodsport' or any Jean Claude Van Dam movies for that matter. Is this guy still making movies??
Zhang Ziyi was fantastic in CTHD. I honestly think she outperformed Michelle Yeoh by miles in that movie. BTW, I think there's a limit as to how far Zhang can go with her stunts as we all know. Some Kung Fu fight sequences, yes. More the merrier. Backflips and splits? Well, nobody would really want/expect someone that fragile/beautiful do somersaults/cartwheels/tumbling, et al.
Anyway I could care less as long as she remains a "good actress".
Gong Li? Who's Gong Li?? Haha...
One Korean Man
Saturday, July 20, 2002 at 19:44:55 (PDT)
hidden dragon:
You're right that they were both dancers and then made the transition to martial arts. But just because Michelle is forty doesn't mean she can't do the backflips and the splits. Those are some basic moves. Look at Jacky Chan and Jet Li, they can do it. Why do you undermine her? Well anyways, Zhang Ziyi is gorgeous and contrary to what some say here, she does have stage presence.
cheerios
Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 21:34:53 (PDT)
show biz is all about how lucky you are! talent? it's a given! you have to have it to be in the game! the rest is all luck! =P
d@ m@n
Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 15:52:42 (PDT)
Hidden Dragon,
The only action actor who can claim to have real kung fu training is Jet Li. And even then there are detractors who claim modern Wu Shu is no longer a martial art. Even Jet Li on his official website is critical of the evolution of modern wu shu, because it has change so much since the days he was a competitive practioner.
Jacky Chan was training is in Traditional Chinese Opera, not kung fu. At most it is a small subset of performance martial arts.
Michelle Yeoh is from a dancing background. But she is also an accomplished stunt person and knows how to perform marital art choreography. Just look at her list of films where she plays a martial artist.
Zhang Ziyi is not an accomplished stunt person yet. Her martial art skills and technique are amatuerish. Goto the Offical Jet Li website and read his interview for the next martial art film "Hero" with Zhang Ziyi.
He doesn't complain about Zhang's skills. But it become apparent when he says she needs to practice the move all day, and sometimes they simplify the choreography for her. He only needs practice once with her. Then they shot the scene.
Zhang Ziyi may one day become like Michelle Yeoh. But I think she will probably be more like Maggie Chueng.
AC Dropout
Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 13:50:12 (PDT)
Michelle Yeoh is no beter at Kung Fu than Zyhang Ziyi. That is because they are BOTH dancers who made the transition. Besides, Michelle is forty. There is no way she can still do those backflips or splits. Zhang Ziyi is delicious.
Hidden Dragon
Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 07:52:12 (PDT)
why do all the Asian women actresses that get exposure here all look the same?
thin, pale, tiny eyes, LONG black hair.
looks like someone out there has some kind of fetish.
bichun poo
Wednesday, July 17, 2002 at 19:31:01 (PDT)
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