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ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Zhang Ziyi: Major Talent or Lucky Starlet?
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:49:52 PM)
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.]
"Please show me an article (or any other proof) that Yimou was really disappointed with Ziyi's performance in tRH. A really credible one, ok? I don't believe tabloids."
please, don't take my words out of context. Did i say zhang yimou was disappointed by zzy's performance? I merely said he was upset with her at one point where zzy'd been NG for more than 30 times, but i believe zhang yimou was pleased by zzy's overall performance in tRH.
Tabloid? zzy herself dictated this as her very first exploitation in the film realm to reporter. You may want to discredit her words as she is too talented to be NG.
This article is buried somewhere in SINA.com.cn, i am sure you can find it, if you are devoted as you claim yourself to be. Else i can do it for you, it will be my pleasure.
"A Chinese fansite: do you need a proper Chinese fansite in order to prove your talent? Hell no! I know a lot of stars who don't have what you call "proper" fansites."
Then every established chinese artist has dedicated fansites. Once again please don't take my words out of context, did i ever relate fansites to talents? NO. I am simply saying that the number of fansites gauge an actor's popularity.
"The greatness is there. You'll be blind if you don't see it."
Are you really that fond of calling people "blind"? Yeah, i am stupid if i can't see the king's new dress.
So, any further breakthrough for zzy ever after CTHD? The mummy princess(so stiff we have to wonder if she is from the pyramid), the over-the-top villainess? Or the cameo role in Zu?
"If you're not appreciated in your own country, but acclaimed almost everywhere else in the world, would it bother you?"
I wouldn't deny zhang ziyi is one of the most well-known chinese female artist . But i don't think she is actually that big outside of china.
"Ziyi is a misunderstood artist. Most of her countrymen are, well, jealous of her. That's why."
I am not utterly interested in whether she is misunderstood or not(in another word, i don't want to bring up any of zhang ziyi's past rumours). But jealousy alone can't explain zzy's hardships on her home soil.
First of all, zzy's movies were poorly received in china. Either the box office or the reviews fail to convince people her star status.
Second, her face doesn't quite appeal to native chinese.
Finally, her negative publicity.
"Not because of the shallow make-up thingy you persist in declaring."
Well, i believe in my judgement because i am not "blind" as someone declared.
Chinese reporters usually refer to zzy as a "homely girl" rather than a "glaring beauty", a tactful comment hints at her mediocrity.
"Anyway, if Ziyi was really the "poor" girl you perceive her to be, we wouldn't be here defending her, right?"
The absence of fandom is the demise to one's stardom. Despite the modicum of fans on zhang ziyi's part, she is on the soar. I actually think zhang ziyi does have the potential and determination to last, she can serve the rest of her career out at the top if she can finally live up to her hype.
"Peace out dude. Find another loophole. If you can."
Maybe you are the one that should peace out. I am illustrating my point here on the basis of reports on zhang ziyi(not including rumours). Then you are raving and jumping all over the place.......Peace out.
JJH
Sunday, October 27, 2002 at 10:35:10 (PST)
[202.62.139.178]
Hey, JJH, where's my proof? Does this mean you're just making things up? I thought Yimou was "disappointed" with Ziyi in tRH?
If you're not appreciated in your own country, but acclaimed almost everywhere else in the world, would it bother you?
Ziyi is a misunderstood artist. Most of her countrymen are, well, jealous of her. That's why.
Not because of the shallow make-up thingy you persist in declaring.
Anyway, if Ziyi was really the "poor" girl you perceive her to be, we wouldn't be here defending her, right?
Peace out dude. Find another loophole. If you can.
Rain
Friday, October 25, 2002 at 04:17:14 (PDT)
[202.78.97.15]
Ever wonder why zhang ziyi lacks legions of followers in china?
One theory is because Chinese is not very impressed with zhang ziyi's face without makeups, or even with makeups.
JJH
Thursday, October 24, 2002 at 03:43:36 (PDT)
[202.62.139.136]
Oh boy...
Ok, JJH..I get your drift. And in a way, I did agree a bit.
But that ends here.
Please show me an article (or any other proof) that Yimou was really disappointed with Ziyi's performance in tRH. A really credible one, ok? I don't believe tabloids.
A Chinese fansite: do you need a proper Chinese fansite in order to prove your talent? Hell no! I know a lot of stars who don't have what you call "proper" fansites.
As for the club pres issue, me and this guy have had our brushes in the past. I know this guy. Stay out of our arguments.
And please....don't tell me that Britney Spears or some other teenybopper has tons of crappy fansites.
The greatness is there. You'll be blind if you don't see it.
Rain
rainjin@ziyi.info
Wednesday, October 23, 2002 at 20:30:10 (PDT)
[202.78.97.15]
The “weight” of an award in itself may not mean much. However, what does matter, and what it unveils, is the process by which such an award was obtained. In this case, the voting conducted by an online poll, shows a great public awareness and recognition of Zhang Ziyi, on par or better, with other celebrities in her category. If we are discussing fame, or the “credibility” of such (as is part of the argument on this very site) the results of the Lycra voting point to one undeniable conclusion – Ziyi’s fame is real; her credibility is real. The voters placed Ziyi ahead of all other celebrities, apparently including celebrities with “numerous” dedicated Chinese websites…
Yes, it is an isolated award. An award for “The Most fashionable actress (Mainland)”. It is neither an award for talent, nor for beauty. But yet it is another, albeit small, building block of the solid wall and foundation upon which Ziyi continues to ascend.
If a measurement of a celebrity’s fame should be a presence or an absence of a dedicated website…than this argument is weaker than a house of cards, which is about to be crushed by the weight of Ziyi’s own forging success.
Websites come and go. And they are not necessarily commensurate with the particular celebrity’s “real” worth, or his / her long-term staying power. There are many sites dedicated to individuals not necessarily well known on any specific national scale, or global scale. Using this as a yardstick of fame, or especially, trying to predict any future potential of the given star…is as volatile and intangible as the format in which the websites’ contents are stored in.
Most times all it takes is only one truly dedicated individual to “get the ball rolling”. Perhaps that still remains to happen within Mainland China. But, don’t forget, Ziyi is really an international star, and as such, the support for her flows from all around the world…including very dedicated, ‘global’ website(s).
I prefer the “tangibles” – the awards; the film roles; the advertising contracts; the recognition by the various Industry’s bodies…the facts.
Ziyi has already had her “big break” in CTHD, if you want to call it that. But her greatness was already there…it was there right from the beginning. All it needed was an opening to channel it through. And once the stream has started, the tributaries will only continue to add to the flow, increasing in mass and momentum.
And nothing will stop her now – especially not the non-believers. They can continue to stand on the sidelines; watch the mounting rush go by…and still refuse to admit the raging torrent in front of their very own eyes.
Fine then. But be careful now, don’t get too close…you might get swept away!!!
Cheers,
CastleGuard
Wednesday, October 23, 2002 at 12:49:29 (PDT)
[142.59.111.49]
Luck makes up an very important part to the success of every artist. Specially those in the showbusiness.
Talent? Zhang ziyi had been NG more than 30 times for one shot on the set of her silver screen debut "The Road Home", even zhang yimou got really upset by her performance at that time. So what is talent? Maggie cheung used to be dubbed the "vase" in early years of her career, a synonymity to hollow pretty face. But what happened to her now? While being hailed as the emblem of chinese cinema, she is one of the most celebrated chinese actor, best known for her delicacy, elegance, beauty and most importantly her acting.
Is maggie cheung talented? Yes. But the cheesy roles she played in her early years got her nowhere apart from a few pay cheques. She only started scintillating after her collaboration with Wong KarWai.
Star is indeed star, they radiate glitters which captivated so many while overshadowed other players in the circle. So, who is composing all those rhythms, and writing all those screenplays?
Talent is not all that important in showbusiness, advertizing, promotion is everything you need, though people will always argue their idols talented.
Determination and hardwork gets zhang ziyi where she is now, but we shouldn't overlook what the role of luck has played in her meteoric rise so far.
"After the big break, the greatness takes over!"
Yes, that is exactly what zhang ziyi lacks at this moment.
"So Zhang Ziyi is still the best actess in the world."
To you maybe, it's something you should never assert. To most others she is just a nobody, well, just another star.
"ZZ's club president haha : do me a favor, pal. Get lost. You don't belong here."
I think he/she only made some very modest comments which already pissed you off?
This is a public forum, the mods may have the right to decide who should stay and go, but definitely not you.
"As another proof of the public’s awareness of Ziyi and of her accomplishments is her latest win in the “Most Fashionable Actress (Mainland) Award? at the 2002 MTV Lycra Fashion Award"
Oh yeah, sure that is very convincing. Let's not argue how much weight this award actually carry. But there is one thing you should, or have already noticed. Zhang ziyi has no dedicated chinese fansite(exclude fanclubs built within large websites like yahoo, sina)!
Search "zhang ziyi" on yahoo, google or whatever searching engines you are fond of.(confine to chinese website only, i know she has some english fansites, not many though)
Only a pittiful of sites show up, but regretfully all of them are down, apart from www.zhangziyi.com. Unfortunately this remnant is also in stagnancy. The last update can be traced back to last year, concurs the demise of its messageboard. So, this site is virtually dead to me.
While other popular celebrities have websites, index alone span over several pages.
Oh well, i actually think zhang ziyi is pretty popular, only her chinese fans are too lazy to set up a proper fansite for her.
JJH
Wednesday, October 23, 2002 at 01:54:33 (PDT)
[202.62.139.136]
Talent is seen only by those who want to see it: one cannot instantly recognize talent from crap. Here in my country, a lot of crap is dished out everyday: and the dumb masses accept it as talent.
No matter how much talent one has, if it is not seen and appreciated, it'll be a worthless effort. IMO, Teenage Fanclub is a great band, but why haven't you guys heard of them?
So luck did play a part in Ziyi's rise to fame. Fine. That's how Oasis got discovered, too. You've got to have the guts, the talent, and the greatness to maintain it. Remember: first-time luck doesn't last long. After the big break, the greatness takes over!
So Zhang Ziyi is still the best actess in the world. Proof: 2% water commercial. You tell her to cry, she'll cry right away, and with such frightening realism too. You tell her to stop crying and laugh away, that's what she does, Instantly, without prepping or mood-setting.
ZZ's club president haha : do me a favor, pal. Get lost. You don't belong here.
Rain
Monday, October 21, 2002 at 21:17:34 (PDT)
[202.57.91.218]
There is nothing “uncredible” about Zhang Ziyi’s fame, or her CTHD fighting sequences. Her fame is very real, and is only increasing as time goes on. As another proof of the public’s awareness of Ziyi and of her accomplishments is her latest win in the “Most Fashionable Actress (Mainland) Award”, at the 2002 MTV Lycra Fashion Award (Oct 20, 2002 at Shanghai, China).
Ziyi is an actress, and as such she presented and executed her fighting sequences in CTHD very credibly (some sequences did have a stunt double), and she deserves a further credit for doing so while being a non-martial artist. However, she is a very talented and beautiful actress -- and that is what her rise to fame is solidly based on, and will continue to be for a long time to come.
Congratulations Zhang Ziyi!!!
CastleGuard
Monday, October 21, 2002 at 14:29:29 (PDT)
[142.59.111.49]
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