Entertainment: A 10-year labour of love
2009/12/28
Betty Lim
Nothing could stop Bodyguards and Assassins director Teddy Chan from realising his dream, not even the death of a close friend. BETTY LIM has the story.
IT took 10 years to make, cost millions of Chinese renminbi, involved hundreds of extras and boasted a large set that included a city!
For a story that had to be told, the action/historical epic movie Bodyguards and Assassins (currently showing in cinemas nationwide) is a testament to director Teddy Chan’s dedication.
Teddy and producer Peter Chan had to endure a lot while making the movie. The filmmakers faced one crisis after another during the film’s 10-year gestation.
“I felt very passionate about this story right from the start and nothing could stop me from finishing it,” said Teddy at a press conference recently.
Not even the death of one of his close friends and financiers, the resulting bout of depression that came after that; and even after everyone advised him to give up and let go.
“There comes a time in everyone’s lives when something happens that defines you,” said producer Peter.
The film was backed by the Chinese government and other financiers. Although fictional, the story is a “what might have happened” account of Dr Sun Yat-sen’s visit to Hong Kong in 1905. It revolves around an assassination attempt by China’s imperial forces on the man they perceived as a threat to the foundations of the Manchu dynasty.
The movie showcases the efforts of a band of ordinary citizens and kung fu masters who are roped in to protect the visiting VIP.
The philosophy of doing whatever it takes to achieve something, mirrors what the characters had to go through in the story. They are willing to sacrifice themselves to protect the man who would one day be known as the Father of Modern China.
When asked how this movie could appeal to the non-Chinese, Peter said: “It is not so much a story about Dr Sun as it is the story of the man in the street.
“Each character in the movie is just an ordinary person, but becomes a hero because of what they did.
“So it is the same universally. We may be called to do something for a good cause: heroism is universal."
The 12 big names who agreed to be in the movie were instrumental in making it memorable. It was evident that the cast, which included Donny Yuen, Tony Leung Kar Fai and Wang Xueqi worked as a team.
Yuen portrays “The Gambler,” a character who at the beginning of the movie is the anti-hero. He would do anything for money to feed his gambling habit. Later, he redeems himself by fighting and dying heroically to save the statesman.
Other leading cast members include Leon Lai as “Beggar,” Wang Po-Chieh as “Heir,” Nicholas Tse as “Rickshaw Puller,” Hu Jun as “Assassin,” Eric Tsang as “Police Commissioner,” Simon Yam as “General in Exile,” Fan Bing-bing as “Concubine,” and Zhou Yun as “Fiancee”.
Kudos to Leung and Wang for their powerful performances. Leung plays the intellectual revolutionary who inspires his students with his pen and rhetoric, while Wang is the patriarch, businessman and closet supporter of the revolutionary movement.
The movie has been described as a kung-fu movie with intellect and emotion. And it is.
One of the most touching scenes is when Leung realises that his favourite student, who happens to be Wang’s son, has been picked to be the decoy for Dr Sun, which means certain death.
When Leung tries to conduct a re-balloting, the son pleads with him not to do so, arguing that he should not be treated differently just because he is Wang's only son. “After all,” he declares, passionately, “isn’t this what we are fighting for: democracy and equality?”
Wang is effective as the businessman with a heart of gold and a father who loves his son but who, as a Chinese, does not want to openly show it.
The father-son relationship played out by the two Wangs shows the love and respect they have for each other, even when the son is at an age when rebelling against authority is beginning to set in.
Another thing going for the movie are the fighting scenes which are so spectacular and realistic that you can almost feel the excruciating pain when a body hits the wall or table after having been kicked or thrown about.
Through it all, you will be impressed by the attention to detail — from the costumes to the street lamps to the Chinawear.
However, there are a few niggling details. Leon Lai is one of them. He is somewhat wooden and there’s something wrong with his hair!
The other is in the CGI of the Hong Kong skyline in the early 1900s. The junks and ships are clearly computer-generated while the mansions on the hills of Hong Kong island seem out of proportion.
Other than these two minor complaints, everyone should watch this 10-year labour of love. Many of you may even start googling the story of Dr Sun Yat-sen right after the movie!
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Originally Posted by GeneChing
