Donnie Yen on his love for martial arts movies
Published: 20/10/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Life
Donnie Yen is one of Asia's most popular action stars with more than 50 film credits to his name. From Hong Kong to Hollywood, he has captivated audiences with his style of martial arts _ a craft he has honed since childhood.
This week, Talk Asia meets the star in Hong Kong where he discusses his path to success, the evolution of action films, and opens up on chances of a third Ip Man film.
Since making his film debut at the age of 19, the 48-year-old actor has become one of the most recognisable stars in Asia, most notably in Ip Man _ a biopic about the martial arts legend who would become Bruce Lee's master.
Yen shares with host Kristie Lu Stout his thoughts on what made the film such a big success. "For decades, when we watched a martial arts film from Bruce Lee days it was more of a macho type of image, but then they managed to turn everything around like he's a family man, the softer side. He's very passive. I think it connected with a lot of female viewers. That's why that film had a success beyond what other martial arts movies have ever achieved."
Over the years, Yen has worked with superstars such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li. He shares with Lu Stout the experience of making movies with them, discussing how he staged epic fights scenes with Li in Once Upon a Time in China 2 and Hero. "At the time, we were put together in the film and we were younger, it was very competitive. But we had a lot of fun and the film turned out to be very successful."
The star compares creating action scenes in Hong Kong and Hollywood, where he has also choreographed and appeared in productions. "
[In Hollywood,] you choreograph the move, then you let the director and the cinematographer position the camera. Actually, it doesn't really work as well. In Hong Kong, we've crafted this art for decades. The action choreographer is actually the action director. He takes over and choreographs by himself and places the camera to highlight the choreography."
Yen also shares with Lu Stout his memories of growing up in the US as a member of a minority and the culture shock he felt when his parents sent him from Boston to a Beijing martial arts school in the 1980s. He explains how, despite the identify confusion, his patriotism found an outlet in martial arts films. "Since I was young, I have always been patriotic. Why do all Chinese look up to Bruce Lee? Because we found a person, it gave us a sense of roots and nation."
Yen is the son of world-renowned martial arts expert Madam Bow Sim-Mark and started training from the age of four. Now with two young children of his own, he finds it hard to hide his excitement about the talent he sees in his four-year-old son. "James can punch and kick all day long. I don't know where he got that from. He's never seen any of my films. He does have a natural gift. He can strike a pose and throw his legs like he's done it all his life."
This week Yen also takes Talk Asia behind the scenes of his latest project and reveals where things stand on the much-awaited Ip Man 3. "I wanted to explore and take advantage of the opportunities that have been granted to me for the next two years. I want to try other roles and see how far I can stretch those roles. Then maybe after that, Ip Man 3."
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