Other people's films are like a cocktail, a little alcohol with water and juice. My films are like pure vodka.
Jiang Wen
It's not easy for a film to tell a story of the experiences of an entire society. However, from an individual's perspective, it is possible to tell one aspect of an entire society's story.
I've also shot plenty of films with very small audiences - 'The Sun Also Rises.' I love that film, but I didn't capture the imagination of the audience. I don't know why.
I never control a film. The film controls me.
If there's Cold War, no 'Star Wars' in China.
I turned to historical films because they pass censors more easily.
I personally don't distinguish between artistic and commercial films.
From 1911 to 1928, the country was officially called Republic of China, but in reality, it was actually split between different warlords. It was one of the liveliest periods in Chinese history. It is therefore quite theatrical, and it is good for making films.
From now on, I will work with other people's material if it fits where I want to go.
Whether it's Shakespeare or Moliere, irony is a key component in the construction of theatre. A script would be pretty bad if it was devoid of irony.
I'm interested in history.
I'm especially keen to work with good scriptwriters on stories we have developed.
No matter how lofty a film is, it becomes a product after entering the market. It has a price. I think no matter what your purpose of shooting it, it has to have artistic value and then sell. But you can't make money if it doesn't have artistic value.
I think that as a Chinese person, nobody will forget that in China's history, there was a war against the Japanese.
Many filmmakers have had that experience. They make a movie, then out of nowhere, they either pass censorship or fail.
Painters who do self-portraits are engaging in a form of narcissism. But it doesn't work like that in movies. A truly narcissistic person wouldn't go into filmmaking because it's just too tiring.
Stories that can be told through language and words don't need to be filmed.
When I meet a good actor, I would like to be a director. When I meet a good director, I would like to be an actor. When there is a good script, I would like to be both a director and an actor. The switch is very natural, not intentional.
Changing people's preconceptions is something you have to do in order to search for truth. Of course normally, that's not done because it also challenges social stability, and stories, as a result, are often told much more simply.
Some say, why will people pay for cinema when they can watch cheaper DVDs at home? But I say, everyone has a kitchen at home, yet there are still many restaurants.
I just make movies and hope people appreciate them.
I think that as a director, especially when it comes to writing the script, which I also do, and I'm also the first one to visualize this story, I think contributing to the film industry means I'm able to take the best of a story and translate it well into a movie that can be released in theaters.
'Let the Bullets Fly' indeed attracted an audience, but how it did this is also a question for me.
As a director, what I'm trying to do is to create interesting stories.
We always hope we can make a movie that will beat America.
A film that doesn't get distributed is like a child that never gets married.
