The Beijing Olympics and Director Zhang Yimou --Grief felt on a Change of Artist's Soul--
KITAMURA Fumio / Journalist
September 22, 2008
In the cinema world, it happens sometimes that a director who made a breath-taking debut with an excellent film gradually loses his fresh creativity as he reaches the hight of "Maestro" position. It is sad for film fans to see their once-admired director undergoing such a process of change.
Thanks to technological innovations such as video, DVD and digital broadcasting, it has become possible to watch at home many reputed films that won laurels. Being a movie fan, I watch about 150 motion pictures a year via various kinds of media, while my visits to movie theaters have become less frequent.
Through my film watching experience, I have often been thrilled by meeting films full of originality which signaled the new trend of cinema art emerging. One such joyous excitement was brought about by a Chinese film Red Sorghum directed by Zhang Yimou in 1987. This was his debut work and was awarded the grand prix (Golden Bear prize) at the 1988 Berlin International Film Festival.
Red Sorghum, shot on location in a poor Chinese village, in which the director, using bright colors and dynamic music, vividly portrayed with a moderate comic touch a young woman bought with money who kills her sickly husband in cahoots with a demonic man. Zhang, who had come through a lot of hardships during the Cultural Revolution period known as the "Rustication Movement", gave vent to his expressive volition that had long been suppressed, and made such masterworks as Ju Dou (1990) and Raise the Red Lantern (1991) one after another, following his first work that had won him such distinction.
These works had a common theme. It is an anarchical behavior of poverty-stricken people who, under oppressive circumstances, yielded themselves to unlimited desires. In China, Zhang's works drew fire from the audience and some critics as shamelessly exposing "China's ugly-side."
Almost a decade after Red Sorghum, China began to change rapidly in political, economic, social and other various fields. Under the slogan of the "open economy," free competition of the market was introduced and the scale of China’s economy rapidly expanded by leaps and bounds. In the film industry also, profit-making became priority and gorgeous entertainment movies flooded the market. The wave swallowed up Director Zhang, too. For Director Zhang, it should not be difficult to make pictures that would meet the market needs, if only he forgets his original artistic freshness.
Thus, Zhang's works gradually degenerated to something called "Hollywood-like epics," which has a disdainful connotation. Hero (2002) and Lovers (2004), for which huge amounts of production money were invested, resulting in gorgeous but empty spectacles, quite alien to the quality of Red Sorghum. Those who had been enchanted by Director Zhang must have been disappointed and lamented the waste of his talent. Because of these major epic films, however, Zhang has become one of the most famous and influential maestros.
On the occasion of the opening (August 8, 2008) and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, the century-old dream for the Chinese came true and it was only natural that Director Zhang was appointed the general manager to supervise the events. The expectation the Chinese government had of the Beijing Olympics was to strongly impress the world with an image of China as the great powers and to inspire nationalistic sentiments in the Chinese people. Director Zhang lived up to and excelled in the task! A great pageant was unrolled with an incalculable number of fireworks exploding, kaleidoscopically changing lights, thousands of players filling the field of the stadium, wham-bang music rending the skies to an extent that even made the spectators and TV watchers weary. "An Angel Singing" of a 9-year-old girl was actually pre-recorded voices of another girl, and children wearing national costumes allegedly representing 56 ethnic groups were in reality all Chinese kids. These sort of dramatics were criticized but Zhang did not care at all, insisting that "it was artistic creation" (as reported in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper dated August 18).
In the process of urban renewal necessitated by the Beijing Olympics, poor people's homes were compulsorily requisitioned. Seasonal workers who came from the remote countryside were relocated in out-of-the-way corners. Miserable houses of low-income dwellers were covered by painted walls. The Beijing Olympics were opened and closed shutting out people who used to be the leading characters in the films directed by a young Zhang Yimou. Ironically enough, it was Director Zhang who was commissioned to produce the Olympics. Did he forget the state of mind he was in when he first started making films? Fed up with all cry and no wool at the opening and closing ceremonies, I was indefinitely feeling blue.
The writer is a former professor of Shukutoku University and former London Bureau Chief and Senior Editor of the Yomiuri Shimbun.
Thanks to technological innovations such as video, DVD and digital broadcasting, it has become possible to watch at home many reputed films that won laurels. Being a movie fan, I watch about 150 motion pictures a year via various kinds of media, while my visits to movie theaters have become less frequent.
Through my film watching experience, I have often been thrilled by meeting films full of originality which signaled the new trend of cinema art emerging. One such joyous excitement was brought about by a Chinese film Red Sorghum directed by Zhang Yimou in 1987. This was his debut work and was awarded the grand prix (Golden Bear prize) at the 1988 Berlin International Film Festival.
Red Sorghum, shot on location in a poor Chinese village, in which the director, using bright colors and dynamic music, vividly portrayed with a moderate comic touch a young woman bought with money who kills her sickly husband in cahoots with a demonic man. Zhang, who had come through a lot of hardships during the Cultural Revolution period known as the "Rustication Movement", gave vent to his expressive volition that had long been suppressed, and made such masterworks as Ju Dou (1990) and Raise the Red Lantern (1991) one after another, following his first work that had won him such distinction.
These works had a common theme. It is an anarchical behavior of poverty-stricken people who, under oppressive circumstances, yielded themselves to unlimited desires. In China, Zhang's works drew fire from the audience and some critics as shamelessly exposing "China's ugly-side."
Almost a decade after Red Sorghum, China began to change rapidly in political, economic, social and other various fields. Under the slogan of the "open economy," free competition of the market was introduced and the scale of China’s economy rapidly expanded by leaps and bounds. In the film industry also, profit-making became priority and gorgeous entertainment movies flooded the market. The wave swallowed up Director Zhang, too. For Director Zhang, it should not be difficult to make pictures that would meet the market needs, if only he forgets his original artistic freshness.
Thus, Zhang's works gradually degenerated to something called "Hollywood-like epics," which has a disdainful connotation. Hero (2002) and Lovers (2004), for which huge amounts of production money were invested, resulting in gorgeous but empty spectacles, quite alien to the quality of Red Sorghum. Those who had been enchanted by Director Zhang must have been disappointed and lamented the waste of his talent. Because of these major epic films, however, Zhang has become one of the most famous and influential maestros.
On the occasion of the opening (August 8, 2008) and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, the century-old dream for the Chinese came true and it was only natural that Director Zhang was appointed the general manager to supervise the events. The expectation the Chinese government had of the Beijing Olympics was to strongly impress the world with an image of China as the great powers and to inspire nationalistic sentiments in the Chinese people. Director Zhang lived up to and excelled in the task! A great pageant was unrolled with an incalculable number of fireworks exploding, kaleidoscopically changing lights, thousands of players filling the field of the stadium, wham-bang music rending the skies to an extent that even made the spectators and TV watchers weary. "An Angel Singing" of a 9-year-old girl was actually pre-recorded voices of another girl, and children wearing national costumes allegedly representing 56 ethnic groups were in reality all Chinese kids. These sort of dramatics were criticized but Zhang did not care at all, insisting that "it was artistic creation" (as reported in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper dated August 18).
In the process of urban renewal necessitated by the Beijing Olympics, poor people's homes were compulsorily requisitioned. Seasonal workers who came from the remote countryside were relocated in out-of-the-way corners. Miserable houses of low-income dwellers were covered by painted walls. The Beijing Olympics were opened and closed shutting out people who used to be the leading characters in the films directed by a young Zhang Yimou. Ironically enough, it was Director Zhang who was commissioned to produce the Olympics. Did he forget the state of mind he was in when he first started making films? Fed up with all cry and no wool at the opening and closing ceremonies, I was indefinitely feeling blue.
The writer is a former professor of Shukutoku University and former London Bureau Chief and Senior Editor of the Yomiuri Shimbun.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
北京五輪と張芸謀（チャン・イーモウ）監督--芸術家の変容を思い知らされる悲哀感--
北村文夫 / ジャーナリスト
2008年 9月 22日
清新な作品で鮮やかにデビューした映画監督が、「巨匠」と呼ばれる地位に到達するにつれ初心を見失ってしまう。映画界ではよくあることだが、芸術家のこうした変容を見せつけられるのはつらい。
ビデオからＤＶＤ、デジタル放送など技術革新のおかげで、称賛や話題の的となった映画を、いまでは自宅居間で見ることができる。映画好きの私も、映画館通いは減ったものの、各種メディアを利用して年間ざっと１５０本の映画を鑑賞している。数え切れないほど多くの映画が私を未知の世界へと誘ってくれた。
ときには映画芸術の新たな息吹を実感させる、若き才能の登場に目を見張ったこともある。衝撃的な出会いの一つが、１９８７年製作の中国映画「紅いコーリャン」だった。監督チャン・イーモー（張芸謀）の初作品となるこの映画は、１９８８年のベルリン国際映画祭でグランプリ（金熊賞）を受賞した。
中国の寒村地帯を舞台にした「紅いコーリャン」は、お金で買われた若妻が粗暴な若い男と共謀して病弱の夫を殺すストーリーを、適度のコメディ・タッチを交えながら鮮烈な色彩と音楽で描き切っていた。文化革命時代に下放と呼ばれる辛酸をなめてきたチャン監督は、長く抑圧されてきた表現意欲を一挙に発散させるかのように、出世作に続いて「菊豆」（１９９０年）、「紅夢」（１９９１年）などの名作を立て続けに発表した。
これら作品には共通主題があった。それは閉塞状況のなかで、野放図なまでに自分の欲求に身をゆだねる貧しい民のアナーキーな行動だった。チャン監督の作品は中国国内では「自国の暗部」をさらすものとして、観客や一部の批評家から批判を浴びた。
「紅いコーリャン」から数年後、中国は政治、経済、社会などあらゆる分野で急速に変わり出した。「開放経済」のスローガンのもと自由競争の市場原理が導入され、中国経済の規模は飛躍的に拡大した。映画産業でも利益追求が最優先され、豪華絢爛な娯楽大作が市場にあふれ出した。その波はチャン監督をも飲み込んだ。映画技法を熟知するチャン監督にとって、初心を忘れさえすれば、市場原理の需要に応じる映画作りは難しくなかったはずだ。
こうしてチャン監督の映画は、なかば侮蔑的な意味を帯びた「ハリウッド的大作」と呼ばれるものへと変質していった。莫大な製作費を投入した「ＨＥＲＯ」（２００２年）、「ＬＯＶＥＲＳ」（２００４年）は、「紅いコーリャン」とは別次元の豪華で空虚な絵巻物になっていた。かつてチャン監督に魅せられた人々は、優れた才能の浪費を悲しんだろう。しかしこれらの大作で、チャン監督は中国映画界でもっとも著名で影響力のある巨匠になった。
「中国の１００年の夢」の実現となる北京五輪の開催に当たり、その開会式（８月８日）、閉会式（８月２４日）演出の総監督にチャン監督が指名されたのは当然の成り行きだったろう。中国政府が北京五輪に託した期待は、大国中国の台頭を世界に強く印象づけ、民衆のナショナリズム感情をあおり立てることだった。チャン監督はこの期待に１００％以上も応えた。何千発か何万発か判定しようもない無数の花火、目まぐるしく転換する照明、数千人の出場者、大音響の音楽など、テレビ中継を眺める人々が疲労感を覚えるほどの大ページェントが繰り広げられた。９歳の少女の「天使の歌声」が実は「口パク」だったり、５６民族の代表として民族衣装をまとった子供たちがすべて漢族だったことへの批判に対し、チャン監督は「芸術上の創作」（朝日新聞８月１８日）と述べ、意に介しようともしなかった。
北京五輪のための都市改造で、貧しい人々の居住地域は強制収用された。地方からの出稼ぎ労働者は、人目につかない場所に移動させられた。困窮者の惨めな住宅は、ペンキ塗りの壁によって視界から遮られた。若きチャン・イーモーの映画で主人公となった人々を表舞台から締め出しながら、北京五輪は開幕し、そして閉幕した。その演出をまかされたのが、皮肉にもチャン監督だった。彼が映画製作にかけた初心は、忘却のかなたに消え去ったのだろうか。開会式と閉会式の騒ぎにうんざりしながら、私の気持ちは際限もなく落ち込んでいった。
（筆者は元淑徳大学教授、元読売新聞ロンドン総局長、編集委員）
ビデオからＤＶＤ、デジタル放送など技術革新のおかげで、称賛や話題の的となった映画を、いまでは自宅居間で見ることができる。映画好きの私も、映画館通いは減ったものの、各種メディアを利用して年間ざっと１５０本の映画を鑑賞している。数え切れないほど多くの映画が私を未知の世界へと誘ってくれた。
ときには映画芸術の新たな息吹を実感させる、若き才能の登場に目を見張ったこともある。衝撃的な出会いの一つが、１９８７年製作の中国映画「紅いコーリャン」だった。監督チャン・イーモー（張芸謀）の初作品となるこの映画は、１９８８年のベルリン国際映画祭でグランプリ（金熊賞）を受賞した。
中国の寒村地帯を舞台にした「紅いコーリャン」は、お金で買われた若妻が粗暴な若い男と共謀して病弱の夫を殺すストーリーを、適度のコメディ・タッチを交えながら鮮烈な色彩と音楽で描き切っていた。文化革命時代に下放と呼ばれる辛酸をなめてきたチャン監督は、長く抑圧されてきた表現意欲を一挙に発散させるかのように、出世作に続いて「菊豆」（１９９０年）、「紅夢」（１９９１年）などの名作を立て続けに発表した。
これら作品には共通主題があった。それは閉塞状況のなかで、野放図なまでに自分の欲求に身をゆだねる貧しい民のアナーキーな行動だった。チャン監督の作品は中国国内では「自国の暗部」をさらすものとして、観客や一部の批評家から批判を浴びた。
「紅いコーリャン」から数年後、中国は政治、経済、社会などあらゆる分野で急速に変わり出した。「開放経済」のスローガンのもと自由競争の市場原理が導入され、中国経済の規模は飛躍的に拡大した。映画産業でも利益追求が最優先され、豪華絢爛な娯楽大作が市場にあふれ出した。その波はチャン監督をも飲み込んだ。映画技法を熟知するチャン監督にとって、初心を忘れさえすれば、市場原理の需要に応じる映画作りは難しくなかったはずだ。
こうしてチャン監督の映画は、なかば侮蔑的な意味を帯びた「ハリウッド的大作」と呼ばれるものへと変質していった。莫大な製作費を投入した「ＨＥＲＯ」（２００２年）、「ＬＯＶＥＲＳ」（２００４年）は、「紅いコーリャン」とは別次元の豪華で空虚な絵巻物になっていた。かつてチャン監督に魅せられた人々は、優れた才能の浪費を悲しんだろう。しかしこれらの大作で、チャン監督は中国映画界でもっとも著名で影響力のある巨匠になった。
「中国の１００年の夢」の実現となる北京五輪の開催に当たり、その開会式（８月８日）、閉会式（８月２４日）演出の総監督にチャン監督が指名されたのは当然の成り行きだったろう。中国政府が北京五輪に託した期待は、大国中国の台頭を世界に強く印象づけ、民衆のナショナリズム感情をあおり立てることだった。チャン監督はこの期待に１００％以上も応えた。何千発か何万発か判定しようもない無数の花火、目まぐるしく転換する照明、数千人の出場者、大音響の音楽など、テレビ中継を眺める人々が疲労感を覚えるほどの大ページェントが繰り広げられた。９歳の少女の「天使の歌声」が実は「口パク」だったり、５６民族の代表として民族衣装をまとった子供たちがすべて漢族だったことへの批判に対し、チャン監督は「芸術上の創作」（朝日新聞８月１８日）と述べ、意に介しようともしなかった。
北京五輪のための都市改造で、貧しい人々の居住地域は強制収用された。地方からの出稼ぎ労働者は、人目につかない場所に移動させられた。困窮者の惨めな住宅は、ペンキ塗りの壁によって視界から遮られた。若きチャン・イーモーの映画で主人公となった人々を表舞台から締め出しながら、北京五輪は開幕し、そして閉幕した。その演出をまかされたのが、皮肉にもチャン監督だった。彼が映画製作にかけた初心は、忘却のかなたに消え去ったのだろうか。開会式と閉会式の騒ぎにうんざりしながら、私の気持ちは際限もなく落ち込んでいった。
（筆者は元淑徳大学教授、元読売新聞ロンドン総局長、編集委員）
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟