Ang Lee The Cross-Cultural Cowboy of Film
By ZIYI ZHANG
Because of Ang Lee, so many more people know about Chinese
filmmaking and about Chinese films. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,
a Chinese-language movie, mesmerized Western audiences in 2000. And
last year, with Brokeback Mountain, yet another unimaginable
success, both with critics and audiences, he captivated the entire
world and reached the pinnacle of moviemaking.
Lee's ability to be such a huge cross-cultural influence is, I
think, unique. His Taiwanese upbringing, which kept him deeply
rooted in the Chinese way of being and living, combined with his
well-informed understanding of Western mores and filmmaking
techniques have allowed him to speak to those two worlds in a way
no other director has.
It's as if when Lee, 51, makes a film, he is able to erase the
cultural lines and have its profundity understood at a universal
level. He creates characters that draw in an audience no matter
what language they speak. His insight into the human heart crosses
all boundaries.
I know he is also making a huge influence in the lives of
younger filmmakers and actors. I, for one, will be forever indebted
to him for casting me in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. When I
went to audition for him, I had made just one film (The Road Home)
and had never done any martial arts. I was 20 and didn't feel up to
any of it. He still gave me that chance. Why? He saw what I could
be capable of and was willing to let me have a go at it. How great
is he?
I love that he never limits himself either. He's a good role
model for all of us. Director Ang Lee lives in the future.
The Beijing-born Zhang starred most recently in Memoirs of a
Geisha