"Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame" (hereinafter referred to as "Detective Dee") has been filming in Hengdian for a month, always shrouded in mystery. Apart from the eerie atmosphere glimpsed from the sporadic stills that have been released, the world is still in the dark about the true story and style of this movie. What new tricks does Tsui Hark want to pull this time? A reporter visited the set in Hengdian and spent two full days on location, finally getting the chance to catch Director Tsui and ask the questions on their mind. Tsui's style remains as elusive as ever - "Detective Dee is neither 'Once Upon a Time in China' nor 'Swordsman II', it's a new attempt starting from scratch!"
Question: What kind of style is Tsui trying to achieve with "Detective Dee"?
Background: This year marks the 25th anniversary of Tsui Hark's films, and "Detective Dee" is his 50th work. In terms of character design, one can see some "tributes" to Tsui's previous films, such as Li Bingbing's male outfit resembling Lin Qingxia's character in "The Legend of the Swordsman," while Deng Chao's outfit brings to mind甄Zhen Zidan in "New Dragon Gate Inn." Therefore, there has been much speculation about whether "Detective Dee's" martial arts style will resemble "Once Upon a Time in China" or be more akin to "Swordsman II."
Answer: "I basically don't look for traces of the past; I'm starting from zero."
In this film, Tsui once again attempts many things he hasn't tried before. "Filming large scenes is very difficult, and I've discovered many new combinations. For example, making dozens of large wooden pillars suddenly emerge from the water was initially impossible, but after gradual experimentation, we solved it. There are also many special effects in post-production because Detective Dee discovers many strange things underwater. I haven't deliberately paid tribute through character design; Bingbing and Deng Chao are different from Lin Qingxia and Zidan."
Tsui said he wanted to create a different kind of martial arts film from the start, "Detective stories are relatively rare in modern costume dramas, and this atmosphere suits establishing a new direction." On set, Tsui constantly changes his shooting methods based on the actors' performances and feelings. "The world is mysterious, with many things that cannot be explained logically. Everyone in the movie is smart, and the greatest appeal lies in so many intelligent people being underappreciated. It's far more spectacular than Sherlock Holmes."
Question 2: What kind of "Detective Dee" and "Empress Wu" do you envision?
Background: Casting Andy Lau as Detective Dee caused significant controversy. Why isn't Detective Dee the familiar chubby figure anymore, and why has he suddenly become so handsome? And Gong Li's appearance completely conforms to murals, with her single eyebrow looking incredibly "outrageous."
Answer: "Everyone has their own version of Detective Dee and Empress Wu in their hearts."
The appearances of Detective Dee and Empress Wu aren't important because no one knows what they really looked like, so he hopes to portray these characters in an exceptionally romantic manner. "No matter what movie I shoot, 'romance' is the most crucial element. The characters in this movie are very captivating, and viewers seeing them is like seeing themselves on the screen because everyone has romance in their hearts."
When something happens, everyone is unclear about the truth except Detective Dee who immediately understands, "It's as if he performs magic; everyone else is misled by false clues, but only he can return to the correct trail." As for Empress Wu, "She should be like a mountain, very grand, representing the flourishing Tang Dynasty."
And the unconventional Tsui has his special way of making the movie appear very "romantic." Everyone saw a scene where Detective Dee is summoned by Empress Wu after being released from prison. Tsui created a lot of wind on set, explaining: "The emperor meeting a prisoner is a strong contrast. Wind represents mood, and when the troops are moved by the wind, the conflict between the characters becomes sharper. This is romanticization and emphasis, and movies must dramatize life to show the audience."
Question 3: How do you balance history and legend?
Background: After the release of "Red Cliff," it received widespread criticism, with people condemning its outrageous lines and plot. "Detective Dee" is set against the backdrop of the Tang Dynasty, and from the current storyline, it's clear that many fictional elements have been added. However, since Empress Wu and Detective Dee were real historical figures, many historical facts cannot be avoided, such as Detective Dee's marital status.
Answer: "Legends represent people's expectations."
Under Tsui's romanticism, love affairs will inevitably be involved. If Detective Dee forms a love triangle with Empress Wu and Shangguan Jing'er, would it shock everyone? "Even if they're in love, it happens in a very special situation. Historically, Detective Dee certainly had a wife, but in this movie, his wife will not appear." Tsui says he doesn't mind if people question the origins, and if mistakes are pointed out, he will improve them in the next movie.
Field Notes: Hengdian in July, both "hot" and "chaotic"
Hot, as Zhang Yi described in his blog - when the whole country isn't hot, Hengdian is especially hot; when the whole country is hot, Hengdian is even hotter. Yet, the crews shooting here mostly wear ancient costumes, so the actors have to dress in multiple layers and wear thick headgear. During our two days in Hengdian, Andy Lau was consistently in his prisoner costume. As soon as the director shouted "cut," he quickly took off his headgear and handed it to his assistant, putting it back on for the next scene. Repeating this process made us feel annoyed, let alone himself. As for his beard, once glued on, it couldn't be removed, so Andy just held it up while fanning his neck furiously. His shoes were also thick and tightly wrapped, and when unmade-up, reporters noticed his feet were soaked white and wrinkled.
Chaotic, with over thirty crews simultaneously in Hengdian. At night, the lights of the night shoots illuminate Hengdian as if it were daytime. While we watched "Detective Dee" shoot at night, the buildings nearby hung white lanterns inscribed with the words "Jia Family," indicating that "Dream of the Red Chamber" had just filmed the "Grandma Jia's Death" scene here. In between, an extra in Arab costume suddenly ran out of the adjacent garden, seeing the Tang-dressed actors of "Detective Dee" and sheepishly smiled at us: "My outfit is truly ugly."
Amidst this "lively" environment, Master Tsui, wrapped in a white towel, energetically ran around all day. When the actors were resting and drinking mung bean soup in their trailers, he was busy scouting and setting the scene. This movie features leading actors Andy Lau and Li Bingbing, respectively called the "male model" and "female model" by outsiders. But even in front of Master Tsui, these two couldn't help but bow in admiration. Li Bingbing showed us the bruises from cupping on her arms and laughed, saying, "I've already thought of the questions for you - 'Shooting 'Detective Dee,' models die as models.'"