Who's the best actor?As a director, Lee Hsing is a perfectionist. With the outstanding success of his movies and the fame that came to his performers, many actors made it a top priority to work with him. We asked Lee what kind of actors and actresses he himself prefers.
On the men's side, Lee indicates two favorites-Ou Wei and Ke Chun-hsiung. The biggest strength of both of these actors was their ambitious attitude toward their films. They always wanted to make a good film, and they always hoped that their current movie would do better at the box office than their last one had. On top of all that, these two actors got along like brothers, and often huddled together for a long time discussing their work. It was unfortunate that their relationship became strained after each sought the leading role in Execution in Autumn. They began seeing less of each other, but when Ou Wei died not long afterwards, Ke Chun-hsiung wept inconsolably at his bedside. Both actors were so good and so proud, says Lee, that no one could have done anything to prevent their falling out.
On the women's side, Lee feels that Tang Pao-yun, Wang Mo-chou, Chen Chen, and Lin Feng-chiao were all very good at grasping what the director wanted. Each of these four actresses was quite different from the others, and among them, Lee reserves special praise for Chen Chen. There is an old saying in the industry: "The gods made this one a star from birth." In Lee's opinion, the saying applies perfectly to Chen Chen. She always looked good no matter what the angle-from the left or right, from up looking down, from down looking up, from the front or back. . . . She even looked good when she had just woken up from a nap.
As for directors, Lee has effusive praise for Elia Kazan and Akira Kurosawa. Among Chinese directors, he particularly admires the late Li Han-hsiang. Li had a background in fine arts, and his characters, sets, and wardrobes reflected a deep knowledge in this area. Due to a lack of funds, Li developed an important moviemaking technique during the filming of Four Moods. (Lee Hsing explains that a different director was responsible for each of the four parts of the movie. Lee Hsing directed the "grief" portion, while Li Han-hsiang directed "joy".) The technique involved the construction of a miniature water mill set inside a very small filming studio. The trick worked superbly, and many other directors later borrowed the technique. Lee Hsing used it in Execution in Autumn to enhance the sense of depth and the general atmosphere.
Lee has not directed anything since The Heroic Pioneers in 1986, and much has changed since then. Under the influence of new cinematic fashions, Taiwanese films have become increasingly artistic. Today's movies emphasize individual style and creativity rather than a star-studded cast or plot tension. Movies today are becoming slower-paced all the time. In addition, due to competition from videos and cable television, the number of moviegoers is falling and movie studios are less willing to invest. Those interested in making movies have to rely on grants from the Government Information Office. The resulting movies cannot compare to those of the past. This has spawned a vicious cycle.
Lee also spent a lot of time filming The Road, which tells the story of a father and son (played by Tsui Fu-sheng and Wang Jung). It was a complete disaster at the box office, which caused Lee quite a bit of distress.