Making films for the mind, not market
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Chen Kaige is often called kai ye by actors and fellow directors - ye, literally grandpa, is commonly used in Beijing to refer to those respected for their expertise in a certain field.
The 58-year-old director, along with Zhang Yimou and Feng Xiaogang, are undisputedly the three most famous filmmakers in China. As a leading figure of the prestigious "fifth generation" filmmakers that includes Zhang, Chen was the earliest of these Chinese directors to achieve international recognition. His Farewell My Concubine is the only Chinese film to have won the top award at the Cannes Film Festival.
But of the "top three", Chen has distinct characteristics.
Unlike Zhang and Feng, Chen grew up in Beijing Studio, where his father Chen Huaikai was a well-known director.
"Chen's distinguished family background makes him a very scholarly director," says senior critic Tan Fei. "He has a deep understanding of Chinese culture and a strong sense of mission."
Chen likes to pick stories set in ancient China with a strong focus on the fine arts. For example, both Farewell My Concubine and Forever Enthralled tell stories about Peking Opera, while The Emperor and the Assassin is based on historical events.
"Art is a subject that Chen explores often," Tan says. "Farewell My Concubine and Forever Enthralled are about Peking Opera, and Together is about music."
For Chen, film is first a work of art and then a tool for making money, Tan says.
"That is why he is valuable, but it is also his disadvantage in today's market," he says.
Professor Zhang Yiwu of Peking University, adds that compared to Zhang and Feng, Chen is the least sensitive to the local market. "He is the most intellectual (of the three), who tends to reflect on such issues as the fate of the country and its people," he says. "Zhang Yimou used to be very sensitive to social concerns, and Feng Xiaogang has a magical hunch for local audience's interests."
Yet at a time when China's film industry is racing ahead, Chen has to think beyond artistic values.
"Failure is a luxury now," says Tan. "There are so many directors and films. In the past a famous director like Chen could afford a couple of box office failures without losing much ground, but today's audiences and investors have too many choices."
Chen has been working hard to find a place between his personal preferences and the market's needs in recent years. His last two works, The Promise and Forever Enthralled, both feature a superstar cast and commercial blockbuster marketing.
"This is his personal choice, but also part of the reality of today's Chinese cinema," Zhang says, commenting on Chen's recent works.
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