I'm just curious--did Seijun Suzuki have her in mind? Did she want to work with him? Something else? I mean, I'm glad she did--and it's probably the best performance I've ever seen her give. (I've never been completely convinced by her action roles.) But I'm wondering how it happened.
share"I didn't know who she was, and I was surprised to find out she was an action star. Basically, I was looking for the most beautiful actress in Japan, who could sing and dance at the same time. There were some people I was thinking of, but they were not available. My producer happened to know Zhang, and talked about her. He convinced me eventually. I think she did as well as a foreigner can."
Hey--thanks! Do you have a link to the rest of that interview?
And I'm glad his producer talked him into it, because I can't imagine anyone else in that role.
I think the other Chinese actor called Zhou Xun could have been better. She is also a singer. She was in The Banquet with Ziyi. I prefer Ziyi in films like 2046.
shareI agree, Zhou Xun probably would have been better. I cringed every time Zhang Ziyi started singing. Zhou's also a better actor, imo. I like Zhang Ziyi but I think she was really miscast, and the language barrier seemed to have exacerbate it.
shareI thought she did a great job. Including with the singing. I didn't think she was miscast at all.
share