http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2007/12/12/movies/19719162&sec=movies
Wednesday December 12, 2007
Stories by SETO KIT YAN
Xu Jinglei feels great to be the only leading lady in a film with three male leads in The Warlords.
AWARD-WINNING mainland actress and director Xu Jinglei plays female lead Lian with a firm resilience and quiet resignation.
In the beginning of the movie, we see Lian meeting the fallen General Pang (played by Jet Li) under wretched circumstances. He has just lost his whole regiment at war, while she has run away from a miserable home.
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Xu Jinglei: ‘The more passionate scenes are with Jet Li. With Andy Lau, it feels like we’re a couple who’ve been married a long time.’
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After falling in love, they soon discover their romance is not to be. Pang has inevitably become sworn brothers with Lian’s husband, Zhao (Andy Lau), so they had to restrain their passion.
As an award-winning director herself, how did Xu feel to work under director Chan?
“I feel it can be encapsulated in the archaic saying chu jiang ru xiang (referring to director Chan’s inordinate ability to make both action and drama films).
“Previously, he’s made mostly romantic dramas. Now, he’s made this particular film, which to me is deeply moving.”
Xu says it feels great to be the only leading lady in a film with a trio of leading men. But, do they steam up the screen with passionate love scenes?
“Actually, the passion lies more in their feelings for each other.
“The more passionate scenes are with Jet Li. With Andy Lau, it feels like we’re a couple who’ve been married a long time.
“With Jet Li, it’s different. Usually, it’s the man who makes the first move. But here, the woman has to take the initiative.”
Their repressed emotion and inner turmoil are manifested physically by their running around in the trenches trying to avoid each other and chasing after one another in turns. “It’s a bit like a sparring scene. Both are restless because they are caught up within an inner turbulence, of longing to be together yet not wanting to take the leap.”
The love scene between Lian and Pang at the battleground was filmed in one take. In their haste, actors Xu and Li unwittingly ran to an unlit area where they launched into action.
Although the cameraman called for them to stop, the director requested that they carry on. It turned out that the dimmer the lighting, the more interesting the scene became.
Although their faces could not be seen at all, their actions were spot on. Chan was intrigued by what transpired so he decided to use the footage as it was.
What are her impressions of Asia’s top three leading men?
“Li gives the impression of a martial arts expert no matter what he does. Lau is an intellectual with countless ideas. I did not have many scenes with Takeshi, but he comes across as an adorable fellow.”
