Shooting from the hip
Hong Kong director Tung-Shing Yee's latest work Protg (Men Tu) is "all the truth about drugs". His leading actor Andy Lau says the movie is "the first Hong Kong movie to present so many details about the industry".
Famous for his delicate love stories, Yee (also known as Er Dongsheng) had the idea of shooting a drug themed film in 2004, when he was collecting material for another thriller. When talking with police, he learned that many rich drug barons actually lead very low-key lives to protect themselves. Their values and lifestyle provoked Yee's curiosity and motivated for him to shoot the movie.
Yee invited Andy Lau to play lead role of Jong, a top drug trafficker. Lau describes his first role as a drug kingpin as "his strongest performance" and the movie "the strongest work of Hong Kong filmmakers in years". A major impact may come from the novel interpretation of a drug lord and challenges viewers' stereotyped ideas.
Hong Kong director Tung-Shing Yee's latest work Protege, starring Andy Lau (pictured) as the lead role of Jong, a top drug trafficker. |
Lau's Jong is a 50 something owner of a home appliance shop, whose real job is to control the drug trafficking from South East Asia to North America.
Like many middle-aged men, the godfather is stressed by his business and poor health.
What he strives for is just a better life for his wife and two daughters, one of whom is rebellious while the other is sick. When he finally thinks he finds a protg (Daniel Wu) he can believe in, the man turns out to be an undercover cop.
Lau says the role is authenticity and shows off a multi-layered personality. Drug dealers also have the troubles of ordinary people, he said.
As a veteran idol for 26 years, Lau has fans aged from all age groups, and the superstar is known for his strong sense of social responsibility. He seldom takes a negative role, and if he does, the bad guy has to die.
"In my world, real life is more important than movies," he said at the movie's premiere this week. "Adults can tell the difference between Andy Lau and his roles, but children cannot. Thus I don't play a negative role whose character only consists of the cold-blood aspect."
The crew also filmed in Thailand's Golden Triangle area, once a large producer of illicit opium. They filmed troops on elephants escorting drug traffickers, footage rarely seen in movies. To present a convincing addict, Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu visited drug rehabilitation centers and talked to addicts.
"What we try to convey is," Yee says, "drugs are really, really terrible. Drug traffickers are doomed to go to hell."
(China Daily 02/15/2007 page18)
