Preparing for battle

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-06-24 14:40

Love and friendship is an eternal theme in Woo's works. He also believes making every film is a process through which to make new friends.

But Woo sustained a heavy blow during preparations for Red Cliff, the most energy-consuming film he has ever made. His long-time friend and lead actor Chow Yun-fat, who was to play Zhou Yu, withdrew from the role at the last minute. This caused tremendous scheduling problems and financial losses.

Woo made Chow an icon when he cast him in the 1986 Hong Kong classic A Better Tomorrow (Yingxiong Bense), but the incident with Chow does not change his belief in friendship.

"God tells us to love all, even the enemy," the Christian director says. "So I have no enmity at heart. I do have friends who betrayed me or said harsh words when I was low, but I still consider them as friends. Remember your friends' help and encouragement, and try to understand them when they do something hurtful."

Woo's reward is the support of new friends won purely through care and sincerity.

He hired chefs from Shanghai and Guangzhou to cook for the crew. The Chinese cast and crew had been used to working 15 hours a day, seven days a week, but his crew had at least one day, sometimes two, off each week, and a 12-hour maximum working day. His vice-director Zhang Jinzhan describes him as "very caring and considerate."

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