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Spy vs spy
By Liu Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-18 10:29
A flurry of similar shows followed, the most popular of which was Lurk, which started airing this year. Viewers were hooked to its vivid depiction of a Communist spy infiltrating the Nationalist ranks in the 1940s. Some even came to take the plotline as a guidebook to office politics. And Ang Lee's 2007 film Lust, Caution (Se Jie) about an ordinary girl who gets caught up in the cloak-and-dagger world made an even bigger stir. While much of the hullabaloo was about the steamy sex scene, the dramatic storyline also captivated viewers. "People like spy thrillers because they have few opportunities to know much about spies' lives and work," Tan adds. "These shows satisfy their curiosity." And curiosity is the driving force for The Message, which is co-directed by Chen Kuo-fu from Taiwan and Gao Qunshu from the mainland. Chen, who also wrote the screenplay, is a dynamo when it comes to creating suspense. His last directorial work, Double Vision (Shuang Tong), was one of the most successful thrillers in Taiwan. Gao, who rose to fame after a TV series about 13 murder cases, also has a knack for keeping audiences on the edges of their seats. Production company Huayi Brothers has kept a tight lid on the ending. To make certain it stays secret until the Sept 30 premiere, all cast and crew members signed contracts with the firm that impose a 100,000-yuan fine on anyone who doesn't keep his lips sealed. And the directors also produced seven versions, so viewers won't know which will end up in theaters. But despite all the pre-release secrecy, Chen says he isn't worried the first batch of viewers will spoil it for the rest. "Suspense is an important element for a spy thriller, but it isn't everything," Chen told China Daily. "Watching the film is a lot of fun. It's like, you open a pot and find out what the food is, but that won't spoil your appetite for it." Unlike other mainland spy films or TV series, which focus more on the mind games the characters play with one another, the new film also depicts the torture the characters endure. It is the first time so many kinds of torture devices have been shown in a Chinese film. Inspired by many grind tools used in Europe during World War II, the prop team created dazzling devices, such as a nail-studded chair, an electrifying bed and various needles. And all of the main actors, including Zhang Hanyu, Li Bingbing and Zhou Xun, get tortured. Filming the scene was so powerful an experience for Li that she now becomes anxious whenever she sees a certain type of ruler - used as a torture implement in the film - in real life. And she calls Chen "a horrible writer". The other leading woman, Zhou, often sat alone on the set, spontaneously bursting into laughter or tears. Since the filming wrapped up, she has had to drink red wine every night before bed to sleep. Chen says he has good reasons for including such vivid torture scenes. While doing research for the screenplay, he watched a documentary about spies during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. One thing he found was that most spies rarely talk about their work, even after returning to civilian life. "Just like magicians, they will not reveal their tricks," Chen says. "I think the audience has the same curiosity about their work as I do. Their mysterious experiences give me a lot of space for imagination and creation." Chen visited a real torture chamber before shooting started. He recalls feeling chills at the sight of the devices, even though he was clad in a down coat. "I was thrilled by the cold feeling," he says. "I think I would confess even before undergoing any torture. So I appreciate the characters' strength of will and want the audience to know what miserable ordeals they endured." He insists the torture scenes are not for the sake of sensationalism, like those in films such as the Saw series. "I hope the viewers will relate to the characters and feel sorry for them, and not just feel excited about the visual aspects," he says. |
