The Promise website Japan version: http://wwws.warnerbros.co.jp/promisemovie/
Nice flash and check out the trailer here: The Promise trailer

Childlike would be a better word. He's pure and innocent...and yes, not too bright. However, he has other qualites like courage, loyalty and superman speed which more than compensates for his naivety.



Heh...that's the much anticipated uhm, passionate scene where Sanada was more embarassed than Ceci. He was very hesitant and nervous during their lovemaking scene. lol Got to admire Ceci for her daringness and professionalism. She's all grown up now.



Don't forget 'shuai ge'...handsome boy/man....and 'wo hao xiang nie' ....i miss u like crazy....when u see him.

i wanna see this so bad...

Another new trailer (HK version)

DOWNLOAD HERE
Source: http://blog.naver.com/loshui37.do

"Promise" Promotional Event in HK

2005-11-01 09:26:56 CRIENGLISH.com

Cecilia Cheung Dazzles "Promise" Promotional Event


The casts and crews of this year's high-profile film martial-arts "The Promise", including Hong Kong star Cecilia Cheung, direcotr Chen Kaige and his star wife Chen Hong, atternded a meet-the-press promotional activity on Monday in Hong Kong. The film is bidding for the Best Foreign Language Film of the coming Academy Awards and it will be released worldwide in December.

-------

Cecilia Talks about "The Promise"

2005-11-01 10:23:55 sznews.com

Chen Kaige's blockbuster "The Promise"has been selected to represent the Chinese mainland in next year's Academy Awards. The film's star, Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung, recently talked about the production.

"I am greatly encouraged since many foreign directors and actors, as well as reporters, praised the film when it was screened at Cannes in May. They thought it was the best Chinese movie they have seen,"said Cheung.

Cheung said whether or not she wins a prize is not the most important thing for her. "In the process of shooting ??The Promise,' everyone had a tough time. If there is a prize, I think it belongs to all of us. I hope through the Oscar, Americans and people from other countries learn that movies directed by our Chinese directors are well done, equal to Hollywood."

For Cheung, the most interesting aspect of the film is that the story is not set in ancient times as it appears to be and that it is not a martial arts movie. "During the shooting, I said to the director, ??Are we shooting a future story, not an ancient one??' and Chen nodded with a smile.?±

Still, many moviegoers do not understand the story or the film's title. "I believe ??promise' stands for love. ??The Promise' means love is boundless, love is shapeless, love is unpredictable and love is promise,"said Cheung.

The late Hong Kong actor Leslie Cheung won international acclaim for his performance in Chen's "Farewell My Concubine?±. Through "The Promise,"Cecilia also learned from Chen. "I can say I'm a clever person but always lost my temper. Through Chen, I successfully changed my view of life and learned more communication skills.?±

Cheung's former boyfriend Nicholas Tse also has a leading role in "The Promise."Cheung said, "The relationship is over. We are still good friends, which doesn't hurt in co-starring. Nicholas is wonderful in the production and he has made great progress in acting. I think he looks like Leslie Cheung."

ohh the trailer looks good...nic look so kool in there...i hope it's going to release in dvd soon....

These are old pics/caps(this movie is just awaiting release), but wouldn't hurt.

JDG dubbing for The Promise in Beijing









On location, with CC




sources: ent.sina/jangdonggun.pe.kr

wow...i knew that Cecilia Chung was in this movie but I couldn't even recognize her...dang, her face got a lot thinner than before...plus her makeup doesn't really look good...i mean the pink eyeshadow..???

lol, but anyways, i'm definately gonna go see this movie because Nicholas Tse is in it, even though it's not a big part, I'll still get to see him. The movie also looks like it's gonna be really good, I just hope my expectations aren't too high

ahhhh i cant wait for this movie.

man i gotta see this movie

looks like its going to be an awsome movie!!!!!

The 11 minutes trailer (the one shown in the Cannes Film Festival)

DOWNLOAD HERE
Source: http://blog.naver.com/loshui37/

very impressive!!!!! and the musics sounds goooood.....

Captures from the 11 Min trailer

Reposted from Just Jang Dong Gun at www.jang-donggun.com









More captures from the trailer

Reposted from Just Jang Dong Gun at www.jang-donggun.com

Here more about the trailer.

Source: Sina Entertainment News
Translated by Yuki from http://www.jang-donggun.com


7/11/2005--The Promise's 2 min 38 sec official promotional trailer will be launched across the globe on 9 Nov, 2005. The first to broadcast the trailer will be CCTV at 21.20 hrs , Daily Culture at 18.55 hrs and Shanghai Eastern TV at 22.00 hrs

i really want to catch this movie on the big screen, but it'll probably appear on the internet before it hits cinemas in the US.

Source:http://ent.163.com/05/1014/13/201DIIVC00031H06.html

Translated by Yuki for Just Jang Dong Gun at www.jang-donggun.com

As we near the release of The Promise, more evaluations by the critics have surfaced for the movie.

Here’s a prelude to one negative report....

Film Critic Gu Xiao Bai on The Promise: Too much grandeur spoils the feast
2005-10-14 13:21:11



Due to the fact that I have a bias liking to Chen Kaige (with the exception of “To be with you”), added on to the fact that it would be fun to tour Sichuan again, I’d finally managed to rush down to Chengdu, climbed out of bed at 6am in the morning and hurried down to the movie theater and queued for tickets, afraid that I would missed my final chance – but it was not like how the media has reported, there wasn’t any crowd. The sales of the tickets started at 9am, after breakfast, I took a leisurely stroll across to buy the tickets – I’ve been miserably misinformed by the irresponsible reporting media, perhaps it was only on the opening day that there were lots of people.

It was a good thing that I finally saw the movie and it got rid of all the sleepy bugs that was lurking in my system – What I’m trying to imply is not in any way a praise for The Promise, neither am I trying to criticize it. It is just that there were too much information and message that the movie is trying to convey, both good and bad, the information overload gave you no time to slowdown and digest it, sort of like having a load of content blasting out before you. This movie is really what many will call a ‘blockbluster’ (you can even claim that this is one of the biggest movies of true significance that was ever produced domestically). In terms of the visuals, it is indeed a grand feast but it is a pity that the feast is only as good as being attractive to see; it fell short of being delicious enough, like a meal being cooked with insufficient oil and ingredients but was still pass off as being spectacular, leaving me with the feeling of it being overrated when I finish.


The stiff special effects and cinematography was a hindrance to the whole movie

After watching The Promise, many in the audience will fell exhausted, but it is not due to fact that they are being overwhelmed by the various destinies that befall upon the characters. At the beginning, I felt that it was because there were too many characters and the storyline was too complex and intertwined. After a long and hard reflection, I realized that the story line and scenes were actually pretty integrated and fast paced, the interactions between leads were very well organized and established, the story lines were flashy but lacked substance and they too were compact and fit the flow of the whole movie…. Pondering on till the very end, I finally understood that is was the special effects and the over emphasis of the ‘Art’ of the film that made every scene too saturated to the extent that the word bad is not bad enough to describe it.

On a further thought, there wasn’t anything wrong about the special effects or the cinematography; rather, it’s the stiffness and the lack of integration of the film. In terms of cohesion, the film lies on a fine line between pass and fail.

With regards to the special effects, the opening scene of “the great war between the general and the herds of bull” was very grand and spectacular but it also looked really artificial. You could tell that the scene with the herds was pasted on as there were lines and also a delay between the movements. Kunlun the slave showed his special power of being able to ‘run at the speed of light’ but the special effects were comparable to that in the movie Kung Fu where Stephen Chow had a race with the landlady on the streets. It would be apt if it was used in a comedy but when it gets adapted on what is to be known as an ‘epic between good and evil’, the special effects becomes laughable and totally out of place. The special effects on the two movies have been digitalized, a similar technology was being used to give 2 different sets of realities to the meaning of ‘speed’ but as the saying goes, it is easy to follow but difficult to lead.




But seeing it on the big screen would be so much better, the grandeur twice magnified (never mind what that critic^^^ says)!

aww poopy.... I hope the ciritc didn't hit the target....

I was afraid that it would be too focused on art than the movie plot itself.

I like Chen Kaige a lot, hopefully I can see this movies when it is airing

What's the plot again?? I couldn't really tell by the trailer =X

After seeing the trailer, I'm not so sure about this movie any more. It's so confusing? Normally, you can tell what the story is about from the trailer. But I'm totally lost

Cecila looks so disgusting. Isn't she supposed to be the most beautiful women in the world? She looks like a tramp. I think this is someting to do with the costume designer and make up artist for the movie.

As for JDG, he looks like a homeless man that a slave.

Totally disappointed with this movie. They were saying this movie is the chinese version of The Lord of the Rings but I don't think so. It has a great cast but not so sure about the story.

The Promise - Behind the scene





credit jangdonggun-club
originally posted by Azura, jang dong gun thread, soompi!

credit jangdonggun-club/Azura, jdg thread soompi

date=11/29/05 at 11:00:08]2005-11-29 09:20:06 CRI Exclusive

CRI Exclusive by Shen Min - A Broadway production company is in talks with Chinese director, Chen Kaige, about plans to move his martial-arts film, "The Promise", to the stage.

Representatives of the company will fly to Beijing next week to talk through the details, according to Chen Hong, the film's producer, who is also the wife of the director, Cheng Kaige.

"The Promise" has brought together talent from around the world, including the renowned composer of the scores for "Gladiator" and "Pearl Harbor", Hans Zimmer.

The latest developments suggest that the film will lead to yet more cultural exchanges between China and other countries.

"The Promise" is the most anticipated film in China this year. It will premiere all around the world on Dec.15th.



credit: dreamer, jdg efb


"The Promise" to be adapted to Broadway musical

2005-12-01 06:22:02 XinhuaEnglish

BEIJING, Dec. 1(Xinhuanet)--"The Promise," an Oscar candidate movie and the latest work from the director of 1993 Oscar best foreign film nominee"Farewell My Concubine," Chen Kaige, will be adapted to a Broadway musical, said the movie's producer Chen Hong here on Thursday.

Chen Hong, who made the movie with husband-cum-director Chen Kaige, claimed that the fairy world created in her movie is"without territorial boundary," and thus also fits in well with a musical.

"Our cooperation with Broadway will, I believe, write down a page in the world cultural exchange history," she said without naming the Broadway partner.

"The Promise" will debut on Dec. 12 in Beijing and be released around the globe three days later.

The movie features a top-grade Asian cast that includes stars from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

A computer game, a book, stamps, toys and a documentary related to the movie will also be released soon. A blog website is established on one of China's biggest Internet portals to display movie stills in advance.

Chen Kaige made "The Promise" in 1,090 days, trekking for more than 10,000 kilometers and spending some 340 million yuan(about 42 million US dollars).

"The Promise" was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and has now been recommended as the only Chinese mainland movie to compete for the Oscar award for the best foreign language film. Enditem


credit: serendipity, jjdg efb

Original source: http://news.media.daum.net
Partly translated by YoonEe for Just Jang Dong Gun at www.jang-donggun.com


Jang Dong-gun to start Asian Promo Tour

[Sports Seoul, November 29th 2005, 00:40]



JDG who acts as the legendary slave ‘Kunlun’ in worldwide master director Chen Kaige’s major movie ‘The Promise’ would participate in Asia promotion at 8 cities in 5 countries from 10 to 23 December, together with director Chen Kaige and costars Cecilia Cheung and Hiroyuki Sanada. He would participate in Asia press conference and release event from10 to 11 December in Tiananmen and Great Wall of China, and would go for promotion tour that starts with Beijing premiere on 12 December, followed by Hong Kong on 13 December, Singapore on 14 December and Shanghai on 15 December. He’s scheduled to visit one country for each day, with no time for rest. Then after returns to Korea for ‘Typhoon’ stage greetings on 17 and 18 December, he would leave for Malaysia on 19 December, Thailand on 20 December, Beijing on 22 December, and Taiwan on 23 December. He would end Asian tour in Japan in January 2006 ahead of Japan release of ‘The Promise’ in February 2006.

Mr. Hong, CEO of JDG’s management agency, revealed, “Because of the filming schedule, JDG did not have a chance to meet Asian fans including fans from China. He feels regretful about it. He is making preparation for the promotion of ‘The Promise’ excitedly because he gets the chance to greet his fans even though it’s in a very tight schedule.”

Lee Pyung-yup reporter, yuppie@


Soompians, u might wanna catch jdg in any, or maybe even all, of the following places!

Yonhap News also carried the same news about JDG's tour to Asia to promote the movie"The Promise" - http://news.media.daum.net/snews/entertain.../v10935309.html



Since the schedule of his Asian promo tour is released by his mangement agency Star M Entertainment's CEO Mr Hong, the info should be reliable.

12 Dec - Beijing
13 Dec - Hong Kong
14 Dec - Singapore
15 Dec - Shanghai
17-18 Dec - Korea (to promote Typhoon)
19 Dec - Malaysia
20 Dec - Thailand
22 Dec - Beijing
23 Dec - Taiwan

credit: dreamer

The trip to Malaysia is cancelled.

i'm a bit lost... so which movie is being released first????

the promise or typoon??????

this is somewhat connected to the thread... lol

Both movie will release in the separate date according to each country. Incoming date, The Promise will have a preview on 12 December (at Beijing), 13 December (at HongKong), 14 December (at Singapore), and go on.
As for Typhoon, it will be release on December 14 in Seoul, Korea. Typhoon, a blockbuster movie from local movie industry (South Korea), will be screen on 513 theaters. The Promise is an international movie, for international viewer. In South Korea, The Promise will release later, so then in Japan in the beginning of next year.

**edited**

Thanks freebird for the clarification! I understood from the report the asian tour is primarily to promote The Promise which as u said is meant for international release, save for that trip to Korea expressly for Typhoon, which by the way, caused the cancellation of the trip to Malaysia which was included in the original itinerary. Hope I didn't cause any more confusion there.


Original Source: http://www.nanyang.com./

Translated by dreamer for Just Jang Dong Gun at www.jang-donggun.com

JDG not coming to Malaysia
Nanyang Siang Bao, 2005/12/03 17:53:01

Korean actor Jang Dong Gun who is going to start his Asian promotional tour for the movie “The Promise” has cancelled his visit to Malaysia due to the problem of getting seats on the flight to Malaysia.

According to sources, JDG’s visit to Malaysia on 19 December was cancelled in the end mainly because of the problem of getting seats on the direct flight from Korea to Malaysia as the number of his entourage increase.

However, JDG’s schedule to visit Singapore on 14 December remains unchanged . The film company will arrange for the Malaysian media to go to Singapore to cover JDG’s visit to Singapore.



Btw, nice siggy, freebird!

omy.. it seems really good.. have to see it too when it comes out... btw i thought nic tse was in it.. guess not..

Hi jisung.. i edited the date
Yeah JDG will be extremely busy for promoting both movie, and it will continu till next year..

Source: http://www.kaijushakedown.com/

PROMISE POSTPONED IN NORTH AMERICA

The Weinstein Company has postponed its release of Chen Kaige's THE PROMISE. Well, we saw that coming. The Weinstein Company has postponed its release of Chen Kaige's THE PROMISE, moving it from the announced December 16 slot, to a date sometime in 2006.

Originally, THE PROMISE was going to be released in China, Hong Kong and the US on or around Dec. 16, which seemed to be a smart distribution strategy in an ever-shrinking world where today's hot potato was tomorrow's stale biscuit.

Instead, the Weinsteins are choosing to focus on their holiday releases HOODWINKED (computer animated flick about fairy tales, Dec. 23) and WOLF CREEK (fact-based horror movie, Dec. 25).

it's not going to make it to US for december??...aww mang...i was hopin to see it over the christmas break........AWWWWW

I dont know the reason, but so this is what people worry about when knowing Weinstein will handle the the distribution in US (?)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! I was so anticipating for this to come out.
Argh dang it, I so wanted to watch this. What will I do over Xmas now.

Nooo! I really wanted to watch this movie too! Does anyone know if the 11 min trailer is still up somewhere?

The cast looks really promising but with all the hype, I just hope it won't be another dissapointment in terms of storyline. However, this looks like great eye candy though.

The link above is still working. Better get fast as the owner might wont keep it for long.

Teaser poster


Source: CRIENGLISH

Was all excited and raring to go to see this movie then i saw the 11 min trailer. duh??? wat's going on? i'm confused
why does cecilia look like a walking corpse? she is gorgeous!!! why does her make up make her look like she's a zombie. and yeah i agree with the comment that JDG looked like a homeless person. Only saving grace i suppose is Nic Tse here.

it looks so snazzy

am exciting for another reason..and I cant wait to find out how the movie goes...
JDG looked like a homeless person? well he is a slave..
Cecilia's make up look like zombie? I cant tell just becoz seeing the poster above

nic tse looks hot in some pics ive seen..ah i wanna see it

JDG will go to Singapore this week for the promotion. Not drop by at Malaysia.

Source: CRIENGLISH.com

2005-12-13 09:45:01


Chen Kaige's The Promise Premieres in Beijing

Chinese director Chen Kaige's mega-budget pan Asian project The Promisepremiered in Beijing Monday night.


(All the casts wish a great success on box office takings)

Chinese director Chen Kaige's high-budget martial fantasy film “The Promise” has finally premiered in Beijing Monday night. The film cost a whopping 40 million US dollars to make.

The director attended the grand premiere ceremony with all the cast members including lead actress Cecilia Cheung, South Korean actor Jang Dong-Kun, Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada, Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse, Chinese mainland actor Liu Yue and actress and the film's producer Chen Hong.

The film is widely praised by audiences and critics alike. A girl named Dandan says, "The film is fantastic and touching. I like it very much and I will watch it again with my friends."

Journalist Weiwei agrees, "The film is quite good with a compact story and distinctive characters. And the scenes are stunning."

The film critic Zhang Le says, "The film is so rich I had to watch it several times to fully understand the meanings. The music is also very nice - it’s not surprising to find out it’s a masterpiece from a Hollywood musician. The film is a great present to the China Film Centennial and proves Chinese films are truly promising and prosperous."

credit: dreamer, just jang dong gun

Source: CRIENGLISH.com

2005-12-12 17:29:23

Chen Kaige: Don't Take Oscars Too Seriously

His film The Promise is the only mainland film recommended for the Best Foreign Film category at next year's Oscars. But the director still does not show much joy or expectation. He says winning an Oscar is not his ultimate goal.

Chinese directors have yet to come home with an Oscar award. 　　

But director Chen Kaige came very close to that in 1994 when Farewell My Concubine was nominated for Best Foreign Film and for Best Cinematography. The film took the Palme d'Or and Golden Globe, but slipped through the hands of the Oscar jury. 　　

At an on-going forum on Chinese films and the Oscars, Chen Kaige says he's learned something from it. And that is to have the right attitude towards the Oscars. 　

“I think directors should have a normal attit ude towards the Oscars. Actually most western countries apart from the US never over-emphasize the importance of getting the Oscars. We should take it easy, too. We cannot drive ourselves crazy just trying to realize that dream.” 　　

The Promise is a fantasy epic set in the underworld of ancient China, and combines artistic photography with a commercial plot: a love story between a royal concubine and a slave. The much-touted saga stars Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung, actor Nicholas Tse and South Korean actor Jang Dong Gun. 　

While experts are busy guessing whether such a film will appeal to the Academy jury, director Chen Kaige says he doesn’t want to make a movie for a certain award. Instead, it’s the movie goers he wants to attract. 　　

"During the shooting and post-production, what we wanted to emphasize is tapping the domestic market. We want to make a film that the Chinese audience values."　　

The Promise will make its mainland premiere on the 22nd of this month when its market value will be put to the test. 　　　

credit: still dreamer


That's right adikkeluangman, but u might wanna catch him in sg a few hours from now!

Source: Adonis International by Faye

14 Dec 2005 - JDG schedule in Singapore

1. Arrival on CX 717 from Hong Kong @ Changi International Airport Terminal 1 Estimate Time of Arrival: 12:50 hrs

2. Press Conference

3. JDG Look Alike Contest @ Heeren Orchard from 19:00 hrs to 19:30 hrs

4. Gala Premiere at GV Grand Located on Level 3, Great World City At 21:00 hrs

15 Dec 2005:
1. Departure on SQ 826 to Shanghai @ Changi International Airport Terminal 2. Estimate Time of Departure: 07:40 hrs

Interview: Chinese director Chen Kaige vows to redeem audiences by "The Promise"



"I've been always considering the market, which is the base of film makers," said Chen Kaige, director of the 1993's Oscar-nominated "Farewell My Concubine," before his heavily anticipated "The Promise" makes its global debut on Dec. 15.

It was seemingly his reply to the criticism that Chen has been indulged in the metaphysical expression in his films, neglecting audiences.

Although Chen is a flagship director in China, some of his works - including the "Life On A String," "Temptress Moon" and "The Emperor and the Assassin'' - have received box office failure for their incoherent expressions, critics say.

"I want to let the media and audiences know me better by 'The Promise.' I'm not just a metaphysical director who pays much attention to philosophy and can but also shoot 'artistic films' with profound meanings," said Chen.

Chen made "The Promise" in 1,090 days, trekking for nearly 10,120 kilometers, at a cost of 340 million yuan (about 42 million US dollars), so far the largest budget film in China.

"The Promise" has secured the only qualification from the Chinese government for vying for the 78th Oscar nomination representing the Chinese mainland, before it was shown in the southwestern city of Chengdu for a week in October to meet Academy Awards eligibility rules.

Chen said it is a "commercial blockbuster," which is targeted to the box office victory.

Many commercial elements - including love, war, conspiracy and hi-tech audio-visual effect - were used in the film, he said.

The movie also boasts an international cast of Asian superstars, including the Republic of Korea's Jang Dong-gun, Hiroyuki Sanada of ``The Last Samurai," and Hong Kong stars Nicholas Tse and Cecilia Cheung. Academy Award winner Peter Pau of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' provided the cinematography, which is also a magnet to audiences, Chen said.

"Audiences will not enter the cinemas if you fail to entertain them without such commercial elements, which is a rule every director must abide by," he said, "They need entertainment rather than profound meanings or philosophic ideas after an all-day hard work."

In fact, most Chinese films made every year have no chance to be watched by audiences in cinemas. China made 212 films in 2004, while most of them have not experienced the tests of audiences.

As though China's box office revenue hit 1.5 billion yuan (about 183 million US dollars) in 2004, up 60 percent over the previous year, it was still too small in proportion to the country's national economy, Chen said.

"I think many Chinese audiences are not interested in home-grown films, as most of them lack recreational elements," he said.

"Most graduates of the film academies in China consider themselves as would-be artists, and this concept hinders their development," Chen said, "Many directors shoot films just for winning awards, but there's only one Palme d'Or a year."

"Michael Bay, however, was originally a commercial director without the concept of 'what is art,' but he gives the strongest and most exciting audio-visual joy to the audiences. He has no burden of being a would-be artist," he said.

In fact, Chen's words epitomized his own experience.

Chen took home the Palme d'Or and the International Critics Prize at Cannes by the tragic love movie "Farewell My Concubine" released in 1993, which also gave him a good box office result.

The film was also voted as the most popular Chinese film of the century in Hong Kong in a poll co-organised by the Henderson ArtReach in March this year.

His other works, except "Together" (2002), including "Life On A String" (1991), "Temptress Moon" (1996) and "The Emperor and the Assassin'' (1999) and "Killing Me Softly" (2002) in English, all came up against box office failures in China.

Chen said he hopes to reap a favorable box office result this time.

He and his assistants have made high-profile promotion activities for "The Promise," including developing an array of film's byproducts - a computer game, a book, stamps, toys, a documentary film and a blog website.

According to Chen, 470 copies of the film have been distributed, a new high in China, and the box office revenue of pre-selling tickets has reached 14 million yuan (about 1.75 million US dollars).

"I have much confidence in the film," he said, "'The Promise,' like 'Farewell My Concubine,' combines commerce and art."

"'The Promise,' fraught with eastern ambience, is about fate," Chen said, "The signification of life represented by the falling flowers, a common image in Chinese classical poems, is the profound thoughts, or humanity. They naturally exit in the film and can be sensed by those who need them."

Source: Xinhua









MOTION PICTURES


DRAMATIC PICTURE
"Brokeback Mountain"
"The Constant Gardener"
"Good Night, and Good Luck"
"A History of Violence"
"Match Point"

MUSICAL OR COMEDY PICTURE
"Mrs. Henderson Presents"
"Pride & Prejudice"
"The Producers"
"The Squid and the Whale"
"Walk the Line."

FOREIGN LANGUAGE PICTURE
"Kung Fu Hustle" (China)
"Master of Crimson Armor" (China)(a.k.a. The Promise)
"Merry Christmas" (France)
"Paradise Now" (Palestine)
"Tsotsi" (South Africa)



Chinese Oscar nominee film to turn Broadway musical
Beijing | December 02, 2005 2:15:06 PM IST


"The Promise," a Chinese Oscar nominee movie, will be adapted to a Broadway musical, the movie's producer Chen Hong said.
Chen Hong, who made the movie with her husband director Chen Kaige, claimed the fairy world created in her movie was "without territorial boundary" and thus also fitted in well with a musical.

Chen Kaige was also nominated for the Oscars in 1993 in the best foreign film category for his film "Farewell My Concubine".

"Our cooperation with Broadway will, I believe, write down a page in the world cultural exchange history," Chen Hong said Thursday without naming the Broadway partner.

"The Promise" will debut on Dec 12 in Beijing and be released around the globe three days later.

The movie features a top-grade Asian cast that includes stars from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan.

"The Promise" was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and has now been recommended as the only Chinese mainland movie to compete for the Oscar award for the best foreign language film.

--Xinhua

Does anyone know when this movie will be release in the US, since it had been postponed?
Thanx
I really want to watch the movie

[13 Dec 2005] JDG in Hong Kong - The Promise Premier

Source: Adonis International









credit: Yuki, just jang dong gun

originally posted by rubie at the Celebrity News Thread


'The Promise' Nominated for Golden Globe



Chinese master director Chen Kaige's pan-Asian epic "The Promise" starring Korean actor Jang Dong-kun has been nominated for a Golden Globe for best foreign language film for the 63rd awards.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association on Wednesday announced the nominees for the awards to be held on Jan. 16. The others in the best foreign film category were Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle," China; Christian Carion's "Merry Christmas (Joyeux Noel)," France; Hany Abu Assad's "Paradise Now," Palestine; and Gavin Hood's "Tsotsi," South Africa.

The Golden Globe Awards has been held every year since 1943 and is regarded as a prelude to the Academy Awards because its results often influence the Oscars. Thus if “The Promise”’ wins, Jang would be one step closer to becoming an international film star.

Dubbed the "Asian Lord of the Rings’, the epic stars Cecilia Cheung from China and Hiroyuki Sanada from Japan along with Jang Dong-kun and is slated for release in Korea in January.

Meanwhile, ABC drama ‘Lost’ featuring Korean actress Kim Yun-jin was nominated in the best drama series category for the second straight year.

(englishnews@chosun.com )

Credit: Digital Chosunilbo
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/new...0512140007.html

Source: CRIENGLISH.com

2005-12-14

Chen Pins Hopes on 'Promise' for Oscar

A contender for Oscar glory in 1994 with "Farewell My Concubine," Chen Kaige again is representing mainland China's hopes in the best foreign film race. (Source: Hollywoodreporter)

His latest Academy Award hopeful, "The Promise," is the biggest film ever made in China, with a price tag of $35 million. It was set to screen in Beijing at the first CineAsia trade show ever held in China. Kaige recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about his film and the future of Chinese cinema.

The Hollywood Reporter: What is the message of "The Promise"? Chen Kaige: We have some important messages regarding love and freedom and destiny that we want to deliver to the audience. I know that everybody is working very hard, and that on many levels they feel tired. I hope that they can come into the cinema and sit there and forget everything for two hours, just enjoy it and feel like they had a spiritual shower and have hope for the future.　　

THR: Tell us about the China distribution plan. 　　

Chen: According to the CEO of (distributor) China Film Group, Han Sanping, we may make at least 800 prints. 　　

THR: Would that be the biggest distribution China has ever seen? 　　

Chen: Yes. They are waiting to break records. 　　

THR: How long did it take to shoot "The Promise"? 　　

Chen: It took six months to finish the principal photography. It was like a long march. Most of the time we worked with about 1,000 extras, most of them soldiers, with 100 trucks and cars and this kind of thing. It was a huge company to move from Yunnan back to Beijing. We faced different kinds of difficulties every day. For example, we built a huge set in Shangri La. Afterward, we were told by a line producer that it might fall down. We made a very difficult decision to give up the set and move to Inner Mongolia. Sometimes you are in the middle of shooting and all of a sudden you are surrounded by peasants asking you to pay. Then you have to have to call the police to talk to them and have dinner with the leader of the peasants. But I don't complain. This is our job. We must do it. 　　

THR: Are the soldiers you mentioned well paid? 　　

Chen: We deal not directly with the soldiers, but we deal with Army officers who we pay decently. We take care of their food and sometimes transportation. Those soldiers are all from the countryside and were very curious about filmmaking. We made very good friends. 　　

THR: Could "The Promise" break even on domestic boxoffice alone? 　　

Chen: We are trying to do our best at home, but the fact is that I always have international distribution. We are going to do something that no movie in China has done before. We are going to broadcast our trailer on four channels of China Central Television for 20 days starting Dec. 1. In total, we will broadcast the trailer over 800 times. 　　
THR: How much did IDG and Harvey Weinstein pay for the distribution rights to "The Promise"? 　　

Chen: Obviously, this is a business secret, but I can tell you that what they paid is reasonable. We were not expecting to make a huge amount of money from them. The reason we want to work with the Weinstein Co. and IDG is that they have the kind of business ability to do movies as well as they can. I think that Harvey Weinstein not only has the power but also the acknowledgment to do this for this movie. Maybe there will be more and more Hollywood companies that realize that it is important to have a Chinese-language film to be shown in the states. This so-called real cultural exchange would have more movies shown here as well. 　　

THR: Does it matter to you if you win an Oscar? 　　

Chen: Well, because the Chinese government submitted the film to the Academy, of course I mind, but what can I say? What I'd do if I got that little statue is put it somewhere in my home and then forget it. The moment when I am most excited is always the moment when I find something during the shooting, rather than the moment I receive a prize. 　　

THR: Are you ever going to make a small-budget film again? 　　

Chen: Definitely. I am waiting for a better time. Your question reminds me of something from 20 years ago, when I was doing "Yellow Earth." The budget for that film sounds very ridiculous. It was something like $70,000. That's the money I had at the time, but everybody in my crew was very happy to do this movie because we delivered something to the audience from our hearts. 　　

THR: What do you say to critics who say you ignore China's tastes? 　　

Chen: I don't care what people say about whether our films are made for the international and not the domestic audience. "Farewell My Concubine" was very well received by both. 　　

THR: This film had trouble with government censors, didn't it? 　　

Chen: The film used to be banned and then we got permission to release the film in China at the Beijing Exhibition Hall in front of an audience of 2,000, including press from China and the West. I was very excited because I thought, "People here want to see real film." You know, my father was a film director working in the 1950s, '60s and '70s, but he wasn't able to do the films he really wanted to do. It's very important for us to have a chance to not only tell people what's really going on in the past, but also to do something that will represent what's going on in modern China, with the huge changes taking place in society. 　　

THR: How do you balance commercial pressure with pressure to avoid crossing the censors, whose motivation is ideological? 　　Chen: I think this combination has resulted in a new kind of censorship. The filmmakers and producers have to self-censor first because they want their movie to be successful in the market, so they will never really step into the kind of dangerous area. There is not much we can do for the time being. The only thing we can do is have better communication with the people in charge of the film business here, to let them understand that what we are doing is what they also want to do. 　　

THR: Can Chinese film compete with pirated DVDs and the Internet? 　　

Chen: The only way we can go is to have some reform. I don't really believe in revolution anymore, so what I am saying is that we need to try our best to make the market bigger here. My view is that if we can make the Chinese film market bigger and bigger, then we can expect that something will happen in the future that will make it possible for us to have a variety of cinema in China. Then maybe people will have an interest in seeing low-budget films that can represent the reality of Chinese society. Unfortunately, we have to do something commercial for the time being to make the Chinese audience feel that it is worth spending money to see Chinese-language films. 　　

THR: Has filmmaking in China gotten easier or harder today? 　　

Chen: When we started to do films, we may have had one kind of pressure, which was having a different view from the officials. I don't want to use the word censorship as it's pretty sensitive here, but now we, including myself, feel a strong economic pressure, meaning that as a director you have to think about where you are going to raise money for your project and how you are going to try to get the money back after the movie is released. 　　

THR: Which young directors are you hopeful for? 　　

Chen: I don't want to offend anyone so I cannot give you names. But I hope that some younger directors, in their middle twenties and early thirties will have a very different view in terms of how to make a movie in China. They don't need to be ashamed to say, "You know, I have a commercial sense." 　　

Film is a product. Film is something for people to see, and something people have to pay to see. I hope that young directors are ready to be artists and at the same time have some commercial sense. It's not bad. My generation of directors and some people younger than us always believed that we were pure artists, well, it's hard from them to change, hard for them to make sure that they make commercial films. 　　

THR: What did China's first Golden Age of cinema teach you? 　

Chen: I see the 1930s, when China was facing invasion from Japan, as a valuable period because the films made in Shanghai showed the reality of the society at that time. That's very important. 　　

THR: Who are your favorite directors from that period? 　

Chen: Wu Yonggang is really good. "Shennu" (1934) could be considered the best film made in the 1930s. I really love that movie. Although it's a silent film, you can see in it the real meaning of life. 　　
Unfortunately, there is a strong Soviet influence in China after 1949, so the directors, the filmmakers, were not able to do the real stuff, they were just making propaganda films. Although artistically, you could see something good there, but if you are talking about the whole industry, it was not very positive. 　

THR: What do you think about Hollywood agents working in China? 　　

Chen: It depends on what they are going to do and how they are going to do it. One thing Hollywood has to understand is that Chinese audiences basically prefer to see the local cinema. Twenty years ago before the quota allowed some foreign films in they were very curious but eventually they felt like the stories were the same and they wanted to see some local product, some good Chinese language films. 　　

In 10 years time, if we can make good Chinese films Chinese movies will occupy a large percentage of the Chinese market. I hope that the Hollywood studios and agencies can help the Chinese industry to develop some local products in order to make more money here. 　　

THR: Can China make big moves without foreign investment? 　　

Chen: It's not that difficult, at least for me, to raise money domestically. I can easily raise money from private business people and guarantee at least a 10% return. I think that more and more private companies are interested in the entertainment business and many people with a lot of money want to be involved. 　　

THR: Is any of your children interested in making films? 　　

Chen: Although I am not a young man, my children are very young. I have two sons, one is 8 and the other is 5. I don't know. I don't hope that they will choose film director as their profession. 　　

THR: But you followed in your father's footsteps. 　　

Chen: He was totally against my becoming a director because the older generation has been through a very difficult time. It was pretty sensitive to be a film director back then. It was very easy to put them blame on them saying "You did a bad film," or "You want to poison people." 　　

My father thought it was a very dangerous job for me to take 25 years ago. When I tried to become a student in the directing department of the Beijing Film Academy, he didn't say, "No, no, no, don't do that," but since it was my choice he respected that but he said, "Okay, just make sure you know that it's a very hard job and make sure that you don't give up." 　

THR: Do you think cinema can help represent China to the world? 　　

Chen: When we started to do our first movie nobody knew what was going on in China not only culturally, but also politically and socially. We never really wanted to do anything to shock the world; we just wanted to do something different from the older generation of directors in China. We were pretty lucky to get a chance to start pretty early. When I made "Yellow Earth" I was only 31 years old. We didn't really expect a warm reception from the world audience. 　　

THR: Is that when you first saw movies as windows on China? 　　

Chen: Yes, I think we saw that we needed an exchange. On the one hand, we needed to see more foreign films, just as we did at the Beijing Film Academy in the late 1970s, and on the other hand, we wanted to make films to show to the whole world what was going on here and what we had in the past. I am talking about tradition and culture. This is one of our jobs, to continue to make good movies that can represent Chinese tradition and culture. 　　

THR: Is selling films over the Internet a viable business model? 　　

Chen: I don't know. We had several days of press conferences to declare ware on piracy in Guangzhou, and let me tell you what happened in Chengdu. We went over there for the commercial release of "The Promise" for seven days. I went over there with my family, but I had to ask my wife to take care of our two children because I needed to take care of two small black suitcases which held my prints. I even slept with those prints to make sure that everything was safe. 　　

I think it's very bad. The thieves make us feel very bad, they are stealing stuff from us, but we feel like we have done something wrong. It's not right. I understand that particularly American cinema is seriously hurt by piracy here in this country. We must do something. We must educate people that this is not the decent thing to do, to steal other people's product. You destroy our dignity. 　　

Also, we need to do some very big movies, since then people would understand that it's not right to see movies at home, they should go to the cinema. That's why "The Promise" is a very big one, I hope many people will come to the theater to see the film and not stay home to watch it. 　　

THR: Why do pirates make you feel like you are in the wrong? 　　

Chen: Because every day I have to make sure nobody is following me when I take my prints to the cinema. I feel like I am the thief. It's ridiculous. 　　

THR: Are movie tickets too expensive in China? 　　

Chen: There has been a very big argument about whether we should reduce the price so that we can grow the audience, but I don't know. The distributors are hungry to make more money. I don't know how to resolve this problem. I hope that the business people can make the right decision to let more people see movies. 　　

It is expensive to see a film. If you are sitting in the cinema to watch a film, you do need a drink, maybe popcorn, on average you need about 50 yuan ($6), almost what you pay in the States. I don't know if people see that the price is lowered that they will then be willing to come to see the films. I hope that the price can be reasonable. 　　

THR: Does "The Promise" have commercial tie-in products? 　　

Chen: There are no tie-in product sponsors, but we have publicity sponsors in Konka Television, Nissan and Sina.com 　　THR: What is your next project going to be? 　　

Chen: I don't know yet. I don't know how to plan for myself. I will just wait to see what we are going to achieve at the end of this movie then I will think about what's next. Obviously, I am developing different projects all at once, with a group of writers who work with me, but I will just wait to see which one will be ready with the whole environment and then I will decide which one I will do first. 　　

THR: What is your personal taste in films these days? 　　

Chen: Each year you can see some interesting films. My personal taste is in low budget, interesting films that reflect real human nature, no mater if it's good or bad. I always feel like cinema is something to help understand ourselves better, not just explosions and action film. You can always find an interesting way to do action films, develop a new kind of cinema language. 　　

I think the way I did "The Promise" is very interesting -- I told myself that the first thing to consider is not the story, not the characters, but the imagination. Yes, you have some real material from life, but you have to eat it up and make it yours to express. 　　

Adults eventually lose their imagination about everything. Only children can have a great imagination about everything, because they have a whole future. You can say you are old if three things around you start to occupy your mind: one is that you start to love money; second, you're afraid of death, third, you don't have any imagination. 　　

THR: Which films you admire from recent years? 　　

Chen: In the last two years I have hardly found time to see any films. One that I love a lot, which was a flop in the States was "Alexander the Great." I love that film, not because I know Oliver Stone pretty well but because no matter how this movie was received I think it's a very powerful movie done with great imagination. I love it. It's not about a simple pure hero, but a complicated character. 　　

Only complicated people can create history. This is my thinking, and I could be wrong, but thought is power, and you need to have desire and power to create something, but first you need the thought. Thought is the original engine for everything, even for entertainment. 　　

THR: Would it be tough to make a film on some Chinese leaders? 　　

Chen: I used to have a dream to make a movie about Chairman Mao, but I almost gave up the idea because it's so hard, politically. I mean, how can I portray this man as a real human being? Although he was a considered a god here in China, I still see him as a human being. I understand him. Because after he passed away, you can stand somewhere to look at what he has done in the past and have a clear idea of why he did this. He's a very complicated character. 　　

Maybe in my generation, in the rest of my life, I may not be able to do a movie about Mao, but I like history and I like those people who create history. I understand their pains, their happiness. If the time comes, I wouldn't mind doing it. 　　

THR: Did your dad ever tell you which films he wished he'd made? 　

Chen: He always had his colleagues over to our home to talk about their scripts. He wanted to make a film about a peasant leader who took action against the Guomindang government, but this guy wasn't a member of the Communist party. My father really saw him as a real hero, living in a small village, but what he was concentrated on was the character's personality. That's what he wanted to do. He couldn't even have imagined making a film about making a movie about Chairman Mao. 　　

THR: Are you a religious man? 　　

Chen: Yes and no. I don't believe in any specific religion but I believe in a Creator. There's some one who controls us. 　　THR: Where were you born and are you an only child? 　　

Chen: Here in Beijing and no, I have a younger sister. 　　

THR: Is she in the film industry? 　　

Chen: She used to be the editor for a film magazine but she quit because she doesn't want to continue to work for any government unit. She is still helping her husband to do some TV commercials. 　　

credit: dreamer, just jang dong gun

Fairewell my concubine .. I heard that movie was excellent. My non asian friends talk about it and even recommended it to me lol

I hope this movie won't disappoint me... I honestly did lose interest after I saw that trailer.

Am I the only person who didn't like it? Some scenes were pretty weird. And my friend was asking me, "Is this a comedy?"

But I liked the cinematography. Many scenes were really beautiful although I didn't really cared for the bulls scene. The CG was hmm could have been done better.

Oh and Jang Dong Gun and Hiroyuki Sanada's chinese was surprisingly good!

Nicholas Tse was hot. *heart*