OPINION> Raymond Zhou
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OPINION> Raymond Zhou
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It's only make-believe
By Raymond Zhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-03 10:24 It is too early to jump to any conclusion about whether the above-mentioned casting decisions will turn out to be disastrous. There are two ways of casting: One is to go along with the actor's public image, accrued from his previous roles and public behavior; and the other is go against type. When successful, the latter will add a new dimension to the role, not to say earn more respect for the actor. Acting, by definition, is make-believe. If Confucius has to be presented in the form and figure of someone who has done as much for Confucianism, I guess only Yu Dan, the always self-assured female professor who talks like Oprah Winfrey, is the best candidate. And if whoever plays Lei Feng has to live up to the character's moral standard, that essentially precludes the selection of any entertainment personality, or almost all urban youth of today. You'll either go get a Mother Teresa in the body of a 20-something youth or a slumdog with a noble heart. And he must act cute.
Acting is a profession and filmmaking is a business. It needs the public as its consumer, but it does not need the prior consent of the public before making a fundamentally artistic choice. The casting process used to be strictly behind doors, but nowadays publicity seekers tend to dangle a few plum roles in the face of the public to generate advance word-of-mouth. That doesn't mean film producers want the public in the decision process. Being a filmmaker is, to some extent, like being god, and whoever plays it wants to hang on to it and others crave for a piece of the action. There's no way the filmmaker will let go of his profession-sanctified power simply to please the public. Two years ago, when Beijing Satellite TV launched a reality program about the casting for an expensive period drama, none of the competing actors got substantial online approval. The reason? It was a remake and everyone wanted the same old type. The show was a huge fiasco and in the end even the director was fired. (She refused to take the top candidate for the male lead as stipulated contractually.) So much for the experiment in democratizing the casting procedure. The euphoria left a hangover, and still keeps some intoxicated. Wake up! It's a game! They didn't really want your opinion, they just wanted you to vote because each vote has a price and generates revenue for them. |
