Los Angeles Journal


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2008-03-07

by John Esther

Interview: Stephen Chow

Summary

Martial arts filmmaker kicks it to kids in CJ7

Article

Riding high on the success of his internationally critical and commercial hits, Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, writer-director-producer Stephen Chow switched gears with CJ7, Asia’s box office hit now arriving on our shores.

A story about a boy named Dicky Chow (played by a girl named Xu Jian) and his father’s (Chow) wholehearted efforts to keep his son in an elite private school, the story manages to mix fantasy with a realistic class-consciousness when an alien finds its way into the family shack. As adorable as you want it to be; this toy to defend against all the other boys’ toys; the thing which denies what it simultaneously promises only to offer something more valuable by film’s end, Dickey’s “CJ7” is a mixed blessing reminiscent of those cute and cuddly cinematic creatures harking back to the 1980s movies such as Gremlins and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

While most successful filmmakers find themselves repeating themselves over (i.e. Bryan Singer, Peter Jackson and Clint Eastwood) Chow kicked aside his quirky kung fu flicks to do something different. And for the most part it pays off (I am not too crazy about the final scene).

In this exclusive interview we spoke to Chow via an interpreter about his film.

Los Angeles Journal: Why did you want to make this film?
Stephen Chow: I still have memories of Steven Spielberg’s E.T. from many years ago. This was a real family film where adults and children would go together. They would all be equally moved to tears. That really left an impression that a filmmaker could reach such different age groups. So years later I decided that maybe I should try a similar approach.

LAJ: Having come off of two successful martial art films were you concerned audiences would have certain expectations this film would not meet?
SC: I was uncertain. This was a pretty big departure from my earlier work. So far it seems the risks have paid off. It’s done very well at the box office in China and throughout East Asia.

LAJ: Was there a personal motivation involved? Perhaps you wanted to expand your horizons and avoid being labeled as a “martial arts star”?
SC: Naturally that was part of it. I really wanted to try my hand in different genres. Nobody wants to be known for just one thing. Kung fu movies are really close to my heart. Right now I’m working on ideas for a modern kung fu movie.

LAJ: Although this is not a martial arts movie per se, CJ7 namely “CJ7” incorporates some very Bruce Lee moves. This is hardly the first time. Why do we continue to see the influence of Bruce Lee in your work?
SC: [Laughs]. I’ve never shoved off that Bruce Lee legacy. He’s always been a part of who I am and he’s always been my number one idol. Sometimes I’m doing it (him) unconsciously.

LAJ: Why is he your number one idol?
SC: I’m not the only one. Throughout Asia and beyond there are many people just like me who are just crazy about Bruce Lee.

LAJ: Why are the heroes of your films primarily proletarian?
SC: It probably has to do with my own family background, which is working class. That’s what my experiences are about and that’s what I’m most familiar with.

LAJ: Your film addresses how materialism can be detrimental to relationships. Yet at the same time you create this adorable toy, which I imagine many kids will want to buy once they see the film.
SC: I didn’t intentionally want to have any criticism of materialism or materialist desires in the film. I realize that for many people around the world in modern society that’s important thing they strive for to improve their lives and standard of living. Especially in developing countries like China where they’re in the process of modernization and it’s important for the lower classes to take steps to improve their fare.

LAJ: Materialism often implies excess, beyond what is needed. Icing on the cake or extra toys in the toy chest.
SC: Thank you. This is one aspect of the film you see deeper into than I see [laughs].

LAJ: It is not a criticism. It seemed at times the film was uncomfortable with its characters striving for material goods and yet other times it embraced it.
SC: I’m also very interested in your reading of the film. I wonder if you could talk a little more about this contradiction. Specifically, what portions of the film do you sense that?

LAJ: CJ7 ignites Dicky Chow’s imagination and the happiness that imagination can bring. Yet Dicky Chow realizes this outer space toy cannot bring all this happiness. Then Dicky Chow is angry at this object because it does not provide him with the comforts of his schoolmates. Then ten minutes later he realizes the companionship of CJ7 is far more valuable than any imaginary material comfort or status.
SC: I get your point. That’s exactly what I tried to do throughout the film.

LAJ: This film will be attractive to children. What kind of pressures did you have to dub it in English so kids will not have to watch a Chinese film with English subtitles?
SC: Columbia and Sony never gave me pressure to make the film in English. There was pressure to make a kung fu film, which I’m known for, so I’m really appreciative that they were willing to make what is essentially a family film.

LAJ: You cast a girl in the role of Dicky Chow, a boy. You also have another female character played by a boy. What were you saying about gender issues with regard to children?
SC: I didn’t put that much intellectual thought into the whole role of gender aspect. What it really came down to was this person was the best person for the role. The screenplay was written with a boy. In the end, the actor I found happened to be a girl so we had her cross-dressing.

LAJ: Why not change the role to a girl?
SC: For practical reasons like it was summer time and having a little boy running around with very little clothes on worked better than maybe a little girl would. The whole issue of the father-son relationship has certain nuances that just work better with a boy than a girl. This character also has a mischievous nature more typical of a boy. There are also games they play like killing cockroaches. I’m not sure a little girl would feel comfortable killing all the cockroaches.

LAJ: What do you think about these interviews when you talk about your films? Does it serve the work or should the work speak for itself?
SC: I’m a big advocate of the work speaking for itself. Whatever faults or strong points it has audiences see right through that pretty quickly. This time of interview and these types of promotional tours is kind of my responsibility as a director to my film and the film company and I always do my best to take part. But the film needs to stand on its own two feet.