Happy 68th Birthday, Chen Kaige! Born today in 1952, this Chinese actor, writer and film director is a leading figure of China's Fifth Generation of filmmakers. His features are known for their visual flair and epic storytelling.
Kaige grew up with fellow Fifth Generation alumnus, being the Chinese film director, producer and actor Tian Zhuangzhuang ('The Horse Thief', 'The Blue Kite') as a childhood friend.
During the Cultural Revolution, Kaige joined the Red Guards. These were a mass student-led paramilitary social movement mobilized and guided by Mao Zedong in 1966 and 1967.
This was during the first phase of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, which he had instituted.
Kaige's father, Chen Huai'ai was a well-known director in his own right.
As a teenage member of the Red Guards, Kaige, like many other youths, denounced his own father; a fateful decision he eventually learned to regret.
Indeed, this period of his life continues to influence much of his work today, notably in the unblinking depictions of the Cultural Revolution and in the father-son relationship, as in two of his later films.
Chen has also acted in several films, including Bernardo Bertolucci's three-and-a-half-hour epic 1987 British/Italian/French biographical drama/history film ‘L'ultimo imperatore’ (‘The Last Emperor’).
In the film, Kaige was credited Captain of Imperial Guard (as Chen Kai Ge).
Among his credits, Kaige is best known for directing the 1993 Chinese historical drama/romance film ‘Bà Wáng Bié Jī’ (‘Farewell My Concubine’).
Set in 1924, the young Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) begins training at the Beijing Opera House.
This is at the same time as Duan Xiaolou (Fengyi Zhang). Cheng specializes in playing female parts, often against Duan's commanding male leads.
While pretending to be in love with Duan onstage, Cheng begins to develop actual romantic feelings for his co-star, which are not reciprocated.
Over the next fifty years, the two men maintain a complicated friendship as China undergoes turbulent changes.
The film was based on the titular 1985 romance fiction novel by the prolific Hong Kong novelist, screenwriter and reporter Lillian Lee. Lee had rewritten the story from Chinese author Qin Shou’ou’s 1980 novel Qiuhaitang.
Upon release, the film received generally positive reviews from contemporary critics and won the Palme d’Or at the 46th Cannes Film Festival in May 1993, becoming the first Chinese-language film to achieve the honor.
It further won accolades including a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and a BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.
It also received two Oscar nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Foreign Language Film. This occurred at the 66th Academy Awards in late March 1994.
Unfortunately, 'Farewell My Concubine’ was initially removed from theatres and banned in Mainland China—for less than two months—because of its depiction of homosexuality and suicide.
However, the film is considered one of the landmark films of the Fifth Generation movement that brought Chinese film directors to world attention.
Five years later, Kaige would later co-star in his own film, being the 1998 Chinese historical romantic drama film ‘Jīng Kē Cì Qín Wáng ’ (‘The Emperor and the Assassin’). This was as Lu Buwei.
Two years later, Kaige co-starred in his 2002 Chinese drama/music film 'Hé nǐ zài yīqǐ’ (‘Together and You’). This was as Professor Yu Shifeng.
In the early 2000s, Kaige made his first, and to-date only, English-language film. This was the 2002 British/American erotic thriller/mystery film ‘Killing Me Softly’.
It featured Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes. However, the film proved to be both a critical and popular disappointment.
Two years later, Kaige co-starred in his 2002 Chinese drama/romantic film ‘Hé nǐ zài yīqǐ’ (‘Together and You’). It is an intimate feature about a young violinist and his father. Kaige co-starred as Professor Yu Shifeng.
Three years later, Kaige directed the epic 2005 Chinese wuxia fantasy action/drama film ‘Wu ji’ (‘The Promise’).
The film saw Kaige shifting to a more commercial mindset, a shift regarded by some as a "radical stylistic turn" from his previous works.
His 2012, his Chinese drama film ‘Sōusuǒ’ (‘Caught in the Web') was selected as the Chinese entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards in late February 2013. However, it did not make the final shortlist.
Kaige has been active from 1984–present.
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