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New Oscar Winner Hailed in China
People from China's film circles are excited about the four Oscar award winning movie, "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon," though they also feel sorry that the movie did not win the Best Film and Best Director awards.
"I am cheerful about the awards which provide Chinese movies a better opportunity to enter the American market," said Zheng Xiaolong, a director who is known in China for a number of popular TV series.
This prize winner will bring more Chinese movies, especially martial arts movies, into the United States, he said.
The achievement indicates Chinese movies are better accepted by the international community, said Zhang Yimou. "When I watched the movie for the first time, I thought it had the potential to compete in Oscars."
Zhang is one of China's few world class directors. He won his first international title, the top golden bear award in West Berlin in 1988 for his movie "Red Sorghum," and then a string of movie awards in Venice, Berlin, New York and Tokyo in later years. His movies "Ju Dou" and "Raising the Red Lantern" were nominated for Oscars in the early 1990s.
"Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" won Oscars for the best foreign film, cinematography, original score and art direction at the 73rd annual Academy Awards, out of a total of 10 nominations -- the most ever for a foreign film.
Many Chinese who had high hope for Ang Lee to win the best- director Oscar may feel sorry for him, but experts say the result was foreseeable.
Movie commentator Zheng Dongtian said, "No film with English captions ever wins awards such as Best Film and Best Director."
He stressed that the evaluation for an Oscar is not a global criterion." Directors from different nations have their own style and pursuit, which makes a colorful screen.
"In the past dozen years, Chinese movies have brought back more and more awards due to the growing level of the movies and an opening China that catches increasing world attention," said Mei Feng, a professor with the Beijing Film Academy.
"Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon", which mixes martial arts with a love story, features an all-Chinese cast and much of it was shot in the Chinese mainland.
To many Chinese film experts, it is a Hollywood style movie regarding investment and operation, which has brought one million U.S. dollars to the box office in North America.
Noting its impact on China's film industry, Zheng Dongtian said Chinese film makers should understand the challenges the Oscar brings. "The Hollywood has nothing to fear when you know its advantages and disadvantages."
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