Woo says Zhang Ziyi immediately loved her character and waited for him for five years.(Photo/Bjnews)

Takeshi Kaneshiro is a Taiwanese doctor with the Japanese army.(Photo/Bjnews)

Huang Xiaoming is a Kuomingtang officer.(Photo/Bjnews)

Background to the story

The sinking of The Crossing happened on the night of Jan. 27th, 1949. The ship, sailing from Shanghai to Keelung in Taiwan, was carrying 1,000 people, 600 tons of steel girders, about 1,000 boxes of documents, and 100 tons of machinery. When it reached the area of the Zhoushan Archipelago, The Crossing collided with a Jianyuan ship carrying 2,700 tons of coal and other construction materials. 932 people died in the incident, including many famous people, Kuomingtang officials, and rich merchants. The company that owned The Crossing belonged to Tsai Tianduo, who was the father of a famous Taiwanese TV host Kevin Tsai.

Plot

In 1945, Kuomingtang officer Lei Yifang (played by Huang Xiaoming) defeats the Japanese at the Battle of Pingyuan. A Kuomingtang signaler, Tong Daqing (played by Tong Dawei), captures a Taiwanese doctor with the Japanese army played by Takeshi Kaneshiro. After Japan surrenders, the three of them go their separate ways. Lei Yifang goes back to Shanghai where he meets Zhou Yunfen (played by Song Hye-kyo), whom he later marries. Then the Civil War begins.

When Kaneshiro goes back to Taiwan, he finds that the girl he loves has already gone to Japan. Tong Daqing falls in love Yu Zhen (played by Zhang Ziyi), who is a nurse during the day but a prostitute by night. After the Communist Party defeats the Kuomingtang, everyone wants to get on The Crossing and leave for Taiwan. The Crossing is their only hope. Unfortunately…

This article is edited and translated from 《吴宇森：《太平轮》是一生最满意之作》，source: The Beijing News，author: An Ying