Bulletproof Monk Interview 2003
Science Fiction Weekly
By Patrick Lee
Chow Yun-Fat, you've had experience with wire work before. Is this any different?
Chow: Depends on how the director treats the fighting sequence. Actually, we can do it in the computer. But if he uses the real actor,
put on the wire, it looks more real than when you use the CGI. So if we have a lot of time to practice the scene, get it very organized
and make it look good, we have a strong impact on the audience. They see the real actor doing all the martial-art things in front of the
camera. Plus, [fight consultant] Stephen [Tung] and [director] Paul [Hunter] have a lot of new ideas. Paul is from commercials and
knows how to make the images very rich in front of the camera, and I hope he can treat the martial-art movie in a certain different level,
rather than what you saw before, like in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I really want to put my character, Seann's character, Jaime
and the whole movie on a new level.
Do you enjoy the physical part of this role?
Chow: Not really. But when you have the wire on, and they fly you in the air, it can be a lot of fun. It depends on the difficulty of the wire
work. For me, I'm not fascinated about all the wire works or martial-art things. I'm more dedicated to the drama and the romance. I'm
glad that we have a lot of young actors in this movie. They give the movie a lot of energy and also a lot of inspiration for the new
generation. I am already a veteran in this industry, more than 30 years, so more or less we need some new faces. They taught me a
lot about how to be a young actor. I'm still young in Hollywood, you know. I'd rather have a girl than a wire or two guns.
What kind of things are you talking about?
Chow: Seann and Jaime have different ideas how to create a role, which is very interesting. They make the character look good in
their certain way, in ways I never thought about it. Plus this movie is West and East, two cultures planted together. I'm still learning a
lot of new things, and I really want to explore the culture. They taught me a lot about the American language, about the people living in
the Midwest or on the East Coast and West Coast.
It's only a comic book, OK? This character is a lot of fun. You have acting, a little bit of comedy and a good relationship with Seann's
character, the Monk and Seann. It's very unusual to have drama, friendship, a mission, more or less, in a movie with a very important
message about Buddhism. In the very beginning scene, my master teaches me how to understand the universe and philosophy. My
character was undisciplined, so later on in modern day, I meet Seann, and he gets the same lessons that I got when I was young. I
have the responsibility to put him on the good track. So more or less, Seann and the master monk are teacher and student and buddy
and friend. It's very complex.
Talk about King's character. It's an unlikely combination.
Chow: When I saw the dailies of a bunch of young people together, I think I'm out of the movie. This Asian guy full of Asian culture.
How can it blend into the Western culture, blend in with the young people together? But they actually have a lot of interesting chemistry
with the Monk. Very interesting.
When you first read the script, what was it that made you say, "I want to be the Bulletproof Monk?"
Chow: I was 100 percent for this movie, because my wife, Jasmine, controls every single character I play. She's in charge of planning
my projects. I just wait for the order. She says, "Now the movie called Bulletproof Monk, you have to do it." I wasn't concerned about the
character. I was concerned with my wife. It's an order.
Talk about Seann. This is a very serious role for him.
Chow: That's why he has a lot of concern about his character, about the treatment of the lines. He always had a lot of discussions with
me about how to treat the scene. And Paul is a very good director. He gave us a lot of room to create our character. I think Seann is
very talented, and I think he's one of the up-and-coming stars in America. He has a lot of potential and can be a good actor and also a
very popular star.
Producers Terence Chang and John Woo created this movie as a vehicle for you?
Chow: [Chang] had this idea for four or five years already. He waited for so long to create this project, because he needed to look for a
studio that could support his group of people and make our dreams come true. I've worked with John and Terence for many, many
years, through many, many movies. I appreciate that he gave me a lot of opportunity with his company and his colleagues. This is a
long relationship with them, you know, melodrama, comedy, action. When he told me he had created some new project for me, I was
so glad to do it because we've known each other for so long.
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