2024年6月14日发(作者:)

◆1.银屏聚焦+ 

It。S Rough Out West for Chinese Films 

中国电影走向西方之路坎坷漫长 

By steven zeitchik and David Piers。n 何小玲/译注 醇曝 

Films that have been blockbusters in China have failed tO find much of a market in the U.S— 

Zhang Yimou’S¥100一million The Heroes of Nanking,with Christian Bale and large portion of 

English dialogue,tries tO change that. 

中国大片在美国市场表现欠佳。张艺谋的《金陵十三钗》耗资1亿美元,且有克里斯蒂 

安・贝尔加盟,对白大多数是英语,该片试图改变这种情况。 

W htheen  Bthuel leCths owFl yY uonp-efnaet da citnio nC-hcionma eldays t eypeica rL,eit 

Z 年,周润发主演的动作喜 ▲ 

剧大片《让子弹飞》在中国 

上演遂成奇迹。影院座无虚席, 

工 l

quickly became a phenomenon.Lured by its splashy 

ightf scenes and whip—snap dialogue,filmgoers 

观众深深为其令人眼花缭乱的打 

swarmed theaters.The movie wound up taking in more 

斗场面和简练的台词所吸引。该片 

雄 

than¥100 million at the box office in China,the most 

最终国内票房收入达1亿美元,

for a homegrown film. 

Yet despite its Hollywood—style violence and an 

actor with international name recognition,Let the Bul— 

lets Fly hasn’t even managed to find a distributor in 

踞中国国产影片之首。 

然而.尽管该片有好莱坞式的 

激战,有国际巨星加盟,《让子弹 

飞》在美国却未能找到发行商。4 

the United States.When it played the Tfibeca Film 

月份在纽约翠贝卡电影节上映时 

Festival in April,there were walkouts.“It’S not going 

有人中途退场。导演兼主演之一的 

to be for everyone,’’director and costar Jiang Wen said 

姜文事后接受采访说:“它不会适 

in an interview afterward. “I iust make movies and 

合每个人。我只能拍电影,希望人 

hope people appreciate them.’’ 

们欣赏。” 

姜文并非唯一在国内得意而 

Jiang isn’t the only Chinese filmmaker who’S 

making blockbusters at home and feeling unappreciated 

在国外失意的中国制片人。冯小刚 

abroad.Feng Xiaogang’S 2010 earthquake action dra— 

2010年的《唐山大地震》在国内收 

ma Afiershock,with neady¥1oo million in receipts,re— 

入近l亿美元,在美国象征性地发 

ceived a token release in the U.S.,where it took in only 

行.仅入账6万美元。吴宇森执导 

Notes:1.blockbuster一鸣惊人者, 

耗费巨资拍摄的电影。 

2.splashy炫耀的,矫饰的。 

3.swarln挤满。云集。 

4.wind up结束。 

0@ @匿 ⑨06 

26 

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银屏聚焦.1. 

about¥60。000.And John Woo’S tWO—part war epic Red 的两集战争史诗片《赤壁》数年前 

CZ/ft"Was a Hollywood.sized hit in China several years 在中国引起的轰动有如好莱坞大 

ago.But it didn’t even crack the¥1.million box—Office 片,但2009年木兰影业公司在美 

mark when Mark Cuban’S Magnolia Pictures released a 发行压缩版,收入甚至未达100 

condensed version stateside6 in 2009.Europe and the 万美元下限。在欧洲和亚洲其他 

rest of Asia have been only slightly more receptive to 地方.这些流行大片的收入仅略 

these blockbusters. 

Now comes Zhang Yimou,the 

高一点。 

现在.获众多荣 

decorated Chinese director,who iust 

wrapped up。filming on a production he 

hopes will break that cycle.With a 

誉的中国导演张艺谋 

来了,他刚刚完成一 

部作品,希望其能打 

破这怪圈。预算为1 

亿美元的《金陵十三 

钗》不仅是中国大陆 

迄今最昂贵的电影, 

且本身也具跨文化吸 

引力:奥斯卡奖得主 

budget of¥100 million,The Heroes of 

Nanking not only is the most expensive 

mainland production ever,it also has 

baked--in cross・・cultural appeal:It strsa 

Oscar—winning actor Christian Bale, 

and 40%of its dialogue is in English. 

“I really wish this film can be populr and wela一 克里斯蒂安・贝尔任主演。40% 

corned in the international market,’’ Zhang said in an 对白是英语。 

interview on the Nanjing movie set.“I personally advo一 在南京拍摄现场,张艺谋接 

cate movies have to be fun to watch,which means ordi一 受采访说:“我确实希望这部电影 

nary audiences will be able to understand and accept 走红,在国际市场受欢迎。我个人 

it…Such international a theme,story and structure will 赞成电影观看起来必须有意思, 

be very fresh.” 也就是说,普通观众能理解,能接 

The stakes are hilgh for China as it seeks to pene一 受……这样国际性的题材、故事 

trate the global film market.The government and private 和结构会非常新颖。” 

companies are pouring signiifcant resources into the film 由于试图打人全球电影市 

industy;ofrifcials are eager to boost their county’rS cul一 场,对中国而言这种风险很大。政 

tural exports in a way that matches the already booming 府和私人公司正在对影业大量投 

business in factory goods. 资.官员急于推进中国的文化出 

Yet Chinese movies have remained a largely local 口,与业已繁荣的加工业相称。 

affair,experts say,for reasons that include a lack of in一 但专家指出.中国电影很大 

5.crack打破,冲破。 

8.wrap up结束。 

9.stake冒险,投资。 

6.stateside【非正式用语】在美国本土。 

7.decorate给……授勋章或其他荣誉。 

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.1.银屏聚焦◆l◆ 

ternational stars and differing storytelling styles. 

程度上仍然是地方性产业,其原因 

Moreover,China’S censorship rules discourage racy 。 

包括匮乏国际巨星。故事情节展开 

scenes and push screenwriters toward politically safer 

的风格与西方迥异。另外,中国的检 

period“pieces(which Western audiences may ifnd dif- 

查制度妨碍轻松活泼的场景,致使 

ifcult to follow)and romantic comedies.Instead of a 

编剧趋于编写较少政治风险的古装 

global—cinema powerhouse,some worry China is at risk 

戏(西方观众可能难于理解)和爱情 

of turning into another Bollywood:heahhy on its home 

喜剧。中国并非全球影业强国.有些 

continent but limp abroad. 

“We often hear that the Chinese market wil1 

quickly approach the U.S.market,”Zhang said.“But 

人甚至担心有变为另一个宝莱坞之 

虞:在本土尚可,在国外难行。 

张艺谋说:“我们经常听说中 

it will still take a long time for a Chinese film to ere— 

国电影将很快进人美国市场。但中 

ate international influence.”fIn 2010 U.S.box office 

国电影产生国际影响尚需时日 ” 

receipts totaled¥10.6 billion.almost all for American 

(2010年美国票房收入106亿美 

iflms,while receipts in China were¥1.5 billion。with 

元,几乎全部是美国电影的收入. 

44%of that going to American films). 

foreign—language titles,after all,rarely find more 

而中国票房收人为15亿美元.其 

American parochialism iS certainly an obstacle 

中美国电影的收入占44%)。 

美国人的狭隘地方观念无疑 

than a nichen audience in the U…S But cinema experrs 

是一障碍——在美国外语影片毕 

say the problems speak as much to China’S filmmak. 

竟只能获极少观众。但影业专家说 

ing conventions as they do to Western resistance. 

中国电影制作习惯所表现出的问 

“Hollywood often doesn’t make American 

题同样也是一严重制约因素。 

movies,it makes globally appealing movies,’’said 

中国电影专家David U.Lee 

David U.Lee,a Chinese movie expert.“But Chinese 

说:“好莱坞通常不生产美国电影. 

filmmakers run onH the assumption people already un— 

它生产的是具全球影响力的电影。 

derstand the story.It’S laziness.and it makes it diffi— 

但中国制片人总是假定人们知道 

故事背景。偷懒的话向全球观众讲 

cult to tell a story to a global audience.’’ 

Many of the current Chinese hits use historical 

故事就很难。” 

reference points that elude Western audiences.Let 

the Bullets 

现在中国很多成功的电影爱 

is rife with"allegorical坞meaning about 

用典故,而这些典故西方观众不 

10.racy活泼的。 

14.run on老是想。 

1I.period具有特定时期(或时代) 

特点的.早期的。 

12.parochialism[po"roukiolizom] 

乡土观念.偏狭。 

15.hit(演出等)成功。 

16.elude[ilju:d】躲避,把……难倒。 

17.fife with充满。 

18.allegorical【. ̄eli'gorikol】寓言的。 

13.niche小生态,合适的环境。 

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.1.银屏聚焦.1◆ 

standing up to corrupt leaders,while Red Cliff as— 

懂。《让子弹飞》充满反抗贪官的 

sumes a knowledge of Han dynasty politics. 

寓意,而《赤壁》则涉及有关汉朝 

“It does present a little bit of a problem when a 3rd 

政治的知识。 

century potentate∞is presented casually in the way an 

American filmmaker would present George Washing— 

ton,”Magnolia Pictures President Eamonn Bowles said. 

木兰影业公司董事长Ea. 

monn Bowles说:“一个三世纪的 

权贵在片中行为随意得像美国制 

Mainland Chinese cinema landed on the global 

片人表现的乔治・华盛顿,这真有 

stage in the 1980s and early 1990s as the county be—r 

点问题。” 

gan to open up to the West.The movies of the SO—called 

自上世纪80年代和90年代 

Fifth Generation sought to tell filmmaker—driven stories 

初中国开始向西方开放.中国大 

that were unimaginable during the Cultural Revolution 

陆电影便开始走上世界舞台。所 

of the 1960s and 1970s.Several of those pictures,such 

谓“第五代”电影试图表现导演感 

as Zhang’S Ju Dou and Chen Kaige’S Farewell My 

受的故事.而这些故事在60年代 

Conc ub ine.f0und a Western audience but were mainly 

和70年代文革期间不可思议。有 

restictred to the art house .The early 2000s brought 

几部这样的电影(如张艺谋的《菊 

the Western box..office success of SO..called wuxia mar- 

tial—arts films such as Hero and Crouching 7Sger,Hid- 

den Dragon. 

But now the stakes and expectations have risen 

豆》和陈凯歌的《霸王别姬》)赢得 

西方观众。但仅限于艺术剧院。21 

世纪初,所谓的武侠功夫片(如 

《英雄》和《卧虎藏龙》)在西方获 

但如今风险和期望大大升 

considerably.Production on the mainland has grown to 

得票房成功。 

more than 500 films per year,according to some esti— 

mates.The county isr moving into 3-D films and bud— 

高。据估计,中国大陆每年生产的 

gets are swelling;with the lavish price tag on Heroes of 

电影跃至500多部.且正向3.D 

Nanking,the movie almost certainly needs to make a 

电影发展,预算也在飞涨。由于 

splash丝overseas to turn a profit. 

《金陵十三钗》成本高昂,几乎可 

以肯定该影片需要在海外引起轰 

Zhang ’S drama,which does not yet have U.S.dis・ 

tribution,recently finished an epic 164一day shoot.It is 

动并获利。 

expected to premiere in China in mid—December.The 

张艺谋这部电影虽未敲定在 

movie tells of the rescue of cou ̄esans∞by an American 

美国发行。但164天的大型拍摄 

priest(Bale)as the Japanese army is invading the city 

最近已完成.预计12月中旬在中 

in the 1 930s.Although it assumes knowledge of a his— 

torical period,its themes are universal,said 

Zhang 

国首映。该影片讲述20世纪30 

年代日军侵占南京时,一位美国 

或外国影片的)艺术剧院。 

19.stand up to勇敢地面对;抵抗。 

20.potentate【"poutonteit]当权者。 

21.art house(美国专演实验性戏剧 

22.splash耀眼的展示。 

23.courtesan【.ko:ti'z ̄en】交际花,高级妓女。 

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.1.银屏聚焦 

Weiping,the film’S producer and financier.“It’S a 

牧师(贝尔饰)援救风尘女子之事。该 

story about heroism,and everybody can relate to 

that,”he said. 

片制片人兼出资人张伟平说,尽管欣 

赏这部电影需历史知识,但主题却有 

The producers are candid about their commer— 

普世价值。他说:“这是一部有关英雄 

cial ambitions.‘‘We would like to take the chance to 

make it the most influential and top-grossing Chi— 

nese film in the world,”Zhang Weiping said. 

的电影,每个人都能产生共鸣。 

制作人毫不掩饰其商业雄心,张 

伟平说:“我们想借此机会使它成为 

Still,some caution that the issues plaguing the 

世界上最有影响、获利最丰的中国电 

countyr’S movie industry are too complex to address 

影。” 

by simply adding a Western notion or name. 

尽管如此,一些人警告说,困扰 

Hollywood producer Janet rang,who is plan— 

中国影业的问题太复杂.不能以简单 

ning several China—U.S.CO—productions,says that the 

加用西方概念或名词的方法来解决。 

issues go to fundamental differences in narrative.“In 

正在策划中美合拍电影的好莱 

China,you have lots of long rambling stories in oral 

坞制片人杨燕子说最根本的差别在 

tradition.There iS not a classic three—arc structure 

于叙述方式:“在中国可听到很多长 

like the Greeks.”she said.“Look at Let the Bullets 

而散漫的评书,但没有像希腊那样的 

The actors look hot.There’S lots of energy.But 

经典三段结构。看看《让子弹飞》,演 

can someone tell me what the story was about?” 

员看上去很激情,充满活力,但谁能 

And even when Chinese filmmakers go out of 

告诉我这故事讲的是什么?” 

their way to tell a Western story,they need to be 

即使中国制作人讲述西式故事 

mindful not to tilt too far away from the conventions 

时放弃自己的方式.他们还需注意不 

of their own countyr. 

要太偏离自己国家的传统。 

For all the strategizing,though,Nanking direc— 

尽管制定出各种战略计划,《金 

tor Zhang Yimou says that his countyr’S cinema 

陵十三钗》的导演张艺谋说,中国影 

scene is facing a simple but bedevilingz ̄issue.“The 

业正面临一个简单却恼人的问题, 

most important thing is there are not many good 

“最重要的是全世界很多人都能理解 

iflms...good stories that people all over the world 

且动人的好影片、好故事并不多。我 

can understand and be touched by.’’he said.“Our 

们这个团队、国际合作和结构正在努 

new film is trying to achieve this with our team,in— 

力使这部新电影达到这个目标…… 

ternational cooperation and sturcture...But people 

但如果叙事方法不动人,不管投资多 

won’t like the film if the story isn’t told in a way to 

大,结构怎么恢宏,人们还是不会喜 

move people,no matter how big the investment and 

欢这部电影”。 圆 

structure.’’ 

From Los Angeles Times,July 3,2011 

24.candid["kzendid]公正的,坦率的。 

25.bedevil【bi'devl】虐待,使痛苦。 

30 @⑥00@⑨@匡响⑨06 晌