Andy Lau unleashes his Shaolin spirit (interview)

Sitting in the same room as Andy Lau was a daunting thought at first because he has been around for eons. He is an actor, a Cantopop veteran, a producer and somewhat of a legend with countless music albums and over 120 movies under his belt. We’re glad to report, that despite his obvious commercial success, there wasn’t a smidgeon of pompousness in the 48-year-old star. In fact, he was busy making sure that we’re comfortably seated before taking a seat himself.

The air was filled with a zen-like quality with Andy around. His answers had depth but above all there was sincerity and earnestness in all his answers. Here’s what we found out from this Hong Kong superstar when he came to Malaysia to promote his new movie Shaolin.

Tell us about your role in Shaolin

It's a complex role because there is a major transformation. The story begins roughly around the 1920s and people/forces are putting forth their best efforts to expand their power in China. My role was one that did whatever possible and necessary to exert and gain that power. Somewhere in between, there was a big change. I was betrayed by the one I truly believed in [and became a wanted man], so I hid myself in [the temple of] Shaolin.

I wanted to fight back initially but my mean-spirited character improved and I moved away from bad and worldly things. Well, at the beginning of the movie I tried to act like an animal, but under the spirit of Shaolin I transformed from an animal to a human being.

Which part did you like more, the animal or the human being?

Both. [laughs]

How is this movie different from the one made previously?

It is totally different from the last one they did in 1982. We focus on the action and we tried to create a better story and made it more dramatic.

Was it hard to play the bad guy because you’re generally a nice guy?

No, no...[laughs] the script was good!

Was doing Kung Fu a tough task?

It was a great display of friendship. Jackie Chan, YuXing and even Nichlos Tse are great fighters and they over-assist me sometimes [laughs]. They spent lots of time practicing with me and they even slowed down a little for me [laughs]. They made me really like the fighting bits. I have them to thank for that.

What was the most difficult thing you had to do for this movie?

I think the most difficult part is trying to convince people that besides Kung Fu and martial arts, we have a very strong message. Some people may think that Shaolin must be a martial arts movie, so they concentrate on the fighting scenes and may therefore miss the most important part of the movie. So the most essential part is promoting Shaolin properly. We’re trying to tell everybody that it’s different, besides the action; we have more!

Which was your favourite action sequence in the movie?

You know that car racing is the rage these days; we also have one in our movie [the one with horses]. It's an amazing idea to have "car chasing" in a period movie. That is the part I really love.

Did you do all the stunts yourself?

Well, most of them. It was very safe because everything was taken care of, they made sure of it. We can also count on computer graphics and special effects to make it look more real. They set up explosives all around but the fire wasn't that strong, we depended on computer graphics to make it look better. The set was very safe.

How did you prepare for this very spiritual and emotional role?

I have been devoted to Buddhism for about 20 years. Within these 20 years, I have been trying to study the spirit of Buddhism. Just half a year ago I stayed in the temple for a week to mingle with the monks, and then we took three months to practice martial arts.

Just after one month the master said, "All you have to learn is over. Now, it is up to you to perform your best because every action comes from your heart”. Whether it is a punch or a kick, it stems from the heart because that determines if it’s weak or intended to kill...so you have to really feel it. The style is merely a posture, how powerful it is comes directly from the heart.

Have you changed spiritually as a person after making the film?

I have learnt how to escape in my life. Sometimes you get stuck or you think too much. Buddism allows you to learn how to escape from your life and try to be reborn again. That is what I feel after making this movie.

Here’s our quick input about the movie:

We’ll keep it generic so that the plotline will not be given away. You’ll be hammered from all sides with a whole range of human emotions and fast-paced action sequences. Devastation and desperation are brilliantly painted in sombre gray tones, so the cinematography is breathtaking.

Moral messages are slotted in almost every scene throughout the movie and there is as much drama as there is action. A delicate balance can be found, you’ll see every nuance of the total brutality humans are capable of but you’ll also notice that it’s nicely contrasted with a softer side – sheer compassion. Be warned: you’ll be laughing, crying and gripping at your seat. Bring some hardy tissues. [3.5 stars]

*Interview and short review by Felicia Chin