'Blade 2' Interview with Donnie Yen (KungFuCinema)
by Jean Lukitsh
Donnie Yen agreed to talk about his work in Blade 2 recently, even as he prepared to head to Europe for his next role, opposite Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, as the lead villain in Shanghai Knights. In addition to prepping for his first on-screen encounter with Chan, Yen has also been busy with pre-production duties on his next directorial effort, to be shot in Japan later this year.
JL: You’re a busy guy right now. For instance, rumors are swirling that Joel Silver wants to put all the top Chinese stars in one film, about brothers seeking revenge for their mother’s death, in an action film set in New York. Is it true he’s been talking to you about this project?
DY: There’s a lot of projects in the pipeline, but I can’t confirm anything right now.
JL: You know the writer, though, Peter Lenkov (Demolition Man, Nikita TV series)?
DY: I’ve been working with him on another project, a TV series about a hitman, to be called Sinners. We’re talking to some of the major networks. There’s a lot of interest and it will probably go into production later this year.
JL: What about the Japanese movie you’ll be directing soon?
DY: This will be a modern action flick, kind of a Japanese version of Charlie's Angels. The whole film will be in Japanese, all the crew and actors only speak Japanese. This is huge challenge - I don’t speak Japanese! But Kenji Tanigeka, my assistant stunt man and choreographer, has been with me close to seven years. When I work in Japan, he’s my translator. The producer has tremendous confidence in me. He’s one of the biggest producers in Japan, and he knows my work because he produced Shurayuki Hime. (Shurayuki Hime, or The Princess Blade, a Japanese film Yen action-directed last year, had just played to packed houses at the Berlin Film Festival. The film, an updated retelling of a classic Japanese manga, is generating quite a buzz for its graphic swordplay. It will be seen in a limited release in the USA soon.)
JL: Let’s talk about your work in Blade 2. For this film, it seems that Wesley Snipes put together a kind of "dream team", using a director (Guillermo del Toro) known for stylish horror films, top comic book artists for the design crew, and the best, and edgiest, young Hong Kong action choreographer - you! Is Snipes a fan of yours?
DY: The director is a fan of mine! Del Toro called my agent, and said "I’m a big fan of Donnie, and there’s a role I want him to play in Blade 2." So I talked to him, and we talked about having me do the martial arts choreography too. Then we went to Wesley Snipes’ house, and he’s saying "Donnie, I love your movies." So we talked some more, and it ended up that the role I play is a cameo, really, - just a cameo. But from day one, my main job is martial arts choreographer.
I had my guys, my stunt crew with me on the set, and we started working with Wesley to see what he can do. Immediately we saw he’s very capable, and very knowledgeable about Chinese martial arts. You know, that doesn’t come overnight - you have to have years of practice, and study the philosophy and culture to really understand it. Well, he had done the groundwork, he knows it, he does it! He said, "Donnie, I train every day!" He worked really hard. And as we worked together, the choreography got more and more complex.
He’s probably one of the best martial artists in the American industry. He’s both a great dramatic actor and a great martial arts actor.
JL: Was your experience on this set different from Hong Kong, or even Japanese productions? And in what way?
DY: It was a big production. We had all the equipment and support in the world. In Hong Kong, we have less resources, but we can do more!
JL: How much control were you given over the action sequences?
DY: I have more control in Hong Kong. When I walk on a set in Hong Kong, everyone is behind me. I say "move," they move. It’s not like that in the USA! But compared to typical U.S. productions, I had a surprising amount of control (on Blade 2). I guess I’d rather, all things being equal, work in Asian cinema, where I can control camera angles, editing, - everything that determines what you see on screen.
In a Hong Kong production, when I’m hired as action director, there’s a lot of respect. You’re giving them something they really value. In Hong Kong, they take these films very seriously. But now Hollywood is just starting to catch on.
JL: Were you trying to replicate the type of action used in the first Blade film, or does this sequel move in a new direction in terms of fight scenes?
DY: The first Blade film was very innovative. It had "Hong Kong action" written all over it. But even in Hong Kong, the art keeps evolving. The standard is higher now. The swordplay techniques I developed for Blade 2 are a combination of Chinese broadsword and double-edged sword, with some Japanese style too. Look at the fights in Shurayuki Hime - the techniques are a little similar.
JL: In the film’s trailer you appear to be a rather wicked-looking vampire. Can you give a little description of your character and what he’s doing in the film?
DY: It’s a very small role, in fact my character doesn’t speak. I’m mute. I guess you could describe the part as a "cyber-samurai."
Donnie Yen will be seen later this year in the highly anticipated action epic HERO.
