MCLC: Blind Massage wins big

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Blind Massage wins big
Source: Real Time China, WSJ (11/23/14)
China’s ‘Blind Massage’ Wins Big at Golden Horse Award
‘Blind Massage,’ from Chinese director Lou Ye, center, won six awards, including best feature film. Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee
The Chinese film “Blind Massage” was the big winner at the 51st Golden Horse Awards on Saturday night, snatching up six trophies out of seven nominations, including the top prize for best feature film.
Directed by Chinese auteur Lou Ye, “Blind Massage” explores the lives of a group of blind massage therapists in Nanjing. The film also picked up awards for best new performer (actress Zhang Lei), adapted screenplay, cinematography, film editing and sound effects.
Hong Kong’s Ann Hui won best director for her historical epic “The Golden Era,” starring actress Tang Wei as the early 20th-century writer Xiao Hong. It was Ms. Hui’s third Golden Horse best-director win, following the 1999 film “Ordinary Heroes” and 2011’s “A Simple Life.”
Hong Kong director Ann Hui won best director for her biopic of Chinese writer Xiao Hong, ‘The Golden Era.’ Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
“Some people say I was confined to the script, but for me, I would rather follow a well-written script than try to work with a half-decent one,” Ms. Hui said. “Even today, I ask myself what I could have done better and differently to draw out the real strength of the script.”
This year’s awards demonstrated the growing prowess of China’s movie industry, as films from the mainland won in a majority of the 21 categories.
The night’s clear favorite was veteran Chinese actor Chen Jian-bin, who claimed two main acting awards: best supporting actor for “Paradise in Service” and best leading actor for “A Fool,” for which he also won best new director.
Chinese actor Chen Jian-bin won three awards: best leading actor and best new director for ‘A Fool,’ and best supporting actor for ‘Paradise in Service.’ Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Taiwanese actress Chen Shiang-chyi pulled off the biggest upset by clinching the best leading actress award for “Exit,” in which she plays a downtrodden garment-factory worker. Ms. Chen beat out four other prominent actresses, including Ms. Tang (“The Golden Era”), Gwei Lun-mei (“Black Coal, Thin Ice”), Gong Li (“Coming Home”) and Zhao Wei (“Dearest”).
“At first, I refused this job because I had stayed away from the camera so many years,” Ms. Chen said. “But something hit me and I realized I needed a fresh start. So I mustered up the courage to open that unopenable door as my character had to do in the movie’s last scene.”
Chinese director Diao Yinan’s “Black Coal, Thin Ice” went into the awards ceremony a favorite, with eight nominations, but the film drew a surprisingly rigid response from the jury and ended the evening with just one prize, for best art direction.
The Golden Horse Awards, launched in Taiwan in 1962, is one of Asia’s most-prominent film events and focuses specifically on Chinese-language movies. While the majority of the nominated films come from Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China, any Chinese-language film is eligible to enter. This year’s ceremony was held in Taipei.
Two-time Golden Horse best-actress winner and Hollywood star Joan Chen headed this year’s jury.
–Jenny W. Hsu
by denton.2 at osu.edu on November 24, 2014
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