China's most respected director Zhang Yimou has praised the talents of pop star Jay Chow from Taiwan, who is starring in Zhang's new film, which translates as The City of Golden Armor.

 

At a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday, Zhang, the renowned and controversial director of Hero and last year's Oscar-nominated House of Flying Daggers, expressed his satisfaction with Chow after several days of filming.

 

"His performance has surpassed the atmosphere created by the original script," Zhang said.

 

"Chow has surprised me with his sentimental expression. I expected he would be OK with his cool appearance, but his performance has been beyond my expectations. He is a successful singer now, and maybe he will become an outstanding actor and even director."

 

Chow plays the role of the second prince whose lowly mother is banished from the ancient Chinese palace. He becomes a general with powerful martial accomplishments and seeks revenge for the treatment of his mother.

 

Zhang and his production partner Zhang Weiping said they chose Chow because of his unique characteristics which suited the role.

 

"What impressed me most is that he acts and approaches the role with his heart, the only in which an actor can strike a chord with the audience," said Zhang,

 

Chow said that because of his character, he acts the role partly as himself. Compared to his maiden film Initial D, he said he faced more challenges in Zhang's film.

 

He admitted to feeling the pressure and speaking clumsily due to working with two internationally famed actors - Gong Li and Chow Yun-fat. "What I can do is to learn my lines carefully," he said.

 

According to Zhang, Chow has finished some scenes since he joined filming on March 15, and in a scene in which the prince and his miserable mother, played by Gong Li, recognize each other, all the people on the spot were moved to tears.

 

Zhang revealed that on set Chow resembles a soldier on stand-by, usually sitting on the sidelines, immersing himself in the role, reading his lines and waiting for the action.

 

Chow, who has ambitions of being a director, said he had handed over a MTV tape sung and directed by him to Zhang for advice.

 

Zhang described Chow's directing techniques as "very interesting", saying, "With a latent capacity, Chow may surpass me in the accomplishment of my art in the future."

 

Chow is expected to stay with Zhang for about 20 days and to compose and sing the song played at the end of the film.

 

The film, based on famed Chinese modern playwright Cao Yu's drama Thunderstorm set in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), involves a power struggle between the emperor played by Chow Yun-fat, the empress played by Gong and Chow's character, the prince.

 

Despite being a novice in the film world, Chow last year won best newcomer at the Golden Horse Awards - a Taiwan-based film award - for his performance in Initial D in which he plays a street car racer. He's nominated in the same category for the Hong Kong Film Awards.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2006)