What Todd Babcock said about Leslie back in 98 -part1-
November 30, 1998Dear Susanna, I still haven't received anything in the mail yet so this coming week I will attempt to 'track' the parcel that you sent at the post-office. As I told you, I received the film from a friend of mine and have had a chance to watch it a couple of times. My reactions to it change constantly and others reactions have been varied. The last viewing was at my house and it was received rather well. Funny how people are drawn to different things and put-off by others. Some thought my character was rather undeveloped and others were totally behind him and with the story. Some didn't understand the nature of Leslie's character, Jin, because they don't know chinese history and the nature of dedication. But they were all moved. The one thing that has really surprised me is the lack of discussion I have heard concerning the lead actress, Meiting. In China I have heard nothing praising or taking notice of her. She was a darling girl and having watched the film these last few weeks I am more and more taken with her performance. I prize her performance most among all those in the film. She seems so vulnerable and strong and beautiful in the film...I hope she's getting more recognition than it appears. Anyway,I know you are more interested in any talk about Leslie. I have been procrastinating writing anything about him because I don't really know exactly 'what' to write and what you would want to hear. But I figure I best just plow forward before the experience gets so far back in my mind that I don't recall much at all. When I was in the States and had heard that I had 'booked' the film in Shanghai it wasn't very real to me. It all sounded exciting but the notion of actually going to China just seemed too crazy. I don't know very many people that ever really get the chance to go there, let alone shoot a film for three months in Shanghai. So, I sat with Daying (or Ye Ying, or Yip Ying...he has many names it seems) and the writer and first a.d.(assistant director) and we talked about the movie and China and the other actors. Thats when I learned Leslie was in the film. I saw a picture of him and as it was set down next to Meitings and they said "These are the other actors in the film with you." Once again , seeing them didn't help me feel like things were any more real. They both looked very beautiful in their pictures. So, fast forward to China... By the time Leslie was to come onto the film I had already been there two months and had shot a significant portion of the movie. I had already known Leslie's work from 'Farewell My Concubine' and 'Once a Thief' and perhaps one or two others. Bob, my friend playing Clarke, had alot of time off so he would tell me stories of how he would see Leslie on tv all the time there while I was on the set. So, finally, after much anticipation, we hear that Leslie has arrived. Not only was it exciting because i was finally meeting my co-star but because he had come a month early so we coud wrap the film earlier and get home in 3 months instead of 4. There was no shooting that day because Daying wanted to greet Leslie properly and take him to dinner and such. So I got to sleep in and meet him that night. When I got the call i went upstairs to meet him in Daying's room. It was funny, because the second i got in there I knew things were going to be different. Leslie was a star and the energy that was created around him was going to be different from the two months I had already worked there. Already, when i walked in, there were flashbulbs documenting our meeting. Leslie was dressed in all black. A turtleneck and dark-peecoat as he sat very sophisticated on the couch. I walked over all smiles and awkward. He spoke with a distinct british accent that only helped him seem all the more elegant and polite. He asked very deliberate questions about the movie, the experience and his thoughts on the story. We all sat and watched footage from the film as I commented on everything like some adolescent kid trying to impress his big brother. Bob would later tell me how infantish I behaved and how I was intimidated...I, of course, recall that I was smooth, relaxed and the consumate model of poise. In time I came to agree with Bob... So, Leslie got to work right away which gave me some time off. Many of his scenes were just with Meiting and I took that opportunity to sleep in and spend time with my girlfriend, Lian Yi, who had been my piano instructor on the film. I came to regret that decision because the one day I had away from the set (we worked mostly every day) was the day Joan Chen came to visit. She and Leslie were friends and I was a fan of hers from an obscure film (Blood of Heroes). But I hear his first day went very well. |
| Next Page → |
禁無断転載 © 2006 Leslie Legacy