[Source: Sanming (Fujian) Online, December 28, 2007]
(The original: Part 1 Part 2 Non-readers of Chinese may still enjoy the numerous photos accompanying the articles.)
[Last year, the Fujian news service Sanming Online asked several Chinese filmmakers who have worked (or hope to work) with Zhang Ziyi for their appraisal of the young actress. The following are their evaluations, along with her thoughts on working with them.] 
Zhang Yimou
Her director in "The Road Home," "Hero," and "House of Flying Daggers" discusses Zhang Ziyi:
Zhang Zi Yi is excellent, she walks on both legs on the actress road. There are few actresses in China like her. First, before she went into movies she had acted in a dozen plays, which gave her the stage as an option. Second, her English has improved rapidly, which has been helpful in her development. I think that her biggest advantage is becoming famous so early: this has put her in the position of being the Chinese actress most readily identifiable by the international film community. Certainly, some people will think her success is partly due to luck, but luck was by no means the critical factor. Zhang Ziyi is excellent now, but I believe that if she continues to develop the way she has been, she will definitely get even better.
Zhang Ziyi: Zhang Yimou has been the most important director in my life, so if he asks me to make a film, it doesn't matter when, I'll definitely do it, no matter what the role. I don't forget favors, so if someone has helped me in the past, I'll do what they ask, and I count director Ang Lee in that group. But of all the directors I've worked with, Zhang Yimou was the one who most understood me, and no matter if it's an art film or a commercial film, he is the best. In each movie we made together, I thought that as a director he was testing me, so that when I later worked with other directors, whether making progress or not, I felt like he was there passing judgment.
Her director in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" appraises Zhang Ziyi:
She is a stunner. When I was preparing to make "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," I originally planned to cast Taiwan actress Shu Qi in the role of Yu Jiaolong, and Zhang Ziyi was on my reserve list of candidates. But as it turned out, for various reasons Shu Qi had to pass on the opportunity, so after a couple of weeks of observing and training the other candidates, I finally settled on Zhang Ziyi for the role, largely because of her willingness to work hard at learning kungfu, despite the hard work and pain, and I really liked that. Afterwards, although she remained in the cast, we had to change her preparation at times, which put enormous pressure on her. Whenever we had to make some alteration in her role, whatever it was, she adapted and mastered it. In this respect, many men are not as good as her. She had a very high degree of enthusiasm and persistence in her role, on a par with her determination. She was perfect in the part, totally absorbed in the Yu Jiaolong character despite the hard work, so all the success that came to her afterwards was fully deserved. Of all the actresses I've worked with, Zhang Ziyi is the most willing to learn on her own, the most willing to work hard through pain. I believe this trait will help her in working with any director. After we made "Crouching Tiger" I suggested she should master English, but at that time she had no plans for going to Hollywood, so she probably didn't pay much attention to what I said. In the last few years she has become an international star through her own efforts, her English has improved very quickly, and I believe God not only gave her a pretty face, but a firm and tenacious nature as well, and this is also one intelligent young woman. I believe that so long as she continues moving forward this way, Ziyi will just get better and better in the future. I bless her.
Zhang Ziyi: "Ang Lee is the cat, and I'm the mouse. And while he's a lazy cat, he's also an awe-inspiring one." Zhang Ziyi went on to say she didn't know why, but Ang Lee really scares her. Not because he has ever blown up at her, because he hasn't, but there is just something about him that makes her fearful. So Zhang Ziyi pictures herself as the mouse, and Ang Lee as the cat, a very slow cat that you think doesn't notice you, but if there's one wrong move he can crush you with one paw.
Her director in "2046" appraises Zhang Ziyi:
Zhang Ziyi is an actress who always gives her best effort, and constantly tries to improve. I was first able to distinguish her acting in "2046," and actually she designed her role as Bai Lingr. When I first sought to cast her in "2046," many people told me that while she was very good in swordsman films, she wouldn't work out in my movie, but I soon learned these people really just didn't know her very well. When I started working with her, I could tell very quickly what a variety of possibilities she has. One of her strengths is adaptability: you make this demand, she'll adapt to it, you push her this way, she'll go that way, and I always had the feeling she was up to any demand, her potential is so great. Also, her beauty is an aggressive kind, very different from other actresses whose beauty is more subtle. It's hard to explain why, but that's also rather charming, and something other actresses don't have. Her most shining quality is she is very globalized, she makes very high demands on herself, always knows what she wants to do, and what is the best thing to do in a given situation. Just let her know what she should do, and she will give it her best effort and will obtain the best results. Moreover, she has great spiritual strength, she doesn't care what others think of her, and in the overall process this approach sends the message to others that "I can do it." This is Zhang Ziyi's work style.
Zhang Ziyi: I was very fortunate to have the chance to work with Wong Kar Wai. Filming "2046" took a very long time, and it was very tiring, but I feel that working with such an outstanding group of filmmakers moved me forward quite a bit. And this was especially the case with director Wong Kar Wai: it seemed as if he was leading me by the hand, and this helped a lot to raise up my acting. I feel he gave me the leeway to take full control of my role, so I am really grateful to him, and from this experience I know that I'll make even more progress in the future.
Her director in "Jasmine Women" and cinematographer in "The Road Home" appraises Zhang Ziyi:
I worked with Zhang Ziyi when I was doing the photography on "The Road Home" for Zhang Yimou. And years later I feel her personality is still the same. Really, the Zhang Ziyi of the media is not the person we know. As a girl, she is very "childlike," very simple; as an actor, she is very intelligent.
To me, she has an amazing ability to comprehend and express a role. As for her future, that's not up to me to say, for everyone can see for themselves that she really has a boundless future!
Zhang Ziyi: Hou Yao and I became friends when we were making my first movie, "The Road Home," he as cinematographer and me as actor. Later, when he was arranging to make "Jasmine Women," he sought me for a role, and after I'd seen the script I agreed at once to do it. He's not only an old friend, he helped me a lot when I was just starting out, so when he sought me out for the first movie he was directing, I felt I should go to help him, so I made the film. The role also brought me a Golden Rooster Best Actress award, so I feel that from the start or the whole process, right on through to the end result, it was all very good for me. Now I just hope the film could soon be seen by a larger audience, and can help Hou Yao to a good future in directing.
Lou Ye
Her director in "Purple Butterfly" appraises Zhang Ziyi:
Zhang Ziyi is a good actor, very diligent and works very hard. When I first began working with her I didn't know her very well, and I also didn't expect her to be very good in "Purple Butterfly," but as it turned out she was actually a major bright spot in the movie.
Zhang Ziyi: I believe that working with any director can be of benefit to me. So working with Lou Ye was a process of learning and growth. I feel he is a director deeply immersed in his own artistic atmosphere, a very distinct characteristic. He persists in his own artistic concepts, and that's very good. Although it wasn't easy for audiences to accept his film, I don't think he should be judged on this only, or his passion for film written off. His artistic creativity is so great, everyone should encourage and praise his talents.
Her director in "Memoirs of a Geisha" had this to say about Zhang Ziyi:
When "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was amazing people around Oscar time several years ago, Steven Spielberg, who was producing our movie, had a secret meeting with Zhang Ziyi, and the first time "Memoirs of a Geisha" was mentioned, although her English still wasn't very good, she said very firmly "Hire me, please!"
Later, after Steven abandoned his plan to direct and turned it over to me, I began a worldwide search for actresses to play the leads. We met some good actresses during this process, but in the end we still chose Zhang Ziyi. I discovered that while on the one hand she has the inner grace of Asian women, on the other hand she has the physical strength of Western women, never letting me feel her energy was down. Also, her English has improved enormously in the past four years. Another important reason was that the first time I saw her, she gave me the impression of being very small in stature, which suited the image I wanted the camera lens to capture. Also, there's something about her face which is fascinating, and while I'm not clear just what it is, it's really attractive. As for casting Chinese actresses as Japanese characters in a film adaptation of a book about Japan, that was controversial, but I have what I think is a very simple explanation. Casting a movie is so key to a movie's success or failure that it demands a great deal of caution, so casting Michelle Yeoh, Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi, three Chinese stars, in the roles of Japanese geishas was entirely due to the their international fame and the fact their acting skills were far above the level of Japanese actresses of comparable ages, and through the long process of learning and filming these three actresses proved we were right in casting them. So I will say that I had absolutely no problem with casting Zhang Ziyi in the main role of Sayuri, because the standards we had set for selecting the lead was whether the actress was the most appropriate for the that role, not whether she was Japanese.
Zhang Ziyi: Being able to make "Memoirs of a Geisha" was an honor for me. Moreover, the film assembled an outstanding director, producers, and actors, so for an actress as young as I am it was a great learning opportunity, and I put my maximum effort into it. It was great to work in concert with a director like Rob, and together produce a good film for audiences around the world.
Director Zhang Yang appraised Zhang Ziyi this way:
What Zhang Ziyi has done in the last two or three years has really been marvelous, and anyone can see her achievements have been outstanding. And now, she's having an impact internationally that is propelling Chinese movies into the world, bringing them to the world's attention, and that's something everyone here should admire and approve of. The problem now is China has too few actors like this. I hope the number will grow in the future, as that would not only further the development of Chinese cinema, it would broaden our field of vision internationally and help our industry advance more, attracting more and more audiences here and drawing the outside world's attention. That would also attract more foreign resources to China, including foreign investment, and that would help improve the development of Chinese cinema. As for why Zhang Ziyi is the one to have this success, it's difficult to nail down a specific answer, but I personally feel there are a variety of reasons such as opportunity, talent, a combination of factors which all contributed to her success. For example, the directors she has met, her own hard work ... it's nearly impossible to explain in a few words just why she's been successful, and why she's hasn't failed. Actually, success is not related to anything, what's beautiful, what isn't. Anyway, Zhang Ziyi has succeeded.
Zhang Ziyi: I've seen movies directed by Zhang Yang, and I am very grateful for his appreciation of me. I hope to have the chance to work with director Zhang, and I'm sure that chance will come.
Actress Joan Chen ("Jasmine Women") appraises Zhang Ziyi:
I like her very much, she is a very good actor and very hardworking, as well as being very beautiful. When we began making "Jasmine Women," and the director told me I would be playing Zhang Ziyi's mother, I was a little worried at first about how we would get along, but I was pleased that we got along just fine, because although she's very young she's very sensible, and a good actress. I think these things are directly related to her having worked with outstanding directors and actors. She is also very lucky and works very hard. I hope we have the chance to work together again.
Zhang Ziyi: Joan Chen is really amazing, and especially bold. I sometime feel that I'm very mediocre, there's no way I can compare to her, and I may not have the power she does. But I've never stopped making demands on myself, because I know that nothing in this world is impossible if you work hard. Joan Chen was an excellent model for me to learn from, and I cherish the experience of working with her.
Martial arts king Jet Li ("Hero") says this about Zhang Ziyi:
Of all the young actresses I've worked with, Zhang Ziyi made the deepest impression. She didn't have a lot of scenes in "Hero," but because of her acting training background she began martial arts training months in advance of the start of filming, so that when shooting began she was able to perform like a professional acrobatic dancer, and that's very hard to do. It would be as if, after studying martial arts for 5 or 10 years I decided to move over to ballet: with my short legs and short arms, there's no way I could do it. The greatest reason for my feeling that she ought to have even more success in the future is that during the half year we were making "Hero," she never did any other work, just concentrated on this one film, concentrating on doing her best work on it, and staying on till it was completed. Actually, if she were just a flighty and impetuous person, she needn't have stayed, but her doing so was something I admired a lot. During that time, I would often see her carry a small wooden stool off to one side, and sit there paying close attention to the acting of others. She's a very diligent and hardworking actress. So while Ziyi is very easygoing, she has a greater threshold of pain than many of we larger men have, and that's also something I admire. In my eyes, Ziyi is a very lovely kid sister.
Zhang Ziyi: I feel that he is an excellent film actor, and there's so many things one can learn from him. Because he's a Buddhist, he's very clear about how life should be lived, and he's a very kindhearted person, so talking with him brings a sense of clarity in one's own life. I hope I can make another movie with him some day.
Her director in "Princess Raccoon" appraises Zhang Ziyi this way:
Zhang Ziyi's acting is wonderful, she's an international actress, and she's very intuitive when doing a scene. I can't think of a single shortcoming she has, she's "one in a thousand."
Zhang Ziyi: Working with director Suzuki brought me many pleasant surprises. To begin with, my agreeing to make this film was directly related to the director. Many of our Chinese directors are fans of his movies, and greatly admire his directing strength. Also, director Suzuki is a heavyweight in Japanese cinema. So all of this gave me the courage to go and make a Japanese movie. It also frightened me that in addition to having to learn a lot of new things, this was a musical film, but now that I've had the experience I feel it was an overall gain for me.
The director of "Peacock" appraises Zhang Ziyi:
When I was first making "Peacock," I originally discussed the role of the elder sister with Zhang Ziyi, but unfortunately she had committed to making Hou Yao's "Jasmine Women" at that time, after which she had another commitment to Zhang Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers," a very tight schedule which just didn't leave any time for us to work together. But I felt that while it may not on this movie, we'd still have the chance to work together sometime.
Zhang Ziyi: I've know teacher Gu for a very long time, and while there wasn't time to work with him originally, I couldn't ask him to wait until the others were finished. So while I thought it was unfortunate, I also thought that should he direct another film, and wanted me for a role in it, then we would have another chance to work together, as I'd really like to see what sort of director teacher Gu is.
Acrobatic fighting star Michelle Yeoh ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Memoirs of a Geisha" had this appraisal of Zhang Ziyi:
Zhang Ziyi and I have worked together on two movies, and to me it was like watching her grow up. When we first began making "Crouching Tiger" people on the set didn't pay that much attention to her, but her hard work was soon obvious to everyone. She's grown so much in the years since, and there are very few people in the world that young who have made that kind of progress. She's been very fortunate in having worked with so many good directors, and every one of them she's worked with has moved her acting forward a bit. So to some extent she is really very admirable, and being so young she has a long period of growth ahead of her.
Zhang Ziyi: Michelle Yeoh's background is in acrobatic fighting, so her kungfu is very impressive. During the filming of "Crouching Tiger," I was just awed by her acrobatic fighting, and I remember thinking that there is no way I could ever be that good. But after working at it for several years now I feel that I'm not bad although I still have a lot of things I can learn from her, and we've always gotten along very well.
[Editor's note: Readers may notice a variation in the terms used in the article to describe the onscreen fighting skills of Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi. When referring to Li, the expression 'wu shu' 武术 (martial arts) was used, but when the reference was to Zhang and Yeoh the Chinese term used was 'wu da' 武打 which refers to the movements used in Chinese opera and dance to simulate actual combat, and usually translated as "acrobatic fighting."]
