Reluctant Movie Star:Feng Xiaogang on Mr. Six
Text by Li Dongran
A promotional photo of Feng Xiaogang after his nomination for Best Actor at the 52nd Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan. Critics and fans alike raved about his performance in Mr. Six. CFP
Poster of Mr. Six. CFP
CFP One of China’s top-grossing film directors of all time, Feng Xiaogang was born in Beijing in 1958. Before his career as a director, he served in the army and became a set designer before eventually helming several TV series. In 1997, his first New Year comedy Dream Factory hit the big screen. After its success, he directed Be There or Be Square, Sorry Baby, Big Shot’s Funeral, Cell Phone, and If You Are the One, proving himself as a consistently heavy hitter in terms of box office revenue.
On Christmas Eve, Mr. Six , also known as "Lao Pao'er" in Chinese, was released and quickly stood out compared to other holiday films: In only 12 days, it earned over 700 million yuan at the box office.
The movie depicts the relationship between a father and his son as well struggles between old and new powers. “Lao Pao’er” is a local Beijing phrase that refers to retired gangsters idling about, playing around with birds.
Acclaimed Chinese film director Feng Xiaogang portrays the film’s title character, Mr. Six. Hiding in Beijing’s narrow hutong lanes, Six can hardly endure the hustle and bustle of the modern city. One day after Six fights with his son, the boy runs away from home and ends up kidnapped by Xiao Fei, the son of a senior official. To save his son, Mr. Six comes out of retirement but eventually realizes that he is no longer physically capable of fixing things.
The movie was already generating buzz before its premiere, thanks in no small part to Feng winning Best Actor at the 52nd Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan on November 22, 2015. Before he became an award winning actor, Feng Xiaogang was already China’s top-grossing film director cumulatively.
Feng’s most recent directoral project, Personal Tailor, was released in late 2013. The light comedy is about a dream-reading company helping customers realize dreams. He intended to take two years off afterwards, but heartily accepted the role of Mr. Six after reading the script.
A Beijing native, Feng is an expert at depicting daily city life, as his films attest over and over. This movie shows exactly what is happening around him.
Mr. Six was filmed during the coldest months of 2014, and the entire crew had to work from dawn until dusk. “It was worth it,” Feng asserts. He compares the film to Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America, proclaiming that all directors should make a movie against the backdrop of the place they were born and work. Most importantly, according to Feng, in the film, everything is about the character regardless of how the plot unfolds – which is the exact opposite of most movies.
“Many Chinese movies do indeed feature impressive characters, such as Hibiscus Town and Red Sorghum, which are all about character,” remarks Feng. “I think people will still think about Mr. Six for years, even though they may not necessarily remember what happened to him."
Not long ago, Director Feng Xiaogang was interviewed about the movie.
Still from Mr. Six. Feng Xiaogang, portraying the title character, believes that a good actor should be trained professionally. However, he was cast as Mr. Six because he seemed born for the role. CFP
Despite your prolific career as a director, you acted in Mr. Six. Did you have to resist any impulses to direct? Did your role as an actor put pressure on director Guan Hu?
Feng Xiaogang (F): I kept my cool during the production. As an actor, I primarily worried about how best to play my role. I didn’t even worry much about other actors’ performances. I had so few chances to simply do one thing, so I didn’t pay much attention to anything else. Guan Hu worked on the story for quite a while. The actors were just chess pieces in his game. I was ready to do whatever he wanted. Besides, I got along great with Guan and found that we share a lot in common. Nobody had problems with anyone from beginning to end.
You will start shooting your own movie soon. After your two-year break from directing, what do you think about the environment of the Chinese film market?
F: Well, China’s annual box office is averaging 44 billion yuan, while the United States is at a level equivalent to 60 billion yuan. China is a huge market with even more potential moviegoers.
I like to go against the grain: When others make high-brow films, I do commercial work, or vise versa. I always want to try something different. It’s not risky when everyone is doing the same thing. The film industry is not like other trades: A-listers emerge instantly, and veterans can fail and slip into obscurity overnight. I’ve learned a lot from my work. The greatest accomplishment is transforming the impossible into possible.
Still from Mr. Six: Mr. Six (1st right, played by Feng Xiaogang) and his son (2nd right). Some film critics have commented that the movie is about love between father and son, friendship, and the transition between generations. IC
The protagonist in Mr. Six is closer to reality than any younger characters in comedy blockbusters, particularly teen comedies released around Chinese National Day. Do these films represent opposite perspectives of life and the world?
F: I do also enjoy watching movies that don’t strain your brain too much. Some people want to be entertained while relaxing in the movie theater, and they leave what they have seen at the theater when they walk out the door as a way to release pressure from life and work.
Mr. Six will not satisfy those people. The story will linger in their minds no matter how hard they try to think of other things. Theater chains did like it before its release, but nobody could have predicted its strong market performance. Such good numbers mean a lot – they greatly encourage many directors and teach a good lesson for production companies: You can’t judge what kind of content they like.
How do you feel about market pressure in terms of returning to the director’s chair?
F: Market pressure has inspired me. During the two years, I brainstormed how to make a movie to please both spectators and critics. I want to make a movie that satisfies everyone: literary, cognitive, and entertaining.