Shanghai Daily news
Director Mao Xiaorui's new horror movie is a subtle, psychological thriller that is more art than terror, writes Michelle Qiao.
Director Mao Xiaorui is quick to point out that his new thriller, ``Bloodstained Kite,'' is not your standard Chinese horror flick. This one, which will be released on Friday, is more arty, he notes.
The movie tells the story of a young girl named Xiao Lan (played by Nicola Cheung) who lives with her uncle and is tortured by nightmares of the bloody scene of her father's murder. It is a nightmare that never leaves her, not even when she moves out of her uncle's house and joins a group of young people living in a former kite workshop that is part of her old family home in fictional Nanyu County. In the workshop, everyone unexpectedly finds a kite that is a symbol of who they are. Quarrels, terror and blood erupt, along with the gradual awakening of Xiao Lan's nightmare memories. ``The film censors do not permit supernatural elements like vampires, which are considered superstitious,'' says Mao. ``So I have to create a different sort of movie, one that emphasizes more subtle psychology rather than screaming, bloody terror. The movie's Chinese name, `Cannot Cry,' reflects this: being unable to cry out is more horrifying that the release of a scream.'' ``Kite'' was screened during China's first thriller seminar in Shanghai in June and received good reviews. But Mao adds he lifted the ideas in the film from a classic. ``I admit it: I have essentially copied the Stanley Kubrick thriller, `The Shining,''' he says. ``The film has good rhythm and technique, in contrast to other poorly made Chinese horror flicks,'' says Wang Qiang, a scriptwriter. ``With a weak scriptwriter, the script is of course not very good, but Mao worked very hard and has recreated an attractive movie. The film is well-edited and narrates the story in a clear, detailed way. It's almost an art movie and I cannot believe it was made on a budget of only 2.5 million yuan (US$304,878).'' The film was shot in an old black-tile house, typical in Zhejiang Province a century ago, which was built on a river bank in the suburbs of Zhuji, a tourist attraction in Zhejiang. Every June and July half the house is submerged by floods. The surrounding landscape, with hills, rivers and a path that zigzags around the house, is the perfect setting for a horror movie. Mao even found an unused wooden coffin in the house, which the former owner had readied for his own use. Mao discovered an abandoned amusement park, also used as a backdrop in the movie, in Luzhi, a water town in Jiangsu Province. The odd-shaped castles, worn sculptures, high wild grass and withered vanes make another hell in the movie. ``This movie is different from some thrillers, which leave the mind empty,'' says Mao. ``In the film, I consider what makes people feel the most horrible. Maybe to slowly uncover a strange self is the most horrified thing in the world.'' Mao graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 1997, a depressed period for the Chinese film industry. ``Only three of my classmates, including myself, are still directors. The others are doing related work, like shooting advertisements or working at TV stations,'' he reveals. Adds the 30-something: ``My age is said to be the golden time for a director, but unfortunately, it is not the golden time for the movie market. Making a thriller is my attempt to take advantage of this golden period, an outlet for my creativity.'' Mao reveals, however, that he also has a firm grasp of the business side of things. ``Every year, China produces 130 films, but only 30 make it to the cinemas. Even fewer make money. But almost every low-budget Chinese horror movie makes money, regardless of quality. People should pay attention to this phenomenon,'' he says. And for Mao, directing is not only what he's doing: He's also a loyal supporting actor in director Lou Ye's films, including ``Suzhou River'' and ``Purple Butterfly.'' ``Acting is entertaining,'' says Mao. ``As a director I have to be rational. One of my director friends complains he is too rational to be touched by any movie. But as an actor I can be more sensitive, and I enjoy experiencing a movie from the view of an actor. I like switching from the two statuses of sense and sensitivity.'' The film ``Bloodstained Kite'' is being screened, without English subtitles, in Shanghai cinemas through August 20.
