"In our upbringing and impressions, the world of film and television is considered a disreputable, unruly, and chaotic industry. Therefore, many parents are unwilling to let their children embark on this path. After a decade in the industry, my personal perceptions have diverged significantly from what I heard in my childhood. I feel that there seems to be more chaos in life."
From "A Ten-year Dream: The Ang Lee Story" by Zhang Jingbei.
Ang Lee hailed from Chaozhou in Pingtung, Taipei.
Many people might have come to know him through his legendary story of "6 years of idleness, then a debut at the Golden Horse Awards", which was truly inspiring due to its difficulty and thus worth recounting.
Just like a light through a wall, it carried a sense of rumored endurance.
Imagine this: an acclaimed director who won an Oscar and shook the world of cinema spent a full 6 years after graduating just doing laundry, cooking, and taking care of children at home.
Such an experience was even more potent than chicken soup for the soul; who wouldn't want to partake in it?
However, from Ang Lee's perspective, those were just ordinary six years, not much different from an average person's life. The only difference might be that he seized an opportunity, leading to the person he is today. The story itself lacked any real legendary color.
To him, that period was one he would rather not reminisce about, but the media constantly emphasized and sensationalized it.
No matter how many times he had answered, interviewers kept on asking, seemingly inexhaustible.
Did they not know? No, those people just wanted the answers they desired.
For the listeners, these answers were stimulating, invigorating, a source of traffic and attention. Yet, for those involved, it was their very life, a life they had never truly desired. Sometimes, one could only admire his patience in answering similar questions over and over. Certainly, his unswerving spirit during those six years was admirable, but did anyone consider that his film career was not built solely during that time? His subsequent years were filled with progress and breakthroughs that those six years could never provide.
However, people only wanted to see those six years. They only wanted to see what they wanted to see...
He possessed the essence of a traditional literatus in his bones.
A pure love for imagery was the reason he embarked on this path and persisted in it.
His later "Father Knows Best" trilogy: "Pushing Hands", "The Wedding Banquet", "Eat Drink Man Woman", were explorations of his past life. Some had described him as having "a heart filled with culinary delights, a soul harboring hidden dragons."
Now at the age of fifty, he emerged from two different eras. As he put it, "When I was young, New China had just been established; when Kennedy was assassinated, I was still a student, and my peers back then despised him. Yet after all these years, people began to recall his virtues..."
Thus, watching his films provided a sense of the era's backdrop.
Just like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Ride with the Devil"...
As for films like "The Hulk", they were purely about making money.
There was nothing wrong with that either; Ang Lee himself had said that the people at Warner Bros. were exceedingly generous and sincere...
With all this, it was hard for anyone not to feel favorably toward him.
Lyman admired him quite a bit, especially since he was a director himself, which allowed him to better appreciate Ang Lee's greatness...
...
At the foot of the ranch's hills lay a small town.
Most of the townsfolk were involved in ranching.
With a modest population and few amenities, restaurants were scarce, with just a handful to choose from and limited options.
On the set, it was quite common for actors to tire of fast food and venture down to enjoy a proper meal. So, in general, Ang Lee had a good idea of which places had decent flavors. With his recommendation, the group strolled through the community, following a winding path that eventually led them to what appeared to be a homey restaurant.
He said "appeared" because there wasn't even a signboard outside the entrance. If it weren't for word of mouth, it would have been hard to tell it was a restaurant.
Upon entering, the place was somewhat deserted as it was only around five o'clock, with only a few patrons.
Lyman initially wanted a private room, but after inquiring, he quickly gave up.
The owner lived on the second floor, with the first floor serving as a converted dining hall and kitchen. Private rooms were not part of the arrangement.
They settled for a window-side table, and Ang Lee took charge of ordering.
This place, he was quite familiar with.
"Half a roasted lamb, two plates of beef, and add more sauce," he instructed the owner earnestly before turning to the others and saying, "The lamb here is from that group grazing on the hillside. I've chosen lambkin."
"Yes, lambkin meat is more tender, unlike the firmer texture of older sheep," Lyman agreed.
"You know about this?" Ang Lee found this somewhat surprising.
Why did this French director seem different from the ones he had met before?
"Oh, by the way, is your film intended for the awards season?"
"Yes," Ang Lee nodded.
For an art film, not participating in the Oscars would be rather regrettable.
Furthermore, he himself had ambitions in that direction.
Engaging in "Brokeback Mountain", apart from the innovative theme that intrigued him, part of the goal was also to contend for awards.
"It's already August, is there enough time?"
"No choice, filming hasn't been going smoothly." Thinking about it, Ang Lee felt a tinge of melancholy.
"That's true, as a director, that's the most feared." Lyman understood deeply.
"What about you, have you encountered any difficulties?" Ang Lee asked with a smile.
"It wouldn't exactly be called difficulties, but I happen to be in the pre-production of a film, and I'm still lacking two main actors."
Ang Lee gave him a glance and chuckled. It was a meaningful chuckle.
This guy always had layers in his words.
Ang Lee, as an industry insider, was naturally aware of this director's accolades.
But truth be told, he hadn't paid it too much mind.
When he couldn't even manage his own life well, who had the energy to focus on others' lives?
In the realm of directors, there were countless formidable figures.
With credentials and achievements, directors big and small relied on their works to survive.
While living on past laurels could sustain someone for a while, nobody could live off them forever.
Especially after the failure of "The Hulk", the abandonment from all quarters of the industry was a lesson in itself.
Occasionally, during casual conversations with friends, they touched upon this newly risen director.
They found his works commendable, with a sense of his own contemplation.
But the speed at which he churned out films was truly astonishing.
"Has "Miscreant" finished its run? I've been so busy with "Brokeback Mountain" that I almost forgot."
Comparing his own rate of one film every three to four years to others', he couldn't help but sigh: the era truly belonged to the young.
Originally, he had been planning to secure Heath Ledger's schedule, but it seemed to be becoming pressing now.
He suddenly realized and inquired, "What's the film about?"
"It's also a romance film. The production is about to start." Lyman was forthright. He spoke the truth.
Wow, that's fast.
In his heart, Ang Lee couldn't help but envy this swift production speed...