One of China’s finest directors has begun shooting a remake of a classic by two of America’s finest.
Zhang Yimou has started shooting a remake of the Coen brothers’ debut “Blood Simple,” the Chinese director’s first film since designing the opening and closing ceremonies of last year’s Beijing Olympics, a publicist said Tuesday.
Filming on the Chinese-language film “San Qiang Pai An Jing Qi” — which roughly translates as “The Stunning Case of the Three Gun Shots” — kicked off on June 9, Ping Xue, a publicist at Zhang’s Beijing New Picture Film Co., told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Beijing. The thriller-comedy, which will be released this year, stars Chinese actor Sun Honglei, comedian Xiao Shenyang and actress Yan Ni, Ping said.
…The “Blood Simple” remake also marks Zhang’s first movie since the 2006 imperial court drama “Curse of the Golden Flower,” starring Chow Yun-fat and Gong Li. After that film, Zhang took a break to focus on the Beijing Olympics ceremonies.
The Chinese team is not saying how closely the remake will follow the plot of the Coens’ original. Blood Simple involves a sleazy Texas bar owner (Dan Hedaya) who hires a private detective (M. Emmett Walsh) to knock off his unfaithful wife (Frances McDormand) and her bartender boyfriend (John Getz). Things do not go exactly according to plan.
Blood Simple (1984) was the Coens’ first film, and McDormand’s first too (age 27). It was Carter Burwell’s first feature film score.
14 Responses for "Zhang Yimou begins Coen brothers remake"
** Intrigued **
As much as I love Blood Simple, I am interested in what Zhimou might do with it.
Strange to find a remake thread that doesn’t make me want to vomit.
this new version is BOUND to be better.
Blood Simple is quite possibly the greatest directorial debut ever made. The bar is rather high but Zhang Yimou is a fine director so he just might pull it off.
You know, considering how Hollywood remakes every possibly decent Asian release….its about time that door swings both ways.
And you know, despite its Texas universe, BLOOD SIMPLE as a story is universal that it could translate in the cinema of any foreign country.
So yeah, I’m interested. Can’t wait for the Japanese remake of GOODFELLAS.
Zhang Yimou doing Coen Brothers noir? That is pretty damn strange in itself, given how far the noir tendencies of Blood Simple are from period fare like Hero and House of Flying Daggers.
But either way, I loooove Blood Simple (one of my absolute favourite Coen movies) and I love Zhang Yimou, so this project has me very intrigued.
I am hoping this is a return to Yimou’s earlier work, though I enjoyed Hero I really think his work with Red Sorghum, Raise the Red Lantern, and Not One Less is where his true talent lies and where I hope this remake goes to. If it does, I see an amazing film coming from Yimou.
Very true, RRA. Perhaps it’s time we got a taste of our own medicine. Except that Yimou is actually quite good. We need some Asian hack to remake The Godfather for the message to hit home.
Now that’s what I call an interesting combination of talent! I’d be very interested to see how this turns out.
“Except that Yimou is actually quite good. ”
Noah R. – Remakes are in themselves aren’t good or evil, they’re just….remakes. And no, not even a good filmmaker is necessarily a guarantee, if there is such a thing. Consider Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN* or even George Sluizer remaking his own classic THE VANISHING for Hollywood as a generic-ass thriller.
Then again, back when INFERNAL AFFAIRS arrived on American shores and shortly afterwards Martin Scorsese was announced to direct the remake….I never thought Scorsese would have helmed the “lesser” version. But hey, it was so well done the first time around, Scorsese does what he can to keep up his own Yankee way.
Point is, I’ll eventually check out Yimou’s BLOOD SIMPLE retake. Be interesting to see the Oritental version of the same basic story, kinda like Kurosawa’s Japanese “retelling” of Macbeth.
*=Which I dont think is as bad as everyone makes it out to be, but yeah it doesn’t work. The first half was a terrific, blood-curdling little movie. Second half was like every other shitty slasher flick that ripped off HALLOWEEN in the 80s.
RRA is awed at Iran the Theo-Fascist State:
“Oriental version”?
This sounds pretty cool. Of all the Coen brothers movies, Blood Simple is probably the most open to reinterpretation. I’ll be looking forward to this.
This could be a good or a bad movie. But one thing is sure: this is the weirdest remake project ever. Yimou remaking the Coens. Wow…
Zhang Yimou is my favorite director. He’s a master with the camera, the way he uses colors is brilliant!
Hmmm…
Blood Simple is brilliant stuff… Just wondering how its essential left-field tone & style will be translated (creatively, not lingually, I mean) by Yimou.
Styles seem, um, continents apart.
That said, strip Blood Simple of its epic, bizarro poetry, great score & gorgeous cinemtography, and the basic premise is still strong, and very open to new interpretation.
Its cool to know that Yimou is, presumably, a fan of the Coens.
Here’s hoping his film is an entirely new beast. (But I can tell you now which will be the lesser version).
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