John Cusack fulfilled his long-standing desire of doing some tough action with Jackie Chan in Dragon Blade. The actor talks about Chinese cinema and why it is more exciting than Hollywood
Tell us about your character in the movie.
I play lucius who is a Commanding General of the Black Eagle Corp of the Roman Empire and serves under Crassus. He is a general who is in charge of keeping a young lord safe, who is an heir to one of the three thrones of Rome at that time.
What was your first reaction to the scriptIJ
I thought it was an epic, romantic, smart and beautifully-written historical film that is almost operatic in a way. It was very moving and very emotional. To get to collaborate with Jackie Chan and to work in China in a Chinese-language movie was thrilling. Jackie Chan wants his movies to have messages that he believes in. It’s all in the architecture of the story. In this film, when people fight, they really don’t want to. When they can avoid fighting, they are far happier, and throughout they sacrifice themselves for other people. There are a lot of themes within the story that are powerful and important. But it’s also very entertaining as a film.
I think the film is an epic, sweeping slice of Chinese history, telling the history of the Silk Road. But it’s also about the need to build peace. If we can build a city where everyone is welcome and peace is possible; even if it is destroyed, you have to rebuild it. It’s about people’s universal dream for peace. Sometimes empires and other powerful forces may be at war with each other, but that’s never the desire of the people. In their hearts, people want peace and justice.
What attracted you to the movieIJ
In the original script, lucius declared that if anybody built a city without fear or control, there would be no divisions and everyone can work together. Whoever built that city would be his friend. In the film, Huo An and lucius work together to rebuild Wild Geese Gate, and they come to realise that brotherhood is not about one’s ethnic origin, it’s about what is in the heart. There are good and bad men everywhere in this world. The movie is about two good men who come together.
Is this your first Asian filmIJ
I’ve done films that have been released in China and I’ve done some Chinese content films. I also made a movie called Shanghai starring Gong li and Chow Yun Fat but we shot that film in Bangkok. So this is my first time shooting in China, in the Chinese language, so it was very exciting.
What was it like working in a Chinese productionIJ
Well, it’s not only a Chinese language movie but there’s also Jackie Chan and his stunt team. Getting to work on action sequences with him is a dream come true for me. Also making a large scale Chinese language film with great Chinese artists is also a dream, so to combine the two of them is really special for me. What’s interesting is that even though there is a bit of a language gap, director-screenwriter Daniel lee speaks English very well. But it doesn’t matter what we say; we both speak the same language. It’s been a very great experience, a great adventure and a great honor for me.
What’s the difference between shooting in China and HollywoodIJ
I’ve found that there is a bit more enthusiasm and passion here in China. This might come from working with Jackie and Daniel — I don’t have the experience of working with other Chinese directors or producers. But there is an enthusiasm and passion that I think we’ve lost in Hollywood. The work ethic is truly incredible; people work unbelievably hard around the clock.
How was the experience of working with Jackie ChanIJ
It’s been great. In America he is a great icon. He is in the category of classic silent film comedians like Buster Keaton, Harold lloyd and Charlie Chaplin because of the physical daring of what he does and his comic skills. He is so creative and dexterous with his hands, almost like a magician, so he is very revered in the United States. Working with him in his own hometown, on his own turf, you really get to see him fully at his best. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it and I’ve tried to remember every moment of it. Jackie is the hardest-working person that I’ve ever met and he’s also incredibly big hearted. He deeply cares about the movie and the people around him.
Jackie is just an endlessly fascinating person because at the same time he is both very pure and very complicated. He knows that there is only one Jackie Chan, so he is going to give everything he has all the time because he is in a unique position to give to charities, to make films and to teach people about all the things that he knows about films, stunts and moviemaking. He really is an ambassador of goodwill, internationally. He’s fun to be around, joking all the time and making people happy. But he is tireless; you just can’t wear him out.
What kind of weapon did you get to useIJ
I use a Roman sword which is very short. When I first fight with Jackie’s character, the Chinese sword is much longer so it’s a little bit more dangerous, but the shorter sword is a little faster. So you have two different fighting styles meeting; it’s interesting.
What kind of training did you undertakeIJ
The Chinese way of doing action is a little bit different to the US, but it’s all basically the same. When I trained with Benny Urquidez, a personal trainer and martial arts choreographer, I did stretching, martial arts and kick-boxing. I have worked with swords before so it was pretty easy to pick up. Benny actually choreographed Jackie’s action comedy Wheels on Meals. When Benny started working with Jackie, he was a world champion fighter. Now he is a stunt choreographer and martial arts master on the same level as Jackie. He’s an elite athlete and at the very top of his profession.
What’s it like to work with Daniel lee, your first Chinese directorIJ
I loved working with Daniel — he is a paradox because the only way that you can keep power is to give it away. So he creates these incredible worlds and beautiful sets with the best production design that you can imagine, and he writes good scripts. But when the actors come in, he’s really comfortable letting us contribute. He trusts me to help with some of the English because he’s translated it from Chinese. It’s a very collaborative process and very open. That’s a sign of a talented man because he is very secure in himself, therefore he can be generous to other people.
Did you explore ChinaIJ
What I noticed was when you are in a city like Shanghai, staying in a very nice hotel, it’s very international but when I was in Hengdian, it was very different. I got a small bicycle and would ride around. I’d see Chinese women who would go out into the squares at night and would do the dance where they move their shoulders together. I’d see families, mothers and fathers with their kids. And when they look at you, they know that you are different, but if you smile, they smile back very warmly. Chinese people are very authentic people — respectful and very kind. I got to experience China because I was here for more than just a week or two. It is a big and complicated place, but in small towns you are able to see how people are and you think “this must be the real China.”
I got to experience China, the Silk Road and many different places, I met all kinds of people — from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Hengdian, Dunhuang and all over. I really got to be immersed in China. I brought my family out here to also experience some of it because it feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity. I hope there’s the chance to make another film in China.
Will you do more Chinese films thenIJ
I’d love to. There are few movies that have Chinese and American characters, and fewer movies that are set in America. But I could shoot them out here, too so I’d be open to anything. I would love to work out here. In the US, people want to control what you’re saying in a strange way and even though there is a lot of freedom in America, there is a lot of fear about money. I don’t sense that in Chinese films; I sense that the directors have a lot of freedom and that acting is very free.