Whether it's mainland or Hong Kong and Taiwan, whether it's the mother in "My Parents" or Jing Qiu in "Love under the Hawthorn Tree," whether it's the mute girl in "Kung Fu" or the teacher in "CJ7," including "One Second" or those actresses in "Youth," all possess a certain "pure" and "innocent" character image.
The rare exception is Kang Wen. He seems not to fancy such women; he prefers those sexy, bold, with a hint of a tough demeanor, like Ning Jing in "Sunny Days" or Zhou Yun in "The Sun Also Rises."
Anyway, in the current broad environment of Chinese-language films, if an actor is a bit thoughtful and seeks artistic expression, they will almost inevitably clash with the old-school directors.
Especially the older generation of directors, who are very reluctant to have their authority challenged.
"Xiao Jing could shoot more storytelling films; she's more suited to those emotionally intense roles than I am," Zhou Yun said. "Her acting style is more realistic than mine."
