Film legend Jackie Chan brings own stunt experiences to new movie 'Ride On'
Shot by Dong Jun. Edited by Dong Jun. Subtitles by Xu Wei.
The long, challenging and prolific career of Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan has been condensed into the heart-warming film, "Ride On," which is a homage to the devotion and hard work of kung fu stuntmen behind successful action movies.
During an exclusive interview with Shanghai Daily on Wednesday, Chan said that although he is widely known as an action star, he hopes to be remembered as an actor who is adept at a variety of different roles, as is one of his favorite actors Robert De Niro.
The script by post-80s generation filmmaker Larry Yang touched Chan as he said he had considered making a similar film about 40 years ago.
"It reminded me of the days I did stunt work on films," said Chan.
In the film "Ride On," Jackie Chan plays a poor stuntman Luo Zhilong who tries to protect his beloved stunt horse from being auctioned off by debt collectors.
The 69-year-old superstar, who is the winner of an honorary Oscar, began his career as an anonymous stuntman who risked his life performing dangerous stunts such as jumping from speeding trucks or leaping from a six-story building to catch the rope ladder of a hovering helicopter.
Even after he rose to worldwide fame, Chan insisted he do all of his own stunts and has endured decades of risky and dangerous work. He has suffered multiple injuries to almost every part of his body, broken many bones and subsequently undergone many surgical procedures.
In his latest film, "Ride On," Chan plays poor and washed-up stuntman Luo Zhilong, who tries to prevent his beloved stunt horse "Red" from being auctioned off by debt collectors. After performing many jaw-dropping stunts with the horse, the stuntman comes to realize that his real responsibility is to his family.
The film will be released on April 7, Chan's birthday, and provides an insight into the work and concerns of stuntmen devoted to their movie careers. A line in the movie, "It's just action, jump, hospital!" demonstrates the risks that stunt people face on a daily basis.
Jackie Chan speaks exclusively with Shanghai Daily on Wednesday about his latest film "Ride On" and his never-fading passion for kung fu cinema.
The heart-warming film is expected to move many audience members to tears.
The movie also portrays how Chan first entered the movie business and what he and his colleagues have experienced in the industry. In the movie, a stuntwoman is severely injured when an explosion goes off on set ahead of the scheduled time. Protagonist Luo's experience is also similar to that of Chan's own as both the actor and his character required emergency surgery to remove broken bone fragments from their brains.
That incident was one of the worst injuries of Chan's long career. While filming "Armour of God" (1986) in Yugoslavia in the 1980s, Chan missed a tree trunk and plummeted 12 meters to the ground. His skull was fractured and his life was only saved because a veteran brain surgeon from Switzerland happened to be attending a nearby medical conference. The injury led to a permanent plastic plug being inserted in Chan's skull and partial hearing loss in his right ear.
Jackie Chan portrays a delicate emotional connection with his horse in the film.
Jackie Chan spent much time talking to the horse and feeding it to build trust between them.
Director Yang, known for the romance movies "Mountain Cry" (2016) and "Adoring" (2019), said that he grew up watching a lot of Chan's classic movies. Two years ago, he decided to write a story about the lives of stuntmen after watching "Kung Fu Stuntmen," a documentary about the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema.
Yang said Chan's acting amazed him as he gave a down-to-earth depiction of an ordinary stuntman in "Ride On", which was very different from the usual heroic roles Chan played in previous movies.
"Chan has made a great breakthrough on the silver screen as he portrays the character's fragility, loneliness and weakness," Yang said. "He breaks audiences' stereotypical impressions of his former action-packed heroic roles. That is an unknown but very charming facet of him as an actor."
In addition to depicting his character's deep love for his daughter, Chan also manages to portray the protagonist's delicate emotional connection with his horse.
"I spent two months with the horse, talking to it and feeding it to build trust," Chan said with a grin. "It was an interesting experience, although the horse used to bite me and step on my feet a lot of times."
The 69-year-old star performed all his own stunts in the film.
The film stars young actress Liu Haocun and actor Guo Qilin. It also marks Chan's first on-screen collaboration with mainland action star Wu Jing. Both actors reflected on how the rapid development of computer-generated imagery and visual technology in recent times had redefined the work of kung fu stuntmen and women and reduced their personal risks while filming.
Despite such progress in film technology, Chan said he believed the spirit of Chinese stuntmen had never changed and it would be passed on from one generation to the next.
"In short, kung fu stuntmen never say no," he said. "There is a message I hope to share with all the young enthusiasts in the film industry. I used to ask myself if I could be Bruce Lee. The answer is no. Nobody can surpass Lee. I am Jackie Chan. The message is that nothing is impossible and just be yourself."
Chan has been in the film industry for around 60 years thus far. With more than 200 films under his belt, mostly martial arts and action-comedy films, he has helped spread the charms of Chinese kung fu cinema to the world with his signature combination of martial arts prowess and cheeky humor.
Jackie Chan and young actress Liu Haocun play father and daughter, who come to a mutual understanding during the film.
Guo Qilin (left) delivers impressive comedic acting opposite Jackie Chan.
Superstar Jackie Chan, who is the winner of an honorary Oscar, started his career as a stuntman who risked his life performing dangerous stunts.
In an era when the film industry in Hong Kong lagged far behind Hollywood in terms of technology and equipment, Chan risked his life to present compelling movie scenes, as a means to increase the competitiveness of Hong Kong cinema.
"For Chinese actors, it is important to fight for real in the kung fu genre," Chan said. "In my future works, I will keep fighting and falling for real, and doing my stunts on my own."
Chan added that he has a strong curiosity for life, and he likes to learn. When he shot "Who Am I?" in 1998, he attended an international film festival in Rotterdam, where he was attracted by the Willemswerf Building.
The building later became one of Chan's grandest sets where he filmed a breathtaking, classic scene in which he slid along the slanted glass of its roof. A wonderful set, in his opinion, can help to boost an action film's appeal.
Chan said that his secret to success is innovation. He never stops making changes to the roles in his movies. He said he was very willing to cooperate with the talented director Yang in other film projects and explore new acting possibilities.
"I am a big fan of Chan," young Czech actress Zina said after a special screening of the film at the Grand Cinema on Wednesday. "The film is an epitome of Chan's legendary life and career. I'm also a stuntwoman. I hope to be a member of Chan's team."
Chan encouraged Zina and invited her to visit his training center in Beijing. He is known for his continued support for kung fu cinema and for young talents who are pursuing their own dreams in the industry. He said he hoped a lot more young kung fu stuntmen and stars would emerge in China in the future.
The cast of "Ride On" speak with audience members after a special screening of the film at the Grand Cinema in Shanghai on Wednesday.
From left: Actors Guo Qilin, Jackie Chan and director Larry Yang.
Jackie Chan displays a gift of calligraphy he received from an audience member.
Jackie Chan poses with an action figure based on one of his movie characters.
The screening hall at the Grand Cinema was full of enthusiastic movie buffs, many of whom grew up watching Jackie Chan's movies.
