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Li lashes out at her critics

By Liu Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-23 07:41

Li Shaohong, one of the country's most productive women directors, is facing growing doubts over her casting decisions for the adaptation of A Dream of the Red Mansions, an 18th-century novel by Cao Xueqin. Fierce criticism over the costumes and debates over her ability to create a worthy program have been raging for months.

She appears to have been playing musical chairs with some of the key roles in the show, and netizens have been up in arms ever since a series of costume pictures was released two months ago.

The costume design for Qin Keqing (played by Tang Yifei), a minor role in A Dream of the Red Mansions, was released recently and stirred much debate.

Angry fans claimed the costumes were too sexy, too opera-like and even too ghostly for a classic's television adaptation, especially when compared with those of a widely popular 1987 TV drama based on the same story. Believe it or not, some even complained to the government, asking it to fire the director, which actually it has no right to do.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Li admitted she had read the online comments, printed some of them and discussed the issue with her Oscar-winning designer, Tim Yip.

"I found some of the suggestions helpful," she says.

"But I do think some of the netizens are just using our show as an outlet for their personal unhappiness in life, and some are making brutal statements just to gain attention."

Li asks fans to have more faith and to be open-minded with her attempts to be innovative.

"Do you think it makes any sense if I just copied the 1987 version or just made slight changes?" she asks. "If I did that, people would say it was because I had no imagination at all.

"People who like my previous TV series, please trust me. I am making a quality show."

She says producers had spent 4 million yuan ($570,000) on the costumes and 1 million more on lighting.

She also believes the book is so well known that anything about it will raise heated discussion. Thus she is determined to do it her way.

Li originally cast six winners of a Beijing Television reality show for plum roles in the show but refuses to say why one of the girls, Yao Di, has so far had three different roles.

Yao was last year asked to play Xue Baochai, the No 2 female role, but when shooting started in May, she was switched to Lin Daiyu, the melancholy lead character.

Then suddenly last week, Yao was introduced at a press conference as Wang Xifeng, center of the power in the huge noble family.

Xue, Lin and Wang are three roles as familiar and beloved to every Chinese as Macbeth is to Britons and Tom Sawyer to Americans.

Director Li Shaohong is confident that she will make a good adaptation.

Is Yao, a student of the Beijing Film Academy, really capable of playing three roles with totally different personalities? And how come out of 236,000 hopefuls who took part in the reality show, she is able to take her pick of three plum roles?

Li would not answer these questions. Nor would she confirm whether she has the final say on castings. "As the creator of the show, I focus only on making a perfect production," she says.

The director says she is confident that the costumes and make-up appear very natural when placed in the context of the set design. She plans to release more pictures, which she thinks will persuade people that her show is beautiful rather than bizarre.

As for the storyline, Li says she will be as truthful to the 120-chapter book as she can. "We dare not change the plot at all, otherwise people will bite me," she says.

Word is that Li, as director of such a high-profile and expensive show - it is said to be costing 1 million yuan per episode - is walking a tightrope trying to keep several investors happy. It is this very tension which is said to have resulted in the resignation of Hu Mei, another famed woman director who had been lined up for the series.

Designer Tim Yip (right) instructs staff to dress Yang Mi (left) as Qing Wen, an outspoken maid. Photos courtesy of Li Shaohong

Compared to Li, her long-time partner Li Xiaowan, who produces this show, seems more relaxed.

"Controversy is good," she says. "Innovation makes for controversy and whether the news is good or bad, it is news.

"And news is good for a show."