The Great Wall is one of the most lavish and expensive films ever shot in China.

《長(zhǎng)城》是在中國(guó)拍攝的最華麗、最昂貴的電影之一。

Directed by the living-great of Chinese cinema, Zhang Yimou, it makes use of vast theatrical sets, elaborate costumes as well as great Chinese cultural icons like, er, Matt Damon.

該片由大名鼎鼎的中國(guó)電影導(dǎo)演張藝謀執(zhí)導(dǎo),場(chǎng)景恢宏,道具精妙,還應(yīng)用了諸多偉大的中國(guó)文化標(biāo)志,比如……嗯,馬特•達(dá)蒙。

"Matt Damon plays a foreign mercenary who comes to China to steal gun powder," Mr Zhang tells me.

張導(dǎo)演告訴我:“馬特•達(dá)蒙扮演了一位雇傭兵,他來(lái)中國(guó)是為了偷火藥的。”

"Of course he is a foreigner. For the director, we never consider the race question first. We always think about the story first. If the story flows, if the story is good."

“當(dāng)然,他是一位外國(guó)人。但對(duì)于導(dǎo)演來(lái)說(shuō),我們從來(lái)不會(huì)優(yōu)先考慮種族問(wèn)題,我們總是把故事放在首位。只在故事能順暢進(jìn)行,只有故事講得好就行了。”

The budget of at least $100m (£80m) underwrites a US-China collaboration of a kind that is becoming increasingly common nowadays.

預(yù)算至少1億美元(8千萬(wàn)英鎊),保證了中美兩國(guó)的順利合作,這種情況在當(dāng)今世界也是越來(lái)越多見(jiàn)的。

As Hollywood comes to China in desperate search of new, lucrative audiences, China is desperate to harness something of the elusive magic.

當(dāng)好萊塢拼命擠進(jìn)中國(guó)搶奪多金的新觀眾時(shí),中國(guó)則在拼命利用某種看不見(jiàn)摸不著的魔力。

If it can build its own film industry, the argument goes, it can use it to develop its so-called "soft power", in the same way US movies have carried American values and norms around the world for a century or more.

有論調(diào)說(shuō),如果中國(guó)能夠打造自己的電影產(chǎn)業(yè),它就能夠利用它發(fā)展出所謂的“軟實(shí)力”,就像美國(guó)電影一個(gè)多世紀(jì)以來(lái)在全世界傳播美國(guó)價(jià)值觀和標(biāo)準(zhǔn)一樣。

It can appeal to Chinese and international audiences alike, hence the internationalised plot line, allowing the incorporation of a Hollywood star.

這部電影能中國(guó)觀眾和世界觀眾產(chǎn)生一樣的吸引力,因此才會(huì)有國(guó)際化了的故事情節(jié),并且允許一位好萊塢明星加盟。

For Zhang Yimou, the experience of working on such a giant US-Chinese co-production has, he says, opened his eyes.

對(duì)張藝謀來(lái)說(shuō),執(zhí)導(dǎo)這樣一部宏大的中美合作影片——用他自己的話(huà)來(lái)說(shuō),“大開(kāi)眼界”。

"This time I discovered that Hollywood has lots of restrictions too," he says. "It is a system based on producers and companies... As far as creativity is concerned, I think there is not 100% freedom for any directors around the world. The job of a director is to do his best under limited circumstances."

“這一次,我發(fā)現(xiàn)了好萊塢也有許多限制,”他說(shuō),“那是一個(gè)以制片人和公司為基礎(chǔ)的系統(tǒng)……從創(chuàng)意的角度考慮,我認(rèn)為全世界任何一位導(dǎo)演都不會(huì)有100%的自由盡情發(fā)揮。導(dǎo)演的工作就是在有許多限制條件的環(huán)境中做到最好。”

So is the first all made-in-China blockbuster finally about to be released?

所以這是第一部完全由中國(guó)制作、即將發(fā)行的大片嗎?

Zhang Yimou thinks the time has come.

張藝謀認(rèn)為時(shí)機(jī)已至。

"The world is following Hollywood. Everyone else is absent," he tells me.

他告訴我:“整個(gè)世界完全跟在好萊塢后面亦步亦趨,其他人都是缺席的。”

"This is not normal."

“而這是不正常的。”