Coordinates

24°32′″N96°53′″N

{{infobox chinese film | name

Fallen Angels | image Fallen-Angels-Poster.jpg| writer Wong Kar-wai | starring Leon LaiTakeshi KaneshiroMichelle ReisCharlie YeungKaren Mok| director Wong Kar-wai | producer Jeffrey Lau| distributor Kino International| music | released Sept. 6, 1995 (Hong Kong)Jan. 30, 1998 (US) | runtime 90 minutes96 minutes (France and Germany) | country | language CantoneseMandarinJapaneseEnglish| budget | gross HK$7,476,025 (HK)$163,145 (US)| preceded_by ''Chungking Express'' (1994) | followed_by ''Happy Together'' (1997) | music | jianti 堕落天使 | fanti 墮落天使 | pinyin ''Duòluò Tiānshǐ''}}

''Fallen Angels'' is a 1995 Hong Kong movie written and directed by Wong Kar-wai, starring Leon Lai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Michelle Reis, Charlie Yeung and Karen Mok.

''Fallen Angels'' can be seen as a companion piece to ''Chungking Express''. It was originally conceived as the third story for ''Chungking Express'', but ''Fallen Angels'' can be considered a sequel due to similar themes, locations and methods of filming, while one of the main characters lives in the Chungking Mansions and works at the Midnight Express food stall.

Plot outline

Set in contemporary Hong Kong, a disillusioned hitman embarks on his last hit but first he has to overcome the affections of his cool, detached partner he rarely sees. Thinking it is dangerous and improper to become involved with a colleague, he tries to find a surrogate for his affections. Against the sordid and surreal urban nightscape, he crosses paths with a strange drifter looking for her ex-boyfriend and a mute trying to get the world's attention in his own ways.

Soundtrack

Featured in the "Fallen Angels" soundtrack is a version of "Forget Him" sung by Shirley Kwan, a reworking of the classic by Teresa Teng, and one of the very few 'contemporary' Cantopop songs ever used by Wong Kar Wai in his films. In the film, the song is used as a message from the hitman to his partner. One track played prominently throughout the film is "Because I'm Cool" by Nogabe "Robinson" Randriaharimalala. It samples Karmacoma by Massive Attack.

The Flying Pickets version of "Only You" was used in the last scene of the Wong Kar-Wai film.

Critical reception

In the ''Chicago Sun-Times'', Roger Ebert gave ''Fallen Angels'' three stars out of a possible four:

"It's kind of exhausting and kind of exhilarating. It will appeal to the kinds of people you see in the Japanese animation section of the video store, with their sleeves cut off so you can see their tattoos. And to those who subscribe to more than three film magazines. And to members of garage bands. And to art students. It's not for your average moviegoers—unless of course, they want to see something new."

Stephen Holden of the ''New York Times'' said:

"''Fallen Angels'' is a densely packed suite of zany vignettes that have the autonomy of pop songs or stand-up comic riffs, all stitched together with repetitive shots of elevated trains, underground subway stations and teeming neon-lit streets. Although the story takes a tragic turn, the movie feels as weightless as the tinny pop music that keeps its restless midnight ramblers darting around the city like electronic toy figures in a gaming arcade."

In the ''Village Voice'', J. Hoberman wrote:

"The acme of neo-new-wavism, the ultimate in MTV alienation, the most visually voluptuous flick of the fin de siécle, a pyrotechnical wonder about mystery, solitude, and the irrational love of movies that pushes Wong's style to the brink of self-parody."

Box office

The film made HK $7,476,025 during its Hong Kong run.

On January 21, 1998, the film began a limited North American theatrical run through Kino International, grossing US $13,804 in its opening weekend in one American theatre. The final North American theatrical gross was US $163,145.

In 2004, Australian distribution company Accent Film Entertainment released a remastered widescreen version of the film enhanced for 16x9 screens.

DVD

Kino International, which currently distributes the film on DVD, is planning a re-release of the film from a new high-definition transfer on November 11, 2008. Kino released the film on Blu-ray Disc in America in 2010.

Awards and nominations

1996 Hong Kong Film Awards

* Won: Best Supporting Actress (Karen Mok)

* Won: Best Cinematography (Christopher Doyle)

* Won: Best Original Score (Frankie Chan, Roal A. Garcia)

* Nominated: Best Picture

* Nominated: Best Director (Wong Kar-wai)

* Nominated: Best Art Direction (William Chang)

* Nominated: Best Costume and Make-up Design (William Chang)

* Nominated: Best Film Editing (William Chang, Wong Ming-lam)

* Nominated: Best New Performer (Lei Chen-mei)

1995 Golden Horse Film Festival

* Won: Best Original Song (William Chang)

* Won: Best Production Design (William Chang)

1996 Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards

* Won: Film of Merit

1996 Golden Bauhinia Awards

* Won: Best Supporting Actress (Karen Mok)

* Won: Best Cinematography (Christopher Doyle)

See also

Cinema of Hong Kong

Hong Kong in films

List of Hong Kong films

References

External links

Category:1995 films Category:Films directed by Wong Kar-wai Category:Hong Kong films Category:Cantonese-language films Category:Romantic drama films Category:Crime drama films Category:1990s comedy-drama films

es:Fallen Angels fr:Les Anges déchus ko:타락천사 (1995년) it:Angeli perduti ja:天使の涙 pl:Upadłe anioły ru:Падшие ангелы (фильм, 1995) vi:Đọa lạc thiên sứ zh:墮落天使 (1995年電影)

Coordinates	24°32′″N96°53′″N
name	Wong Kar-wai
tradchinesename	王家衛
simpchinesename	王家卫
pinyinchinesename	Wáng Jiāwèi
jyutpingchinesename	Wong4 Gaa1wai6
birth date	July 17, 1958
birth place	Shanghai, People's Republic of China
yearsactive	1982–present
origin	Hong Kong
occupation	Film director
hongkongfilmwards	Best Director1991 ''Days of Being Wild''1994 ''Chungking Express'' Best Picture1991 ''Days of Being Wild''1994 ''Chungking Express''
goldenbauhiniaawards	Best Hong Kong Film of Past 10 Years1997 ''Days of Being Wild''
hkfcsawards	Best Film1994 ''Ashes of Time'' Best Screenplay1994 ''Ashes of Time'' Best Director1994 ''Ashes of Time''2000 ''In the Mood for Love'' Film of Merit1995 ''Fallen Angels''1997 ''Happy Together''2000 ''In the Mood for Love''2004 ''2046''
awards	Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival)1997 ''Happy Together'' César Award for Best Foreign Film2000 ''In the Mood for Love'' NSFC Award for Best Foreign Language Film2001 ''In the Mood for Love'' NYFCC Award for Best Foreign Language Film2000 ''In the Mood for Love''2004 ''2046'' }}

Wong Kar-wai BBS (; Cantonese Yale: Wòhng Gà Waih; born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized films. Wong was listed at number three on the respected Sight & Sound Top Ten Directors list of modern times.

Early career

Born in Shanghai, he moved to Hong Kong with his parents at the age of five. Coming from the Mainland and speaking only Mandarin and Shanghainese, he spent hours in movie theatres with his mother. After graduating from Hong Kong Polytechnic College in graphic design in 1980, he enrolled in the Production Training Course organized by Hong Kong Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) and became a full-time television screenwriter. In the mid-1980s, he became a screenwriter/director at The Wing Scope Co. and In-gear Film Production Company, the production houses owned by renowned Hong Kong actor /movie producer Alan Tang. Wong's current nostalgic artsy style took shape during his apprenticeship with Alan Tang Kwong-Wing, who invested in the first movie Wong directed, ''As Tears Go By'' (1988). Wong's career took off when he directed the film ''Days of Being Wild'' (1990), despite losing Alan Tang millions of invested dollars. Wong subsequently graduated to feature film work. He is credited with about ten scripts between 1982 and 1987, covering an array of genres from romantic comedy to action drama, but claims to have worked to some extent or another on about fifty more without official credit. He considers ''Final Victory'' (最後勝利, 1986), a dark comedy/crime story for director Patrick Tam Kar Ming, his best script.

Work as director

Feature films

He made his directing debut in 1988 with ''As Tears Go By'', also produced by Alan Tang. A crime melodrama of the kind then hugely popular, it heavily borrowed from Martin Scorsese's ''Mean Streets'' (1974), but already displayed one of Wong's principal trademarks in its atmospheric and sometimes expressionistic color palette. It is his only box office hit to date.

His next film, ''Days of Being Wild'' (1990), produced by Alan Tang, a drama about aimless youth set in the early 1960s, established his trademark form: elliptically plotted mood pieces, with lush visuals and music, about the burden of memory on melancholic, misfit characters. ''Days'' was a box office failure but now regularly tops Hong Kong critics' polls of the best local films ever made. It has been described as a sort of Cantonese ''Rebel Without a Cause''.

He also established his own independent production company, called Jet Tone Films Ltd. in English. His partner in the company is Jeffrey Lau, a director and producer who tends to work closer to the populist vein of mainstream Hong Kong film.

Wong went on to direct several more feature films in the 1990s produced by Jet Tone, which allowed him to work at his own pace. Among these were ''Chungking Express'' (1994), which follows the lives of two love-struck cops in Hong Kong and the mysterious women they meet and fall in love with. Originally intended to be a distraction piece for him to get his mind off of the heavily delayed ''Ashes of Time'', it ended up being one of his most popular films. ''Fallen Angels'' (1995), was originally intended to be the third act of ''Chungking Express'', but when the tone didn't fit with the other two parts, he cut it out and made it a standalone movie instead; it is seen as a semi-sequel to ''Chungking Express'' as is a neo-noir film about on a disillusioned killer trying to overcome the affections of his partner, a strange drifter looking for her ex-boyfriend, and a mute trying to get the world's attention in his own ways, all set against a sordid and surreal urban nightscape.

Wong's fourth movie, ''Ashes of Time'' (1994), released between ''Chungking Express'' and ''Fallen Angels'', applied his approach to a star-studded wuxia (martial arts swordplay) story; the desert shoot in Mainland China dragged on for over a year and resulted in one of contemporary Hong Kong cinema's most notorious commercial disasters.

His first major international recognition was at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival where he won the Best Director prize for ''Happy Together'' (1997). A film that "uses gorgeous, saturated images set to an eclectic soundtrack of tango by Argentinian maestro Astor Piazolla, Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso and Frank Zappa instrumentals to chronicle the stormy affair of a gay couple living as expatriates in Buenos Aires."

Despite his background as a screenwriter, one of Wong's trademarks as a director is that he works largely through improvisation and experimentation involving the actors and crew rather than adhering to a fixed screenplay. This has been a frequent source of trouble for his actors, his financial backers and many other people connected with his films, including sometimes himself.

The filming of ''In the Mood for Love'' (2000) had to be shifted from Beijing to Macau after the Chinese Film Bureau demanded to see the completed script. This was all in all a minor setback in the "very complicated evolution" of the project which goes as far back as 1997. It was Wong's intention to make two films, one of which would be titled ''Beijing Summer'', the plot unclear at the time, but eventually taking form in Macau. Here Wong planned to call it ''Three Stories About Food'', but saw it better to settle for only one story, ''A Story About Food'', that centers on a writer. Together with scenes shot in Bangkok and Angkor Wat, the filming took as long as 15 months. This was an especially arduous time for lead actress Maggie Cheung whose hair and makeup reportedly took a daily five hours, and who appeared in many different cheongsams. She famously compared the lengthy shoot to a cold she couldn't get rid of. Working without deadlines, the film's upcoming premier at Cannes nonetheless put some pressure on Wong to finish editing. Intending to name the film ''Secrets'' he was dissuaded by Cannes, and finally named it ''In the Mood for Love'' after listening to Bryan Ferry's cover of the song "I'm in the Mood for Love."

Wong's ''2046'' (2004), a film about capturing lost memories, was the third chapter of a shared story that began with ''Days of Being Wild'' and continued with ''In the Mood for Love''. Infamous for long drawn out shoots without any real regards to deadlines, a running joke amongst the crew was that he would finish in the year 2046.

In 2006, he became the first Chinese director to preside the jury at the Cannes Film Festival.

Wong Kar-wai's first full English-language film, ''My Blueberry Nights'', opened the 2007 Cannes Film Festival as one of 22 films in competition. The lead, American singer-songwriter Norah Jones, made her acting debut in the film.

Wong Kar-wai was the jury president of the 2008 Shanghai International Film Festival which was held from June 14–22, 2008.

Wong Kar-wai's "The Grandmasters" will release in North America through Annapurna Productions.

Casting

Wong frequently re-casts actors who he has worked with on previous movies:

Actor !! ''As Tears Go By (film)	As Tears Go By''(1989) !! ''Days of Being Wild''(1990) !! ''Ashes of Time''(1994) !! ''Chungking Express''(1994) !! ''Fallen Angels''(1995) !! ''Happy Together'' (1997) !! ''In the Mood for Love'' (2000) !! ''2046''(2004) !! ''Eros''(2004) !! ''My Blueberry Nights''(2007) !! ''The Grandmasters''(2011)
! Chang Chen			|
Jacky Cheung			|						| ||
Leslie Cheung			|
Maggie Cheung			|
Takeshi Kaneshiro			|
Andy Lau			|
Carina Lau			|
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai			|
Gong Li			|
Brigitte Lin			|
Rebecca Pan			|
Faye Wong			|						| ||
Charlie Yeung			|
Zhang Ziyi			|

Short films

Wong Kar-wai has directed various short films, television commercials, music videos, or combinations thereof, all faithful to his style.

Commercials

In 1996 he shot ''wkw/tk/1996@7′55″hk.net'' for Japanese designer Takeo Kikuchi, starring Tadanobu Asano and Karen Mok; in 1998 he did a commercial for Motorola starring Tadanobu and Faye Wong; in 2000 he produced a commercial for Suntime Wine with Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Maggie Cheung, and directed another one for JCDecaux, ''Un matin partout dans le monde'', featuring different kinds of dawns in cities around the world shot by famous movie directors; in 2001 he shot the TV spot ''Dans la ville'' for the French mobile network company Orange France and the short film ''The Hire: The Follow'' as part of the BMW films initiative; in 2002 he directed ''La Rencontre'', a commercial for Lacoste starring Chang Chen and Diane MacMahon; in 2005 he filmed an ad for Dior's ''Capture Totale'' perfume starring Sharon Stone. Around 21 September 2006, in Prague, he directed a commercial (released in early 2007) for Lancôme Paris's ''Hypnôse Homme'' perfume starring Clive Owen and Daria Werbowy. Around 25 June 2007, again in Prague, he directed a set of commercials for SoftBank, starring Brad Pitt. Also in 2007 he directed an ad for Dior's ''Midnight Poison'' perfume starring Eva Green and featuring Muse's song "Space Dementia". On 30 August 2007, "There's Only One Sun", a short film he scripted and directed for Philips' ''Aurea'' HD Flat TV, starring Amélie Daure, premiered at the IFA in Berlin.

Music videos

In 2000 Wong directed a music video of Tony Leung's duet with Niki of a song from the ''In the Mood for Love'' soundtrack to be included in Tony Leung's CD by the same name and on the French DVD release of ''In the Mood for Love''. In 2002 Wong made the music video ''Six Days'' for DJ Shadow featuring Chen Chang and Danielle Graham.

Short film

His short film ''Hua Yang De Nian Hua'' is a montage of scenes from vintage Chinese films, most of which were considered lost until some nitrate prints were discovered in a California warehouse during the 1990s, set to a song from the soundtrack of ''In the Mood for Love'', it was shown at the 2001 Berlin International Film Festival.

Filmography as director

Feature films

Year
Hong Kong films of 1988	1988	As Tears Go By (film)>As Tears Go By''	《旺角卡門》
Hong Kong films of 1990	1990	''Days of Being Wild''
rowspan="2">Hong Kong films of 1994	1994	''Chungking Express''
''Ashes of Time''	《東邪西毒》
Hong Kong films of 1995	1995	Fallen Angels (1995 film)>Fallen Angels''
Hong Kong films of 1997	1997	Happy Together (1997 film)>Happy Together''
Hong Kong films of 2000	2000	''In the Mood for Love''
Hong Kong films of 2004	2004	2046 (film)>2046''
Hong Kong films of 2007	2007	''My Blueberry Nights''
Hong Kong films of 2011	2011	''The Grandmasters'' (post-production)

Short films

Year
Hong Kong films of 1996	1996	''wkw/tk/1996@7'55"hk.net''
Hong Kong films of 2000	2000	''Hua Yang De Nian Hua''
Hong Kong films of 2001	2001	''The Hire: The Follow''
Hong Kong films of 2002	2002	''Six Days''
Hong Kong films of 2004	2004	Eros (film)>Eros''
rowspan="2">Hong Kong films of 2007	2007	''To Each His Own Cinema''
''There’s Only One Sun''

Screenwriter and producer

As already mentioned, Wong is officially credited with about ten screenplays while having worked on another fifty in one way or another before his directorial debut. He has yet to direct a feature based on a script other than his own (though ''Ashes of Time'' was rather loosely adapted from a Louis Cha novel), which would be highly unlikely considering his method of improvisation. Wong, through Jet Tone, is also the producer of all of his own films since 1993 with the exception of ''Ashes of Time'', a project that began much earlier. Through Jet Tone or otherwise, Wong has also produced various films, some directed by his partner in the company, Jeffrey Lau. Here are lists of films other than his own that Wong wrote screenplays for or produced:

Writing credits:

''Once Upon a Rainbow'' (1982), ''Just for Fun'' (1983), ''Silent Romance'' (1984), ''Chase a Fortune'' (1985), ''Intellectual Trio'' (1985), ''Unforgettable Fantasy'' (1985), ''Sweet Surrender'' (1986), ''Rosa'' (1986), ''Goodbye My Hero'' (1986), ''The Final Test'' (1987), ''Final Victory'' (1987), ''Flaming Brothers'' aka ''Dragon and Tiger Fight'' (1987), ''The Haunted Cop Shop of Horrors'' (1987), ''The Haunted Cop Shop of Horrors 2'' (1988), ''Walk On Fire'' (1988), ''Return Engagement'' (1990), ''Saviour of the Soul'' (1992).

Producer:

''Flaming Brothers'' aka ''Dragon and Tiger Fight'' (1987), ''The Eagle Shooting Heroes'' (1993), ''First Love: the Litter on the Breeze'' (1997), ''Chinese Odyssey 2002'' (2002), ''Sound of Colors'' (2003).

Awards

1991 Hong Kong Film Awards, Best Director (''Days of Being Wild'')

1995 Hong Kong Film Awards, Best Director (''Chungking Express'')

1997 Cannes Film Festival, Best Director (''Happy Together'')

2000 European Film Awards, Screen International Award (''In the Mood for Love'')

2001 César Award, Best Foreign Film (''In the Mood for Love'')

2004 European Film Awards, Screen International Award (''2046'')

See also

Art film

Cinema of Hong Kong

William Cheung Suk Ping

Notes

References

Abbas, M. A. ''Hong Kong: Culture and the Politics of Disappearance''. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1997. ISBN 0-8166-2925-0.

Bordwell, David. ''Planet Hong Kong: Popular Cinema and the Art of Entertainment''. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2000. ISBN 0-674-00214-8.

Dannen, Fredric, and Barry Long. ''Hong Kong Babylon: The Insider's Guide to the Hollywood of the East''. New York: Miramax, 1997. ISBN 0-7868-6267-X.

Dissanayake, Wimal, and Dorothy Wong. ''Wong Kar Wai's Ashes of Time''. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2003. ISBN 962-209-585-2.

Lalanne, Jean-Marc, et al. ''Wong Kar Wai''. Paris: Dis Voir, 1997. ISBN 2-906571-67-9.

Tambling, Jeremy. ''Wong Kar Wai's Happy Together''. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2003. ISBN 962-209-589-5.

Further reading

In English

Botz-Bornstein, Thorsten. ''Films and Dreams: Tarkovsky, Bergman, Sokurov, Kubrick, and Wong Kar-Wai''. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. ISBN 0739121871.

Brown, Andrew M. J. ''Directing Hong Kong: The Political Cinema of John Woo and Wong Kar-Wai''. Political Communications in Greater China: the Construction and Reflection of Identity. London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2001. ISBN 070071734X.

Brunette, Peter, and Kar-wai Wong. ''Wong Kar-Wai''. Contemporary Film Directors. Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois Press, 2005. ISBN 0252029925, ISBN 0252072375.

Redmond, Sean. ''Studying Chungking Express''. Leighton Buzzard: Auteur, 2004. ISBN 190366330X.

Teo, Stephen. ''Wong Kar-Wai: Auteur of Time''. World Directors. London: BFI, 2004. ISBN 1844570282, ISBN 1844570290.

Wong, Kar-wai, Yichang Liu, and Kar-wai Wong. ''Tête-bêche: A Wong Kar Wai Project''. Hong Kong: Block 2 Pictures, 2000. ISBN 9628605119.

Wong, Kar-wai, and Tony Rayns. ''Wong Kar-Wai on Wong Kar-Wai''. London: Faber, 2002. ISBN 0571193978.

In other languages

Aleksandrowicz, Joanna. ''Pomiędzy obrazem a wskazówkami zegarów: o estetyce nietrwałości w filmach Wong Kar-waia''. Kraków: Rabid, 2008. ISBN 8360236305. Alovisio, Silvio, Vanessa Durando, and Micaela Veronesi. ''Le ceneri del tempo: il cinema di Wong Kar Wai''. Piombino (LI): Traccedizioni, 1997. ISBN 8872050960. Gliatta, Leonardo. ''Wong Kar-Wai: [saggio critico, foto, filmografia, dichiarazioni del regista, antologia della critica]''. Roma: D. Audino, 2004. ISBN 8886350775. Jousse, Thierry. ''Wong Kar-Wai''. Les petits cahiers. Paris: Cahiers du cinéma, 2006. ISBN 2866424573, ISBN 2240025190. Schnelle, Josef, and Rüdiger Suchsland. ''Zeichen und Wunder das Kino von Zhang Yimou und Wong Kar-Wai''. Marburg: Schüren, 2008. ISBN 3894724382.

External links

;Articles

Robert M. Payne – Ways of seeing wild: the cinema of Wong Kar-wai

Allan Cameron – Trajectories of identification: travel and global culture in the films of Wong Kar-wai

Anthony Leong – Meditations on Loss: A Framework for the Films of Wong Kar-wai

LA Weekly – Film Feature: Unforgettable

Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database – Wong Kar-wai

KINEMA – In the Mood for Love: Urban Alienation in Wong Kar Wai's Films

Six "Hong Kongs" in search of a Negative Director: Wong Kar-Wai’s alter-Native cinema

;Interviews

Guardian Unlimited Mood Music, by Jonathan Romney

Onion AV Club Interview by Scott Tobias

TIMEasia And The Winner Is..., by Stephen Short

TIMEasia "We love what we can't have, and we can't have what we love", by Bryan Walsh

Urban Cinefile Audio Interview with Richard Kupier (RealMedia)

;Other

They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?

Blog from Location Manager of My Blueberry Nights

lovehkfilm.com

Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Category:Best Director HKFA Category:César Award winners Category:Chinese film directors Category:Hong Kong film directors Category:Hong Kong screenwriters Category:People from Shanghai

ca:Wong Kar-wai de:Wong Kar-Wai el:Γουόνγκ Καρ Γουάι es:Wong Kar-wai eo:Wong Kar-wai fr:Wong Kar-wai ko:왕가위 id:Wong Kar-wai it:Wong Kar-wai lt:Wong Kar Wai ml:വോങ്ങ് കാർ വായ് nl:Wong Kar-Wai ja:ウォン・カーウァイ no:Wong Kar-wai nn:Wong Kar-wai pl:Wong Kar-Wai pt:Wong Kar-Wai ru:Вонг Карвай sr:Vong Kar-Vai sh:Vong Kar-Vaj fi:Wong Kar-wai sv:Wong Kar-wai th:หว่อง คาไว tr:Wong Kar Wai vi:Vương Gia Vệ zh-yue:王家衞 zh:王家卫

Coordinates	24°32′″N96°53′″N
name	Takeshi Kaneshiro
name in kanji	金城 武
pinyinchinesename	Jīnchéng Wǔ
jyutpingchinesename	Gam1sing4 Mou5
birth name	Kaneshiro Takeshi
ancestry	Japanese, Taiwanese
birth date	October 11, 1973
birth place	Taipei, Taiwan
nationality	Japan
languagesspoken	Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese Hokkien and English
othername	Aniki
occupation	Actor, singer
genre	Mandopop, Cantopop
yearsactive	1992–present
website	Takeshi
awards	}}

Takeshi Kaneshiro (Japanese and Chinese: , romaji: ''Kaneshiro Takeshi'', Pinyin: ''Jīnchéng Wǔ'', pronounced ), born October 11, 1973, is a Taiwanese and Japanese actor of mixed heritage – his father is Japanese and his mother is Taiwanese. He speaks Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese Hokkien and English.

Name

''Kaneshiro'' is a common Okinawan family name. In kanji, is ''Kaneshiro'' and is ''Takeshi'' (given name), with Japanese readings. He appears as (''Kaneshiro Takeshi'') in Japanese media.

Although ''Kaneshiro'' is not a Chinese surname, the first kanji of ''Kaneshiro'' coincides with the Chinese surname ''Jin'' and with the Korean surname "Kim" 김. Since personal names are commonly written in Chinese characters in both Chinese and Japanese naming conventions, with surnames before given names, this gives Kaneshiro the freedom whether to distinguish himself as a Japanese or not when working in Chinese-speaking countries by preserving or removing the space between his surname and given name.

Biography

Kaneshiro's mother is from Taiwan and his father from Okinawa, Japan. He was born and raised in Taipei and holds Japanese citizenship.

He has two elder brothers, one is his senior by seven years, the other just by one. After graduating from Taipei Japanese Junior High School, he enrolled at English-based Taipei American School, which enabled him to converse in English. While he was studying there, he began doing TV commercials and decided to quit school to pursue a singing and acting career. He is multi-lingual, fluent in Mandarin, Taiwanese Hokkien and Japanese, and to lesser degrees in English and Cantonese.

Career

In 1992, Kaneshiro made his singing debut, entering the business with the nickname Aniki, meaning 'older brother' in Japanese. His debut album was ''Heartbreaking Night'' (1992). Contracted to EMI, he wrote many of his own Mandarin and Cantonese songs. The following year, his popularity propelled him into acting and he no longer produces any commercial music.

His first movie was ''Executioners'' (1993) and this was followed by the critically acclaimed Wong Kar-wai film ''Chungking Express'' (1994) and a string of other Hong Kong movies. Later, Kaneshiro starred in the highly successful Japanese TV mini-series ''God, Please Give Me More Time'' (1998), allowing him to branch into Japanese movies such as ''Returner'' (2002).

Kaneshiro's work, however, is more heavily concentrated in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. In 2008 and 2009 he starred in ''Red Cliff'' (Chinese: 赤壁; pinyin: Chìbì), a high budget film by Hong Kong director John Woo. He has also played the romantic lead in the Zhang Yimou film ''House of Flying Daggers'', and starred alongside Jet Li and Andy Lau in the film ''The Warlords''. Kaneshiro has also became well known in the video game industry portraying the samurai warrior Samanosuke in the Capcom hit Onimusha. In a June 2007 article on the movie site Ain't It Cool News, it was revealed that Kaneshiro will be in the Onimusha movie, reprising his role as Samanosuke and for a 2011 release.

In 2003, Kaneshiro was featured in Time Magazine and was coined as becoming the Asian film industry's Johnny Depp. Moreover, Kaneshiro was interviewed by CNN in the TalkAsia segment in 2006.

Outside of the entertainment business, Kaneshiro has acted as a spokesperson and model for Emporio Armani (2008) as well as, Prada (1998), Lifecard credit card company, VAIO personal computer, Honda, Lipice lips moisturizer, SonyEricsson, Pocari Sweat soft drink, Morinaga chocolate, Volvic, GEOS (eikaiwa) (language school), Petronas oil company, Japan Asia Airways, Hyundai Motor Company, Toyota MarkX ZiO, Mitsubishi Galant, NTT docomo the predominant mobile phone operator in Japan, NTT Yellow Pages, Shiseido, Lycos, UCC Ueshima Coffee Co., Kadokawa Shoten a well-known Japanese publisher based in Tokyo, Rice Burger, Roasted barley tea, One2Free (HK), and Kiwi cold drink, and the most recent Biotherm Homme since 2005.

Personal life

Kaneshiro is known for trying to avoid the media spotlight. He has been quoted as saying “If one day I get married and have kids, I will probably be one of those men who really care for the family. I will eat at home every day, and help with the chores and take care of the children.”

Filmography

Movies

''Wu Xia'' (2011)

''The Battle of Red Cliff II'' (2009) as Zhuge Liang

''K-20: Legend of the Mask'' K-20 (2008)

''The Battle of Red Cliff'' (2008) as Zhuge Liang

''Accuracy of Death/ Suwito rein:Shinigami no seido'' (2008) as Chiba

''The Warlords'' (2007) as Jiang Wuyang

''Confession of Pain'' (2006) as Bong

''Perhaps Love'' (2005) (Titled ''Winter Song'' for the Japanese release)

''House of Flying Daggers'' (2004) (Titled ''Lovers'' for the Japanese release)

''Turn Left, Turn Right'' (2003)

''Returner'' (2002)

''Lavender'' (2000)

''Space Travelers'' (2000)

''Tarzan'' (1999) as Tarzan (Voice for Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese versions)

''Tempting Heart'' (1999)

''Sleepless Town'' (1998)

''Anna Magdalena'' (1998)

''Too Tired to Die'' (1998)

''First Love: The Litter on the Breeze'' (1997)

''The Odd One Dies'' (1997)

''Downtown Torpedoes'' (1997)

''Hero - The Legend'' (1997)

''The Jail In Burning Island'' (1997)

''Misty'' (1996)

''Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words"'' (1996)

''Lost and Found'' (1996)

''Forever Friends'' (1996)

''The Feeling of Love'' (1996)

''Trouble Maker'' (1995)

''School Days'' (1995)

''China Dragon'' (1995)

''Forever Friends'' (1995)

''Fallen Angels'' (1995) - as He Zhiwu

''Young Policemen in Love'' (1995)

''No Sir'' (1994)

''The Wrath of Silence'' (1994)

''Don't Give a Damn'' (1994)

''Mermaid Got Married'' (1994)

''Chungking Express'' (1994) - as He Zhiwu, Cop 223

''Heroic Trio 2: Executioners'' (1993)

Drama

Kamisama, Mou Sukoshi Dake

Japan

''Golden Bowl'' (2002) (Japanese: ゴールデンボウル)

''Love 2000'' (2000) (Japanese: 二千年の恋)

''God, Please Give Me More Time'' (1998) (Japanese: 神様、もう少しだけ)

''The Miracle on a Christmas Night'' (1995) (Japanese: 聖夜の奇跡)

Hong Kong

''Colour Of Armour'' (1995)

Taiwan

''Grass Scholar'' (1992)

Videogames

''Onimusha: Warlords'' (2001) (VG) (voice: Japanese version) Samanosuke Akechi

''Onimusha 3: Demon Siege'' (2004) - (VG) (voice: Japanese version) Samanosuke Akechi

Misc

''Smap X Smap September'' (2002) TV Episode

''Smap X Smap October'' (2002) TV Episode

Awards

Takeshi Kaneshiro is one of 10 recipients of the Green Planet Film Award (23 March 2010) in the category "10 Best International Actors of the Decade (Asia)". Source - the official site of the award http://www.movie-voters.com/3001.html.

Discography

Albums

Album #

Album information

Track listing

Notes

*Released: September 1992

*Language: Mandarin

# Summer generation

# Heartbreaking Night

# The unlicensed youth

# Still Love You

# Classmate

# Comfortable life away

# Tokyo Blues

# 108 Call Me

# I do not

# Distant cherry rain

*Released: June 1993

*Language: Mandarin

# Just You And Me

# Because love you

# Looking back at you

# I etc

# Be My Girl ......Be My Girl....

# Love was not sure

# Kikuko girl

# Lying eyes

# Friends

# Good night to You

*Released: February 1994

*Language: Mandarin, Japanese

# Tender Superman

# Let's Fall In Love

# "Love Me Once Again"

# It is not known

# You Sweetheart

# Valentine's Day gift of flowers

# Temptation 1000

# The gray sky

# You

# Heart Pain Inside

*Released: December 1994

*Language: Mandarin

# Standard lover

# The trouble is you do not want to

# Let me say to you

# Blue smile

# Deciduous season

# Pure tears

# I really treasure

# Courageous say goodbye

# No love pm

# Tell Laura I Love Her (remake)

*Released: December 1994

*Language: Cantonese

# Scam

# Will love return

# Lonely and others

# Paranoia

# You want to ever

# Loving Heart

# Love Me Once Again

# I see the paradise

# Love

# Cover Girl

*Released: June 1995

*Language: Cantonese

# Who can

# The occasion

# Love me!

# Still love you like before

# Burning Passion

# Dera My Beloved

# Sunshine Lover

# I do not want tocry

# With your life

# Or are you lucky

*Released: October 1995

*Language: Mandarin

# I cried to stop carrying

# Love You Deeply

# Don't want to leave

# And I miss not meet

# Road Of The Heart

# Secretly Drunk

# In the summer of love burning

# Lonely people fear most crying

# That love

# Love Rhapsody

*Released: October 1996

*Language: Mandarin

# No Matter How Hard

# I love her with your shadow

# Green space

# Capricorn

# Happier

# A love so much

# Because of your

# My tears

# New Day Of The City

# Taipei

*Released: June 1998

*Language: Mandarin

# Ideal Lover

# No Matter How Hard

# Don't Gry Behind My Back

# Don't Wanna Be In Trouble

# Crazy Love Song

# Secretly Drunk

# Route To South

# Taipei

# Say Goodbye

# Love You Deeply

# Love Me

# Sunshine Lover

# Tender Superman

# Only You And Me

# Road Of The Heart

# Heartbreaking Night

Movie soundtracks

style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;"	Year	Title	Track Featuring Takeshi	Notes
	2005		Perhaps Love (如果愛)		No.4 Forgot Who I am (忘了我是誰) (duet with Zhou Xun 周迅), No.6 Beautiful Story (美麗故事)(duet with Ji Jin Hee 池珍熙), No.10 Crossroad (十字街頭)(duet with Zhou Xun 周迅), No.11 What If (假如)(Solo)

References

External links

Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Hong Kong actors Category:Japanese actors Category:Taiwanese film actors Category:Japanese people of Taiwanese descent Category:Taiwanese television actors Category:People from Taipei

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