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

《長城》是在中國拍攝的最華麗、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電影導演張藝謀執(zhí)導,場景恢宏,道具精妙,還應用了諸多偉大的中國文化標志,比如……嗯,馬特•達蒙。

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

張導演告訴我:“馬特•達蒙扮演了一位雇傭兵,他來中國是為了偷火藥的。”

"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."

“當然,他是一位外國人。但對于導演來說,我們從來不會優(yōu)先考慮種族問題,我們總是把故事放在首位。只在故事能順暢進行,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.

預算至少1億美元(8千萬英鎊),保證了中美兩國的順利合作,這種情況在當今世界也是越來越多見的。

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

當好萊塢拼命擠進中國搶奪多金的新觀眾時,中國則在拼命利用某種看不見摸不著的魔力。

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.

有論調說,如果中國能夠打造自己的電影產業(yè),它就能夠利用它發(fā)展出所謂的“軟實力”,就像美國電影一個多世紀以來在全世界傳播美國價值觀和標準一樣。

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

這部電影能中國觀眾和世界觀眾產生一樣的吸引力,因此才會有國際化了的故事情節(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.

對張藝謀來說,執(zhí)導這樣一部宏大的中美合作影片——用他自己的話來說,“大開眼界”。

"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)現了好萊塢也有許多限制,”他說,“那是一個以制片人和公司為基礎的系統(tǒng)……從創(chuàng)意的角度考慮,我認為全世界任何一位導演都不會有100%的自由盡情發(fā)揮。導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制作、即將發(fā)行的大片嗎?

Zhang Yimou thinks the time has come.

張藝謀認為時機已至。

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

他告訴我:“整個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。”