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

　　《长城》是在中国拍摄的最华丽、最昂贵的电影之一。

　　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.

　　该片由大名鼎鼎的中国电影导演张艺谋执导，场景恢宏，道具精妙，还应用了诸多伟大的中国文化标志。

　　Matt Damon?

　　马特•达蒙?

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

　　张导演告诉我：“马特•达蒙扮演了一位雇佣兵，他来中国是为了偷火药的。”

　　"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."

　　“当然，他是一位外国人。但对于导演来说，我们从来不会优先考虑种族问题，我们总是把故事放在首位。只在故事能顺畅进行，只有故事讲得好就行了。”

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

　　预算至少1亿美元(8千万英镑)，保证了中美两国的顺利合作，这种情况在当今世界也是越来越多见的。

　　Rivalling Hollywood's soft power

　　与好莱坞软实力竞争

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

　　当好莱坞拼命挤进中国抢夺多金的新观众时，中国则在拼命利用某种看不见摸不着的魔力。

　　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.

　　有论调说，如果中国能够打造自己的电影产业，它就能够利用它发展出所谓的“软实力”，就像美国电影一个多世纪以来在全世界传播美国价值观和标准一样。

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

　　这部电影能中国观众和世界观众产生一样的吸引力，因此才会有国际化了的故事情节，并且允许一位好莱坞明星加盟。

　　'No director has 100% freedom'

　　“没有哪位导演可以100%自由发挥”

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

　　对张艺谋来说，执导这样一部宏大的中美合作影片——用他自己的话来说，“大开眼界”。

　　"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."

　　“这一次，我发现了好莱坞也有许多限制，”他说，“那是一个以制片人和公司为基础的系统……从创意的角度考虑，我认为全世界任何一位导演都不会有100%的自由尽情发挥。导演的工作就是在有许多限制条件的环境中做到最好。”

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

　　所以这是第一部完全由中国制作、即将发行的大片吗?

　　Zhang Yimou thinks the time has come.

　　张艺谋认为时机已至。

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

　　他告诉我：“整个世界完全跟在好莱坞后面亦步亦趋，其他人都是缺席的。”

　　"This is not normal."

　　“而这是不正常的。”

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