Chen Kaige's new movie sparks polarizing debates

A movie dedicated to the Tang Dynasty

Legend of the Demon Cat is an adaptation of Japanese writer Yoneyama Mineo's novel Samana Kukai. Considering the limit of a cinematic run time, the movie sanded the edges and saved only the core scenario of Chinese poet Bai Juyi and Japanese monk Kukai's investigation on the truth behind the death of Yang Yuhuan, the most beloved concubine of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Led by Chinese actor Huang Xuan and Japan's Shota Sometani, respectively playing Bai Juyi and Kukai, the casting also gathered a number of veteran Chinese and Japanese actors and rising new faces such as Zhang Luyi, Chang Jung-jung, Liu Haoran and Hiroshi Abe.

Despite the mysteries and suspense enveloping the whole movie, the grand vision of the Tang Dynasty in its heyday is a highlight of the movie and its recreation has impressed both audiences and film critics alike.

According to the media reports, Chen Kaige has been planning about the movie more than six years, and he even promoted and participated in the construction of the film set in Xiangyang city, Hubei province, which resembles Tang's capital Chang'an (the city of Xi'an in Shaanxi province).

The construction cost about 1.3 billion yuan ($200 million), though separated from the film's budget, and spans roughly 40 hectares. According to the director himself, only three percent of the scenes in the movie were filmed in front of the green screen.

He even planted 20,000 trees and waited for six years until they grew, in order to present the best "Chang'an" he could imagine. Besides, Chen said he also abandoned the idea of shooting a 3D film, so that the audience would be able to enjoy the high-quality scenery without the need for glasses or the dimming effect associated with the medium.