Zhang Yimou (Red Sorghum,To Live, Ju Dou, Hero, House of Flying Daggers and Curse of the Golden Flower) has started shooting a remake of the Coen brothers' debut, Blood Simple, the director's first film since designing the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics last year according to THR.Filming began on 9th June for San Qiang Pai An Jing Qi or The Stunning Case of the Three Gun Shots.
The thriller-comedy, which will be released late this year, stars Chinese actor Sun Honglei, comedian Xiao Shenyang and actress Yan Ni, Ping said.
No official details of the plot for the new film have been released. However, Blood Simple is about a Texas bar owner who hires a private detective to kill his wife and her lover. The 1984 movie starring Frances McDormand won the Grand Jury Prize for best film at the United States Film Festival, the predecessor to the Sundance Film Festival, helping establish Joel and Ethan Coen's reputations.
Blood Simple is a great film and Yimou's films always look stunning so it should hopefully be a good film. However, while I enjoy Yimou's vision as a filmmaker the films themselves often leave me cold. There always seems an emptiness to the story and characters, but that's just me.
How do you feel about a Yimou helmed remake of a Coen Brothers classic?
