Starring Tony Leung (梁朝偉) and Zhou Xun (周迅), this summer’s highly anticipated film, The Silent War <聽風者> will be released in China on August 10, 2012. China was plagued by frequent internal wars in early 1940s. Will a visually-impaired Chinese rogue with extraordinary hearing abilities be able to rescue the country’s key state intelligence agency from crumbling? Other than Tony Leung and Zhou Xun, The Silent War also stars Wong Xuebing (王學兵) and Mavis Fan (範曉萱). The movie is directed by Hong Kong directors, Alan Mak (麥兆輝) and Felix Chong (莊文強). The story is based on the “Excellent Hearing Power that Catches the Sounds of Winds” chapter in well-known mainland Chinese author Mak Jia’s (麥家) novel, Plotting <暗算>. Zhou Xun’s character, Zhang Xuening, was added to provide greater dramatic effects in the film adaptation. Yesterday, a poster of The Silent War was released. It features Zhou Xun dressed in a dark color coat and Tony in a suit wearing sunglasses. With Zhou Xun taking Tony’s hand, the two are walking in the woods. The mood exudes a strong sense of mystery. In The Silent War, Zhou Xun plays a state intelligence agent who trains Tony to become her counterpart. In the film, Zhou Xun carries multiple identities in the film. She is not only Tony’s female boss, but also a spiritual coach. Tony and Zhou Xun’s characters will have a unique relationship in the movie. Initially a rogue living on the streets of Shanghai, Tony is coached to become an agent at an intelligence agency known as “701.” Poorly taken care of by his mother when he was a young boy, he developed street smarts and a strong survival instinct from his early days in Shanghai. This makes him better equipped for his later work as a secret agent after meeting Zhou Xun. Tony accepted the invitation to film The Silent War due to his admiration of Zhou Xun as an actress, as well as his personal friendship with the directors, Alan Mak and Felix Chong. Tony praised Zhou Xun for her friendly demeanor and professional work ethic. Tony said, “I have worked with Zhou Xun before in The Great Magician <大魔術師>. Our collaboration for the second time shows that we are somehow connected by destiny.” Creds: Sohu
