“Saving General Yang”: Ekin Cheng Sacrifices His Life

*Spoilers*

Photos released from the set of Saving General Yang <忠烈楊家將> reveal that Ekin Cheng (鄭伊健), who plays the eldest brother, was killed in battle while fighting to protect his brothers. During the film’s pre-screening, many female viewers in the audience were touched by the scene and moved to tears.

The scene in which Ekin’s character dies is one of the most dramatic scenes in the film. As the eldest brother, Ekin retreats with his six other brothers while the enemy approaches. Already knowing the prophecy that “7 sons becomes 6”, Ekin decides to sacrifice his own life by guarding the entrance in order to protect his 6 younger brothers. When the enemy approach, they engage in an epic battle with Ekin, who is eventually killed and crucified on the hillside.

Ekin shared with the media that because director Ronny Yu (于仁泰) insisted that all the action scenes be as real as possible, they actually used real weapons and armour onset. “We originally used wooden guns, but Ronny wanted to use a real metal gun for a more realistic feel. I felt really tired sometimes and really wanted to finish filming as soon as possible. But then I know that the end result will be extremely visually appealing and realistic on screen. All the fight scenes that you see in the film is a realistic portrayal of fighting and killing, without  special effects. We really fought for our lives.”

Portraying the eldest brother, Ekin must display a sense of calm and strength because he carries the weight of his family on his shoulders. Yet sometimes his character is stubborn and not a flawless hero. When asked if it was difficult to play such a complex role, Ekin said, “I think he acted this way because it was situational and he had no other choice.”

Although Ekin has starred in many roles as the “Big  Brother”, he is actually the second child in real life. “I have an elder brother and younger sister, so I never really like to make big decisions. My attitude at home has always been, ‘It doesn’t matter. As long as you like it.’ That is my personality.”

Source: Sohu.com

This article is written by Natalie for JayneStars.com.