(L-R) Zhang Ziyi, Takeshi Kaneshiro and director Zhang Yimou on the set of House of Flying Daggers, which was screened for critics at the Toronto International Film Festival.

TORONTO -- The first muse chosen by Chinese director Zhang Yimou was actress Gong Li. Their collaboration resulted in the landmark films Raise the Red Lantern, To Live and Ju Dou, among others. Their work attracted audiences around the world, earning acclaim and fame for both of them.

Zhang Yimou and Gong Li parted professionally and personally some years ago, and the void created by their separation was felt immediately.

His second muse has finally appeared -- 25-year-old actress Zhang Ziyi, the petite star of his intimate melodrama The Road Home and his two most recent movies, the epic adventures Hero and House of Flying Daggers.

Zhang Yimou's ability to choose talented actresses is undeniable. But what's truly amazing about the 54-year-old filmmaker is his knack for seeing qualities in an actress who will connect powerfully with audiences both in his native China and around the world.

His eye focuses on more than just sheer beauty, although both Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li are gorgeous women. There's a superstar charisma in the women Zhang Yimou chooses to star in his films, a universal presence worthy of classic Hollywood screen goddesses.

Basically, he knows women. Better yet, he understands the roles that best suit his female stars.

Zhang Yimou mostly cloaked Gong Li in elaborate robes and period garb for costume dramas like Shanghai Triad and Raise the Red Lantern. He treated her like Greta Garbo, and she responded with melodramatic performances worthy of her diva reputation.

For Zhang Ziyi, a pixyish beauty with a tomboy's strength and athleticism, Zhang Yimou has come up with two epic martial arts adventures, Hero, a recent No. 1 hit in the U.S., and his latest film, House of Flying Daggers, scheduled for release in U.S. theaters later this year.

During the current Toronto International Film Festival here -- in a hotel room one floor above the courtyard mayhem of TV crews, photographers and journalists -- Zhang Ziyi arrives for an interview dressed in a black spaghetti strap top and casual pants. Her everyday wardrobe and girlish personality don't conceal her exquisite beauty, something Zhang Yimou would have told us years ago.

He knows that Zhang Ziyi is the type of woman who makes hearts flutter of any age, in any country. It's the truest sign of international stardom.

Asked about being Zhang Yimou's new muse, the young actress leans over to speak to her translator and easily changes the subject. The idea of being someone's muse, even if that someone is Zhang Yimou, isn't something she accepts publicly.

"I discovered something within myself, and that strength I apply to dramatic roles," Zhang Ziyi says, punctuating each sentence with a warm smile. "I have worked with Ang Lee, Wong Kar-wai and now for the second time with Zhang Yimou. They are all different in the way they work, and I enjoy the differences."

House of Flying Daggers might not match the artful images and colorful photography (courtesy of acclaimed cinematographer Christopher Doyle) from Hero, but it trumps that worldwide hit in terms of adventure, romance and excitement.

In 859 A.D. China, two government soldiers (Asian superstars Takeshi Kaneshiro and Andy Lau) set out to capture the secret leader of the House of Flying Daggers, an underground alliance fighting against the corrupt government leaders. Their prime suspect is Mei (Zhang Ziyi), a blind dancer at the Peony Pavilion.

House of Flying Daggers leaps into action with an early fight sequence when an army captain (Lau) challenges Mei to an Echo Game. A series of large drums circle the pavilion's hall. The smug captain tosses beans at the various drums, and Mei has to match each thumping drum with a smack of her long robes.

The Echo Game quickly turns into a dazzling swordfight, creating a lightning pace that Zhang Yimou maintains throughout the film.

Zhang Ziyi is both delicate and strong as the adventuresome Mei. Her work in a gravity-defying fight sequence set atop a forest of bamboo trees is worthy of action star status. She leaps and flies courtesy of wire effects, crediting her six years of ballet and opera training for the necessary strength and ability to make the stunts look believable. Just don't call her an action star.

"I don't think of it as action, I think of it as more of a dramatic role," she says. "For example, I worked two months with a blind woman so I could believably play someone who is blind."

Zhang Ziyi goes on to emphasize the film's romance, a triangle of heartbreak and longing between Mei and her two pursuers. There's too much emotion to dismiss. She refers to House of Flying Daggers as opera and, like many great operas, its story is one of love and adventure.

Zhang Yimou enters the hotel room, walks toward Zhang Ziyi from behind and sits down. His shaved head and gray cotton sport shirt create a solemn appearance. He speaks quietly, slowly, with a steady tone that's the polar opposite of her girlish personality.

Zhang Yimou refers to the pro-woman message inherent to Zhang Ziyi's character and describes his interaction with the government censorship board.

"The first part is to submit a screenplay, and the screenplay returns with red circles and a list of explanations for the requested cuts," Zhang Yimou says, as Zhang Ziyi gets up to leave for another interview. "The second submission is a rough cut of the film, early enough for you to make changes in post production. But there were not many issues with House of Flying Daggers. There are less issues with the censors when you make a period movie."

Zhang Yimou was born in Xian, China, and studied at the Beijing Film Academy. His first film was Red Sorghum in 1987, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. Other films like The Story of Qiu Ju (1992), The Road Home (1999), Not One Less (1999) and To Live (1994) often addressed social issues, and he found himself at odds with the government censors.

His last two films, Hero and House of Flying Daggers, both period adventures, have been successful films at the box office, earning $250 million and $150 million, respectively.

They've been record-breaking releases for China, and the success, Zhang Yimou admits, might have made things slightly easier for him regarding government censors.

"The media has criticized me for not directing the old dramas," he says. "They have criticized me for making these martial arts movies."

Before leaving the room, Zhang Ziyi hints at the controversy surrounding her next role, playing a Japanese woman in director Rob Marshall's adaptation of Memoirs of a Geisha. The criticism is that it should be a Japanese actress, not a Chinese woman, in the role.

Zhang Yimou says he understands that there are some critics who won't be satisfied until he returns to the type of period melodramas he made with Gong Li. Hero and House of Flying Daggers have brought him unprecedented influence, but he's lost some critical luster as a result.

Yet, as Zhang Ziyi points out, House of Flying Daggers has beautiful period costumes, romance, swordplay and adventure for her character. It's everything a muse could ask from her director -- even those actresses who refuse to speak the word "muse." ©