THE BEIJING OLYMPICS provided its share of headaches for Zhang Yimou. Zhang, the talented Chinese filmmaker, was artistic director of the Games’ eye-popping opening and closing ceremonies; the former was dogged by controversy. And while Mr. Zhang —- the director of such superb films as Raise the Red Lantern, The Road Home and Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles — has long proven his cinematic acumen, his debut as stager of live events had its embarrassing moments.

First, it was disclosed that a cherubic 9-year-old Chinese girl who appeared to be singing a patriotic song during the ceremony was actually lip-synching the voice of a less-attractive child. The girl possessing the best singing voice was deemed “not as cute” by Communist Party officials. Politics was played with children, and Zhang went along with that decision.

It was also reported that broadcasts and film of fireworks used during the opening-night ceremonies were digitally enhanced. (Although, to be fair, an American filmmaker in a similar capacity probably would’ve done likewise.)

But the saddest occurrence related to the opening gala involved a 26-year-old Chinese dancer, Liu Yan. During rehearsals in late July, Liu reportedly leaped toward a malfunctioning moving platform and plummeted down a 10-foor shaft, landing on her back. She is permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

For this incident, Mr. Zhang (rightly or wrongly) took sole responsibility. “I regret many things,” the director told the Chinese media, “many things I could’ve done better. There are performers who were injured. I blame myself for that. It might have been avoided if I had given more detailed instructions.”

A member of China’s so-called “Fifth Generation” of filmmakers, Mr. Zhang initially was a thorn in the side of party apparatchiks. His films were seen as unflattering to the government and were banned in China. But his recent nationalistic action pictures (Hero, Curse of the Golden Flower, etc.) ingratiated the director to authorities. Before the Games, Mr. Zhang was even appointed chief of the People’s Film and Culture Ministry.

The contretemps over the opening-night ceremony led some critics to label Mr. Zhang a Chinese Leni Riefenstahl (the late German filmmaker who shot movies that glorified the Nazis). Like Riefenstahl, the analogy suggests, Mr. Zhang promoted the government by turning a blind eye to the dark side, all in the name of art.

Whether directing the Olympic ceremonies makes Zhang Yimou an abettor of Big Brother can be debated. But such activity does expose a line between art and politics — if, indeed, such a line exists at all.

Bob Leddy, a film historian, is an occasional contributor.