Chapter 773 Interpretation

In this industry, too many people want to break Lu Yanhe's "myth".

It can be said that anyone who doesn't have a collaborative project with Lu Yanhe has this idea.

This doesn't require them to have any enmity with Lu Yanhe or any conflict with him.

Such things will inevitably happen as long as there is a conflict of interest.

Lu Yanhe's existence inherently "lowers" other creators in the entertainment industry.

This is somewhat similar to the emergence of Whitney Houston in the music industry. Because she stood out from the crowd, no one else had the chance to compete. So, whenever female singers are mentioned, although they have different styles and each has their own period of dominance, in everyone's heart (including the female singers themselves), Whitney Houston is recognized as the strongest.

Lu Yanhe is not just an actor; he is now like a "pioneer" of a project. Having him involved (in whatever capacity) and not having him involved are completely different concepts.

With him involved, investments seem to have been made as if the "industry winter" had never occurred.

In fact, because many of Lu Yanhe's projects are now contracted out to a few platforms and investors, securing an investment opportunity is extremely difficult. In various evaluation systems, Lu Yanhe's projects are consistently classified as high-return, low-risk, a stark contrast to the "conventional evaluation results" in the film and television industry. This makes projects involving Lu Yanhe the top choice for investors interested in the film and television industry.

Even if they can't invest in Lu Yanhe's projects, they will use Lu Yanhe's projects as a benchmark to evaluate other projects.

This naturally caused the entire film and television industry to suffer from the "Lu Yanhe incident" for a long time.

This feeling is somewhat like what? It's somewhat like "the neighbor's kid." Of course, it's not the neighbor's kid's fault that he's excellent. The problem is that he appears in your parents' mouths and becomes a reference point to belittle and suppress you. Then he becomes "a sin because he possesses a treasure," and his very existence is a sin.

Therefore, many people who want to break Lu Yanhe's "myth" are not actually trying to bring him down; they just want to make their own lives a little easier.

-

Everyone has their own perspective.

Linghe's stance is to protect the "myth" of Lu Yanhe.

On the second day of its release, "Raise the Red Lantern" released a "battle report".

Before its domestic release, "Raise the Red Lantern" had its overseas distribution rights sold to 79 countries and regions, and the revenue from overseas distribution alone had already made it profitable.

In other words, no matter how much box office revenue "Raise the Red Lantern" generates in China, it will still be profitable.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Zhong's producer gave an interview to a media outlet, emphasizing the art film nature of "Raise the Red Lantern".

"I know that in many people's eyes, this is a blockbuster, but in reality, it is an art film, and its production was not made with box office as the primary goal. Of course, if we promote it as a commercial film, with such a cast, I believe we can definitely achieve higher pre-sale box office in the days leading up to its release. However, we do not want to deceive the audience or fans. A movie is a movie, and different movies have different attributes. If we trick audiences who do not like the style of this film into going to the cinema, we will only receive criticism and negative reviews."

"To be honest, I'd be very satisfied if this film grossed over 100 million yuan," the producer said. "The most crucial thing is whether the audience who went to see this film felt their ticket was worthwhile. I've never believed that art films don't need to shoulder commercial responsibility, but the commercial responsibility of art films is definitely not about maximizing box office revenue. Rather, it's about two things: first, whether the investors can profit and avoid losses. Although their purpose in investing in art films is certainly not primarily to make money, it's morally right not to let them do a losing business; second, whether the audience who bought tickets can feel they got their money's worth. Art itself is a kind of experience, and it has its audience. I think 'Raise the Red Lantern' fulfilled its commercial responsibility from these two perspectives."

-

These responses, delivered in a gentle and persuasive manner, were not oppressive but rather made sense to everyone.

The so-called Lu Yanhe failed—

Was it a genuine mishap, or were there simply many people who couldn't wait to see Lu Yanhe fail, and that's why they started making such comments right after the first day of the show's release?

After Sunday, "Raise the Red Lantern" grossed 71 million yuan in its opening weekend.

The production company issued a grand announcement of good news.

So what if it didn't break 100 million? Considering the situation of this movie, a box office of 71 million in its opening weekend is still a success, a success worthy of celebration.

No matter what those marketing accounts and haters say, the crew of "Raise the Red Lantern" is single-mindedly focused on promoting their box office success.

In addition to the film's artistic merit, a large number of film reviews have emerged.

This film isn't the kind of movie that will ignite a social issue, but it has so many commendable aspects.

Director Wang Zhong already has a large number of loyal fans. When other directors release a new film, maybe one out of a hundred people will write a review after watching it. But when Director Wang Zhong's new film is released, maybe one out of five viewers will express their feelings on social media.

In fact, whether it's Wang Zhong, Lu Yanhe, or Chen Bige, they all have a group of fans like this.

They have been deeply involved in the film industry for many years, and each of them has accumulated a group of fans who will definitely go to see any movie that is released.

This group of movie fans may not be like the fans of some popular celebrities, who will rush to boost box office and secure screenings on the first or second day. However, their fans take a long-term, steady approach.

It has a strong staying power.

Because the film grossed over 70 million yuan in its opening weekend, box office prediction agencies have raised their final box office forecast for the film to over 200 million yuan.

Lu Yanhe didn't know how much box office "Raise the Red Lantern" would ultimately get, but he was already relieved to see it achieve such results.

At this time, someone published an article that went viral. The article was titled "In China, only they can sell a movie like this for such a high box office."

This article argues that while the film "Raise the Red Lantern" performed well at the box office, this does not mean that art films truly have a market in China. Rather, it is because the film's strong cast and crew attracted so many viewers to the cinema.

At the same time, this person also said that this movie should not have appeared in the Chinese film market at all.

The whole movie has a very old-fashioned feel to it.

Indeed, many people share the same reaction: the subject matter of this film is extremely rare. Where in today's film market can you find a movie that seriously criticizes feudalism?

It is so far removed from, or even disconnected from, current life.

Lu Yanhe didn't really have anything to say about this.

Because that is indeed the theme of this movie.

But beyond this theme, the film itself tells a very poignant story. It's about a college student with ideals and beliefs who is ultimately swallowed up by a corrupt and colossal entity. You could certainly call it a critique of feudalism, but isn't it also a story of someone gradually being corrupted by desire, believing they have power but ultimately becoming a victim of it?

Lu Yanhe posted a Weibo post saying: Some people say that the theme of "Raise the Red Lantern" is outdated. I think that the dilemma of people wavering between upholding their ideal self and surrendering to their desires is never outdated. It's just that we have become accustomed to getting truth, goodness, and beauty from movies and TV dramas. It's like when you're scrolling through short videos and news, and you accidentally come across some negative content, you subconsciously want to swipe it away quickly. But even if you swipe it away, it still exists.

The reason for posting this Weibo message during the film's release was to prevent the film's "critical" aspects from escalating further.

The more heated the discussion on this point becomes, the easier it is to obscure the main point.

If "Raise the Red Lantern" wasn't planning to compete for awards, that would be fine. But since "Raise the Red Lantern" is not only aiming for awards domestically, but also for North America this year's awards season, the public opinion surrounding it will be very important.

Lu Yanhe had to step forward at this moment to steer the discussion in the right direction.

In fact, this is also why he believes that the movie "Raise the Red Lantern" is a classic.

Any film that can transcend time has something that transcends time.

-

Soon, "Raise the Red Lantern" will be released in Japan, South Korea and other places.

Lu Yanhe also went to Japan and South Korea with the film crew to attend the local premieres.

The works of world-class directors are valued by film distributors in various regions, who will hold premieres and invite local stars to participate, thus amplifying the film's publicity.

In fact, with "Raise the Red Lantern" aiming for this year's North American awards season, box office revenue around the world has become very important.

As mentioned earlier, the Oscars are one of the film awards that place the greatest emphasis on box office performance.

If the box office is poor, your chances of being nominated are basically gone.

The Best Foreign Language Film category might be an exception; films with poor box office performance can still be nominated. However, high global box office numbers can significantly boost a film's chances of being nominated and winning an award.

It appears that "Raise the Red Lantern" has only grossed around 200 million RMB, or about 27 million USD, in China. If it can achieve similar box office results overseas, then its success will be more assured.

In fact, if "Raise the Red Lantern" can successfully enter the North American awards season, its box office performance worldwide will be boosted. It all depends on the pre-release buzz and its actual performance.

In Japan, the distributor said the film is currently receiving quite a bit of attention. Wang Zhong's previous films also received a very positive response in Japan. Both "Three Mountains" and "Rouge" grossed over three million US dollars at the Japanese box office. "Rouge," in particular, had a very impressive box office performance, enjoyed a long run, and ultimately achieved a gross of over eight million US dollars.

Wang Zhong has a loyal following in Japan.

In fact, auteur directors will have a group of loyal fans everywhere.

However, a director as renowned as Wang Zhong isn't quite a so-called auteur director. He rarely writes his own screenplays. He simply manages to bring out his own cinematic style in whatever script is written.

In this respect, he is actually quite similar to the early imperial advisors.

Compared to Japan, expectations for "Raise the Red Lantern" were not as high in South Korea.

Korean film distributors also reported that theater managers felt the film's subject matter wasn't appealing to young people, and unlike "Rouge," it didn't have a poignant love story to attract audiences, making it difficult to draw young viewers into theaters.

They made "Raise the Red Lantern" purely because the names of Wang Zhong, Lu Yanhe, and Chen Bige, combined with the gimmick of winning an award at the Xituer Film Festival, could generate some box office revenue. In particular, they could make some money from subsequent DVD sales, streaming releases, and other copyright income.

The subject matter will be a major obstacle to box office success.

This was something Lu Yanhe hadn't anticipated at first.

Because at that time, he never imagined that one day the box office would be used to measure the value of "Raise the Red Lantern".

When the original work was released, box office performance wasn't important. Back then, judging a film's quality was mainly based on its awards.

In that era, "Raise the Red Lantern" garnered an unparalleled number of awards.

Times have changed, and standards have changed.

-

"Last year, 'Tropical Rainy Season' helped Lu Yanhe win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. This year, 'Raise the Red Lantern' is going to continue its Oscar campaign. What are the chances?"

"It's still hard to say right now. Raise the Red Lantern hasn't even started showing in North America yet, and the media buzz hasn't picked up. But given its award at the Seatour Film Festival last year, and with Midoriya personally handling the Oscar campaign, it's not entirely hopeless."

"Yes, whether it's Wang Zhong, Lu Yanhe, or Chen Bige, they are all Chinese filmmakers who have received a lot of attention in North America in recent years. We have already heard the news. Putting aside other awards, our country will be submitting 'Raise the Red Lantern' for the Best Foreign Language Film category this year. It was suddenly scheduled for release in October, just for this."

At a private party, people were talking about the recently popular film "Raise the Red Lantern".

Chen Pinhe was also present.

Someone asked, "Have you seen this movie? What did you think of it?"

"Great film."

"A film that is impeccable in every aspect. Chen Bige has really produced a lot of good films in the past few years, starring in Lu Yanhe's movies."

"Yes, at first we thought that Lu Yanhe was getting a great deal by being able to act in 'The Seventeen Floors' with her. Who would have thought that Chen Bige would be the one who benefited from Lu Yanhe's success?"

"It would be a real shame if a good actress like Chen Bige didn't get any more good roles."

"But to be honest, so many good actors don't actually have good projects these days, whether it's TV series or movies. The popular genres are quite singular and distorted." The speaker suddenly looked at Chen Pinhe, "Look at Pinhe, he's started filming Maxine's shows too. There really aren't any good projects in China anymore."

Chen Pinhe was a little surprised to be suddenly called on. He smiled and said, "It's hard to say. It's not that there aren't good projects in China, but those projects are quite homogeneous and don't appeal to me. I still want to try some types of films that I haven't made before."

“Pinhe, why don’t you consider cooperating with Lu Yanhe? He has so many projects on hand. If you cooperate with him, it would be a great alliance.”

Chen Pinhe smiled, but before he could speak, someone stepped forward to smooth things over.

"Sigh, why do you always bring up the most awkward topics? Back when we were making the movie 'Doomsday,' Pinhe and Lu Yanhe had a bit of a disagreement. Actually, it was all a misunderstanding, but Lu Yanhe didn't know what was going on. No matter how we explained, he wouldn't listen. He felt that Pinhe was targeting him, and the two of them never reconciled."

Chen Pinhe raised his hand and said, "Forget it, it's not like we have to work together. I'm not at the stage where I can't get any roles without working with him, am I?"

Chen Pinhe's half-joking remark immediately made everyone laugh and say, "Of course!"

"Has filming wrapped on your Maxine series, Death Stranding? When will it be released?"

"I don't know yet." Chen Pinhe shook his head. "We just finished filming, and post-production will take some time."

"So, are you going to film a spin-off of 'The Seventeenth Floor'?"

"Yes." Chen Pinhe nodded.

"Do you have any schedules later on? If not, I have a movie I've got here, would you like to take a look?"

"Okay, do you have the script yet?"

“I’ve got it. I’ll send it to you later. However, the investment hasn’t been fully secured yet. This year, apart from the Spring Festival and summer seasons, the box office performance of the film market has been mediocre, and investors are being a bit cautious,” the person said. “But if you agree to star in it, it should be fine.”

Chen Pinhe nodded and asked, "Who is the director?"

In film, the director is very important.

"The director of 'Chess Piece', Savic.

"The Chess Piece" was a huge hit this summer, starring Jiang Mingzheng, and grossed 1.7 billion yuan.

Upon hearing this, Chen Pinhe nodded.

It doesn't have to be some kind of "three-no" director.

However, generally speaking, the projects that invite him to work wouldn't involve a director who is "unqualified, uninformed, and lacks expertise."

Unless it's a genuine new director.

-

When Lu Yanhe returned from South Korea, people from Bingyuan Video contacted him, asking if he was free to attend the media conference for the TV series "Rouge".

The TV series adaptation of "Rouge" will be broadcast as an S+ level drama on Bingyuan Video in November.

Lu Yanhe was free and of course willing to participate.

It had been a long time since we'd seen Yang Shiyi and Yu Mengling. The two of them stood together, both dressed in modern Chinese style clothing. At the press conference venue, which was decorated in the style of the Republic of China era, the scene was truly pleasing to the eye.

Lu Yanhe clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"I estimate that this drama will have a large number of viewers who are attracted to good-looking actors."

This drama was filmed a long time ago.

Lu Yanhe asked Yang Shiyi in a low voice if he had filmed any other dramas besides this one.

Yang Shiyi shook his head and said, "Not for now."

Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised, "Didn't the company arrange anything for you?"

"The company said that we should wait until 'Rouge' airs before taking on any other roles."

Lu Yanhe suddenly realized.

Yang Shiyi signed the video on the ice field.

The ice field must have a plan and arrangements for him.

However, it is indeed difficult to find roles for someone with Yang Shiyi's appearance, who is too handsome, radiant, and has a touch of scholarly elegance.

Such characters are rarely seen in mainstream genres.

The only option was to wait until "Rouge" aired, allowing others to witness his charisma, before receiving suitable scripts. Scripts submitted at this point would generally be tailor-made for Yang Shiyi.

Lu Yanhe felt that the temperament of Yu Mengling and Yang Shiyi was truly rare in the domestic entertainment industry.

It exudes an air of "scholarly elegance" and "classical charm".

She's perfect for period dramas, but not so good for modern films.

Lu Yanhe sat with everyone and watched a preview clip of the TV series "Rouge".

Yu Mengling truly deserves her title as a film queen and a goddess of art films. Her portrayal of Ru Hua has a very different charm compared to Chen Bige.

It is cooler and more intense.

This performance perfectly embodies her own personality and charisma.

(End of this chapter)