Chapter 308 Premiere
The film begins in a water town in southern China.
The first shot is of a gloomy sky and endless rain.
This movie tells the story of three young people who go treasure hunting, encounter many bizarre events on their journey, and ultimately meet with misfortune and die mysteriously.
In terms of the ending, it's a tragedy. But this film isn't the kind of story-driven movie.
From the first third of the film, the premise is that of three young people living in poverty and hunger who, after unexpectedly receiving news of a treasure, embark on a treasure hunt. The story is set in an era of war and ghosts, and the journey is arduous. Initially full of ambition, they experience various dangers and hardships, leading to arguments, conflicts, and drastic personality changes among the three.
More and more strange things are happening to them.
An old woman who was blind even said that the three of them were cursed.
The conflict between them grew, and some wanted to leave and go home. At that time, one night, a heavy rain suddenly started. They hurriedly searched for shelter in the mountains and forests, and then they saw a temple with a faint light in the distance.
...
The temple in the footage is eerily quiet, nestled in the vast mountains and forests, like a tiny flame shrouded and concealed by the dark rain that blankets the land, as if it could be extinguished at any moment.
Such a sudden shot appeared before the audience, accompanied by a cold whistle that sounded like the wailing of a female ghost.
Then, the camera slowly zoomed in, bringing the view to the temple entrance, where a silhouette of someone inside the temple appeared.
The temple was very ordinary and small. It was dusty and empty, with cracked and wrinkled walls.
A man sat in the temple, a fire burning in front of him, the firelight illuminating his face, which appeared to be that of a very young man.
His face was somewhat handsome, but in the flickering firelight, it seemed as if his soul had been ripped away. His eyes were lifeless, his face numb, and he was as withered and desolate as if even the firelight could not awaken any light in his eyes.
"Here it comes!" Lu Yanhe exclaimed inwardly, and at the same time, he was also startled by his own appearance in the shot.
He almost didn't recognize himself.
Wang Zhong seems to have deliberately made it difficult for people to recognize him. His makeup, the angle of the shot, and the color tone and lighting in post-production were all manipulated to make him look slightly different from him in real life.
Of course, the most important thing is that the charm and temperament of the person is completely different.
Wintour Robbe had already seen the film during a screening before today's premiere.
When he watched the film, he was deeply impressed by the young actor who only appeared on screen for ten minutes.
A fresh face that shines with amazing brilliance always brings surprises.
That's how the film and television industry is; people are always looking forward to fresh faces.
So, after watching the movie, Wintour Robbe went out of his way to investigate the young actor.
For a film festival, its status in the film industry depends on how many directors it can discover and how many films it can promote that will go down in film history. This kind of influence has no specific data standard; it all depends on everyone's perception.
For the film industry, where an outstanding actor becomes known to the public also affects the influence of the film festival.
This kind of thing is hard to explain and can only be found in the hearts of every filmmaker.
Before Lu Yanhe's time travel, while the three major European film festivals held significant influence and high status, their international impact, by all accounts, couldn't compare to the American Academy Awards (Oscars). Regardless of the angle or rhetoric used to argue that the Oscars' rules are inherently American, it doesn't mean they're superior to other film awards—the fact is, in every respect, the American Academy Awards are the most influential and coveted honor in the film industry. There's no other explanation than that it's the pinnacle of the field.
However, in the world after Lu Yanhe transmigrated, although the Academy Awards still held a significant position, it was not the only one that stood out. The four major international film festivals were able to rival it in terms of international influence.
In order to compete with the four major international film festivals, the Academy Awards has broadened its selection scope—in recent years, Asian films have been nominated, its membership has increased, and it has become more international, attempting to gather the world's top film talents and create an award voted on by the world's top industry professionals. This is similar to the original Academy Awards' idea.
Wintour Robbe has high hopes for Lu Yanhe, so he has paid more attention to him and sincerely hopes that he can make better films and bring more works to the Citour Film Festival.
The entire movie theater was completely silent.
Almost all the viewers were captivated by the young fortune teller who suddenly appeared on the screen.
Fortune tellers are not unique to China. In other countries, there are also sorcerers, shamans, and prophets. Therefore, it is not difficult for foreign audiences to understand the existence of fortune tellers.
As Lu Yanhe's expression shifted, seemingly both real and unreal, dreamlike and surreal, many film critics from various magazines were captivated by this almost unseen type of character and state, staring intently at the screen, forgetting to write anything down.
Professional film critics often bring notebooks and pens when watching movies, taking notes as they watch to avoid forgetting details.
At this moment, the young, handsome, yet somewhat disheveled man on the screen seemed to appear out of nowhere, suddenly grabbing their attention.
-
As the chief film critic for the French film magazine Cinema, Louis Delvaux has always been a very demanding film critic.
Especially for established directors like Wang Zhong, his evaluations are even more rigorous. However, because his film reviews are often insightful, able to pinpoint the real flaws in a film, and able to give a clear and unambiguous assessment of each year's emerging masterpieces from a film history perspective, he is a rare film critic who dares to speak his mind, is sharp and incisive, and is respected by many filmmakers.
Abroad, especially in Europe and America, film critics' reviews have a far greater impact on a film than they do domestically.
This is because the development of Western films spanned a very long period, largely accompanied by traditional media promotion. Film critics' reviews played a crucial role in whether audiences went to the cinema to see a film. In China, however, because the film industry developed relatively late, by the time it entered the market and flourished, traditional media, especially film reviews, had become outdated and were no longer a significant part of film promotion. This resulted in film reviews having almost no impact on domestic box office revenue; instead, online marketing, rating platforms' scores, and the manipulation of online buzz had a much greater influence on a film's box office performance.
Although the promotion and distribution of European and American films are increasingly influenced by the internet and have undergone many changes, film critics' reviews and ratings remain one of the most important factors affecting a film before and during its initial release.
Their presence is even more noticeable at film festivals.
After all, only a very small number of people can actually come to the film festival and buy tickets to watch these films. Most film fans around the world get their attention from the festival's ratings and media reviews. This means that the media's evaluations are the first impression that a film premiering at a film festival gives to the world.
The role and influence of film critics are amplified to an unprecedented degree under the special mechanism of film festivals.
The opinions of top film critics like Louis Delvaux are even more important.
Louis Delvaux maintained a very serious expression while watching the film "Three Mountains".
This is because he is not used to people reading any information from his face.
From the very beginning of the film, Louis Delvaux became fully immersed in Wang Zhong's movie.
He had seen almost all of this Chinese director's works. He had to admit that he didn't particularly like Wang Zhong's films. This was because Wang Zhong's movies always gave the impression of being pretentious and obscure. Wang Zhong's films were filled with all sorts of imagery, seemingly containing some profound meaning, but upon closer examination, nothing concrete could be found.
Many directors enjoy playing with imagery, but Wang Zhong's strength lies in his ability to take it to the extreme. He rearranges and combines elements from traditional Chinese culture in his films, creating a unique and unprecedented experience for the audience.
Just like the movie "Three Mountains", the entire movie is dominated by the word "supernatural", and every paragraph reveals the meaning of "using the past to satirize the present".
They want to hide something, but they hide it too obviously; in reality, they just don't know how to hide it.
This is Louis Delvaux's consistent assessment of Wang Zhong's films, and he still felt the same way about "Three Mountains".
Of course, the film's techniques are more mature, and compared to Wang Zhong's previous more obscure and difficult-to-understand films, "Three Mountains" is at least a story that ordinary viewers can be drawn into, and it won't make people drowsy.
Louis Delvaux had already formed a pretty good opinion of "Three Mountains" in his mind until the scene of the mountain temple suddenly appeared.
From that howl that sounded like a female ghost's wailing, it was as if someone had blown a breath of air onto the top of my head.
Louis Delvaux's slightly relaxed mind returned to its usual composure.
Film critics, of course, also pay attention to the actors' performances—the actors' performances are the most important vehicle for expression in a film. However, for a critic like Louis Delvaux, he actually values the director's structure and attitude more than the actors. He didn't expect to be suddenly drawn to this character who appeared in the middle of the film.
Wang Zhong isn't really a director who knows how to film actors. His film style also means that it's difficult for actors to deliver outstanding performances in his films. This is because the characters in his films are overshadowed by the atmosphere of the film itself. Take the three young men in "Three Mountains," for example. They acted well, of course, but it was superficial. Or rather, the characters themselves were superficial. The film never tried to explore the complexity of these characters; they were all pushed along by the story and the environment, like puppets.
The fortune teller who appears in the movie is fundamentally different from the three main characters.
Many ordinary viewers may only feel that the character is different from the moment he appears, but they can't quite put their finger on what is different. However, a seasoned film critic like Louis Delvaux can spot the difference at a glance.
The difference is that this fortune teller is alive. He's like a living person in the movie. When you see him, it's like seeing him in real life. You don't feel like he's acting out a character, but rather like a real person. He has a rich past, and the sense of story emanates from his dazed eyes, expressionless face, and silent posture in a way that doesn't need to be deliberately proclaimed.
Young actors.
The old monk entered into meditation.
As the three young men entered the temple, they cautiously approached him.
The drumbeats would occasionally sound as one of them finished speaking a particular sentence.
It's like a play going on stage.
It's also like some kind of storytelling.
Louis Delvaux didn't notice at first, but as the young fortune teller suddenly seemed to come back to life, his eyes shone with a brilliance, revealing his madmanly demeanor, whether melancholic or manic, the rhythm of the drumbeats seemed to gradually quicken.
The drumbeats seemed to be in sync with the fortune teller's speaking rhythm and movements.
"I'm talking nonsense?!"
"I never lie!"
"If you lot don't come to me for a divination to find a way out, you will all die a violent death!"
He rattled off long sentences one after another, sometimes accompanied by a swooping shot of him charging towards someone, creating a visually stimulating effect. This, combined with his increasingly hurried tone and his anxious expression as if he were talking to himself, further enhanced the effect.
The fortune teller suddenly remembered something and looked up.
The drumbeat suddenly rang out.
The camera focused on his face, which suddenly froze, and his eyes, which suddenly became still. If it weren't for the flickering shadow of the flame on his face, that moment of stillness would have seemed to have frozen time itself.
Then, an inexplicable look of fear welled up in his eyes.
He stared intently at the three of them, as if he saw an unbelievable and indescribable terror in them.
The camera slowly pulls away from his face and zooms out.
Before him stood three young people, all equally terrified and bewildered, their bodies seemingly frozen, their eyes filled with fear as they cautiously looked at each other.
The camera in front of us shows the entire interior of the mountain temple.
There was nothing there.
There were no ghosts or monsters, nor any sudden acts of terror.
But in this almost frozen, confrontational scene, many viewers felt a chill run down their spines.
He suddenly screamed in despair, then turned and scrambled out of the mountain temple without saying another word, as if possessed by a demon, disappearing into the dark rain outside the door.
The camera suddenly cuts.
The porcelain figure in the mountain temple, only half a meter tall and of an unrecognizable deity, was covered in a layer of dust, its smiling face adorned with a flower.
In the flickering light of the fire, the smiling lips of the portrait seemed frozen in time.
seem?
...
After that night, the three of them seemed to have contracted a serious illness, and each of them became despondent.
Some people chose to stop and no longer search for that elusive treasure.
The other two continued forward.
Greed, anger, and ignorance are the cycle of birth, death, and illusion.
After watching the movie that night, the audience seemed to have had some of their energy drained away, and suddenly felt listless.
Louis Delvaux thought to himself that it was like the inevitable exhaustion that followed an extreme emotional release.
In the final part of the movie, the three young people die one after another, including the one who chose to stop and never move forward again.
The final scene of the film shows the young man who stopped walking and was buried. Several people buried him and erected a grave. The green mountains are in the distance, the figures have dispersed, and in the empty wilderness, only this lonely grave stands.
Louis Delvaux suddenly recalled the image of the fortune teller running away.
Louis Delvaux found it difficult to describe his feelings at that moment. He had encountered a film so unexpectedly that he couldn't immediately articulate his thoughts in words. He felt as if he were immersed in a strange emotion; the world depicted in the film was one he had never experienced before, yet it felt like waking from a nightmare, only to find himself still dreaming. Upon waking again, he wasn't sure if he was truly awake, what was real, and what was unreal.
-
The movie screening has ended.
The screening room was quiet.
After about three to five seconds, some applause began to ring out, then gradually increased, and finally, it gathered into a loud, surging wave.
Wang Zhong and several actors stood up together, faced the audience, and bowed to everyone.
Sitting around them, the filmmakers who had been invited to the screening offered their congratulations.
Lu Yanhe was still a little dazed; he didn't know what to say—he actually didn't quite understand.
Of course, his lack of understanding was a kind of profound shock, even though he didn't fully comprehend it.
Movies can be made like this?
Almost everyone sincerely congratulated them on making a great film.
The applause lasted for about three or four minutes.
Jia Long gripped Lu Yanhe's hand tightly, his voice surprisingly tinged with a hint of admiration, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.
“This will be one of your best performances,” Jia Long said. “Yan He, you will definitely have many more good performances in the future, but I dare say that there will never be another performance that can surpass your performance in this movie. You gave me goosebumps and made my heart race. You’re amazing.”
Lu Yanhe chuckled blankly.
He scratched his head.
Is that really so exaggerated?
One after another, people came to express their shock at him, and Lu Yanhe slowly began to accept everyone's evaluation in his heart.
They moved to another theater immediately after the premiere ended.
They need to cooperate with the media and photographers to take photos and complete related publicity work.
After that came the interview and Q&A session.
The moment they entered the venue, applause suddenly erupted.
Reporters from all over the world, still visibly excited from watching the film, looked at them with enthusiasm and anticipation, as if they couldn't wait to ask them questions.
-
Unexpectedly, it took me nearly three or four hours to write just five thousand words.
This chapter was so hard to write.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
