Chapter 653 A Shocking Blow Shang Yechu had long anticipated that this movie would be controversial. But he never imagined it would cause such a massive uproar on the internet.
After the premiere of "The Forest Without Flowers," the creative team should have given numerous interviews. But everyone—Shang Yechu, Yang Huanyi, and Luo Yao—cried.
Shang Yechu cried because she finally saw the look Yang Huanyi had given her off-camera. For almost every scene, Shang Yechu could recall the emotions she felt during filming.
Luo Yao cried—afterwards, Luo Yao told Shang Yechu that it was because she had finally seen her movie appear on the big screen. Until the very last second before the official screening, she still couldn't believe she had achieved her dream of so many years. Of course, Shang Yechu and Yang Huanyi's performances were also very moving, but she had watched them countless times during editing and was already desensitized to them.
Why was Yang Huanyi crying? Shang Yechu didn't know. She would never know what Yang Huanyi was thinking.
The rest of the crew were equally moved. Most remarkably, Su Ge even shed a couple of tears. Only Cao Shi left halfway through the performance, which was truly rude (Su Ge's words).
The creative team's emotional outburst provided a perfect opportunity for reporters to capture the moment. Shang Yechu and the others were nearly blinded by the flashes. In the post-screening interview, Shang Yechu, aware of her turbulent emotions and fearing she might blurt out something inappropriate, gave extremely brief answers, trying her best to avoid giving the reporters any chance to make a fuss.
Throughout the entire process, Shang Yechu and Yang Huanyi did not interact at all, and did not even make eye contact.
By the time the premiere and interviews were over, and everything was done, it was already past midnight. Shang Yechu still had to do promotional tours and needed to be in good shape. Although the trending topic was urgent, she needed to rest first.
This rest lasted until the next day. When Shang Yechu opened her eyes, she was completely stunned.
Only a minority attends the premiere. Film critics and entertainment bloggers are all savvy enough to risk their lives for views; many who couldn't get tickets for the premiere simply watched the midnight screening, hoping to grab that first wave of attention. That's when things really get bustling!
Film critics unleashed a barrage of praise and criticism. Praisers lauded the film to the skies, while critics condemned Ye Chu to the depths of the earth. The two sides had already clashed several times overnight, wielding their weapons in heated debate. The fervor of the atmosphere was unprecedented in all of Shang Ye Chu's films.
While *The Mute Woman* also received criticism, rural-themed films don't generate the same level of buzz as films with LGBTQ+ themes. *Happiness Street, Please Come In!* is a commercial film where the main characters are merely supporting characters, making it difficult to evoke strong feelings of love or hate from the audience. No matter how much criticism it receives, it's just so-so. Would anyone actually curse the plants or zombies while playing Plants vs. Zombies?
However, "The Forest Without Flowers," or rather, Zhao Lele, is far too controversial.
Shang Yechu fared somewhat better, with Ye Ya controlling the comments section. Luo Yao's Weibo was completely overrun; the top comment praised her as a genius director, the second vehemently condemned her as a shameless accomplice. The third comment asked her: "Are Ye Chu and Yang Huanyi really together?"
LGBTQ+ films are supposed to be niche, but Ye Chu is far too mainstream. The clash of these two factors sparked a terrifyingly powerful reaction.
The influential blogger who first posted the film review, Film Employee, has already argued with hundreds of people, including strangers, Ye Ya, and Sister Xiao Cao, in reposts and discussions. Even Shang Ye Chu's haters who tried to stir up trouble were slapped more than a dozen times by her.
The film studio's opponents quickly rallied and launched a barrage of attacks. Their speeches were filled with criticism of Zhao Lele, Ye Chu, and Luo Yao, condemning "The Forest Without Flowers" as a scourge of the new era. Ye Chu's haters and rivals closely followed this group, and the two sides had already engaged in seven or eight rounds of fighting. When Ye Chu's fans joined the fray, they only further fueled the critics' online presence, making the conflict even more heated.
The trending topics are almost becoming Shang Yechu's hometown.
#Controversy surrounding Yip Cho's new film#
#The Forest Without Flowers#
#TenMinutesOfTerrifyingHorror#
#YeChuYangCallsYiHusband#
#FilmWorker#
#Ye Chuyang Huanyi#
#Who is Luo Yao?#
Interpretations of "The Forest Without Flowers" are also diverse and fascinating. In addition to the most common interpretations of same-sex love and feminism, "class interpretation" and "alienation of power" also have their place. "Stockholm syndrome" and "Oedipus complex" each occupy half of the space. "Dark resistance against the times" and "women's escape" go hand in hand. Explanations such as "the director is crazy," "the actors have a publicly funded romance," and "Ye Chu has gone mad" also have many followers.
Like countless wars on the internet, the believers in these narratives are quite steadfast, believing themselves to be the ones who hold the truth. Shang Yechu, at the center of the discussion, is pulled in and out of their hands, sometimes used for endorsement, sometimes for criticism, sometimes for condemnation, and sometimes for verification.
Given Taiwan's small ticket market and the fact that it was a midnight screening, it shouldn't have generated this much discussion.
Being trending on social media first thing in the morning is bewildering for anyone. Shang Yechu, still dazed from being both criticized and praised, hadn't even washed her face. With a toothbrush in her mouth, she stared dumbfounded at the real-time search results for "The Forest Without Flowers."
After swiping for a few seconds, Shang Yechu's expression froze.
On its very first day of release, "The Forest Without Flowers" has already been pirated!
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