Global Film Emperor

Chapter 461 Premiere Ends
At this moment, the lights came on, and the hall was not quiet. Everyone gathered together, discussing the true meaning of the last scene of the movie, and what the green vest meant. For the time being, it was estimated that few people in this hall could truly understand it.

It wasn't until two or three minutes later that the audience realized the movie was over. Following the custom of premieres, the first person to realize this led the way in applauding the cast and crew.

Lu Ze stood up from beside Old Master Chen and bowed to the guests behind him along with Mickey and the others. When he sat down again, Lu Ze took a special look at Old Master Chen's expression. The old man did not show any appreciation, but he did not frown either. He calmly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and when he saw Lu Ze looking at him, he said something.

"good."

"As long as I didn't embarrass you, that's fine."

Embarrassing? Not at all. The old man's standards aren't that high. If this film can't satisfy him, then there aren't many films in the world that can.

Although he didn't show much expression, the old man was actually very pleased. China has produced many good movies in recent years, but the fantasy genre is still a desert in the country. The work that Lu Ze brought this time can be considered to fill a gap in the domestic fantasy film industry.

Although this film is a Sino-British co-production and has some minor shortcomings, it has left a significant mark on the world of fantasy films. For the already weak Chinese fantasy film market, demanding that it be exclusively distributed by China would be excessive nitpicking.

They should be content with achieving some success in the fantasy genre. One must take things one step at a time. It is too much to ask Lu Zesheng to drag Chinese fantasy films to the world's top level.

Lu Ze has made a good start, which is enough. If we want to make further progress, we can't rely on Lu Ze alone. We need the joint efforts of all practitioners in the Chinese film industry.

Even if Lu Ze had the ability, Old Master Chen couldn't do it. He expects my apprentice to work himself to the bone and carry the entire industry while you all just sit back and enjoy the spoils? Dream on. Don't always think about getting something for nothing.

Lu Ze was pleased to receive the old man's reply. A waiter came over and whispered in Lu Ze's ear whether the premiere should continue. Lu Ze looked up at the host who was waiting quietly backstage and nodded.

Half a minute later, the host walked onto the stage with a smile and invited Kesha and Lucas to come up and give their remarks.

The reason why Lu Ze was not invited to go on stage first is simple: after all, film is the art of the director, not the actors. As the true soul of the film, even though the two are Lu Ze's employees and the premiere is on Lu Ze's turf, at this moment, Lu Ze must let them go on stage first so that they can feel the audience's worship of the art they created.

When the two burly men took the stage, even though the audience had already recognized them during the film's promotion and this wasn't their first time on stage, they were still amazed by their enormous physiques. After all, the two of them together weighed nearly a ton, making for a very strong visual impact.

Each of them took a microphone; the standard-length microphones felt no bigger than a bottle of oral liquid in their hands. Then the translator came on stage to translate for them.

This greatly increased the Mendeleev brothers' goodwill towards China. In Europe, no matter how outstanding their works were, they would be required to speak English because they were Russian.

German directors can speak German in interviews, Italian directors can speak Italian, French directors can speak French, but Russian directors usually can't.

In Europe, while Asians and Russians do not suffer the same level of discrimination as Black people and Middle Eastern refugees, subtle discrimination still exists, as evidenced by the fact that despite their years of experience in Europe, they still haven't had the opportunity to make their own films.

In China, the two experienced respect for the first time in a foreign land. Their nationality was respected, and they were allowed to speak their mother tongue. For a moment, the two big brothers were so moved that they almost shed tears. Although they didn't immediately grasp the secret to wealth, they became more kind and approachable towards everything around them.

"Thank you, thank you everyone, thank you for liking our work."

The first sentence was in Chinese, so applause rang out again, only slowly subsiding after about ten seconds, and then the host asked the first question.

"This must be your first time visiting China, right? What are your impressions of China during your time here?"

This seems to be a question that every film crew visiting China will be asked in an interview. It is the safest prelude and opening in the whole process. As the fastest way for the crew to establish a friendly relationship with the audience, even the Exile crew is no exception.

"Because my boss is Chinese, I have high expectations for Chinese movie fans. Everything I've experienced in China has made me realize that it's a hundred times better than I imagined. The elegant and simple culture, the beautiful scenery that combines modern and ancient architecture, and the delicious food are all wonderful. Most importantly, I want to thank the movie fans who are looking forward to 'Exile'. I also want to thank my boss, Mr. Lu Ze, for giving the characters a soul and for giving us the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful journey."

Although the two were physically imposing, they did not act as arrogantly as Mickey. Their gratitude towards Lu Ze was mostly genuine, with only a small part being flattery.

After all, although the two had a very harmonious relationship with Lu Ze, it still couldn't compare to Lu Ze's close friendship with Mickey. As employees, wasn't it normal to praise their boss? Especially since they were in Lu Ze's own backyard, saying things that he and his fans wanted to hear couldn't hurt. Lu Ze smiled and nodded to them from below the stage. During the subsequent interview, the two spoke of Lu Ze constantly, expressing gratitude and praise with great sincerity. Although Lu Ze wasn't flattered, for the fans, it was like drinking a fine wine. They were happy as long as Lu Ze was praised, and they didn't find the nearly fifteen-minute conversation boring at all; on the contrary, they listened with great enjoyment.

After the host arranged for the two brothers to leave the stage and then invited Mickey, Wang Pushen, and others to speak, in the last segment of the press conference, he pointed at Lu Ze with one hand in a palm shape.

"Now, in the final segment of the premiere ceremony, let's welcome Mr. Lu to the stage with applause to bring the premiere to a perfect close."

The golf course clubhouse could only accommodate 600 people. Apart from the clubhouse owner and the media, the other 400 people were all longtime fans of Lu Ze. When they heard Lu Ze speak, they gave him the warmest applause, but there were no screams. In such a high-end place as a golf course, even without anyone to restrain them, everyone's behavior was somewhat restrained.

Lu Ze went on stage, took the microphone, and stood quietly in the middle of the stage. He didn't move until the applause gradually faded and the venue became completely quiet. After almost a minute, he finally smiled and bowed to thank the fans who had watched his comeback performance today.

"It feels so good to be home..."

"Oh!!! Lu Ze! We've been waiting for you for so long! Welcome home!!"

The restrained emotions were shattered by this single sentence. The high-class venue could not contain their deep feelings. These passionate confessions were unrestrained and their emotions could not be contained. They were even a little harsh. The guests near the fan area were so loud that they scratched their ears uncomfortably. However, no one was unhappy with their emotional outburst.

These wealthy families from prominent backgrounds, along with the media accustomed to such scenes, smiled and applauded. Even if it seemed a bit irrational, they had indeed chosen the right person to support their fans.

“Dad, Uncle Lu Ze looks…like a pope surrounded by fanatical believers.”

Fanny whispered to Mickey, "Indeed, this is the Lu Ze you'd never see abroad. He's calm and composed, not ostentatious, yet dazzling like the sun."

"No, Fanny, in the world of art, he has always been the Pope, always."

"In Uncle Lu Ze's movie world?"

"It's in everyone's movie world."

No one can help but love Lu Ze. In any movie scene in the memory of time, from the moment he completely ascended to the throne of actors, he was destined to be a peerless actor, making all the stars pale in comparison, becoming the mark of this era, and becoming a living treasure of cinematic art in this era.

Suddenly, I thought of the imposing title that the Japanese film industry gave Lu Ze: "The Great Emperor." Although it's a bit exaggerated and childish, Mickey felt that it was well-deserved. If one Best Actor trophy is called "Best Actor," then what about six? What else could it be but "The Great Emperor"? And... he is still creating this legend.

If Mickey were to choose, the best male actor of the 1950s would be Gregory Peck, the 1960s would be Henry Fonda, the 1970s would be Marlon Brando, the 1980s would be Robert De Rooney, the 1990s would be Tom Hanks, and the early 21st century would be Will Smith. Who was it in the 2010s? Mickey isn't sure. Matthew McConaughey? Or Joaquin Phoenix? There's no one he particularly likes.

But in the 1920s, there was no doubt that Lu Ze was the only one, no one else, no better choice; he was worthy of greatness.

On stage, he accepted the cheers and applauded for the fans until the noise subsided. He then bent down, took a bottle of water from a staff member below the stage, unscrewed it, and took a sip.

"I'm so glad to be standing on this land again and to hear your voices. Time is tight, so I'll keep it short. I really love 'Exile' and I hope you will too. For the rest of the time, I've prepared some gifts for everyone. They're not expensive: a poster signed by me and the other main cast members, and a Lamy Hunting Series 'Exile' co-branded fountain pen. These won't be sold; they're just for this purpose, so they're quite meaningful. Please keep them safe. Okay, now let's take some one-on-one photos together."

He stepped off the stage and walked towards the fans rushing towards him, standing in front of the prepared backdrop, waiting for the photographer to press the shutter.

"..."

I was writing "Exile" and my time difference was all messed up. I slept like a log and only just got up today to start writing. There's still more tonight.



(End of this chapter)