Global Film Emperor

Chapter 488 On the Road to Becoming a Grandmaster

"Robert, are you alright, Robert?"

His wife got up and sat down next to the professor, gently placing her hand on his forearm. Even though she felt the coolness, he still looked at her with a bewildered expression, clearly not yet recovered from his shock.

In their more than 20 years of marriage, this was the first time she had ever seen him so out of control, which was why she was worried. Perhaps suggesting that he watch the video was not a good idea.

Put yourself in their shoes. This is nothing short of a bombardment of the soul, a complete denial of the professor's more than 20 years of professional acting education and the foundation of acting theory. It feels like an atheist has met God.
"Hmm? I'm fine..."

After a long while, he finally snapped out of his daze, but he was deflated. After comforting his wife, he leaned back in his chair without saying a word, his mind filled with memories of the abilities Lu Ze had demonstrated in the video. Before he knew it, he showed signs of aging.

This is not a step forward in the theory of performance, nor has it become a performance method recognized by the industry. However, at this moment, the professor's sense of loss has reached an unbearable level.

Genius?
This word has been used to describe Lu Ze more than once. Ever since Lu Ze suddenly appeared in the world, this word has been attached to him and has been recognized more and more. But none of the previous praises were as direct as this one.

"Let me get you a glass of water."

She came out of the kitchen and placed a glass of water in front of the professor. Water was splashing and gushing from the spout of the kettle, shimmering with a golden luster under the light. Perhaps the sound of pouring hot water really can soothe people's hearts. Listening to the gurgling sound, he gradually adjusted his mindset back to normal.

Five years ago, during a trip to China, he developed the habit of drinking hot water at home. Feeling the temperature of the water cup, he brought his mouth closer and habitually blew on it. White mist condensed on the glass. He took a sip, and the water flowed down his throat and into his stomach. He could clearly feel where the water had reached in his intestines and stomach, which finally made him relax and reveal his usual gentle smile.

"Thank you dear."

"Is he really that good?"

She put the dishes in the dishwasher, sat on the sofa flipping through a magazine, and asked the professor about Lu Ze, but her gaze remained fixed on the words, without looking into her husband's eyes.

She didn't want to see her husband defeated, but she had to bring up the topic so he wouldn't keep it bottled up inside.

"He's much more impressive than I imagined. If he truly has such a consistently strong performance as shown in the video, then he's destined to be favored and sought after by major film studios. This is not the situation I want to see."

This has nothing to do with jealousy. When an actor is in an extremely stable state, the filming period can be shortened, which will reduce the production team's expenses, advance the release date, and even speed up the return on investment. This benefits the actor, the production team, and the production company. However, the premise is that this extremely stable actor is an individual.

However, if this is not an individual actor's superpower, but a training method that can be practiced systematically, then there will be a market for super-stable actors. Since there is a market, there will inevitably be people who take risks to cater to the market. In the end, the ones who will suffer are those actors who hope to cater to the market but do not have enough talent.

As a teacher, he was afraid of seeing his students greet him with this book someday, and even more afraid that one day he would have to visit his students in the hospital.

However, as a scholar of performance theory, he also hoped for a further expansion of the theoretical system. The constant clash between these two ideas was the root cause of his mental breakdown.

The wife looked at the magazine but didn't turn a page for a long time. She didn't understand acting, so she couldn't make any decisions for her husband. She could only ask softly.

Would you criticize him?

"No, I respect him academically; he has already become a master of performance. But in terms of education, I will never allow my students to read his books. That's all."

He drank the warm water in one gulp, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, and thought about how to explain it to his students. His wife didn't disturb him anymore, but simply turned a page of the magazine. The two remained silent, just like the other people who had also watched the video.

……

In just half an hour, the video had already garnered over 20,000 views. While the comments section wasn't as overwhelmingly negative as it had been before the video was released, opinions were still mixed. Many people didn't believe the video's authenticity, assuming that a part of the scene before the clapperboard was struck must have been edited out to make Lu Ze appear possessed.

Some YouTubers specializing in performing arts have started making videos in hopes of verifying or debunking the authenticity of the video content. Two hours later, several videos had been uploaded to the website. Although the production was rather rough, the YouTubers unanimously agreed that there was nothing wrong with the videos.

However, due to their lack of fame, they are not convincing enough to the majority of netizens, and some people still believe that they are paid by Lu Ze to whitewash his image.

The real reason that caused most netizens to change their minds was a tweet from Professor Robert Kessler, a professor in the Department of Performing Arts at the University of the Arts London, who supported Lu Ze.

As a performing artist with a background in stage plays, Robert is renowned in the European stage play industry, holding a position similar to that of a singer who regularly performs on the Chinese New Year Gala.

According to the consumer spending tables of major European cities in 2023-2024, the average annual expenditure on watching artistic performances accounts for 5% to 8% of the total annual income for white-collar workers aged 25 to 60.

In London, the city with the highest art consumption, white-collar workers spend 10% to 13% of their annual income on watching art performances. Buying a stage play ticket to see a performance during their leisure time has become the first choice for many people with stable incomes.

In such an economically prosperous industry, the emerging stage masters naturally possess credibility that can convince even the most skeptical viewers, a level of credibility that YouTube creators cannot match.

At least it can shut up the vast majority of people. As for those online trolls who would never admit that Lu Ze is excellent, let them be. After all, they are a minority of clowns who can't make any waves.

What was the reason for posting this tweet? Robert himself thought about it for a long time. It seemed to be his sense of justice and his admiration for genius. Even though he was more than ten years older than Lu Ze, at this moment, he could only conclude that he was just older than Lu Ze.

Even if he cannot benefit the actors for the time being, Lu Ze's ability to take a crucial step based on the theoretical foundation of acting, which no one has taken for a long time, is enough to earn his respect.

……

"After reading Mr. Lu Ze's work 'Acting, My Life,' I initially shared the same doubts as everyone else, and even began to doubt my own acting skills and training methods. Without a doubt, the training methods proposed by Mr. Lu Ze are unfeasible and extremely dangerous in the eyes of most performers. If you insist on trying it, even if you perfect a character and successfully immerse yourself in it, can you live your life solely based on one movie?"

"It's hard to shake off the shadow cast by a role that has deeply resonated with people, especially one that has deeply touched our own hearts. This is true even for ordinary method acting, let alone this more dangerous acting method. You might need a lifetime of psychological treatment after just one film. I don't think anyone can afford that price. Moreover, there's a high probability that the film you make won't be called a classic, let alone leave a mark on film history. To dedicate your life to an ordinary film is not heroic, but foolish in my opinion."

“I also watched the video, and its impact on my spirit is very obvious. I have been performing on stage for decades, but I have never perfected the image of those characters that once made me cry. My impression of these characters mostly comes from the original books. Now, when I put on the costume again, I will definitely feel that I am a bit unfamiliar with myself in the mirror. This is the impact of this book on me. The longer my acting career goes, the deeper the impact of this book becomes.”

"I fully agree with Mr. Lu Ze's statement at the end of the video. This is not a way for all actors to practice. Its significance lies in proving that this path is feasible, at least that some people have succeeded in it, and it has enriched the theoretical foundation. In any case, this deserves our respect."

"Through books, I learned about Mr. Lu Ze's ambition. He wants to create a fourth form of performance that transcends the three major performance styles. This is a great ideal, but the theoretical framework he has proposed is not yet perfect and is much more difficult than the three major performance styles. Here, I also hope that netizens will not focus on the ability to instantly enter the role, but rather consider why Mr. Lu Ze can perform eighteen consecutive shows without making a mistake. This dreamlike ability is the most important part of the entire training system."

"As it stands, Mr. Lu Ze's performance style is not yet able to transcend the three major performance schools, but it is possible that he will be able to perfect this performance style in the future and form a real performance school. At present, I would prefer to include this performance style in the branch of the method school, after all, it originated from the method school."

"Perhaps we will witness the birth of the first master of performance in the new century. Even if his theories cannot be accepted by the public, at least he is still on the road to becoming a master, climbing towards the peak of acting. I, and all those working in the performance industry, must pay tribute to him, because this is a road that is destined to be lonely... No one can accompany him."

"A theatrical performer destined to be buried in the long river of history, Robert Kesler pays tribute to the great climber Mr. Lu Ze."

"Wishing you success in achieving your dreams."

"..."

(End of this chapter)