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Chapter 182 Your father is still your father!

At home, Ge You sat on the sofa. After finishing the script, she made no attempt to hide the bitter smile on her face, sighed, and asked the rising director sitting opposite her:

"Can I not act in this anymore? I really don't want to act in this anymore!"

After saying that, Ge You rubbed his face and slumped onto the sofa. It was clear that he really didn't want to act in the script anymore.

"Yuko, I know you're tired of acting. And it's not just you, I'm tired of it myself too, but what can we do? The higher-ups have assigned us to make another one, to complete the Lunar New Year trilogy. So we still have to do it!"

The person who said this was none other than Feng Xiaogang, who had collaborated with Ge You many times.

"Be There or Be Square," released last December, grossed over 40 million yuan. Following the success of "The Dream Factory," this second film demonstrates Feng Xiaogang's growing prominence as a director. If it weren't for Wu Yuchen's presence, Feng Xiaogang would likely be the most dazzling director to rise to prominence in the last two years.

While he can't compare to Wu Yuchen, Feng Xiaogang has truly had a triumphant month these past few months. However, along with his box office success, Feng Xiaogang has also seen a lot of comments about him in the media, which can be summed up in one word: vulgar.

Feng Xiaogang also has ambitions and wants to improve himself. Therefore, under these circumstances, he wanted to make some serious films with meaning to compete for awards, rather than big-budget, Beijing-style comedies like "The Dream Factory" and "Be There or Be Square," which would make people laugh at him as a comedy director.

He excitedly presented his script, "A Sigh," adapted from Wang Shuo's "In a Dire Situation," but the feedback he received was that New Year's films should be a trilogy. Since he had already made the first two, he should make one more before he could make "A Sigh," the film he wanted to make. The real reason was that they saw the potential in Feng Xiaogang's style of filmmaking and wanted him to continue making them.

So, with a sigh, Feng Xiaogang could only find someone to write "Never Ending," and then take the script to visit his golden partner Ge You again.

To be honest, Ge You really doesn't want to continue playing this role now, because he knows that if he continues to play it this way, his image in the audience's mind will be fixed as a comedic actor, and it may be difficult for him to take on other types of films in the future.

In fact, Ge You had tried other things many times in his previous life, such as filming "The Butterfly's Smile," "Kala is a Dog," and "Suffocation," all of which were subjects or roles he had never played before. However, these attempts were not very successful. A typical example is "The Banquet," where the audience wanted to laugh as soon as he appeared on screen. It should be noted that "The Banquet" is not a comedy film, and he did not play a comedic role, which actually made it a failure.

But now Feng Xiaogang has even followed him to his father's house, saying that he was the male lead in the first two films, "The Dream Factory" and "Be There or Be Square," and that the audience wouldn't accept a different male lead, which puts Ge You in a dilemma.

At this moment, Feng Xiaogang saw Ge You's father, Ge Cunzhuang, come out of the house and immediately greeted him with a smile: "Uncle Ge, hello! Are you going fishing?"

Ge Cunzhuang nodded to him, "Xiao Gang, you two can talk slowly, no rush."

Then he turned to Ge You and said, "Be humble and cautious, and avoid arrogance and impetuosity."

Ge You immediately explained, "Dad, I'm not being arrogant!"

Feng Xiaogang chimed in, "Uncle Ge, Youzi isn't that kind of person."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Ge You immediately jumped up and ran to open it.

When the door opened, Ge You was stunned to see Wu Yuchen standing outside.

Wu Yuchen is the most talked-about director lately. Ge You also went to see "Mr. Donkey" and has to say it was well made; no wonder it won the Golden Bear.

Ge You immediately flashed a bright smile: "Hey, Director Wu, what brings you here! Please come in, have a seat!"

Upon seeing Ge You, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but smile and say, "Teacher Ge, I apologize for disturbing you!"

At this moment, Feng Xiaogang and Ge Cunzhuang inside also saw Wu Yuchen. Feng Xiaogang felt a jolt in his heart. What could Wu Yuchen be here for? He must have the same purpose as him: to find Ge You to act!
Ge You wasn't really keen on acting in his "Endless Love" to begin with, and now that Wu Yuchen has approached him, his chances are even slimmer. Wu Yuchen is currently at the peak of his career, and his achievements in the past two years are incomparable to Wu Yuchen's in every aspect. In terms of his appeal to actors, Wu Yuchen's hastily put-together "Endless Love" is far superior.

Not only Feng Xiaogang thought so, but Ge You was also overjoyed. Wu Yuchen had personally chased him to his father's house, which meant he was very sincere towards him.

At the same time, Ge You gave Feng Xiaogang an apologetic look. "Xiaogang, it's not that I don't want to act in your play, but Director Wu has already come all this way, so I can't refuse! I'm sorry!"

After entering the house, Wu Yuchen clasped his hands in greeting to Ge Cunzhuang and said with a smile, "Greetings, Grandpa Ge! You're in excellent health!"

Ge Cunzhuang was delighted to see Wu Yuchen at his home: "I'm in great health! Director Wu, please have a seat, I'll have Youzi make you some tea~"

Ge You quickly got to work, fetching teacups and serving fruit, showing great enthusiasm; he also wanted to cooperate with Wu Yuchen.

Feng Xiaogang sighed inwardly, but still went over with a smile and said, "Director Wu, what a coincidence! I didn't expect to run into you here!"

"It's quite a coincidence, Director Feng. Are you looking for Teacher Ge to film a movie?" Wu Yuchen glanced at Feng Xiaogang and Ge You.

Feng Xiaogang nodded: "Of course, I didn't expect to clash with you, Director Wu. I'll go back and polish the script a bit more, and we'll talk again after you finish filming here."

Feng Xiaogang directly softened his stance and gave up on futile struggles with Wu Yuchen, knowing he couldn't win anyway.

However, Wu Yuchen waved his hand and then asked:

"No rush, Director Feng, which actress, Ms. Ge, are you looking for to film this movie?"

Feng Xiaogang paused for a moment, then blurted out, "Of course it's Ge You!"

Wu Yuchen chuckled and said, "Then we didn't clash. I'll find another Teacher Ge!"

As soon as Wu Yuchen spoke, everyone in the room was stunned. Ge You, who was serving tea and water, suddenly looked up: "Huh? Director Wu, you're not looking for me, you're looking for my dad?"

Feng Xiaogang also looked at Ge Cunzhuang, who was carrying a fishing rod. He had really overlooked the fact that the old man was also a veteran actor!

Ge Cunzhuang only then realized what was happening and asked, "Director Wu, you want me to act in a movie?"

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "That's right, Teacher Ge. I'm currently preparing a film for the Oscars, and I need someone like you with superb acting skills and a suitable appearance for the male lead. I wonder if you would be willing?"

They all keenly caught one word: "Aim for the Olympics!"

When Feng Xiaogang heard the phrase "aiming for the Oscars," he was filled with envy. He was still striving for recognition from domestic awards, and now he didn't even have the autonomy to make a serious film, while Wu Yuchen had not only won so many awards but was already aiming for the Oscars! The gap between people was simply too great, making it difficult for Feng Xiaogang to even think of comparing himself to Wu Yuchen.

Ge You felt like he'd been given a false alarm. He'd thought they were looking for him, but it turned out their target was his own father! And when he heard that Wu Yuchen was going to be making an Oscar-nominated film, he felt even more envious of his own father.

Ge Cunzhuang grinned from ear to ear: "Director Wu, you really think highly of me by casting me! I've always played villainous roles before, I never expected you to take me seriously! I don't even know if I'm up to the task!"

Ge Cunzhuang had a nickname decades ago: one of the "Five Villains of Chinese Cinema" because he portrayed many detestable characters, such as the tyrannical landlord in "Red Flag" and Major Kameda in "Little Soldier Zhang Ga." He was practically a specialist in villainous roles. Even today, the Japanese phrases like "flower girl," "dead dead," and "mishi mishi" used to describe the Japanese soldiers in films and television dramas are all creations of Ge Cunzhuang, and have persisted for decades.

Wu Yuchen gave Ge Cunzhuang a thumbs up and said, "Teacher Ge, I've seen all the plays you've acted in. You can play any role convincingly. Your recent portrayal of Qi Baishi was also very spot-on! If you'd like, let's take a look at the script first, and I'll explain it to you in detail~"

"Alright, come on, Director Wu, let's go into the study!" Ge Cunzhuang smiled and pulled Wu Yuchen inside, completely ignoring his son Ge You.

Seeing his father's excited tone and overjoyed expression, Ge You wanted to retort, "Be humble and cautious, and avoid arrogance and impetuosity!"

But he only dared to think about it in his head; he was afraid that if he said it out loud, the old man would hit him with a fishing rod.

Ge You suddenly felt that "Endless" was not bad either; at least he wanted to make a comedy to heal his wounded heart.

At this moment, Feng Xiaogang walked over, patted Ge You on the shoulder, and said, "Your father is still your father!"

Ge You glanced at Feng Xiaogang; he didn't want to film anymore...

In the study, Ge Cunzhuang, wearing his reading glasses, intently read the script in his hands. It told the story of an octogenarian couple whose long-standing love began to face a test after the wife suddenly suffered a stroke and became bedridden…

Ge Cunzhuang thought to himself, no wonder they chose him instead of Ge You. The main character in this movie is an 80-year-old man, and his son simply cannot play the role.

While Ge Cunzhuang was reading the script, Wu Yuchen was also pondering the film. In his previous life, a very famous art film emerged in 2012, *The Hunt*. It was frequently mentioned in Chinese video platforms and online novels.

However, at the Cannes Film Festival, "The Hunt" was consistently overshadowed by another film, only winning the Best Actor award and receiving an Oscar nomination. That other film not only won the Palme d'Or at the festival but also won Best Foreign Language Film at the following year's Oscars, sweeping awards at the European Film Awards, the British Academy Film Awards, and the César Awards. It was practically unbeatable among European and American art-house films that year—that film is Wu Yu-chen's "Love."

In this film, the male and female protagonists are both well-educated retired music teachers. After the wife suffers a stroke and loses her ability to live independently, and with their daughter working abroad, the husband has to care for his wife himself and a hired caregiver, maintaining a clean and refined daily life. He tries to remain respectable when his musician students visit and uphold his dignity when his daughter expresses concern. However, illness often gradually erodes a person. The wife, not wanting to continue suffering from pain and loss of self-esteem, ultimately smothers her with a pillow, fulfilling her wish.

The story itself isn't particularly unusual or special, except for the ending, which is quite common and reflects a situation many families face. The key lies in the director and actors, who portray the initially loving couple, the husband's exhaustion, arguments, and regret due to prolonged illness, and the wife's gradual loss of dignity under the weight of her illness, turning her into a living corpse.
Wu Yuchen chose "Love" for his Oscar bid for three reasons.

First, since the goal is to win an Oscar, you need to maximize your chances. Public relations are definitely necessary for winning an Oscar, but the quality of your film itself is also crucial. You must have something that can impress the judges.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which judges the Oscars, has thousands of members, most of whom are elderly. Therefore, it's often said in Hollywood that the Academy is controlled by a bunch of old men, and to win an Oscar, one must conform to the aesthetic standards of these men who came from the Golden Age of cinema.

So what is the film *Amour* about? It's about how an 80-year-old chooses to cope with the torment of serious illness and death. Aging, disease, death, fear, dignity, love…

What other genre of film could resonate with these old guys more than this? They can relate to it right now!

Secondly, it is easy to localize.

Other films, like "The Hunt," require consideration of cultural background and localization through modifications. But "Amour" transcends cultural and background barriers. The issue of aging is faced by every country and region in the world; aging, illness, and death are equal for all beings, and the emotions are universal when facing these challenges.

Therefore, for Wu Yuchen to film "Love," he only needed to select the right actors and film directly according to the script, with basically no need for modifications.

Thirdly, there are issues with content and approval.

Some films, like those by Jia Zhangke, choose to depict social issues existing in China and then win international awards. This not only puts them under censorship but also risks accusations of exposing the dark side of China or vilifying Chinese people to gain sympathy from foreigners.

However, "Love" doesn't have this problem. It's impossible for the censors to cut anything out, and there's nothing to criticize about the content.

The filming of this movie wasn't actually that difficult; the real challenge lay in the actors!

First, there's the age requirement. To truly portray a state of aging, Wu Yuchen requires someone to be at least 70 years old. Because many 60-year-olds actually look quite good!
Then there's temperament and image. This couple are both well-educated music teachers, and they've always been quite particular about their lives. So, if you're looking for someone, you need to consider their appearance and temperament.

Finally, there's the acting. This movie revolves around an elderly couple, so their performances are very important.

Considering the above points, Wu Yuchen had several candidates in mind for the male lead role during the casting process. For example, there was the 72-year-old Lan Tianye, who played Jiang Ziya in the old version of "Investiture of the Gods." He has profound attainments in painting, has held calligraphy and painting exhibitions, and his temperament and image perfectly fit the role. It's just a pity that he is now devoted to calligraphy and painting and rarely acts anymore.

Then Wu Yuchen thought of the elderly Ge Cunzhuang standing before him. Although he mostly played villains in his youth, as he aged, his face gradually became more mellow, and his demeanor changed accordingly. In recent years, he has portrayed Wen Yiduo and Qi Baishi, both of whom are giants in the arts.

Moreover, the old man is truly multi-talented, having played the erhu and violin for decades; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he could play a music teacher.

After reading the script, Ge Cunzhuang let out a long sigh, then composed himself and joked with Wu Yuchen, "Director Wu, in the end I have to smother my own wife with my own hands. I still can't escape the fate of 'doing evil'!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and then asked in return, "Teacher Ge, do you think your behavior is right?"

Ge Cunzhuang shook his head and said, "It's hard to judge! It certainly helped his wife escape, but according to our Chinese moral standards, this is murder. After all, there's a saying: 'It's better to live a wretched life than to die a good death...'"

Then Ge Cunzhuang sighed again:
"After reading your book, I felt a pang of sympathy. At my age, I can't help but think about illness and death. If it were just a sudden illness that ended everything, that would be much better, but paralysis like this is truly torturous, not only for myself but also for my family."

"Prolonged illness tests filial piety; when you're unable to care for yourself, you have to live entirely at the mercy of others. Even your spouse and children will grow impatient, and your dignity will gradually erode. How tragic!"

Wu Yuchen nodded and said, "Teacher Ge, you are right. Illness and aging are problems that everyone has to face. No one can stand on a moral high ground to criticize others. So I just wanted to film the emotional changes in between. In this kind of thing, there is no right or wrong, it just depends on your choice."

Wu Yuchen then asked again, "Teacher Ge, would you be willing to play the male lead role?"

"I'd be willing to make such a meaningful film even without pay!" Ge Cunzhuang said emphatically.

Initially, he agreed to the project because of Wu Yuchen's personal reputation and the Oscar nomination. However, after reading the script, Ge Cunzhuang had many feelings. Now, even if Wu Yuchen is not a big director and this is not an Oscar nomination film, he would still be willing to do it just for the sake of the film itself!
(End of this chapter)