Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 280 I can't let myself lose money because of the Jews!

Inside the theater, many emotional female viewers already had tears in their eyes.

In fact, many people had already anticipated a tragic ending when the accident happened, but they held onto hope. After all, in the past hour and a half, they had developed feelings for the two lovely children, and they hoped that they could be saved and that there could be a so-called "happy ending".

But clearly, the heavy, cold iron gate at the end remains firmly closed, proclaiming this unchangeable tragedy, while the prison uniforms outside silently recount that sinful history. This long take is thought-provoking, eerily quiet. The scene fades into darkness accompanied by piano music, but the audience's emotions remain unsettled.

My god!

"This is absolutely cruel!"

In fact, there is not a single bloody scene in the entire film. However, this movie, which features children as the main characters, can capture the audience's heart without much exaggeration. It is a sad fairy tale told through lies. It is optimistic throughout, but it reveals an extremely strong sense of pessimism and immersion in the absurd style. This destruction after witnessing beauty ultimately gives the audience a huge shock and shock to their hearts.

When the film ended and the theater lights came back on, Spielberg and his group gave Wu Yuchen and the film a long and enthusiastic round of applause.

"Wu, this is truly a great film! Seeing the two boys in the film reminded me of those Jewish children who perished in Auschwitz like angels. The crimes of fascism are unforgivable!"

Wu Yuchen also held the other person's hand tightly: "Mr. Hughes, our Chinese nation also suffered greatly from the devastation and persecution of fascism during World War II. I think we will have a lot in common."

"Wu, you are really cruel! But this is truly a remarkable film! All the tragedy and evil stem from war, from those who started the war, and from terrible extremist ideologies!"

"Yes! As long as war exists, it will inevitably be accompanied by tragedy and evil!"

Jackie Chan also came up and hugged Wu Yuchen tightly. After releasing Wu Yuchen, he made a gesture of worship and said, "Director Wu, I really want to bow down to you now! This film is so important to our Chinese nation! This is a film of our nation!"

Seeing Cheng Long's genuine emotions, Wu Yuchen grabbed his arm and said, "There's no need for that. I'm a descendant of the Chinese nation just like you. Isn't this what I should do?"

Wu Yuchen chatted with each of the people who approached him, and it was quite some time before he finally saw them all off. His emotions were a mix of feelings; the positive reception at the premiere had heightened his anticipation for "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas."

The next day, media outlets had already reported on Wu Yuchen's film, "The Boy in Striped Pajamas."
"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Wu Yuchen's anti-war film is deeply moving!"

"Wu Yuchen exposes China's Auschwitz!"

"The most touching film of the year—The Boy in the Striped Pajamas!"

"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - A Dark Fairy Tale".

"Among the many themes that reflect World War II, some are intense, some are biased, and some have different perspectives. Some are known for their grand scale, while others are known for their bizarre and unconventional approach. However, when it comes to the seamlessness of the story, the unique way of impacting human nature, and the unforgettable mistakes, Wu Yuchen's 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas' is enough to shock people's hearts!"
It perfectly recreates the unexpected twists of fate and extreme tranquility from a wonderfully childlike perspective, subtly touching everyone's heartstrings and sparking profound reflections on war, thought, and humanity.

"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is pure and melancholic, just like the absurd giant blue sky and the lush green lawn that symbolizes life in the film."

In terms of set design and cinematography, Wu Yuchen frequently employs long takes and wide shots that create a strong sense of oppression. The film is also full of hidden mysteries, with the cruel and ruthless concentration camps forming a stark contrast with the innocent and adorable children. From the boy's perspective, it offers a unique interpretation of the damage that war inflicts on human society and the emotional world, and is filled with a longing for a peaceful world.

The film never explicitly states the cruelty and gore, but that doesn't mean it intentionally avoids these issues. It's just that children's eyes can't interpret them, so the film conveys the bloodshed and cruelty of that era through details and hints…

Reports and videos about "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" have been published one after another. This is naturally the work of the film critics and reporters who watched the premiere yesterday. Of course, Wu Yuchen's influence and the power of the film's public relations team are also behind it.

The PR team for "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" was DreamWorks' team, and Wu Yuchen was talking to Spielberg at the time.

"Steven, I need your help!"

“Oh, Wu, we are close partners and good friends. DreamWorks and I will certainly do our best to help you! Besides, ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’ is a great movie, and I believe it will win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film this year without any doubt!”

Spielberg's statement was quite certain. This confidence stemmed not only from the film's high quality and his PR team, but also from the growing anti-war sentiment in Hollywood, fueled by the Black House's continued pronouncements about launching the Iraq War. This anti-war film was incredibly timely!
"Thank you, Steven!"

However, Wu Yuchen didn't stop there, but continued, "But what I want is more than just Best Foreign Language Film..."

Wu Yuchen has already won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with "Love," and it's not that he doesn't want it, but rather that he wants more.

“I hope that ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’ can win a more prestigious award. This film is very important to me, and I hope you can understand!” Wu Yuchen said with a sincere expression and tone.

More prestigious awards? There are only a handful of awards more prestigious than Best Foreign Language Film: Best Actor and Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Film.

Spielberg fell into thought upon hearing this. Winning Best Actor and Best Actress was clearly unlikely. Although both Black actors won Best Actor and Best Actress awards last year, everyone knew the real story, and Black talent in Hollywood far outweighs Asian talent. Asian actors would have a long way to go to win these awards. That left Best Director and Best Picture. And this put Spielberg in a dilemma…

Spielberg paused for a moment, then said to Wu Yuchen, "Wu, we're friends, so I'm going to tell you something from the bottom of my heart. Do you know about 'The Pianist,' the film that won the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year?"

Wu Yuchen nodded: "I know, it's a highly acclaimed anti-war film! Both Polanski's direction and Adrian's performance are superb!"

Spielberg shrugged: "Wu, just as I understand your feelings about 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,' you also need to understand that I am Jewish, and I cannot not support this film."

Even in Hollywood, where Jews hold significant sway over the discourse, Spielberg is a central figure. He enjoys the advantages that ethnicity brings him, and therefore must bear the responsibilities that come with it.

As an excellent film directed by a Jewish director that reflects the suffering of Jews, "The Pianist" deserves his support.

Wu Yuchen wasn't too surprised by Spielberg's attitude; he had already guessed this outcome, which was why he had come to Spielberg today for a frank discussion.

"The Pianist" is also an anti-war film, and it depicts the suffering of Jews, which will undoubtedly strike a chord with Jewish people and garner a large following. It will also be Wu Yu-chen's biggest rival at this year's Oscars, as both films deal with the same subject matter. In his previous life, "The Pianist" successfully won both Best Director and Best Actor awards at this year's Oscars, making it an unavoidable enemy for Wu Yu-chen.

Wu Yuchen continued, "Steven, I admit that *The Pianist* is an excellent film, and it could very well be a strong contender for Best Picture this year. Polanski is also an excellent director... but do you think Polanski should have won the Best Director award?"

Spielberg fell silent again upon hearing Wu Yuchen's words. In terms of directing ability, Polanski was beyond reproach, even top-tier. But this guy had one major flaw…

Roman Polanski's life is legendary. He spent his childhood in a concentration camp, his mother died there, he escaped with the help of a Polish man, and was reunited with his father many years later.

He displayed his talent as a director from a young age. In 1962, he wrote and directed his first feature film, *Knife in the Water*, which received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 36th Academy Awards. In 1966, he directed the thriller *Desert Island*, which won the Golden Bear at the 16th Berlin International Film Festival. Over the following decades, he garnered numerous awards and was a regular at the three major European film festivals.

However, in 1977, Polanski committed an unforgivable crime by having an indescribable relationship with a 13-year-old girl. Knowing the consequences he would face in the United States, he fled the country on the eve of his sentencing after being imprisoned for 42 days and then roamed freely in Europe.

In fact, the controversy surrounding him is not limited to the "strong girl case". There is also the case of a cult murdering his wife. His wife, who was eight months pregnant, was murdered by a cult, and he himself was the police's second suspect.

Therefore, Polanski is a figure of mixed reputation, and in the eyes of the public, he is actually a notorious figure. After all, he is associated with the label of "hard-working criminal" and the victim was a teenage girl. Do you think ordinary people would have a good impression of such a person?

Spielberg knew that if Polanski were to win the Oscar for Best Director, he would face immense public pressure and controversy.

But in their past lives, the Jews endured immense pressure and unanimous criticism to elevate Polanski to Best Director, simply because "The Pianist" resonated with them. This illustrates the immense influence Jews wield in Hollywood.

However, Wu Yuchen now intends to use this opportunity to dismantle a portion of the internal power of the Jewish group led by Spielberg.

Wu Yuchen continued, looking at Spielberg, and said:
"Steven, 'The Pianist' is excellent; it deserves Best Picture. But can Polanski win Best Director? If he wins Best Director, it might not bring much glory to the Jewish community. Instead, it might make more people aware that this Jewish man is actually a 'hard-working criminal' who is living a life of privilege and getting away with the law. Is that a benefit or a detriment to your community?"

Spielberg isn't stupid; he certainly understands that Wu Yuchen's words make a lot of sense. But even so, he can't say he'd abandon "The Pianist" in favor of "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas."

Wu Yuchen then smiled at Spielberg and said, "Hey Steven, you don't need to be so nervous. Do you think 'The Pianist' can sweep all the Oscars?"

"Ok?"

Spielberg shook his head immediately: "That might be difficult."

"Then why not concentrate your efforts? You should know how much resistance and controversy Polanski will face if he wants to win Best Director, right? Instead of that, wouldn't it be better to focus the PR efforts for 'The Pianist' on Best Picture and Best Actor, so that people can focus their attention on the film itself? Wouldn't that be better?"

Spielberg was caught in a dilemma. He understood that Wu Yuchen wanted him to act as a middleman, allowing "The Pianist" to compete for Best Picture and "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" to compete for Best Director.

As a key figure within Hollywood's Jewish community, Spielberg could easily act as an intermediary if he wanted to. However, doing so might provoke resentment among some within his own group. Is it worth it?
Spielberg then looked up at Wu Yuchen, who was at the peak of his career, a director at the height of his creative output. Leaving aside everything else, just consider how much profit *The Pirate King* brought to DreamWorks.

Spielberg knew very well how much Wu Yuchen valued this film, having proactively sought his help. Moreover, Wu Yuchen made it very clear that Spielberg shouldn't have won Best Director, both morally and logically, and if Spielberg didn't side with him this time, the "Pirate King" project might have been scrapped!
Others might not be able to do this, but Wu Yuchen is still a young man. A few years ago, he had a major falling out with Disney and Eisner over the Oscars, and it's possible they might break off relations with him over the Oscars this time too. They really are capable of indefinitely postponing the filming of "Pirates of the Caribbean"!

He knew that many major film studios were flirting with Wu Yuchen. It wasn't that Wu Yuchen couldn't live without DreamWorks, but that DreamWorks couldn't live without Wu Yuchen!

With that thought in mind, Spielberg steeled himself. "I've done enough for the Jews," he thought, "I can't let myself lose money because of them! What good will Polanski winning the award do me? To hell with that stubborn criminal!"

So what if he loses a little prestige among some of the more extreme Jews? For Spielberg, it's just a minor setback!
After thinking it over, Spielberg gave Wu Yuchen a warm and friendly smile:
"Wu, I'm not just Jewish, I'm also a filmmaker and your friend. Whether it's because of 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas' or because of you, I will stand by your side! I will fully support you in your bid for Best Director!"

(End of this chapter)