New Age Artists

Chapter 688 The Mission of the Movie (End)
Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Chinese Theater.

"Wonder Woman" premiere.

“Will it continue the dark style of Nolan and Zack Snyder, or will this director from the East bring a different style to DC?”

The hosts and guests from major TV stations covering the premiere of "Wonder Woman" were arguing endlessly.

"Light or dark, that is the question."

Questioning is considered mild, sarcasm is the norm, and only Warner media remains basically objective.

The reason is simple: Shen Santong's "Wonder Woman" has somewhat damaged the fragile hearts of American media professionals and art practitioners.

"Wonder Woman" is both a feminist totem and a product of national mythology.

It carries progressive ideals, yet is constantly changing amid the tug of war between commerce and ideology.

At this moment, in Hollywood where superhero movies are gradually becoming mainstream, the symbolic meaning of "Wonder Woman", which is constantly reshaped with the changing times, has fallen into Shen Santong's hands.

Shen Santong will use his big hands to reflect and shape the Wonder Woman in his mind through the "cultural prism" of gender, power and identity issues in American society.

Regardless of the final product of the film, this behavior itself is unprecedented.

Only those who have a deep understanding of the rules of Hollywood can understand the incredibleness of it.

Barry Meyer, former CEO of Warner Bros., also attended the premiere.

"Shen, you are the first Chinese to write the rules of Hollywood."

In 13, Barry Meyer resigned as CEO of Warner Bros., partly because of his age, and partly because of the box office failure of "Jack the Giant Slayer" and "Man of Steel," the starting point of the DC Universe, which also performed mediocrely.

There was a fierce internal struggle at Warner, which resulted in Barry Meyer being forced out.

However, during his tenure, he discovered the Harry Potter series and created Nolan's Batman. He parted ways with Warner Bros. peacefully, but still enjoys a certain influence.

Shen Santong is not modest. "Wonder Woman" is completely in his image, and he has no plans to develop in Hollywood for a long time. He is invincible.

So he smiled and said, "Maybe Warner needs success too much."

Barry Meyer shook his head and laughed, saying, "I heard that you and Kevin Tsujihara are not happy. Is there a misunderstanding between you?"

Kevin Tsujihara is the first Asian CEO to succeed Barry Meyer, and he is also of Japanese descent.

The stereotypes are so full that it is even more difficult to communicate with them than with old white men like Barry Meyer.

After chatting for a while, Shen Santong was careless about the topic of career. Barry Meyer thought of something and asked tentatively: "Shen, if you want to develop in Hollywood for a long time, you must handle your relationship with him well."

Shen Santong said bluntly: "I heard that AT&T is going to acquire Time Warner. Then there will be another fierce competition. I don't want to get involved."

Barry Meyer was shocked that Shen Santong had such well-informed information. He had just heard the news and quietly changed the subject: "Maybe your movie can bring Warner back to life."

"Cameron is here." After a few pleasantries, Shen Santong and Barry Meyer said goodbye and greeted the truck drivers who were attending the premiere.

Shen Santong: "Welcome."

Cameron: "I wish you success with your film."

Shen Santong: "Thank you."

Cameron: "I'm looking forward to your movie."

Shen Santong: "This is my first time making a Hollywood movie, so I don't know how to cut corners."

Hearing this, Cameron knew that Shen Santong had guessed why he came.

In recent years, corruption in Hollywood has become increasingly serious.

"Wonder Woman" cost $100 million to produce, which is only considered a medium-sized production in Hollywood today.

He came here this time to see whether the final version of "Wonder Woman" is the same as the rumors in the industry.

By the way, let's evaluate the future prospects of Chinese films. Most of the real-life scenes of "Wonder Woman" were completed in China, and Chinese companies were used for a large number of shots in the later stage.

If the rumors are true, Cameron really has to worry about the future of Hollywood.

Shen Santong was already familiar with handling premieres and walked around leisurely, while Elizabeth Debicki, the female lead, was still a rookie.

Facing the endless stream of Hollywood bigwigs on and off the stage, I was very nervous.

The premiere is progressing steadily.

Amidst the public's attention, "Wonder Woman" was unveiled.

Shen Santong had watched the full film several times, and he still felt a little regretful when he watched it again.

In his opinion, "Wonder Woman" is not too explicit and can only be considered semi-anti-authoritarian.

But some scenes were cut.

The plot of the secret organization headed by Ares' incarnation and manipulating the war behind the scenes was not preserved.

If it was a shot of Freemasonry or something like that, it would not be difficult to preserve it, but unfortunately Shen Santong did not portray Freemasonry or the eyes. What he portrayed was the top ruling group that remained unchanged for thousands of years, the unchanging mountain.

This mapping is real.

In the Western world, the top ruling group is still the same old aristocracy from more than a thousand years ago.

Because the West has never experienced a true grassroots revolution, that is, a game of changing people every two or three hundred years like in China.

During the colonial massacre era, the West was very successful in the game of capital transformation, and their aristocracy had transformed into capital giants.

Although they appear to be well-mannered on the surface, they are actually the same group of people who continued to control everything in the West a thousand years ago.

After all, the political and historical stage of the Western world is actually in the stage of bloodline aristocracy during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It’s just that the West did not have Shang Yang or Qin Shihuang, and failed to complete the transformation from bloodline aristocracy to a new type of military merit aristocracy.

The movie opens.

The origin of Paradise Island.

Diana lived in the secret island "Paradise" (Themyscira) guarded by Amazon warriors since she was a child.

She was warned by her mother, Queen Hippolyta, that the human world had been seduced into corruption by the god of war Ares, and that the Amazons' mission was to maintain peace and wait for the moment when they were needed.

Opening. Shen Santong did not directly construct an authority system, nor did he strengthen the concept of matriarchal society, nor did he use the language of the camera to challenge the traditional patriarchal narrative. Instead, he tried to downplay the ideological language as much as possible and strengthen the character of Diana itself.

Diana is the embodiment of justice, love and courage, yet she is also humane and compassionate.

Like millions of ordinary people, he has his own troubles.

first part.

Human intrusion and mission awakening.

During World War I, British spy Steve Trevor crashed into Paradise Island and revealed that the outside world was caught in a brutal war.

Diana firmly believes that it is Ares who is manipulating humans to kill each other, and decides to go to the battlefield with Steve to find and destroy Ares and end the war.

the second part.

Enter the human world.

Diana came into contact with modern society for the first time and witnessed the cruelty of war and the complexity of human beings.

She and Steve form a team, including snipers, con men and other characters, and go deep into the German front lines to try to stop the new deadly weapon developed by German gas experts.

Diana began to hear the wailing of the collective subconscious of mankind and witnessed the cruelty of war gradually revealing its potential.

Up to this point, apart from the spiritual foreshadowing, it is basically the usual Hollywood routine.

As the plot deepens, the differences gradually emerge.

the third part.

Fight and grow.

Diana demonstrated extraordinary combat prowess on the battlefield, such as capturing German fortresses with her bare hands and resisting bullets, and gradually became a symbol of hope in the hearts of soldiers.

However, she found that even after defeating the German general who was suspected to be the "incarnation of Ares", the war did not stop. She began to discover the complexity of the war and that there was a mysterious force behind it.

The causes of the war were simplified.

The causes of a war, especially a world war, are complex.

In World War I, there was not only unequal distribution of spoils, but also issues of sea and land power, as well as geopolitical conflicts.

But considering the educational level of European and American audiences, coupled with the attributes of their governments, simple attribution is actually just right.

As the story deepens, Shen Santong provides more room for interpretation.

For example, Steve Trevor is a key character who has multiple layers: he is an American spy sent to Germany by Britain during World War I, and he is also a rebel within the system.

For example, Ares is the embodiment of war, and he is also the defender of the old order, so his incarnation is Sir Patrick Morgan, who is disguised as a British officer.

At the same time, Ares is also the "maintainer" of order among the Olympian gods.

The source of human war is the return of the power of faith through war.

War is just a means to plunder faith.

On the surface, World War I was an imperialist struggle, but in reality it was a breeding ground for the Olympian gods to harvest the belief in war through human agents.

Part 4.

The truth and the showdown.

Eventually, Diana confronts the real Ares, disguised as British high-ranking official Sir Patrick Morgan.

Ares first claimed that the root cause of the war was not his own manipulation, but the innate greed and violence of human beings, and tried to lure Diana into his plan.

Diana chooses to believe in the light of humanity and engages in an epic showdown with Ares.

Afterwards, Ares bluntly stated that the safety and peace of the Amazon society on Paradise Island only existed because of his protection.

Diana's carefree life was inseparable from him, the "maintainer" of order.

It can be said that the burden of the multiverse lies entirely on him, the God of War.

If a demigod like Diana worked hard enough to compete with the elites among humans, make humans believe in them, and ensure that their faith is not lost, there would be no need for him to promote the war.

He, Ares, devoted his heart and soul to the Olympian gods, but became a warmonger and executioner, bearing the infamy of killing and violence.

Doing the most tiring work and receiving the harshest scolding.

The villain's motive is not simply evil, but to maintain his own power and order.

At the critical moment when Diana was almost shaken, Steve and the rest of the team sacrificed themselves to stop the poison gas bomb, awakening Diana's understanding of courage and love.

At this moment, Diana is resisting war on earth, and in the mythological system, she is resisting the "existing order" mentioned by Ares.

Steve's true salvation is not death, but allowing Diana to find her own mission from her emotions and preferences.

While retaining the DC superhero narrative framework, the film rises to anti-authority based on the female theme, giving Wonder Woman a new critical nature of the times.

Part Five.

The birth of a hero.

"I hate it when you say we can change. We never change. Now it's up to me to actually change this."

Wonder Woman raised her middle finger to Ares, who had appeared in his true form, and went full throttle.

The Lasso of Truth, bracelets, crown, etc., as she evolved, the Lasso of Truth originally represented truth and justice, and the bracelet could resist attacks, symbolizing women's defense and strength. At this moment, the equipment of this Amazon warrior turned into a resistance suit.

Ares roared in fear and anger: "If I fall, all mythological systems will collapse, including the foundation of the Amazons' existence."

"Father God (Zeus) will not let you go!"

Wonder Woman's response: It's my life! Fuck you!

Diana defeats Ares, but realizes the war is not over immediately.

From then on, she hid in human society as "Wonder Woman", waiting to be summoned next time.

Movie Easter eggs.

Rumble!
Amidst the thunder, a majestic and overbearing voice ordered Diana to become the new war totem, which seemed to imply that the enemy in the next part was Zeus.

After watching the movie, Cameron felt extremely complicated.

Is this a movie that could be made with $100 million?
The clothing and weapons from the First World War, the scenes of mass machine production, steel, and gears symbolizing the industrialized war machines, are full of historical authenticity.

The visuals and special effects are also top-notch.

Cameron couldn't help but worry.

Hollywood can’t make this with a cost of 100 million.

Nowadays, holding umbrellas for actors is a job, and removing rain from actors' rain gear is also a job.
If Hollywood were to produce "Wonder Woman" on its own, it would cost at least $500 million to $700 million.

What shocked Cameron even more was the film's sense of power.

Through Diana's pure belief and fighting power, the gender framework of traditional superhero movies is broken, and reflections on war and humanity are transcended.

The root cause of the war rose from Ares' personal evil to the theocracy-capital collusion structure.

As Diana grows up, she goes from believing that love can save the world to realizing that love has been alienated by power and turned into a tool of domination.

The villain's motive has changed from destroying humanity to using war to strengthen the sustainable operation of order and harvest faith.

While surpassing the depth of previous Hollywood films, it also maintains a low threshold for viewing and continues to rise step by step.

It wasn't just Steve who awakened Wonder Woman, but also the sacrifice of others, which is different from the collectivism of Hollywood's individual narrative.

It not only fits into the contemporary context of reflection on the centenary of the First World War, but also elevates the super-British narrative to the level of structural questioning.

Cameron can almost see that the shot of Wonder Woman giving the God of War the middle finger and the shout at the end will become a classic shot that is no less than Iron Man's revealing his identity.

Snapped!
clap clap!

In applause.

Shen Santong took the main creators on stage together, accepted compliments from his colleagues, and shared interesting stories about the filming with the audience.

There are actually some loopholes in the logic of the movie. For example, while war destroys, it also brings hope.

It will pry open the unchanging class barriers, and there is a certain conflict between Ares's launching of war and his setting as the maintainer of order.

Wonder Woman's return to human society is also integrated into the American theme narrative, which takes a step back from anti-authority. It is much weaker than the ending of his modified "The Return of the Great Sage".

But these are minor flaws.

His version of "Wonder Woman" is still much more logical than Hollywood blockbusters, and has better texture and depth.

Even if it is semi-anti-authoritarian, it is a film theme that Hollywood has never had before. It’s not that there is no deconstruction in American films, but most of them are independent films, and most of them are conspiracy theories.

It is extremely rare to see anti-authority in mainstream blockbusters.

By providing scarce and excellent film products, Shen Santong believes that the results will not be bad.

After the premiere in Hollywood ended, Shen Santong flew to China to attend the domestic premiere.

The domestic atmosphere is relatively normal.

Although personification is not a good idea, after the premiere of Wonder Woman, some people in China acted like a goddess that some people desire but cannot get. They rolled their eyes and looked disgusted. Suddenly one day, Shen Santong got tired of her and kicked her away. She had various tattoos on her key parts and could only squat on the roadside and cry with her big belly.

Before Wonder Woman was released, I could still deceive myself, but now that Wonder Woman is released, Hollywood stars have gathered, from executives to well-known producers, directors, and actors to show their support. After the premiere, Cameron boasted about the film.
This completely confused a group of people in the country.

It's the equivalent of a direct big mouth greeting, without any foreplay and without any room for maneuver.

Becoming stronger secretly is different from causing a shock in the square.

2015 6 Month 5 Day.

Wonder Woman is released worldwide.

The domestic box office in the United States exceeded 100 million in the first weekend, and increased instead of decreasing in the second week, achieving a reversal of growth and exceeding 200 million.

It ranked second the next weekend, slightly behind "Jurassic World (Jurassic Park 4)" produced by Spielberg and directed by Colin Trevorrow.

However, in the third week, "Wonder Woman" won the weekly box office championship with a slight decline, surpassing "Jurassic World" in the second week.

Three weeks after its release, the superhero film "Wonder Woman" directed by Shen Santong swept the world and raked in $18 billion at the box office.

The Chinese market relies entirely on Shen Santong's appeal, while the foreign market relies on empathy for the film's content.

To put it simply, people all over the world are dissatisfied with the current order and are holding their breath.

Of course, the most amazing results are in the US market.

It can almost be described as earth-shattering.

Many polling organizations and observers have found that "Wonder Woman" was like pouring fuel on the burning public opinion in the United States, which boosted the movie's box office and further fueled the hot collective emotions in the United States.

Scary!
The person who wronged you knows how wronged you are better than you do!

The Occupy Wall Street movement is MAGA in the literal sense. It is not a slogan, but a real hope. It is the vast majority of the people of the United States, and perhaps the last attempt to unite and save themselves.

If the Occupy Wall Street movement could have achieved a more positive outcome
If politicians could realize the alarm bell significance of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
If we take the initiative to make substantive reforms
Then today and in the future, the United States may be able to delay its decline and division, and even build a real consensus.

But self-revolution is extremely difficult, and not everyone can do it by scraping the bone to cure the poison.

There are no ifs in the real world.

However, hitting someone with a stake can kill him, and suppression can solve temporary problems, but it cannot change the fundamentals.

So Wonder Woman, even if it's only semi-anti-authority, still ignites a fire.

As "Wonder Woman" continues to be popular, some American elites have only one thought: Damn, why is Shen Santong such a bad guy!
This is just adding fuel to the fire! It's no big deal to just watch the fun!

Warner is in pain and happy!

The stock price almost doubled in three weeks and exploded.

It met double expectations.

The first is that the DC movie universe has taken a path that is not inferior to Marvel, and it can be replicated, semi-anti-authoritative popcorn blockbusters.

The second is to cooperate with Shen Santong to open up the Chinese market.

Although according to the contract between the two parties, most of the Chinese box office revenue of "Wonder Woman" will go into the hands of Shen Santong, but DC is a movie universe. With Shen Santong in charge of a movie, DC's recognition in China has surpassed Marvel in one fell swoop.

Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara personally put on a suit and came to Dongda University to thank Shen Santong.

The main reason is that Shen Santong left the United States after the first week and never came back.

"I'm going to focus on film technology now."

Faced with Kevin Tsujihara's almost pleading tone, Shen Santong politely declined.

However, Shen Santong pointed out a smooth road for Warner.

"I have already made a semi-anti-authority drama, and DC mainstream heroes can follow this path."

"I also have an idea for marginal heroes. Marginal characters should take the path of art, anti-authority and fun."

“For example, the Joker is designed to be a victim of Medicare and a 911 firefighter, and the story becomes a confrontation with his society.”

“It’s a hit with both the audience and the audience, a perfect combination of art and commerce.”

"There are two ways. Blow up the main characters and marginal characters at once. Marvel will be as childish as a child in front of DC. You can laugh at Marvel movies at will."

Shen Santong has already pointed out that whether Warner will leave or not is up to Warner itself.

"I'm just making a suggestion. It's up to you whether to follow it or not."

Kevin Tsujihara felt mixed emotions after hearing this.

"Wonder Woman" is heading for 20 billion, ranking first in film history.

Following the path pointed out by Shen Santong, the box office can indeed be boosted.

However, the anger of the United States and even the world will probably explode.

Damn, why is Shen Santong such a bad person!

Cameron also came to find Shen Santong.

Persuade Shen Santong to change the world by changing Hollywood like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and James Wan.

Shen Santong didn't hide anything and said bluntly: "You guys are a little angry now, I don't dare to go over."

"But I have an idea about the high cost of Hollywood productions."

"Our industry chain can help Hollywood develop, and Hollywood can share in the development of Chinese films."

"Hollywood's routines have become boring. We can also help you by injecting more advanced concepts into you. How about starting with our respective special effects studios?"

After Cameron finished talking with Shen Santong, he had only one thought: Damn, why is Shen Santong such a bad person!

If this continues, Hollywood will become Chinese!
7 month 17 day.

"Wonder Woman" was released for 28 days and the box office exceeded billion, surpassing "Avatar" to become the world's number one.

Shen Santong rejected all interview requests, including those from some domestic media.

He just wants to devote more energy to basic research. If nothing unexpected happens, "Three Gorges" will be his last film directed by himself.

Hangzhou town.

Shen Santong convened a meeting of his producers, directors, screenwriters, special effects technicians and other personnel.

"Over the years, we have streamlined our business, focused on the mainstay of film, and shifted from building a preliminary cultural system to building a preliminary film industry system."

"Santong Entertainment has achieved its first phase goal."

"Our future path is even more important. My idea is to base ourselves on our country's industry and industrial chain, draw nourishment from it, and then give back."

"Japan's post-war revival has produced many films that reflect industrial construction and urbanization. The United States also has them, and we want to make them too!"

“What does every industrial product we produce carry?”

"Looking back now, there are intensive industry clusters, a national master plan, and millions of engineers every year."

"Going back further, there was the advanced infrastructure construction that began in the 1980s, nine-year compulsory education, and highway construction."

"Moving forward, we have a preliminary industrial system since the founding of the People's Republic of China and a national transportation network, such as processing with supplied materials, processing with supplied samples, assembling with supplied parts and compensation trade. The premise is that we have basic road construction and basic electricity."

"If we look back further, we have history and culture. Our industrial products, like fine silk, brushes, ink, paper and inkstones, are first of all good things and worth the price. But in fact, we have not received the due return."

"Our industrial industry cannot be taken away by anyone who wants to, nor can it be replaced by anyone who wants to. Although it is almost impossible, let's assume that they can do it. Objectively speaking, it will take not three to five years, but at least thirty to fifty years to replicate us."

"To put it simply, the mission of the film industry is not to win international awards everywhere, but to overturn this international narrative and order, and use Chinese culture to win living space for Chinese products. Don't give them a premium or anything like that, but first get the pricing power that we deserve."

“Perhaps culture cannot play a leading role, but it can gradually build consensus. We do not rely solely on human costs. In Africa and other third world countries, lives are not worth much, let alone human costs.”

"Our industrial products deserve higher returns. Films should break the myths of the past and the shackles imposed on us by others."

Shen Santong explained the main points and led everyone to formulate a work plan for Santong Entertainment for the next period.

(End of book)

(End of this chapter)