Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 228 Stunning red carpet and shocking premiere

Just now, when Boss Lu was socializing with Liang Jiahui, he carefully observed Zhang Manyu's face.

Judging from her current skin condition, mental state, and superb acting skills, it wouldn't be too out of place for her to play a woman in her twenties.

After all, many signs of aging on the face can be solved through makeup.

The key lies in the actor's mentality and state, whether he can perform with ease across different age ranges.

When Zhang Yimou learned of his other purpose for coming today, he gladly became the middleman.

The two have already worked closely together in "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers".

"Hello, director."

Lao Mouzi responded with a smile and turned to introduce Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei.

Zhang Manyu greeted him with a smile, "I just witnessed the demeanor of our guide. He's truly extraordinary."

"It's funny."

Boss Lu asked Liu Yifei to follow Zhang Yimou to meet some people and invited Zhang Manyu to the private room for a detailed discussion.

"Director Lu, is there something wrong?"

Lu Kuan got straight to the point: "There's a movie and I'd like to invite Sister Manyu to star in it."

If it were someone else, he might have used all kinds of preparations, persuasion, appealing to their emotions and explaining things to them with reason.

But Zhang Manyu is not a naive girl. She debuted as Miss Hong Kong and rose from a vase to a film queen with many honors. She has become indifferent to everything.

Even at this stage in 2004, Zhang Manyu had already won 1 Golden Bear, 4 Golden Horses, and 5 Golden Images.

If nothing unexpected happens, she will have almost no competitors at this year's Cannes and will become the first Asian actress in Cannes' history with her ex-husband's "Clean".

She has no shortage of honor and money, and Boss Lu can't offer much to convince her.

Just the movie and the characters.

She also has a worry.

Zhang Manyu smiled gently and said, "Director Wang Jiawei's films are too tiring. I want to take a break after Cannes."

"How about this, Sister Manyu, I'll take a few minutes to tell you a story. If you're interested, we can continue chatting."

"If you're not interested, then just think of it as listening to a storyteller for free, right?"

Zhang Manyu twitched the corners of her mouth slightly, thinking that this young director was very interesting.

The person who was arguing with Wu Yusen just now was another person.

"Wow, the Golden Lion Award-winning director is telling me a story. I really need to listen."

Lu Kuan organized his thoughts and gave a concise account of the script of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" that he had adapted.

The film expounds on the heroine's role and core spiritual connotation, describing the love-hate life of a woman from Shanghai and Hong Kong that spans multiple historical periods.

It was not until the end of the story, when the heroine passed away in a rocking chair holding the hero Li Ming, whose body curled up like a baby, that Zhang Manyu, who had been listening attentively, finally felt a little emotional.

Zhang Manyu's life experience is similar to that of the heroine. Her parents are from Shanghai and later immigrated to Hong Kong. The story is also attractive enough.

It's just that her personality is a bit casual and she has no desires, especially in her love life. After divorcing her ex-husband, the director who helped her win the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival, her life has become even more carefree.

"Director Lu, I'll think about it. Maybe I'll have to wait until the Cannes Film Festival is over."

Boss Lu thought to himself that it was going to be bad. If she won another award after Cannes, she would probably really want to retire from the film industry for a while.

It seems that I can only use Zhang Ziyi as a stepping stone...

"Sister Manyu, I've got my eyes on two actresses for this movie. They both meet the requirements in terms of acting skills and box office appeal."

"One is you, and the other is Zhang Ziyi."

Boss Lu paused and smiled, "So I hope you can give me an answer as soon as possible. If you really can't, I can only look forward to our next cooperation."

Zhang Manyu's expression changed slightly, which was keenly noticed by Lu Kuan who was sitting opposite her.

There is a play.

Zhang Manyu and Zhang Ziyi had some minor disagreements when they collaborated on several films.

This contradiction was fully exposed at the 2013 Academy Awards ceremony, when Zhang Ziyi won the Best Actress award for "The Grandmaster".

The organizers were very considerate and asked Andy Lau and Zhang Manyu, the two best actors and actresses, to present her awards. However, at the party, Zhang Manyu's face turned cold as soon as she saw her name.

In the end, Andy Lau had to maintain order awkwardly. When he was presenting the award to Zhang Ziyi, Zhang Manyu had already left the podium and went backstage.

Afterwards, reporters interviewed Zhang Manyu and asked her if she wanted to give Zhang Ziyi some advice from a senior.

Zhang Manyu laughed and said that she didn't dare, because her style was outdated and Zhang Ziyi probably didn't like it!

The reason behind this should be traced back to the collaboration that started with "Hero", including the subsequent "House of Flying Daggers" and "2046".

Zhang Manyu was originally the female lead in both "Hero" and "2046", but in the later editing, Zhang Ziyi's role as the second female lead was obviously larger than hers.

If it was in "Hero", it would be fine. After all, it is Zhang Yimou's movie. There is nothing wrong with promoting local actors. It is also an industry practice.

However, in Hong Kong director Wang Jiawei's "2046", Zhang Manyu filmed for 4 years, and in the final film, only a few of her shots were cut.

Those who don’t know might think that Zhang Ziyi is the female lead. As a film queen, she is just making a cameo appearance to enhance the cast.

The reason is unknown, but the conflict and rift between the two are obvious, and they have never cooperated again since then.

Zhang Manyu had complicated emotions in her heart. She had some complaints about Zhang Ziyi, but she didn't hate her to the point of hatred. It was just that they had different approaches.

She asked herself if she could do some of the grape-catching operations.

"Zhang Ziyi is actually quite suitable for this role. Her age is a great advantage."

Zhang Manyu pondered for a few seconds before giving this answer.

Lu Kuan went further: "Zi Yi is indeed one of the better actresses in mainland China, but during the filming of 'Foreign Land', she caused some trouble for me and Director Yi Mou due to schedule issues. This is my biggest worry."

"Sister Manyu may not know that Spielberg is my friend. He is producing a film called Memoirs of a Geisha which will start filming this year and he may invite Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li."

"I'm worried that overlapping dramas will happen again. This is not the outcome I want to see."

Boss Lu let out a long, feigned sigh, "I've been preparing for this film for a long time. It will be at the Berlin Film Festival next February. That's also where you, Manyu, will win the Best Actress award for the first time as a Chinese actress."

"So the filming process was very tight, and I had to ask the actors to devote themselves wholeheartedly, but Ziyi..."

The scheming bitch Lu Kuan set two traps for Zhang Manyu.

One is to compare her with Zhang Ziyi, show her the script first, and if that doesn't work, then find the latter, so that she has the upper hand in terms of impression points.

Second, Zhang Ziyi is going to enter Hollywood, and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" will be exhibited at the Berlin Film Festival. This is an invisible confrontation.

It just depends on whether Zhang Manyu’s competitive spirit is as strong as Zhang Ziyi’s.

The Berlin Film Queen bit her lip and smiled gently, "Director Lu, give me some time to think about it. I'll give you an answer in two or three days."

Zhang Manyu was actually already shaken, but she still needed to observe the young director for a while.

During these four years, Wang Jiawei tortured her a lot, but it was still the training of an excellent director.

At the very least, she wants to see Director Lu's real skills at tomorrow's premiere of "Alien Land" to see if the role is worth it for her.

Maybe it was the jet lag, maybe it was the anxiety about the premiere the next day, or maybe it was the lack of a bed partner.

In short, Boss Lu tossed and turned that night.

The 2004th Cannes Film Festival opened on May 5, 12, local time in France. The premiere process was still the most eye-catching red carpet ceremony.

Lu Kuan got up early and took a walk around the Film Palace. He was surprised to find many movie fans holding up cardboard boxes with the words "Secret Region" and "Leonardo" written on them asking for tickets.

The viewing procedure at the Cannes Film Festival is different from that at other film festivals.

Generally speaking, the first screening of a film in Cannes is for film companies and the media to release news and prepare for distribution.

The official release is usually a day later and is for general moviegoers.

During this event, actors and directors usually walk on the red carpet outside the Film Palace to promote their films and attract attention.

Meanwhile, the films in Cannes are not open to the public.

If ordinary movie fans want to watch a movie, they can only use connections.

For example, ask someone to get you a press card, or get to know a film producer and forge an identity or invitation letter as a film producer employee.

Otherwise, you can only hold up signs and ask for votes like this.

At least judging from the popularity of the crowds asking for tickets early in the morning, Boss Lu’s previous advertising campaign was effective.

At 9 o'clock in the morning, the red carpet ceremony officially began, with Quentin, Xu Ke and other judges entering first.

The first Asian actress to make her debut was Gong Li.

And two supermodels who traveled with them: Indian supermodel Rai and French supermodel Casta.

"Does it look good?"

Liu Yifei was standing with the crew waiting to appear on stage, and saw Lu Kuan staring at the three people on the red carpet.

"Ah? Not bad!"

This is not really because Boss Lu was attracted by her beauty. The French supermodel Casta has an explanation.

Lu Kuan was a fan of the Premier League team Arsenal in his previous life, and Casta, the popular French supermodel in Europe, was the girlfriend of Highbury King Henry.

I don’t know if Gun King Henry is here today. It would be great to take a photo with him.

He had a sense of disillusionment with his past and present life.

Leonardo had just finished putting on his makeup and came out, hugging and greeting Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei.

"Oh, Crystal, you look so beautiful today!"

"Is that what you're wearing your panda's food?"

Concubine Liu Yi explained to him the design concept of the bamboo dress in an unpleasant manner, and Leonardo was confused and intimidated.

The little girl turned to Lu Kuan and said something in Mandarin: "You're right, these foreigners are like wild boars that can't handle fine bran!"

On the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival, actresses competed with each other for beauty, and most of them showed off their breasts to attract attention.

The bamboo style designed by Boss Lu for Concubine Liu Yi became popular after being launched by Armani in later generations. However, fashion is cyclical, and I don’t know whether the current aesthetic can accept such a style.

But it is more suitable for Liu Yifei. She is only seventeen years old and is not suitable for taking a route that is too sexually tense. It is better for her to interpret the gentle and fresh Chinese style.

The crew of "House of Flying Daggers" was in the lead and was met with a fierce attack from guns and cameras as soon as they appeared.

Domestic celebrities such as Zhang Manyu, Zhang Ziyi, Liang Chaowei, and Andy Lau took turns to perform, and the domestic and Hong Kong and Taiwan media at the scene were very excited.

Now these reporters are expecting some big news, such as the rumored fight between Zhang Manyu and Zhang Ziyi due to a disagreement during filming.

Even if they don't get along on the red carpet and don't make eye contact, they still have scripts to write.

Fortunately, Zhang Ziyi did not disappoint the reporters.

Gong Li was interviewed by reporters on the other side of the red carpet. When asked about Zhang Ziyi's acting skills, she replied: Very good.

When the reporter asked again whether Zhang Ziyi could be crowned the best actress, Gong Li replied: I haven't seen other movies, so it's not convenient to talk about it.

When Zhang Ziyi came over, Gong Li nodded and left without a hug or handshake.

Han Lu from Xinlang Entertainment came to the scene again.

She wrote in her sketchbook like a dragon: Zhang Yimou's new and old loves met on a narrow road, and the grudges on the Cannes red carpet were still there.

Han Lu is now looking forward to the crew of "Foreign Land". After all, Liu Yifei's purple pleated skirt left a deep impression on her at the Venice Film Festival in 2002.

She was deeply impressed by the shouts of "Chinese princess" and "Lolita" from countless foreign media at the scene.

Two years have passed, and times have changed. Now Liu Yifei is one of the most popular actresses in China. I wonder if her makeup and dress today will bring any surprises.

Han Lu quietly glanced at the traditional Chinese characters in the Hong Kong media sketches. The wording was quite sharp:

The new Mou Girl looks like a black date and cannot compare to her predecessor’s peach milk.

She silently turned the camera to the group photo of the "2046" crew and observed the outfits of the two people.

Ok. . .

Black dates and peaches are quite appropriate!
Han Lu was only 1.6 meters tall and was struggling to squeeze in among a group of tall and fat white people. Suddenly, she felt someone stepped on her foot.

"sorry!"

Han Lu turned around and saw a young Chinese man with long flowing hair and a handsome face.

Her heart couldn't stop beating, and she had the illusion of falling in love at first sight.

Looking at his outfit, a well-matched mix of designer brands, if he walked on the red carpet like this, he would be no less stylish than some celebrities.

"No...it's okay. You're not a reporter, are you?"

When the man met his compatriots from China, he told them the truth: "I'm a fashion designer. I asked someone to get me a permit and sneaked in to observe."

He glanced at the camera in Han Lu's hand and said earnestly, "Madam, can you lend me your photos later?"

"no problem."

"By the way, my name is Han Lu, a reporter for Xinlang Entertainment in China."

"Hello Han Lu, my name is Wang Daren, a fashion designer."

Han Lu was surprised and said, "You are a designer, that's great. I don't recognize the clothes that some domestic celebrities wore just now. Can you help me take a look?"

"no problem."

"Li is wearing a YSL green open-chested cheongsam that blends Chinese and Western elements today, paired with Chopard jewelry. Hmm, it looks charming and sexy, which suits her very well."

He then turned to Zhang Ziyi: "This is a black Givenchy see-through lantern dress, paired with Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry, but it just hugs her figure too tightly."

"picture..."

Han Lu recalled the sketch by the Hong Kong reporter and had a sudden inspiration: "Like black dates?"

Wang Daren was stunned for two seconds, then laughed out loud: "It's very vivid, but it's a bit offensive to write it this way."

While the two were chatting and laughing, they suddenly heard the exclamations of the white people around them!

"Leo! This way!"

Han Lu and Wang Daren turned around and saw the director and actors of the "Foreign Land" crew walking onto the red carpet.

Leonardo was the face of the show, walking at the front alone and stopping every few steps to accept the greetings from the flash cameras.

The reporters watched him walk away reluctantly, and when they looked up, they were surprised to find an extremely bright green figure among the crowd of people in suits and ties.

Liu Yifei wore a gentle and reserved bamboo dress, which was in stark contrast to the other European and American actresses present who were revealing their breasts.

These entertainment reporters who are used to eating greasy meals suddenly tasted a piece of refreshing and timeless mint.

"What style is that?"

"Stunning design! Oriental charm!"

“It’s a bit like the green plants that Chinese people love!”

Liu Yifei and Lu Kuan walked side by side, and the green color made the little girl's fair skin look whiter than snow.

Today's makeup is also of moderate lightness and of suitable length.

She held Lu Kuan's arm, raised the corner of her mouth slightly, and her slender neck made her look tall and graceful, with a cool air like a light cloud emerging from a mountain.

It complements the design concept of the bamboo dress she is wearing.

(Author's note: The pictures do not represent the actual objects and are for reference only)
The posing movements are still a bit clumsy, but it is as natural and approachable as a lotus emerging from the water.

A tall, fat white reporter shouted, "Sir, single portrait, please!"

Boss Lu tactfully stepped aside, giving Liu Yifei the opportunity to appear in the camera alone.

Suddenly, another shout in Chinese was heard.

"Guide! Look here!"

Boss Lu looked up and saw Han Lu, the Sina reporter who was in Venice two years ago. He smiled and waved at her.

I saw the long-haired man next door staring blankly at Liu Yifei's dress, and wondered why this guy was here too.

Wang Daren had close ties with the domestic entertainment industry in his later life. He was a fashion designer disguised as a star, and Boss Lu had naturally seen him.

"Han Lu, do you know this director?"

Wang Daren was immersed in the bamboo dress worn by Concubine Liu Yi, trying to construct the unique design style of the dress with his naked eyes. He was so curious!
Isn’t this the fusion of Eastern and Western styles that I have been pursuing?

It's so beautiful!

Clothing design pays attention to the echo of color and texture, the echo of lines and shapes, and the echo of patterns and designs.

This oriental-style dress has patterns, colors, and lines that echo each other, and the shoulders, chest, and waist lines are perfect in rhythm.

Seeing that Han Lu didn't respond, he asked again.

"Ah? He's a famous young director in China, and that lady is Liu Yifei, the heroine of his film."

"We don't really know each other, I've just interviewed him before, and he's quite friendly."

Wang Daren asked anxiously, "Can you take me to interview him? I have something very important to ask him."

He wanted to know in detail the origin of the dress, as it would be an important source of inspiration for his recent research on the concept of combining Chinese and Western clothing!

"Okay, I'll try my best."

The directors and actors who walked the red carpet entered the venue in an orderly manner. Gong Li waited at the door and hugged and greeted Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei.

"Xiaolu, every time I see you it's at a film festival. You're so outstanding."

Boss Lu laughed and said, "Sister Gong Li is just praising herself!"

Gong Li patted his forearm affectionately, then grabbed Liu Yifei's hand and said, "Yifei, you look so beautiful today. I just saw you walking towards me from the end of the red carpet. You looked like a fairy."

"Whose couture house is this dress from? Which designer did it?"

Concubine Liu Yi covered her mouth and chuckled: "That's the outstanding young man you mentioned."

Gong Li was stunned for two seconds, looking at Lu Kuan in disbelief: "You? No way? You know fashion design?" Boss Lu said frankly: "It's a lucky find. I didn't expect it would suit her so well."

"Perfect! Absolutely perfect. Didn't you see the attitude of the reporters just now?"

She looked at Lu Kuan with admiration: "Are you ready to enjoy your science fiction masterpiece later?"

Gong Li, Lu Kuan and others met at the Venice Film Festival. They were familiar with each other and chatted for a while before taking their seats.

Quentin and conference chairman Jacob and others took turns to give speeches, and the opening ceremony ended, turning to the film premiere.

The main venue in Cannes is called the Palais des Festivals, which has four large screening rooms.

The largest screening room, the Lumiere Hall, is similar to a top theater, divided into two floors and can accommodate about 2500 spectators.

Generally speaking, the opening ceremony and premiere will be held in the Lumiere Hall.

Therefore, almost no guests and reporters attending the opening ceremony left the venue, as they were all waiting for the opening of "Alien Land".

Lu Kuan gave a brief speech on behalf of the crew, and the dragon logo passed across the screen, and the movie began.

The opening of a film is extremely important. For commercial films, the opening sets the tone for the entire film.

It's like the difference between a classic novel and an online novel.

A classic masterpiece can have a plain opening, allowing readers to slowly savor the flavor in the vast sea of ​​words.

However, if the first few chapters of an online novel fail to catch the reader's attention and throw out the hook, it will basically be discarded.

The situation is similar for commercial films and art films.

The opening of "Alien Land" is naturally the car chase and fighting scene that combines Yuen Woo-ping's new-style action design and top special effects shots.

The directors from various countries present today are more or less familiar with Lu Kuan, the director who won the Venice Golden Lion Award in 2002 and the Cannes Jury Grand Prix in 2003.

But no matter whether you are familiar with him, have heard of him, or have never paid attention to him, you can roughly assess the ability of this director just from this beginning.

As Star Wars screenwriter Arndt once described it to the media:
I will never forget August 1979, when Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now was released.

I saw the first few minutes at the Uptown Cinema in Washington, DC.

Martin's lying face, the subjective perspective of staring at the ceiling, the burning jungle and other overlapping intentions.

The huge roar of the helicopter rotors and the Doors' "The End" left all the audience inexplicably shocked.

Zhang Manyu, who is present now, also has the same feeling.

The car racing scenes are still the same car racing scenes, not to mention the martial arts. She is a Hong Kong actress, is she not familiar enough with action movies?

But. . .

Why do the ten minutes or so of these two combined seem so dramatic?
She looked at the powerful punches of Liu Yifei on the screen, and felt that every elbow and straight punch was hitting the audience or her own face.

It is not surprising that Zhang Manyu has such a feeling. She is not a professional director and does not understand the mysteries of the camera.

There are many close-up shots and continuous shots combined here to highlight the real impact of this new-style action scene.

Lu Kuan sat slightly back, which was the habit of every film director.

The further back you sit, the easier it is to observe the audience's reactions and expressions.

Especially since those present now are all professional directors, actors and other film practitioners.

After finishing the fifteen-minute scene, the feedback from the audience made him feel a little relieved.

Quentin sat down with one of his favorite directors, Park Chan-wook from South Korea.

He liked the Korean film "Oldboy" and even shed tears for the experience of the male lead Choi Min-sik while watching the movie.

"Park, what do you think?"

Park Chan-wook nodded silently: "I see a hint of Kurosawa Akira."

Tarantino rubbed his chin in agreement: "The switching between subjective and objective shots at the beginning was very fast. It seemed messy, but it gave the audience a strong sense of impact."

"The special effects are also above standard. Honestly, I haven't seen any car chase scenes with such visual tension in the past two years."

Park Chan-wook's themes have always been based on reality and revenge, and he is not very familiar with special effects technology.

"Quentin, how come his flying cars in the air can be filmed with such a sense of speed? It reminds me of that slow shot in Luc Besson's The Fifth Element."

Quentin chuckled.

"I asked for directions, and he said to first shoot with a green car on the ground, then remove the green and then combine it."

"That gave the illusion of speed in the air, but it took four cars to do it."

Park Chan-wook smiled bitterly and shook his head. How much money would this cost?

It wasn't just the Hollywood director who was amazed and curious about this scene. Xu Ke also drooled while watching it.

He is considered to be the Chinese director who likes and is best at using special effects, but when he thinks of his shabby action design and visual effects in "Shushan", he feels uncomfortable.

It's incomparable to the sense of technology, modernity and camera impact shown in the past ten minutes!
He knew that it was impossible to achieve such an effect with the current level of special effects in the mainland, and Lu Kuan could only have learned the special effects shooting techniques in Hollywood.

What a director who is good at learning.

Xu Ke recalled the argument between Lu Kuan and Wu Yusen last night in Hong Kong.

Perhaps Lu Kuan's point of view is correct. Hong Kong filmmakers should go north to make a living with a humble attitude.

Because our real enemy is outside, in Hollywood.

There is no future in infighting.

As Liu Yifei escaped death for the first time in the movie, there was a cry of surprise at the scene!
All the audience felt suffocated in front of the huge screen.

They stared intently at the little girl with an oriental face who struggled to get out of the car window, just one step away from being engulfed by the flames.

Boss Lu looked at everyone's reactions with satisfaction, and won the opening successfully!
Around the 15th minute mark, the film enters the next plot point.

The audience was excited by the car racing and fighting, and was suddenly introduced into the sci-fi future world by a background introduction.

Twenty years ago, the world's total population exceeded 500 billion and faced food shortages. Dr. Simai fundamentally solved this problem.

Gary Oldman plays a human hero scientist who has established a base that provides a steady supply of agricultural and sideline products.

West Wheat Farm.

Right now, there are some minor problems with this large granary. Originally, the farm would export a batch of products to the outside world every ten minutes.

But this routine was unexpectedly interrupted a day ago, and the mission of Liu Yifei, Leonardo, and Travolta, who had escaped danger at the beginning, was to go to the farm's management center to repair equipment.

Liu Yifei, a Chinese girl proficient in ancient Chinese martial arts, Leonardo, the top special forces soldier of the Federation, and Travolta, a last-place guy, form the three protagonists and enter a foreign land: Ximai Farm.

The three of them entered Ximai Farm, as if opening a door of God, and the faintly flickering light on the screen suddenly turned into dusk.

The audience who didn't know much about it didn't pay attention to it, but Zhang Yimou could see that this was the effect produced by the special effects technology that Lu Kuan had introduced to Butian Film before.

At that time I only saw a glimpse of it on the operating table, but now seeing it on the big screen is truly shocking.

So smooth, so natural.

Leonardo prided himself on his experience and walked first without hesitation.

Travolta is the oldest of the three members. Like most of the confused people on Earth in this era, he has twelve children, but he is also the only one of the three who has actually participated in the war.

Leonardo looked at this beautiful woman with unique oriental features and said with a smile, "Don't be nervous, No. 1, I'm just here to repair the operating system."

Liu Yifei, number 1 of the tactical team, suddenly turned and looked at him: "Talking less might keep us safer. This is a foreign land."

Leonardo and Travolta looked at each other speechlessly, wondering why she was so serious.

Before leaving, Dr. Ximai told them that their trip was just to eliminate some livestock that had escaped from the pen and to inspect the farm's automated operating system.

Because Liu Yifei's father, a Chinese scientist played by Liang Jiahui, told his daughter a secret.

This is also the goal that Liu Yifei is trying to achieve by trying every possible means to sneak into the tactical team.

The three of them were walking in the jungle. The trees were tall and dense, and from time to time a few cows and sheep jumped out from the dense vegetation in the distance and ran away when they saw people.

The plot was laid out for about 5-8 minutes, and by now the impatient audience was already getting a little anxious.

Exotic? This is just an ordinary farm with ordinary animals. Why is it called exotic?

In Hollywood screenwriting techniques, the upcoming plot point is called the Act II Twist.

Suddenly, the combat watches of the three protagonists all vibrated violently. It turned out to be a distress signal sent by the fifth team.

Liu Yifei, wearing silver-gray heavy armor, took the lead and rushed to the scene of the incident with a graceful posture, followed closely by Leonardo and Travolta.

The scene before him was a mess. Three members of the fifth team were lying in a pool of blood. It was obvious without a closer look that they were dead.

Because they were actually three bloody skeletons stuck together.

Blood, muscle, and fragments of internal organs splattered all over the ground, and bones stood out white where they were broken.

The stunning special effects allow the audience to even see the details of broken muscle fibers. The film's overall picture is flawless, down to the details, giving viewers a strong sense of immersion.

Concubine Liu Yi carefully examined the wounds of the three people and turned back to say, "They were all eaten."

"Eat? The cattle and sheep on the farm will eat people? Are you kidding me?"

Travolta was a little frightened. He had a big family to support and was a very timid person.

Rather than saying this is a question to Concubine Liu Yi, it is more like deceiving oneself.

He was unwilling to believe that the three of them had stepped into a deadly place, and that the farm they had previously thought of was actually a foreign land!

Leonardo looked around and said with a wry smile, "It really is a fucking farm, a farm!"

The entire movie scene suddenly zooms out here. Lu Kuan uses a lot of wide-angle and overhead shots to enhance the color contrast and tension through a large depth of field.

The audience watched in amazement as the perspective on the screen changed to a bird's-eye view, with the composition centered on the standing position of the three-person team, presenting the truth of the foreign land before the audience's eyes!
Oh my goodness! It turns out that the ordinary trees the three of them had just passed were actually crops, and those towering trunks were just corn branches!

If crops can evolve so magnificently here, then animals...

What about the monster that just ate the fifth team?

Choi Min-sik, the lead actor in "Oldboy," lamented, "The special effects are so realistic, including the car racing scenes. Compared to this, the special effects in our Korean movies look like child's play!"

Park Chan-wook nodded silently and said to Quentin beside him, "This guy's editing and scheduling are really brilliant. That sudden long-distance overhead shot just now seemed too extreme at first glance, and it quickly distracted the audience."

“But in the quickly linked images, a variety of compositional methods are used to achieve narrative effects by constantly guiding the audience’s attention and focus.”

Quentin didn't answer because he was also deeply shocked.

The first time I met Lu Kuan, he proposed the expression method of parallel montage and the narrative innovation of comic insertion on the set.

The second time, in "The Drummer", he was amazed by the stunning editing and the ability to train new actors.

The third time was in "Thief", where the arrangement and plot design of group drama were unique.

This time, his unique lens technique was seen again in Lu Kuan's purely commercial film.

A large number of foreground construction shots, mirror shooting techniques, and matching editing of different spatial image trajectories!

What's scary is not that he can master these techniques, but that he is constantly improving!

It is almost impossible for a mature director to come up with something new in every movie.

After the plot point, the movie picks up speed.

The audience has seen the true face of the "foreign land" and is worried about the protagonists.

Leonardo's face was solemn: "I'll contact the base and seek the help of Dr. Ximai."

Concubine Liu Yi turned her back calmly and carefully observed the landmark features according to the orientation survey method her father taught her.

Dr. Ximai was once Liang Jiahui's most proud disciple. The farm was built by Dr. Ximai using his theoretical achievements, but Ximai didn't know that Liang Jiahui had another trick up his sleeve.

"Radio waves can't travel between the base and the farm. Give up."

Travolta no longer looked so nonchalant, holding the M42 laser gun in his hand to guard his two teammates.

"You two, take a look at this."

Liu Yifei took out a note, which was the secret message Liang Jiahui secretly gave her before leaving.

It's a matter of life and death, and the three of them must unite as one. She has no choice but to reveal some of the truth first to overcome the difficulties.

Leonardo and Travolta looked at the note carefully. It was a warning from Liang Jiahui to his daughter:
There is something strange going on at Ximai Farm. If you encounter an enemy, run away quickly and don't resist!

The three of them were silent for a while, and Liu Yifei walked towards the depths of the jungle with a gun in hand.

"Let's find the management center first!"

The team members no longer knew whether they were hunters or prey, and they moved forward in the dense forest in a formation that supported each other, one step deep and one step shallow.

Leonardo felt that Concubine Liu Yi seemed to know something.

"Lan Yue, will the base send support?"

Concubine Liu Yi gave him a cold look and said, "They won't know what happened here unless there's a big problem with the transportation of crops."

"But we're right near the base. They could even send a drone to find out what's going on here. That's better than us being like a fly on the head, right?"

Concubine Liu Yi stopped and looked at them. "It seems like there's only a wall between here and the outside world, but on this side of the wall there are crops hundreds of meters high. An unknown creature could devour a top-tier combat team in just a few minutes."

"Do you still think this is just an ordinary farm?"

The three finally arrived at the management center.

The door was open and the security system had obviously been disabled.

The protagonists walked straight into the main door, and there was also deathly silence inside.

The three had never seen such a grand building. It felt like the ceiling was more than eighty meters high, like an indoor plain.

Many huge machines were piled up everywhere, like dormant rocks, and their purpose could not be seen at first glance.

The audience at the scene exclaimed again, and they put themselves into the real movie scene.

Because the special effects are so beautiful.

With the support of the Lumiere Hall's top-notch audio-visual equipment, Lu Kuan's imaginative science fiction scenes in the film constantly impacted their eyes and ears, achieving a resonance on the spiritual level.

Concubine Liu Yi suddenly rolled forward, her movements were extremely fast, clean and neat.

Zhang Ziyi in the audience had to admit that her action scenes were indeed better than hers, but her advantage was in her acting skills, which required talent.

She has absolute confidence in this regard.

The reason why Lu Kuan was unwilling to wait for his injury to heal might be because of his relationship with Concubine Liu Yi.

The mainland actress, who is one of the four little beauties, quietly clenched her fists, determined to find an opportunity to approach Lu Kuan and capture him.

She couldn't believe that she, a mature woman of twenty-four or twenty-five, was not as attractive as a little girl.

There were exclamations in the theater one after another. Everyone looked in the direction that Liu Yifei pointed to Leonardo, and a two-meter-tall mechanical monster appeared in front of the camera.

It has six arms and two legs, and a saw-like high-voltage discharger is installed in its mouth.

"what are you doing?"

Leonardo watched with bloodshot eyes as Liu Yifei took off her heavy armor and rushed towards the mechanical monster.

The latter waved his big hand like a palm-leaf fan as if he could easily slap the slender oriental beauty to death.

Looking at the flesh and blood tissue still remaining in the robot's mouth, the audience at the scene knew that Liu Yifei would not die, but they still couldn't help but close their eyes and dared not watch this scene.

Liu Yifei was seen standing on the scrapped robot meat mountain, and with a few jumps, she appeared at the back of the robot's head like a kite flip!
Leonardo and Travolta were stunned. Is this a human bounce?
What secrets does this oriental girl from China have?
Wire acting is Liu Yifei's forte. Wearing a purple training suit, she completed a series of extremely difficult moves in the air, causing the audience to exclaim in surprise!

Finally, she used the butt of her gun to shatter the power connection at the back of the robot's head. An integrated circuit fell with sparks, and the mechanical giant fell to the ground with a loud bang.

Leonardo rushed forward to check on Concubine Liu Yi, and the camera gave her a close-up from a bird's-eye view.

His hair was disheveled, his straight nose and smooth forehead were covered with sweat, his throat rose and fell with the swallowing movement, and his almond-shaped eyes were filled with relief at surviving the disaster.

The audience at the scene really appreciated Leonardo's monologue at the beginning.

This is a heroic oriental beauty.

Gong Li and other domestic filmmakers who have seen "The Drummer" nodded frequently. Such close-up shots are the most challenging for the actors' sense of picture and ability to control the details of facial expressions.

If done well, the facial features serve the plot; if done poorly, the audience will be distracted in a second.

Her progress is obvious.

"Is this the one that killed our teammates?"

Travolta walked up to the robot and kicked it in the face angrily, but he was so painful that he covered his foot and jumped.

Laughter came from the audience, and a few short jokes were inserted between the thrilling plots, which is also a common technique in Hollywood movies.

Leonardo examined it carefully and shook his head: "It's not it."

"Look, its label says Collector 294. It's just an agricultural harvester made by the doctor."

Liu Yifei also discovered some clues: "I just smashed its power interface with the butt of my gun. Its other parts are intact. Agricultural machinery will not actively attack humans. There is only one reason for their programming to be disordered."

She didn't continue speaking. The three of them looked towards the computer room of the management center with the audience's perspective and camera.

The three of them lined up in a line and began to walk through the chaotic mechanical jungle.

The composition here is grand and majestic. The silver-gray mechanical meat mountains make the three human figures look small and abrupt. The low color contrast and blurred boundaries create a dreamy feeling of a science fiction world for the audience.

This is the director's aesthetic design. In other words, it is a reflection of the director's artistic skills.

The three of them arrived at the computer room, and all the equipment was dead. Leonardo opened his backpack, took out a high-energy battery, and connected it to the power board.

After a chaotic flash of light, the machine started up.

Leonardo and Travolta are both reckless men, and only Liu Yifei controls the system alone.

She looked at the numbers jumping on the screen in disbelief and ignored Leonardo's questions.

Leonardo's vigilance was shattered, and he grabbed her arm. "What on earth is going on? What's so strange here?!"

In order to show Concubine Liu Yi's special position in this conflict, Lu Kuan placed her directly in the center of the picture in the next shot.

First a side profile, then an over-the-shoulder shot, and finally a close-up!

Yifei Liu’s “Kubrick gaze” has arrived.

(End of this chapter)