Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 322 Washing Machine: I want to give you a big blow now

The first meeting of the Olympic team was originally scheduled to be a dinner.

But some artists are absent today. For example, Lin Ying from the original writer is busy designing in the United States and can only take leave.

In addition to the awkwardness at the afternoon meeting, Zhang Yimou decided to wait until the next time everyone gathered to hold the banquet, and also give Zhang Jigang, Chen Weiya and others time to digest and adapt to what happened today.

In terms of artistic attainments and strength, Ren Lukuan is above you;

In terms of how people conduct themselves and do things, both sides had a fight in the afternoon, and the winner was decided.

Whether you will cooperate with us or pretend to obey us in the future depends on your own choice and awareness.

If you insist on being stubborn and causing trouble again, you will have to bear the blame from your leader alone.

But on the surface, this Olympic team, which brings together top Chinese artists from across the country and even the world, has truly established the authority of the two leaders, Lu Kuan and Zhang Yimou.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that, so just accept it, those old guys below!
The two brothers are doing well, supporting each other and giving each other support. Those who want to get promoted should just give up early, there is no chance!

As for which of the two directors will be responsible for the opening ceremony and who will be responsible for the closing ceremony, it is obviously a matter of their own hands and a consideration of the superiors.

"Xiaolu, your creativity today is truly brilliant. I'm sure you'll gain a lot more insights into film after the Olympics."

Boss Lu smiled and said, "This is one of the reasons why I participated in the Olympics. Large-scale evening parties and movies have many similarities. The art forms are interconnected."

"By the way, Director Zhang, your 'Curse of the Golden Flower'?"

Lao Mouzi slapped his thigh and said, "I was so busy thinking about your painting in the meeting just now that I forgot to inform everyone!"

"We estimate that the scenes on the Peking set will be finished before the end of the month, and then we will go to Hengdian."

"I'll have to trouble you to come with me when the time comes. I've already arranged for the crew to prepare the logistics for everyone in Hengdian."

This arrangement was identical to his previous life. Lu Kuan nodded, "That's no problem. Creating an Olympic program is an extremely boring thing."

"Last year, when I was filming 'Tangshan', I was brainstorming while filming. It's good to change my mind occasionally."

Zhang Yimou thought about his new movie: "Has the new script been filed? I heard from Zhuangzhuang and President Han that it has been greatly changed from the previous one."

"Yes." Lu Kuan nodded. "Some things happened in North America in the past two months, and I have some new insights."

"Originally, it was a relatively simple, single-line narrative of Ms. Chang's writings, but now I want to incorporate content from John Rabe's Diary and Minnie Vautrin's Diary."

"The whole film is about analyzing and looking back at that painful period of history through Ms. Zhang's perspective, and presenting its truth to the world."

Zhang Yimou marveled, "This is a grand spectacle, a real effort! From the reconstruction of the set to the tens of thousands of extras, and all sorts of historical figures."

“If it were really filmed, I think the scale would be comparable to Schindler’s List!”

The young director and Zhang Yimou stood smoking under the Olympic Building and sighed deeply. "Casting is underway in North America. The main supporting roles are for Vautrin and Rabe. It's also quietly underway in China."

“If the show is done, I expect it will be no smaller than Schindler’s List.”

Lao Mouzi smiled and shook his head, his eyes full of admiration for him.

The film "Schindler's List" has more than 120 characters, 3 extras, more than 30 locations in Poland, and more than 140 sets.

The film cost $1993 million in 2300, and the behind-the-scenes team alone was conservatively estimated to have hundreds of people.

Lukuan has big ambitions.

I first met Zhang Chunru in Berlin in 2002. At that time, I just wanted to give her a thought and a concern so that this heroine would not die young.

But at the beginning of the new year, after experiencing so many difficulties and obstacles, he decided to painstakingly make this historical art film into a masterpiece that will go down in film history!

He wants to make this Holocaust film into the Chinese version of Schindler's List.

Whether it is to clarify the practical significance of history or to explore his own film art, it is an excellent opportunity.

In fact, after the Olympics and the Holocaust film, he vaguely felt that he could try to touch the door of the master that Bergman talked about.

Inside the door are Kurosawa, Godard, and Buñuel...

Lao Mouzi patted his shoulder heavily: "You have an idea! I absolutely support you!"

"Since you've decided to make an epic historical film, I suggest you don't be too hasty. The Olympics can serve as a practical tool for you to practice and understand scheduling."

Zhang Yimou looked at his junior fellow student at the Beijing Film Academy with some emotion: "I am so looking forward to it. I am looking forward to seeing the Chinese version of Schindler's List."

"After you finish this film, I think you can really enter the mainstream."

He laughed as he spoke: "The most enviable thing about you is that you're not short of money!"

"We old guys who have turned gray from worrying about investments are really envious!"

Boss Lu smiled when he heard this, and immediately thought of the breakup between Zhang Weiping and Zhang Yimou in the later period and the incident of having more children than allowed.

It seemed like I could easily help him eliminate the problem and kick out that unfaithful partner.

Of course, this is a story.

The two brothers laughed and chatted for a while, and then Ah Fei drove over and took Boss Lu away.

Looking at the taillights of the Bentley Elantra disappearing into the distance, Zhang Yimou, who has been in the film industry for 20 years, suddenly had the same idea as Gu Changwei who watched "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" at last year's Cannes Film Festival.

A new generation of Chinese film masters may soon emerge under the watchful eyes of their generation.

As he just joked, the biggest advantage of young directors is that they can experiment with their film ideas without restraint.

Sufficient funds, a complete industrial chain, and a very high tolerance rate, if the cost is not taken into account, he can almost choose any cast of actors, plus the reborn person's high-level perspective.

The rest depends on the director's own understanding.
-
In mid-February, Boss Lu took temporary leave from the Olympic Committee and went to the United States to handle some trivial matters.

The North American expedition is about to begin. The young director, who has never compromised himself in life, is thinking about buying a plane so that he can travel between the two places more conveniently.

Although this time he used the excuse of doing public relations for "Tangshan" being nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, he did not notify Harvey, Lionsgate or anyone else.

After flying to New York, he stayed directly at the Marriott Hotel, waiting to meet a tycoon with whom he had been in spiritual contact for a long time.

Paulson.

In the afternoon, Lu Kuan, who had not yet adjusted to the time difference, was taking a nap in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and was gently woken up by A Fei.

He stood up and held out his hand to Paulson, who looked puzzled. "Are you a little surprised, Mr. Paulson?"

Paulson was stunned for a few seconds. "Uh, I didn't expect it to be you, Mr. Director."

"No, Mr. Mytube!"

The two of them burst into laughter at the same time. Boss Lu didn't expect that this big short seller was quite humorous.

After graduating from Harvard in 1980, Paulson entered Wall Street and worked for well-known financial institutions such as Bear Stearns and Goldman Sachs.

During his time at Bear Stearns, he mainly worked in mergers and acquisitions, accumulating extensive experience in financial transactions.

Later, at Goldman Sachs, he further expanded his professional knowledge and network resources in the investment banking field.

In addition to taking advantage of the subprime mortgage crisis for speculation, Boss Lu also wanted to get to know more North American investment banks and securities firms through him. It is always good to have someone you know well.

"Lu, tell me why you're here." Paulson looked around the $20,000-a-night penthouse suite. "Luckily, I'm not a Hollywood star. You don't have a red sofa here."

"Otherwise, I might not really want to leave."

Boss Lu smiled politely and got straight to the point: "I heard you're raising money to establish a fund to short COD?"

COD is an asset pool fund product that includes residential mortgages, credit card loans, and corporate bonds. The reason why Paulson sought to short it was also very simple.

He saw the potential risks of the US real estate market bubble and the subprime mortgage crisis.

"Yes, Mr. Lu, are you interested?"

Paulson was extremely surprised; his sales pitch wasn't going very well at the moment.

The truth is always in the hands of a few people. He boasted that the subprime mortgage crisis was bound to come, but few people responded.

Until July 2006, Paulson spent all his fortune of $7 million, but he was able to raise less than $3000 million in a short-selling fund.

"Yes, I'm interested." Lu Kuan pretended to show off, to let this Wall Street wolf know that he was not easy to fool.

Even if it's just a shiny donkey dung egg.

"I was planning to invest in a property in New York last month. I'm looking for a local Chinese female designer, Lin Ying. Have you heard of her?"

Paulson laughed, “Of course, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is her work.”

"Well, she told me that New York's current housing prices are far above the trend line and there's a serious risk of a bubble, so she advised me to wait and buy."

"I asked an expert to do some research, and he suggested that the percentage of subprime mortgages in the US had reached a new high in 2005, and inferred that house prices would fall by at least 40% in the future!"

Paulson's eyes lit up, as if he had found a confidant: "That's a very clear point of view. I agree."

"In fact, my team's findings show that subprime borrowers are currently highly dependent on borrowing new money to repay old debts, and this lending model carries huge risks."

"Especially in areas like California and Florida where house prices have risen sharply, default rates may be masked by refinancing. Once house prices fall, default rates will inevitably soar!"

Paulson, a former Wall Street stockbroker, looked at the young Chinese man with a large sum of money and said, "Mr. Lu, I'm eager to serve you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

As for why he knew that Boss Lu had a huge amount of money?

He still has the 2 billion or so he earned from the sale of Mytube not long ago. Even if it's less, it's better than what a struggling fund manager like him can earn.

Boss Lu's expression turned serious: "Tell me about your plan."

"Starting from the second quarter, I plan to start buying detailed data on subprime mortgage default rates and reports from non-performing loan research companies."

"Once the time is right, the team will focus on subprime mortgages in four states: California, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada."

"They directly insured these assets by purchasing credit default swaps (CDS), exploiting loopholes in the collusion between investment banks and rating agencies to buy double-A or even triple-A rated CDS, achieving high leverage!"

Paulson was quick-witted and deliberately blurted out a lot of professional terms. He looked at the oriental director intently, trying to give him a sense of awe.

At the same time, he was also observing whether the investor of this main business director really understood it. Maybe he had an opportunity to make a quick buck?

This sentence sounds complicated, but it is very simple in the eyes of Lu Kuan who has done his homework in advance.

In short, CDS is insurance for your house.

The Paulson team had two options before predicting that house prices in these four states would plummet.

He can directly buy and short RMBS, so that when house prices fall, he can get the money from the short selling.

Another option is to buy CDS insurance, which involves implicit trading rules:
That is, Paulson could collude with insurance companies and investment banks to mark high-risk houses as low-risk houses.

It is equivalent to that you use a very small premium to insure a product with a high compensation amount.

This way, the premiums will be reduced, and with the added leverage, once housing prices collapse, it will be a huge windfall.

The Jews are cunning, but Boss Lu is even more cunning.

He had done his homework in advance and immediately pointed out the big short seller's shady operations: "It's a perfect exploitation of a loophole, but you have to pay attention to the ratings of your competitors!"

"If their ratings go down, the price volatility of your CDS will increase, and your counterparty may even ask for increased margin, which will put enormous financial pressure on you!"

Paulson looked at the oriental director in amazement, and only then did he truly regard him as a "superior" investor rather than "dumb money" from Asia.

"Mr. Lu, I see Eastern wisdom in you, just like what you said on Larry King Live."

Boss Lu waved his hand and ignored his flattery: "Before the third quarter, I will give you 10 billion US dollars to help me build a COD team alone. Listen carefully, I mean alone!"

"The investor of this fund will contact you. It has nothing to do with me, either in reality or in appearance. Do you understand?"

Paulson stood up excitedly: "Oh my God! What a great Eastern investor! Don't worry!"

“We are a professional investment team, and we have dedicated personnel to provide assistance with both offshore company and trust structures.”

The big short swore: "Mr. Lu, your friend can rest assured."

Boss Lu nodded with satisfaction: "Depending on the situation, there is a possibility of additional funds. Please work hard."

"If possible, maybe in the future I can find someone to write a movie called 'The Big Short' to promote your genius operation!"

Paulson naturally thought he was joking, but he still stepped forward to shake his hand. "Lu, can I ask you a question?"

"You speak."

"How did you come up with the idea of ​​asking me to set up a short-selling fund?"

The young director shook the Wall Street Journal in his hand and said, "Your American newspapers write about the Tokyo University threat every day."

"Why, as a Chinese, is it strange for me to short the United States?"

"Hahaha! See you later!"

The big short returned with a full load, and Boss Lu was also waiting for his huge sum of money so that he could seize the opportunity to acquire high-quality assets in North America.

后世的保尔森以10亿本金，动用10倍杠杆，以 1∶80赔率购买低风险CDS，在2007-2008年次贷危机爆发时赚取了总价值150亿美元左右的违约赔付。

The funds he managed made profits of approximately $200 billion, and his personal income was nearly $40 billion.

In this life, apart from making his first fortune from the Korea-Japan World Cup, Lu Kuan has little interest in speculative opportunities such as gambling on football and low-priced Chinese stocks.

If you want to play, play big. There will be so many places where you will need to spend money in the future, so you must plan ahead.

After the secret meeting with Paulson, Boss Lu rested for a night and then went to Los Angeles without stopping.

Getting ready to meet one of the film's leading men at Taylor's casting studio.

"Hello, Tom!"

Inside the studio, a tall Hollywood star stood up and looked at the Oriental director curiously: "Lu! You're more handsome than I thought."

"Haha, thank you!" Boss Lu accepted his good-natured joke calmly: "Since you said that, I have to say something in return."

"You're much more stylish than that other Tom in Hollywood!"

Tom Hanks laughed: "I hear so much talk about you in Hollywood."

"Especially the two guys, Martin and Leo, De Niro, and of course your good friend Harvey."

Boss Lu's face darkened: "Well... Actually, Harvey and I are just ordinary friends, ordinary friends!"

"Haha! Don't mind, you are different from him." Tom Hanks seemed very talkative: "You are a guy who can pick up girls without money, but he can't!"

"By the way, The Da Vinci Code will premiere in May. If it's in North America, I hope you can come and support it."

Tom Hanks laughed and said, "You are now one of the most famous Asian faces in North America. You have great appeal among the Chinese!"

The Oscar-winning actor reduced his salary by $200 million for "The Da Vinci Code" in exchange for a share of the box office revenue, making him an investor in the film, so he was very concerned about it.

The two chatted for a while, and Taylor knocked on the door and came in, along with Tom Hanks' agent, Ms. Jennifer from CAA.

"Hello, Lu, I've heard a lot about you."

"Please take a seat. Let's talk about the script and the character, shall we?"

Tom Hanks put on a pair of glasses and instantly got into the role, holding the character script he had received earlier: "Lu, I have a few questions."

"can."

"I'm wondering about the investment and scale of this film. I noticed that Rabe is just a character in the film's side scenes."

Boss Lu exaggerated a bit: "There are more than 100 characters that can be filmed, more than 1 extras, and the total investment is about 4500 million US dollars."

Tom Hanks is an old filmmaker and also runs his own company.

I am still a little surprised that such a 100% art film can be produced on such a large scale.

"Aren't you worried about profitability and return on investment?"

The young director laughed and said, "I have accurate profit forecasts and estimates, and I am confident that I can complete the project, but..."

"Tom, I want to talk about your salary first."

Obviously, if we go by the salary of ordinary commercial films, Tom Hanks, a Hollywood giant, has a clear figure. He has long been a member of the $2500 million club.

However, just like domestic actors who reduce their pay or even appear in art films for free in order to star in them, Hollywood stars are even crazier in this regard.

Take Tom Hanks himself for example, he only received a symbolic $1999 for the 10 art film "Mulan".

Brad Pitt earned $6000 for "Thelma & Louise" and George Clooney earned $2005 for "Good Night, and Good Luck" in 3. These are common examples.

Including Leonardo DiCaprio, who is determined to pursue a literary and artistic career.

In fact, if it weren't for the huge difference in image, this role should have been given to him.

In 1937, Rabe was 55 years old in Jinling, and Tom Hanks is 50 years old this year. He is the most suitable candidate in terms of height, appearance and acting skills.

Of course, at present it is just a one-way "courtship" from Mr. Lu. Tom Hanks is interested, but needs to know more.

"I admire Iris's anti-war behavior. The plot of this movie moved me. Before this, I had rarely heard of this history."

Boss Lu patiently coaxed him, "Tom, I know you're an anti-war activist and a member of the Hollywood Screen Actors Guild Anti-War Association. That's why I invited you."

"To be honest, my goal is to make this film a Chinese version of Schindler's List. This period of history is very important to the Chinese people."

"You are an American actor loved by many Chinese people. Your 'Forrest Gump' DVD has sold over 20 million copies in China. I have been a fan of yours since I was a child."

Jennifer, the blonde agent from CAA, couldn't stand it anymore.

Judging from Tom Hanks's expression, he won't be able to ask for a high salary if he continues to talk about it like this.

"Lu! Such a movie and character will also offend Japanese audiences and businesses, and even Colombia. We have to consider this."

The young director shook his head: "You considered the feelings of the Japanese audience, why didn't you think about the Chinese audience?"

"China's population is 13 times that of Japan. Rabe is a friend of the Chinese people. If Tom plays this role, he will win great favor with the audience."

"The chairman of your film association said that the Chinese film market will be a diamond mine in the future."

"If Tom can become extremely popular in mainland China, there's a greater chance that Hollywood producers will choose him as the leading actor, right?"

Boss Lu spoke eloquently: "For example, the investment package I signed with Disney will be an available option for Tom at that time."

Jennifer was speechless after hearing what he said.

This is a sophistry. Population and movie population are two different things.

In 2006, the box office of Japanese films was about 17 billion US dollars, and in this life, the domestic box office was only 4 million US dollars.

The CAA agent didn't know what excuse to use to raise the price.

Tom Hanks took off his glasses: "Lu, I must admit I'm interested."

"My father, Amos Hanks, was of German and English descent, so there was nothing wrong with me playing a German-American anti-war activist."

He ignored his agent's fierce glares and held out his hand: "I heard from Martin Scorsese that you are the only director Bergman has met in recent years."

"Swedish TV said they think you are the next Akira Kurosawa in Asia and are looking forward to working with you!"

Boss Lu felt relieved. With the owner's statement, it would be much easier to lower the price.

According to the practice of Hollywood actors starring in art films, an ideal salary of around $200 million is not impossible.

"It's a pleasure to work with you. I'll have someone send you the follow-up shooting arrangements via email. If there are any time issues, we can coordinate."

"Happy cooperation!"

Taylor watched Tom Hanks and his CAA agent walk away and couldn't help but admire: "Lu, you've done your homework."

Indeed, Tom Hanks has been committed to anti-war since "Forrest Gump".

In other words, anti-war is an iron rule of political correctness in Hollywood, and coupled with the young director's widespread fame, it is possible to recruit him at a low price.

Hollywood actors will only reduce their pay to bow to top directors. At least they can look forward to European and North American awards, otherwise what's the point.

Boss Lu was in a good mood: "Taylor, what did the heroine say?"

Taylor laughed, "Julianne Moore agreed!"

"Really? That's great. After thinking it over, she's the most suitable candidate."

Julianne Moore, 46, is similar to Vautrin in the film.

Boss Lu chose her for two reasons.

One was at the 2002 Venice Film Festival, the year his "Whiplash" won the Golden Lion and Julianne Moore won the Best Actress award, and the two met at a cocktail party.

Second, Julianne Moore later had a movie called "Still Alice", in which she played a patient with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, which was very impressive.

The character Vautrin in the film experienced tremendous psychological pressure and mental trauma during the Holocaust and died soon after returning to her country.

Julianne Moore is capable enough to deeply portray the complex inner world and emotional changes of Vautrin.

"How's the pay situation?"

Taylor laughed and said, "She received $400 million for Children of Men this year. She will be acting opposite Tom Rabe in this movie. I think it will not be difficult to negotiate it down to under $100 million."

Lu Kuan breathed a sigh of relief. Casting these two foreign characters was very difficult.

First of all, the pay for art films is limited. Secondly, in terms of role fit, both Vautrin and Rabe are older.

Even though Hollywood's makeup technology is very advanced now, the top and bottom cannot be too much, otherwise it will look too awkward.

Finally, there is the question of the subject matter of this film.

The influence of the Japanese in North America and Hollywood cannot be underestimated, and many actors are still concerned about this.

From the Japanese sniper attacks encountered at the beginning of the film project to the three-month-long casting difficulties, the follow-up will not be smooth sailing, and Boss Lu has made sufficient mental preparations.

Whether it is the alliance with Disney, the attack on News Corporation, or Twitter which is developing rapidly after the merger, as well as the speculative funds in the hands of big short sellers.

These are all preliminary preparations to safeguard the film in the future.
-
After a busy period in North America, and also doing some publicity for the crew of "Tangshan", Lu Kuan took the crew to attend the 3th Academy Awards on March 6.

Given the subject matter of the film, no one had much hope of winning an award.

This Best Foreign Language Film nomination "snatched" from "The Promise" is at best a sales boost for the DVD release two months later.

In addition, in today's awards ceremony, "Tangshan" does have a chance to compete for the Best Visual Effects, and its opponent is "King Kong".

However, it is still very meaningful for actors like Song Jia, Zhou Xun, and Hu Jun. After all, according to the development path of later generations, these people will not have the chance to visit this place.

The red carpet ceremony was still in full swing, with Song Jia and Hu Jun, Zhou Xun and Lu Kuan walking on the red carpet together.

Along the way, there were basically reporters asking the boss to stop and take pictures, and the other three Chinese actors managed to get some attention.

Zhou Xun was relaxed whether she was acting or on the red carpet: "Xixi is here too, waiting for us at the hotel."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Let's go eat hot pot after this. She said there's a good Little Sheep restaurant in Chinatown in Los Angeles."

Boss Lu was speechless: "This is your first time attending the Oscars. You should go to more cocktail parties afterward. I can introduce you to some great Western directors."

Zhou Xun said nonchalantly: "It's too difficult for someone like me to break into Hollywood."

"They can't fight, and they don't need Asian faces for dramas. Only Zhang Ziyi has some connections now."

Before he could finish his words, Zhang Ziyi, who was standing in front of the autograph wall, came over and greeted him with a smile. She represented the crew of "Memoirs of a Geisha".

"Memoirs of a Geisha" won the Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design awards this year, but Zhang Ziyi herself did not win anything and did not even get a nomination.

"Director Lu, Zhou Xun, long time no see!"

Zhou Xun smiled and gave her a polite hug: "Hello Ziyi, it's great to see you abroad."

The relationship between the two is average, but they have worked together in "If Love" during the Lunar New Year holiday last year, and they are both one of the four major actresses, so naturally there is no awkwardness between them.

"Director Lu, I've been wanting your guidance on my performance in Memoirs of a Geisha for a long time!"

No matter what conflicts they had in the past, Zhang Ziyi always greeted Boss Lu with a smile and was generous with her flattery even before she achieved such a high position in the industry.

She has a habit of taking advantage of small opportunities, but she is very good at judging the situation.

For Zhang Ziyi, the best thing is to win this man over, and the second best thing is to exchange the love for some resources.

At the very least, he should be more diligent and flattering. After all, his resources in North America are the strongest among domestic directors.

Harvey, a big shot in the Oscar public relations industry, is enough to make countless actresses drool.

Boss Lu responded with a smile: "Your role in Memoirs of a Geisha was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, so it's definitely not bad. I don't have much to say about it."

"By the way, Ziyi, do you know Wendy Deng?"

Zhang Ziyi was shocked. She had just had dinner with Wendi Deng yesterday, and she was introduced to an Israeli tycoon named Avnivo.

This is her second ambition after Huo Qishan to become a wealthy wife.

"Yeah... I know him, the guide, but I don't know him well."

Zhang Ziyi is not stupid. Wendi Deng made a fool of herself at Hong Kong Disneyland last week and has become a laughing stock in the Chinese community in North America.

Not to mention the situation in China, Xiao Liu's huge number of fans have already gone out to search for him, and some have even climbed over the wall to fight him.

Boss Lu smiled and said, "Okay, you should keep your eyes open and be careful when interacting with her."

"Yes, Director Lu, I understand."

A few Chinese people chatted for a while, and Zhou Xun followed him to the awards ceremony. He asked in confusion, "Why did you just warn her? Look how scared Zhang Ziyi was."

The young director casually said, "Wendy Deng has invested in Huayi through a joint venture in mainland China. She's bound to make some moves."

"If they want to co-produce a film with Huayi, given the relationship between Zhang Ziyi and Wendi Deng, and considering the box office and North American popularity, she would naturally be the first choice."

"I was just trying to scare her. Maybe she'll back off when she considers it. You're also an actor at Huayi, so don't you have a chance?"

There is an opportunity to stand out, the importance is further enhanced, the number of allotments increases, and a virtuous cycle begins.

Zhou Xun looked at him and sighed: "Xixi is right, when it comes to heart, it still has to be you!"

Boss Lu's face darkened: "Even if I'm a bad guy, I'm still helping you get ahead at Huayi."

Zhou Xun covered his mouth and laughed, "The key is that I'm very curious, is your brain binary?"

"Most artists don't know anything about these machinations, do they?"

Zhou Xun thought of her ex-boyfriend named Pu Shu, who was talented but couldn't take care of himself, let alone think about these twists and turns.

Boss Lu smiled but said nothing: "If you think of life as a movie, you will understand."

Zhou Xun was confused and naturally didn't understand.

But Liu Yifei, who was waiting for them in the hotel, now understood a little.

"Road guide!"

The guests at the award ceremony were greeting each other and being interviewed, and another Chinese face came into view.

Ang Lee, in high spirits, walked over and said, "Hello, Zhou Xun. You did an amazing job in 'Tangshan.' I'd love to see you around sometime."

"Sure! Director Li, you talk to Director Lu, I won't interrupt you for now."

"Okay, okay, haha." Li An naturally would not come to the temple for no reason, but he started with a bunch of flattery.

"Director Lu, I've heard about the Olympic plan. It's incredibly ingenious! Magnificent!"

Boss Lu felt a sharp pain when he heard him use two idioms incorrectly in succession. He didn't know how Mandarin was taught in Taiwan.

"I look forward to your return to China soon to join our brainstorming!"

Ang Lee said in embarrassment: "Hey, you don't know, I quit the consulting position for the Olympics."

"I just took on a movie adaptation of Eileen Chang's novel Lust, Caution. It's very stressful!"

Boss Lu smiled but said nothing. You are under a lot of pressure, and your actors, especially Tang Wei, are also under a lot of pressure!

Ang Lee is an interesting director. From 1991 to 1994, he released the family trilogy: Pushing Hands, The Wedding Banquet, and Eat Drink Man Woman.

From then on, to exaggerate a little, it was one part god and one part ghost.

In 2000, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a huge hit in terms of both reputation and box office, but in 2003, The Incredible Hulk was a huge flop.

In 2005, "Brokeback Mountain" won the Golden Lion and then the Oscar for Best Director.

But it would be unfair to say that the next film, "Lust, Caution", was a failure. After all, its artistic quality was widely recognized.

But it did cause more controversy.

Lu Kuan understood what pressure he was talking about.

"I've seen Lust, Caution. A patriotic young man falling in love with a traitor is definitely not an easy subject to handle. You have to be mentally prepared."

Ang Lee nodded: "This story is outrageous, but it also doesn't seem outrageous."

"Even Wang Jingwei, who drew his sword and lived up to his youth, rebelled. What about a little woman floating in the midst of troubled times?"

"To be honest, I plan to explore Wang Jiazhi's humanity from a deeper and darker perspective, even more so than in the original novel!"

"Lukuan, I'd like to hear your opinion?"

Boss Lu sighed, but he was not too surprised by what he said.

Ang Lee appears gentle and refined on the surface, but his film ideas and images are extremely rebellious and dark. This is not a simple matter of praise or criticism, or right or wrong.

Eat Drink Man Woman is about an illicit love affair between people of different ages, a rebellion against traditional love and family relationships;
Brokeback Mountain is about same-sex love and a rebellion against secular love;
The entanglement between Yu Jiaolong and Li Mubai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a rebellion against Confucian ethics and the code of conduct in the underworld.
Including the deeper level of "Life of Pi", it is the mutual devouring of relatives and a rebellion against the bottom line of human ethics.

As for "Lust, Caution", it is simply the culmination of this old man's rebellious thoughts.

The patriotic youth Wang Jiazhi was physically conquered by the traitor Mr. Yi, which was a rebellion against the traditional values ​​of nationalism, patriotism and collectivism, and it is thought-provoking.

So much so that later on, when Ang Lee was filming, he burst into tears and Liang Chaowei comforted him: "Director, take care of yourself. We expose our bodies, but you expose your heart."

Ang Lee wanted to hear the opinion of Lu Kuan, who had once met his lifelong idol Bergman, but what could the latter say?

It was in such extreme mental pain that Ang Lee of later generations went on a pilgrimage to the Faroe Islands to find spiritual relief from his idol.

Boss Lu pondered, "The Chinese people value collectivism and respect the spirit of sacrifice and dedication. These are fine qualities we have inherited for thousands of years."

"But it is undeniable that there is also a question that often makes people think deeply."

"If I were chosen to be sacrificed, but I didn't want to, what should I do?"

The young director lamented, “If this film becomes a film, it cannot be evaluated by universal values.”

"Because your original intention was to expose the rebellious human ethics, to peel back the hypocrisy of the human heart, to show its darkest side."

"I still say the same thing, the choice is yours, but you have to consider the influence of the outside world, you may suffer a major blow."

It's none of my business. After all, I'm not the one who gets criticized for the film. It's enough to fulfill my obligation to remind Ang Lee.

"The road is wide, you're right. What I'm most worried about right now is where to strike the right balance."

Later, Ang Lee adjusted the darkness to the point where you couldn't see your hand in front of you, and he almost broke down while filming.

"Oh, by the way, I'm looking for a female lead now. I need a girl with an elegant temperament, a great figure, a height between 164-168 cm, and an apparent age of around 19-23 years old."

"You've worked more with Concubine Liu Yi. What do you think of her?"

Boss Lu suddenly turned his head and frowned at him, with the expression of an old man on the subway.

This old guy is a movie fanatic. He usually doesn't pay attention to what's happening outside the window. It's a bit foolish for him to ask this question.

So what?
I want to give you a big blow right now!
(End of this chapter)