Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 94 Berlin premiere, word of mouth

Sina Entertainment: Wu Chen's "Buried" is about to premiere in Berlin, and the contrasting reception at the opening ceremony sparked heated discussion.

NetEase Entertainment: Wu Chen graces the red carpet ahead of the premiere of "Buried," drawing international media attention.

Sohu News: [The 55th Berlin Film Festival opens, Wu Chen is full of confidence, while Gu Changwei makes a low-key appearance]

In the early morning of February 11, major domestic media outlets were flooded with special reports on the Berlin Film Festival.

When news of the opening ceremony reached China, the contrast between Wu Chen's enthusiastic response on the red carpet and the quiet atmosphere of the "Peacock" crew became a hot topic.

Sina Entertainment commented: "From Sitges to Hollywood, Wu Chen's international fame is no longer comparable to what it was yesterday. Although Gu Changwei has rich experience, he can't hide his low profile."

In Jiangsu and Zhejiang, on the set of "The Return of the Condor Heroes", Liu Yifei grabbed the newly arrived newspaper and flipped through it. As expected, she saw the news about Wu Chenbailin and smiled.

Not far away, Liu Xiaoli called out, "Xixi, come over here and put on your makeup."

"Coming."

Liu Yifei replied softly, her voice as clear as an oriole.

On February 13, the third day of the 55th Berlin Film Festival, the wind outside the Film Palace was still biting cold, and snowflakes swirled on the red carpet.

"Buried" is scheduled to premiere tonight. At 5 pm, both sides of the red carpet were crowded with reporters and fans. Photographers were carrying equipment and flash lights were on early.

Wu Chen, Christian Bale and Jason Blum got out of the car. The three of them walked onto the red carpet at a slow pace and waved to the crowd.

Wu Chen's scarf was loosely wrapped around her neck, her hair was a little messy due to the wind, and she looked up and smiled at the reporter.

Flashbulbs flashed and shouts came from all directions:
"Wu!", "Christian!".
The three of them walked down the red carpet and stepped onto the stage in the main hall of the Film Palace. The seats were packed with filmmakers from all over the world, all looking at them.

Jury president Roland Emery also came to watch the film with this year's jury members and sat near the middle row.

Gu Changwei sat in the back row with everyone from "Peacock" in a low-key manner. This time Jiang Wenli also came, wrapped in a gray scarf, and waved to Wu Chen with a smile.

Zhang Jingchu sat next to him, having changed her dark blue dress into a black evening gown, with a somewhat stiff smile on her face.

Christian Bale saw Keanu Reeves and Cate Blanchett in the audience and walked over to shake hands. Keanu patted him on the shoulder and whispered:

"I heard you were buried for 15 days!"

"When you see the movie, you'll think it was worth it for me to be buried!"

Bell chuckled.

"Director Wu won't be able to use the term 'dark horse' this time."

A domestic reporter sitting in the back row sighed.

The definition of a dark horse is a sudden outbreak, and now Wu Chen has become the focus of the film festival.

Everyone was looking forward to seeing what this movie about rushing into Berlin, which was shot in 15 days, would be like.

The lights dimmed, the screen lit up, and "Buried Alive" began.

In the darkness, there was a gasp.

Heavy, rapid, and filled with suppressed fear.

A faint light gradually appeared on the screen, and the flickering flame of a lighter illuminated a terrified face.

Christian Bale's face.

——He was buried in a coffin.

The theater suddenly became quiet.

The camera slowly moved forward in the narrow space, and the only thing in the picture was Bell's face, pale and covered in sweat, his eyes full of despair and fear.

The audience held their breath.

He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a cell phone, the faint blue light illuminating his panicked face.

He dialed the number and tried to call for help.

"This is 911. How can I help you?"

"I'm buried. I'm buried alive!"

The voice trembles with disbelief and fear. The camera slowly zooms in, and the sense of oppression rushes directly into the audience.

In the cinema, some people unconsciously clutched the armrests.

As the plot progresses, Bale's acting skills show amazing layers - from the initial panic, to despair, to gradually calming down and trying to find a way out, every subtle change in expression affects the audience's emotions.

Keanu Reeves frowned and murmured softly: "WTF, this kind of rhythm makes it hard to believe that there is only one actor."

Cate Blanchett's eyes widened.

In the middle row of the theater, Roland Emmerich nodded slightly and whispered to the judge next to him, "The editing rhythm and camera scheduling of this movie are very special."

"Wu Chen's camera sense is incredible. He knows exactly where to shoot to create this kind of scene!"

“It’s interesting to shoot with one person!”

The judges were talking in low voices.

On the other hand, on the set of "Peacock", Jiang Wenli and Gu Changwei's expressions became serious.

Jiang Wenli, Zhang Jingchu and others were puzzled as to how a movie shot in 15 days could achieve such a level.

Zhang Jingchu even held her breath. She had never thought that such a shocking movie could be made with just a coffin and an actor.

Gu Changwei narrowed his eyes and couldn't help but sigh that young people's brains are really good. He couldn't have thought of such a plot.

At the end of the movie, the last hope in Bale's eyes was shattered, his breathing was rapid, and anger, despair and helplessness were intertwined.

The camera slowly pulls away, and darkness swallows him.

The screen went black.

The theater was silent for a second.

And then—sustained applause.

Some people stood up and applauded, and then more people stood up, and the whole audience was boiling.

"Crazy! He actually performed the entire show by himself, and I didn't even feel bored!"

"Damn it, all that bureaucracy and all that evasion, he could have lived."

"Compared to the movies from the past two days, this one is more interesting. They were too dull. Wu's movie is also about a dull subject, but it manages to be innovative."

Wu Chen and the other two went on stage to take their bows. The audience stood up and applauded, with shouts rising one after another.

That night, major media outlets and film critics in Berlin wrote articles praising the film:
The Hollywood Reporter: [Buried: 15 days of extreme creation, Bale single-handedly creates a thriller miracle!]

French "Cahiers du Cinema": [Wu Chen uses the smallest space to create the greatest fear.]

The Guardian: [Wu Chen strangles the audience with his rhythm, and "Buried Alive" is suffocating and exciting!]

Variety: [Even more intense than the opening film, "Savage Legend," "Buried" is by far the biggest surprise of this Berlinale!]

International film critics have given it overwhelming praise.

"Wu Chen spent 15 days proving that movies don't need complex scenes; a single actor and a coffin can capture the audience's heartbeat. Bale's performance is stunning, the interweaving of despair and hope on his face like a knife piercing the heart."

"Compared to the slow and drawn-out pace of 'Savage Legend', the rhythm of 'Buried Alive' is as rapid as a heartbeat. Wu Chen uses minimalist techniques to create extreme tension."

"."

At night, at the ADAGIO restaurant downstairs from the main venue, Wu Chen and the other two toasted to celebrate with smiles, while Jason Blum laughed and quipped:
"No wonder our movies are so popular. What kind of movies are showing these days?"

"Politics" has always been the label of the Berlin Film Festival. Compared with last year's Cannes Film Festival, this year's Berlin Film Festival seemed extremely serious, even at the cost of its watchability.

Judging from the annual critics' ratings in the film festival program, there are very few four-star and three-star ratings, while two-star and one-star ratings account for the majority.

Today, many people gave "Buried" a direct five-star rating, and the overall rating was around four stars. Obviously, some international film critics expressed dissatisfaction with the particularly serious theme of this Berlin Film Festival.

Wu Chen was also a little surprised. Buried is good, but the five-star rating is indeed a bit high. It has not yet reached the level of a masterpiece.
"Wu, we'll be busy starting tomorrow. I've already received a lot of text messages from European film distributors."

Jason Blum glanced at the text message on his phone and waved it in front of a few people.

(End of this chapter)