Chapter 84

(Seeking votes for the Three Rivers, one vote per person, and we can achieve a decisive victory... The Three Rivers Academy of Hanlin only takes the first place, the second is useless!)

...

The Oscars, with all their fuss and bustle, have come to an end, and the media, as usual, will continue to stir up a storm for a while.

Every year, after the Oscars are all awarded, the California government holds an official, luxurious banquet worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for the winners and nominees. There is no television broadcast, but magazines like *Vanity Fair* often take classic photos that become part of history, filled with starlight.

For Chinese moviegoers, the most surprising and delightful moment of this year's Oscars was undoubtedly Chen Tiandu's first Oscar. When he said "Happy Chinese New Year, may everything go well," how many people were moved to tears.

During the Oscar ceremony, *The Sixth Sense* was still showing in China. The news of Chen Tiandu's first Oscar sparked a small box office boom, much to the delight of the distributors. They seized the opportunity to promote the film, and the final box office earnings nearly doubled. One can't help but marvel at the Oscar's power to draw in money.

The most shocking outcome, however, was the near miss of "Saving Private Ryan."

"Saving Private Ryan" had been released in China half a year earlier, and its realistic portrayal of war and sincere humanistic care touched the hearts of countless Chinese people. In contrast, "Shakespeare in Love" was less familiar to Chinese audiences in terms of plot and actors. Emotionally, many Chinese film fans genuinely hoped to cast their votes for "Saving Private Ryan." Unfortunately, the Oscars favored "Shakespeare in Love," leaving many people puzzled. However, upon closer reflection, it makes sense that "Shakespeare in Love" could defeat "Saving Private Ryan."

Many entertainment sections of newspapers and media outlets have reviewed the Oscars.

Firstly, "Saving Private Ryan" was too tragic and heavy, making people feel uncomfortable. It seems that people around the world prefer a more relaxed and joyful life. Secondly, from Steven Spielberg's own career perspective, "Saving Private Ryan" is not his best work. While the film's portrayal of the cruelty of war surpasses previous works, it only stays at the level of realistic shock, offering little for reflection and afterthought. In this regard, its impact is less than that of Spielberg's earlier work, *Schindler's List*. Since Spielberg himself could not surpass himself, the Oscars had even less reason to award the grand prize to this "second-rate" work.

Thirdly, the media's malicious hype often backfires. Predictions that it would surely win the Oscar led to a "reverse psychology" among the typically picky Oscar voters, a lesson already learned from past experiences. It seems that a calm and objective approach to a film is the best way to promote it.

...

Whether the media's speculations are correct is no longer important.

The Oscars are over, and after a three-hour grand show, what is left for Chinese moviegoers?

The Best Foreign Language Film, the Italian film *La Vita è Bella* (Life is Beautiful), reflects the life of an ordinary family in a concentration camp during World War II. *Saving Private Ryan* may have used broad war scenes, but without the theme of "caring for people," the film would not have achieved a better result than an ordinary war film.

While the Oscars follow the awarding rules of Western filmmakers, the films selected often have a good market performance globally.

*Shakespeare in Love* had already grossed $25.9 million in its home country by the end of last year, and *La Vita è Bella* has nearly reached $100 million globally. *Saving Private Ryan* also ranks high in box office earnings in China.

Thinking about some of our domestic films, some have won major awards, but the audience is not very interested.

Many screenwriters and directors focus on emperors, generals, talented scholars, and beauties, and are enthusiastic about palace intrigues. They consider being distant from the times as a classic and regard random fabrication as innovation. Some even send films that demean Chinese people to international festivals to win the favor of biased Western judges.

For Chinese cinema, the Oscars are not the only goal, and the selected works are not the only models to emulate. However, as the most authoritative film festival in the world, the Oscars can provide valuable experience and information for Chinese filmmakers.

The three films that won major awards this year share three notable characteristics: their focus on human themes, low-budget production, and the use of modern technology.

As night fell, the streets were lit up, and in the balcony of a hotel room, Chen Tiandu sat in a wicker chair, frowning slightly, fiddling with his magical phone. His mind, however, was clearly elsewhere, mechanically flipping through it.

It had been more than four months since the production of *The Matrix* began. During this time, the crew had been shuttling between New York, Los Angeles, and China, advancing the shooting of exterior scenes every day.

Since the Oscars, Spielberg seemed to have finished his busy schedule and was now visiting the set every day.

Chen Tiandu had indeed learned a lot from Spielberg. Whenever he had free time, he would chat with Spielberg about film, and the great director would always answer his questions.

Perhaps because he was trying to do too many things at once, Chen Tiandu always felt that he wasn't fully immersed in his acting. If his acting wasn't good enough, he might as well give up acting and focus on directing. However, compared to directing, he cared more about performing and experiencing a second life through his role, which he found more exciting.

"It's like this, I always feel that I have trouble getting into character, and my emotions aren't high enough."

As the shooting was nearing completion, the entire crew seemed more relaxed. During a break, Chen Tiandu asked the question that had been on his mind: "For example, I want to perform a scene where the character is an undercover police officer on a secret mission. The mission is so long that after three years, and then another three years, he feels no different from a criminal, but he must still uphold justice. I can feel that persistence, but I always feel something is missing, and I can't reach the perfect state I want. How can I express it better?"

This question had been on his mind for a long time, stemming from two movies he had recently downloaded, both telling the same story but with different expressions and styles.

Yes, it's *Infernal Affairs*.

One is the Hong Kong version, *Infernal Affairs*, and the other is the Jack Nicholson version, *The Departed*.

To be honest, he preferred the original Hong Kong version because it better fits the reserved nature of Eastern people. Jack Nicholson, on the other hand, is a complete copycat, and many things are directly copied, which is contemptible. However, as one of the few great directors in Hollywood, many of the shots and storytelling in the American version are still worth appreciating.

Chen Tiandu had been interested in this film for a long time. The movie isn't big, and he had downloaded both versions, each about 400MB, over three months, but he was still uncertain... yes, many questions.

Spielberg thought for a moment and said, "The issue you mentioned isn't really a problem. The little something you feel is missing might not be related to acting at all."

"Not related to acting?" Chen Tiandu was surprised.

"Yes," Spielberg nodded. "You need to understand that a shot isn't just about the actor. Sometimes, a prop can play a more significant role than a strenuous performance. For example, in the last battle of *The Matrix* in the subway, you used a fluttering old newspaper to create atmosphere. What were you thinking at the time? Was it related to acting?"

Chen Tiandu was taken aback and hesitated, "It should be like the feather in *Forrest Gump*, right?"

Spielberg smiled, "On a larger scale, acting is just one part of a film. The editing, the music, all these elements make the acting valuable. We're not in the silent film era anymore. Try watching a movie with the sound off, and you won't feel as much."

"If you want to be an actor, immersing yourself in the role is enough. There are many acting schools of thought. But as a director, you need to manage everything while also performing. For example, communicating with the cinematographer and the editor. A close-up shot can win an Oscar, while a side close-up might only win a Golden Raspberry."

Spielberg continued seriously, "Why does the director have the final say in a film? Because the director controls everything. I'm not saying acting isn't important; of course, it is. But you shouldn't expect to achieve the best film effect on set. That's impossible. The little something you feel is missing should be found outside the set."

"Side lighting, atmosphere creation. If you understand this, you won't have this problem."

Chen Tiandu nodded, seeming to understand.

He really liked the character of Chen Yongren because the name was similar to his father's and his second uncle's. He wanted to play the role himself but was worried that he couldn't express it perfectly, like Tony Leung's performance, so he hesitated for a long time.

A film isn't just about the actors' performances; it's about the design of the scenes, the language of the camera, and the post-production editing. These are all part of the director's "performance," and the director controls everything in the film.

He was on a path of directing and acting, which meant he was creating the story from start to finish. It should be a film that better suits his style, a *Infernal Affairs* different from both original versions!

Spielberg敏锐地察觉到其中有什么故事，问道：“最近又有新故事吗，下一部电影？”

Chen Tiandu smiled, "Maybe, just an immature idea. Right now, I just want to see *The Matrix* released."

Spielberg smiled but didn't say much more.

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