Global Film Emperor

Chapter 128 Premiere (Part 1)

"Clang~ Clang clang clang~ Clang!"

As the familiar dragon logo appeared on the screen, Lu Bo, like his fellow film critics, took out his notebook and pen, placed them on his lap, and stared intently at the screen.

Then, a person dressed in old clothes squatted on a tree and flashed across the screen. Lu Bo recognized the person from the trailer; he knew that the tree was the person he had seen before.

"Spanning 800 acres, it will bring you a villa-style experience and thoughtful care for people."

A dilapidated Jinbei van had a loudspeaker playing an advertisement. This shot was significant to industry insiders; otherwise, a long shot from far to near wouldn't have been wasted. So Lu Bo wrote three words in his notebook: "Vehicle, Horn."

When the tree emerged from the repair pit, Lu Bo couldn't help but turn his gaze to the tall, strong figure sitting in the front row. He compared the tree to Lu Ze now and couldn't help but wonder if this role was actually played by Lu Ze.

"Did you get the car fixed?"

"Let him go."

"All you do is dawdle and procrastinate when it comes to actually doing any work."

The repair shop owner's words made everyone present realize one thing: the owner seemed to dislike Shu. But then again, given Shu's somewhat blunt answer, no owner could possibly like him.

Shu put his hands in his pockets and walked out of the repair shop. No one could figure out what was going on until his twisted hands gently stroked the car door. This small gesture piqued Lu Bo's interest.

Lu Ze seems to have acted quite well; his expressions, movements, and words were all very well-received, especially his arms, which revealed a lot of subtle information.

"A pair of twisted hands."

Lu Bo's eyes didn't leave the screen as he blindly wrote in his notebook. He could hear many other people writing all around him. To avoid missing any details, being able to recognize what someone is writing after blindly writing is a basic skill for a film critic.

Afterwards, Shu and the driver chatted in the car. The driver didn't look down on Shu, but he still joked about Shu. Shu knew what kind of person he was. The driver's high praise of Shu was just a not excessive teasing.

While the two were chatting, a group of children were fighting in front of the car. Shu wanted to go over and stop them, and he tried to scold the children in an adult tone, but the children hurt his pride and said, "Who do you think you are?", which made Shu's situation very awkward.

Up to this point, several useful basic pieces of information had come together. After going through them in his mind, Lu Bo suddenly felt that this play was quite interesting.

First, set the scene in a village, with the boss scolding, the driver teasing, the child slapping someone's face, twisted hands, and a somewhat roguish look. By reversing the positions and connecting them, you can roughly estimate the background of the tree's life.

No one in the village respected Shu. Judging from Shu's demeanor, he had not received higher education. The reason for not receiving higher education was usually poverty. And his twisted hands showed that Shu had some physical or mental problems.

The final conclusion was that because Shu's family was poor and he was physically or mentally ill, no one, including the younger children, looked up to him, and he lived at the bottom of the village.

This is the prototype of a typical Chinese rural art film, and films of this genre usually end in tragedy, making them very depressing and heartbreaking.

Of course, this kind of film is not uncommon. Several such films appear every few years, some good and some bad. Whether "Mr. Tree" can soothe Lu Bo's heart, which has been pierced by tens of thousands of films, depends on Zhuang Yu's skills as both director and screenwriter.

At this moment, the only person who seemed to have a connection with the tree appeared: Xiao Zhuang on a motorcycle. Speaking with a strong mountain accent, he was clearly from out of town. Lu Bo, an outsider from the countryside, thought for a moment and connected Xiao Zhuang to Ruiyang Mining. He could only be an employee of that mine. Mining was extremely dangerous, and only those at the bottom of society could be friends with the tree; therefore, this man's fate was predictable.
That's what makes a veteran film critic so terrifying: his seasoned experience from thousands of films, combined with his quick thinking and deep understanding of cinema, allows him to grasp the general outline of a plot in just five minutes.

If this spoiler was revealed in a movie theater, it would probably fool a lot of people, but this is not a movie theater, and there are more than a dozen film critics present. If Lupo can see it, most people can probably see it too.

The scene shifts, and Shu is adjusting the lid of a large pot in the yard. He then hurriedly walks outside and sees his mother burning paper money under a tree. Burning paper money in broad daylight is somewhat eerie.

"What are you burning?"

“I dreamt about your dad and your brother last night. They were asking me for money. Burn some for them. Erzhu’s family has taken over all our land. You didn’t even say anything to them.”

Suddenly the screen went black, and Lu Bo was stunned for a moment. The transition was too abrupt. The editing was so bad that it seriously affected the smoothness of the plot. The editing was not up to par. Lu Bo understood. He twirled his pen, sighed helplessly, and continued watching.

The scene abruptly shifts to darkness, with distant firelight and people circling the bonfire. Tree leans against the door, smoking and watching, until the mother appears. Tree doesn't admit to seeing anything, which puzzles Lu Bo. But what happens next instantly leaves Lu Bo and all the film critics present—no, everyone!—completely stunned!
“I always dream of my dad, wearing a black overcoat, looking for my brother everywhere. My brother was arrested by the police station in 86 for being a hooligan, and my dad hung him from a tree and beat him. In the process, he accidentally strangled my brother to death.”

The narration is as soft as a whisper, accompanied by the dim light of a light bulb. On the wall hang portraits of an old man and a young man. A mirror on the wall reflects the expression of a tree with its back to the camera, looking sideways as if it is still looking at the fire through the window.

"The use of color and set design is brilliant! Truly a top-notch photographer."

Lu Bo knew Zhuang Yu, a photographer who had won a gold medal in an international photography competition. His skills were beyond question. The dim yellow background, the portrait of the deceased, the expression of the trees, and the murmuring narration instantly created a kind of eerie and gloomy atmosphere.

These lines of dialogue also highlight the main plot, confirming that the tree has a mental illness, which makes the story even more exciting.

After growing tired of the empty and tedious "positive energy" in special effects blockbusters, special effects movies no longer hold Lu Bo's interest. Only truly good stories can attract him, and this movie did just that in a mere ten minutes.

Later, when Shu was welding, he burned his eyes. Lu Bo was sure this was a turning point. Shu's younger brother also came to the hospital and complained to Shu. The two had a cold relationship, but judging from the thousand yuan left by the younger brother, he still cared about his older brother.

Moreover, the tree carries a kind of humble self-esteem, which, to put it bluntly, is concerned about saving face. Lu Bo likes this very much because saving face is often the fuse for plot conflicts in a drama. With more and more conflicts and triggers, Lu Bo is eager to know how the plot will develop.

When the nurse removed the gauze from the tree, the tree suddenly acted out of line, actually taking advantage of his niece by grabbing the nurse's hand and refusing to let go. This made Lu Bo want to laugh at first, but suddenly his smile froze on his face, and he couldn't laugh anymore.

Isn't it natural for a man to want to be with a woman? But when Shu is being foolish, he even takes advantage of his niece. Shouldn't I be disgusted by that? Why can he still laugh when he sees this?
After a brief moment of thought, Lu Bo expressed his admiration for Zhuang Yu's talent. As a photographer, he was amazed that Zhuang Yu could write such excellent sketches. Such talent directly won over Lu Bo, a fellow art enthusiast.

This scene presents a contrast: the working class at the bottom of society still makes mistakes and has lustful thoughts. They still have desires and are eager to pursue something. Perhaps it is not wrong in other situations, but what Shu is doing now is wrong!
But Lu Bo is laughing! He's mocking the tree, a representative of the lower classes. From what high vantage point is he looking down on the tree, and from what social class is he placing himself?
In this brief scene, Zhuang Yu satirized two types of people, the two most prevalent types in society.

Lupo looked at the first seat in the first row, where a man was staring at the screen with a serious expression, occasionally taking a sip from his water cup.

"Brilliant."

I expect to finish writing two chapters, and the next chapter will be released soon.

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(End of this chapter)