Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 349 A Different Kind of Movie
The line between art films and commercial films is inherently difficult to strictly distinguish, especially when a film combines artistry with high box office returns.

The film "Joker" can essentially be categorized as a standard art film.

The film focuses on the mental breakdown process of marginalized people in society, and explores serious issues such as class oppression and mental health, with strong authorial expression and criticism.

Furthermore, the film's overall tone is somber, conforming to the realistic aesthetics commonly found in art films.

However, when a movie's box office is too high, people will unconsciously avoid the topic and subconsciously categorize the movie as a commercial film.

And they will find a suitable reason—that this is an auteur-driven commercial film, rather than a traditional art film.

For example, the movies Cao Yang has recently made.

Both District 9 and Inception were categorized as commercial films with strong auteur expression and artistic value in Hollywood because of their high box office performance, even though they have the characteristics of art films.

In Hollywood, there is another director who is also categorized in this way: Nolan.

However, the situation is different in the country and Europe.

Starting with "Nine-Tailed Fox," the film was hailed as an experimental New Wave cinema at the Venice Film Festival, and Cao Yang was awarded Best Director.

This awkward name is probably due to the "authority" of the Venice Film Festival, and it is accepted both in Europe and China.

Therefore, subsequent films like District 9 and Inception, no matter how high their box office numbers were, were categorized as experimental films.

Among those in China who "followed Cao Yang's lead" in making experimental films is Xiao Gangpao.

Starting with "A World Without Thieves," he publicly supported Cao Yang's "pioneered" experimental films in the media, and then suddenly changed his tune, saying that his own "A World Without Thieves" was also an experimental film.

The next film, "The Banquet," was touted as an Eastern "Hamlet" that combined Confucian culture. This slogan also shows that it was another experimental film being heavily promoted.

Even his current film, "Assembly," is being promoted as neither a commercial film nor a traditional patriotic film.

Rather, it is an experimental film with a strong ideological function, aiming to convey specific social information through film, or experimental film for short.

Of course, Little Cannon calls his films experimental films mainly to break free from the preconceived notions people have of him—you've all misunderstood me, I'm not just a commercial film director, I can also play with art.

Cao Yang has analyzed the movie "Joker".

To be honest, if this movie doesn't become a box office hit, no one would call it a commercial film.

Cao Yang believes there are several reasons for the film's box office success.

First and foremost, it's the IP effect. People's first reaction to this movie is that he's the Joker from "Batman".

The second, and most important, point is its profound reflection of social reality. Through the protagonist's predicament, it sharply portrays the struggles of the underprivileged in the face of social injustice.

In particular, the film's portrayal of class conflict and psychological repression resonated widely, especially with the emotional projection of audiences during an economic downturn, resulting in excellent word-of-mouth.

Then there are the awards and performances that bring the boost.

This film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival before its release.

This makes people even more curious: how could a comic book adaptation win the Golden Lion Award in the arts category? This will draw many viewers to the cinema out of curiosity.

The film's positive word-of-mouth and the lead actor's superb acting skills ultimately contributed to its box office success.

Actually, there is another point that must be mentioned, although it is somewhat criticized, but it has also played a significant role.

That was before the release of "The Dark Knight," Heath Ledger's unexpected death, who played the Joker, was secretly marketed as a result of his intense immersion in the role, leading to severe depression and ultimately an overdose of medication to control it...

Heath Ledger became a tragic figure.

His death not only propelled "The Dark Knight" to mainstream success and box office phenomenal success, but also sparked considerable curiosity about the Joker.

Ten years later, when "Joker" was made, people saw it and realized that the Joker was indeed a tragic character, which resonated with them even more.

Today is February 26, 2007. Cao Yang estimates that even if Warner Bros. agrees to start the Joker project, it will be at least June before he can begin preparations after he finishes post-production on Pirates of the Caribbean.

However, there's no rush to film "Joker," as long as it can be released after September next year.

Why September?

The best option is to wait until "The Dark Knight" is released before releasing "Joker".

The second point is particularly important. On September 15th of next year, Lehman Brothers, the fourth largest investment bank in the United States, will declare bankruptcy, marking the full-blown outbreak of the subprime mortgage crisis.

This is a global financial crisis.

The most important reason why "Joker" was a box office hit is its profound reflection of social reality. Through the protagonist's predicament, it sharply presents the struggles of the underprivileged in the face of social injustice.

In particular, the portrayal of class conflict and psychological repression resonated widely with audiences, especially during periods of economic downturn…

During the financial crisis, people all over the world will resonate with and project their emotions onto "Joker" more broadly, making it the perfect stage for the film! There is no better time to release "Joker" than during a financial crisis, not even the period ten years later when "Joker" became a box office hit.

Don't assume that the financial crisis will affect movie box office; in fact, the 08 financial crisis actually led to a significant increase in global movie box office revenue.

For example, Hollywood set an all-time record for overseas box office revenue in 08.

According to data from Xinhua News Agency and the Motion Picture Association of America, Hollywood's overseas box office revenue reached $99 billion in 2008, a 4% increase over 2007.

This growth indicates that despite the economic crisis's impact on the overall economy, the popularity and market demand for Hollywood films worldwide have not been significantly affected.

Domestically, the situation is even more impressive. Not only was the total box office unaffected, but it also increased by more than 30% year-on-year, setting a new historical record for the total box office for the year.

Why does this happen?

it's actually really easy.

During economic downturns, movies become a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment and are considered low-elasticity consumer goods. When people reduce their spending on dining, travel, and other mid- to high-end consumption, they are more inclined to choose low-cost entertainment activities such as movies.

In addition, the anxiety and confusion brought about by the economic recession have prompted people to use movies to escape reality and vent their emotions.

Therefore, from any perspective, the outbreak of the financial crisis next year would be a suitable time for the release of "Joker".

After listening to Jeff Robinoff ramble on and on about all sorts of random things, it all boils down to him wanting Cao Yang to take over "Batman".

"Jeff, have you ever thought about making a unique film that's a spin-off of Batman?"

After Jeff Robinoff finished speaking at length, Cao Yang asked a question.

Jeff Robinov paused for a moment, somewhat confused by Cao Yang's meaning.

Isn't the appeal of "The Batman" entirely focused on Batman himself? He's America's most popular and influential superhero, so what other interesting stories can a comic book adaptation like this possibly develop?
Jeff Robinoff was at a loss for words, so he simply asked, "I don't quite understand what you mean. Could you be more specific?"

"Jeff, have you ever thought about making a movie about Batman's greatest nemesis and bringing it to the big screen?"

Cao Yang asked with a smile.

"You mean... the Joker?"

Jeff Robinoff shook his head without hesitation and said:

"That's impossible! Cao, the Joker is a villain, you know that? How can a villain be the protagonist? How can a movie with a villain as the protagonist be accepted by the market? How can it sell at the box office?"

Jeff Robinoff's series of questions likely all came down to this last sentence, which is probably what Jeff Robinoff really wanted to say.

If it weren't for box office success or awards, who would be so bored as to hire such an expensive director as Cao Yang?

"The Silence of the Lambs, The Godfather, Cat and Mouse, and later, Reservoir Dogs and Léon: The Professional, which sold well on DVD."

Cao Yang smiled and counted them off.

“That’s different…” Jeff Robinoff said, then fell silent.

What's the difference?
These films feature characters who are not typical Hollywood leads, and at present, they are all considered successful films. In particular, films like "The Godfather" and "The Silence of the Lambs" have won numerous awards.

Get an award?

Jeff Robinoff had a sudden realization, then understood what Cao Yang meant—he was aiming for the grand prize.

Can a comic book adaptation like "Joker" win awards?
To be honest, it's difficult.

Movies adapted from comics are different from movies adapted from novels or based on true stories.

The latter two are types that are very easy to win awards for, while comic book adaptations are naturally viewed with a kind of "discrimination," with people believing that comic book adaptations are not artistically respectable and can only be made into popcorn movies.

If it were any other director, even a famous one, Jeff Robinoff would definitely spit in his face—what the hell are you thinking? If comic book adaptations could win any major awards, I'd fucking strip naked and run around Beverly Hills!
However, it's different when it's Cao Yang who wants to be filmed.

That's the weight of your words. Even the most outrageous ideas will be carefully considered and pondered by the listener.

Jeff Robinoff is, after all, someone who can become the president of Warner Bros. Pictures, so he must know a lot about movies.

If Joker wants to win an award, it simply needs to capture the powerlessness of ordinary people in a larger context—an exploration of marginalized individuals and a critique of society.

Many people know how to make a film in order to win awards.

However, knowing how to shoot and the final result are two different things!

This clearly demonstrates the director's skill.

Jeff Robinoff certainly believed that Cao Yang was the best in this field.

(End of this chapter)