Huayu: I'm reborn, but you still force me to be a scumbag?

Chapter 592 The Perfect Anchor Point: The Legend of Huanglong

"The script is just the starting point. Truly great performances are always born between actors. I like those unplanned sparks that can ignite the entire shot. They leave you with a lingering aftertaste, making you want to go the extra mile."

—Quentin Tarantino, March 10, 2004, Rolling Stone: The Philosophy of Performance in Kill Bill

……

……

As soon as Chen Nuo arrived on set, he heard Quentin excitedly announce that the movie's title had been decided.

Then, when he heard Quentin mention the name, he paused for a moment.

"you sure?"

"Yes!" Quentin laughed excitedly. "What do you think? I'm going to add it to the script as Sean's nickname. That would be fantastic!"

Bloody Yellow Dragon.

Chen Nuo silently repeated the title that excited Quentin to himself.

My first reaction was that I was a little offended.

In the West, "Bloody" is not a good word, and neither is "Yellow Dragon."

"Bloody" can mean both "bloody" and "damn".

While the term "yellow dragon" might be considered a compliment in Eastern contexts, in Western contexts, using yellow to refer to Asians is inherently derogatory. For example, the "yellow peril" is a metaphor used to demonize East Asians.

As for the "dragon," in Western legends it is not a mythical beast symbolizing power and glory, but rather an "exotic monster" that burns down villages, hoards gold, and abducts princesses.

As a result, the term "Huanglong" has almost become a collection of racial stereotypes.

In addition to the preceding "Bloody"—

The whole sentence sounds like an insult: "Damn yellow people" or "Damn oriental monsters".

Honestly, if he had heard that name in a different setting, Chen Nuo felt he would have probably already taken action.

--but.

There's always a "but".

He suppressed his anger and thought about it carefully, but the more he thought about it, the more ingenious it seemed.

In other contexts, this would certainly sound harsh and offensive.

But if you take it as the name of the movie—that's a completely different story.

Chen Nuo knew perfectly well what this movie was about. In the script, Sean, though outwardly cold and taciturn, was actually a man of great principle, a strong sense of justice, and passion.

The story is set against the backdrop of the final moments of the fall of Tianjing.

Sean fought his way through the carnage, took Hong Xiuquan's eldest daughter, Hong Tianjiao, and boarded a ship bound for America.

After months of wandering and spending time together, the two pledged their lives to each other. Upon arriving in the United States, Sean only wanted to make a stable living, so he became a Chinese laborer for the Northern Railroad Company.

But from a letter, he learned that his wife had been kidnapped by a group of unidentified bandits. So he resolutely embarked on a journey south, from California to Louisiana, crossing half the continent, all to find his beloved.

Without a doubt, this character design is the standard positive hero design.

So, what kind of impact would it have if such a character were given such a vulgar and racially discriminatory nickname as "Damn Huanglong," yet conquered all the audiences in the film with courage, kindness, and sacrifice?

Just thinking about it makes me think about it. It's really interesting.

That's clever enough.

And thinking about it on a deeper level—

Leaving aside the metaphors and satire in the Western context, from the perspective of Eastern audiences alone, "Bloody Yellow Dragon" is a good name whether it is translated as "The Bloodstained Yellow Dragon" or "The Blood-Red Yellow Dragon," and whether it is placed in China, Japan, or Korea.

In that sense, the name is perfect—it can both tug at the nerves of Western audiences and evoke emotional resonance in Eastern audiences.

Quentin Tarantino is truly a naming genius.

Chen Nuo didn't hold back his praise, giving a thumbs up and exclaiming, "Awesome!"

Upon hearing this, Quentin burst into laughter and said in broken Chinese, "Niubi, but not me, it's Miss Ayase who's awesome."

"Ayase?"

"Yes."

Chen Nuo was somewhat surprised—he hadn't expected that this seemingly quiet and shy Japanese woman would have such a creative idea.

But what surprised him even more was Quentin's next words.

“Next, I’d like to talk to you about her.” Quentin’s expression suddenly turned serious, and his tone was no longer flippant. “Could you, starting today, try to spend more time with her outside of work hours?”

"Why?" Chen Nuo asked, somewhat puzzled.

Quentin said, "Because I want to create some reaction between you and her."

Chen Nuo frowned, but before he could speak, Quentin continued, "I know there must be a lot of inconvenience involved, but what if I told you that I wanted you to do this because I want this movie to be released this year?"

Chen Nuo was immediately taken aback and asked, "Do you think that's possible?"

“I also thought it was impossible at first.” Quentin smiled. “My original plan was an 8 to 10 month shooting and production cycle, which means our movie will be released in March or April next year.”

“But—” he shrugged, “that would create a problem—awards season.”

"This means the release date will be too far from awards season. Half a year will have passed, and by the end of the year, who will even remember us?"

"However, if we wait until the end of next year to release it, the entire distribution cycle will be stretched too long, and Sony simply cannot accept such a long payback period."

"Tetsuro Kataoka and Amy Pasriel argued with me about this issue for a long time. In the end, I had no choice but to guarantee that the latest release date would not be later than May next year."

Quentin looked at him seriously and said, "But this isn't good news for you or Leon..."

To be honest, Chen Nuo hadn't really thought of this before.

But as soon as Quentin explained it, he immediately understood.

Why is it that the first half of each year is always dominated by movies like "Transformers," "Harry Potter," and "Pirates of the Caribbean," while movies aiming for Oscars and Golden Globes are generally released between October and December?

The reason is what Quentin said.

The fact that "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2" was able to be nominated for a Golden Globe this time is not only because Philippe gave him some face, but also largely because the release date of Twilight Saga benefited a lot.

The same goes for "Waterdrop". It was released at the end of September and the beginning of October. Although it was not as good as Twilight's December release, it was still able to maintain a certain level of discussion online during the awards season.

It was precisely because of this that the FYC advertisements for the two movies were effective, as they avoided starting from scratch.

Otherwise... with so many movies released during awards season, who the hell would remember who you are?
After thinking for a while, Quentin continued, "...This is really a predicament. Until yesterday. Your performance yesterday gave me hope."

I must admit that I underestimated the impact of those months of hiking on you. I knew it should have been very helpful in getting into character, but I swear, I never imagined that you would actually be able to get into character so quickly.

I originally estimated that scene would take three to five days to film, but I never expected it to be completed in just one day. Your comprehension and speed of getting into character are absolutely fucking genius level. Before this, I thought some of the rumors about you were exaggerated, but now I know they were fucking objective descriptions…

Okay, seriously, Chen, do you know what this means?

This means that if we can maintain this level of efficiency, we can compress the entire filming cycle to within four months. This would allow me three months for post-production, and there's a high chance we can release the film around Christmas this year, during the prime awards season.

If we can achieve this, everything will change. The film's release, promotion, and awards campaigns will all have a perfect anchor point. You know what I mean?

Now that things have come to this point, how could Chen Nuo not understand?
He just didn't quite understand: "What does this have to do with you telling me to get closer to Ayase?"

Quentin looked at him and said seriously, "Because she is the emotional core of Sean in the whole movie. Her feelings for Sean are crucial in the film. Chen, I don't want the kind of fan mentality she had for you during the audition. I want there to be an equal emotional connection between you two as a couple. There's no need for narration; the audience can feel the flow of that emotion from your eyes and breathing."

Chen Nuo looked at him, speechless for a moment.

Quentin concluded by saying, "You can do it, Chen. I've seen you do it before."

……

……

Quvenzani buried her face in the man's arms. No words were needed; her hands gripping his clothes tightly, her shoulders trembling slightly, and her rapid breathing conveyed her deep affection and trust for the man before her.

Horses galloped through the night, their hooves echoing across the wilderness.

Finally, in a clearing in the woods, the man gently pulled on the reins, and the horse obediently stopped.

He then dismounted, went to the edge of the woods to pick up a few dry branches, skillfully piled them up, and then gently struck the dry grass with a flint. Sparks flew out, and soon a campfire was lit in the night.

"Tell me, when did you see her?" Chen Nuo still spoke in broken English, his tone relatively calm, but the rise and fall of his chest revealed the surging emotions within him.

“Six months…no, five months ago,” Quivenzani whispered, “she passed through our village with a group of white men. My dad said they were the Spike Brothers.”

Chen Nuo's expression shifted slightly in the firelight. "The Spike brothers? Who are they?"

Quvenzani shook her head and replied, "I don't know either, my dad didn't say. But I saw them heading south along that road, which leads to Baton Rouge. I can take you to find them."

Chen Nuo gazed at her, his expression softening slightly.

After a moment, he closed his eyes, his brow furrowed slightly, as if suppressing some emotion. After a long silence, he asked in a low voice, "When you saw her... what did she look like?"

“She wasn’t alone; there were other black men, all of them with their hands tied. It looked very much like…”

"What does it resemble?"

"They look like newly bought slaves."

There was a click.

The branch in Chen Nuo's hand was snapped in two. He didn't look up, but simply threw the broken branches into the fire and asked, "Is she injured?"

"Her leg seems to be lame. Was she like that before?"

"……no."

“Oh, that was probably done by those white men. My dad said that slave traders often did this to disobedient slaves; they would sever the tendons in one of their legs so they couldn’t escape. Although such slaves couldn’t be sold for a good price, it was better than death.” The conversation by the fire stopped there.

Chen Nuo's face was half hidden in darkness and half illuminated by the firelight.

His cheeks were clenched tightly and puffed out.

His eyes were fixed on the fire, the two bright red flames within seeming to want the world to burn along with it.

……

"Cut! Good~ Robert, did you get a close-up?"

"It's been given."

"Great, you passed."

Quentin clapped his hands twice and then said, "Ten minutes later, we'll start the next shot. Michelle, go touch up Chen's makeup. Props, don't let the fire go out. Robert, go to the next camera position."

The props team and makeup artists immediately rushed over to fix the costumes and makeup of the two actors, one big and one small, by the fire.

Chen Nuo's assistant, Nazha, immediately stepped forward and handed him a bottle of water.

He took a small sip, rinsed his mouth, and then spat it on the ground.

Naza whispered something, and he shook his head, handing the water back to her.

Ayase Haruka stood to the side, enjoying the humid night breeze of Louisiana in June, her wisps of hair fluttering slightly across her forehead.

She looked away and gazed into the distance.

Over there, the staff were moving the camera, changing it to a new angle. At first, it felt scary, but now it felt very kind and professional. The director himself was lying in front of the viewfinder, bending slightly, adjusting the composition.

Although she looked away, Ayase Haruka's mind was still replaying that scene.

The man's movements as he gathered firewood and lit a fire were clean, fluid, and even rhythmic. Clearly, it wasn't something he had learned on the spot, but rather a physical memory formed through repeated practice.

She suddenly remembered the rumors she had heard on set these past two days—

For this role, he actually hiked for four whole months, retracing the route of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

too crazy.

She could hardly imagine that someone could go to such lengths for a single film.

But is it precisely because of this madness that he can be so natural and authentic in front of the camera?

It was perfect in one take. Even the most discerning director couldn't find a single flaw.

Ayase Haruka thought silently:
This is the kind of person who is truly willing to give everything for the sake of film.

Only someone like that could achieve such great success.

And what about her?
Does she, who has always aimed to be a "good actress," really have that kind of awareness?

Just then, her manager, Keiko Tajima, suddenly walked over from the side and waved to her.

Ayase Haruka was somewhat surprised. She walked over and asked softly in Japanese, "What's wrong? Keiko, what brings you here?"

Keiko Tajima didn't answer, but instead smiled and said, "Good job, Haruka-chan. How are you? Are you getting into character?"

Ayase Haruka pursed her lips, sighed softly, and said, "I'm trying my best."

Keiko Tajima said, "Did you know? The director and the others are planning to speed things up."

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Kataoka from Sony just called me over and told us that the filming, which was originally scheduled for about six months, has been reduced to about four months. This means that there isn't much time for you to prepare, and your scenes will be filmed in about three weeks."

"Huh?" Ayase Haruka was startled at first, then said in a flustered manner, "Really?"

Keiko Tajima nodded seriously: "It's true. So, you'd better do your best, Haruka-chan. In three weeks, you'll be acting opposite Chen-kun."

Ayase Haruka subconsciously turned around to look.

Chen Nuo remained seated by the fire, his expression serious, gazing at the flames. The gunshot wound that slashed across his cheekbone appeared particularly stark in the interplay of shadow and flame.

Her heart skipped a beat for some reason, and her face suddenly felt hot. She quickly turned her head away and whispered, "Yes, I will."

Keiko Tajima looked at her and said, "Are you confident?"

Ayase Haruka paused for a moment, then said, "I will do my best."

Keiko Tajima smiled and said, "Haruka-chan, actually there's a way to get you into character quickly. Did you see that little black girl? Why does everyone praise her? It's because... and Mr. Kataoka just told me that the director and they also hope you'll be like her..."

Then Keiko leaned down and whispered a few words in Ayase Haruka's ear.

Ayase Haruka was stunned after hearing this. A blush spread across her face instantly, even reaching her ears. Fortunately, it was nighttime, so no one could see her expression.

Keiko Tajima gently patted her hand. "They've already spoken to Mr. Chen, and he's agreed. Haruka-chan, now I want to know what you think."

……

……

When Chen Nuo heard from Quentin that the Japanese actress had refused the director's request and insisted on finding her own feeling, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Can you handle it yourself?

That would be truly the best outcome, thank goodness.

Although he has had experiences of communicating with actresses and discussing performances on set before—such as with Emma Stone in "My Blueberry Nights" and Gao Yuanyuan in "Blind Man's Spring"—the intensity of filming "Huanglong" far exceeded that of his previous work.

During the eight hours of filming each day, he spent six and a half hours on horseback. The black horse he rode, named Dakota, was indeed majestic and imposing, tall and large, but it was too stubborn. Even though he was a master horseman, sometimes a simple shot of mounting the horse had to be filmed five or six times.

Whenever Quentin called "That's it" he would almost always return to camp covered in sweat and dust, not even bothering to take a shower before collapsing into bed.

—Where would I find the energy to train anyone?

Moreover, Quentin Tarantino has strict rules on set that actors are not allowed to bring cell phones.

This closed-off state isolates him from the outside world, but it also makes it easier for him to fully immerse himself in the role.

Under such intense pressure, he simply didn't have the time or energy to teach others how to act.

Chen Nuo's last scene in New Orleans is actually the first act in the script.

This refers to the scene where Sakura, the little girl played by Quvenzane, meets Sean for the first time and is rescued from the KKK by Sean in the woods.

To be honest, this was a scene with a lot of action and required a lot of emotional outbursts, but in the end, Chen Nuo didn't find it as difficult as he had imagined, and it was filmed in just two days.

At this point, Chen Nuo had to admit that Quentin Tarantino's directing style was just right for him.

This guy really puts on a show when things get tough! And he does a really good job.

When he encountered a scene that he couldn't get into after filming it two or three times, this person would personally step in and demonstrate what the lines or actions he wanted to be like.

In this way, for someone who has always had a good ability to imitate, it was almost like having a cheat code.

Aside from being physically demanding, the daily work went smoothly.

And so, on the tenth day after filming began, after the scene of "Sakura being rescued from the KKK by Sean" was filmed, the crew officially entered the second phase of filming, the journey of Sean and Sakura.

Next, the crew will move to Natchiz.

It was a wetland plain near the Mississippi River, located on the border of Mississippi and Louisiana. It had vast swamps and plains, as well as dense forests, waterways, dilapidated farms and wooden bridges, making it an ideal location for outdoor filming.

Sean and Sakura's Quentin Tarantino-esque journey of searching for people and shooting heads off anyone they don't like also officially begins there.

They rescued a group of black slaves on the road, and one of them recognized the Spike brothers and gave them an address.

Later, the two men stood up for a Black woman being bullied by white thugs by a suspension bridge over a river, beating up a group of white men. They also killed two white fugitives with bounties on their heads, earning some travel expenses to the town sheriff.

Since then, a legend about the "Yellow Dragon" has begun to circulate in the south.

In the mouths of white people, the name "Yellow Dragon" carries obvious discriminatory connotations and is an evil title.

But in the hearts of Black people and the oppressed, it meant something entirely different. They saw him as a saint from the East, a savior who came for freedom and equality.

Ultimately, Sean and Sakura followed the clues to a slave trading market controlled by the Spike brothers, where Hong Tianjiao's whereabouts were hidden.

This battle with the Spike brothers will mark the end of the entire journey and the first truly emotional climax in the entire film.

According to the script, this entire sequence constitutes the first third of the film. If filming is to proceed as planned, it will take at least twenty days.

That's why, in order to give him time to adjust his condition and build up his energy so that he could finish filming in one go, Quentin gave him a day off on his first day in Natchez.

The crew's filming that day shifted to another subplot, filming the scene where Hung Tin-kau is tortured by the Spike brothers during her transport.

That day, Chen Nuo didn't go anywhere; he just slept soundly in the hotel rented by the film crew.

This place is right next to an old highway. It's a motel, and each room is very basic. The double beds are old, the lighting is bad, and there's no air conditioning in any room, only a ceiling fan. It doesn't feel like America at all; it's more like Mexico.

But for Chen Nuo, who had been filming for ten consecutive days, this place gave him a strange sense of security.

He slept until noon. After waking up, Gulnazar brought him pizza. After eating, he checked his phone, replied to some messages, and then threw himself back into the big bed and continued to sleep soundly.

He slept soundly until a knock on the door woke him up.

He rubbed his eyes, and walked to the door in a daze. When he opened the door, it was already dark outside.

Some mosquitoes and flies were buzzing around under the yellow corridor lights.

The moment he opened the door, a figure bent over deeply, casting a long shadow under the light.

From his perspective, he could see a head of long, jet-black hair cascading down her back, her thin skirt billowing in the night breeze, and the fabric clinging to her slender, shapely body. It was clear that this woman had a great figure, with a very slim waist, but below her waist, there were two slightly exaggerated, rounded curves that expanded outwards and then quickly narrowed, making her look like a plump, juicy peach when viewed from above.

Then a trembling female voice spoke in Japanese: "Mr. Chen, I'm so sorry to bother you, but I really don't know what to do... Please, please teach me..."

(End of this chapter)