Generation Z Artists

Chapter 312 Eternal Youth
The further the movie goes, the more immersive and engaging it becomes.

The relationship between Chen Nian and Zhang Xiaobei is becoming increasingly clear, bringing a sweet feeling to people's hearts.

Shortly after the scene of shaving his head, there was the fourth assessment test.

Chen Nian channeled her pent-up frustration into motivation and achieved a score that would secure her admission to a top-tier university. When she returned home with her report card, her steps were unusually light, revealing a genuine joy from the bottom of her heart.

Zhang Xiaobei was even happier than her.

"awesome!"

The boy's eyes were filled with passion; he was genuinely excited for her.

We have to celebrate!

Zhang Xiaobei darted around inside and outside the house a couple of times before his eyes finally settled on the stove to the side.

"I'll stew a chicken for you to help you recover, just wait!"

"Ah You?"

Chen Nian was taken aback; she had no idea that Zhang Xiaobei possessed this skill.

In the past, she always ate steamed buns in the cafeteria, while Zhang Xiaobei would just eat whatever was available outside, and they lived in dire poverty.

"What's wrong with me?" The young man raised his eyebrows, full of pride. "My cooking skills are excellent!"

The girl's interest was piqued.

"Then I'll give you the money..."

"Need not!"

Zhang Xiaobei waved his hand and turned to leave.

Chen Nian followed him out of the room and watched as Zhang Xiaobei darted to the courtyard wall, jumped and pushed off, and disappeared into the backyard.

Soon after, he popped his head out from the front door, proudly holding up a half-grown rooster.

Chen Nian realized something, her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open: "Steal it?"

Zhang Xiaobei didn't hide anything, chuckled, and said, "Today is truly a joyous day. I had just stepped out when this chicken suddenly flew into my arms. Isn't that a coincidence?"

Zhang Xiaobei smiled憨憨地, but a hint of unease flickered in his eyes.

The boy wanted to celebrate the girl's birthday in his own way, but what skills did he have? He was nothing more than a petty thief.

I didn't think too much about it when I set off, but I suddenly started to worry after I came back.

Will she look down on me?
Chen Nian was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.

With a flicker of his eyes, he seemed to understand everything.

"Okay, we'll eat this sponsored chicken today." She nodded with her hands behind her back, "But don't do it again!"

"Ai!"

……

Zhang Xiaobei busied himself with cooking, frying a large pot of chicken.

Perhaps it was because the cooking was really good, or perhaps the two children had suffered for too long, but they ate with gusto, their mouths greasy with oil.

Chen Nian, in particular, was greedy and meticulous, as if she wanted to suck out every last bit of oil from the chicken bones.

Superb acting skills?

No.

Director Fang Xinghe forced her to eat nutritional meals for more than three months, without a drop of oil or fat. When it came time to film this scene, the nutritional meals were even stopped twice. How could she not film it well?

When they had almost finished eating, Zhang Xiaobei suddenly said out of the blue, "I haven't stolen any of their chickens for five or six years."

This is the explanation.

Chen Nian looked at the boy who refused to look up, her eyes softening considerably.

"Don't do those bad things for me anymore."

"Ah."

Zhang Xiaobei responded in a muffled voice, then fell silent, and the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

After a long silence, Chen Nian gently bit her lower lip and said with difficulty, "Once I get into university, I'll work part-time as a tutor. I can earn twenty or thirty yuan an hour, which will be enough for the two of us to live on..."

Zhang Xiaobei suddenly looked up, while she looked down, their postures completely reversed.

Surprise blossomed in Xiao Bei's eyes, while shyness froze between Chen Nian's trembling eyelashes. At this moment, silence spoke louder than words, and the scene naturally exuded the pure and beautiful love of youth.

……

"Wow...it's so beautiful..."

Kate gasped and rubbed her arms vigorously.

Westerners often express their love in a more direct and passionate way, but that doesn’t mean they can’t understand subtle and budding love. Otherwise, why would the movie “Flipped” have become so popular?
Everyone has been a teenager. Before the first time we fucked, everyone was innocent, regardless of nationality.

In a sense, Western whites with strong faith value the purity of love even more. Evangelical Christians, Catholics who adhere to official doctrines, Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Mormons all insist on "the commitment to chastity."

Although only a minority of people can fully achieve this, the US population of 7600 million receives this kind of education, and not being able to do it does not prevent them from understanding and celebrating the pure love of youth.

What's particularly interesting is that adults and teenagers react quite differently.

Adult female celebrities like Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman, and Charlize Theron generally evoke feelings of beauty, charm, youthful innocence, and sweetness.

But the teenagers in the general audience were anxiously straining on the sidelines.

"Go for it, kiss her!"

Film critic Robert turned around at the sound and saw a boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old, clenching his teeth and pumping his fist in encouragement.

Next to him was a girl of about the same age, intently staring at the screen, completely absorbed.

After being interrupted, the girl impatiently scolded in a low voice, "Shut up! Idiot, don't disturb my movie!"

interesting.

Robert immediately wrote in his notebook: "In the United States, teenage boys seem less willing to accept this kind of pure love that maintains a sufficient distance. After their emotions are fully aroused by Zhang Xiaobei and Chen Nian, they are in a state of constant restlessness and may have begun to fantasize about a more intense and pleasurable release."

But the girls were quite the opposite; they didn't associate it with sex, but were completely immersed in the sweet yet slightly bitter atmosphere, dancing to the beat of director SR's baton.

But director SR is a devil; he manipulates the emotions of the audience like puppets…

After the sweetness, the knife was immediately revealed.

Wei Lai's unexpected death caused the happiness that had just begun to gather around Chen Nian to collapse instantly.

Xiao Bei decided to sacrifice herself, and after some planning, the newly born hope was once again shattered by the astute Gong Huang.

The interrogation scene builds to a climax through constantly switching montage shots.

"I don't understand what you're talking about; it was just an accident."

Xiao Bei's expression was pained, but there was a resolute determination in her eyes.

“I know I will go to jail, whether it’s 10 years or 20 years, it’s what I deserve, and I’m willing to atone for my mistakes.”

On the other hand, Chen Nian's inherent resilience was also fully unleashed.

“I was reading at home, but Xiao Bei didn’t come back. I got anxious, so I went out to look for him. You said there were my footprints near the scene, so that’s how I got here.”

The captain used many verbal interrogation techniques, but he couldn't get anyone to talk.

The interrogation reached a stalemate.

The audience members didn't dare to breathe.

Many people were so nervous that they made the sign of the cross on their chests and muttered, "Oh my god, Jesus, please help poor Nian escape this calamity!"

Although I feel very sorry for Zhang Xiaobei, no one wants to see Chen Nian fall just before dawn.

Moreover, Zhang Xiaobei's sacrifice embodies a clear sense of chivalry and protection, making the audience subconsciously want to accept this imperfect outcome in a hasty manner.

Kate tried to ease his nerves by sharing her guesses about the ending with Leonardo DiCaprio.

"Manslaughter, a minor, he won't get a long sentence in the north. He'll be out right after he graduates from university, and then they can be happily together..."

99% of viewers expect this, and it's an illusion of the "optimal solution" created through tense editing of the plot.

But Director Fang never takes the usual path.

He had Gong Li use extremely sharp language to puncture this false hope.

"I just want to tell you one thing—human nature is far more profound, dark, and terrifying than you think right now."

The theater was as oppressive as an abyss, with only that cold and cruel voice echoing in the air.

"What will happen if Xiao Bei goes to jail and you go to college?"
You went to a new city and found complete freedom on a university campus bathed in sunlight, gradually beginning to experience all sorts of joy.

Xiao Bei lives in a small, dark cage, enduring each minute with only a sliver of hope.

Can you imagine what kind of people these two completely different environments will shape ten years from now?

Gong Li's voice was like a blade, stabbing Chen Nian again and again, and also piercing the hearts of the audience.

Adults sympathized with the story, while teenagers felt increasingly desperate as they listened.

As the film's primary audience, teenagers have no idea about such things. Therefore, Fang Xinghe uses Gong Li's voice to expose the darkest aspects of human nature and the cruelest realities to them.

Chen Nian, on the other hand, delivered her most intense, passionate, and infectious performance to date.

She broke down the moment the captain mentioned her parents.

"Adults can't bear that kind of pressure, and can only give up in despair, like your parents..."

"You bullshit!"

Her roar was filled with intense anger, and her eyes revealed a deep sense of guilt and fear. Her irresponsible parents made her pupils shrink to pinpoints.

Chen Nian was extremely afraid of that ending.

Therefore, even viewers who were fully immersed in the experience began to feel fear.

Actually, it was fine for white and Asian audiences, but the few Black audience members in the theater truly empathized with what they felt.

A father who abandons his responsibilities and disappears without a trace, and a mother who becomes an alcoholic due to unbearable pressure, are practically the standard in Black communities.

As a result, the Black audience, who are the least likely to think critically, naturally empathize with the film, while the white and Asian audiences with harmonious families can understand the dark logic in the dialogue, and that heavy feeling instantly sweeps over everyone.

But this is still not the end.

Gong Li calmly shook her head: "You know very well that I'm not talking nonsense. I didn't even mention the most terrible possibility..."

Chen Nian's pupils suddenly dilated, and her body trembled slightly, as if in disbelief.

What kind of ending would be more terrifying?
Gong Li suddenly appears in the frame, sitting opposite Chen Nian, staring intently into the girl's eyes, and slowly utters the ultimate darkness.

"Let's assume you overcome all the negative emotions, grit your teeth and swallow your blood, carefully enduring these 10 years, and finally reunite with Xiao Bei. But he has become sensitive, fragile, irritable, and easily angered. You reach out to him, but he looks at you with suspicion..."

Chen Nian's eyes widened, her lips trembling violently.

And that demonic voice kept drilling into her ears.

"Actually, he loves you even more than he does now, because he has no other choice but to love you..."

You want to rebuild trust with him, and he wants to too, but he just can't do it because life in prison is just too grueling. He tries his best to endure it, but he simply can't.

Even adults can't handle it, let alone such a pitiful teenager?

You looked at each other cautiously, your eyes filled with unfamiliarity, doubt, pain, and turmoil. But there was no trace of the love you once shared.

Do you want to save him?
But the Chen Nian in his heart remained at the age of 17, transformed into a symbol that was no longer human. He couldn't believe in the stranger you were now.

You try to do something, but you soon find it's all in vain. The spirited young man in your memory has long since died in the long torment. What you see now is a pitiful wretch who is prematurely aged, numb, and submissive, utterly disappointing.

You missed each other's entire youth; one of you lived in the beautiful university campus, while the other rotted in a cold and desolate prison.

Chen Nian, Xiao Bei won't last ten years.

The real torment will officially begin the moment of their reunion.

At that time, you will definitely destroy each other completely, and also destroy all the beautiful things that made you persevere to the very end.

Believe me, that would be a far more tragic and pitiful outcome than what we have now…

Gong Li's portrayal completely shattered Chen Nian's beliefs.

She slammed her hand on the table, raised her long neck, and let out a groan that sounded inhuman from deep in her throat.

"Ah ah ah ah ah!!!!"

"Woo..."

As the wails turned into muffled sobs, Gong Li felt a pang of pity and turned to leave the room.

In the theater, sobs filled the air.

The pain and despair of the plot itself is the cause, and Liu Yifei's wonderful performance is the thread. The thread connects the cause to the audience's heart, binding it deeply and making it so painful that it's hard to breathe.

They completely believed the ending.

The difference is that adults realize this earlier, while teenagers still harbor a sliver of unconvinced fantasies.

But soon, Liu Yifei's award-winning performance drew them into a dilemma of making the final choice.

Chen Nian's body trembled slightly. She clenched her fists so tightly that the veins bulged, but she couldn't hold back her tears.

Large tears streamed down her face, sliding down her twitching lips, her eyes filled with profound despair.

She turned her head and stared at the black glass. On the other side, Zhang Xiaobei was displaying the bravest perseverance.

“I accidentally killed Wei Lai. It has nothing to do with anyone else. I am sorry for her. I am willing to plead guilty and…accept punishment.”

Xiao Bei's lips trembled slightly, but unlike Chen Nian's convulsions, it was a loss of control caused by fear.

But he immediately pursed his lips tightly, not allowing his weakness to show.

The word "并" is paused slightly, "接受罚罚" is pronounced softly, and the whole sentence trembles slightly, but the ending sound is crisp and clear, showing his determination.

In the montage, the glass becomes transparent, and Chen Nian seems to be truly witnessing this scene.

Thus, she also witnessed Xiao Bei becoming a walking corpse ten years after being wrongfully imprisoned.

A bitter smile appeared on the girl's face, her eyes utterly empty.

The near-death experience she had on the waterboard caused her to suddenly and without warning let out a hissing gasp, her chest heaving violently, and her hands, pressed against the glass, clenched and twitched.

But there was nothing she could do but wail in pain.

"Ah ah ah..."

The overwhelming sense of despair seemed to drag the audience into an abyss, making it impossible for them to breathe.

The theater was filled with a chorus of sobs, an overwhelming outpouring of emotion.

This is a tragedy born of love and impulsiveness; the most beautiful heart brings forth the most terrible sin, which even the most hard-hearted person cannot bear.

The only solution is for Chen Nian to come to her senses.

……

The camera pans, transitions, and cuts to Gong Li and her apprentice in the corridor.

Zheng Yi's expression was very conflicted: "Master..."

"Xiao Yi," Gong Li interrupted, a cigarette dangling from her lips, "Do you think the truth is important?"

Zheng Yi hesitated, caught in a dilemma: "Sometimes...it's important, isn't it?"

Gong Li chuckled and said, "Sometimes it's not that important, is it?"

Zheng Yi's expression grew increasingly somber.

His duty as a police officer prevented him from expressing such a stance, but his inner feelings compelled him to side with the poor girl.

“I really don’t necessarily have to bring her to justice.”

Gong Li took a deep drag of her cigarette, then waved her hand vigorously to disperse the smoke she exhaled.

"only……"

Her voice was heavy and her tone was low.

"They can't keep making this mistake."

"That……"

"Let her choose for herself."

……

After a carefully crafted setup, the camera returns to the interrogation room, focusing on Xiao Bei.

In a moment, Xiao Bei suddenly sensed something and turned to look at the glass wall.

He had a strong feeling that Chen Nian was there.

Chen Nian was indeed there.

The two stared at each other for a full five seconds, the girl filled with sorrow and despair, the boy with tender affection.

This scene was breathtaking.

In the montage, the two figures coexist in the middle, their gazes intertwined.

Fang Xinghe's composition was so moving that the sobs in the theater rose four octaves.

suddenly……

Her body was still trembling, and tears were still flowing, but Chen Nian grinned, a smile through her tears.

At the same time, her desperate gaze calmed down, replaced by a hint of determination.

The image freezes on the serene smile on her face.

……

In the next scene, Chen Nian and Zhang Xiaobei change into prison uniforms and have a brief meeting in the detention center.

The boy and girl looked at each other with tearful eyes through the railing.

"We agreed..." Zhang Xiaobei began, her voice trembling, "that you would protect..."

You protect the world, I protect you.

But Chen Nian smiled and waved, interrupting Zhang Xiaobei.

"You protect me, I protect you, we safeguard each other, and together we illuminate this world."

The girl's eyes were bright and determined; the gloom of the past had completely vanished.

The boy's eyes were filled with surprise and emotion; his former aloofness and coldness had completely transformed into resolute tenderness.

The naive and ignorant love and needs were completely sublimated at this moment.

Their world is small, but after having each other, their world is no longer empty, but very fulfilling.

……

At the end of the film, the environment suddenly changes, the filter warms up, and it's many years later.

Chen Nian, who has grown her hair long again, works at a children's tutoring center, explaining English grammar to the children in a gentle and intellectual voice.

A short gasp rippled through the theater.

The audience watched with delight as Chen Nian talked to the little girl and then took her hand to go home.

Until the dog director stirred up trouble again—

"A long time ago, someone would walk the teacher home every day..."

The audience's hearts skipped a beat, panicking terribly—what does "a long time ago" mean? Where is Zhang Xiaobei? Did the two of them ultimately not end up together?

Chen Nian led the little girl towards the setting sun.

This is a beautiful long shot, starting from an overhead angle, then following, then lowering, and finally fixing on the roadside, watching Chen Nian lead the little girl uphill, walking further and further away, gradually merging into the sunset.

Just as the audience was about to be completely disappointed, with a soft thud, a foot wearing a leather shoe stepped into the ground-level shot.

The background music volume increased, and the rhythm suddenly became more intense.

That foot, along with the lower half of the body, completely entered the frame.

The camera zooms out, as if looking up, and the mysterious person's back gradually comes into full view.

Leather shoes, dress pants, long legs...

Above that was a clean and simple white shirt.

The cuffs of the shirt were meshed up, revealing muscular, tanned forearms.

The entire audience instinctively held their breath.

The camera pans and zooms out, but never shows the person's profile. Finally, it focuses on the back of his neck and up to his temples.

"WOW!"

A burst of excited shouts erupted in the theater.

The man had neat short hair, and a clean-shaven Z-shape on the side of his head was locked in the center of the camera, and was completely frozen in time during the most intense part of the background music!

The screen hadn't completely gone black yet, but the theater was already erupting in applause and cheers!

A profound and moving feeling filled the hearts of all the audience members. The emotions that had been suppressed throughout the entire performance were suddenly released in a cathartic manner. They clapped wildly and shouted loudly for a long time.

"GOOD!"

"NICE!"

"Excellent!"

"I love you! Star river, I love you!"

The girls' screams, mixed with the boys' incoherent shouts, nearly blew the roof off.

This is the kind of good movie they want.

Protection is the guiding principle throughout, love rises throughout, and finally, in an unexpected and exhilarating release, the knight returns as king and the princess in distress is redeemed!

Do Westerners not understand Chinese campus romance?
Shit!

This is the most universal romance, this is the timeless and classic dream of youth!
Tonight, the Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, and indeed the entire North American continent, are all engulfed in applause and cheers.

(End of this chapter)