Who are you calling "little fresh meat"? I'm the king.

Chapter 707 The Psychology of a Giant Baby (44)

First of all, everyone should know that the commercialization of Chinese films has not been around for 15 years...

If we need a precise timeframe, we have to start counting from Zhang Yimou's "Hero," which was at the end of 2002, making it only 13 years in total.

Before this, we certainly had movies, but back then movies were a tool, and making movies was a privilege.

Therefore, many of the practices from the era of major studio studios have been carried over to this day…

Our film education, which originated from the Soviet Union's dualistic view of art and instrument, has relegated technology to the sidelines, leaving practitioners desensitized to, or even disdainful of, technology.

We admire the New Wave cinema movement…

In reality, the French New Wave directors were extremely fortunate; they entered the world of filmmaking with the lowest possible technical barriers. They could only attract audiences through their storytelling style and the stories they told.

But that's no longer possible. Large production teams now require thousands of people, especially for commercial films.

Secondly, regarding our understanding of movies.

For a considerable period of time, our creators only thought about themselves and not others, making it difficult for them to consider the creation from the audience's perspective.

They thought they understood the audience, but that was just their own assumption.

At least, the audience isn't as stupid as they think!
Then they tightly controlled the awards, attempting to gain the naming rights and interpretive rights to cinematic art…

And then... their movies became disconnected from the audience!
For a long time, our films, especially those of the Sixth Generation, took pride in uncovering social ills and sins, flaunting their anger and responsibility by exposing these unclean things…

That's certainly not wrong, but what commercial films ultimately need is beauty.

Film needs a mainstream set of values, which many creators currently look down upon or consider outdated, such as love, happiness, family, justice, and so on.

Director Lu Chuan is a typical example of this type of person...

He comes from a distinguished family; his father, Lu Tianming, and his aunt, Lu Xing'er, are both famous writers, so his family has a rich academic tradition.

The first work was "borrowed" from Akira Kurosawa's "Stray Dog";
Jiang Wen was cast as the lead actor!
It was also selected for the competition section of the Venice Film Festival.

Judging from his debut work, Lu Chuan has always positioned himself as an art director who aspires to become a master.

He is proud and aloof at heart, and he likes epic, contemporary and ritualistic themes, the depth of human nature, and grand topics and vocabulary.

Or rather... it embodies the superiority complex of the Chinese entertainment industry!
What's most absurd is that his film "Nanjing! Nanjing!" passed censorship, was criticized, and yet a bunch of industry bigwigs still stood up for him...

No, how come a bunch of industry bigwigs are endorsing "Nanjing! Nanjing!", a film about the Nanjing Massacre told from the perspective of the Japanese?
Including the "749" Bureau, they immediately convened a meeting of a bunch of "experts" to discuss whether it was a good movie, and then started criticizing the audience, concluding that the task of improving the aesthetic level and artistic cultivation of the masses is arduous and has a long way to go!
In this environment, any director will develop a childish mentality—I have no problem, the problem is the whole world!

They can't accept criticism from others, and can only resort to mindless barking, self-comfort, and sophistry...

But you're saying Xinghuo Studio hires online trolls?
This is something worth discussing!
Spark Studio, Shen Yan Studio, and Happy Twist all issued statements denying that they hired online trolls to smear "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe"... Shen Yan also posted on Weibo: "Taro, you really think highly of yourself. I would hire online trolls to smear you?"
Wake up! With over 100,000 people rating it and an average score of 4.2, do you really need an online army?

You're not Xu Zheng... Besides, I didn't leak the pirated source of "Lost in Hong Kong"... it was your distribution company, Le Vision Pictures, that leaked it! By the way, I've already had the company report it to the police. I'll have the public security department get involved. If there weren't any online trolls involved, you need to apologize to me, apologize to "Never Say Die," and apologize to Xinghuo Studio...

I'd also like to apologize to Tianxia Bachang for making such a terrible film.
This is supposed to be called "Ghost Blows Out the Light"?
Besides, you think your rubbish can be a box office hit? Do you really think the audience is there because of you? If you hadn't used the "Ghost Blows Out the Light" name in your marketing, how much do you think it would have grossed?

Half an hour later, he posted another Weibo post: "In our current film industry, a considerable number of creators have become seriously detached from the masses. They no longer consider themselves as people, and while lacking a perspective from the masses, they also do not want to understand the masses."

They do not come from the masses, nor do they want to go to the masses.

Creators like this are bound to produce failures and be opposed by the public! Yet they receive applause from a bunch of experts and professors within the industry… I truly don't understand!

"I don't understand how 'Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe' could be adapted so badly... It's really remarkable. If it had even slightly adhered to the original story, it wouldn't have turned out this bad..."

Well, Brother Yan has already used half his full power...

But that was enough for Lu Chuan, who immediately responded with a Weibo post: "When have I ever made a bad film? 'Nanjing! Nanjing!' won a bunch of awards and gained international recognition..."

Don't call me Taro!

We poured a lot of effort into *Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe*, hoping to contribute to the market, audiences, and the Chinese film industry as much as we could… Judging from market feedback, *Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe* was a success!

This time, Shen Yan didn't even need to reply; netizens had already responded: "If we only consider the market, then 'Tiny Times' and 'Forever Young' are also successful!"

As for "Nanjing! Nanjing!"... I've wanted to criticize it for a long time. Some domestic directors are afraid that if they portray the major issues of right and wrong in war films in a clear distinction between good and evil, they will be criticized by foreign liberals for being superficial. So they try to put themselves in the shoes of the invaders and find ways to explore the humanity of the invaders, reflect on the invaders' actions, and then label the victims as pitiful people who also have hateful aspects!
By blurring the lines between good and evil, they aim to demonstrate "depth," to stand out, and to align with international war films...

However, the War of Resistance Against Japan, especially the Nanjing Massacre, was an unspeakable crime committed by the Japanese against the Chinese people. To film this subject, setting aside the fundamental issues of right and wrong, and instead trying to explore the humanity of the aggressors like Western war films, is simply a poor imitation!

"The wars that led to the change of dynasties in Chinese history were not distinguished by good or evil, so why can't war films reveal human nature?"

"Stop talking nonsense. Just answer one question: You are a Chinese director who made a film about the Nanjing Massacre. Instead of condemning the brutality of the Japanese army, you condemned the cowardice and apathy of the citizens of Nanjing and explored the humanity of the invaders. Is this kind of 'innovation' that caters to the West right? Is it wrong to call you a traitor?"

"Furthermore, didn't you say that Shen Yan hired online trolls to smear your movie? Please provide the evidence!"

Then... Lu Chuan uploaded a few pictures on Weibo, uh, comparison pictures from Douban. Several IDs gave "Never Say Die" a perfect score, and then gave "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe" a one-star rating, with the caption: "Isn't this obvious?"

Shen Yan almost laughed in anger after seeing this Weibo post…

This... isn't this just plain stupid?

The fact that "internet trolls" are doing this doesn't necessarily mean they are internet trolls; it could also be because they have eyes!
Suddenly I feel like arguing with this kind of person is pointless...

He only replied with one sentence: "I didn't quite understand what 'adult baby mentality' meant before, but I do now. Fine, you win! You don't need to reply anymore. I've already reported it to the police, and you'll receive the investigation information from the public security department soon!"

(End of this chapter)