Siheyuan: I am a trader in both worlds!

Chapter 563 You even need someone to explain things when you watch a movie!

Is Let the Bullets Fly a good film or not?

Without a doubt, Let the Bullets Fly is an excellent and outstanding film!
But is it really as good as Ximen Lang said?

Sorry, but it really is as good as Ximen Lang said!
"Otherwise, so many people wouldn't be so eager to apply for its World Heritage status! It's so good that they're afraid someone else will snatch it away!"

"There is certainly some shameless guy among them who covets our valuables and is just waiting to steal them and then claim them as theirs."

"But more importantly, it's because the work itself is truly outstanding, deeply moving, and loved by everyone!"

"And this is evident from its nearly 7 million yuan box office back then, and the fact that even after so many years, it is still mentioned by countless people and regarded as a classic!"

These facts certainly demonstrate the excellence of Let the Bullets Fly, but...
"Nearly 7 million?! And 7 million from over a decade ago?! That's outrageous?!"

Seeing that Bai Ling finally realized the seriousness of the problem to some extent, Ximen Lang corrected her with great pride.

"Not only that, because you have to understand that this was more than ten years ago. More than ten years ago, piracy was rampant where we were. Although 'Let the Bullets Fly' did an excellent job of controlling piracy back then, even the best efforts couldn't completely eradicate it!"

"Even so, it still managed to gross nearly 7 million yuan at the box office back then. If it were released today, and its box office were less than 50 billion yuan, you can slap me across the face and I promise I won't say a word!"

50 billion?!

That's a quarter of a heavy combined arms brigade, and a top-of-the-line one at that!

Even after deducting costs, taxes that must be paid, and the share that must be given, it is still an astronomical figure!
This is especially true for the world of Beijing!
If all the weapons and equipment were replaced with the more cost-effective Type 96 main battle tank and Type 07 122mm self-propelled howitzer...
Bai Ling couldn't even imagine how many troops could be equipped with just one movie!

Even Lao Luo and the principal, who were standing to the side, couldn't help but breathe more rapidly!
Then, Ximen Lang was drawn to a familiar figure on the stage.

"Holy crap, Old Xu, Xu Fugui? What's he doing here?"

"Xu Fugui? Xu Damao's father?"

"Yes, who else could it be but him?"

Following Ximen Lang's gaze, they saw that it really was him, Xu Da Mao's father, Xu Fu Gui, an old resident of the courtyard house.

Bai Ling, equally bewildered, immediately turned her gaze to Lao Luo standing to the side.

Seeing that everyone present was looking at him, Lao Luo quickly explained.

"Don't look at me. I just mentioned to my subordinates that I was going to find a few projectionists to show a movie for everyone. That's all I know."

Ximen Lang felt relieved when the topic of showing movies came up.

"No wonder, if that's the case, then it's not surprising."

Isn't that surprising?
Although Lao Luo just casually mentioned it to his subordinates.

But who is Lao Luo?

A proper, high-ranking leader!

In addition, given the scale of the event and its significant importance, the people below would naturally treat it as a top priority.

If we're going to look for something, we should look for the best!

As it happens, Old Xu should admit, his movie projection skills are really good.

In terms of showing movies, not only in Beijing, but also in the surrounding areas, his reputation is impeccable! So it's not surprising that Lao Xu would be here.

just
"I should have warned you, this isn't one of those old-fashioned film movies, there's no need for a projector at all. All you need is a cell phone and a projector. Why did you call a projectionist over?"

"It's true that a projector isn't needed, but a projectionist is still necessary. Otherwise, without a projectionist explaining the film, how many viewers could understand it?"

"What?! You need a projectionist to narrate a movie?! Are you kidding me?!"

This is something that Ximen Lang could never have imagined.

What does this have to do with?
It's like taking off your pants to fart—completely unnecessary.

But there's nothing we can do about it; in today's Beijing, this is perfectly normal, so normal it couldn't be more so, and it's an indispensable fact.

Yes, because in the early days of the People's Republic of China, the general public had a low level of education, especially in rural and remote areas. The proportion of illiterate and semi-literate people was relatively large, and their appreciation ability was insufficient. As a result, the film really had to be explained by the projectionist in front of the audience so that the people could barely understand it.

Otherwise, releasing it would be the same as not releasing it at all; the general public would only see something new and wouldn't understand the content the film was trying to convey.

It wasn't until the mid-to-late 80s, with the significant improvement in cultural and aesthetic levels and the substantial advancement in film technology, that film projectionist narration gradually faded from the historical stage.

so.
"No kidding! But you, Ah Lang, you really need to brush up on your common sense. Otherwise, it'll be like trying to get hot water from a water shop—you'll easily make a fool of yourself, you know?"

"So, this is still my fault?!"

Ximen Lang heard it and his voice rose eight octaves, which was utterly unbelievable.

He waved his hand, quickly stopping Bai Ling's confrontational behavior and telling her to say less.

Luo sighed and explained.

"Of course it's not your fault, it's mine, it's our fault. We haven't done a good job in education, which has led to widespread illiteracy. We had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure."

"However, with the rapid development of nine-year compulsory education and Project Hope, these situations will definitely improve significantly! In ten or twenty years at most, movie narrators will be swept into the trash heap just like in your area."

Ximen Lang was speechless for a moment.

I could only accept Lao Luo's statement with my head buzzing.

And then, what else is there?

Given the special circumstances in Beijing, Ximen Lang naturally compromised immediately.

"But having someone narrate a movie in front of you is really disruptive to the viewing experience and it's too easy to interrupt the flow!"

But there's no way around it; it's necessary.
so.
"Alright, let Old Xu explain it first. Let's see how it goes, and then we can talk about other things."

"However, I still think that popular appeal is very important; it can't all be about being great, glorious, and righteous! Of course, I know that this aspect is very important. But if you want to go global, you can't just rely on this."

"You need to be a bit more sophisticated. You can't just come up here and say, 'Oh, we need to do this and that,' that won't do. People pay to come to the movies and have fun, not to listen to your lectures."

"Then what do you mean?"

"Be subtle. Make sure it's entertaining first, then let them dig out the details themselves. Coincidentally, in this area, 'Let the Bullets Fly' is the absolute expert among experts! Let's watch first, and then we'll talk."

As they were talking, Xu Fugui, who had been preparing for a long time, picked up the microphone and began to explain.

(End of this chapter)