I'm not a drama freak, I can really see through the script

Chapter 373, Wang Shuo: There is no possibility of the Beijing Circle of Scar Literature losing!

The movie is over.

As the end credits rolled, the theater lights slowly came on.

There was no applause, no discussion.

There was only silence, and the faint, suppressed sobs.

Shi Tiesheng remained in his wheelchair for a long time after the movie ended.

Cao Guiying is still alive.

Ma Youtie also did not die.

They simply continued living their lives, building an even simpler shack next to the ruins of their bulldozed mud house.

The story ends here.

No final answer was given, no perfect tragedy was presented.
Indeed, he only had this feeling and reaction after the movie ended.

It is completely different from 'scar literature' in the general sense.
The power of tragedy lies in its thoroughness. Only by showing the destruction of something beautiful can we create the most profound shock.

Li Xuan had clearly pushed the suffering to its extreme, pulling the audience's emotions to the brink of collapse.

With just a gentle push, Cao Guiying would die, and Ma Youtie would be plunged into despair.

This film will be greatly enhanced in terms of its artistic merit.

It is a work of "scar literature" in the traditional sense.

At the last moment, he managed to deflect the knife aimed at his heart.

Go 'escape' from art.

He turned to look at Yu Hua.

Yu Hua was also looking at him, her face streaked with tears, yet she grinned silently. In that smile, there was relief, comfort, and a feeling of... "I knew you would have this expression."

Shi Tiesheng ignored him and looked past the crowd, landing on Li Xuan in the front row.

Li Xuan had already stood up and was talking to the staff around him.

He is very calm.

That calmness didn't seem like that of a director who had just presented such a heavy work to the world. No, it was heavy, but it also carried a touch of warmth, not entirely cold.

Doesn't he know what he's given up?

He gave up the opportunity to be deified in order to achieve a sentimental, almost "kitsch" ending.

This outcome will become its biggest weakness in the upcoming awards competition.

An absolute Achilles' heel.

Compared to Guan Hu's "Bullfight" and Gu Changwei's "Spring Begins," "Hidden in the Dust" falls short in terms of artistic purity.
……

Li Xuan was indeed very calm.

The audience's reaction was exactly what he had expected.

He saw Shi Tiesheng's confusion, and he also saw Yu Hua's tears.

He certainly knew what choice he had made.

While simulating the script and immersing himself in that world, he rehearsed the ending countless times.

Letting Cao Guiying die was the simplest and most "correct" choice.

In that case, Ma Youtie's world would completely collapse, and he would use pesticides to end his life.

With the last bit of money, I paid off all the eggs I owed.

A tragic little man.

But this is the suffering of ordinary people.

It could be a work of art that leaves its mark on film history.

This is exactly what the audience and judges like.

Awards, fame, and status will follow.

But he can't.

When he truly became Ma Youtie, when he looked at that timid, kind woman who would put the first egg in his hand, when they lit the first lamp in the mud house, when she clumsily tried to amuse him with the wheat blossoms imprinted on her hands.

Have no idea
The killing of Cao Guiying. The killing of Ma Youtie.

It's possible.

But no.

Li Xuan believes that art can sometimes be something simpler.

For example, it gives those who are also struggling in the mud a little bit of hope to keep living.

Tell them that even if the whole world abandons you, there will always be someone who will feel sorry for you getting wet in the rain and will leave a light on for you.

Tragedy is indeed something that makes us remember.

But love is also acceptable.

Even longer than tragedy.

Love is something that deserves respect and reverence.
Therefore, he chose this outcome.

It diminished the so-called artistic quality.

It weakened the so-called tragic power.

But he gave Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying a chance to continue living.

It also gave the audience in front of the screen an outlet to catch their breath.

The deserts of Northwest China cannot produce beautiful roses.

But there, the most resilient, tiny waves of wheat will grow, braving the wind and sand.

This is enough.

At this moment, Li Xuan paused and looked at Liu Yifei beside him.

"Actually, this ending does reduce the artistic merit; that's the result."

“No, that’s enough.” Liu Yifei looked at Li Xuan with a bright smile: “This is more than enough. At least for me right now, this is the best outcome.”

Artistic merit and the like.

That's nowhere near as good as Brother Li's current fate.

That warmth, that love.

Li Xuan just can't write something this cold and detached.

……

At this moment, Yu Hua was pushing her close friend's wheelchair.

"What are you thinking?"

"I've been thinking about something. I originally thought this was just a reprint of 'To Live,' but now it's become quite different," Shi Tiesheng said after a moment of silence. "Something beyond what I, as a writer, expected."

Shi Tiesheng considered himself a literary figure, which is perfectly fine.
Because he was indeed a true 'literary figure,' one of the Four Great Talents.

In his view, "Hidden in the Dust" is a literary work of the same level.

"You're probably thinking, unfortunately, he abandoned artistry and chose a more mundane ending. An ending that might put him at a disadvantage in the big awards season two years later."

"Ah."

Li Xuan walked up to them, said nothing, but bowed slightly to Shi Tiesheng.
His eyes were very clear.

Very clear.

Shi Tiesheng knew—Li Xuan seemed to understand; he understood that his ending would diminish the artistic merit.

Such a thing.
He gave it up voluntarily.

He was somewhat taken aback at this point.

It's not that he didn't understand. He gave up voluntarily!
Yu Hua, standing next to Shi Tiesheng, looked at him with an expression that said, "That's how it is."

Many things are things that everyone can understand.
We're brothers and friends; we know what the other is really thinking.

Li Xuan.

Doesn't he understand the ending?
got it.

He chose to give up—to interpret the passion of love.

It begins in the dry, cold deserts of Northwest China.

However, when given the choice, they did not choose the deserts of Northwest China.

Shi Tiesheng raised his hand, wanting to say something, but found his throat dry.

All those words could be summed up in one sentence.

"The movie... was very good."

Li Xuan nodded.

He looked at the writer who sat in a wheelchair, who had spent his life fighting against suffering, a man who truly understood the weight of the word "living".

They didn't choose the desolate and cold northwest.

But
...and roses bloomed in the deserts of Northwest China.

Wang Su sat in a private room of the teahouse, holding a cup of Biluochun tea.
The movie has been released.

"Bullfighting," "Springtime," and Li Xuan's "Hidden in the Dust"—three works on the theme of scar literature—are competing for attention in the same release window.

This is what he needs: a bloodbath, and then, "Hidden in the Dust" is killed!
"Zheng Long, have you read Guan Hu's 'Bullfight'?"

Wang Shuo put down his teacup, a satisfied smile on his face.

"I watched it, it's really good."

Zheng Long also looked relaxed, "Guan Hu's performance this time can be described as quite stable. Huang Bo's acting skills are also indeed on point. He is qualified to compete for the Best Actor award this time because he can carry the whole movie by himself."

"Yes, I've also watched 'The Beginning of Spring'."

Wang Su nodded. "Jiang Wenli's performance was superb. She perfectly captured the confusion and struggle of a small-town artsy young woman. Tsk tsk, she's a natural fit for our Beijing-style art films."

Both films are standard Beijing-style art films.

Suffering, struggle, and the final sublimation or destruction.

This is what scar literature should look like.

Wang Su was very satisfied with the quality.
Very satisfied.
As representative works of the Beijing film circle in the field of art films, both "Cow" and "Springtime" met his expectations. In particular, both directors demonstrated sufficient skill in handling the subject matter.

"Cow" tells the story of a farmer protecting his dairy cow during wartime. Huang Bo plays Niu Er, who flees with his cow while being pursued by the Japanese army. The story is full of dark humor, but its underlying tone remains heavy. The distortion and perseverance of humanity under extreme circumstances are vividly portrayed.

"Springtime" is a typical film about young people in small towns. Jiang Wenli plays Wang Cailing, a small-town female teacher with artistic dreams who gradually compromises under the heavy pressure of reality and ultimately chooses an ordinary life. The conflict between ideals and reality is portrayed as both cruel and damn real.

Dreams, scars, pain.

Both of these films represent the highest level of art films produced in the Beijing art film circle, both in terms of artistry and the handling of subject matter.
"That kid Li Xuan has really bitten off more than he can chew this time."

Zheng Long picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said, "He thinks he can establish himself in the art-house film genre by making 'Nanjing Photo Studio'? He's too naive. When it comes to 'scar literature,' no one can compare to your Beijing literary circle."

Wang Suo is indeed very confident about this.

Absolutely confident.

This is true.

Scar literature, a literary genre that began in the 1980s, has always been a strength of the Beijing literary circle in its film adaptations. From early works like "To Live" to later works on rural and war themes, the Beijing circle has accumulated a wealth of experience and resources.

Although Li Xuan is talented, he is not good at this field.

What does he even know?
Compared to the Beijing-style literature that has been immersed in it for many years?
No.

Absolutely not, only in the field of 'scar literature'.

Wang Shuo knew he would never be allowed to touch it.

Moreover, it uses Liu Yifei, an inexperienced and overhyped actress.
Yu Hua hummed.
Although Yu Hua is a representative figure of "scar literature," he hasn't produced any particularly outstanding works over the years besides "To Live." Moreover, Zhang Yimou has already made a film version of "To Live," a masterpiece already established; what new ideas could a similar story possibly offer?
"And look at their marketing and promotion."

Wang Su pointed to several newspapers and magazines on the table, "It's still Liu Yifei and Li Xuan being promoted in the center. Liu Yifei has quite a few negative news stories right now. The reputation of 'The Forbidden Kingdom' collapsed, and her acting skills were criticized to the point of being unbearable. Isn't it too confident to use her as the main promoter for Li Xuan at this time?"

Zheng Long also shook his head.

"I don't understand either. Art films and commercial films are different. They value the actors' acting skills and expressiveness more. Liu Yifei can't even act well in commercial films, so why is she acting in art films? Maybe Li Xuan really put all his eggs in one basket with 'Nanjing Photo Studio' and doesn't care so much about disappearing into obscurity."

"Moreover, the audience for art films is different. They are more discerning and pay more attention to the connotation and artistry of the work. Idol actresses like Liu Yifei don't have much recognition in this group."

Wang Shuo became more and more certain as he spoke.

This time.

Li Xuan had no reason to 'flip the card'.

Not only do they have to face direct competition from "Cow" and "Springtime", but they also have to bear the negative impact brought by Liu Yifei.

Under these circumstances, it would be almost impossible for "Hidden in the Dust" to achieve good results.

"This time, we must make this young man understand his place and his status. A peasant should stay in the mud and not get involved in things he shouldn't."

Wang Shuo put down his teacup, his tone icy.
The position of the seventh generation leader.

He's creating his own new circle.

Li Xuan's existence is already a threat.

This time, we used two sixth-generation fighters to target him and launched a media offensive to make him realize that there are certain things.

You can't touch it.

Nobody is allowed to touch it!
Zheng Long also said.

"That kid Li Xuan got away with it with 'Nanjing Photo Studio' before, and he probably thinks he can do whatever he wants in the art film field. This time, we'll teach him a lesson and show him what it means to specialize in something you're good at."

The two smiled at each other.

They have already secured victory in this battle.

The next morning.

Wang Shuo turned on his computer at home and logged onto the Douban website. The success or failure of an art film largely depends on its Douban rating. This platform gathers a large number of art film enthusiasts and critics, and their reviews often represent the degree of recognition an art film receives within the industry.

It has nothing to do with box office revenue.
It's related to comments.

At this moment, Wang Su first checked the rating of "Bullfighting".

Unlock the rating first, then unlock the comments.

8.2 points, not bad, meets expectations. This score is really quite good.

Next up is "The Beginning of Spring".
8.1 points.

It's also very good; Gu Changwei's cinematic language has always been "mature and steady."
Wang Su was fairly satisfied with the score, and the number of ratings was not low, with each initial rating starting at 10,000.

Both films performed consistently well, which speaks to the strength of Beijing-style art films.

This demonstrates the strength of the Beijing film circle in consistently producing films about trauma and loss.
Then, he clicked on the page of "Hidden in the Dust".
This time, those who are forced to act have no opportunity to showcase their skills; otherwise, art films are like rootless duckweed.

Even if we take a step back and assume that Yu Hua and Li Xuan's script can come up with something new,

Not at all.

Because of Liu Yifei's interference.

With her around, it would be absolutely impossible for this new thing to take off.

He finished watching "The Forbidden Kingdom".

Liu Yifei simply cannot carry an art film.

Her acting skills
So, it should be 6 points? 7 points? It definitely won't reach 8 points.

It's absolutely impossible to reach that point.

While pondering.

The page loads instantly.
9.1 points.

(End of this chapter)