Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 403 Xiao Liu Helps Her Husband Out of Trouble
Speaking of "The Sky of History", Liu Yifei has never spent so much time preparing for a single work since she entered the industry at the age of fourteen and a half and has acted in nearly ten TV series and movies.

From the moment we received the script, we studied it thoroughly, discussed and refined it.

Later, after the birthday incident, he went to North America and spent time with Iris Chang, reading her works, manuscripts, and notes.

During the year that followed, she read all the materials that Iris Chang had read, and she did so intensively and densely by directly reading the historical materials, video materials, and audio files that she had collected.

Knowing that one lacks talent, one can only rely on hard work and diligence, starting by mastering "three hundred Tang poems"—

If I don't act well, then I'll just become you, okay?

This is also why Liu Yifei became so mentally exhausted and almost developed PTSD after experiencing life there – she was too immersed in it.

Later, when Kasai Yu and his son Taro had the incident of the initial review of the script for "The Sky of History", Wenjie's approach at the time was to put up a comparison of the two scripts on the Internet for everyone to compare.

Until Boss Lu instructed his glove-wielding boss, Lao Dong, to take down the father and son with a series of punches. At that time, she was sitting in the car, watching a movie through the windshield of the Bentley.

Today's occasion is not suitable for Iris Chang, as she is not present.

Apart from her, Liu Yifei is a professional in terms of her familiarity with this tragic history and its details.

Upon hearing that Liu Yifei had volunteered to handle the complex situation, Ju Wenpei looked at the elegant and beautiful mainland actress with her picturesque features in surprise.

At this moment, it seemed that the lively and ethereal Zhao Ling'er, and the aloof and distant Little Dragon Girl, had changed somewhat in the past year or two.

While her beauty and gentleness remain unchanged, she now possesses a resilience and sharpness honed through her roles and life experiences.

It's as if she stepped out of the screen carrying the aura of Iris Chang from the movie, yet she is undeniably herself.

Lu Kuan, sitting beside her, twitched his eyebrows slightly, listening silently to Xiao Liu's responses after she adjusted the microphone, confidently handing the situation over to her.

Over the years, the two have experienced too many ups and downs together.

Hong Kong's rising star snatched the deal; Zhou Jun and Huayi's smear campaign; the Shuimo Town car accident; Wendy Deng's malicious framing; and the right-wing's frenzied harassment.

It started with Mr. Lu holding an umbrella for the young girl who hadn't grown up yet, and later the two faced the storms of the world side by side.

For six or seven years, we have walked hand in hand, facing numerous difficulties together. In every crisis, we have always cooperated seamlessly and managed to survive even in the most dangerous situations.

"It seems that reporter Hyakuta came prepared today."

Liu Yifei smiled at the right-wing reporter who had come specifically to stir up trouble: "The Director Lu you mentioned was brought to justice for violating national laws. We won't discuss the reasons for that today."

Naoki Hyakuta knew that Rukawa was extremely cunning, but he didn't particularly think highly of this pretty-faced actress.
"Today we will only talk about art and works, discuss Lu Sang's films from the perspective of the script, and do some cultural exchange."

"As for what happened to Director Lu, whether he was falsely accused and imprisoned, I don't care."

Xiao Liu sneered inwardly, "You old devil got me right with just a fart, it was the washing machine that did the 'bad thing'!"
Her expression was aloof: "Very well, I'll talk to you about your so-called art and works."

"To judge the quality of a historical biographical film, the bottom line is that it must restore the facts and not fabricate or fantasize. Do you agree with this view?"

“I agree.” Naoki Hyakuta smiled. “That’s why I think it’s inappropriate for Lu Sang to portray all the Japanese soldiers as being in abject poverty in his film. It’s too stereotypical and doesn’t reflect the facts.”

"There is a certain gap between this script and that of your Chinese director, Lu Chuan."

"It seems you are still quite ignorant, Mr. Hyakuta."

Xiao Liu's words suddenly became sharp and incisive, and the reporters snapped photos of her. The actress in the photos had a straight back like a bamboo shoot and a calm gaze like a still pond.

“I’ve read the script you have. Let me just point out a few details that contradict historical facts.”

"First, Lu Chuan's script deliberately downplayed Mr. Rabe's role in rescuing refugees, and made him kneel down to the refugees in order to highlight the emotions."

"According to The Diary of John Rabe, The Diary of Minnie Vautrin and The Diary of Cheng Ruifang, the true history is that the refugees knelt down before him."

"Secondly, Mr. Tang in Lu Chuan's script, who is Rabe's secretary, is based on Han Xianglin from 'The Sky of History,' a responsible Chinese man who served as the logistics director of the International Committee during the war and helped many poor people."

"But in the script you have, Han Xianglin is an out-and-out traitor, selling out his master for personal gain."

"Third, Lu Chuan's script conflates the Holocaust with the comfort women system, while according to Iris Chang's research, the latter was established in January 1938, not at the end of 1937."

"These are just a few examples. The points I mentioned above are supported by a number of historical materials that are generally accepted in both the East and the West, such as 'La' and 'Wei'. If Naoki Hyakuta is interested, the production team can have the historical consultant team give you a lesson."

"Well said!" "Fantastic!"

The Chinese media present, including Ju Wenpei, immediately gave him a warm round of applause, a truly delightful response. It seems that he really put in a lot of hard work to act like that in the movie.

Naoki Hyakuta's face turned pale and then red. He had also discovered the problem during the movie and came up with this way to argue his way out of trouble.

Both the script and the report on "Nanfang" were faxed to the hotel at the last minute, specifically to be used at today's press conference to confuse the public.

How could he know that Taro's gun was so useless, with so many historical inaccuracies? What the hell are you making a movie about?

A historical drama script that can't even achieve basic consistency with historical facts is like writing a historical fiction novel that's completely nonsensical; it simply won't be convincing.

Naoki Hyakuta finds himself actually "up in a tree," and is in a somewhat awkward and helpless situation.

The whispers from his colleagues behind him and the scrutinizing glances directed at this Sankei commentator were all undeniably embarrassing.

“Reporter Baitian? Reporter Baitian?” Liu Yifei “kindly” reminded the right-wing reporter, who was over fifty years old and had graying temples: “If you still have questions, you may go back to your seat and speak, but it is best to abide by the order of the scene.”

The girl's eyelashes trembled slightly, and dimples appeared and disappeared on her cheeks. She had a charming and innocent appearance, but the words she uttered were sharp and incisive.

Ju Wenpei finally found an opportunity and, together with a group of Chinese media outlets, stirred up trouble and pressured the veteran reporter to leave.

Naoki Hyakuta, with skin thicker than a city wall, bowed to the crew on stage and the reporters below, saying, "I reserve my opinion. As for the issues raised by Ms. Liu, I will study them further. Sorry to bother you!"

He then walked straight away from the interview site.

The most regrettable thing is the Western media.

Besides professional film media, there are also opportunists who secretly liaise with companies like Sony, Toshiba, and Toyota.

If they had truly achieved a "lose-lose" situation or reached a controversial conclusion, they could have effortlessly written a magnificent article.

Especially Lu Kuan, with the Olympics approaching, he is now a target of many Western media outlets.

For example, the top German media outlet Der Spiegel, which was in the front row today, published an article titled "The Lies of Beiping" in May of the following year, claiming that the University of Tokyo used the Olympics to cover up the issue of power appointment.

Le Figaro, France's most authoritative film media outlet and an official news partner of the Cannes Film Festival, described the attackers as "freedom defenders" when the Olympic torch was attacked by rioters during its relay in Paris.

The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times in North America are all notorious for their criticism.

Because of Lu Kuan's identity, wealth, reputation, status, and the network of interests he had woven and connected both domestically and internationally over the past six or seven years, he was spared many attacks and troubles.

But as he satirized in the film, the West's blatant malice towards the rising University of Tokyo was clearly ubiquitous.

This is not subject to his personal will. As long as you hold the title of chief director and represent national interests, you will always be a target of public opinion.

If he makes a mistake, News Corporation will be in trouble in an instant, not to mention others.

Boss Lu's silence at the scene today was a wise move, but he is no longer the lone wolf he once was.

Liu Yifei is an intelligent woman. Under the subjective and objective blows and trials of the washing machine, especially in the past two years, she has grown very quickly.

A painting he had meticulously worked on for seven years, which then spontaneously broke free of its frame midway through its creation and, when reunited with him, possessed a complete and mature soul.

It can be considered a roundabout way to achieve our goal.

Naoki Hyakuta was defeated, and the young couple's eyes briefly met under the spotlight.

Liu Yifei subtly raised her eyebrows at her boyfriend, as if to claim credit. The camera shutters in the audience clicked rapidly, capturing Lu Kuan's smiling expression in the lens.

The Japanese interrupted for a few minutes, and the Berlin Film Festival press officer continued calling out names.

Lu Song, a reporter from the domestic journal Film Art: "Director Lu, continuing from the previous topic, we actually compared your script with that of Director Lu Chuan. In addition to the difference in the restoration of historical details, there are also big differences in the camera design."

"Many of the shots in director Lu Chuan's script that involve war and the Japanese army are rather..."

Lu Song considered for a moment: "They are all quite majestic, I would say. Director Lu, what are your thoughts on your and his camera work, especially on sensitive scenes of war and massacre?"

Film Art is a professional film magazine in China that belongs to the Film Festival Association under the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles. It is highly academic, authoritative, and representative of the industry.

Judging from the questions raised by this reporter alone, it is clear that this is not comparable to popular science film media like Ju Wenpei's, which are geared towards the general public.

Different target audiences lead to different divisions of labor in the media.

Taro's "Jinling! Jinling!" is quite controversial.

Putting aside the biggest controversy surrounding his fabricated character "Kadokawa," Taro's cinematic language alone is quite intriguing.

For example, he included a scene of Japanese soldiers dancing in a ritual, and the Japanese soldiers in the shot were in neat formation, full of energy, and had youthful faces.

For example, his photographs of marching troops, formations, and bugle calls are all magnificent and expansive, often shot from a low angle to interpret and depict them. Coupled with his austere style, they evoke a sense of "the dawn of an empire."

Is there a problem with this?

From an artistic perspective, this can be interpreted as showcasing the complexity of the aggressor, rejecting stereotyping, and transcending the historical reflection of "binary opposition."

But the key point is, Taro, you're a Chinese director!

Just as Academician He Zehui said in her autobiography in the movie—science has no borders, but scientists have their own motherland.

To a certain extent, when it comes to cultural products like film, a director's biased stance on filmmaking is more alarming than the backwardness of many other fields.

On this issue, Lu Kuan naturally had a deep understanding because his adoptive mother, Zeng Wenxiu, had been involved in a movement in the arts and literature circles in his previous life.

"This is a very insightful question. Thank you, Reporter Lü."

Mr. Lu said solemnly, "You are all professional film media professionals, you should all know about Pentekwerk's 'Zero Point Zone' from 1995, right?"

Film journalists from various countries, including Lü Song, nodded silently in the audience, trying to decipher the Chinese director's unspoken message.

In 1960, Pentkow directed "Zero Point," a film about World War II and concentration camps.

Fifty years later, in 1995, on the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, the film sparked a heated debate about "moral ambiguity" due to its complex portrayal of Kapo, a "prisoner manager" in Nazi concentration camps. In short, like Taro, he employed many thought-provoking cinematic techniques.

For example, when the protagonist commits suicide, the director uses a panning shot, but after a pile of corpses appears, the camera is pushed up and finally lands on a sculpture of an angel with outstretched arms.

Even though the director himself doesn't admit it, this shot has been widely interpreted as celebrating and desecrating the victims of the massacre, causing great controversy in the Jewish world!
Xiao Liu was naturally unaware of these intricacies, and nodded secretly as she listened to her boyfriend and the reporter's explanation.

"After 'Zero Point' was harshly criticized by 'Cahiers du Cinéma,' it also affected other World War II disaster films such as 'Schindler's List' and 'A Beautiful Mind.'"

"As a director, I tend to agree with the views expressed in Cahiers du Cinéma."

"In the subject of such a horrific disaster as the Holocaust, the director's design of the shots, script, and characters reflects the director's own stance."

"For artists, regardless of their artistic concepts and ideas—"

"In the face of such a humanitarian disaster affecting all of humanity and the entire nation, we must give way to our moral stance and not mislead the audience with our visual language."

"On this point, I think there is no room for discussion."

The Chinese media present applauded excitedly, acknowledging the young director's profound insights.

Let's return to Taro's "Jinling! Jinling!" Regardless of whether this person harbored malicious intentions or not, he has already been sent in by Boss Lu to work on the sewing machine.

However, his own belief that featuring kind-hearted Japanese soldiers as protagonists was more artistic greatly damaged national stance and national sentiment.

Using the pursuit of art as an excuse to rub salt into the bloodiest and most painful wound of the entire nation is shameful and irresponsible.

This is unlike what Xie Ruolin, who was in hiding, said: "Of the two gold bars, which one is noble and which one is shameful?"

Because of the cultural product nature of film, the director's shots, characters, and shooting ideas are indeed imbued with a sense of morality in this kind of subject matter.

Two Chinese media outlets were mentioned, with the press officer specifically naming the German magazine Der Spiegel.

Perhaps feeling that he couldn't get much information out of the old fox Lu Kuan, the latter was more interested in Hanks, who had German ancestry.

"Mr. Hanks, you have worked with two Oscar-winning directors, Spielberg and Eastwood. What are the similarities and differences between this collaboration with director Lu Kuan and your thoughts on it?"

This statement appears to be neutral on the surface, but is actually derogatory.

Both of those directors are Oscar winners, the highest honor in the Oscars. No matter how popular or influential you are, you're not yet.

Unfortunately, Hanks was completely won over during the filming of this movie.

Forrest Gump raised an eyebrow slightly, rubbed his chin as if thinking, and said, "He's a veteran actor."

"Steven tells epic stories through the lens, while Eastwood taught me the restraint and power of acting."

"The feeling I get from Lu is... very complex. He's like a combination of a mad artist and a demanding engineer, extremely obsessive. There was a moment when we all felt he wasn't quite right in the head—"

He glanced at Liu Yifei and said, "Even with a lovely girlfriend like Crystal, I'm like this. Besides, Moore and I don't know Chinese Kung Fu, so we don't dare to react."

The reporters in the audience burst into laughter.

He paused, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes:
"I don't really like comparing the differences between directors. In my opinion, they are all very talented artists, but if I were to make a judgment..."

"Spielberg is the symphony conductor of the film industry, Eastwood is the legendary gunslinger of Westerns, and Lu is more like an alchemist with a paintbrush, always able to conjure up something even more amazing when you think 'this is the limit'."

After Hanks finished answering, he made a joke at Boss Lu: "Boss, remember to upgrade my flight back to America."

Another round of applause and laughter followed, and after the Japanese reporter left, the interview became more harmonious.

The Chinese media's supportive questioning, the consistent statements from Hanks and Moore, and Liu Yifei's expert handling of the situation.

Perhaps feeling that they couldn't dig up any big news, the questions in the later stages of the interview were almost all given to Xiao Liu.

Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po: "Dear Iris, during the filming of the movie, in order to get closer to the image of Iris Chang, you not only studied a lot of historical materials, but also experienced some minor problems due to the psychological pressure caused by immersing yourself in the role."

Is this kind of selfless performance the norm? How can one balance dedication and self-protection?

Because he was preparing to apply to Beijing People's Art Theatre, Xiao Liu, who had studied acting theory extensively before going abroad, picked up the microphone and said, "Actually, Director Lu Kuan, Hanks, and Moore all kept reminding me of this issue during filming."

"I reflected on it a lot afterward, and the last little setback almost made it impossible for the film to be released and screened on schedule."

“From Stanislavski’s perspective, it’s about the actor becoming the character. Just like Iris Chang’s anger and sadness, I have to understand it first before the audience can believe it.”

"Brecht, on the other hand, wanted actors to observe their characters. Actors need to keep a clear mind, like standing in front of a mirror, able to immerse themselves in the role, but also able to detach themselves at any time."

"But perhaps my understanding of acting is still somewhat one-sided; I can only do what Grotowski's training method requires—"

"Perform like peeling an onion, tearing yourself apart layer by layer, and naturally shedding tears to express your emotions."

A German journalist raised his hand: "Crystal, are you studying the Grotowski school? Then you should know about the German Melsin."

"Yes, I know. Mr. Feng Yuanzheng, who plays Fukuda Eisuke in the movie, is a student of Melsin."

Xiao Liu smiled and said, "When I came to Germany this time, Feng specially asked me to bring a gift for his teacher. I will make a special trip to visit him and learn from him."

Rutmersin was an important successor to the Grotowski school of acting in the late 20th century, known for his combination of physical training and psychological exploration.

Her preferred teaching method for acting is to de-technically focus on exploring the limits of an actor's body and emotions.

Actors like Xiao Liu, with their physical attributes and foundation, would be the kind of actors she admires.

A reporter from The Hollywood Reporter asked: "We noticed that the youngest Best Actress winner in the history of the Berlin Film Festival was Ms. Zhang Manyu in 1992 at the age of 27."

"Crystal is 20 years old this year. Does she have any expectations for winning an award? Do she think she can compete for the Berlin Film Festival's Best Actress award, like the two Chinese actresses, Zhang Manyu in 92 and Xiao Fangfang in 95?"

Xiao Liu's beautiful face carried a hint of tranquility, and she naturally tucked her fallen hair behind her ears:

"Three years ago, Sister Manyu won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her role in Clean. I was sitting in the audience at the time, and to be honest, I was extremely envious."

"For actors, being able to gain recognition through their own efforts is the most gratifying thing."

"As for whether I can win the crown at this age, that's the judges' business. I'm responsible for acting, and they're responsible for the surprise."

These words were spoken frankly and humbly, responding with the most genuine passion of an actor, which won the favor of many Western journalists.

Time flies, and Cahiers du Cinéma, one of the world's two most recognized professional media outlets, got the last chance to ask a question:

"Director Lu, we received information from the film festival organizers that you brought several versions of the film with different runtimes this time. What was your consideration in doing so?"

France's Cahiers du Cinéma and the UK's Sight & Sound are two globally recognized authoritative film publications, so it's not surprising that the latter received such information from Berlin officials.

"I have edited three versions of 'The Sky of History' so far."

"One version is a five-hour extended version, which will elaborate on many historical scenes and the deeds of Rabe and Minnie Vautrin in Nanjing, rather than this version which is just an outline and selects the highlights and the focus of the characters' conflicts."

"The first version is the director's cut, which is about three and a half hours long. It is mainly my own experimental film, using a lot of imaginative and exploratory shots from the filming process, which I used to exchange ideas with my colleagues. Martin Scorsese, Spielberg, and Quentin Tarantino all saw it in advance in North America."

"There's also the theatrical release version that everyone has seen, which has been shortened to two and a half hours, and it really tests the audience's patience."

Film editing is the process of giving a film a second life. Different people with different purposes and aesthetic viewpoints will produce vastly different results when editing.

Choosing between extended, standard, and abridged versions requires a director's ability to assess the market.

Film history is full of examples of bad movies that flopped at the time of their theatrical release but were revived in extended versions. The most representative example is "Once Upon a Time in America".

Italian director Leonid Leon initially turned down the filming of "The Godfather" to prepare for this epic masterpiece, but because he did not have the final cut rights, the production company Warner Bros. cut half of the 229 minutes of the film.

The capitalists heavily cut out flashback scenes that later audiences loved, such as the opium den scene at the "Chinese Theatre" and the details of Deborah and Noodles' emotional relationship, and ultimately blew it away.

In 2004, a dramatic turn of events occurred when the British magazine Sight & Sound re-released the 251-minute director's cut of Leon's film at the Cannes Film Festival, promoting the idea of ​​"returning cinema to its roots."

Ultimately, word-of-mouth reversed, and the film was released in art-house cinemas worldwide, completely turning around its reputation.

However, director Leon Marcel suffered from depression and died that same year after facing the huge success of "The Godfather" and the huge failure of "Once Upon a Time in America" ​​in 1984. He was truly killed by capital.

From this perspective, the extended version is beneficial for fully explaining the director's ideas. However, Lu Kuan still chose the standard version, which is closest to the market, and did not insist on realizing his own artistic ideals.

Never challenge the audience.

Because the film's scenes and themes are too serious and oppressive, even with the use of a three-line narrative, constant stress relief for the audience, and commercial adaptations to promote continued viewing, an extended version is clearly not a suitable choice.

The most contrasting example is Harvey, a close friend of the washing machine, who went against the grain and helped revive Donadoni's "Cinema Paradiso"—

The original version of Cinema Paradiso was 175 minutes long, with a lengthy and slow pace. Several of the main characters' romantic scenes were not only superfluous but also particularly melodramatic.

It was edited down to a 124-minute theatrical version by the Jewish director An Lushan, and the rest is history. It became a classic in film history.

From this perspective, Harvey is quite capable, aside from his indulgence in wine, women, wealth, and power.

The script, which had been in preparation for five years, and the film, which had been shot for a year and a half, finally got off to a great start on the first day of the Chinese New Year.

Countless movie fans, guests, and reporters began to go crazy for "The Sky of History".

No one expected that this Chinese director would still be able to make such great progress and improvement in narrative techniques, camera language, and mise-en-scène after "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".

Simply breathtaking.

The crazy results were obvious—media reporters from all over the world demanded additional screenings, and audiences flocking to Germany and Europe demanded additional screenings for the film festival.

Boss Lu and his crew were constantly on the go, busy with publicity, interviews, and communication with local peace organizations.

  This serves both as pre-release publicity for European box office and as a prelude to the Oscars, which will be held in a little over ten days.

At the same time, Harvey and the North American team quickly sprang into action, beginning final confirmation communications with North American theaters to open the film simultaneously on 2500 screens!
This figure is quite high for this subject matter, and it is clear that the significant positive news from Berlin is one of the driving factors.

The day after the premiere, the first film ratings from this year's Berlin Film Festival, along with official reviews from mainstream European and American film media, were released in quick succession.

As scheduled, "The Sky of History" also began its preview of the Berlin Golden Bear.

(End of this chapter)