This director is vindictive.

Chapter 237 Everyone's a Villain, the Truth Is Darker Than a Lie (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
The movie "Make a Name for Yourself" has begun screening.

Chen Mo made some adaptations to this version of "Making a Name for Oneself".

Actually, not much was changed; the main change was to the ending.

The original version of "Fame and Fortune" received a score below 8 mainly because the truth was revealed too early, making the movie feel somewhat anticlimactic.

Some people say it's a censorship issue, but that's a Republican-era setting, it has absolutely nothing to do with censorship.

The original ending was open-ended, but in Chen Mo's opinion, it was still a bit lacking.

The original film "Fame and Fortune" has an open ending, which mainly revolves around two lines. One line is the truth of the case, Qi Leshan's sacrifice: in order to protect Nightingale (who was not killed but may have been violated), he took the blame for the murder alone and ultimately covered up the truth by self-destruction, so that Nightingale could start a new life under an assumed name!

Key details include that Nightingale actually survived, but suffered trauma; and that the three elders and bodyguards killed by Qi Leshan were the perpetrators.

The second storyline is the fate of the film crew.

That is, the final open ending.

Two possibilities were presented: one was the possibility that everyone would perish.

The detail is that the group photo was unclaimed and remained hanging in the photo studio for a long time.

The ending mentions "missing the ship," and historically, Vietnam has indeed experienced ship collisions, suggesting that they may have died in maritime accidents.

The second possibility is that they survived and escaped.

The detail is evident in Boss Lu's line, "If we don't hurry, we'll miss the ship," which may suggest that they missed the accident due to their delay.

The photos may remain unclaimed because the individuals have changed their names to avoid being hunted down.

The core theme is that, regardless of life or death, this group of filmmakers ultimately preserved the truth in another way through their work "Fame and Fortune".

But that's where the problem lies.

The movie is ultimately a suspense film, and revealing the truth in advance actually makes the later plot less interesting.

Well, to put it simply, according to netizens from the previous life, the ending was too mediocre.

You can even guess what will happen next just by reading the beginning.

Therefore, Chen Mo's version has undergone significant changes.

Especially regarding the ending and some details.

Back to the premiere.

The early parts of the film were almost identical to the original. The difference this time was that, in addition to the plot, people were also paying attention to the performances of Hu Ge, Yang Mi, and Liu Yifei.

It's quite different from the parody version of the trailer.

Yang Mi's performance in the show was a pleasant surprise for many.

However, the plot has also made many people frown, especially some suspense film enthusiasts, who feel that they can already guess where the plot will go next.

Zhou Xiaobin frowned: "It's been rather mediocre. I wonder if there will be a turnaround?"

Bai Yue shook his head and said, "Is this Chen Mo's first time making this type of movie? It's passable, even though there are no surprises. As for the plot twist, we'll see, but I don't think it's very likely."

Zhou Xiaobin also shook his head and said, "If that's all there is to it, I would give this movie a maximum of seven points. It's passable, but there are really no surprises! It's a pity to waste such a good subject matter."

In fact, at this moment, most of the audience members at the premiere shared similar thoughts with Zhou Xiaobin and Bai Yue.

At this point, "Making a Name for Oneself" was also nearing its end.

Chen Mo did not change the open ending.

However, a scene was added in which Lee Ka-fai burns the script.

However, just when the credits rolled and everyone thought the movie was over, a post-credits scene suddenly appeared.

Lu Ziye held a newspaper in his hand; the news on it was about a shipwreck in Vietnam.

The camera focused on Lu Ziye, who was smoking a cigar and had a cold smile on his face.

The screen switches again.

That movie is playing in the theater.

Liu Yifei, who plays Nightingale, sat in the audience watching the movie with a satisfied smile.

Then he put on his top hat, turned and left.

"Damn it! What's going on?"

"Is Nightingale the real mastermind?"

"Holy crap, this plot twist is really creepy!"

"It reminds me a bit of the final scene in the first 'Detective Chinatown' movie!"

"If anyone dares to say Liu Yifei has no acting skills again, I'll slap them across the face. That smile at the end was absolutely amazing!"

Viewers who were initially somewhat disappointed were now completely stunned by the final twenty-odd seconds.

"But that doesn't make sense. How do you explain the earlier plot?" Bai Yue asked, somewhat suspiciously.

“It’s very simple. The truth before was all told by Qi Leshan. So why is what Qi Leshan said the truth?” Zhou Xiaobin asked with a smile.

"Um, you mean, Nightingale did everything? But that's too much..." Bai Yue still couldn't quite understand.

"I think this ending makes more sense. Think about it, why would Lu Ziye gather all these people to make a movie like this? Is he really a billionaire on the verge of bankruptcy? Does a billionaire on the verge of bankruptcy have such great ability to bring the 'murderer' to the scene?"

Just for the movie?

"If we follow this ending, then we can imagine he was an accomplice of the three elders, making the film to destroy real evidence of the crime. The plan was to have the crew members die 'accidentally' and stage it as the murder to silence them. Doesn't that motive make more sense?" Zhou Xiaobin said with a smile.

"Moreover, the bloodstains on the ventilation ducts in front are also very suspicious."

However, if Nightingale is not a victim, but a cold-blooded killer, and Qi Leshan is just her "scapegoat," then everything makes sense.

The bloodstains in the ventilation ducts were left by Nightingale when she committed the murder;
She deliberately discarded the wig to mislead the police;
She took advantage of Qi Leshan's guilt to make him willingly take the blame. Zhou Xiaobin felt very satisfied at that moment.

He had previously thought that Chen Mo's movie was somewhat mediocre and lacked highlights, but the short post-credits scene at the end completely overturned his previous thoughts.

It can be said that Lu Ziye's sneer, the news of the shipwreck, the appearance of Nightingale, and that final smile were the perfect finishing touches.

This suddenly gave the movie a huge twist.

"Why would the nightingale do that?" Bai Yue still didn't quite understand; his mind was a bit of a mess right now.

"It's simple, because some details have already been revealed, such as the three elders smuggling weapons. So her purpose in killing the three elders was not for so-called revenge. Perhaps that was part of the reason, but why couldn't she have another identity?"

For example, was she actually a Kuomintang agent, and did she approach the three elders to carry out an assassination mission?
"If she were just a singer, do you think she could have accomplished so much?" Zhou Xiaobin countered.

"Wait, what about Li Jiahui?" Bai Yue asked.

"Li Jiahui? Haha, do you think he discovered Nightingale's identity? Actually, he was insisting on revealing the truth throughout the movie, so why did he give up in the end?"

"pity?"

"No, I think he chose to remain silent after discovering Nightingale's identity—because the truth involved high-ranking officials, and revealing it would have even worse consequences!"
And don't you think it's ironic? Li Jiahui is a journalist. Think back to the movie "Caught in the Web" that Chen Mo made back then.

They're actually quite similar! They're a group of people pursuing the truth, but what is the truth?

"Li Jiahui pursued the truth, but when the truth actually came out, there were two possibilities. He didn't really discover Nightingale's identity. He was indeed acting out of sympathy, but to some extent, he also became an accomplice in covering up the truth! Isn't that ironic?"

"If he knew Nightingale's identity but still chose to remain silent, wouldn't that violate his principle of pursuing the truth all along? Wouldn't that be equally ironic?"

Sometimes, some things are best left unsaid, even if you imagine them.

For example, Zhou Xiaobin's overthinking was quite dangerous. It even had a crossover with the film "Caught in the Web".

However, after the premiere, during the press interview, the reporters became less interested in the film and immediately asked Chen Mo why Fan Binbin, Gao Yuanyuan, Jing Tian, ​​and Zhang Yuqi were not present.

"Director Chen, why didn't Gao Yuanyuan and the other three show up? Is it true, as rumored online, that there's a problem in your relationship?" The first reporter to ask this question was going all out and went straight for the point.

Many people couldn't help but take a second look at the reporter. He's really brave!
Chen Mo didn't seem to care much about it: "Although the lockdown has been lifted, it's still not suitable to run around everywhere. They didn't come simply because it was inconvenient!"

However, the reporters were clearly dissatisfied with Chen Mo's answer.

"Just recently, Gao Yuanyuan posted a photo of Ye Lanqiu from the movie 'Caught in the Web,' Fan Binbin posted a photo of a black screen, and Zhang Yuqi posted a photo of a character from 'The Mermaid,' along with the caption 'Hehe, men!'"

"Wait a minute, reporter, what exactly do you want to ask?" Chen Mo interrupted the other party.

“I do know about this matter, and I know that it’s causing quite a stir outside, with all sorts of rumors circulating, but what is the truth?” Chen Mo said.

"You've all seen 'Make a Name for Yourself,' but what's the truth? A photo, a few words—what they're trying to say is all just your wild imagination. So don't jump to conclusions. And all I can tell you is that I don't know what they meant by posting those things either."

All I can say is that the innocent will clear themselves. Our relationship has indeed changed a bit, but perhaps it's not what you're thinking? Chen Mo gave a heads-up beforehand.

Well, some things just can't be hidden!

He's giving himself a heads-up now so he can be prepared to counter any moves later.

The premiere of "Fame and Fortune" officially concluded successfully after media interviews.

After the premiere, the online ratings for "Fame and Fortune" were unlocked.

After seeing the rating, Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief. He changed the ending and added a new Easter egg.

Don't underestimate this little Easter egg; it's actually quite crucial.

However, he couldn't guarantee what role this Easter egg would play, whether it would be a poor addition or a finishing touch.

It all depends on the audience's own opinion.

Fortunately, so far, the results seem to be good.

Compared to the previous version's rating of over 7 points, this version of his has an unlock rating as high as 8.5 points!
The comments below made him laugh.

"This is the real 'everyone's a villain' thing, a high-level satire!"

"After the post-credits scene, as soon as the theater lights came on, my first thought was that Chen Mo had successfully given me PTSD!"

"A chilling thought: Was the 'film crew' in the movie also killed by Nightingale? Are we actually watching a 'murderer's cut'?"

"The moment Li Jiahui burned the script, idealism died completely. Who is Chen Mo satirizing? I won't say (doge)."

"The final shot of Nightingale smiling in the theater was absolutely stunning! But it's chilling to think about—were we, the audience, also manipulated by her?"

"As expected, a woman's heart is the most venomous! The man takes the blame, and the woman reaps the rewards. I'm impressed by this gender reversal!"

"So, is Lu Ziye based on a certain 'returning to China next week' big shot?"

Of course, some people also felt that this version of "Fame and Fortune" was too depressing.

"The Easter egg was really terrible. It was fine at first, at least it showed the bright side of humanity, but when the Easter egg came out, the Nightingale played by Liu Yifei turned from a white flower into a big black flower, which was too dark!"

"It's better if there's no Easter egg; at least I won't feel so depressed!"

"Doesn't this movie have too many hidden agendas?"

However, you have to admit that "Fame and Fortune" did not disappoint its audience.

At the very least, the online ratings are the greatest affirmation.

While it may not be overwhelmingly positive, at least the negative reviews are simply due to dislike of the dark ending.

However, it is inevitable that such a film will be interpreted in various ways.

After watching the movie, Zhou Xiaobin immediately wrote a review analyzing the film.

This time, the title he used was very simple and straightforward: "Reflections on 'Making a Name and Establishing Oneself'".

"At the moment the credits rolled, I was still disappointed. Was the movie I had been looking forward to for so long really going to be so mediocre? Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking at the time."

Because of the preceding plot, I believe those who have seen the movie will have noticed that the ending of the first version was already predictable in the middle.

However, the final twenty-odd seconds of post-credits scene elevated the film to another level.

Here are some personal speculations about this movie. What was the director's creative concept?
Chen Mo's creative philosophy is perfectly embodied in the reverse version of "Make a Name for Yourself"—using "all villains" to deconstruct idealism and tearing apart the disguise of reality with dark humor!
From a plot perspective, the truth ultimately becomes a tool. Nightingale uses a false truth to manipulate the crime on Qile Mountain, Lu Ziye uses a movie to cover up the truth, and Li Jiahui ultimately chooses to burn the truth.

Just like the inscription in Lee Ka-fai's notebook in the film: Whoever controls the narrative controls life and death.

What's also interesting is the "reflexive critique" of the entertainment industry's ecosystem!
The very people invited at the beginning reveal director Chen Mo's ambition and perverse sense of humor.

Do you remember those variety shows, especially talent shows, where there was always a segment where contestants had to tell their stories?

Why do you love music? Why did you choose to be on this stage?
Talent shows have turned into sob stories!
But what was the result? As it turned out, it was a complete mess.

This is strikingly similar to Nightingale's use of the "victim" persona to impersonate the real culprit. In this respect, it can be seen as a veiled criticism of the "sob story" PR tactics employed in the entertainment industry.

There's a line in the movie "The Search" that says, "When an avalanche happens, no snowflake is innocent."

This film also demonstrates how he made the film itself "part of evil"—the more the audience became engrossed in the plot, the more they became complicit.

Lu Ziye makes films not for art, but to "whitewash crime," which makes it hard not to imagine whether he is alluding to those bad movies in reality;
Why is the post-credits scene considered the film's most brilliant touch?

Because this plot twist not only reversed the storyline, but also the character settings of all the characters.

The irony of Li Jiahui's reversal is that he went from being a defender of the truth to a silent accomplice, which can be seen from the "burning of the script," because that action symbolizes the disillusionment of idealism.

What about Nightingale? From "the one who was saved" to "the ultimate mastermind," she can be said to have subverted the traditional hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress narrative.

Lu Ziye: From a vulgar businessman to an "artistic murderer"—committing murders through film.

I think the theme and intention that director Chen Mo wanted to highlight was probably "The line between good and bad people? That's just wishful thinking on the part of the audience."

The Easter egg of the nightingale watching the movie in the theater creates a closed loop between the film and reality—the drama unfolds both on and off the screen.

What's even more absurd is that if we, the audience, applaud the plot twist, are we, in a sense, becoming accomplices of the Nightingale?

What makes this movie truly remarkable is that it breaks away from the conventions of many genre films.

There is no redemption, no hero, and not even a "reliable narrator." Why is there no reliable narrator?
At the end of the movie, my old friend Bai Yue asked me how to explain the truth behind it all.

But was the truth before really the truth? It was just Qi Leshan's account, but why couldn't he be a liar? All the truth was just the truth he told; what was the real truth?
The final nightingale's cold laugh is also quite interesting. It allows the nightingale to directly sneer at the audience, breaking the "fourth wall"—"Do you really care about the truth? Or do you just want to see a thrilling story?"

Doesn't it give you a Truman Show vibe?
Nobody really cares about Truman's thoughts; all they care about is whether there are any more interesting shows.

As the burned line in the film goes: "Art cannot change reality, but it can prove that reality is already an absurd drama."

Is that really what Chen Mo was thinking?
Stop talking nonsense, he didn't think that much.

He was just trying to make the story less "straightforward".

But once the movie was finished and released, it didn't really have much to do with what he was thinking anymore.

Because the audience has their own ideas and perspectives, they don't really care what Chen Mo is thinking.

A movie is just a movie, and "Fame and Fortune" is just a movie.

Chen Mo didn't have such profound thoughts or many ulterior motives. If he did, he simply wanted the movie to sell more and receive better reviews.

Unlike realistic films, this kind of movie doesn't actually have an impact on reality.

Any satire or anything like that is just for entertainment purposes.

(End of this chapter)