Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 255 Everyone has their own understanding
Inside the Lumière Hall of the Palais des Festivals, the screen slowly went dark.

As the end credits rolled, the production credits, flowing slowly like the melodies of Kunqu opera, drifted silently across the vast black screen, as if still whispering.

There was silence.

There was no immediate applause, nor any eagerness to rise and leave, as if no one wanted to be the first to break the silence of this "dream".

The dim yellow lights in the hall slowly lit up, reflecting on the faces of every audience member, as if they were shining into the ruins of a theater.

Light streamed in, but the person had not yet returned.

The first thing to move was the pen tip.

On the third row, to the right, Pierre Mazzo, editor-in-chief of the French magazine "Cinema Notes," lightly flicked his fingers, opened his notebook, and scribbled the first line of his comment:
"Black Peony" does not use any traditional horror scare tactics; it is a psychological thriller with a high degree of Eastern aesthetics.

In the film, the mirror represents self-alienation, the lake represents the projection of memories, the stage represents the ritual space of sublimation, the mother/mentor's discipline symbolizes the violence of traditional culture, and the repeated lyrics represent the final awakening of consciousness.
Employing dramatic montage, the song lyrics are interwoven with the plot to showcase the most standard 'poetic film dialogue'.

This is a journey that takes place in a mirror, in a dream, and in a play.

It's not just a thriller; it's a spiritual allegory about identity dissolution, female repression, and the self-destruction of performance—a tragic cycle of female reincarnation teetering on the edge of divinity, madness, and sacrifice.

When he wrote the word "reincarnation", he suddenly looked up and glanced at the empty stage-shaped set below the screen, and couldn't help but shiver.

At this moment, the audience slowly rose to their feet, and enthusiastic applause echoed between the dome and the carved walls, lasting for a long time.

"When she fell off the stage, for a moment I really thought I was watching Shakespeare. But it was also too Eastern, like a requiem submerged in ink painting."

"A work that lingers in the memory, a somewhat oppressive lament."

"."

The audience members were whispering among themselves.

"Maggie Cheung, did you notice the look in that actress's eyes during the last scene on stage?"

Stephen Frears couldn't help but ask.

At this moment, Zhang Manyu gently wiped the corner of her eye, not because of sadness, but because of a palpitation as if she had seen a familiar fate repeat itself. She was still in a daze and had not yet come back to her senses.

"Oh! Sorry, Stephen, I didn't hear you."

"It's okay, we can discuss it slowly. You seem to really like this story. From your female perspective, why do you think Xu Wei died?"

Stephen Frears turned to the side and asked with a smile, while the surrounding judges whispered among themselves.

“I think she didn’t actually die from falling off the stage; she died from the silent fury of an era that couldn’t bear the weight of ‘female awakening’,” Zhang Manyu replied slowly.

“Maggie Cheung, I remember that in your country, the peony is considered a flower of wealth and nobility?” Several judges looked at Maggie Cheung with interest, and she nodded.

"In the East, the peony is indeed a flower of wealth and nobility, surpassing all other flowers in beauty. It represents the traditional society's aesthetic gaze upon women, but the black peony..."

Zhang Manyu did not continue to explain, but everyone understood.

The only "spiritual object" in this story, the black peony, appears before the mirror, on the dressing table, and in dreams, ultimately lying in the palm of the new generation actress Shen Yin, suggesting that reincarnation never ends and that the possession of one's identity is ever-present.
The premiere ended, and the audience slowly left the theater.

Gong Li smiled and shook hands with Liu Yifei: "A fantastic performance, capturing the tension between two extremes."

After saying that, she didn't forget to look at Wu Chen: "Director Wu, to be honest, I'm even jealous of Yi Fei. Such a great portrayal of the character."

She wasn't oblivious to the charm of the character. After all, Kunqu Opera is one of the oldest forms of drama in China, and it places great emphasis on "skill," "precision," and "standard." Every glance and every gesture has an inviolable trajectory.

But coincidentally, "The Peony Pavilion" is a work about "love".

This clash between the two spiritual traditions represents both the discipline of feudal aesthetics and the awakening of modern consciousness, placing extremely high demands on the actors.

"Sister Gong Li, you have many classic roles, and you've worked with world-renowned directors," Wu Chen said with a smile.

"No matter how much we collaborate, we're still missing Director Wu." After Gong Li finished speaking, he saw Zhang Yimou walking towards them, so he smiled and nodded, then walked in the direction Chen Kaige was leaving.

At this moment, Chen Kaige looked worried, still savoring the aesthetics and fatalism brought about by "Black Peony".

"Director Chen!"

Gong Li spoke first, preparing to discuss the plot of "Black Peony" with Chen Kaige. Unexpectedly, Zhang Ziyi, who was not far away, also rushed over, fearing that Gong Li would snatch the role in "Mei Lanfang" that she had already agreed to with Chen Kaige.

"Director Chen!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Kaige felt much better. As expected, he is still an internationally renowned director, and his films are still very appealing.

Gong Li was speechless and couldn't help but purse her lips. Zhang Yi sighed, then looked away from the distance and said with a smile, "It's a pretty good movie. It makes me itchy to make an art film."

"My senior can start filming after the Olympic opening ceremony."

Upon hearing Wu Chen's words, Zhang Yi couldn't help but think of Zhang Weiping's sighing and complaining these past few days; it seemed New Pictures was running out of money. He changed his mind before saying anything more:

"We'll see when the time comes!"

"Director Wu Chen, the press conference is about to start," a Cannes staff member whispered as they entered.

Wu Chen nodded slightly upon hearing this.

Films in the main competition section usually hold a press conference after their screening. This is not only to showcase the film's achievements, but also to provide a platform for filmmakers and audiences to communicate.

The press conference was held in a large press hall on the second floor of the cinema. The semi-circular arched chandelier cast a golden glow, and outside the glass curtain wall was the silent blue coastline at dusk.

On the huge backdrop, the words "Black Peony" in gold are faintly visible under the light and shadow, and below them is the outline of a peony with silver lines on a black background, the petals slowly unfolding.

The venue was packed, with many audience members, reporters, and film critics standing in the last row. The sounds of hushed conversations and camera shutters clicking could already be heard throughout the venue.

When the staff led the "Black Peony" crew into the venue, everyone seemed to fall silent for a few seconds before bursting into enthusiastic applause.

The host, a blonde female reporter, greeted the audience with a standard Cannes smile: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the press conference for the film 'Black Peony' at the 60th Cannes Film Festival."

"First of all, congratulations to Director Wu Chen for bringing us such a stunning work. Let's move on to the Q&A session. Please raise your hands in order."

The first question came from a reporter from Screen Daily, a middle-aged man wearing glasses. He asked the question in standard French, which was then translated into English and Chinese:

"Director Wu Chen, you have combined Kunqu Opera with thriller, which is almost unprecedented in both the East and the West."

Why did you choose this 'hybrid style' to tell the story of a 'drama actress'? What do you think the 'drama' in your film truly is?"

Wu Chen fiddled with the microphone on the stage and replied unhurriedly, "From the very beginning of the creation process, I hoped to make a film that is both extremely Eastern and extremely modern."

That's why I chose Kunqu Opera, an ancient art form with a history of six hundred years. It is an art about dreams, death, and love.

The core aria of Kunqu Opera, "The Peony Pavilion," tells the story of the blurring of dreams and reality, and the fusion of emotions and illusions. It almost naturally fits the story I want to tell.

As for 'drama', it is the soul of a person.

"If you die on stage, you must live off stage. But some people, once they step off the stage, can never come back."

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.

The second person was a reporter from The Guardian, whose gaze fell on Liu Yifei:
"Ms. Liu, your performance was extremely wonderful, especially the part where you fell off the stage, which had an extreme feeling of 'sacrifice'."

So, in this work, you play a character torn between tradition and modernity. Did you truly feel the character invading your reality during the performance?

Liu Yifei paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded: "Actually, I was really scared when I was filming that scene. So sometimes I don't know if I'm filming or dreaming."

But I wasn't controlled by the character. I ate, I slept, I secretly played games, and I ate delicious little cakes.

After saying that, Liu Yifei seemed to really think of the delicious little cake, and couldn't help but purse her lips. This adorable scene stunned everyone in the audience, and then they burst into laughter.

At this moment, a little girl held up a small cake in her hand: "Crystal, I have one here, I'll give it to you later."

"Really?" Liu Yifei asked, a mixture of surprise and delight.

Wu Chen looked at Liu Yifei in shock: "What? You're actually going to fight a little girl for a cake?"

"Hahaha"

This heartwarming and funny scene instantly made the atmosphere for the questioning much more lively.

Film critics and reporters kept asking each other questions, but occasionally an audience member would suddenly ask, "Wu, is Xu Wei really dead?"

"What do you think?" Wu Chen asked the French lady who had raised the question.

"I feel like she didn't die, because in the end of your movie, although the stage was rebuilt, the lighting and shadows were still the same as before."

Shen Yin's appearance felt less like 'inheritance' and more like 'copying,' as if her fate had never changed.

"Everyone has their own interpretation, but I like your version."

Wu Chen did not give a standard reply, but he did offer his praise.
(End of this chapter)