Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 427 The More the Merrier: Nolan's Evaluation

Vegetable plots and farms were damaged in yet another black storm.
Rocket disintegrates upon launch
The audience experienced despair, relaxation, tension, relaxation again, and then despair once more.
Finally out of danger, my emotions went through many ups and downs in just over two hours.

The film has ended.

The audience in the back rows were the first to applaud wildly.

"Director Wu, this is great!"

Immediately afterward, someone in front slapped their thigh and exclaimed, "That feels so good! It really made my heart clench and then relax, relax and then clench again!"

"."

The applause grew louder and louder, and many people stood up to applaud and cheer.

Before the lights came on, Wu Chen turned around slightly in front of the screen and exchanged glances with Liu Yifei, Jiang Wen, Gong Li and others. The group stood up knowingly, turned around and bowed with smiles.

“Jiang, I’m really jealous of you.” Christian Bale and Jiang Wen bumped fists. “This is truly a fantastic movie.”

"Yeah, I think so too." Jiang Wen wasn't modest at all. "Wasn't that scene of me standing on the Martian hill just now incredibly cool?"

"You haven't changed in twenty years." Gong Li couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

"Why would you change this good habit, Director Wu?"

Jiang Wen chuckled and called out to Wu Chen, who was walking ahead.

Below the stage, there was constant exchange of ideas.

"Director Tong, Director Zhang, Chairman Han, Chairman Ren, this movie is great! Are there any similar projects?"

The space agency staff weren't quite satisfied; one movie wasn't enough. They were willing to watch many more.

This question elicited a wry smile from Tong Gang, Zhang Hongsen, and Han Sanping.

"This project was meticulously prepared by Director Wu for a long time, according to industry insiders." Tong Gang glanced at the people in the back row and shook his head. "There may not be a suitable person to direct it for the time being, besides Director Wu."

"That's such a pity. What China lacks are films that dare to think boldly and try boldly."

Han Sanping felt relieved upon hearing this.

This film cost $80 million to make. It's not something you can just do whenever you want. It's not that you don't have $80 million, but once you throw it in, you don't know who will be able to make a splash in the science fiction genre.

Fortunately, Wu Chen has set a good example.

Feng Xiaogang remained quite silent, and Wang Zhonglei asked him twice for his opinion on the film's box office performance.

Li Binbin and Huang Xiaoming also looked over.

"There's not much to say. It'll probably be a hit on the first day, but how much of a hit is hard to say."

Feng Xiaogang sighed, feeling incredibly envious.

"Four hundred million?"

Wang Zhonglei came up with a relatively high box office target, which made Li Binbin and Huang Xiaoming secretly gasp in amazement, yet also feel a deep sense of regret.
Feng Xiaogang did not provide an answer.

Chairs have already been set up on the stage.

Everyone took the microphone and sat down.

Wu Chen scanned the room and said with a smile, "It seems we haven't disappointed everyone."

"no!"

"The filming is excellent! I never expected this, I really never expected this."

The audience responded enthusiastically.

Wu Chen nodded: "That's good, what a relief. Of course, Mr. David from Universal Pictures, Chairman Han from China Film Group, Mr. Jason from Blumhouse Films, and Chairman Ren from Shanghai Film Group should also be relieved, as the production cost was not low."

"Hahaha"

Amid laughter, the four production company representatives stood up to express their gratitude and wave to the audience.

The media couldn't contain themselves any longer.

"Director Wu, what are your expectations for the film's box office performance?"

This is the question that the media likes to ask most after the premiere, and it's also the question that audiences, producers, and theaters most want to hear a response to.

Even Jiang Wen and Gong Li looked at Wu Chen.

"It's hard to predict the global box office, but it will be released domestically first. I think we should just go with the flow and release as many films as possible."

Wu Chen smiled but did not give a specific reply, but the audience cheered and the guests in the front row applauded.

Han Sanping couldn't help but feel excited, wondering how high the box office would go. This was the first international sci-fi blockbuster directed by a mainland director, and it was even hard sci-fi, yet audiences seemed to be buying into it.

When it was Jiang Wen's turn to respond, seeing Wu Chen's confident expression, Jiang Wen was not intimidated:

"Director Wu said he wanted as many as possible, which means there's no limit. As the lead actor, I naturally can't hold him back, so let's just break domestic box office records one by one."

"Hahaha."

This reply caused the entire audience to burst into laughter.

"What do you think, Iphie?"

"Of course I support them both."

Where is Gong Li?

"me too!"

Everyone was laughing heartily, but the film critics were somewhat speechless, as the questions asked by the media were all so superficial.

Finally, the opportunity to ask questions was given to film critics such as Zhou Liming.

"Director Wu, for such a hard science fiction film, we see humanistic spirit. So what do you think is the underlying scientific spirit in 'The Martian'?"

Wu Chen hesitated for a moment before slowly saying:

"I think that on the surface, The Martian is a story about a person being stranded on Mars, but at its core it is about how a person faces the boundless desolation of the universe alone, and how, in such loneliness, coldness and despair, he is still willing to try to live."

Therefore, the underlying spirit of science in movies is never about a foolproof operating system or an all-powerful technological device, but rather an attitude of not being willing to be abandoned.

A person was abandoned by the universe, but he did not abandon himself first. May this indomitable spirit also reach everyone.

After he finished speaking, the entire room was silent for two seconds, then burst into enthusiastic applause.

As the Q&A session with the main cast drew to a close amidst the responses from the audience, the media had already turned their attention to the guest seats—a long-standing tradition.

The media naturally focused on Christopher Nolan.

"Director Nolan, what's your opinion of this film?"

The whole place fell silent.

Immediately, all the audience members and guests focused their attention on Nolan, eager to see how he would evaluate the film.

Even Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Feng Xiaogang and others were quite curious.

Because everyone has a different cultural perspective.

Christopher Nolan stood up, smiled, and took the microphone. His voice was deep and steady, with his signature British accent.
"First of all, I must admit that the film that director Wu Chen brought today gave me a very special movie-watching experience."

The auditorium was very quiet.

"We all know that science fiction movies are not simply about showcasing a visual feast, nor are they merely about displaying cutting-edge technology. True science fiction movies, in essence, still have to return to the 'human' aspect."

Nolan paused briefly, his gaze sweeping across the room, before continuing:

"I've seen many excellent science fiction films. Some films can shock you, some can make you think, and some can do both at the same time."

Without a doubt, *The Martian* belongs to the third category.

Upon hearing this, the reporters in the media area quickly lowered their heads and began taking notes, as this was a key point in their reports.

Nolan continued:

"To be honest, there were a few moments when I watched the movie that made me completely forget that I was watching it as a director, and I became an ordinary viewer. Especially the scene where Jiang stands on that Martian hill, it is a kind of lonely yet exceptionally firm beauty."

"The Traveler on the Sea of ​​Fog," such a beautiful world-famous painting, its artistic conception is also captured in the film, it's fantastic.

At this point, the audience couldn't help but mutter to themselves.

"So that was a scene from a world-famous painting. I felt that the scene in the movie was very special, with a unique beauty, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it."

"A noob, actually, that's the feeling of someone challenging a lone wolf."

"Yeah, yeah, you're awesome!"

"."

Nolan smiled gently and looked at Wu Chen:

"This is a true masterpiece of hard science fiction, and also a very courageous attempt. I believe that, in terms of technology, performance, script, and ideas, it is undoubtedly a world-class work."

The words had barely left his lips when the room fell silent for a moment, then erupted in chaos.

Applause, cheers, and gasps of amazement mingled together in an instant, making the entire CPPCC Auditorium seem as if it were about to be overturned!
(End of this chapter)