It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 174: The Premiere of "The Promise"? Is it an "epic" or a "shithole"? I don't understand... (Seeking monthly votes)
As night slowly falls and the lights come on, the CPPCC Auditorium shines brightly.

The premiere of "The Promise" was held here.

The preparation for this premiere was truly painstaking!

In addition to choosing a high-profile venue like the CPPCC Auditorium, a detailed rehearsal was also conducted specifically for it.

An unsuspecting passerby might mistake this place for a high-profile, state banquet-level event.

However, this movie certainly lives up to its scale.

After three years of meticulous preparation and a high cost of 350 million yuan, the film stars six highly popular celebrities from China, Japan, and South Korea.

With such a luxurious production team and investment, it certainly deserves this grand opening.

Whether it's the media's extensive publicity, the official attention and support, or professionals within the film industry, everyone agrees that "The Promise" has all the essential elements of a successful commercial film, as if it's only a matter of time before it becomes a box office hit and rakes in audience wallets.

Many people are even certain that it will break the box office record of "Taken" with ease.

Lu Rui and Liu Yifei arrived smoothly on the red carpet of the premiere in a Rolls-Royce.

He had an invitation, so there was no need for him to spend 1880 yuan to buy the expensive premiere ticket.

As I opened the car door, a cacophony of noise hit me.

Looking around, nearly a hundred warriors, armed with knives, spears, and other weapons and dressed in bright red robes, stood in neat rows on the square outside the auditorium. Each of them was tall and imposing, as if they had stepped directly out of a movie scene.

Along both sides of the 100-meter red carpet, crabapple blossoms bloomed freely, still vibrant despite the cold wind.

Upon closer inspection, one can discover that these flowers are actually made of silk, with each petal lifelike, exuding luxury and elegance.

White lanterns hang scattered above the woods, swaying gently in the breeze, their light and shadows flickering.

At the entrance of the auditorium, two enormous banners bearing the title "The Promise" were hung high, their black backgrounds and white lettering making them very eye-catching, as if announcing the film's extraordinary status to the audience.

On both sides of the red carpet, a huge number of fans surrounded the venue, holding up all kinds of signs.

"Zhang Dongjian is so handsome!"

"Tingfeng! I love you!"

"Zhang Baizhi is the most beautiful!"

The shouts and screams created a lively and exciting atmosphere.

"Director Lü, Yifei, this way please." The hostess greeted them with a smile and elegant posture.

Lu Rui noticed that there were quite a few hostesses along the red carpet, indicating that each guest was assigned a personal attendant.

From the costumes to the etiquette and gestures, everything exuded professionalism and dedication, demonstrating the care and effort the organizers put into this premiere.

Liu Yifei, as if she had rehearsed this countless times, naturally reached out and took Lü Rui's arm.

The two walked side by side down the red carpet, amidst cheers from fans.

As soon as Lü Rui signed his name at the autograph wall, reporters on both sides shouted, "Director Lü, congratulations on 'Taken' grossing $6500 million at the North American box office!"

News has already come back from Hollywood.

After 60 days in theaters, Taken's North American box office has officially settled at $6500 million.

Logically speaking, it could have continued to be shown, since it still grossed more than $1 a day.

However, with the strong release of Disney's "The Chronicles of Narnia," a large number of theaters were taken over, and "Taken" could only withdraw from the screens in disappointment.

Fortunately, some of the screenings that were available after this movie left theaters were allocated to "I Am Legend".

Lu Rui smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, but did not respond.

Today is the highlight of "The Promise", and he feels it's better to keep a low profile.

Chen Kaige is a meticulous and sensitive person (though he can be petty), so there's no need for him to attract unnecessary attention or cause any unpleasantness at this time, which could only lead to potential trouble.

As the two were about to enter, a burst of enthusiastic cheers suddenly erupted from the other end of the red carpet.

Turning my head, I saw Fan Bingbing wearing a bright red dress, the hem of which trailed on the ground like flames. Her skin above her chest was exposed in the cold wind, but she seemed not to feel the cold at all. She was radiant and instantly became the focus of the entire room.

"Cattle!"

Seeing this, Lü Rui silently gave her a thumbs up in his heart.

It must be admitted that this person always exudes a powerful aura in large settings and can always accurately capture everyone's attention, which is truly remarkable.

Liu Yifei blinked, her gaze lingering for a moment on the full curves of Fan Bingbing's chest, then she glanced down at herself, pouted in dissatisfaction, and muttered softly, "Wearing so little, aren't you cold..."

Of course, what she was really concerned about wasn't that Fan Bingbing was wearing less clothing, but rather the contrast in their enviable figures, which made her, a girl still growing up, feel a little frustrated.

Meanwhile, Huo Siyan, who was following behind Fan Bingbing, was holding Wang Zhonglei's arm. Although she was forcing a smile, there was a hint of stiffness and resentment in her eyes.

From an angle unseen by others, she was grinding her back teeth to powder, inwardly cursing Fan Bingbing as a vixen and shameless, yet she was utterly helpless.

After all, looking at the entire Chinese entertainment industry, when it comes to red carpet presence, no one can rival Fan Bingbing right now.

"Let's go in." Lu Rui gently patted Liu Yifei's arm, signaling her not to get distracted.

Liu Yifei said "Oh," then looked away and followed him into the auditorium.

However, the slight resentment she harbored was still lingering on her face...

At the same time, she secretly vowed that she would also grow bigger!
The bigger the better!

……

Upon entering the venue, the scene was indeed lively.

Apart from those involved in the film industry who were competing with "The Promise" during the Lunar New Year season, almost everyone with a name in the industry came.

Not only did celebrities and directors from all walks of life gather, but there were also many people from official units among them, which shows the significance of this premiere.

"Oh? You two are here!"

Jiang Wen, Gu Changwei, Ge You and other acquaintances saw Lü Rui from afar and greeted him with smiles.

"Taken made $65 million in North America, which is more than 500 million RMB. That's amazing!"

Gu Changwei started by talking about this matter, his tone full of emotion.

He had clearly received the message online, and his eyes showed genuine admiration.

Ge You chimed in with a cheerful laugh, "Director Lü's talent for making commercial films is truly undeniable; you can't argue with that."

Not far away, Feng Xiaogang heard these words of praise and silently moved to the other side.

He simply couldn't bear to hear these things.

Having his own films repeatedly outperformed at the box office, it's hard not to feel a bit bitter when others praise Lü Rui.

Han Sanping, Ren Zhonglun, Yu Dong, Ye Ning, and Wang Changtian, the heads of film and television companies, were also present. Upon seeing Lü Rui arrive, they all stepped forward to greet him.

"Chairman Yu, how have you been?"

On the surface, Lü Rui was quite polite to Dong, nodding and exchanging a few pleasantries, showing him ample courtesy.

But he felt a certain disdain in his heart.

Ren Zhonglun told him privately a few days ago that Bona Film Group had been chosen as the mainland investor for "Lust, Caution".

We'll inevitably have to fight again eventually, so these formalities are just for show.

Just then, a loud roar erupted from outside the auditorium, surging into the hall like a tidal wave.

Everyone present immediately realized that the crew of "The Promise" had arrived!
The fans were extremely excited, shouting the actors' names and the names of the characters in the play at the top of their lungs.

"Zhang Baizhi!" "Nicholas Tse!"

"Kunlun...a beauty..."

Shouts and cries rose and fell, making people's ears ring.

"Let's go out and take a look," Jiang Wen called out, taking the lead and walking towards the entrance of the auditorium.

The crowd behind him surged out as well.

Upon arriving at the entrance, everyone was taken aback by the scene before them.

Hundreds of white-robed warriors, armed with spears and clad in silver helmets and armor, roared as they charged toward one side of the pre-arranged "Gate of Limitlessness," while red-robed warriors stood on the other side.

The two groups lined up in formation, standing menacingly on either side of the red carpet, as if they were welcoming some important figure.

At this point, the motorcade stopped at the edge of the red carpet.

Chen Kaige and Chen Hong got out of the car first, smiling, and walked hand in hand onto the red carpet.

Behind her, Cecilia Cheung, dressed in a black velvet low-cut evening gown, swayed gracefully, exuding charm.

Other celebrities, including Nicholas Tse, Liu Ye, Jang Dong-gun, and Hiroyuki Sanada, also walked the red carpet in turn.

Every time someone appeared, the screams from the fans on both sides would rise by a decibel, and the heatwave almost lifted the night sky!
"Boom!"

Just then, dazzling fireworks suddenly burst open in the sky above the auditorium, their colorful flames illuminating half the sky.

This was obviously reported in advance; otherwise, setting off fireworks in this area would be wishful thinking.

Afterwards, Chen Kaige led the group through the "Gate of Infinity" and arrived at the signature wall.

After signing his name, he took the microphone from the host and shouted in a high-spirited voice: "The Promise loves you! Loves the audience all over the world! Loves everyone who loves The Promise! A truly epic masterpiece! Watch The Promise..."

"Wow? Pretty 'arrogant'!" Jiang Wen clicked his tongue in amazement.

The grand spectacle before us truly has the air of an "Eastern epic."

Looking at the fireworks bursting in the sky, Lü Rui nodded in agreement: "It's really amazing! This scene is much bigger than when I organized the premieres for 'The Prestige' and 'Taken'."

As they spoke, the group re-entered the main venue.

Chen Kai took a moment to greet everyone present, but when his gaze fell on Lü Rui, the smile on his face stiffened slightly.

The North American results for "Taken" have been finalized, firmly holding the second position among Chinese-language films in the Hollywood market.

He now wants to catch up with "The Promise," but the difficulty is obviously not small.

After a few brief greetings, the creative team went on stage.

The on-site setup was quite ingenious; the seven main creators sat down in turn, with a keyword displayed on the screen behind each of them.

Chen Kaige represents "infatuation," Chen Hong represents "betrayal," Liu Ye and Zhang Baizhi represent "freedom" and "love" respectively, while Nicholas Tse, Jang Dong-gun, and Hiroyuki Sanada represent "desire," "commitment," and "destiny" respectively.

The host first invited several people to explain the deeper meaning of these words in the play.

Everyone else focused on the plot development of "The Promise," and their words were full of confidence in the quality of the work.

Only Chen Kaige took a different approach.

“Obsession!” He suddenly emphasized, his gaze sweeping across the room. “In this world, I am most obsessed with two things: one is my obsession with the film ‘The Promise’ that I made with Chen Hong, and the other is my obsession with my dear wife…”

As he spoke, he turned to Chen Hong beside him and recited the lines that the Goddess Man said to Xiao Qingcheng in the drama: "Wife, you can have all the delicacies and power in the world... but you can't have true love. Are you willing to accept that?"

Chen Hong looked back at him with deep affection, her voice gentle: "I do."

"why?"

"Because I already have two sons and my beloved husband Chen Kaige, I can give up everything else..."

As soon as he finished speaking, enthusiastic applause erupted in the room.

Lu Rui got goosebumps all over his arms listening to this!
Sitting next to him, Jiang Wen suppressed a laugh, nudged him with her elbow, and muttered, "This couple is known for being very loving in the industry."

Upon hearing this, Lü Rui leaned closer and whispered, "Director Jiang, will you say these things to your wife when you get back?"

Jiang Wen's lips twitched, and he shook his head repeatedly: "No, I can't say it. Unlike Old Chen, who is good at reciting poetry and good at picking up girls."

The people around almost burst out laughing when they heard this, and quickly lowered their heads to cover it up.

As news of the Olympic Organizing Committee's selection of the chief director spread, the nickname "Poetry Prodigy" was quickly bestowed upon Chen Kaige.

The industry is buzzing about it!

Li An's quote during an interview, "I don't understand, but I am deeply shocked," has also become a catchphrase that has been widely imitated online.

……

The interview session dragged on until after 8 p.m. before the film finally began screening.

On the screen, Manshen's eerie laughter rang out, Kunlun Slave carried Qingcheng through the air, and the Great General of Light roared arrogantly...

"Who else wants to see what's under my clothes?"

"I've been fooled by you once, but I won't be fooled by you a second time!"

"Remember, true speed is invisible, like the rising wind and clouds, the sunset and the moonrise, like not knowing why leaves turn yellow..."

"Does anyone want to see what I'm wearing under my cloak?"

"..."

Numerous ritualistic scenes and lines emerge one after another, piecing together a bizarre and fantastical world.

Although Lü Rui had mentally prepared himself and forced himself to keep reading, the plot still left him completely confused.

Most importantly, even though he lived to 2025 before his rebirth, he still couldn't see through the essence of this movie.

Is "The Promise" the "Eastern epic" that Chen Kaige talks about, or a vain dream built with lavish decorations?
As the film ended and the lights came on, thunderous applause erupted in the audience and lasted for a long time.

Jiang Wen frowned and turned to Lü Rui, asking in a low voice, "Did you understand?"

Lu Rui shook his head honestly: "Please don't laugh at me when I tell you, I really didn't understand it."

"I didn't understand it either." Gu Changwei leaned closer, his voice low and tinged with confusion. "The visuals are beautiful, but the story..."

Jiang Wen clicked his tongue, trying to sort out the plot: "Logically, it's about fate and choices, right? But those plot twists..."

He said a couple of sentences, then realized something was off and couldn't help but mutter, "Could it be that I missed some crucial detail?"

Lu Rui suppressed a laugh and deliberately encouraged, "Maybe we just watched it too casually. How about you watch it again when it's officially released? I guarantee you'll discover something new."

That's what he said, but he knew perfectly well what was going on in his mind.

This film is not something that the average person can easily understand.

From the previous life to 2025, countless video bloggers have analyzed frame by frame with a magnifying glass, interpreting it over and over again, but in the end, apart from the meme "a bloody incident caused by a steamed bun" being played repeatedly, no one has managed to come up with a core message that can convince everyone.

Want to see through everything at once?
It’s simply wishful thinking!

As the people below the stage were talking, Chen Kaige on the stage stood up to greet them, a confident smile on his face, as if he had already foreseen this scene.

Looking at that smile, Lü Rui suddenly realized that perhaps Chen Kai himself didn't really care whether the audience understood or not.
In his view, as long as the scale and the impact are large enough, that's enough.

As for "epic," as long as the scale is larger than Zhang Yimou's "Hero," he believes it should be a victory.

After all, he never respected Zhang Yimou, who came from humble beginnings, and was now solely focused on surpassing the latter in commercial film achievements...

(End of this chapter)