I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

"So, it must be that this child grew up and embarked on the journey with that priestess?"

Ms. Merritt has seen countless films, so this kind of development is quite easy to predict.

After the transition ended and the title appeared, the entire screen lit up.

Just like in the trailer, the spring scene arrives with cherry blossoms. Ms. Merritt takes another sip of wine, feeling slightly tipsy. The endearing warmth of spring bursts from the screen, and people come and go on the streets, bustling with life.

The protagonist and several mercenaries walked down the street, seeing vendors setting up stalls, children playing, a woman walking under an umbrella amidst falling cherry blossoms, strong laborers carrying goods, and women trying to calm their children.

With just a few shots, the atmosphere of the entire town is fully revealed.

The protagonist and his companions arrived at the entrance of the most magnificent building in town. Guided by a maid, they entered the courtyard and wandered through the corridors.

At this moment, the protagonist seemed to sense something and looked up at a corner.

The camera followed his perspective as it moved, and in front of a window of a building, a black-haired woman was gazing at him.

Ms. Merritt recognized her immediately; she was the female lead in the trailer.

However, at this moment, the female protagonist gave her a feeling of coldness, indifference, and distance.

The protagonist was only caught a fleeting glimpse before the gaze was quickly turned away.

At the same time, the older woman next to her explained that this was a genius shrine maiden, the hope of the entire island.

"Old-fashioned."

Ms. Merritt couldn't help but mutter to herself that she had seen too many stories like this. The road movie template could be used for both commercial and art films. It seemed that Lu Ban was just an ordinary director, nothing special!

Chapter 374 This boy must not be allowed to return to the country.

Of course, Ms. Merritt did not give up watching.

After all, she really liked the female lead. An actress of this caliber was worth the ticket price just for her performance. Ms. Merritt was able to keep watching because she wanted to see the female lead's performance.

It's hard to imagine the future development of an actor who has achieved such success at such a young age.

In the realm of art films, it is common to use newcomers or inexperienced actors. On the one hand, this is due to budget constraints; many directors outside of Europe and America do not have enough funds to hire big stars and can only find cheaper actors. On the other hand, some directors have their own preferences. For example, some directors like to use high school students to play high school students or pregnant women to play mothers, so as to achieve the effect of the actor and the role becoming one.

Ms. Merritt naturally thought that the female lead might also be a newcomer who had not yet debuted. Perhaps she was originally the daughter of a shrine and grew up in such an environment, which would allow her to express the sense of alienation between a shrine maiden and ordinary people.

"From this perspective, the director does have some professionalism."

Ms. Merritt hates the kind of mindless use of big-name celebrities, regardless of the character's traits and image. Especially now, with so much political correctness in Europe and America, movies and TV series must have black people, women, and people with gender differences. Even the Little Mermaid has to be black.

Ms. Merritt believes this is a desecration of art!

However, due to political and racial factors, this situation is becoming increasingly common, especially in France. Locals do not like to have children, while refugees and immigrants are having children like crazy. In a few years, blacks and people of foreign religions will exceed 50 percent of the population. At that time, we may really have to raise the white flag and surrender.

Ms. Merritt still harbors some racial prejudices.

Ms. Merritt felt that Lu Ban, a director who chooses actors based on their character traits, was not bad, as he at least showed basic respect for film.

She continued looking ahead.

The following plot explains the reason for the journey, and at the same time, the male and female protagonists officially meet for the first time.

Whether it was Ms. Merritt's imagination or not, wherever the female lead appeared, the scene was unusually soft. In just a few short shots with little dialogue, her performance alone had left a deep impression on her.

The film moves to nighttime, where the male protagonist strolls alone in the courtyard. The cherry blossoms at night have a different charm, unlike the warm and gentle cherry blossoms during the day, they are more alluring and charming.

The male protagonist heard a strange sound, followed the sound, and came to a courtyard.

He saw that the witch was holding a bow and concentrating intently on shooting arrows.

thump——

As the arrow struck the bullseye, Ms. Merritt felt her heart tremble for a moment.

The female protagonist at this time is also quite different from that during the day. If the female protagonist during the day is aloof, proud, and independent flower that can be admired from afar but not touched, then she at night is like a cherry blossom falling in the night, possessing a captivating charm.

That arrow didn't hit the target, but it pierced Ms. Merritt's heart.

She had seen many movies in which the women were either appendages of men, supporting characters under male chauvinism, or decorative figures set up to showcase the heroism of the male protagonists.

Or they simply replaced the original male lead with a woman, failing to showcase any feminine qualities and merely using a woman's name to write a male story—a script that's all bark and no bite.

This female protagonist, during the day she is like an elegant young woman who has received a good upbringing, with a touch of aloofness. At night, she shows her diligent and hardworking side. Such a woman, independent, ambitious, and charming, is the kind of character that Ms. Merritt likes.

"not bad."

She took another sip of her martini, letting the chilled liquor soothe her throat and bring a touch of coolness to the damp early summer day.

The fleet sets sail, and what follows is a scene where the male protagonist showcases himself. He fishes at sea, is unconventional, and mingles with the sailors, creating a stark contrast with the female protagonist, Amber.

However, through the details, it can be seen that Amber herself also yearns for that free life. The reason she maintains her current aloof appearance is simply because she does not want to have too much interaction with the people around her and make herself waver.

"Classic character design, clichéd, but it's rare to perform well."

Ms. Merritt commented.

Nowadays, many filmmakers want to portray a character who grows and changes. Such characters are more layered and profound, and if portrayed well, they are more likely to be liked.

However, many directors have failed, either because the character was too unlikeable at the beginning and lacked the motivation for transformation, making it seem fake, or because they were limited by the actor's acting skills, resulting in little difference between the beginning and the end.

In Ms. Merritt's view, Amber is a classic princess-like character who yearns for freedom but bears responsibilities. Such characters usually develop feelings for the knights who escort them to their destination, and their feelings may change. Ultimately, they either break free from their fate and pursue freedom, or they uphold their responsibilities and part ways with the knights, but they will definitely undergo a transformation.

Whether such a classic character can be successfully portrayed depends not only on the plot but, more importantly, on the acting skills.

And without a doubt, the image that amber has created is very successful.

"This is a real gem!"

Ms. Merritt couldn't help but sigh that such an actor, given time, would surely become a true superstar capable of handling all kinds of roles.

I wonder if she will attend this film festival. If she does, Ms. Merritt will surely persuade her to stay in Europe and be immersed in the arts, rather than getting lost in the fame-seeking and profit-driven world of film sets.

This child must not be allowed to return to China.

At this point, the movie is a quarter of the way through. Under the moonlight, the mercenary leader, Ayame, explains that this journey is quite dangerous. As the camera pulls back, the two ships gradually become smaller. The camera crosses the sea and keeps pulling back, eventually arriving at another fleet of ships.

On this fleet, strangely shaped bandaged men, their bodies wrapped in bandages, lead several warships, eyeing the protagonist's fleet menacingly.

Undoubtedly, in the upcoming plot, they will take the opportunity to attack the protagonist's fleet and attempt to kill the female protagonist.

"Is it still the same old adventure action movie formula?"

Ms. Merritt picked up her glass, ready to take another sip, only to find it was empty.

It was quite unusual; perhaps because the weather was too humid and hot, she actually finished the wine.

She paused the movie and got up to pour herself another glass, but after thinking about it, she decided to put a bottle of sparkling wine in an ice bucket and take it to the projection room.

During the break, Ms. Merritt noticed that her phone had received several more text messages, all from her colleagues who were also judges.

The text messages from these people were all very similar, with only one central theme.

Go watch "All Quiet in Spring"!

Chapter 375 The Big One Is Coming

Ms. Merritt did not reply to these messages. She smiled, put down her phone, took the ice bucket and wine glass to the screening room, poured herself a glass, went to the window, took a small sip, and glanced at the view outside.

It was already late at night, just like in the movies, with only a light mist permeating the mountains and forests. The moonlight was obscured by clouds, making the earth hazy. The sultry air made people feel irritable, and only the wine in their hands could bring some relief.

She sat back on the sofa, pressed play, and the movie continued.

The protagonist discovers the bandaged men's conspiracy. These bandaged men use some mysterious idols to bewitch the crew and try to infect the people on the ship with a plague. Fortunately, the protagonist thwarts their plan. He seems to have mastered some special magic, which allows people to glimpse a corner of the extraordinary power of the world.

However, the ocean is also teeming with unspeakable monsters, far from being as calm as the real sea.

"A wondrous witchcraft, a world view with a very exotic feel."

Ms. Merritt was not averse to the appearance of such supernatural forces. After all, there were monsters at the beginning of the movie, and the world background also explained that these monsters needed the power of the witch to be purified. It was not surprising that these mercenaries had some special abilities.

Art films have never rejected such settings. Rather, supernatural abilities are often a theme of romanticism. Even the Nobel Prize awards magical realism literature. Some idealistic powers are nothing special to artists.

In the movie, the bandaged man believes the time is right and prepares to launch a surprise attack. The camera pans down from the bow of the ship, sinking into the sea. After several falls, when they resurface, it is in a raging storm, and the protagonist's fleet is tossed about in the turbulent waves.

The unprecedented storm immediately cheered Ms. Merritt up.

The deafening thunder and the devastating waves crashing against the wooden sailboat were just like the gentle spring breeze at the beginning of a movie. Now, the stormy scene at sea seemed to overflow the screen.

Ms. Merritt involuntarily gripped the armrest of the sofa. She felt dizzy, as if she were not in a villa in the French countryside, but on a ship, where she could only submit to the power of nature.

Holding her breath, she watched as the protagonist's ship broke through the waves time and time again, but the waves seemed boundless and endless.

Meanwhile, the appearance of the enemy fleet in the distance adds to the tension of the plot, and a major battle is about to break out.

The protagonist finds the witch Amber and begs her to calm the sea's rage.

Amber, standing by the open window, her face wet with rain and waves, was illuminated by flashes of lightning, revealing a beauty that transcended the human.

She responded and began chanting prayers that Ms. Merritt could not understand, prayers that sounded like ancient ballads.

As the prayer was recited, Ms. Merritt felt her heart become calmer.

She saw a beam of light strike down amidst the magnificent, turbulent storm that could be felt even through the screen.

The light pierced through the clouds and darkness, landing on the ship where the protagonist was.

At this moment, the film gives a panoramic view. In the dark, surging waves, two ships, one large and one small, are tossed about. In the distance, warships are poised to attack, their cannons already drawn. In the sky, dark clouds gather and lightning is brewing. However, a beam of light falls from the infinitely high sky and illuminates one of the ships.

The painting-like quality of the image was breathtaking, leaving Ms. Merritt speechless, as if she were looking at the works of oil painting masters who had masterfully used color.

What this scene reveals is an indomitable spirit of resistance, and the great will that humanity displays when facing desperate situations.

Ms. Merritt even felt a sense of sacredness, like a religious pilgrimage.

At this moment, amber evokes a sense of even greater nobility than the saint who saved France a century ago.

This is not just due to special effects.

Even with such lighting and a scene, a poor actor would only appear to be reciting lines. But Amber, with her awe-inspiring, aloof, and domineering aura, perfectly embodies the character, even without the surrounding storms.

At this moment, she is the noblest person in the world.

This gave Ms. Merritt a strange thought: could there really be such a saint in this world, with such extraordinary power?

However, their good fortune was short-lived. As the enemy fleet approached and bombarded them relentlessly, the bandaged men also began to appear.

The protagonist's dog, an extraordinary creature, also dives into the sea and attacks the enemy's warship.

The camera follows the dog's movements, showing it transforming into a monster covered in tentacles and eyeballs, emerging from the sea and landing on an enemy warship. Its tentacles grab sailors and throw them into the sea, while it rampages across the deck.