RPAGF Chapter 40 Public Opinion Storm
Chapter 40 Public Opinion Storm
The media's direction never blows in only one direction.
On the 25th, a TV program called "Entertainment Star World" aired a special episode on Berlin.
The host started by saying, "Chinese-language films have made history in Berlin," but after the award-winning clips were played, he changed his tone.
The sentiment has shifted to, "While everyone is cheering for the three Silver Bears, we can't help but ask: Has this 19-year-old's life been too smooth sailing?"
During the show, a guest who claimed to be a senior film critic said in a hesitant tone that what art-house film directors fear most is starting with too high a goal, and that the female lead had just finished filming "Summer Palace" before this movie, which has not yet been approved by the censors.
The last sentence was quite veiled, but the meaning it conveyed was clear enough.
When Lin Ruiyang saw the discussion about this content online, the fat man snatched the computer and closed the webpage.
"These people are doing it on purpose; they can't win an award, so they resort to sarcastic remarks about others."
"Let him talk." Lin Ruiyang closed his notebook. "The more enthusiastic he is, the more valuable our award is."
The fat man was still somewhat indignant.
"Public opinion is a double-edged sword, Fatty. 'A Separation' is an art film, and normal publicity and distribution would hardly make it break into the mass market. Now, this is actually helping us complete the first round of audience screening."
Although Lin Ruiyang appeared calm and collected, this storm of unsubstantiated public opinion, like the sandstorm brewing in Beijing in March, still spread a sense of sweltering anxiety in the air.
After the show aired, the narrative surrounding the 19-year-old genius director quietly began to change.
Those media outlets that once praised the Beijing Film Academy for producing outstanding talents have begun to dig up some fabricated background information from the scraps of news.
Once the snowball of public opinion starts rolling, it doesn't need any pushers. The first person dragged into it wasn't Lin Ruiyang himself, but Li Baotian.
Some media outlets dug up old grievances between Li Baotian and the crew of "The Imperial Envoy" from several years ago, relabeling him as a domineering figure on set, and then posing a question:
Is a director who can keep Li Baotian completely under his thumb really only nineteen years old? The subtext of this statement isn't very deep. Someone who can control a domineering actor is either a genius or another tyrant.
This suspicion left Lin Ruiyang both amused and exasperated, but he was more worried about himself than anything else.
Li Baotian's old wounds had finally scabbed over, but now they've been ripped open again, all because he played a role in his film crew.
He made a phone call.
Li Baotian answered quickly on the other end, and the background music faintly included the sounds of traditional opera singing, which sounded relatively calm.
"Teacher Li, please don't take those online rumors to heart," Lin Ruiyang said directly, his tone carrying a sincere apology.
"Ruiyang, I thought it was something serious." Li Baotian chuckled on the other end of the phone.
"I've been in this industry for so many years, if I can't even stand this little bit of criticism, then I've wasted my time as a tyrant on set."
They say I'm an old wound, but I think that's just their old problem—they can't stand seeing others do well.
"But this matter was ultimately directed at me, and it has implicated you."
"You're being too polite. When I filmed 'A Separation,' I was drawn to the script and also to you as a person."
The film has won an award, which proves we're on the right track. As for what they're saying about whether you're nineteen or how you treated me, let them make up whatever they want.
"But you, don't let these things distract you. You're only nineteen; you have a lot of acting opportunities ahead of you. If everyone who criticizes you replies, you might as well quit acting and become a lawyer."
"Teacher Li, I've got your words in mind." Lin Ruiyang didn't say anything more polite, asked a few more questions about his health, and then hung up the phone.
That night, Lin Ruiyang sat in front of the computer without typing a single word.
The fat man thought he was thinking about how to respond to the media, but he was actually thinking about something else. In his past life, he worked as a ghostwriter for eight years, and no one criticized him because no one cared about him.
The fact that someone is criticizing him means that he is in a position where he can be seen, and being seen is a privilege in itself.
He opened the document and continued writing the script for the preview of "The Devil Wears Prada".
Public opinion truly shifted a few days later.
At this crucial juncture, the media naturally wouldn't let go of those big shots who truly control the film and television industry.
As leading figures of the fifth generation of directors, Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige were asked on different occasions for their opinions on the fact that their junior from the Beijing Film Academy won three bears at the Berlin Film Festival at the age of nineteen.
In a brief interview following a business event, Zhang Yimou, dressed in his signature dark jacket, faced a dense array of microphones and acted as kindly as ever.
"I've heard that the younger generation is truly formidable. We shouldn't always focus on people's age; we should look at their work."
To tell a story so steadily at nineteen and even win awards at film festivals—the film industry needs this kind of fresh blood, and this dedication to realism is truly commendable.
Zhang Yimou's words set a tone for the current controversy: forget the background, look at the work itself.
In contrast, Chen Kaige's words in an interview with a film magazine carried a unique air of aloofness and scrutiny characteristic of a literary director.
"A high starting point isn't always a good thing. Film is an art about time; it requires the depth of life to support it. Lin Ruiyang winning the award in Berlin is his good fortune. But I'm more interested to see if he can maintain this pure pursuit of literary quality once the initial excitement wears off."
As for the outside disturbances, I think if he really can control Teacher Li Baotian as rumored, then he must have a strong enough heart to resolve them.
The two renowned directors' responses, though differing in attitude, subtly pulled Lin Ruiyang back from the realm of gossip and rumors to the realm of professional creative discussion.
Lin Ruiyang sat in front of his computer in his dormitory at Beijing Film Academy, his fingertips typing out the sequel to "The Devil Wears Prada".
"Old Lin, look! China Film Group has released the announcement!" The fat man pushed open the door, his face showing a look of relief after surviving a disaster.
China Film Group officially issued a notice: "A Separation" is scheduled for release on March 10, 2006.
The date was given in an extremely forceful manner.
In the context of the 2005 film release schedule, March was generally considered a slow period for the market. However, precisely because of this, it avoided the lingering effects of the Lunar New Year film season, giving this art film the purest breathing space.
"The film will be released on the 10th, so we only have two weeks to make a final push."
With the release date set, there was no indefinite postponement, nor was the film withdrawn due to the lead actor's previous works.
Han Sanping responded to all the rumors about special channels and the censorship crisis in this most direct way.
But Lin Ruiyang understood that the public opinion storm surrounding him would not disappear; it had simply moved from the spittle on television programs to the huge screen in the movie theater.
At this moment, on the tree-lined path leading to the registration office of the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy, a girl with a high ponytail, a trendy thick fringe, and bright eyes is curiously looking around the school.
Unbeknownst to her, not far away, in front of the window of the teaching building, the senior director who had just experienced a media storm was watching the film industry that was about to belong to them.