Chapter 886: A Steamed Bun
Translator: Lan_ Editor: Efydatia
It was an indie film with a limited budget. Indie films such as Qin Guan’s films “Lost Smile” and “Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind” were usually accepted by the masses. Some people loved them, while others didn’t.
However, a blockbuster movie that wasn’t accepted by the majority of the public violated the principles of commercial movies. Failure did not just entail bad consequences for the producers, but also for the audience who had spent money in order to watch the film.
Some directors believed that commercial movies did not use high-end technology. They were just created to entertain the audience. Those days, people were under great pressure due to the fast pace of their jobs. They just wanted to release some of that pressure by watching a movie, so they chose commercial films with the intent to laugh or cry their hearts out.
That was why that film was so ambiguous. Ordinary audiences were cursing about their wasted money, while professional critics remained silent, waiting for other people to comment first. They were too afraid of appearing confused.
Amid that strange silence and angry curses, it was Chen Hong who attracted the public’s attention again.
She stated openly that in a country without a well-educated population, the audience would need at least five years to understand the film’s message.
Her statement caused an uproar.
After a lot of negative media coverage, a soldier named Hu Ge made a short film that made fun of the entertainment circle. It was called “Massacre Caused By A Steamed Bun” and it lasted only 19 minutes. As soon as it was uploaded online, it went viral all over the country.
“Look! It’s so interesting!”
Cong Nianwei showed Qin Guan the film.
At the beginning of the short film, Hu Ge declared that the film only expressed his personal opinions. What a smart guy!
He was good at editing and making jokes. The short film was bright and funny, which impressed the audience a lot.
Soon, Hu became famous thanks to the film, which irritated Chen Kaige.
Chen was the first director to get angry at internet users. His wife was much angrier than he was though. As a result, Hu Ge received a lawsuit not long thereafter.
The couple asked Hu to apologize publicly for violating copyright laws. Everyone was shocked. Hu had just voiced what they thought in a special way.
After many years, Chen Hong’s image as the beautiful princess from “Daming Palace” collapsed. Eventually, the comedy turned into a farce. Qin Guan couldn’t help but sigh when he heard the news. That year, those two famous directors ruined big-budget films in China.
Thanks to that terrible beginning, all domestic film producers and directors entered an armed race. Investments increased and casting lists became longer, but the quality of the films was still deteriorating.
It would take a long time for them to adjust in the future. At the time, the public was not that tolerable with bad movies. “The Promise” suffered a crushing defeat. Despite its investment of 300 million yuan, it failed to earn even 30 million back.
The film destroyed Chen’s reputation. Now everyone thought that he was outdated. That was the cruel reality of being a director. One had to make up for a failure by directing several good films.
This was good news for Zhang Yimou though.
“When will your film be in theaters?” Cong Nianwei asked Qin Guan as she wrapped a quilt around herself.
“Probably in November.”
“Why? Jiang Wen’s film was finished first. Why has it taken so long?”
“The film has to be approved by the SARFT first, you know.”
It was mandatory to send a film to the SARFT for classification before screening it in China or submitting it at a foreign film festival. Otherwise, it would be considered an underground film.
As a result, Jiang Wen had to go through that process like a good boy. He had also avoided the favorite auction calendar of Hollywood big shots.
He was in no rush. His aim was the Venice Film Festival next year. A spot there was enough for him.
After his explanation, Cong Nianwei fell asleep. Qin Guan kissed her forehead and uttered the most tender words in the world.
“Sweet dreams!”
Home was the best cradle in the world.
After all that chaos, Qin Guan couldn’t spend any leisure time at home anymore. In 2008, premieres became more and more important for the publicity of a film. This was the first time he was invited to a premiere, despite the fact that he had participated in so many films in the past.
