They’re all reborn, what’s wrong with being a little more almighty?

Chapter 258 Defeated by myself

McCarthy handed a thick stack of scripts to the Coen brothers.

The Coen brothers smiled politely, but their hearts were filled with superiority, as if they were the ancestors of a sect, trying to teach their younger disciples a few tricks.

But to be honest, these two people do have the capital to be superior. Looking at the entire Hollywood, when it comes to screenwriting and script adaptation skills, no one dares to say that they are better than the Coen brothers.

Although old man McCarthy is also a screenwriter, he actually has no outstanding scripts. His previous screenwriting work was mainly for dramas. The presentation of drama scripts is different from that of movies, so the Coen brothers did not think that McCarthy could come up with a decent script.

The younger brother Ethan Coen has a more active personality than his brother. He took the script first and started reading it.

"Huh? There's also a description of the shot? Isn't that the director's job? The script written by this old man is quite interesting!"

After quickly flipping through a few pages, a scene concept map appeared in the script.

"Is this a scene concept map? I didn't expect there would be something like this in the script. By the way, this scene concept map seems to be consistent with the description in the novel!"

The Coen brothers have read the original novel of "Old Men's Love Affair" more than once, and they are already familiar with the plot and descriptions of some scenery.

Seeing this scene concept map at this time, brother Coen instantly restored the scene in the novel.

Combined with the previous shot description, a vivid plot, transformed into a movie clip, emerged in the minds of Coen's brothers.

Brother Coen was shocked. As a top director, he would never be led by others. He had his own thoughts and creative ideas.

Therefore, he has always actively formed movie clips in his mind, and then shot movies based on what has formed in his mind.

This time, he completely followed the shot descriptions and scene concept maps in the script to create a movie clip, which was equivalent to his full recognition of the scriptwriter's creative ideas.

The next second, a feeling of unwillingness rose in Cohen's brother's heart, and then this unwillingness quickly turned into anger.

"I, Ethan Coen, do I need someone to teach me how to make a movie? How can I fall into someone else's way of thinking? It's a great shame!"

Brother Coen took a deep breath, calmed himself, and continued reading the script.

Dialogue, facial expression description, shot division, scene concept map, it's the same old routine again. In the mind of the Coen brothers, a complete movie plot was unconsciously formed.

"Oh my god, what's going on? Why am I trapped in this again? Where are my own thoughts? Where are my own ideas? Why are there none of them? Why do I unconsciously want to shoot according to the shots and scenes in the script when I see this script?"

At this time, the anger in Coen's heart slowly turned into a feeling of fear. As a top director, after reading a script, he had no ideas of his own. Everything that came into his mind was copied from what was narrated and described in the script. Isn't this the screenwriter teaching him how to make a movie?
If Coen's brother was still a rookie director who had just entered the industry, he would probably treat this kind of thing with a normal attitude.

But at this time, the Coen brother had already been famous for many years and was regarded as the king of the Cannes Film Festival. His works also formed a complete personal style and were hardly affected by the outside world.

But even so, when he saw the script, apart from identification and resonance, he was unable to generate any independent thinking!

A director of his level shouldn't be in this situation! He shouldn't be swayed by a script.

The next second, Cohen's brother raised his head and looked at McCarthy opposite him, with a hint of horror in his eyes.

"This old man in front of me is so amazing. The script he wrote is so fascinating that I can't help myself. Is this the creative ability of a great writer?"

Joel Coen, who was standing next to him, also noticed his brother's abnormality and gently pushed him. Coen's brother came to his senses and handed the script to his brother.

Coen's elder brother has a calmer personality than his younger brother. After receiving the script, he initially thought the shot descriptions and scene concept drawings were very interesting, but then he showed the same expression as his younger brother.

The elder brother, like the younger brother, was also trapped in the script and was unable to generate independent thinking of his own.

At this moment, Brother Cohen's face also changed drastically. He never expected that he, the most talented director in Hollywood, would be taught how to make movies by others!
After a long while, Brother Cohen calmed down and said, "Mr. McCarthy, I didn't expect you to have such high attainments in the field of screenwriting. I think your screenwriting skills are not inferior to any well-known screenwriter in Hollywood."

Although McCarthy knew that Brother Coen was complimenting him, he still smiled and said, "To be honest, I didn't write this script. The person who wrote this script is a friend of mine, who is also a writer. You may have heard of his work, The Thirst Games."

"I know this is a best-selling novel. It turns out that this script was written by the author of "The Thirst Games"!" Brother Cohen nodded as if he suddenly realized something.

Since he is a talented best-selling author, it is no surprise that he can write such a good script.

McCarthy went on to say: "I think this script is very well written, very complete, and fully restores my novel. To be honest, after reading this script, I even felt like the movie scene was emerging in my mind.

That’s why I decided to recommend this script to you. I think if it is filmed according to this script, it will definitely be an excellent movie!”

The Coen brothers looked at each other, and the elder brother said, "Mr. McCarthy, do you suggest that we take this script back and study it carefully?"

"No problem! I have a copy here, I can make two copies for you." McCarthy agreed immediately.

With the fame and status of the Coen brothers, they would definitely not do such things as cheating on the script or plagiarizing other people's scripts, let alone cheating the script from the great writer McCarthy, so McCarthy was also confident in handing the script of "No Country for Old Men" to them.

……

The Coen brothers returned to their studio, where they carefully read the script and couldn't help but praise it, saying it was a very well-written script.

Immediately afterwards, the two began to modify the script based on the original work.

"Joel, look at this storyboard. I think it can be modified like this..."

"I feel that the direction of your revision is not as good as the original script! Think about it carefully. If you revise it this way, it will weaken the emotions of this character..." "Ethan, look at this plot. I can simplify it. These lines can be deleted. The whole short plot only needs to be given a close-up of the face at a measured angle, and then stretched to a panoramic view..."

"If we only look at this scene, there's nothing wrong with your filming this way, but don't forget, there's another motel scene later on. These two scenes have a lot of echoes. If you delete this scene, how are you going to arrange the motel scene later on?"

"We can arrange the motel scene like this..."

“Do you feel that, according to your ideas, the character’s personality is completely unreflected, and the character loses its charm, so it’s better not to change it?

For three whole days, the two brothers had been discussing the script. They each proposed their own revisions and then rejected them, sometimes by vetoing each other and sometimes by jointly.

Generally speaking, the modification plans they came up with were not as good as the original script.

Three days later, when the assistant came to the studio, he was shocked by the scene before him. The Ken brothers were sitting side by side with unshaven beards and looked extremely decadent, as if they were cuckolded.

To describe it in one word, it is "sad"!
The two talented Hollywood directors are usually glamorous and look like male models standing under the spotlight. But now they are like two stray dogs that have been drenched by heavy rain all night. They look pitiful and helpless and can only snuggle together and shiver.

Obviously, these two talented Hollywood directors were devastated.

The two spent three days putting in a lot of effort, only to find that the script was simply too perfect and there was no way to modify it!
What frustrated the two most was not the excellence of the script of "No Country for Old Men", but that they completely agreed with the content of the script. The rhythm of the plot, the actors' lines, the description of the shots, almost everything about the script met the brothers' expectations for the movie.

The two brothers even felt that if they were to adapt the script, they would also create it according to this idea.

This also means that if "No Country for Old Men" is made into a movie, the Coen brothers will follow the script completely. The two don't even need their own ideas, they just need to control the actors.

As a top director, what does it mean to make a movie without his own ideas?
In Hollywood, the Coen brothers are the ones who are imitated, not the ones who need to imitate others.

However, the content presented in this script has convinced the Coen brothers. They admit that this script is perfect, and they also admit that what this script presents is exactly what they want to show to the audience.

For the Coen brothers at that time, being taught how to make movies by others was a great humiliation, and they absolutely could not accept it.

But it would be a shame not to film such a good script, a script that suits their taste.

As a result, the Coen brothers, while suffering a heavy blow, entered a state of repeated struggle and tornness.

Poor Coen brothers didn't know that they were actually defeated by themselves. What Zhang Wei exchanged from the devil was the script they adapted themselves.

"No Country for Old Men" should be considered the best work of the Coen brothers, otherwise it would not have won the two most prestigious awards at the Oscars, Best Picture and Best Director.

In addition, "No Country for Old Men" also won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, which is enough to show the solidity of this work.

Historically, when the Coen brothers were adapting the novel "No Country for Old Men" into a script, they racked their brains. This pair of genius brothers used almost all of their lifelong film skills on this work. Every shot and every detail were repeatedly polished.

At that time, the Coen brothers were in their fifties, which is the golden age for a director. At this age, a director should have experience, brains, and good energy. He is already in his forties and has his own insights into life and a clear understanding of the world.

The scripts written and movies made at this time must be of the pinnacle level.

If they are older, their minds and energy can't keep up, and they won't have much innovation in their thinking. They often can't keep up with the latest trends, and the movies they make appear conservative and old-fashioned, lacking in novelty.

If you are too young and lack understanding of life, the film you make may have a very tortuous plot and exciting content, but the expression of connotation will definitely be unsatisfactory. At least in the eyes of the Oscar judges, it will be difficult to be appreciated.

So at this time, the Coen brothers were actually competing with their peak and most successful selves.

This was the script that they had carefully crafted during their heyday. It was impossible to modify it.

And precisely because this is their own masterpiece, after reading the script, the two brothers immediately had movie clips in their minds. They felt that the script was exactly what they wanted and was exactly the same as their expectations of the movie.

Because this is their own work.

……

The Coen brothers were reluctant to give up such a good script in the end, and they finally agreed to use the script provided by Zhang Wei to shoot "No Country for Old Men".

After Mr. McCarthy learned the news, he immediately informed Zhang Wei via email.

For Zhang Wei, this is a great joyous event. "No Country for Old Men" won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. The Coen brothers used the script provided by him to make a movie, which means he can get an Oscar for free!

Moreover, it is a golden statue in the screenwriting category, which is quite valuable, at least more valuable than those for best makeup, best sound effects, best editing, best costume design, etc.

Apart from other things, in the domestic film and television industry, such an Oscar-winning screenwriter is already the king. Directors Zhang, Chen, and Feng have to address me as an equal when they see me. At the film awards ceremony, if you sit there, you don't even have to stand up, and the young actors and actresses passing by have to bow and shake your hand.

However, the filming of "No Country for Old Men" still needs a process. Now we have only confirmed the director and the script, but we still need to find a producer to raise funds, cast, set up the scenery, use props, and shoot. After the shooting is completed, there are still a series of processes such as editing, music, sound, and sound effects. It will take at least a year or two to complete.

Let the Coen brothers take care of these things. Given their status in Hollywood, these should not be a problem.

But what Zhang Wei has to deal with is another matter.

The new semester has begun, and Zhang Wei is finally no longer a freshman.

When he returned to Tsinghua University, the school gave him a new identity: Tsinghua University mascot!
(End of this chapter)