Extracting skills from movies

As soon as the words were spoken, the scene changed rapidly.

Li Shuwen fought one life-or-death battle after another at the dock, on rainy nights, and on the streets.

Du Sheng's action scenes are ruthless, precise, and fast, with each move potentially fatal. It's not a friendly sparring match; it's a fight to the death.

Every punch and kick carries the oppressive aura of a grandmaster and the raw beauty of raw power, making the viewer's blood boil.

Even though Liu Shishi had participated in filming before, she had never witnessed such a bloody scene on set; it was enough to make one's scalp tingle.
Strangely enough, I couldn't help but be drawn in by that fierce energy and passion, and I couldn't take my eyes off it.

Finally, standing amidst the ruins, Li Shuwen coldly uttered that classic line:
"The title of martial arts master is earned through countless battles and bloodshed."

On the arena, it's not just about victory or defeat, it's about life and death!

Before he finished speaking, he kicked out, and the entire wall collapsed with a roar. Bricks and stones flew everywhere, then rearranged themselves in the air, eventually forming a line of shocking characters—

"The Grandmaster will be released globally on July 12th!"
It's a matter of life and death! "

The trailer abruptly ended, and the room fell silent.

Tang Yan swallowed hard.
"...This movie is going to be a huge hit."

This time, the trailer didn't have any background music at all; it was completely clean, relying entirely on the visuals and dialogue to carry the show.

And you know what? Du Sheng's voice was so powerful, every word was like a nail, resounding and clear!
Especially those lines of dialogue, they were so powerful they made your spine straight, there was no way you could not believe them.

Without music, the sounds of fighting actually sound more real.

The dull thud of a fist smashing into flesh, the crack of bones breaking, and the thud of someone falling off the ring were all clearly audible, giving one goosebumps.

This isn't a kung fu movie.

It was clearly a live broadcast of a life-or-death battle.

All the fancy moves of martial arts have been torn away, revealing the bloody truth beneath:
This thing is meant to be used to hit people, knock them down, or even kill them.

After reading it, Liu Shishi remained silent for a long time, finally muttering to herself:
"Isn't this style... a bit too intense?"
Will the audience be able to handle it?

She knew exactly what mainstream kung fu movies were like.

The protagonists are all "saintly" masters who, even in the end, don't kill anyone, and instead preach martial virtue and try to reform their opponents. Even after the enemy is defeated, they have to say with tears in their eyes:

"I was wrong, you are the real martial artist."

Like Jet Li's Huo Yuanjia and Donnie Yen's Ip Man, they all followed this path: winning people over with virtue and turning enemies into friends.

But in "The Grandmaster," the character flips the table at the slightest disagreement!

Li Shuwen's statement, "Ignorant etiquette is actually an indulgence of evil!" shattered that veil of warmth.

This guy is hardly a kung fu master.
He is a perfect embodiment of "killing techniques".

Liu Shishi was truly shocked.

It was so exciting to watch that I almost started practicing Crane Fist on the spot.

But then I thought about it again and worried that this idea might be too harsh or too biased.
Will viewers think it has distorted values?
She quickly opened the comments section to see what everyone's reaction was.

When I checked, wow, all the top comments were unanimously "kneeling in admiration":
"Wow! Du Sheng's version of 'The Grandmaster' is so realistic!"
Forget all that fancy talk about 'winning people over with virtue,' let's get straight to the point—martial arts are for fighting!
This is the real skill that ordinary people want to see!

"Finally, someone dares to tell the truth!"

I'm tired of watching Wong Fei-hung and Huo Yuanjia so many times.

Li Shuwen's eyes and his actions were so ruthless it sent chills down my spine!
He may not be a traditional hero, but he is the grandmaster in my heart!

"Li Shuwen did the right thing!"
During the Republic of China era, many martial arts masters would fight with foreigners, saying things like "you go first," only to be killed by a single punch.

There's no need for so much etiquette on the ring.

The one who strikes first lives! This movie dares to tell the truth!

"Just for the line 'It not only determines who is superior, but also decides life and death,' I will definitely go to the cinema to watch it three times!"

This is the kind of fighting spirit that kung fu movies should have—no motivational platitudes, just pure action!

"Du Sheng's action scenes are absolutely amazing!"
Every move they made looked like they could actually kill someone.

The trailer didn't even tell me the plot; I just saw a fight scene, and I watched it five times already!

"Just watching Du Sheng fight is worth the price of admission. The plot doesn't matter, just keep fighting!"

"Who wouldn't watch a kung fu movie made by a Bajiquan master himself?"

I've waited so many years for this day!

As Liu Shishi read through the list, her heart gradually calmed down, her lips curled up higher and higher, and finally she burst out laughing.

She loves seeing netizens praise Du Sheng like this.

Every comment like "King of Kung Fu" or "God of War descended to earth" felt like a small red envelope to her, making her incredibly happy.

Of course, some people jumped out to criticize:

"Too arrogant!" "Sets a bad example for children!" "Promotes the use of force to control others!"

Liu Shishi didn't even lift her eyelids.

She'd seen this kind of sound countless times; she simply let it go in one ear and out the other, too lazy to even block it out.

Tang Yan placed a piece of beef into Du Sheng's bowl and said with a smile:
You don't know yet, do you?
The trailer was even more explosive overseas; the data on the Lianzhong platform exploded, with an astonishing number of views and likes.

Liu Shishi was taken aback:
Where did you get the data from?

Tang Yanxiao:
“Look at the group chat. Sister Yixin keeps posting updates on overseas data and forwarding a lot of hilarious comments from foreigners.”

Liu Shishi immediately opened YY, clicked into the family group, and wow, there were dozens of unread messages.

Scrolling up, all I saw were battle reports posted by Li Yixin:
"The trailer for the Lighthouse Zone has surpassed 300 million views!"

British netizens: This is true Chinese Kung Fu!

"Australian fans: Du Sheng has redefined martial arts!"

Moses film critic: The pinnacle of climax aesthetics, even more ruthless than The Matrix!

She got more and more excited as she looked at it, and stopped eating, just holding her phone and giggling like an idiot.

Why is it so crazy overseas?
Firstly, the ruthless "winner takes all, the weak are silenced" spirit of the movie is exactly what foreigners want.

Secondly, Du Sheng's fluid yet ruthless and deadly fight scenes completely stunned foreign kung fu fans.

They don't use empty rhetoric; they use all sorts of mythical titles like "King of Kung Fu," "God of Combat," and "Real Dragon."

As Liu Shishi looked at it, she felt a surge of joy in her heart:

This doesn't look like a trailer.
This is a declaration of war to the whole world.

To be honest, Du Sheng didn't make much of an appearance during the promotion of "The Grandmaster".

He's busy with the Olympics, and the plan for the lighting ceremony alone keeps him in meetings every day. He doesn't have much free time to go out and do roadshows.
He didn't have high expectations for the film's box office performance.

After all, the summer movie season is always a battle of the titans.

With Hollywood blockbusters coming one after another, no one dares to say they're guaranteed a win.

Du Sheng has long since calmed down and just wants to quietly make a good film.

As a result, with fame comes trouble, and it's impossible to keep a low profile even if you want to.

On the evening of July 5th, John Woo's "Red Cliff" held its world premiere at the Wuhou Temple in Wucheng, and the event was a grand affair.

The red carpet was dazzling with stars, including Liang Chaowei, Jin Chengwu, Zhang Fengyi, Hu Jun, Tong Dawei, Lin Zhiling, Zhao Junqi, You Yong...

A whole host of big names, dressed in suits and tuxedos, circled around Director Wu, looking like heroes from the Three Kingdoms paying homage to their lord.

Rumor has it that this is a "national-level" blockbuster produced by China Film Group with a huge investment of one billion yuan, and with Han Shanping personally in charge. How could it not be taken seriously?
To create a lively atmosphere, the organizers also invited the COpy community, with the theme of "Modern heroes paying tribute to ancient heroes," making a clear and thorough presentation of the Three Kingdoms culture.

The more than 4,000 fans at the scene screamed continuously.

Beijing TV and Xinlang.com broadcast the entire event live, and the entire internet was watching this "feast of heroes." Wu Yusen stood in the center, beaming with pride as he surveyed the spectacle.

Everything seemed perfect until he slipped up during an interview and ruined the conversation.

The reporter asked from a tricky angle:
"Director Wu, what are your thoughts on the heroes of the Three Kingdoms period?"

Are there still true heroes in real life?

Upon hearing this, Wu Yusen immediately switched into "life mentor" mode:
"Heroes are defined by their sense of national and familial responsibility."

On a grand scale, it's about serving the country and its people; on a smaller scale, it's about going to great lengths for one's brothers.

Like the oath of brotherhood in the Peach Garden by Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, like Little Ma in my movie "A Better Tomorrow," that's what true brotherhood is priceless.

He paused and changed the subject:
"But what about now? People's hearts are scattered, and it's hard to lead the team."

With self-interest taking precedence, brotherhood and unity have vanished.

Take Du Sheng for example.

He often uses his own films to "target" others; "Lone Hero" directly confronts "The Banquet," and "Taken" goes head-to-head with "Assembly"...

They also used their advantage in theatrical distribution to suppress the works of directors like Feng Xiaogang and Lu Chuan from Huayi Brothers Media Corporation.

If he hadn't done that, would these movies have had such poor box office performance?

Now they've scheduled "The Grandmaster" for July 12th, right after our "Red Cliff" release. Isn't that blatant provocation?

Finally, he didn't forget to deliver the final blow:

"Easterners are inherently prone to bullying their own kind, and Du Sheng is a prime example!"

The room fell silent immediately after he said that.

The celebrities who were just taking photos with Director Wu now all looked stiff.

Some people even quietly took two steps back.

Who doesn't know Du Sheng's capabilities?
Provoke him?

Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?
Han Shanping, sitting in the audience, turned pale.

He had repeatedly warned Wu Yusen not to speak carelessly, but Wu ignored him and even launched an attack on the spot.

As for the reason?

Last year, John Woo's "Blood Brothers" was completely outmatched by To Sang's "The Man from Nowhere".

He'll probably hold onto this grudge forever.

More importantly, "Red Cliff" will be released on July 11th, and "The Grandmaster" on July 12th, just one day apart, clearly indicating a direct confrontation and hype.

In the Japanese market, the Three Kingdoms theme is always a hot commodity, and Du Sheng is a "box office king," which puts a lot of pressure on Wu Yusen.

In addition, with his success in Hollywood in recent years and a lot of people supporting him in China, he has an inflated sense of self-importance and considers himself the "conscience of Chinese-language cinema."
He couldn't stand Du Sheng's "lone wolf" style of play and was determined to "uphold justice" while harboring resentment.

That's why they staged this surprise attack.

Han Shanping, the largest investor, looked gloomy, but the reporters were delighted!
This kind of "big director criticizing top star" drama instantly generates massive traffic!
A reporter immediately followed up with a question:
"Are you saying that Du Sheng is engaging in monopolistic practices and suppressing the market, thus disrupting market rules?"

Wu Yusen stated unequivocally:
"That's right!
His actions are harmful to the entire Chinese-language film industry!
We need to learn from Hollywood. They focus entirely on business, without personal grudges. That's what professionalism is!

The premiere was already a grand affair, attracting attention from countless people both inside and outside the industry.

These words spread like wildfire, causing an uproar online.

Netizens who support Du Sheng immediately started cursing:
"Director Wu, are you a sore loser?"
Whose fault is the poor box office performance of "Blood Brothers"?

"Doesn't 'Red Cliff' know whether its own quality is up to par? Why blame others?"

"Du Sheng makes his own movies and sets his own release dates. What law says he can't have them released at the same time?"

But some people took the opportunity to stir up trouble:

"Exactly! Easterners are just bullies at home!"

"Director Wu dares to speak the truth; he's got guts!"

"Du Sheng has created a complete mess in the entertainment industry, isn't anyone going to do anything about it?"

Some people even went so far as to get emotional:
"Red Cliff" was made with an investment of 1 billion yuan and was the culmination of three years of hard work by Director Wu, all for the purpose of promoting traditional culture!
If Du Sheng manages to 'target' us, it will be a loss for Chinese-language cinema!

"Look at the helpless expressions on Chen Kaige and Li An's faces when they mentioned Du Sheng, those who know, know..."

For a time, some people criticized while others praised, and the argument became quite heated.

Du Sheng was teaching Gulinazha Crane Fist at home, putting his heart and soul into every move.

This girl has good comprehension, but her lower body is still unstable; she needs to take it slowly.

Although he was oblivious to what was happening around him today, he was bombarded with information, so how could he not know?

Du Sheng naturally wouldn't hold back. He opened YY Weibo and Renren, typed a status update, and posted it directly:

There are so many people trying to stage accidents for insurance fraud lately, can you please stop trying to take advantage of me?
"The Grandmaster" is a tribute film to the 63rd anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan, and its release date of July 12 has been set long ago.

To say this is specifically targeting "Red Cliff"? Can't you come up with a better excuse?

His tone was unhurried, but every word was barbed:
"I have indeed been involved with a few films, but at least they have some substance."

"Assembly" is controversial, but its artistic merit is undeniable.
"The Banquet" fell short; at least it tried to be somewhat artistic.

What right does "Red Cliff" have to try and piggyback on "The Grandmaster"?
Sorry, I didn't see it!
A complete and utterly terrible movie. Someone shouldn't take themselves too seriously.

On one hand, they claim they want to learn from Hollywood and focus on business, while on the other hand, they bring up 'personal grudges'—doesn't that logic contradict itself?

If your mind is a complete mess, how can the movie you make not be a complete disaster?
Then look at the cast.

Jin Chengwu, Nakamura Otong, Bassen Kabu...

How much do they know about Chinese history?
Is this a performance of the Three Kingdoms period, or cosplay?

The casting is up to the director, so the actors can't be blamed.

But I advise everyone, don't go to the cinema and spend money to suffer. I'm genuinely afraid you'll come out with warped values.

Actually, Du Sheng had long disliked the "Red Cliff" project.

However, out of consideration for Han Shanping and China Film Group, they had not given a direct response until now.

Who would have thought that Wu Yusen would jump out himself and try to pin the blame on him?

Fine, if you're unjust, then don't blame me for being unjust too.

This post only fueled the public outcry.

The trending topic "Du Sheng angrily criticizes Red Cliff as a terrible movie" immediately topped the list, and the comment section instantly turned into a massive吐槽 (tu cao, a form of online criticism/roasting) session:

"Hilarious! Is John Woo scared before the battle even begins?"

"You always feel like Du Sheng is targeting you, but he doesn't even consider you a nobody!"

"Chen Kaige and Feng Xiaogang are probably secretly laughing in the corner. At least Brother Sheng mentioned that they 'have some talent,' while Director Wu didn't even get a chance to be commented on. How pathetic!"

"Who are you calling a bully at home?"
"Taken" topped the North American box office, and "Wanted" grossed $3.87 million worldwide. They've already been competing on the international stage for a long time.

Some people are still indulging in self-admiration, truly believing themselves to be the 'saviors of Chinese-language cinema'?

"The market should be free to compete."

Your film is strong enough, what are you afraid of if it's released at the same time?

If "Red Cliff" can really beat "The Grandmaster", I'll be the first to raise both hands in support.

But Director Wu doesn't compete on skill; he starts by making sweeping generalizations. With that mentality, how can the film be good?

…(End of this chapter)