Actor: Thank you.

On the plane, Zhang Yuan pondered for a moment.

"After we land, let's go to the nearby shopping mall to buy some gifts."

"Then, I'll make a trip to the filming location of 'The Grandmaster'."

"I'll go and talk to Wang Jiawei again, and say hello."

Why are you making things difficult for me?
You made me make a trip to northern Fujian, I have to have a chat with you.
So I went straight to the film set after getting off the plane.

This time, no one came to pick him up.

Everyone on the crew wanted him to stay out of the picture at all.

Zhang Yuan, on the other hand, arrived at the filming location in a very casual manner.

"What, Director Wang isn't welcoming us?"

"Hehehe..." Sunglasses King laughed awkwardly.

"Boss," Zhang Ziyi greeted him, bowing and nodding.

He was very pleased with their submissive demeanor.

"Just like I said, you are indeed very suitable for this role."

Zhang Ziyi smiled and responded.

The key point is not that she is suitable, but that she can only be suitable if Zhang Yuan says she is suitable.

Whether it's my production crew or not, I can control it. What can you do to me?

"Director Wang, I've already spoken with Ellison Films."

“From now on, you don’t need to relay messages. I can communicate directly with the other party,” Zhang Yuan said, hooking his arm around Sunglasses King’s shoulder.

I'm telling you straight, I know you're up to no good.

But this time, let's call it a draw, a back-and-forth exchange.

If there's a next time, I won't be so polite.

The surrounding actors had all heard about how he forced Zhang Ziyi to work for him, so they remained silent, none of them daring to speak.

They could only watch as he "taught" the Wang family.

Some were a bit bolder.

For example, Song Hye-kyo, who played Jang Young-sung.

It might not necessarily be because she's brave; it could simply be that no one told her what happened.

"Zhang, let's play badminton together again sometime," Qiao Mei invited.

The moment the words "play badminton" left her lips, Zhang Ziyi trembled all over.

I almost beat him to death...

Zhang Yuan raised one eyebrow as he pondered.

Do you want to play badminton with me, or... badminton?

"Doesn't Hyun Bin have any plans to visit the set?" Zhang Yuan asked.

"He's been quite busy lately and won't be coming for the time being."

"So, you two live in different places, how's your relationship?"

“We talk on the phone several times a week,” Song Hye-kyo replied.

"Then there's no need to play badminton, I've been quite busy lately."

Having a boyfriend, why bother cracking an egg?
Hyun Bin was forced to enlist in the military in 11, which was when they separated.

You can't touch food that's already taken... unless you're starving.

He's quite "hungry" right now, but the Koreans are unreliable, so let's talk about it later.

Put some pressure on Wong Kar-wai, make him behave and stop causing trouble for you.

He was relieved after observing Zhang Ziyi's condition.

We took a car and arrived at the film crew of "Let the Bullets Fly" in Gangningwei in less than an hour.

This film is part of JM City's film and television investment promotion plan.

The scene is divided into several parts.

Scenes of Huang Silang's watchtower.

According to Jiang Wen's script, the Huang family's estate covers hundreds of acres and has more than twenty watchtowers.

This also aligns with what Master Huang said: "Every day when I open my eyes, there are hundreds of people to serve."

However, there's no need to go to such lengths when filming a movie; it's not like it's a large-scale war scene.

Unlike the poet Chen, Jiang Wen didn't insist on creating grand scenes.

Therefore, only one watchtower was built, used as part of the scenery, while there are some low buildings around it, which will be used for low-angle shots.

The watchtower was built in Zili Village, Kaiping City.

The remaining scenes include the main gate of Goose City and the square inside, as well as the arcade buildings and streets.

The city gate is located in Gangningwei and was built in a style similar to that of Russia.

The main street scene is located in the Mei Family Courtyard in Duanfen Town. In 31, overseas Chinese donated and built 108 two- to three-story arcade buildings here, which were already in place.

This saved a lot of construction costs.

Every director has something they are passionate about.

The poet Chen loved to indulge in self-admiration and to build cities.

Zhang Yimou is fond of meticulous attention to color, tone, props, and costumes.

Feng Xiaogang is a master of commercialization; he'll do anything to make money.

Jiang Wen's persistence lies in expression.

Especially the expressions of the left and right, capitalism and socialism.

He was fixated on this; he couldn't stop talking about it.

Just like Chen Danqing said about painting.

"If you're hungry, you have to eat; if you like it, you have to draw."

"He loves to draw, damn, you can't stop him."

Jiang Wen is like this; there's no way to stop her.

When the urge to express oneself arises, it feels uncomfortable and stifling if one doesn't release it.

This is the nature of an artist.

But this person also has a contrasting side.

He directs his own films and creates works, but the content he expresses is always similar.

But when he acts and creates characters, he particularly dislikes repetition.

The TV series "A Native of Beijing in New York" was incredibly popular back then.

After the show aired, he received dozens of offers to play similar roles, with high salaries.

But he wouldn't go.

After playing the suffering educated youth in "Hibiscus Town," film offers poured in like snowflakes, but he was still unwilling to accept them.

He became famous for playing a farmer in "Red Sorghum", and immediately stopped playing farmers.

After the TV series "The Great Eunuch Li Lianying" became a hit, he stopped playing eunuch roles.

This person is extremely stubborn. If you say I'm good at playing a certain role, then I'll just refuse to play it.

It's pointless not to repeat yourself.

There's a rebellious streak in him.

This unique style of acting without repetition, yet constantly repeating scenes in filming, constitutes the strange personality of this person.

Moreover, although he seems magnanimous, he is actually a bit petty.

Because Chen Daoming snatched the role of Puyi from him back then, and it was a role he had prepared for for a long time, but was taken away at the last minute.

So when Zheng Xiaolong was filming "A Native of Beijing in New York", he wanted to cast Chen Daoming as the second male lead.

As a result, Jiang Wen came up with a bunch of excuses and replaced the person...

That's a way of getting revenge.

However, Chen Daoming later starred in "A Native of Beijing in New York," a sister series to "A Native of Shanghai in Tokyo."

Upon arrival, the staff said that Director Jiang had led the crew to a nearby forest to film outdoor scenes.

Zhang Yuan then drove there.

Before even getting off the bus, I could already hear the lively commotion at the scene.

After getting off the bus, I stood on the small hill and took a look.

The scene being filmed at this moment is the opening scene of the movie, namely "Horse-drawn Train".

Ten large white horses were pulling a rumbling, smoking train slowly along the tracks.

This scene is nothing short of magical.

Jiang Wen's films are the type of works that audiences love to analyze, and this is especially true for "Let the Bullets Fly".

There was even a phenomenon of "making students study".

Let's just talk about the opening sequence.

Ten white horses are pulling a train.

The train represents modern civilization and industrialization, while the story is set in the Beiyang period.

Therefore, trains represent advanced civilization.

What does the white horse represent?
Why ten horses?

Oh, these ten horses represent the October Revolution in Russia!
So the meaning of this scene is that the October Revolution brought advanced ideas to China.

Horse-drawn trains...that's what Marxism-Leninism is all about!

To facilitate interpretation, puns can also be used.

The question then arises: shouldn't a horse-drawn train be red?

Someone then replied, "Didn't you see that the hot pot on the train has a red broth?"
First shoot the arrow, then draw the target.

Evidence can be found no matter what.

In reality, the scene of horses pulling trains may seem magical, but it is actually history.

Those familiar with history might say it was caused by the Empress Dowager Cixi.

Actually, more than that.

In 1881, huge coal reserves were discovered in Kaiping. Li Hongzhang established the Kaiping Coal Mining Bureau, intending to transport coal by rail.

This matter greatly angered the court, which strictly prohibited it.

The reasons for the ban included Empress Dowager Cixi's dislike of the noise of steam engines, and the fact that the railway would pass near the Eastern Qing Tombs, with the rumbling sound believed to affect the royal feng shui and disrupt the dragon vein.

Ultimately, a compromise was reached, which led to the bizarre phenomenon of horses pulling trains.

In fact, most of the opposition party in the court consisted of Manchu nobles.

They feared two things: first, that Li Hongzhang's power would continue to grow; and second, that once the railway was fully completed, foreigners would be able to directly take the train into Beijing.

Social development and transportation are such "minor matters" that nothing is as important as the "long-term stability and security" of our Great Qing Dynasty.

In reality, after the old witch died, there weren't so many rules anymore.

To make it easier for him to ride a bicycle, Puyi had the century-old thresholds of the Forbidden City sawed off.

If the ruling class only cares about its own interests and only wants to maintain its rule at all costs, then its inevitable result will be its demise.

Horse-drawn trains have nothing to do with the October Revolution or Marxism-Leninism, but they are a testament to the decay of the old forces.

"Director Jiang, I'm here!"

Only after a long take ended did Zhang Yuan step forward to greet him.

"Hey, the investors are here."

"Everyone, line up to welcome them!"

Dressed in a bandit costume, Jiang Wen looked particularly energetic. With a wave of his hand, he called over the other bandit henchmen to come forward together.

"You're welcome, I'm just filming."

“But since you’ve said I’m an investor, I have to show my appreciation.” Zhang Yuan clapped his hands, and the door of the van behind him opened, revealing a car full of “supplies”.

Zhang Yuan personally distributed items to each person one by one.

It's quite simple: give the man a pack of cigarettes and the woman a mid-to-high-end face cream.

"Hard."

Please take good care of us.

"The production crew is relying on your help, thank you so much."

He personally shook hands with and greeted everyone from the directing team to the actors, cinematographers, prop masters, costume designers, assistants, script supervisors, and hundreds of others, and presented them with gifts.

It definitely cost a lot of money, but it was worth it.

Because he himself also values ​​this play very much.

This is a landmark work in the history of Chinese films that "smuggle in their own agendas".

It even led the mainland box office charts for a time.

Next year's profit sharing for film companies across the Taiwan Strait will depend on him!
The success of this film was mainly due to the many compromises Jiang Wen made for commercial success.

Putting aside any hidden agendas, this film is more like a Western, and even has a bit of a Kunding vibe.

Jiang Wen and Kun Ding hit it off immediately, and Jiang Wen even taught Kun Ding some Chinese...

The artists were all watching, and the staff were watching too.

Seeing that he was very approachable and polite, I realized that there are still good people in our line of work.

Jiang Wen was also pleased, saying that most of the directors and investors she had encountered since her debut had been good.

Zhang Yuan, in particular, offered his full support, contributing money, effort, and personnel.

Even when they arrived at the event, they didn't put on airs like investors.

"Come on, we have some old friends here, let's go see them together."

After a long and busy day, Jiang Wen finally finished talking to everyone and then led him, his forehead covered in sweat, to the train carriage.

It must have been exhausting to socialize with so many people in such a short time.

"You're quite polite; no wonder everyone likes you."

"Everyone's work is tough, so getting to know each other makes communication easier."

"Hey, Uncle Ge's hair has grown long again!"

As soon as Zhang Yuan entered the carriage, he saw the trio from the beginning.

"Hello Director Feng, it's nice to see you again."

"Sister Li, it's been so many years, and we're finally in the same production team again." Ge You, Feng Xiaogang, and Gong Li were all there.

He kicked Liu Jialing out and specially swapped her for Gong Li; there's a reason for that.

First of all, Gong Li's acting skills are no worse than Liu Jialing's, at least half a level better, and that's still an understatement.

And then there's the character.

The role of the county magistrate's wife is not so simple.

Because the official theatrical version was edited, with many scenes cut.

This film is a "three-star gathering," featuring three award-winning actors sharing the stage.

According to Zhang Yuan's assessment, Jiang Wen was the worst, Fa Ge performed as expected, while Ge You had a superhuman performance.

Ge You's performance was the best throughout the entire series.

In particular, the use of actions and expressions to portray the character's personality and psychological changes has reached a level of mastery.

Both Chow Yun-fat and Ge You use their eyes to express changes in a character's emotions, but Chow Yun-fat's expression is accurate, while Ge You's expression is rooted in life but transcends it.

Of course, the suitability of the role is also part of the reason; Jiang Wen has a good eye for people.

Even casting Feng Xiaogang in a cameo role was a very accurate move.

Soon after exchanging greetings, it was time to start filming.

After adjusting the camera, I filmed the scene inside the train carriage.

Zhang Yuan watched in front of the director's monitor.

Grandpa Ge pushed open the carriage door and said to the soldiers of the Iron-Blooded Eighteen Stars, "Let them eat and drink together."

The camera lens was focused on Grandpa Ge's face; everything else in the shot was out of focus and unclear.

But this is just what the monitor showed.

When Zhang Yuan looked up, he saw the two people that Ge You was facing away from as he recited his lines.

Will Feng Xiaogang, who plays the advisor, and Gong Li, who plays the county magistrate's wife, have any action scenes?
Director Feng took the opportunity to bend down and kiss Gong Li on the cheek.

Gong Li stood up, swung her arm, and patted the advisor's shoulder, as if scolding him, but with a hint of coquettishness.

"Director Feng has really succeeded in copying..."

Zhang Yuan muttered to himself.

Because the camera is out of focus, this action is actually not very clear.

But these weren't actions added by the two actors themselves, nor was it Feng Xiaogang taking advantage of the situation.

Although Director Feng is capable of doing something like this.

After all, Cui Yongyuan's assessment of him can be summed up in one word: "chaotic".

The object of affection is Gong Li.

Who dares to molest Empress Gong?

Slapping someone across the face on the spot would be considered lenient.

So, that's the plot!
Although it's not clear, it was Jiang Wen's deliberate arrangement and design.

If you actually watch it in a movie theater, it might just flash by and you wouldn't even notice it.

It means the meat is buried in the rice.

The advisor secretly kissed the county magistrate's wife. Instead of flying into a rage, the wife playfully slapped him.

This shows that the two had been having an affair for a long time and had been "exchanging information" behind the county head's back.

It's no wonder Jiang Wen has such a good eye for talent; she cast Feng Xiaogang for this cameo role.

Therefore, Ma Bangde thought he was the county magistrate and the person in charge in the carriage, but that was not the case.

Both men were completely manipulated by the county magistrate's wife.

This woman skillfully manipulated the men around her using her most adept methods.

Furthermore, according to the script, the county magistrate's wife was originally a woman of the night.

When the county magistrate took office, the money for buying the appointment letter was actually paid by her.

Ultimately, she is not only a wife, but also an angel investor.

She said whoever is the county magistrate, that's who the real county magistrate is.

And they are still keeping a backup plan.

If the county magistrate Ge You becomes disobedient, she can immediately join forces with her advisor to eliminate him and promote the advisor to the position.

This character was designed to be a mother wolf.

Moreover, one can see the shadow of a celebrity in her.

Empress Dowager Cixi.

In addition, there are traces of the old aristocratic families from the feudal dynasties.

This is one of the reasons why Zhang Yuan invited Gong Li to come – it's a good fit.

The county magistrate's wife is not only beautiful and alluring, but also has a ruthless and domineering nature deep down.

In the former case, Liu Jialing is fine, but in terms of a woman's ruthlessness and domineering presence, Gong Li is far superior.

She portrayed the Empress's anger and hatred in "Curse of the Golden Flower" very well.

So when Zhang Yuan went to Singapore to find Gong Li, he explained to her in detail that this character was not just a prostitute who had gone ashore.

This scene was filmed several times, but fortunately, the actors were all veterans, so it was done quickly.

Zhang Yuan felt that Feng Xiaogang seemed a little unsatisfied.

Let Zhang Yuan choose, and Xu Fan and Gong Li should also choose Gong Huang. Northeastern girls are so cool!

"What lousy cosmetics! They're only good for fooling young girls."

Empress Gong declined his greeting gift.

"Give me a different pack of cigarettes."

"Okay." Zhang Yuan then handed over a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes.

Given the other party's status, high-end goods are indeed necessary.

"How about we grab dinner later?" Zhang Yuan suggested.

“Sure,” Gong Li replied.

"Let's all come together, let's just invite the whole crew, it's on me."

"Great, let's all get together."

"You didn't invite me alone?" Gong Huang asked, looking at him as he smoked.

Zhang Yuan: …

It's not appropriate to do this in front of so many people.

"The restaurants around here are just like these cosmetics," Zhang Yuan said, pointing to his gift. "They're not high-end enough."

"Even if I treat you to a private meal, it will have to be when we return to the capital and choose the best restaurant."

"Ha, that sounds nice." Gong Li ignored him.

"It's rare for you to have a bad day, kid?" Jiang Wen teased. "You're not so great either."

"It seems that having a pretty face alone is not enough to be charming."

"Is he charming enough? How about I give it a try with your daughter?" Zhang Yuan glanced at him sideways.

"That's not how it is. My relationship with Sister Li is based on affection, but it's all within the bounds of propriety. I respect her very much."

"What? You're going to get aroused by her too?" Feng Xiaogang, that old lecher, immediately chimed in.

Gong Li gave him a look of utter disdain.

At the same time, she reached out and wiped her cheeks, which he had kissed several times earlier.

I thought that although this kid was not serious in private, he was very serious on the surface.

Unlike you old folks, you don't even pretend anymore.

"Alright, we're filming a movie, let's talk about something serious!" It was Jiang Wen who finally broke the silence, ending the banter about male-female relationships.

I had a good meal tonight.

The advantage of Cantonese cuisine is that it won't cause you to have a burning sensation in your anus the next day.

Just like during the day, Zhang Yuan toasted everyone in turn and got to know them one by one.

He could already name half of them.

The film's art director is Cheung Suk-ping, who also oversaw the art style and costume design for Wong Kar-wai's films such as As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, and 2046.

He is also the actor currently filming "The Grandmaster".

However, Wong Kar-wai's filming took several years, and the two film crews were close to each other, so he could just go there once in a while, essentially running back and forth between the two locations.

The film's producer is Ma Ke, the one who said "this guy is eight years old."

He is Jiang Wen's long-time partner, and has always helped him with investment, project management, and other tasks.

He was accompanied by a male and a female assistant.

This person is also very familiar with Guo Jingyu, and he is also credited as the producer of "Blade 1937" and "Secret Blueprint".

"I heard about the 'Secret Blueprints' from Lao Guo. Thank you for your help."

"It's alright, as long as you're alive."

"Come on, let's have a drink for Zhigang."

He immediately got to work, and Zhang Yuan chatted with him for a long time, mainly about the play.

The older brother complained that Jiang Wen was slow-witted and often made him so angry that his hair turned white.

All he could do was offer kind words of advice.

I had a long talk with him and his men, and we exchanged phone numbers to facilitate future cooperation.

I also met the executive director, Wu Xiguo.

This man not only helped with the filming of "The Sun Also Rises," but also when Kun Ding was filming "Kill Bill," he was brought in to assist the Chinese actors in their performances.

I said "Let the Bullets Fly" has a Kunqu opera flavor.

In short, this production team is full of hidden talents. The screenwriters alone include Zhu Sujin from "Kangxi Dynasty", Shu Ping from "Devils on the Doorstep", and Guo Junli from "The Warlords" and "Bodyguards and Assassins".

Zhang Yuan could tell that each of these people possessed unique skills.

It includes almost half of the outstanding talents in the entire Chinese film and television industry.

After finishing their heavy drinking, everyone returned to their rooms.

All that was prepared for him was a small suite.

Zhang Yuan was quite satisfied with this.

Even though he's an investor, he lives a modest, not luxurious, which shows he doesn't waste resources.

Aside from Chow Yun-fat... this guy can't live a life of luxury.

After about two hours, and having drunk quite a bit, Jiang Wen became more sober and took the script to knock on his door.

Let's talk about the play, the characters, and the roles.

We can't wait until filming starts to discover the problem.

It's not that I don't trust him; his abilities are undeniable. I'm just afraid there might be a misunderstanding.

Because some actors are very stubborn and insist on acting according to their own interpretation.

For example, Zhou Xun.

beep, beep...

Jiang Wen, with a cigarette dangling from her lips, raised her hand and knocked on the door.

I was thinking to myself, "What if we start arguing while we're chatting? I can't beat him anyway."

beep, beep...

Knock on the door again.

"coming!"

Then they heard Zhang Yuan reply, and a series of chaotic sounds came from inside the house.

Click!

The door was open, and a chain lock was on.

"what's up?"

"What are you doing? You're all sweaty." Jiang Wen asked, puzzled, seeing him like this and taking so long to open the door.

Then he squinted one eye.

"inconvenient?"

"Ugh...it's not very convenient."

"Then I'll have to take a look!" he said, and went inside.

Zhang Yuan: …

He's not exactly a respectable person either.

"Never mind, I'll come find you in a bit, okay?" Zhang Yuan quickly stopped him.

"It's not impossible," Jiang Wen nodded. "I just want to know who it is?"

"Do I recognize him?"

"I know him," Zhang Yuan replied, scratching his ear.

"Oh." Jiang Wen lowered her voice: "I knew it. Something didn't look right during the day."

Then he patted him on the shoulder.

"You've sacrificed so much for the production team."

"Never mind, I won't bother you anymore." With that, she turned and walked back.

Let's talk again tomorrow during the day.

He muttered to himself as he walked.

"Is it because we're from different generations?"

They even count on their fingers!

"Gong Li was born in 65, and he is 8..."

As he was calculating, someone greeted him.

"What are you doing walking around so late at night? Aren't you going home to be with your wife and kids?"

"It's okay, work is important...wait, that's not right!"

Jiang Wen replied subconsciously, then rubbed her eyes.

The person greeting him was Gong Li, dressed in imported sportswear, drenched in sweat, who had just returned from the hotel gym after working out... (End of Chapter)