Actor: Thank you.

"Master, brilliant!"

"The county magistrate is tough."

"Master Huang, it's tall and hard!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

The film set of the watchtower was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

"Okay, then I'll do as we agreed tomorrow."

"That's right, that's definitely correct."

Jiang Wen, Ge You, and Fa Ge not only filmed the movie, but also constantly refined the scenes on set.

There was a script and lines, but in the hands of the three of them, it made little difference whether there was a script or not.

Just like when Guo and Yu go on stage to perform, whether they have a script or not makes no difference.

They would go over the content briefly before going on stage, and then it was all about how the audience reacted and how they interacted.

Otherwise, Teacher Guo would always say, "Donkey whip, you'd better recite the lines exactly."

"Then give me the lyrics!" That's what Brother Qian would say.

This is not a joke, it's true.

These three actors are now all highly skilled.

Screenwriters write dialogue based on the characters.

But when they're acting, they also have to consider the camera angles, the rhythm, and whether it suits them.

When it comes to actually filming, 8% of the lyrics are actually in place.

This scene, which lasted less than ten minutes, somehow managed to get these three guys really into it.

Jiang Wen and Ge You go without saying, even Brother Fa, who usually only cares about money, was willing to keep pestering them.

Very rare.

"Okay, let's call it a day." Jiang Wen shouted in his deep voice, and that was it.

"Director Jiang, come here for a moment."

Zhang Yuan raised his hand, letting Jiang Wen help him up.

"Investors are so arrogant; you have to help them get up," Director Jiang joked.

"nonsense!"

Zhang Yuan glanced at the scene.

Whether Master Huang was tough or not, he didn't know.

But after kneeling for several days, his knees were completely stiff.

"You won't have to kneel when we shoot close-ups tomorrow."

"I can handle it, but those two are much older than me. I can stand it, but can they?"

Zhang Yuan pointed back to the two kneeling figures.

One of them is Jiang Wen's younger brother.

Everyone in the imperial circle knows that Jiang Wen is neither cultured nor martial.

It's about the two brothers' personalities, not their acting skills.

In fact, Jiang Wen can play quiet characters, and Jiang Wu can also play ruthless characters.

However, Jiang Wen is naturally sociable, while Jiang Wu is relatively quiet and reserved.

Perhaps the old man chose this name for the purpose of "complementarity"?
Just like someone who lacks the element of metal in their destiny needs their name to include the character "鑫" (xīn).

Zhang Yuan pounded his knee and glanced at Jiang Wu.

The old man can barely stand up anymore.

Only a brother would betray his own brother like this.

The role of the martial arts scholar was originally intended for Sun Honglei.

Why are you looking for him?

Because of the character Wu Zhichong, Ge You and Fa Ge described him as "the worst possible person," the most evil character in the entire film.

Unlike Hu Wan, although he also acted as an accomplice to evil, he was not clever and was a fence-sitter.

I heard that after Huang Silang was beheaded, he was the first to rebel.

The other main characters, whether it's Zhang Mazi, the advisor, or Huang Silang, all have their own stances.

The advisor was a centrist, while the other two were on the left and right, representing the two ends.

Wu Zhichong, however, would "help whoever wins."

This echoes the character of the county magistrate's wife.

Furthermore, Huang Silang needed a reason to kill, whether for money, fame, or power.

But Wu Zhichong only needed to act on his whims to kill people, because if the jelly vendor spilled his wine, he could beat the person half to death.

Therefore, it is not wrong at all to say that he is "the most evil".

The reason for seeking out Sun Honglei is precisely because of this word "evil." In all of China, who is more evil than him?

This is a talent that only appears once every few thousand years!

Sun Honglei was unavailable, so they found someone else, but Jiang Wen stood them up at the last minute.

That's why my younger brother came to the rescue.

The rescue resulted in the creation of a classic character.

Later, when the game Resident Evil 8 was released, the name "Wu Juren" was used in the game because of the resemblance in appearance.

However, when people watched "Let the Bullets Fly" again, they referred to Wu Zhichong as Heisenberg.

Zhang Yuan was pacing back and forth on set, trying to relax his knees, when he soon heard Jiang Wen's loud, gruff voice growling.

"no!"

"Absolutely not."

"Why doesn't it work?"

"No, that won't work."

Zhang Yuan limped over.

Watching him from the side, the assistant suddenly felt a sense of revenge.

After all, I gave him a good beating a few days ago because I interrupted his good time, and he left me with a limp.

"What's wrong?" Upon closer inspection, it was producer Ma Ke arguing with Jiang Wen.

"It's still the same old thing!" Director Jiang said with unusual dissatisfaction.

Before filming even started, some brands approached us wanting to do product placement.

Big-name director, big investment, of course the brand is interested.

It wasn't because of director Jiang Wen's name, but because of Ge You, and especially Zhou Runfa's fame.

As soon as they heard that Chow Yun-fat was involved, more than ten brands came to his door.

Undeniably, Chow Yun-fat does have commercial value.

Among them is Luzhou Laojiao.

After being rejected, this time the manager came directly to the film crew and made a personal request.

And their attitude was exceptionally good; they didn't even need to serve us the wine we were paying for.

All we need to do is put a label with our name on the bottle, and we can even make it look old to fit the shooting scene.

Just reveal your name, and you'll get 800 million if you're only shown in a few shots!
These days, distilleries have plenty of money; the CCTV advertising champions are all baijiu (Chinese liquor).

Moreover, producer Ma Ke's words make sense and are appropriate.

In the movie "Let the Bullets Fly," Huang Silang's patron is Commander Liu.

Commander Liu was Liu Xiang, the de facto ruler of the Sichuan region during the Republic of China era.

They were also known for selling opium.

Moreover, this play has a Sichuan dialect version, which shows that the story is set in that region.

The author of the original work, "Ten Tales of the Night," Ma Shitu, was also from Sichuan, and the book itself contains a lot of local dialect.

Luzhou Laojiu originates from Luzhou, Sichuan, and is a local liquor!

Furthermore, it existed more than a hundred years ago, and it is plausible and does not seem out of place from either a historical or narrative perspective.

But Jiang Wen was stubborn and refused to agree!
I would disagree no matter how suitable it is.

Otherwise, Ma Ke would say that he always made her so angry that her hair turned white.

When he arrived, Ma Ke felt as if she had met a savior.

You might not listen to me, but you have to listen to the investors, right?

This film has a huge budget, so it's good that it can recoup some of the costs in advance.

"You be the judge."

"They've already gone to such lengths."

"Are we not going to give them any face at all?"

"You've come to beg me time and time again, and you're just refusing to give me face?"

Zhang Yuan glanced at the dining table, which had already been covered with a transparent tablecloth to protect the food props, in preparation for filming to continue tomorrow.

Why are film crews afraid of people sneaking food?
It's not that I'm afraid of spending money, but that I'm afraid of not getting any roles.

The food on the table is mostly sushi and sashimi, mainly Japanese cuisine.

This arrangement is not because Jiang Wen admires Western things or island nations.

This dining scene was not only exciting, but it also revealed the backgrounds of both the good and evil sides.

Huang Silang immediately suggested that the county magistrate be his second.

Zhang Mazi pointed out that the second should use a long knife, while the short knife should be given to the one who commits seppuku.

This is actually the two of them testing each other!
It also confirmed one thing: the two of them were so familiar with island culture because they had both studied in Japan.

There were already quite a few students studying abroad during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican era.

However, the two men had different reasons for staying in Japan.

Who were the people who studied in Japan back then?

The largest number of them were early revolutionaries from the Xinhai Revolution period!

This suggests that Huang Silang was most likely a corrupt revolutionary.

As for Zhang Mazi, the script clearly states that he was once General Songpo's pistol captain.

General Songpo was none other than Cai E!
Cai E once traveled to Japan and joined forces with Sun Yat-sen to fight against Yuan Shikai.

What's interesting is that Chow Yun-fat came from the set of "The Founding of a Republic," having just finished playing Yuan Shikai.

That's what you call skill.

There are other coincidences as well.

For example, in the opening scene, the train is overturned by an axe stuck in the tracks. The advisor, played by Feng Xiaogang, dies as a result.

In the movie "Kung Fu Hustle," he was killed by the Axe Gang leader with an axe.

So Director Feng made two cameo appearances, and both times he died on an axe.

There's even a tradition that "if Director Feng dies, the box office will be phenomenal." Whenever he makes a cameo appearance or dies, the film's box office is guaranteed to be phenomenal.

Even more ingenious is the ability to recognize people through ginger patterns.

"The Sun Also Rises" and "Let the Bullets Fly" are actually the same story.

Then, these two dramas, which starred Jaycee Chan and Zhang Mo respectively, both played sons. Not only were they actors, but their experiences and endings were also very similar.

In fact, "The Founding of a Republic" and "Let the Bullets Fly" can be viewed as two separate films.

Therefore, in addition to the exciting chess game on the surface, the character development behind the scenes in this drinking game is even more fascinating.

It's described as a "bully inviting bandits" or a "feast at Hongmen," but in reality, it's a three-way power struggle between revolutionaries, corrupt revolutionaries, and the middleman, the advisor.

The centrist is also a master of feigning ignorance.

This is the true metaphor behind the ginger pattern.

A few years after the film was released, he published a book called "Looking for a Horse While Riding a Donkey," which was similar to a movie-related book.

It is written in detail inside.

"A hot pot is a hot pot, a train is a train, a clerk is not a clerk, and a county magistrate is not Zorro."

The interpretations involving hot pot and trains were clearly refuted.

He also said, "Everyone uses movies to interpret their own inner world."

The philosophy of mind proposed by Lu Jiuyuan of the Southern Song Dynasty, which is "interpreting the Six Classics through my own lens".

In fact, the movie "Let the Bullets Fly" is also a case of "interpreting the classics through my own lens, and vice versa".

Movies are a mirror; what you see and interpret are reflections of your own or others' thoughts.

Roland Barthes once said, "The author is dead."

"Dead people" cannot speak, so once a work is published, it will be out of the author's control.

On the contrary, it is the audience and readers who give a work a second life.

This is the charm of derivative works.

Zhang Yuan understood Jiang Wen's helplessness and also appreciated his persistence.

So after listening to Ma Ke's noisy narration, he calmly pointed to the Japanese food on the table.

“Traditional baijiu brands don’t go well with the food on the table.”

"If we want to relabel it, we have to change all the food and reshoot it."

He didn't say whether he would accept advertisements or not, nor did he say who he would support, but he said it all.

"Hehehe..." Jiang Wenle grinned, revealing his big yellow teeth.

Ma Ke, on the other hand, sounded like he was about to die.

"Madmen, they're all madmen."

One is a director who doesn't care about others when making a film, and the other is an investor who is only interested in money.

Two lunatics have met!

However, this guy didn't give up and instead spoke up.

"You and my female assistant Zhao Ming, you two..." The older brother raised his hand and made a clapping gesture.

Zhang Yuan: …

"You two seem to be having a lot of fun."

"But logically speaking, this is wrong and inappropriate."

Zhang Yuan knew what was going on and wanted to use this to negotiate with me.

If you slept with one of my subordinates, you have to compromise.

“Brother Ma, you underestimate me.” Zhang Yuan replied seriously, “Filming is filming, and work is work.”

"I take my work very seriously."

"As for me and your men, I just wanted to calm down."

I'd rather give up my F-level combat power than not support Jiang Wen.

His words were so righteous and eloquent, it was as if he were a paragon of virtue.

Jiang Wen was startled.

What a good actor!

I almost believed it was all an act.

Because of this, Jiang Wenfei dragged him to have a couple of drinks.

We're still drinking Luzhou Laojiao...

They won't let us advertise, yet they still accept gifts from people who bring them; they have no shame whatsoever.

"Aren't you afraid that Ma Ke will sabotage you and make that girl leave you?"

"It's a very refined play, stop talking about vulgar things." Zhang Yuan directly avoided the topic.

It's a bit of a pity, since the feel of it is so good, but we can't force it.

“Aren’t you just vulgar people?” Gong Li also walked over at this moment.

My sister just got back from the gym.

"You men can't resist a big boob," Gong Huang said disdainfully.

"They don't understand what true love is at all; they only know how to have fun."

Zhang Yuan felt that the other person's words had a hidden meaning, but it didn't seem to be directed at him.

“You two were both young when you collaborated back then, just like I am now,” Zhang Yuan said, using age as a point of reference.

“Don’t be too broad in your criticism, just focus on him. I’m very loyal to him,” Jiang Wen said, patting his chest.

Zhang Yuan and Gong Li both cast disdainful glances at him.

"My elder sister Liu Xiaoqing..."

"Shh!" Jiang Wen quickly covered her mouth.

"At my age, who doesn't have a past?" Director Jiang lit another cigarette, looked up at the sky, and seemed somewhat melancholic.

What people miss most is what they can't have.

Gong Li nodded slightly when he said that.

"Oh, there's such a thing as wanting something but not getting it?" Zhang Yuan squinted his eyes and pretended to be all high and mighty: "I've got it all."

The disdainful glances all turned to him again.

Both of them had past lovers they missed out on, and both were big names in the industry.

Zhang Yuan thought for a moment and decided to continue the conversation along that lines.

"Sister Li, after you finished filming 'Curse of the Golden Flower,' did you still keep in touch with Director Zhang?"

"Heh..." Emperor Gong sneered, "There was still some originally."

"But I haven't been able to contact them since my divorce."

"Looks like someone's sabotaging things," Zhang Yuan said, glancing sideways.

"Anyway, it's not the first time," Gong Li replied frankly.

“A petty person will always be a petty person; they will only do petty things and will only use the most despicable thoughts to speculate about others.”

Gong Li practically blurted out Zhang Weiping's name.

Who else could it be but him!
The Zhang couple "did a lot of work" to help them break up back then.

Both Zhang Yimou and Gong Li are actually quite stubborn and have strong personalities.

But Zhang Weiping was wary of Gong Li.

Now that she's divorced, this fear has resurfaced, and she's worried that the two of them might rekindle their relationship.

That's impossible; it's all in the past.

But this is just a case of judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person.

Zhang Weiping will stop at nothing to make this "cash cow".

"I heard Director Zhang is making a new movie, didn't he contact you?"

"It's not appropriate, and with that guy blocking the way, he's unlikely to come to me," Gong Li said dismissively.

Indeed, Gong Li did not collaborate with Zhang Yimou for several years after "Curse of the Golden Flower".

In his previous life, it wasn't until Zhang Yimou and Zhang Weiping parted ways that Gong Li was able to collaborate again when Zhang Yimou made "Coming Home".

The movie currently being filmed, "Under the Hawthorn Tree," is indeed not suitable for Gong Li.

The original work is very famous, and it has many long-time fans.

Zhou Dongyu made his fortune through this drama.

The male lead, Dou Xiao, doesn't want to take any "detours" in life. He's a former hairdresser who's obsessed with rich women.

There are two main reasons why Shawn Dou was able to get the role in this drama.

His girlfriend is quite capable and has connections.

In addition, he and Zhang Yimou are from the same hometown, both from Xi'an.

"Damn it!" Zhang Yuan cursed, then threw away his cigarette butt and stomped on it.

"What kind of jerk is he? He's not the only one who doesn't get along with you."

"Last time, we had a falling out over the issue of box office revenue sharing with theaters."

"I've disliked him for a long time!"

"Sister Li, it just so happens that because of what happened last time, I haven't had a meal and chat with Director Zhang in person yet."

"How about we get together sometime?"

"Let's go have dinner with Director Zhang. We can't let him gossip, can we?"

"Besides, why should I care about his feelings?"

"Director Jiang, why don't we join in?"

"Sure, let's have one together."

"piece."

Both of them agreed, especially Gong Li, who had long disliked Zhang Weiping.

Who I associate with is none of your business.
Seeing the resentment in Gong Huang's eyes, Zhang Yuan secretly cheered.

"very good!"

Discontent and discord will lead to chaos.

Chaos is the ladder to progress.

I went to so much trouble to bring Gong Li to this film crew, and it wasn't just for the sake of filming! (End of Chapter)