Generation Z Artists

Chapter 263 The Critics' Battle

The story nears its end in an almost tragic atmosphere.

Li Si inscribed his name on the He Shi Bi jade, which was then enshrined in the ancestral temple. A hundred sorcerers knelt and prayed, and the Imperial Seal of the State emitted a faint glow under the starlight and moonlight...

Feixue personally intervened, serving Li Si and opening the door to an audience for Wuming.

Li Si's eyes were sinister as he laughed and agreed to bring Wuming to court.

The night before the audience, Nameless unsheathed his sword outside the palace, then casually entered to bathe and change. As a maidservant personally dressed him in new clothes, a low gasp rippled through the theater—

A short sword moved silently across Wuming's muscles like a fish. When the maid put on her robe, the sword was on Wuming's back; when Wuming turned around, the sword moved silently to his lower abdomen.

The smooth, finely sculpted muscles allowed him to easily evade the female official's scrutiny with his short sword.

As Nameless spreads his arms and completely dons the last outer robe, the camera tilts slightly upward, focusing on his face.

Under the overhead light, the lower half of Wuming's face was once again hidden in shadow, only his eyes remained fixed in a fleeting, cold glint.

The hidden sword technique, which has been the focus of the entire film, is finally presented to the audience in the coolest, most unexpected, and most incredible way.

As the sun rose in the east, an imperial edict was issued from the majestic royal palace.
"Summon the nameless warrior to the palace!"

"Summon the nameless warrior to the palace!"

"Summon the nameless warrior to the palace!"

The imperial edict was passed down through the ranks, culminating in a deafening shout from the royal guards.

The nameless man flicked his sleeve, picked up the box, and walked upright toward the main hall.

The final battle is about to begin.

In the solemn and imposing Qin Palace, the First Emperor waved his hand, refusing Meng Yi's offer to do it on his behalf, and instead ordered Wuming to step forward and present his skull.

"Hahahaha!"

Upon seeing Prince Yu's calm head, the King of Qin burst into laughter.

"My great illness is now gone!"

He laughed, but his voice turned sorrowful.

"What a pity! Such a brave warrior, yet he cannot be of use to me..."

The First Emperor gently closed the box lid, his regret fading as he quickly regained his imperial composure.

"nameless!"

His voice was like an ancient bell, deep and resonant.

"You have cured me of this chronic ailment, and your meritorious service is immense. I should reward you handsomely. Now, what do you desire?"

Li Lianjie replied, "Nameless is shattered, body and soul. He has no more wishes, he only wants... to die with you!"

Before the words were even finished, the person had already rushed out.

He kicked the stone slabs of the main hall, cracking them with a single kick. His body stretched out dramatically in the air. When he waved his hand, it was empty; when he got close, the sword was already in his hand.

but……

The King of Qin remained calm and simply gripped the Imperial Seal of the State tightly.

The first sword strike shattered the protective barrier.

The second sword strike severed a corner of the imperial seal.

The third sword... there was no third sword. Nameless was thrown back by the power of the jade seal and crashed into a palace pillar. The First Emperor drew his sword and threw it fiercely, pinning the severely injured Nameless to the pillar.

The cinema erupted in gasps, but there were very few complaints; most of the reactions were a sense of understanding and sorrow.

This version lays the groundwork very well; Li Si had already explained the meaning of those eight characters when he was making the Imperial Seal of the State.

Those who receive orders from heaven will live long and prosperous lives.

This is the "mandate of heaven" formed as the Qin state's grand ambition of unification, built up over a century from top to bottom, is about to become a reality in this generation.

Foreigners are very good at understanding this kind of destiny.

The legend of the sword in the stone was fabricated by the British, but the Americans still accept it.

The three concepts of destiny, divine right, and extreme individual heroism never conflict in Western culture.

The Mandate of Heaven is bestowed by the gods, which in turn gives rise to heroes; this is the norm and the natural order.

The King of Qin's Mandate of Heaven was different; it was formed by the collective will of the people and had nothing to do with divine authority, but that did not prevent them from understanding it.

Film critic Green wrote: "This is a belief that is broader than religion. The people of Qin believed that the great cause of unification was just around the corner and worshipped their king with fanaticism. This is why the whole Qin state became a ruthless war machine and thus gathered a divine power that transcended the present world."

This is the level that Qin Shi Huang should have reached. As the first emperor to unify China, he should have been exceptional enough, and in fact, he was exceptional enough.

Director Zhang Yimou's handling of this scene is novel yet logical, which makes the nameless man's actions all the more tragic..."

As an elite with basic historical knowledge, he certainly knew that the First Emperor did not die from an assassination attempt.

In fact, most film critics know that The Nameless definitely did not succeed, because the background and setting are there, but they don't know the specific reasons.

Now, they find this reason acceptable, and even feel a pleasant surprise that it is so natural and as it should be.

Robert wrote: "The tragedy of the nameless lies in going against the tide of history and against destiny, but it is precisely his resistance that cuts off a piece of destiny."

This treatment is too bold. I don't know if this is really how Chinese history is, but it is refreshing and gives extraordinary weight to all the sacrifices he made, along with those of Crown Prince Yu, Feixue, and Empress Zhao.

I absolutely love this kind of tragic grandeur; each and every one of them is imbued with an exceptionally radiant soul because of it…

Film critics love tragedy, depth, and anything non-commercial; it's the foundation of their livelihood.

The ending of "Hero" is clearly not a commercial action film, but rather an artistic sublimation.

This style is amazing!
However, for the average viewer, this ending is clearly not a pleasant one.

Robinson was quite unimpressed by the final conversation between Qin Shi Huang and Nameless. He didn't care whether it was an elevation of the theme or not; he just kept criticizing it.

"Oh, come on! Don't do this! You should kill him! You carry on the Commander's dying wish, how can you fall?"

"Yes, bro, I don't like this ending either."

Hamilton chimed in with his own complaints.

"Jet Lee has ruined my expectations. This shouldn't be happening. You should have killed that emperor. You were just one last strike away. Holy shit!"

"Fuck you, I'm so angry!"

"My heart is completely blocked, it's so painful."

The cinema was noisy everywhere.

This is normal. Ordinary viewers want to have fun and need catharsis. They don't care about any other reasons; they just want a perfect experience.

Therefore, the vast majority of tragedies do not perform well at the box office, with only a very few exceptions.

However, in this matter, "Hero" was inherently at a disadvantage. Fang Xinghe had done his best and handled it skillfully enough.

Therefore, some viewers accepted it and were deeply moved.

The nameless man coughed up blood and was on the verge of death. The King of Qin, moved by his courage and integrity, explained to him the necessity of unifying the country.

"People say that my Qin state is cruel, but can you see that the war between the six states caused the Yanhuang people to lose blood year after year, and the estrangement between them has deepened day by day?"
The barbarian tribes beyond the Great Wall have been eyeing our Central Plains with covetous intent. To the north are the Xiongnu, to the east the Donghu, to the west the Yuezhi, and to the south the various Rong and Baiyue tribes. Each of them harbors wolfish ambitions and raids our borders year after year.

If the Central Plains cannot be unified and chaos continues for another hundred years, foreign tribes will surely arrive, and the legitimate dynasty will be destroyed.

Although Qin was warlike, this was a crucible method, taking the bloodlines of the six states, fusing the essence of a hundred races, and reforging the ancestral dragon, thus achieving long-term peace and stability. Only then could China truly be China.

You only possess personal bravery and petty loyalty; how can you know the grandeur of my heart?

Wuming looked up at the huge map behind the throne. On it, the six kingdoms of the Central Plains each held a different color, while the surrounding area was filled with dense red dots and small flags.

Each small flag represents a foreign invasion and massacre.

Wuming wasn't unaware of these things; he simply had never thought about them in depth.

He was finally speechless when the King of Qin revealed these bloody facts.

Wuming remained silent for a long time, then sighed and said, "Your Majesty may kill me now. Although I do not agree with Your Majesty's ideas, I also hope to see the great scene of the six kingdoms being united, the four seas being at peace, the wars ending, and the people living in peace and happiness. I beg Your Majesty to hang my head and the head of the Crown Prince of Han in a high place. Perhaps when we witness this scene, we can finally die in peace."

"good."

The King of Qin stepped forward, personally beheaded the man, and with a wave of his sleeve, declared with great emotion: "The body of a brave warrior should be given a grand burial. The head of a righteous man should be hung in a high place. I will use this as a mirror to reflect upon myself!"

Transitions.

As the flames of war subsided and the six kingdoms were destroyed, the coronation ceremony took place, and the Fengshan ceremony was held at Mount Tai. The Imperial Seal of the State was placed on the Fengshan Stele, and the dragon's aura rose and took shape.

The video ends, and the credits roll.

The Qin dynasty's conquest of the six states and the establishment of a centralized government and the prefecture-county system laid the core framework for the perpetual unity of Chinese civilization in its political genes. The standardization of writing and ethical norms eliminated cultural barriers and shaped a shared culture, thus laying the foundation of identity for the perpetual unity of Chinese civilization at the cultural level.

Standardizing cart tracks and roads promotes market unification, drives productivity development, and provides the central empire with the economic foundation for its continuation.

The construction of the Great Wall and the opening of the Ling Canal protected the core agricultural areas and expanded the territory in all directions. Successive emperors followed this practice and expanded the territory, ensuring that the core territory of Chinese civilization remained unchanged for generations.

The Qin Emperor's achievements were unparalleled, and he was ordained by Heaven; later generations revered him as...

The First Emperor.

From then on, Chinese civilization became the only unified civilization in the world, enduring countless wars yet continuing its continuous flow—how magnificent, how beautiful, how sublime!

The audience was drawn to these subtitles, and something gradually began to stir in their hearts.

Just then, the screen suddenly lit up again, the camera panned to a corner of Mount Tai, and a montage flashed by—

A stone tower holds hundreds of skulls, their deep-set eyes seemingly gazing upon the mountains and rivers.

The camera zooms in on the skull's eye sockets, revealing Nameless and Prince Han Yu sitting opposite each other in an ancient pavilion, enjoying tea.

Crown Prince Han seemed to sense that he was being spied on. He suddenly turned his head and nodded slightly to the camera, revealing a faint smile.

At the very end of the story, Fang Xinghe chose to break the fourth wall, engaging in a cross-time and space dialogue with the audience in the most dramatic way.

This smile brought a strange touch to all the ordinary viewers who were feeling indignant.

Film critic Lynch instinctively wrote: "The film's final scene is unnecessary and superfluous, undermining the film's overall weight and spirit of resistance..."

As he was writing, he suddenly heard a soft sigh behind him.

"Ugh……"

Turning around in surprise, he discovered that the person was none other than Jordan, who had remained silent throughout the entire game.

Danzi sighed softly, raised her hand, and wiped the corner of her eye.

He is not an isolated case; female viewers were already in tears.

At the bottom of the screen is a line of poetry that has not been translated into English: "Looking back at the desolate place I came from, I return, where there is neither wind nor rain, neither sunshine nor gloom."

Americans didn't understand the sentence, but they understood Fang Xinghe's smile.

It was a complete peace and relief. Crown Prince Yu finally accepted everything, with a clear conscience and no lingering worries.

This gesture completely extinguished the audience's indignation, leaving only immense sadness and an indescribable sense of loss.

They didn't get a truly exhilarating experience, but the movie was definitely worth watching. Fang Xinghe's final handling left an extremely long-lasting impression, pressing on their hearts and making it unforgettable.

……

One by one, the lights in the cinema came on, and the movie finally came to an end.

The first audience member stood up, the second audience member stood up, the third, the fourth...

"Wow!"

Applause erupted, growing louder and louder, accompanied by bursts of unrestrained whistles and cheers that filled the air.

Oprah returned to the stage, deliberately wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes in front of the audience, then raised the microphone and asked loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, wasn't this a wonderful movie that moved you?!"

"YES!"

Thousands of spectators cheered in unison.

Fang Xinghe stood up from the middle of the first row, turned around and bowed to everyone.

The enthusiastic applause continued, and he had to bow repeatedly, making sure to make sure everyone was in the same direction.

Even so, the restless audience still didn't let him off the hook.

"Come on stage! Come on stage! Come on stage!"

Actually, they didn't have any questions they were eager to ask. They just wanted Fang Xinghe to stand on the stage, to see him one more time, and to hear him say a few more words.

Unable to refuse their kind invitation, Fang Xinghe returned to the stage.

"Thank you for your love for this work. I heard your applause and saw your tears. This is the best reward for me. I love you all!"

At this point, it's no longer appropriate to discuss serious matters; just go for the emotional appeal.

Oprah Winfrey chimed in perfectly: "Congratulations, SR, you've made a masterpiece! My God, do you know how many times I cried? The whole second half! My tears just wouldn't stop flowing until you smiled at me, and that's when I finally pulled myself out of that pain..."

"That's right! A masterpiece!"

The audience responded wildly, and the scene descended into chaos.

Oprah spoke for many viewers.

The most tear-jerking moment in the movie is when Fang Xinghe calmly faces death. From that moment on, emotions have been building up. Wuming didn't release these emotions, but Fang Xinghe's final smile did.

This isn't about satisfying the sense of enjoyment, nor is it about a perfect storyline, but it is about structural perfection.

In plain terms: We've accepted that it's a tragedy, and it's etched in our memories.

The audience's reaction completely put Fang Xinghe at ease, putting an end to his last worry.

From the perspective of overall film completion, the new version of "Hero" passes the test.

Based on the character's charm, Prince Yu has become a monument, far surpassing the unknown.

Although they all sacrificed themselves, the different ways they died will inevitably affect the audience's emotional projection. Characters who died tragically and heroically will surely become the eternal white moonlight in the hearts of the audience.

Next, the movie will rake in box office revenue, and Brother Fang will reap star power; everyone will have a bright future.

From now on, please call me—Your Highness, Prince Fang, the White Moonlight, the Star River…

……

After a long autograph session, the premiere finally came to an end.

Sony collected 1088 questionnaires from ordinary viewers, including media reporters.

The final score for "Hero" is... A+.

Of course, this is a score for the film's quality. There is also a "satisfaction rating" that is entirely based on personal feelings. In this category, "Hero" only received a B+.

Some viewers were still emotionally upset and complained: "SR died for nothing, this is completely different from what I imagined!"

But overall, it's already far better than the treatment I received in my previous life.

In the survey conducted in the previous life, more than half of the audience filled in "don't understand", "a bit stupid", "don't understand", and "don't like".

Despite this, "Hero" still grossed tens of millions of dollars at the North American box office.

So what will happen now?

Anyway, Sony is preparing a celebration banquet.

……

The night deepened.

However, a considerable number of people are still working late into the night, such as film critics who watched the midnight screenings as soon as possible.

There is so much to write about in "Hero" that it deserves to be written extensively.

One point that didn't elicit a strong reaction from American audiences, however, was something that some astute film critics recognized as extraordinary and became quite agitated – the grand finale credits.

Director Zhang Yimou seems to be playing a very long game!

Isn't this a blatant attempt to establish the superiority of Chinese civilization?

What does it mean to be "the only unified civilization"?
What good is it anyway!
You are now poor and ignorant, and you still have to rely on orders from us Americans to survive.

Film critics are a very complex group, especially in the United States.

This group harbors a large number of "cultural elites," including but not limited to "super-superior heroes who firmly believe that America is the best in every aspect," "white supremacists," "advocates that Hollywood is the only holy land of movies," and "double-standard monsters who believe that while we have no history, your history is meaningless"...

Neutrality and objectivity are extremely rare among film critics.

On the contrary, taking a stance first is the norm.

Therefore, there were staunch supporters led by Stephen Hunter (The Washington Post), staunch opponents led by Kenneth Turan (The Los Angeles Times), combative troublemakers led by Pauline Kyle (The New Yorker), and limited neutrals led by Roger Ebert (The Chicago Sun-Times)...

They all chose their sides because of the ending.

Then... a major battle among film critics erupted, catching everyone completely off guard.

Well, except for Fang Xinghe, the head of the online trolls who deliberately orchestrated all of this.

(End of this chapter)