Generation Z Artists

Chapter 283 Overturning Hollywood?

In the weight of history, the following situation often occurs—

One seemingly unrelated little thing after another, so fragile as to be insignificant, cleverly twisted together to form a fuse, which suddenly exploded with a bang.

As March began, the United States was in turmoil amidst escalating chaos.

However, Fang Xinghe cleanly and efficiently uncovered the core of the chaos, then aimed at the vital point and fired a shot.

Key event: Deployment of troops.

Core interest: Petrodollar.

Key players: financial capital groups aiming to consolidate pricing power, military-industrial complexes urgently needing to unleash the potential of the military industry, and energy groups with an insatiable thirst for monopoly.

All disputes at every level revolve around the aforementioned core issue.

Leaving aside the political and economic aspects, from the perspective of public opinion alone, the justification of this military intervention is the focus of the struggle, and the issues arising from it, such as freedom, equality, justice, conservatism, openness, and progress, all serve as supporting evidence.

Under Fang Xinghe's leadership, Columbia's propaganda machine directly addressed the root of the problem.

"Hero" suddenly became a representative work of the just cause of war.

The person who first made this connection was film critic A.O. Scott, who received a check for $20.

Mr. Scott is the chief film critic for The New York Times and is known for his erudition and insightful thinking.

His writing style places films within a broader cultural, historical, and literary context, offering insightful and intelligent perspectives that have earned him an unparalleled place among readers on the East Coast of the United States.

This time, he wrote a long review.

“Recently I have often heard a discussion that says that Heroes is an epic about tyrants.”

The King of Qin, as the protagonist's antagonist and the final boss, is portrayed as far too positively.

Every time he appears, he exudes a sense of oppression, authority, and tension.

Faced with Crown Prince Yu's frantic attack, the King of Qin remained calm. He was angry but not hysterical in the face of the imminent assassination.

This character is always composed, powerful, majestic, calm, and confident.

And he achieved final victory in a natural and effortless manner.

As ordinary viewers, we naturally side with the protagonists, so it's only natural that we dislike all the final bosses. This emotional bias doesn't need any reason, but the portrayal of the King of Qin in the masterpiece "Hero" is not vulgar.

The King of Qin is not a typical Hollywood villain that people can easily hate.

He was not cruel, bloodthirsty, wicked, treacherous, or twisted; he was simply a king who did his best to fulfill his responsibilities.

This design is precisely the fundamental reason why "Hero" is so unforgettable.

The director and screenwriter approached the entire plot structure from a higher perspective, endowing the King of Qin with extraordinary charm. The main theme was not shallow hatred, but the systemic contradiction between the tide of the times and the individual.

In this way, the sacrifices of Crown Prince Yu and Wuming take on a more profound tragic character.

At the same time, it also fully respects the correctness of Chinese history.

A significant number of viewers sang praises for the character of the King of Qin after watching the film, believing him to be an exceptionally good monarch.

Is there anything wrong with this understanding?

No, not at all.

Although many Western historians characterize Qin Shi Huang as a tyrannical monarch, this is a paradox of forcibly placing themselves in the perspective of a victim.

In that foolish narrative, power is brutality, integration is aggression, and advancement is not the same as civilization; personal likes and dislikes completely override objective historical facts.

However, those with true insight know that the Qin state ruled by law, respected its soldiers, valued honor, developed water conservancy, and had advanced technology, making it the most powerful and civilized country at the time.

It can be said that the unification of the Qin Dynasty was a historical inevitability—the backward were bound to be assimilated by the advanced—so even if it had not been conquered by force, the six states would have eventually come under Qin's control.

The actions of the Qin Dynasty army and Qin Shi Huang hastened this inevitable historical event.

Indeed, many conflicts, bloodshed, and casualties occurred during this period.

From a personal perspective, I cannot bear to see any human being cry out in agony before death.

However, from a historical perspective, I firmly believe that rapid unification is better than long-term division. The more intense Qin's conquests were, the less harm they would cause to the people of the six states.

Therefore, Qin Shi Huang's so-called "tyranny" possesses an extremely objective historical correctness.

Many people adopt a victim's perspective, accusing him of brutality and believing that this is out of sympathy for the weak.

However, they never considered that any of the seven Warring States possessed the legitimate legal basis to end the division and chaos, and at the same time harbored the same great aspirations.

However, Qin was the strongest, most civilized, and even most law-abiding, so it was Qin Shi Huang who ultimately accomplished all of this.

In this inevitable historical fusion, there are no victims as you wish.

Crown Prince Yu was a tragic hero, not a victim. If any ruler had dared to entrust him with an army of 20, he would have swept across the six kingdoms and completed this historical mission.

So, can you understand that Crown Prince Yu and Qin Shi Huang are actually two sides of the same symbol?
If the state of Han were to become powerful, then Crown Prince Yu would be like the First Emperor of Han.

If the Qin state were to fall first, then the King of Qin would also calmly face his death and say to the assassin: Go, take my head and kill King Yu of Han!

They are both heroes of the same kind, just in different circumstances.

Do you remember the scene where Prince Yu rode a horse and shot an arrow?

He and the King of Qin looked at each other across the distance, one passionate and the other deep, yet both possessing the same unwavering and indomitable will, as if they were seeing themselves reflected in each other across the river of time.

What is that symbol?
SR reveals the answer to us in the final scene of the movie: unification.

The Qin state itself was not special, but during a special historical period, through the diligent governance of several generations of rulers, it defined the advanced, civilized, and powerful state of that time, thus obtaining the Mandate of Heaven for that period and ultimately achieving a unified empire with historical legitimacy.

In his eloquent article, SR explained in detail the core significance of unification for the Han people and Chinese civilization.

It was thanks to his supplementary explanations that I truly understood "Hero".

This is a great masterpiece whose ideology is neither Eastern nor Western, but universally correct.

Now, we in the United States are in the same situation.

We are the most powerful, prosperous, democratic, and civilized country on this planet.

We have traversed an era where destiny was clearly revealed, and to this day, we are still enveloped and favored by destiny.

We export our democratic ideals and civilized systems to the world, helping those Third World countries living in dire straits to achieve essential progress.

If a government in a certain region is hypocritical, cunning, and cruel, and tens of millions of people under its rule live like numb pigs and dogs, without the most basic human rights, the most basic freedom, or even the most basic security and food supply, what reason do we have not to rescue them?
War is a violent means that is not always necessary, and I generally do not encourage war.

Unfortunately, the enormous profits generated by dictatorial rule make it impossible for many truly brutal warlords to be persuaded by any reason.

Faced with this special situation, I can only agree with the current government's decision—to wage a just war.

"This is the least costly of all the feasible methods to completely eliminate dictatorship and terrorism..."

The article is long, but the key points are short and the impact is significant.

"Hero" was already a phenomenal film in the US this year, and by using its controversial ending to express personal opinions, it instantly sparked heated discussions. At the same time, "Hero" also returned to the mainstream spotlight.

Wolfowitz responded immediately on a television program: "I haven't seen 'Hero' yet, but I'll make time to watch it. It sounds like a great and exciting movie!"

Then he actually went to see it, and the evidence was that he sang praises to "Hero" and Fang Xinghe in his latest article.

As a key member of the staff of a prominent politician, Wolfowitz frequently appeared on television and wrote articles to promote his conservative theories.

In fact, he completely disliked Fang Xinghe's traditional American traits: stubbornness, arrogance, conservatism, and indifference.

This time, however, he became very friendly and enthusiastic.

"Of course, of course, 'Hero' is undoubtedly a great movie. The rain of arrows from the Qin crossbow formations was incredibly impressive. Afterwards, I did some research and was very surprised to find that the Qin state was indeed using mass-produced mechanical crossbows as legion-level weapons on a large scale!"
My God! Such an advanced civilization has no reason to fail!

They spread the torch of civilization, delivering a cruel yet romantic blow to all those absurd, lazy, foolish, and arrogant monarchs of small countries. They destroyed, without a doubt, the decadent and backward hedonism and isolationism, ultimately realizing the historical correctness stated by AO.

I like this academic yet forceful word: historical accuracy!
Today, bringing democracy and civilization into the chaotic and filthy midwinter is the historical right of us Americans!
SR is a born philosopher. His Chinese consciousness is so fascinating, and his critique of American freedom is so sharp. His historical perspective and philosophical thinking in "Hero" completely struck me. I want to mobilize all my friends to vote for him. He deserves to be named the best director!
What? He's just an assistant director?

What about Best Actor or Best Screenplay?

Anything is fine, but you need to give him a truly prestigious award; he deserves it!

As a key mouthpiece in the political landscape, Fowitz is mostly disliked, but there are always people who listen to him.

The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, Democracy, Fox News...

All print media across the United States, and all political and economic sections, began to be dominated by related topics.

They may not necessarily mention "Hero" or Fang Xinghe, but they must, and have to, participate in the topics of "historical correctness" and "just wars".

At the next level down, entertainment sections of all media outlets across the United States were forced to re-analyze "Hero".

Washington, D.C., a departmental meeting.

"Hey George, you're righteous George now!"

"Haha, thanks to SR, he made me love reading newspapers again!"

"So, that funding?"

"Full disbursement!"

"OK, as usual, I will find the right way to handle everything. You just need to sign the review documents."

"Happy cooperation!"

"It was a pleasure working with you, and thank you, SR!"

……

Amidst the overwhelming affection for Fang Ge, a large amount of funds was allocated to the public opinion battlefield. Even if 70% was lost in the process, the remaining 30% was still enough to create an overwhelming effect.

The most direct evidence is that the Oprah Winfrey Show hadn't mentioned "Hero" or Fang Xinghe for six episodes, but in the latest episode, she suddenly started cheering for Fang Xinghe to win an award.

"If the Pulitzer Prize has already listed SR's article as a potential winner, then what reason does the Oscars have to belittle him?"
The artistry of *Hero* is unparalleled in action films. I don't think *The Lord of the Rings* deserves to be compared to it; that's just shallow popcorn entertainment!

Lady O dealt a heavy blow to The Lord of the Rings.

But this is just the beginning.

With Sony's entry into the fray, the landscape of Hollywood has changed dramatically.

"While The Lord of the Rings certainly boasts grander scenes, frankly, all it offers is grand scale. Artistry? Thought-provoking themes? Philosophical depth? Don't be ridiculous, it's all just industrial chicken essence!"

"The racial bias in The Lord of the Rings is so obvious that it's disgusting. There isn't a single black, yellow, or brown-skinned character in the good guys' side... On the contrary, all the orcs look like they were modeled as black people."

"Chicago is the product of extreme liberal fantasy. To be honest, it's really remarkable that a musical can achieve this level of artistry, but for some reason, it made me feel uncomfortable. Maybe it's too romantic and too free? I don't know, I just feel uneasy. Maybe at this point in time, it's just not appropriate to sing and dance."

"That idiot Harvey is at it again, showing off his dirty tricks of bribing judges. When will he ever realize that true classics aren't created through PR, but are naturally forged amidst the overwhelming cheers of fans?"

"The long take in 'Chicago' was beautiful, but compared to the panoramic long take of SR's fight scene in 'Hero,' one is a fleeting moment of inspiration from a mortal, while the other is a finger casually pressed down by a god..."

"The Pianist is a serious European art film, but that's the problem: it's too serious, too European."

This is an art form that you can fully imagine before you even see it.

Dull, monotonous, lengthy, and tedious.

I would describe it as: formulaic art.

The consequence of watching too many of these movies is erectile dysfunction (ED). I remained calm throughout the entire film, completely unable to get an erection…

Chaos has broken out; northwestern Shanxi is in complete disarray.

Is anyone criticizing Hero?

Of course there are, and many at that.

However, all the Oscar-contending films are now facing a lot of negative reviews, so the key factor in determining the winner has become who gets more positive reviews.

Without a doubt, it's you, Brother Fang.

The top-down political influence forces most media outlets to adopt a stance.

Once a media outlet has a stance, its editors, columnists, writers, and reporters will also have a bias.

Neoconservatism has completely exposed the brains of neoliberalism, especially on the day of the troop deployment, when the opposition's roars sounded like the final wails of a defeated dog before its death.

At the internal communication meeting for the Patriot Act, it was passed by a large margin.

"Hero" began to dominate the page, with 7 positive, 2 negative and 1 draw.

Brother Fang?

Brother Fang lives a secluded life, only appearing on two short programs, and his attitude was very humble.

"Whether it's my articles or my films, they all promote universal values. I feel very gratified that they can be recognized by the majority of people. This fully proves that whether it is Americans or Chinese, the pursuit of justice, freedom, and fairness is based on the same simple values. This is my biggest achievement this year—if I can win an award, then it will be second."

"Hahahaha!"

The host let out an exaggerated laugh, which made the audience burst into laughter.

"You're so funny! Really, you're the Chinese person who understands American humor the best!"

"There's no need to deliberately emphasize my Chinese identity."

Brother Fang corrected him seriously.

"Now, I am just a filmmaker belonging to all of humanity. My art and I have no nationality, no attributes, and no boundaries!"

Unexpectedly yet unsurprisingly, Fang Ge's fan base has surged again.

They didn't have the right to vote, but they pre-ordered the Oscars live stream.

As time slowly drew to a close, the world became unbelievable.

(End of this chapter)