Generation Z Artists

Chapter 311 Love, an Eternal Theme
Fang Xinghe once again chose to hold the film premiere in the United States.

When the news broke, domestic media outlets published articles every day criticizing him for being a Western worshipper and a complete antisocial figure.

Domestic moviegoers were very disappointed, but there was nothing they could do; the domestic film market simply couldn't support Fang Xinghe's dream.

Moreover... there's a lack of willing suckers to foot the bill.

At 8 p.m. Pacific Time, the premiere ceremony of "Better Days" hosted by Warner Bros. was held at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Fang Xinghe didn't have many friends in Hollywood, but Warner Bros. was different; they could summon a whole host of stars to cheer him on with a flick of their fingers.

Two Toms, Will Smith, Madonna, Schwarzenegger, Marlon, Batman, 007...

Half of the top celebrities were present.

Anne Hathaway, Rose Kate, Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, South African diamond, newcomers Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson...

Beautiful women abound.

Nearly 120 media outlets from across the United States and even the world were stationed in the interview area, with English spoken in various accents rising and falling.

When the cast and crew of "Young You" made their appearance, the scene resembled a riot.

"Hey, SR, look this way!"

"Wow, the female lead is so beautiful!"

"Director Fang, the film is a huge success!"

The media's enthusiasm was intense, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the madness of the media frenzy.

Outside the theater, approximately 8000 fans, 90% of whom were young girls, gathered, chanting the Qin army's "Wind, wind, wind" slogan from the film *Hero*.

"Fang! Fang! Fang!"

The sound was perfectly synchronized and deafening.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Rose entered a short distance ahead, and Kate turned around in shock: "Wow, SR's fans seem even more crazy than you were back then?"

"The level of organization is different."

Leonardo DiCaprio shrugged and gave himself an excuse.

“I didn’t have StarNet back then.”

“The StarNet official cafe is indeed a remarkable innovation,” Kate shrugged, “but that’s not the fundamental difference between you two.”

"what is that?"

Kate laughed heartily: "He's more handsome than you, more talented than you, and has more personality than you, hahaha!"

Leonardo DiCaprio was discouraged... or so I thought.

He retorted nonchalantly with a grin: "Really? It seems you have a good impression of him."

But the problem is this—

If you want to fuck me, just beg me, and out of consideration for our years of friendship, I might reluctantly help you out.

But if you want him, I'm sorry, I see absolutely no possibility... In SR's eyes, you're Aunt Kate!

"Fuck you! Leon, Fuck you!"

Kate gave the middle finger in public and then tried to argue her point.

"You are insulting my character. I swear, I'm not interested in him. Prince Yu is handsome, but he's not my type!"

"OK OK."

Leonardo DiCaprio raised his chin and nodded toward the group of young female celebrities.

“I know, you’re just like them, not interested in him at all. Until now, no adult female star over 25 has dared to declare to the media that she wants to sleep with him… But this year is different, he’s an adult now, go for it, Kate, it’s not taboo anymore…”

"Fuck, you're such a bastard!"

Kate was so angry that she elbowed him, lifted her skirt, and stormed off.

Little Li was in so much pain he was sucking on his cold noodles, but he insisted he was right, muttering to himself, "What are you pretending for? Just watch, from today onwards, things will definitely be different..."

Yes, it really is different; Fang Xinghe felt it for himself.

This time when they returned to Hollywood, the actresses' attitudes were completely different, becoming more direct, fiery, and passionate.

During the promotional period for "Hero", Fang Xinghe was basically undisturbed, whether in public or at relatively private dinners.

At that time, the United States was still very concerned about appearances, and those adult female stars dared not say anything suggestive to him, otherwise, if the news of "sex soaring" to underage people were exposed, the impact would be too bad.

Anne Hathaway, the only one who dared to take a risk, was actually very careful about her actions.

But now, during the promotional period for "Les Young," things have become quite complicated.

99.8% of the female celebrities who have been in close contact with him have shown a fiery gaze.

I'm craving it, I want to slurp it.

Of course, while their eyes may be expressive, not many people actually act too aggressively, because with "You Are My Destiny" about to be released, neither ambitious individuals nor cunning foxes are in a hurry.

They were all assessing Fang Xinghe's potential.

Strictly speaking, Fang Xinghe never really established himself in Hollywood.

One kung fu film that ranks among the best in film history is far from enough; it's something outside the system and doesn't mean it's been accepted.

True acceptance requires close cooperation with the six major film studios, a considerable degree of autonomy and freedom, and widespread recognition from the industry and film fans.

From John Lone to Hendrik Willem Van Loon to Jet Lee, none of them have achieved this; it's just a matter of how far they are from it.

Michelle Yeoh seems to have succeeded, but she took an unconventional acting path, a more conventional path of networking—as the number one Asian actress in Hollywood, she occupied various low-budget film and television roles, actively approaching the mainstream Hollywood circle through her boyfriend of a different ethnicity, achieving a monopolistic effect of niche routes that no one else could do without her.

In fact, Zhang Ziyi tried this route earlier than her, but found it wasn't cost-effective, so she cut her losses in time.

This is a question of whether the "defection" was complete or not.

If you remain outside of someone else's system, don't expect to be fully accepted.

To date, Hollywood has been actively opening its doors to Fang Xinghe, including today's grand opening ceremony—the film "Young You" itself doesn't deserve such a grand gesture; it's purely Fang Xinghe himself who deserves Warner Bros.' investment.

Hollywood media were well aware of this, and one host even brought it up directly during a live broadcast.

"Warner Bros.' desire to acquire SR is undisguised. This star-studded event is Warner Bros.' invitation to SR. Although we don't yet know how the movie will turn out, it's predictable that when the opening weekend box office results are in, SR's position in Hollywood will be completely clear..."

Warner Bros.' current Chief Operating Officer, Alan Horn, also attended the premiere.

He turned to the guest seats, a hint of arrogance in his voice, and asked, "Are you satisfied with Warner's publicity? Fang, by partnering with Warner, you can completely conquer Hollywood!"

Warner Bros. has indeed been very strong in recent years. From The Matrix to Harry Potter, and the upcoming Dark Knight trilogy, as well as The Hangover series and Inception, they have been creators of cultural phenomena year after year.

In Fang Xinghe's memory, except for falling behind during the Superhero Universe era, Warner Bros. has always been number one among the six major superheroes.

But precisely because they are so powerful, they are also extremely arrogant.

"What I want is autonomy. How much are you willing to give me?"

Fang Xinghe's rhetorical question made Alan Horn frown.

"Hey SR, you can completely lead projects with investments under $5000 million, but no one is qualified to produce anything above A-level, not even Spielberg!"
You can't ask us for privileges that don't exist in Hollywood!

"OK."

Fang Xinghe nodded, indicating that he understood.

After several rounds of negotiations, all of which had stalled at this point, he had long since lost interest in continuing the communication.

"Let's watch movies. Ultimately, directors should let their work speak for itself."

Alan Horn, however, was somewhat persistent.

He had seen the movie and thought it was a good movie, but not one that could be compared to "Heroes" or "The Matrix".

"You're not expecting to conquer Hollywood with this movie, are you? What was your claimed North American box office figure to the media? $2 million? Okay, let's assume you get your wish, but so what? It's only $2 million!"

Warner Bros. certainly has the right to look down on $2 million.

The Matrix Reloaded has already grossed over $400 million worldwide, and it looks set to hit $700 million.

Needless to say, the Harry Potter merchandise market alone could generate dozens of 2 million yuan each.

Even if "The Loser" does manage to gross 2 million in North America, it will only be a small amount of money for Warner Bros.

Fang Xinghe acknowledged this, but he turned his head and stared intently at Alan Horn, a mocking smile playing on his lips as he scorned his shortsightedness.

"Mr. Horn, do you know what my greatest value as a director is?"

Alan Horn was stunned. He was both angry and anxious at the sight of that mocking face.

When one is riding high on success, one is particularly susceptible to being disobeyed, and he is a perfect example of this.

But in the end, he didn't dare to provoke Fang Xinghe, treating him like a subordinate—this guy could kill a boxing champion.

So he suppressed his anger and asked in a hoarse voice, "Okay, I don't know, what is it?"

"Only by directing myself can I create the most dreamlike Fang Xinghe."

Fang Sheng patted Alan Horn on the shoulder and turned to go on stage.

A domineering voice echoed from afar.

This summer, the hearts of North American girls belong to Zhang Xiaobei. Neither the Terminator nor the Savior can take them away!

Warner's proud COO was left standing there, frozen in place, like a statue.

……

The two-hour pre-screening interview session passed by in a flash.

Fang Xinghe and Liu Yifei answered a whole bunch of pre-set questions, but the audience's attention was completely elsewhere; they just wanted to see the movie as soon as possible.

A celebrity's persona is only meaningful to high-level fans; for the general public, it is their work that truly captivates them.

At 10 p.m. sharp, Fang Xinghe stepped off the stage, the theater lights were turned off, and the movie "Less You" officially began to be shown.

The cold, frozen, and oppressive opening long shot pulls everyone into that small Chinese town.

The version shown in North America is dubbed in English with subtitles.

The voice actors for Zhang Xiaobei and Chen Nian are Fang Xinghe and Liu Yifei themselves.

But that doesn't matter. It's a simple story that anyone can easily understand. When Liu Yifei's face, which would be considered stunning even by Western standards, first appeared on screen, the reason for the bullying immediately became convincing.

"Oh, she's so beautiful!"

Kate remarked with this sentiment.

In her early years, Chen Nian possessed a pure, delicate, and fragile beauty. Her exceptional bone structure had not yet fully emerged, but her fair and smooth skin seemed to be on a different level from others. Coupled with her baby fat, she embodied a youthful beauty that the whole world could understand.

What followed was a combination of slow, deliberate editing and a rapidly unfolding plot, which quickly drew the audience in.

It must be emphasized again that the bullying by the United States is not as severe as that by Japan and South Korea.

At the same time, it must be emphasized that American bullying has its own characteristics.

In the United States, it's common for athletes to mock nerds, cheerleaders to laugh at ugly people, and club members to ridicule non-club members—it's a normal part of campus life.

The above content is not considered bullying.

Besides mockery, excessive teasing under the guise of jokes, isolation with exclusion as its core, group threats, and minor physical harm are also common occurrences.

The most severe form of bullying is based on race or religion, forcibly establishing hierarchical concepts and de facto segregation.

The film "Young You" does not touch on this topic, as those kinds of content do not exist in China.

Therefore, for American audiences, Wei Lai's bullying of Chen Nian in "The Young Ones" is infuriating, heartbreaking, and not uncomfortable.

It has enough intense emotional fluctuations, but doesn't cross any personal boundaries; it's just right.

For a foreign film to succeed in the United States, there are only two paths: either seek novelty or appeal to a wide audience.

The smooth and fluid plot and natural and down-to-earth filming style of "Better Days" completely immerse the audience in the story, making them quickly forget that it is a Chinese youth campus film.

Especially after Fang Xinghe appeared, his familiar face and exotic eyes were not only highly recognizable in the United States, but also a major point of excitement.

His first appearance was met with laughter and gasps from the audience as he was pinned to the ground and beaten by thugs.

"Oh my God!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

"Fuck, my Crown Prince Yu!"

They quickly realized the difference between Zhang Xiaobei and Prince Yu.

Crown Prince Yu is a lofty misanthrope. In the dramatic scenes, his pride shines through, and he remains aloof until his death.

Many Western viewers who only watched "Hero" once couldn't even understand why Prince Yu had to sacrifice himself.

Only by watching it several times can one truly grasp the profound sorrow of this character.

Therefore, Fang Xinghe's replacement of Cooper to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor was not criticized by professionals. Industry insiders and ordinary audiences generally praised him for portraying the contradictory feeling of coldness and domineering yet deathly sadness.

Zhang Xiaobei in "Young You" is another extreme.

He is arrogant and tenacious, insecure and stubborn. This character uses his outward indifference to mask his deep-seated inferiority complex.

At first glance, he looks a lot like Crown Prince Yu, both being aloof and taciturn, but in reality, they are completely different.

One is in the sky, the other is in the mud; one shines like the sun, the other is as humble as dust.

Logically speaking, Fang Xinghe is so handsome and has such fashionable and stylish eyes, he doesn't seem very suitable for playing such a minor character.

But he portrayed every aspect of a marginalized youth so vividly that it was indescribably real.

The details of those characters' yearning for love yet resistance to it are particularly relatable.

There's a scene in the movie where Chen Nian and Xiao Bei have both shaved their heads, and Chen Nian has mostly recovered mentally before they have a conversation.

Xiao Bei cut her own hair with a dagger; it was so messy it looked like a dog had chewed it.

Chen Nian tilted her head and looked at Xiao Bei: "Really not going to fix it?"

"No need to fix it," Xiao Bei said nonchalantly. "Why waste the money?"

"I have money."

"Save it, you'll need it in college."

Chen Nian sniffed, turned around and walked out of the room.

She looks a little angry, but actually she's touched and a little awkward.

A clear yet foolish bewilderment flickered in Xiao Bei's large eyes. Somewhat confused and uneasy, she muttered, "Ha, women!"

That awkwardness of not being able to understand a young girl's emotions is so real and so delicate.

Then, less than two seconds later, Xiao Bei peeked out again, wanting to see what Chen Nian was doing.

This shot, taken from behind, uses only body language, yet Fang Xinghe perfectly conveys Zhang Xiaobei's guilty conscience and deep concern.

These numerous and rich, realistic details completely bring the character of Zhang Xiaobei to life.

No one would confuse him with Crown Prince Yu. When Crown Prince Yu is still, he is like a mountain, and when he moves, he is like thunder. When Zhang Xiaobei is still, he is like wild grass, and when he moves, he is like a boy.

Hmm, what a fine young man.

Kate pursed her lips and said confidently, "My first boyfriend was like that when I was twelve or thirteen."

Little Li was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

"He's like a fool, but he's devoted to me."

At this point, the plot has progressed to the scene where Zhang Xiaobei sternly rejects Wei Lai.

Xiao Bei said with disdain and impatience: "What do I care if you're pretty or rich?! That's ridiculous."

The female audience members were completely smitten.

Chen Nian is a princess in distress, which makes her a perfect role model.

Zhang Xiaobei, on the other hand, is a loyal knight-errant. He is incredibly charming and bewitches the wicked woman, but he remains steadfast and devoted to her alone.

He wasn't a perfect boyfriend, too immature and naive, but he was the perfect first love, someone who could evoke beautiful memories of a woman's teenage years.

As for whether my teenage years were really that wonderful... shut up, I have the right to fantasize!
As the story unfolds, their pure love becomes increasingly dreamy and sweet.

Yes, "Less You" is nominally a realistic work focusing on school bullying, but what Fang Xinghe filmed was a budding romance between two pitiful children who huddle together for warmth.

Bullying is the cause of everything, redemption is the final result, and what binds the two together is everyone's once-in-a-lifetime innocent first love.

Arrogant Americans don't care to watch Asian movies.

But the proud Americans made Titanic the number one film in history.

Love is a theme that all of humanity sings and yearns for.

(End of this chapter)