Chapter 38: The Great Actor

When Chen Nuo was reading the script, he knew this was a very depressing film, and during the filming, he often had impulses of self-destruction and withdrawal, so he was mentally prepared.

However, apart from him, only Li Er had seen clips before, perhaps having a little bit of mental preparation. As for the rest, they were truly caught off guard and stabbed, a stab that went straight to the heart.

Not to mention Pan Chengrong; from the beginning of the film to the end, her tears almost never stopped. She held a box of tissues in her hands, and there was no telling how many she had used. From the moment the mute started digging the house, the entire room was deathly silent. Qi Yuntian’s nose sounded as if it had been stuffed with two stones; his heavy nasal congestion could be heard throughout the room.

"Heh, it’s finished."

Qi Yifei’s voice came, but it was extremely hoarse. He seemed to notice this as well, taking the opportunity to cough twice and clear his throat, "Xiaotian, go pull the curtains open. This film, sigh..."

How the film was, Qi Yifei did not continue.

After Qi Yuntian pulled the curtains open, Qi Yifei took off his glasses, leaned back on the sofa, and rubbed his eyes.

"Ahem." Chen Bi also coughed twice, "Chen Nuo’s filming seems a bit tragic, huh. This is a layman’s opinion, and I don’t know if I’m saying it wrong. Teacher Li, what do you think? To tell you the truth, I didn’t really understand it. Haha."

Li Er did not know where he found a roll of paper, holding it in his hand; the number of paper balls in front of him was not much less than those in front of Pan Chengrong.

"It has been a long, long time since I have seen such a moving film. Zhang Yi has produced a masterpiece, and Chen Nuo, you have performed a role that I will never forget for the rest of my life, and that everyone present will never forget for the rest of their lives. As your teacher, I congratulate you. As an actor, I envy and even envy you."

Chen Nuo felt a bit restless, "Teacher Li, you are overstating it."

"No, I may be a bit emotional right now, but I can say with certainty that this work will definitely not be obscure; it will certainly have a place in the history of Chinese cinema. Although I cannot rationally analyze the lens language, the metaphors, and the satire and criticism of many realities within it right now."

Speaking of this, Li Er choked up again, and Qi Yuntian hurriedly handed his mother a tissue.

"But setting these aside, just from the characters, the story, and the actor’s own appeal, it is one of the most charming works I have seen in ten years. I am really jealous of you, Chen Nuo. You are still so young, yet you encountered such a good role and contributed such natural and moving acting..." Li Er calmed his emotions and said again: "Your father asked me to comment, but what can I comment on? Actually, my tears are my commentary, and the tears of everyone present are also the commentary for it. For a good work, any words are redundant."

"Because a good work speaks for itself. It does not need others to write annotations for it, nor does it need anyone to summarize its theme. It is just there, saying its piece, and whether you are a professional or an amateur, whether you understand film or not, whether you are a professor, a worker, or a farmer, you can understand what it is saying, because human nature is connected, human emotions can be linked to each other, and the appeal of art does not distinguish between men, women, old, or young."

Qi Yifei coughed lightly and said: "Let me add a word. Although I don’t watch many movies, I can tell the quality of a film. This work that Chen Nuo filmed has many, many things in it that are broken down into parts, taking our individual lives and even our life experiences and integrating them into it."

"When I first started watching, I felt the plot was quite absurd and detached from reality, but as I slowly felt it, I discovered that it used such an exaggerated artistic means, but the core was actually about the people and things around us, or even ourselves."

"The director’s ideas are great, but without Chen Nuo’s brilliant performance, I think it would be very difficult to convey such complex thoughts."

Li Er said seriously: "Old Qi, you said that right. If this film hadn’t found Chen Nuo to act in it, and had changed to some other actor, it would either have been impossible to continue filming halfway through, or others wouldn’t have understood it at all. Because first of all, the character wouldn’t have been established; if the audience couldn’t experience the contradiction in the mute, this film would have no basis, and the logic from beginning to end would be broken."

Chen Bi coughed and said: "Chen Nuo, the two teachers’ high praise for you is out of their care for you; don’t think you are really that amazing. If it weren’t for Teacher Li and Director Zhang Yi, could you be filming? You wouldn’t even be able to get through the door."

Li Er said seriously: "Chen Nuo, today in front of your parents, I will repeat some things again, to say to you and to them. You have talent in the field of film art. Laymen don’t know, but insiders understand at a glance. Otherwise, why would Director Chen Kexin make a final decision after watching your acting for two minutes, and otherwise, why would Zhang Yi be able to find you on the road?"

"This kind of talent is rare and hard to find; it is what countless people dream of. You have such a precious treasure, and I hope you cherish it and protect it, rather than squandering it or ignoring it. You must first become an excellent actor, rather than wanting to be a box office champion. There is a saying in the industry, although I don’t agree with it. That saying is that the Central Academy of Drama produces actors, while the Beijing Film Academy produces stars."

"Chen Nuo, I hope that in the future you can change people’s prejudices on behalf of the Film Academy. In the future, in the alumni directory of the Film Academy, in your column of introduction, it should be written 'the great actor Chen Nuo,' not 'the A-list star Chen Nuo.' Don’t be like many people today who look at money for everything; as long as they pay, I will act in any trashy film. I hope you can have artistic pursuits and love film and love acting. This can be considered my little expectation for you."

Mentioning money, Chen Bi couldn’t sit still. As soon as Li Er finished speaking, he almost patted his chest and promised: "Teacher Li, you can rest assured about this point. Although our family is not considered wealthy, it is absolutely impossible for him to film trashy movies for money. If he dares to film some indecent movies for money, I will break his legs! Chen Nuo, did you hear that!"

Pan Chengrong said: "At Teacher Li’s house, why are you shouting? Keep your voice down. But Teacher Li, you can indeed rest assured about this. Since he was a child, we have never let Chen Nuo worry about money. This child is definitely not the type of person who is greedy for profit. If he really fails to live up to your expectations in the future, just as his father said, we will definitely educate him well."

(End of this chapter)