Chapter 52: Layer after layer

Mikhalkov and the people from MK2 also felt they needed to watch it again. There were many metaphors in the first viewing that they didn't understand. For a director who prides himself on being an artist, finding metaphors and understanding them is also a very interesting thing.

So they played it again.

This time, Mikhalkov asked first: "Mr. Cao, I noticed that in one scene, the female lead's photo is put back together, but the positions of the hands and shoulders are reversed. I didn't understand why this is."

Heh, these European old perverts, sure enough, their eyes are more focused on photos where people are wearing very little.

"Hands are an important organ for us to contact the world. Putting the hands of the photo in the position of the shoulders has a sense of rejecting everything and defending oneself."

Cao Yang explained: "It also shows that at this time, the female lead has not yet let down her guard, and the male lead has not yet completely succeeded in saving her."

"Oh, a very clever design. If it weren't for this painting, it would be difficult to show the female lead's inner world from the performance. With this re-spliced but slightly incomplete painting, it suddenly becomes clear. Good!"

Mikhalkov smiled and praised, and even gave Cao Yang a thumbs up.

The person from MK2 was named Chabrol. This might also be a surname. Cao Yang didn't remember his specific name and just called him Mr. Chabrol. It seemed he was a producer.

At this time, he suddenly had an expression of sudden realization, dancing and gesturing—it must be said that the body language of these Europeans is truly rich.

"Before this, the female lead cut the photo into small squares and then spliced them together randomly. This is like her tearing up her past, completely shattering her past, and then restarting her life, gaining a new life? Is it like this?"

Cao Yang gave Chabrol a thumbs up and smiled, fiercely praising him: "Dear Mr. Chabrol, what you said is very correct. Because there are no lines, the female lead uses these small actions to describe her determination to start over."

"It's really clever. Let me count. The male lead has no lines in the whole film, and the female lead also has only one line, but the two actors perfectly interpreted the various emotions of the characters in the play. It's incredible, the acting is too great."

Chabrol expressed his point of view, "I like this film very much, it's simply too cool."

Xie Fei said softly to Xie Xiaojing: "Have you noticed that every time the male lead and female lead break into an empty room, the photos inside always present a very warm surface, but in essence, there are family conflicts inside."

He thought for a moment and gave an example: "A family of three going out to play seems to be a very happy time, but when they return home, the woman complains to her husband, and the husband also treats her impatiently.

The boxer's home seems to be a newlywed sweet couple, but later the woman suspects him because the man doesn't answer the phone, and they quarrel.

In the female lead's home, it goes without saying. Behind the sweet wedding photo is endless domestic violence.

Using warm photos to form a strong contrast, reflecting the hypocrisy of the appearance and the ugliness of the reality, the contrast montage technique used here is simply textbook level."

Xie Xiaojing nodded, sighing: "Cao Yang has improved too much. Before, some people said his film was crude and the lens was straightforward. Once this film comes out, it will fiercely block their mouths."

Xie Fei looked at Old Situ, who was sitting there comfortably, as if he was closing his eyes to rest, but was actually pricking up his two big ears to eavesdrop, and couldn't help but fiercely spit in his heart.

The old guy is really lucky. A person who shoots documentaries knows shit about film, but he just had dog-shit luck and brought out the Beijing Film Academy's signboard, the Class of '78. Now, picking up a leak is a big director's material.

No, it's no longer material. It has already taken shape, and it only needs fine carving to become one.

Old Tian saw that Xie Fei was a little shocked, so he decided to give him another small shock.

"Old Xie, have you noticed the change in the statue in the female lead's home?"

Mikhalkov had heard the introduction before, saying that the speaker was the film's art director and cinematographer, so he quickly asked the translator to translate it for himself. Chabrol also leaned over to listen to the translation.

Xie Fei thought about it, but didn't notice this. If you don't pull the film or watch it frame by frame, who would notice this small detail?

Old Tian laughed and said quite proudly: "At the beginning, the female lead's home was a statue of a woman with a broken arm, but later in the film, it changed into a statue of three women hugging each other. If you don't observe carefully, you definitely won't find it."

In fact, when Old Tian was filming, he was also shocked by Cao Yang's arrangement.

Xie Fei thought about it. There did seem to be a female statue, but he only thought it was to highlight the style of a rich family. Now it seems there should be another intention.

"The broken-armed woman at the beginning expresses that the female lead is subjected to domestic violence, isolated and helpless, and bears it alone. And the change to three women hugging each other later shows that the group of women who are abused has begun to warm each other and help each other, and also represents that the female lead has begun to resist."

Seeing Xie Fei nod thoughtfully, Old Tian continued: "We can see in the film that the abuser, the female lead's husband, plays golf towards the direction of the sculpture. This is a satire on the group of people who commit domestic violence."

Xie Fei nodded again.

Old Tian asked with a grin: "Old Xie, do you guess if this statue has any other meaning?"

Xie Fei began to think, and Mikhalkov and Chabrol couldn't help but think. What other metaphors could there be?

The three of them shook their heads one after another, unable to think of what other metaphors there could be.

Just these metaphors alone are enough to surprise people. Could there be other meanings?

Old Tian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, fortunately, he is not a fool.

!

Even Old Xie and Mikhalkov, who have won the Golden Bear and Golden Lion, can't think of it. It's normal that he couldn't think of it at the time.

Old Tian regained his confidence.

"Don't you think the image of this sculpture is very similar to the famous scene later in the film, where the male lead kisses the female lead's forehead across her husband, and strokes her head with his other hand?"

Mikhalkov's eyes lit up and he interjected: "Echoing before and after."

Old Tian nodded and smiled mysteriously, "There is another layer of meaning."

"There is more?"

Several people looked at each other. How many layers of meaning is this? How could there be more?

"This also maps the relationship between the male lead and the female lead, which is blocked by the abuser in the middle, the female lead's husband."

"Oh, my God, there is actually this layer of meaning. I broke my head and couldn't think of it. It's really amazing. Cao is really great. A simple change of statue can have so many interpretations and so many metaphors. It's incredible..."

Chabrol was like a country bumpkin who hadn't seen the world, shouting and praising Cao Yang incessantly.

Xie Fei felt even more unbalanced. Such a good student, why was he snatched away by that old guy Situ? It's a pity, it's a pity!

It wasn't just the three of them. In this small screening room, everyone was in a state of shock.

A small change in a statue was actually played out with flowers.

What is a genius?

This is a fucking genius!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 53 =====