Chapter 49: Without investigation, there is no right to speak

When Harrison Heeman flew from New York to Los Angeles, it was already the time when the lights were on.

This western city is no different from New York in the east. It is all the same tall buildings and dazzling neon lights, of course, it is also full of traffic. The difference is that he always thinks that Los Angeles is more complicated than New York. He refers to culture: Chinese, European immigrants, legal or illegal immigrants in Mexico, and Italian-Americans intertwined each other, which is much more complicated than New York.

Although the New York Stock Exchange represents a strong American economy, Los Angeles is called the cultural capital: the large number of cultural differences make the city appear colorful and attract tourists, not to mention Hollywood, a symbol of American culture ten kilometers away from the northwest suburbs.

Harrison Sheeman is a famous film critic in New York. In other words, he is a freelancer, which is a profession that many people envy. He is mainly responsible for writing movie reviews for The New York Times, The Washington Post and several film magazines in exchange for manuscript fees. Of course, it is not so easy to obtain decent manuscript fees. As a person who works on a typewriter or a pen, his thoughts are the most important. Writing movie reviews is not something that can be written just by following the crowd, nor is it that relies on scolding to get clicks in the Internet era. At least it must be realistic, and truly think, compare and research to write truly flesh-and-blood articles.

This time he went to Hollywood to attend the premiere of a new movie. In fact, he didn't have to come, but the person invited him was David Frankel, a friend he had known since college, the general manager of a company named McKenner Pictures. This old friend loved acting back then, but his innate performance IQ was a little worse, and he became the head of the film company. However, the company has never invested in a single movie in the past 18 years, and it only mainly engaged in the film screening business. Shiman knew Frankel's dream. If he didn't attend the premiere in person this time, he was worried that his phone number would blow Frank.

Hollywood has two regular journals, The Joint Performance Daily and The Hollywood Reporter, which are the main positions for major production companies to compete for audiences to achieve higher box offices. They bought out multiple pages of the pages to publish movie advertisements. In addition, major production companies also have to spend a lot of money on TV commercials that were broadcast on prime time on TV stations.

Of course, McKenner will not let it go, but they will not spend money like those rich film companies. They have to learn to be innovative and learn to spend small money to do big things.

"A Chinese lion dance performance will be held at the entrance of the McKenner Theater at 8 pm on November 20, and several lion dance teams from Chinatown will be headed to cheer up. This event was held to celebrate McKenner's first film "The Shawshank Redemption", which invested by McKenner. There will be a live lottery event, surprises are waiting for you, come and buy tickets!" This is an advertisement published by McKenner in several major newspapers for a week.

Of course, when advertising, we seek to be innovative, and using the Chinese lion dance gimmick is an eye-catching idea. Frankel did not let go of those Chinese communities and organizations. Lao Ye and Chen Jian, who are studying at Los Angeles, also received movie tickets sent by Li Siming, and they also promoted the movie voluntarily.

When Harrison Sheeman arrived at the McKenner Theater, the small square in front of the theater was already full of people and everyone was watching the excitement. This kind of Chinese lion dance can only be seen in Chinatown during the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival. Many people passed by and found out that it was a movie about to premiere. So they bought one with the intention of trying it out. As a result, the two batches of 5,000 tickets sold out in total that night, most of which were pre-sold, because after watching "The Flying Knife Gate", many Chinese people had great expectations for the next Hollywood-style movie by director Li Siming from China.

"Harrison, it's so surprising that you can come!" Frankel hugged him happily.

"David, if I don't come, I'm worried that you will call me in the middle of the night. In order to ensure my sleep and health, I have to come all the way." Ximan smiled.

"Come on, let me introduce you to you. This is the boss of our company, Mr. Zeng Zhi from Hong Kong." Frankel introduced Zeng Zhi to him. Zeng Zhi and Xiaodao rushed from Seattle. They had just visited a man named Bill.

"Hello, just call me Harrison. Mr. Zeng." Harrison was a little surprised to see that the other party was very young.

"Welcome, Harrison." Zeng Zhi has been dealing with all kinds of people in the past three months, and his English level has improved by leaps and bounds, so he naturally speaks these greetings very fluently.

"Harrison, this is director Li Siming, he is a genius!" Frankel praised bluntly.

"Accident, it's really an accident. Are Chinese people very precocious?" Ximan joked, because he found another young man, which made him feel that he was a little old?

"Mr. Ximan is very humorous. Precocious people usually develop too fast to their roots too shallow to withstand the wind and waves." Li Siming smiled.

"What does Director Lee think of Hollywood? I'm very curious about the foreigner's view." Ximan asked, "Please forgive me for my occupational disease."

"If a Hollywood director asked me, I would tell him that what happened here is so exciting. I finally found my goal; if a French director asked me, I would tell him that Hollywood is garbage, a snobbish place with only money; if an economist asked me, I would tell him that Hollywood's films are 'art' and 'business', and the two have the best connection point for resources; if a rich man comes to ask me, I would tell him to invest quickly and I will give you ten times the return." Li Siming shook his head, "If it were you, I would tell you that Hollywood should give newcomers more opportunities, including new actors and new directors."

Li Siming's long speech made Ximan stunned: "Director Li, you made a lot of sense and comprehensive. However, as for the final request, although it is also a true portrayal of Hollywood reality, I agree with your point of view, but personally, I will only think after watching the movie."

"Of course. Without investigation, there is no right to speak." Li Siming said.

"Well, this sentence is very insightful!" Ximan nodded in agreement.

"Of course, can the famous sayings of our country's leaders not be insightful?" Li Siming asked back.

Li Siming and others introduced Ximan to the private room. More than a dozen of his colleagues were already sitting in the private room, and there were also a few reporters. Everyone knew each other, but he found that there were still fewer reporters in heavyweight newspapers.

This McKenner Theater is one of the most advanced McKenner's companies. Its facilities are quite affordable in Hollywood, and of course it is not as good as those with luxurious facilities. There are five screening rooms, each screening room with about 500 seats. The private room is upstairs, with a small screen, and through the glass you can see the scene of the large screening room downstairs.

The film begins, but the beginning is a company logo that any film company will have. People can tell which company it belongs to from these famous logos such as lions. Of course, McKenner also has it, which was designed by Zeng Zhi volunteered to design: it was a golden dragon flying in the air, crossing the Great Wall, and spitting out a few words from McKenner Film Company.

"Wow, it's so majestic, so beautiful!" The Chinese in the screening room downstairs couldn't help but exclaim, and someone couldn't help but applaud. Zeng Zhi's face was filled with joy.

"Look at what you have been happy about. I really want to find a lid to cover your mouth!" Li Siming said in a low voice.

"You are jealous, absolutely jealous!" Zeng Zhi said.

Next is the main film, which is a Hitchcock-like suspense. It is said that one of the most popular jokes made by the suspense master Hitchcock is: when the elevator reaches the floor where he is going, he says to the people around him: "I don't believe it, just fired a shot, there is blood everywhere." After that, he walked out of the elevator and asked the people who stayed to guess all day long what he was talking about.

Before she arrived in Hollywood, Hitchcock was already famous for setting suspense in the film. He was originally an Englishman. He was born in the suburbs of London in 1899 and began to work in the film in 1920. His father, who was a fish wholesaler, was fond of delicious food. Whenever there were delicious food, he would call his son home from school for a big meal. After eating this way, he would eat Hitchcock into a big fat man. Not only did he have a special way to enjoy the delicious food, but he also had a different way of educating his son. When he was four or five years old, Hitchcock did something wrong. He thought his father would be furious as usual, so he was anxious and prepared to welcome his meal.

He was furious and scolded. But what was abnormal was that his father was calm and as long as he sent the letters to the local police chief. Along the way, Hitchcock didn't know what was in the letter, and he was nervous and worried. When he arrived at the police station, the police chief read the letter and locked him in a small dark room. Ten minutes later, the director released him and said to him: "This is the punishment for bad children." This incident has been lingering in Hitchcock's heart. Even after growing up, the feeling of guessing and wanting to know the result is still circling desperately in his mind. It finally appeared in the video made by Hitchcock.

The opening paragraph of the Shawshank Redemption is obviously a Hitchcock-like suspense: On a dim night, Andy slowly drove the car to the vicinity of his wife's lover's house, then drank, and a revolver that repeatedly appeared on the camera. His hands were bullets on the gun, but he did not explain who it was. The camera kept flashing the scene of Andy's wife having an affair with his lover. The audience began to worry.

Then there was a court trial, with Andy accusing him of killing his wife and lover. All the charges and evidence were against him, but he could not prove his innocence. So he was sentenced to two consecutive life imprisonment.

Andy in the picture, like a neighbor's elder brother, gives people a sense of honesty and reliable, which makes it difficult for people to associate him with the murderer.

Harrison Ximan had a smile on his lips. He was somewhat commendable for Li Siming's way of telling stories. This passage used editing to bring together things that happened at different times, which was very eye-catching and fascinating. However, he was very suspicious. Is this another old story of Chen Yuanzhaoxue? The original novel has not been published yet, so he certainly doesn't know what will happen next. In a sense, Li Siming's movie was filmed before the original novel was officially published.

Next is a long period of prison life, dark scenes, ruthless destruction, pervertedness, fighting and doing nothing to move the audience. "Talk faith to God and give my body to me." The warden's speech was very explicit, and his meaning was nothing more than "Here, you have no freedom, you must do anything unconditionally, and don't have any unrealistic fantasies, that belongs to God."

So a struggle about dignity and human nature begins, but in this struggle, the Redeemer is not God.

The first time was when he helped the prison guard Hadley evade taxes and won the reward of 3 bottles of beer for his inmates. When Hadley pinched his neck and wanted to push him down the stairs, the audience was worried: because the cold prison guard Hadley could definitely do such a thing. But Andy won, and you saw him smile for the first time. Because his inmates could all bask in the sun on the balcony and drink beer: like a free man.

The second time is the most exciting part of the film. Andy took the risk of playing the "Figaro's Wedding" record in the prison guard's office. "I don't understand what the two Italian ladies are singing. And I don't want to know. Some things are often unexpressed. I believe they are singing the most beautiful things in the world, so beautiful that they cannot be described in words, and so beautiful that they are heartbreaking. The singing is loud and elegant, so beautiful that it is so beautiful that it is impossible to refuse and intoxicate. It is like seeing a beautiful bird flying into a high wall, and she completely frees you from the sharks. At this moment, all Shawshank people have experienced the long-lost freedom!" At this time, Morgan Freeman's voiceover sounded. This time, andy's smile was a smile with a sense of victory. He used his value in the prison guard and the trust he gained accordingly to bring a feeling of freedom to his friends again - even for a moment.

"Wow, wow!" Some viewers couldn't help but applaud. The smile on the corner of Harrison Sheeman's mouth was gone. He was deeply moved. No movie has ever expressed the most glorious thing of human nature so vividly in a trivial story.

However, Tommy appeared and the plot also took a turn. The audience began to be happy for Andy because his injustice could be revealed, but the dark reality ruthlessly shattered their beautiful wishes. The director or screenwriter did not let the old plot appear.

"Will Andy commit suicide?" The audience has long regarded Andy's fate as part of himself, because there is someone else's mouth that he borrowed a piece of rope. Brooks (Lao Bu) from being released from prison to committing suicide with a rope is also a tear-jerking clip. He has been completely "institutionalized". He cannot adapt to life outside the prison, so he can only choose to hang himself. When he was imprisoned, the car had just appeared, and now the streets are full of cars that are rushing around. Andy's final hope of washing away the grievances was shattered, and choosing suicide was also a very natural choice.

But drama appeared. One day when I called the name early, Andy disappeared and flowed freely like air. When the camera escaped from prison, she pulled away from the surprised face of the prison and retreated into a long cave that seemed to never end (this shot will be permanently preserved by countless audiences), while the pleasure of revenge in the audience's chest was raised, it clapped again, this time even with long-term applause. Sensitive people even had tears of sadness or pleasure on their faces.

"It's so exciting, Li, thank you for making such a touching movie! I want to write one article for your movie, no, ten articles!" Harrison Ximan said excitedly by holding Li Siming's hand.

"No problem. If you want, you can watch it here a few more times!" Li Siming said. Someone took the initiative to show his attention, and of course he was very welcome.
Chapter completed!