The wet road became slippery after a light rain, but this did not affect the laying of the red carpet and the enthusiasm of all the people attending the film festival. And the reporters set up their cameras early and waited to shoot - no matter what country they are in, no matter what awards ceremony they are in, they will be there.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom II luxury car stopped in front of the red carpet, and the reporter who was still photographing other people suddenly turned the camera at the door. Although there are many RVs in Cannes, there is only one Rolls-Royce Phantom II that can be extended.
Angela, who was wearing a purple long-sleeved round-neck evening dress in the flash of flashing lights, walked out of the car, smiling and maintaining her unique demeanor as elegant as before. She has participated in countless similar activities. She has already made waves. Not surprised. Angela originally wanted to wear a women's suit, but considering that this is her first time participating in the Cannes Film Festival, forget it.
Questions such as "Miss Angela, may I ask..." came one after another among the reporters, and everyone wanted to get something out of her mouth. The difference is that the reporters from the United States and the United Kingdom focused their questions on The Pianist, while the reporters from the European continent basically focused on The Lord of the Rings from New Zealand. Why this is so... It goes without saying.
"The Cannes Film Festival is a prestigious festival in film history, and it's a place that everyone should come to see, both as a director and as an actor - even if it's just a tour. So here I am with a fairly new film."
"You should ask the judges about this. The decision is in their hands, right?"
"About the Halloween parade in '98, which I'll explain later, it's clearly not the time to talk about that."
Angela dealt with reporters with ease, even if these guys took the pictures of the Halloween parade that just appeared on the Internet, she was pushed away lightly by her. Admittedly, these fans really have perseverance. I thought that two years ago Ordinary news clips may not be remembered even if someone recorded them, but they were turned out unexpectedly.
In this way, Angela walked towards the venue while answering the reporter's question ambiguously, occasionally greeting people she knew. There were already quite a few people sitting in the venue at this time. Angela quickly found her place. After saying hello to Ed and the others, she turned her head and looked at the crowd around her. Looking around, she would find several familiar faces belonging to Hollywood from time to time, such as Cannes regular Uma Ser. Mann or Gerald Padillo, Morgan Freeman, etc.
Next to the North America area is the Western Europe area, with people from the entertainment circles in France, Spain, the United Kingdom, etc., but unfortunately I couldn't see Sophie's delicate face; the Nordic area was next to it, and Asia was on the far right of the venue. .
Angela was a little ecstatic. The crew of "In the Mood for Love", "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", and "The Devil Is Coming" should all be there. Yesterday afternoon, I had a brief chat with Jiang Wen about that topic, and then I left after greeting me. Perhaps the reason why we didn't discuss it any further was the same as the feeling of seeing Mr. Li and Miss Zhang.
In the end, it's still that question, the question that I can't answer right now. And what I want to do, my goal has to face it, really... Angela, who realized that she was thinking too much, shook her head, recovered her attention and focused her attention on the stage, the 53rd Cannes Film The award ceremony of the festival has officially started.
Compared with the Oscars or several other film festivals, Cannes probably has the fewest awards, such as screenwriting awards, photography awards, short film awards, technical awards and so on. The most valuable ones are directors, actors and actresses, and the Palme d'Or - the actor awards of the three major European film festivals have no protagonist and supporting roles. Of course, most of the winners are the protagonists.
Interestingly, it is extremely rare for a film to win two awards at the same time, especially for actors and directors. A few years ago, it was because "Farewell My Concubine" won the Palme d'Or that Leslie Cheung missed the best actor. Although it was rumored that he was defeated by one vote, the apology of a certain judge revealed the secret: because "Farewell My Concubine" won the Palme d'Or, so it's really inappropriate for the male lead to get the same movie!
It can't be said that the judges are unfair, it's just... This is obviously suspected of dividing pork. Of course, it can be said that the purpose of the Cannes Film Festival is to support different countries to assist their producers and the development of the film industry, but this suspicion cannot escape no matter what.
And everyone in the know knows that the key to awarding awards is not whether the film is worth it, but it depends on the person. Cannes is a festival, a party, not a real competition. So thinking that "The Pianist" only competes with the director and the Palme d'Or, Angela knows that her guess is very likely to be correct, as long as she waits for the award to be confirmed. What makes her wonder is, is this a coincidence or is Ed and the others on purpose
The awards were issued in turn, and the winners came from all over the world, such as the United States, France, Iran and so on. The Chinese became the biggest winners of the night. Jiang Wen and Maggie Cheung won the best actor and actress, while Taiwan's Yang Dechang won the best director, and the jury award was awarded to "The Devil is Coming" - Jiang Wenneng won two and the jury award. The nature of consolation is not unrelated. Although this award is called the Silver Palm by the outside world, it has not changed in essence, and the judges have never been stingy with consolation awards.
Losing in the director did not affect Angela's mood, after all, there was still a Palme d'Or. Although it is said that the Palme d'Or is the best film in Cannes, it can be awarded to the director who directed it, not the film company that produced it, so it is not an exaggeration to say that it is a comprehensive award for the best film and the best director.
"Even though I've spent a few nights in Cannes, the most beautiful one is tonight. Well, I know everyone is a little impatient at the moment, don't worry, I'll announce the answer." Besson smiled and shook the envelope in his hand and began to open it. Angela felt that when he was scanning the venue, he seemed to smile when his eyes fell on himself sitting in the front row. If this is not an illusion, I can only say...
"The Pianist, Angela Mason!" Luc Besson read out loudly. After the uproar in the venue, there was still applause. It was a little sparse at first, but it got warmer later.
Although Angela was a little excited when she heard her name, she immediately became disillusioned. He obviously guessed right. The Palme d'Or for "The Pianist" was nothing but a struggle between European filmmakers and North American filmmakers.
This does not mean that the judges are unfair, after all, the value of "The Pianist" is obvious. It's just that this kind of thought will definitely lead the judges, especially the judges of European filmmakers: Didn't the Oscars refuse to award the best director to Miss Talent? Then it's up to Cannes to affirm her, she has indeed made an astonishing achievement.
When she thought that winning the Golden Palm was more due to the turmoil last year and the unintentional fueling of the Film Academy, Angela was extremely depressed. Fortunately, she hadn't forgotten to go up to receive the award.
"I admit I'm surprised," Angela had regained her composure when she took the box containing the golden palm leaf trophy from Besson. "It's an exciting time, thank you everyone. Thank you all."
After giving a brief speech in French and hugging Besson again, Angela walked off the stage and returned to her place. After adjusting my thoughts, I was relieved. Anyway, they are all divided into pork. At best, the objects are strictly and carefully selected. The film "The Pianist" itself is also worthy of the Palme d'Or trophy.
"Congratulations, Angie, this is the Palme d'Or." After Angela returned to his position, Ed stood up and hugged her with a smile, "The youngest Palme d'Or winner in history, I am afraid no one can get the title. Robbed."
"You brought The Pianist to the exhibition on purpose, Ed?" Angela asked calmly.
"Of course. It is important to know that participating in film festivals will help to increase the popularity of the film, especially in Europe. Although this film is well known because of you, it will take some effort for Europeans to pay for it. ." Ed shrugged, "Although the North American box office has barely recovered its cost, why not do it if it can make more money?"
"Apart from this?" Angela raised her eyebrows, and the word "honesty" was clearly written on her face.
Ed raised his hand slightly, as if he couldn't hide anything from you: "Since Oscar is so stingy, it's not bad to come to Cannes. It turns out that my decision is correct, these judges are not good for your film. Full of praise, and now they have won the Palme d’Or, it’s hard to imagine that last year they still…”
He made a gesture and didn't say any more, and Angela didn't ask any further. Ed obviously thought the same as her. It's just that these things can't be said on the table, and with the Palme d'Or award to The Pianist, the turmoil must be revealed.
After the awards party, Angela declined invitations to several parties and went back to the hotel directly. She has to fly back to New Zealand tomorrow afternoon, so it is necessary to take time to rest. It's just that when she was lying on the bed, she couldn't fall asleep. She was always reminiscing about that feeling of lethargy, and then looked at the ceiling and occasionally smiled bitterly.
The three major film festivals, or the Oscars, no matter how fair and just they are on the surface, they still have their own rules. For example, Venice pays attention to jerky literary films, while Berlin pays attention to ideology. Although Cannes wanders between commercial and literary films, it prefers European films. As for the Oscars, American movies will always dominate.
If you want to go deeper into the analysis, you will draw a graph that even the best analyst can see. Think about the film school judges who would rather award Brody for best actor than her best director; think about why the Palme d'Or was awarded to The Pianist.
But knowing that this was the case, Angela had to continue to fight for it. Because she can profit from the badge of honor and the corresponding publicity from the judges, the same judges can use the excellent film to maintain the gold content of the event and their own authority, which is a win-win situation - even those who Most of the honor does not belong to oneself.
Because she has goals that she must accomplish, which has been decided long ago. So she can't go on passively, but take the initiative to use these conditions to achieve her goals, but...
Angela sighed deeply in her heart, and then put her hands on her face with exhaustion. Just who am I
In the helpless entanglement, she finally fell asleep.
The weather in Cannes on the second day was as sunny as always, and the light rain the day before did not affect the good weather. Angela asked people to pack up after getting up, and she didn't mind leaving early as long as the Sky was ready. However, God doesn't seem to want her to go too smoothly in Cannes, so she has to find something for her before leaving.
"It's just a 20-year-old woman, of course, The Pianist is good, but has she moved away from her usual means? No! Not at all! My "Dancer in the Darkness" is even better in this regard. Realistic! Get it? Realistically, the art of cinema has to get rid of that packaging to get back to that innocence, cleanliness, or die!"
Angela threw the Le Monde aside in disgust, and the headline in the entertainment section read: Famous director Lars von Trier expressed dissatisfaction with not winning the first prize for his film. This is so well done that some second-rate newspapers even run headlines like "Lars von Trier blasts youngest Palme d'Or winner Angela Mason".
"Don't worry about it, it's a habit for newspapers to exaggerate." Angela shrugged, "As for Von Trier, he's just an idiot and a lunatic, whatever he says, he can't be put in a mental hospital anyway. go in."
Saying that, she gestured for the hotel attendant to take her luggage to the car below. Ed, who brought the newspaper and planned to take her to the airport, frowned at this time, and only said after the waiter left: "It doesn't seem right to talk about a famous director in front of the waiter in the hotel?"
"So what, a famous director? Well, in those people's eyes he's a famous director; but in my eyes, he's a lunatic." Angela said as she walked out, making no secret of her disapproval of Von Trier of disgust.
Yes, disgust. After Luc Besson visited her, Angela deliberately searched through this guy's information, "Dancer in the Darkness" and the so-called DOG MA 95 oath, and recalled the memory of her previous life, And then there was nothing but disgust for this von Trier.
An obvious feature of his films is that they are unusually hypocritical, even to the point of being disgusting. The "Dancer in the Darkness" exhibited this time is a musical, and it should be a little hypocritical for musicals, but he can still shoot so hypocritical to the point of awkwardness.
Not to mention the so-called ridiculous DOG MA 95 vow to keep the movie pure, this guy is a total self-centered lunatic. Angela still remembers that in a previous life, this guy once said something like "I am the best director in the world". As soon as he starts shooting he thinks he is God—not the God of the movie being shot, but the God of the entire human world. The level of arrogance is evident.
Such people are not uncommon in history, such as Adolf Hitler decades ago or Russia's steel leader.
So Angela is too lazy to pay attention to it, isn't it too cheap to argue with a lunatic? It's a pity that although she thought so, the reporters didn't think so. As soon as she left the hotel door, she was surrounded by a lot of reporters.
"Miss Angela, what do you think of Mr. Von Trier's evaluation of you?"
"What do you think of Mr. von Trier's work, Miss Angela?"
"Do you agree with Mr. von Trier's pure film, Miss Angela?"
"Mr. von Trier told reporters this morning that what he said was the truth. If "The Pianist" hadn't used so many post-production techniques, it would have been better. Do you agree with this statement?"
Angela, who was about to get into the car under the protection of the bodyguard, finally stopped, she raised her eyebrows and glanced coldly at the surrounding reporters. It's okay to complain about von Trier's passing by the Palme d'Or because of his work. Why did he come out and point fingers at him? Who does he think he is
"Sorry, who are you talking about?" Angela asked deliberately.
"Lars von Trier, I thought you should know him." The French reporter was unable to turn the corner for a while.
"Lars von Trier? Oh, I thought his name was John Walmsley." Angela's words caused the reporters around to look at each other, who is John Walmsley? Fortunately, Miss Genius immediately cleared their confusion: "Oh no, what you say is a little flattering to Mr. John Walmsley, after all, this man led workers hundreds of years ago to break into Manchester's textile factory and smash machines. They don't understand what production relations are when they claim that machine guns have taken their jobs away."
These reporters are all human beings, and they couldn't hear what Angela was saying, and they all showed excited eyes.
"In every era, there are people who are always hostile and skeptical about new things—whether ideas, technologies, or whatever—they never think of taking the essence of the new things and getting rid of the dross. It is better to interpret your own thoughts, art or commodities in your hands.” Speaking of which, Angela smiled slightly and raised her chin, “History has long proven that those who stand still will be swept into the garbage sooner or later. go."
"As for the DOG MA 95 oath, even a few advocates can't fully do it themselves, so what qualifications do they have to point fingers at others? It will take a few years at most for this kind of inexplicable thing to be forgotten by people, and when a few decades later When an individual can make an interesting, beautiful or meaningful movie with a single computer, when he looks back, he will find how ridiculous this kind of oath is!" Angela glanced at the surrounding reporters again, " In my opinion, the reason why European cinema is sluggish is that there are too many directors like this gentleman, who like to make films with self-centeredness, as for the needs of the audience - what is that?"