"Frankly speaking, the film is basically not bad, but the depiction of the royal family is too much and piecemeal. It might have been better with a different director, because Angela's identity makes these depictions not completely convincing." The newspaper said so.
"I think this should be the best film directed by Angela after The Pianist. There are not many people who can put real things on the big screen while being impartial." This British film website article on .
To put it simply, different parties interpret the film from their own perspectives, and then have their own opinions and discussions - who made this a political film and involved real characters.
In this way, the curiosity of the public has been greatly raised, so when "The Queen" was released after the New Year, it was as popular in the UK as those big productions, and even Blair took the time to take the whole family to go there. Movie theaters.
"It's relatively very objective, although there are still some small flaws, but no one can deny that Miss Angela has done a great job." Blair commented after watching the movie, although Mrs. Blair couldn't help but muttered a few words "for the royal family" Too much portrayal", or something like that, I still admit that the experiences of my husband in the movie are still very faithful to the facts.
As for the royal family, it is quite low-key. If it hadn't been asked by reporters at a regular meeting, the royal family spokesman might not have mentioned it at all. Even so, it was only perfunctory with "this is a relatively objective and fair film", but it was reported that the Queen had watched the film alone in Buckingham Palace, and the spokesperson neither admitted nor denied it when asked.
Despite this, the film has been well received by the British public. Mainly because there are not many scenes related to Princess Diana, and they are all edited from documentaries. In addition, the film itself did not favor either side, but only showed the facts that had happened that they could know, so they were easy to accept.
"But there is one more point. This is the first time Her Majesty has made concessions to the people in family affairs. Subconsciously, everyone likes to reminisce." Angela said to the old man half-jokingly when he was in the grandfather's manor.
Grandpa shook his head with a smile, and said seriously: "Anyway, everyone thinks this is a very good movie."
No matter how quarreling various views, there is one thing they all agree on, and that is the view in the earliest "Hollywood Reporter": the best interpretation of the word "compromise"! The Queen's change and Blair's change are all driven by the details. Although the narrative is slightly flawed, it calmly explains the theme clearly and impressively, such as the Queen's unmarked grief over the hunted stag, or Blair's hesitation in choosing which side to support. .
Angela smiled and accepted the old man's praise calmly. Unlike before, this time she accepted it with peace of mind.
Except that the frame and outline are similar to the film in memory, she has reframed the other contents. After all, Angela has experienced the whole thing first-hand, and 70% of the content belongs to her own work.
It is a pity that although the American media gave this film a high evaluation and most of it was praised, the North American box office in the first week was only more than 15 million, not even one-tenth of "Transformers". If it weren't for Angela's directing, this number might have dropped a lot.
"The numbers are completely within the acceptable range. After all, it is very good that such a movie can be released in 2,000 theaters, unless the cost is not counted." Angela said when she returned to Los Angeles to talk with Ed, "Don't worry, I believe that the European box office alone is enough to cover the cost, so you can make a lot of money - isn't that the style of your work?"
"You can really talk, Ed, so be it." Angela said as she pushed open the door of her study.
Throwing the phone in her hand onto the bed, she took a few steps to the window and stretched out to face the bright sunshine in Los Angeles in the winter, then turned to look at a data cabinet in the corner of the room.
The filming of "Queen" didn't teach her much technically, but only allowed her to contemplate and consolidate what she had learned before when re-framing. However, the film puts the final piece of the puzzle in her plan. The reason why she felt inappropriate when writing the script was because she had put in too many personal emotions but was unwilling to compromise and give up.
Angela walked to the information cabinet and opened it. It was filled with the materials she had collected in layers, and even many of the documents were a little yellowish. In addition to the copy of the manuscript of the previous "Rabe Diary", the copy of the manuscript of "Weitling's Diary" and the materials of the Nanjing International Security Zone at that time, etc., there are more personal information of Han Xianglin, and many services for the security zone. There are even those who are not members of the International Security Zone but set up refugee camps in the Jiangnan Cement Plant on the outskirts of Nanjing to protect Chinese refugees, the Danes Bernhal Alp Sindberg and the German Karl King special information.
Every time I open it, there is always a heavy feeling blowing in my face, and it seems that even my breathing is slightly unsmooth.
"Finally it's about to start." Angela murmured while looking at these materials. At this moment, she finally understood how Spielberg felt, and finally understood why he was getting the adaptation of "Schindler's List". Quan Hou did not put it on the screen ten years later, and the feeling of sincerity and fear was so heavy.
"It's been almost ten years if you want to count from 1993." Angela's finger slid lightly on the document, and then closed her eyes, "It's finally about to start, finish it, and then... we both clear !"
The winter sun in February shrouded this modern city. If it weren't for the obvious oriental-style monuments, if it weren't for the rare surging people on the streets, it was not much different from other big cities in the world.
In the clean and bright restaurant, a somewhat comical chicken-duck drama is being staged.
"It's juice... its juice is abalone, that's it..." A somewhat awkward pronunciation came out of the mouth of a woman with long black hair looking at the menu. She looked like she was in her thirties, with a round face and an oriental Flavorful features. Apparently Chinese women speak inarticulate Chinese, so it's no wonder that other guests look at them.
"Is there anything I need?" the waitress asked in the same awkward English.
The woman who had worked hard a few more times couldn't help but glared at her companion who was covering her mouth and snickering. She had long soft golden brown hair and bright green eyes. At first glance, she knew that she was a typical Western woman, but she was distinct. The facial features have an indescribable ambiguity of an oriental woman.
"Okay, Angela, I'm giving up, it's up to you to do it." The woman sighed, and reluctantly handed the Laidan to her companion, saying this in fluent English.
"You really don't plan to try again, Alice?" Angela asked sarcastically. Seeing the other party's helpless and self-deprecating look, she put away her joking thoughts, and hurriedly checked the menu before answering in Chinese. The waiter said, "One portion each of chicken soup dumplings, boiled dried shreds and beef pot stickers, thank you."
At the end, she added with a smile: "If you can, please don't be so surprised, okay?"
The waitress immediately closed her mouth and hurriedly left, but after walking inside, she still couldn't help but secretly glanced back. After all, an oriental woman who was obviously Chinese was very awkward in Chinese, while the western woman who was her companion had a However, she is very fluent in Chinese, and will attract all kinds of curious eyes wherever she goes.
Although the two people at the dining table were used to this kind of look, the oriental woman called Alice still smiled wryly and sighed: "It's really depressing, as a Chinese, my Chinese is far worse than yours. many."
"Okay, Alice, you said it yourself, that's because you stayed in China for a long time." Angela said comfortingly, "Learning a language requires an environment, and when you don't know it, it's not because you have been in China for a while. Can we communicate?"
"Frankly speaking, I'm not as fluent as you when I say it best." Alice shook her head, then remembered something, "By the way, you said this is your second time in China, right? Then why is it still possible? How about maintaining such a fluent Chinese?"
"That's because..." Angela shrugged, "I often listen to Chinese songs and talk to my grandma in Chinese, and I often go to Chinatown. I told you that my Chinese was taught by my grandma."
Just when the dishes came up, Angela quickly changed the subject: "Okay, let's eat, we're still short on time."
After lunch, the two rushed to the Holocaust Museum, the last stop of their Nanjing trip. Of course, Angela still let the bodyguards who followed him stay outside.
"Hello, Director Xu, this is my friend, Miss Angela Mason, and the sponsor of the documentary the year before." Alice and a gray-haired old man introduced Angela in English, "This time she I wanted to remake a movie about the Holocaust, so I came to Nanjing to find out some first-hand information."
"Welcome to Nanjing, Miss Mason," the old man smiled and shook hands with Angela, "We are very grateful to enthusiastic people like you and Chunru, and we will provide any help we can."
"Thank you, Mr. Xu." Angela nodded and said in Chinese.
"You speak Chinese very well." Director Xu was slightly surprised.
"I learned from my grandmother, she is half Chinese," Angela paused here before continuing, "In fact, in the 1930s, she spent time at Jinling Women's University. But She was very young at the time, had a vague impression of Nanjing, and had returned to the United States before the disaster."
"That's it." The old man didn't ask any further, and made a gesture to the secretary next to him: "Xiao Chen, take these two ladies to the archives, and tell Director Yu of the management office about the relevant situation."
"Okay, Mr. Xu," the other party nodded, and then gestured to Angela and Alice, "please come with me."
"You never told me that your grandma once stayed at Jinling University." Alice whispered in Angela's ear when she went to the archives.
"As I said just now, she was very young at that time, and her impressions were vague, and she returned to the United States with her great-grandfather and great-grandmother as soon as the war broke out." Angela shrugged, and then added: "However, according to grandma's recollection , My great-grandfather and great-grandmother met at Jinling Women's University."
Alice thought for a few minutes before asking again, "That's probably one of the reasons you made Rabe's Diary."
"That's right." Angela answered noncommittally, and after noticing Secretary Chen's expression, she made a gesture to Alice, who immediately closed her mouth.
After arriving at the archives, the two quickly completed the formalities under the leadership of Secretary Chen.
"You can check it out this time. If you have any questions, you can ask Ms. Liu, but no later than 16:30, because we will be closed at that time." The young secretary explained with all his heart.
"Thank you, we understand." Angela nodded, although Alice by her side had been here more than once, but she still did not reject the other party's kindness.
"Then, farewell." Secretary Chen said, but did not leave immediately. He frowned slightly and seemed to want to say something, but after hesitating for a while, he finally gave up.
"He won't recognize you, will he?" Alice was a little worried.
"No," Angela didn't take it to heart. "It's not like the United States. Although I also have a good reputation, it's not so easy to be recognized. Besides, Easterners look at Westerners and Westerners look at them. Like Orientals, unless they are very familiar, it is difficult to recognize each other, not to mention I don't have makeup."
Having said that, she took off her coat and hung it on the chair, then patted Alice's arm: "Okay, don't worry about that, even if you recognize it, it doesn't matter, let's focus on this. Well, we only have about 3 hours, we have to hurry up."
Frankly speaking, to find information, Angela does not need to go to Nanjing to go to the Holocaust Museum in person. The information in some libraries in the United States is much more detailed than here, but most of them are kept on the shelf and have never been turned over. It's just that you can look at different records for comparison, and secondly, you can experience the on-site tour and see if it is possible to shoot on-site at that time.
So Angela asked Alice Zhang to go with her. After the book was published, the other party went to Nanjing and related places to find evidence and materials several times. If it wasn't for the past two years, she had been recuperating at home due to illness, maybe she was still in the Pacific Ocean. Running on both sides.
With her there, unnecessary waste has been greatly reduced. Alice knew very well which counties and cities had local chronicles worth seeing, and which areas had survivors at that time. And because she used to come here often to collect evidence, she is very familiar with many people, and it is very convenient to visit and inquire, just like when she came to the museum before.
"Today's efficiency is very high, and everything that is needed is recorded. Let me take a look. If there is no omission, I will make a copy after the library opens tomorrow, and then we can go back."
Angela turned over the small book in her hand that recorded the names of the materials she needed, with a slight excitement in her tone.
The winter has not yet completely passed, and the sky is still dark early, so at this time, the city of Nanjing is already in the beginning of the lanterns, and she has to rely on the lights of the street lamps to see it clearly.
"Let's go back to the hotel and see, the light here is not good." Alice said next to her, her voice was much lower than before, and her face was a little more tired and dazed.
Angela, who was keenly aware of this, immediately frowned: "Are you all right, Alice?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Alice forced a smile.
Angela stared at her for a long time, and then said solemnly: "Listen, the reason why I invited you to accompany me is because three professors have issued certificates to prove that your depression is almost better, I don't want it because of this trip. Travel gets you into trouble again."
"I'm fine, Angela, it's really fine." Alice raised her hands and said seriously, "Speaking of which, I would also like to thank you. If you hadn't recommended Professor Balfe, maybe I would have..."
She didn't say any more, and Angela didn't continue. After thinking about it, she suggested: "Or, let Baket change the plane ticket, and we take time to go to the Confucius Temple and Xuanwu Lake? All the way to Nanjing in a hurry, I haven't seen any scenery."
"It's better to go back, after all, you still have something to do, don't you?" Alice shook her head, "such as various visits and activities, and canvassing tickets for your own movie."
Having said this, she suddenly sighed, looked at Angela after hesitating and said, "Frankly, I hope you can win the best director this time."
"Oh?" Angela raised her eyebrows.
"Although you funded me to make that book into a documentary last year and let Pixar distribute it, the impact was still too limited, and I was still saddled with..." She smiled wryly and made several gestures.
Angela knew what she wanted to say. After the book was released, many people with ulterior motives attacked her from various aspects, either saying that she was not a professional or questioning the source of information, etc. Depression was also partly caused by this.
"Don't worry about it, the more you do this, the happier they will be." Angela said comfortingly.
Alice smiled, and then continued: "I hope you can get the best director, although you have enough influence, but if you wear the Oscar for best director to direct this movie, I believe it will arouse More people pay attention, and this humanitarian disaster can be better displayed in front of everyone - am I being greedy?"
"No, not at all," Angela shook her head, "I can understand your mood, it was the same as when I first read "The Diary of Rabe" and directed "The Pianist"."
Saying this, she smiled and patted the other person's shoulder: "Don't think so much, if the jury wants to give it to me, it will be given to me. Well, let's find a place to have dinner first - I'm drooling again thinking about those snacks. It's over—then go back to the hotel and have a good rest, and have a tail to clean up tomorrow."