Reborn Tech Maniac

Chapter 872 A bunch of snobs
During World War II, on the day of the Pearl Harbor incident, the Japanese army began to attack Hong Kong.

从1941年12月25日港督杨慕琦投降起，到1945年8月15日一本无条件投降为止的“三年零八个月”，即为香江沦陷时期。

The movie "The Fall of the Xiangjiang River" is based on this historical background, telling the tragic experience of the pawnshop owner Uncle Kai's family.

Hong Kong people living in a colony originally thought that the "sun never sets" empire would be able to protect them and keep them safe in troubled times, but they did not expect that the British, which was still too busy to take care of itself in Europe, suffered a more complete defeat, and even the governor of Hong Kong became a prisoner .

Uncle Kai's line in the movie "The British don't care about us anymore" can be regarded as a portrayal of the situation of Hong Kong people at that time.

The reason why Tang Huan let Wang Jing continue to operate this project is mainly to preserve the artistic effect of laughing with tears.

Mr. Richest Man was very short on time, so he asked Wu Yusen and Wang Jing to bring their own movies and come together.

It is precisely because Tang Huan once said that he will watch the movie in person when the time comes, these two famous Chinese directors are extra careful - especially Wang Jing still clearly remembers what the big boss specially explained at the beginning. The phrase "don't want 3rd grade movies".

……

After everything was set up, Tang Huan walked into the screening room and asked casually, "Who will come first?"

"It's better that I offer some advice." Wang Jing quickly replied.

Seeing that the fat man was feeling uneasy, Tang Huan nodded without saying much.

……

The movie "The Fall of Xiangjiang" begins with an old man returning from overseas to Hong Kong to visit a friend who is dying. The car passes by the Kowloon Butterfly Valley, which was once destroyed by a book and is now not worthy of the name.

……

When the Pacific War broke out, Xiangjiang was violently attacked by the Japanese army, and the shadow of the fall hangs over the residents here.

Kai Shu, a mean and mercenary pawn shop owner, has a good way of earning money and a wealthy family. He married an equally mean step-wife and has three daughters under his knees—Xindi, Wangdi, and Aidi.

Among them, Xindi and Wangdi are siblings of the same mother, while Aidi was born to their stepmother and aunt.

The eldest sister, Xindi, is cowardly and virtuous, and is often bullied by her stepmother and younger sister, who loves her brother; while the second sister, Wangdi, who has received a new type of education, is a new woman who is open-minded, defy power, dares to speak out, and often protects her sister Believers will not be bullied.

Uncle Kai, who is busy hiding his property, is tired of dealing with the entanglements between the four women. When they have conflicts, they basically have a friendly attitude and keep laughing.

The scene of the movie is not grand, that is, the scope of a street, but it meticulously depicts various social mentalities under the temporary peaceful appearance before the flames of war are about to spread.

Soon, the Japanese army occupied the New Territories and Kowloon, crossed Victoria Harbor, and attacked Hong Kong Island; the British army was defeated across the board, the Governor of Hong Kong handed over the letter of surrender to the Peninsula Hotel, the magnificent HSBC headquarters was occupied, and the iconic bronze statue at the entrance was removed... …

Under the changing color of the world, the lives of ordinary people immediately fell into dire straits.

"I used to be a slave to the British, but now I'm a slave to someone else, it's no big deal..."

Under this kind of argument, the traitors appeared quickly and unsurprisingly.

People in Kaishu's pawnshop street were organized to welcome the imperial army into the city.

A pair of orphans and widows were shot dead on the spot because they accidentally blocked the road...

People who were trembling with fear of this kind of cruelty still hoped that "it has nothing to do with themselves and hangs high", but the disaster of burning, killing and looting has just begun.

For example, Uncle Kai's family was ransacked, and the youngest daughter, Aidi, was ruined...

Under the rule of one book, there is an unwritten rule: when citizens see Japanese soldiers on the street, no matter how far or near they are, they must bow at 90 degrees, otherwise they will be stopped, punched and kicked at least, and killed at worst disaster.

If this oppression can be tolerated, then the problem of food shortage will not let the "obedient people" go.

RB quota rationing only allowed each person to buy six taels of white rice per day, causing many people to starve to death.

In order to survive, Uncle Kai decided to become a traitor—but he was late.

In order to please one person, Uncle Kai gave Xindi to Dazuo to enjoy, in exchange for the qualification to be a traitor.

While the family was eating the chicken and rice that Xindi exchanged for, Wangdi, who happened to participate in the resistance movement, came back.She asked angrily, "Can you swallow it?".

Uncle Kai thought that if he continued to be a traitor in this way, he would be able to live on.But he soon discovered that his wife was also enjoyed by the imperial army.

Still in order to survive, Uncle Kai used "Which one of the houses on this street is not like this" as a psychological comfort, and endured it.

It wasn't until Wangdi came home once that he accidentally bumped into the chief who was enjoying himself, which attracted covetousness, a conflict broke out, and finally a major event such as a person being killed and his head lost, Uncle Kai was aroused.

……

Seeing how Luo Jiaying played the ridiculous, hateful and pitiable Uncle Kai on the screen so profoundly, Tang Huan couldn't help but sincerely admired: "It turns out that he is not only as brilliant as Tang Seng!"

Wang Jing, who had been paying attention to the boss's reaction, asked curiously, "Does Tang Sheng also know about the "Moonlight Treasure Box" series released by Xiangjiang earlier this year?"

Of course Tang Huan knew about this work that had been over-interpreted in time and space. He smiled and replied casually, "Why did I hear that Zhou Xingchi was so disheartened that he planned to close down the film company he opened only a few years ago?"

"He is very smart." Wang Jing smiled, "Anyway, it is very simple to open another company."

Tang Huan glanced at Fatty and changed the subject.

At this time, "The Fall of the Xiangjiang River" has already played to the end - Uncle Kai's family is completely ruined, and the ending of the three daughters is embarrassing.

In the last scene, the camera returned to the vicissitudes of the old man's face in the peaceful era at the beginning.

……

"Isn't this a good shot?" Tang Huan praised.

Wang Jing replied with a sad face: "There are not many audiences in Xiangjiang who are willing to watch this type of movie, let alone Baodao."

"So, you have devoted yourself to the great cause of limited films?" Tang Huan joked: "Are you short of money now?"

"Tang Sheng, you haven't been to Xiangjiang for a long time. I don't know how much the price has risen there." Wang Jing explained with a smile: "Those types of films are not only profitable in the market, but also easier to operate."

"I can still understand your life pressure. After all, the Gini coefficient, which represents the fairness of annual income distribution, is about to break through 0.5." Tang Huan nodded slightly, letting go of the wretched fat man.

He continued: "Don't feel pressured by the commercial performance of "The Fall of the Xiangjiang River". Uncle Liu and I have a different style of work—sometimes even if we lose money, it doesn't matter. Money can't buy it, I'm happy!"

Seeing the boss speak so bluntly, Wang Jing was completely relieved, and then had the time to turn the topic to Wu Yusen's "Windtalker".

After Wu Yusen came to Hollywood, he made unimaginable efforts in adapting to various environmental changes, including different working methods. Tang Huan was very satisfied with this performance, so he took over the filming of the film with a budget of 5000 million US dollars. "Wind Whisperer" can be regarded as the most powerful support for him.

Although "Wind Talker" also has a profound theme, it is obviously different from the heaviness of "The Fall of Xiangjiang", so Tang Huan did not give it too much political mission, just shoot with real skills.

The implication here is to cut off those old-fashioned constraints of Hollywood as much as possible, and give Wu Yusen room to display his strengths.

It is of course very important to do this. Although Wu Yusen has worked hard in the industry for more than 20 years, it is impossible that he cannot control the crew, but no matter where he is, there are always some bullies who deliberately create trouble in order to increase their presence.

"Wind Talker" is of even greater significance to Wu Yusen's personal career. This is the first big cast that he has been independently responsible for since he entered Hollywood.

Before the start of the movie, Tang Huan asked casually, "How is the team management going?"

"I hold the Shangfang sword in my hand, and of course I command the world, and I dare not refuse." After Wu Yusen finished his compliment, he added deliberately, "The Italians also know how to be flexible."

The star of "Windtalker" is Nicolas Cage. Although he changed his name to pretend to be low-key, the fact remains that his uncle is Francis Coppola, the famous director who created the epic trilogy of "The Godfather", and Coppola The Ra family has a long history in the film field.

Tang Huan nodded slightly, "Since the filming is agreed, the next work, you continue to cooperate."

……

In modern warfare, the status of communication codes has become extremely important.

The Japanese army who attacked Pearl Harbor came naturally prepared—in the early days of the Pacific War, they could always use various methods to decipher the codes of the US military, which made their opponents suffer on the battlefield.

In order to change this passive situation, in 1942, the U.S. military took advantage of the difficulty of learning and understanding the Navajo language. Based on it, it established a communication terminology system and recruited a number of Navajos to join the Marine Corps for training. , in order to use the new password on the battlefield to reduce the possibility of the US military's communications being cracked by the Japanese army.

It was in this context that Ben Yaghi, from the same Navajo tribe, and longtime friend Charlie Whitehorse, trained to become Marine Corps codebreakers.

These secret weapons called "Wind Whisperers" carry the top secrets of the US military, so each codebreaker is personally protected by a soldier; on the other hand, if it is unfortunately captured by the enemy, the bodyguard must kill They, so as not to be tortured to find out the cracking method.

Corporal Joe Anders, played by Nicolas Cage, is a wounded evacuation from the battlefield. A squad he led before was surrounded by the Japanese army in the Solomon Islands because the communication code was cracked. His left ear was also deafened by a grenade.

Joe Anders, who was recovering from physical and psychological suffering due to the tragedy, passed the test with the help of nurse Rita, rejoined the army, was promoted to sergeant, and was assigned to serve as the bodyguard of "Windtalker" , form a team with Ben Yaghi; and the bodyguard of the white horse is another sergeant-Peter Anderson.

Compared with the harmonious relationship between Charlie White Horse and Peter Anderson, Joe Anders, who has experienced life and death many times in battle, is unwilling to suffer the pain of losing his comrades again. Yaghi is nonchalant.

Ever since, a passionate story about friendship and military responsibility unfolded in the world of gunpowder and fighting.

In the summer of 1944, on the European battlefield, the Allied forces implemented the largest amphibious landing operation in history - the Normandy landing; on the Pacific battlefield, the US military used the largest fleet in history to attack the Mariana Islands - the Battle of Saipan break out.

Ben Yaghi and Joe Anders, Charlie Whitehorse and Peter Anderson, the troops of these two teams, were sent as the vanguard of the entire division to participate in the beach landing operation in the Battle of Saipan.

In the hail of bullets, Ben Yaghi and Charlie White saw the true cruelty of blood and fire for the first time.They transferred the coordinates of Japanese troops and facilities to naval ships in the offshore through Navajo language for fire support, thus capturing the beachhead and advancing toward the north of the island.

However, in a subsequent operation passing through the Japanese positions, the troops were mistakenly attacked by their own artillery as the enemy because they came to the wrong position, and Ben Yaghi's radio was also damaged, so he could not ask for an abort of the shelling.

In the case of friendly bombing later and Japanese strafing ahead, the troops suffered heavy casualties within minutes.

When it was necessary to sneak into the enemy barracks to find a usable radio, Ben Yaji, who looked like an Asian, picked up Japanese military uniforms, pretended to be a soldier, and escorted Joe Anders, who was disguised as a prisoner of war, into the Japanese camp. The task was completed dangerously and dangerously.

After the battle, Ban Yaji was sent back to the headquarters to report the battle situation. The troops camped in a seemingly safe village, but they were raided by the Japanese army.

In the tenacious struggle, Peter Anderson was beheaded by the enemy in order to protect Charlie White Horse. Charlie White Horse was recognized as a codec and was about to be captured.

Joe Anders must fulfill his military duty to protect the code and kill fellow soldier Charlie Whitehorse.

After the two communicated in secret, Joe Anders, who had run out of bullets, threw a grenade, killing Charlie White Horse and a soldier.

After Ben Yaji returned to the front line, Joe Anders said this in a daze.The grieving Ben Yaji could not forgive Joe Anders, and there was a rift between them.

The brutal war continues.

The team performed a reconnaissance mission, but accidentally entered a minefield laid by the enemy in the mountainous area. At the same time, it was ambushed and had difficulty escaping from the killing zone. At this time, the Japanese artillery fire on the mountain began to hit the large American troops passing by the mountain.

Ben Yaghi and Joe Anders were both shot trying to recover a lost radio.Under the cover of his teammates, Joe Anders, who was shot in the chest, carried Ben Yaghi, who was injured in the leg, to a safe place, and asked him to use the radio to instruct the air force to bomb the hidden Japanese artillery, and finally rescued the American army. force.

Joe Anders, who had lost too much blood at this time, told Ben Yaghi that he was forced to kill Charlie White Horse reluctantly because he wanted to protect the password.

Then Joe Anders took his last breath before the eyes of a tearful Ben Yaghi.

The film comes to an end-the war is over, the demobilized Ben Yaghi returns to Arizona, goes to Monument Valley with his wife and young son, holds Joe Anders' military registration card, and performs the Navajo ceremony, In memory of the savior.

At the same time, the film explains that these Navajo codes were one of the key factors for the US military to win the Pacific War, and they were not cracked until the end of the war.

……

Wang Jing, who frequently spoofed "The True Colors of Heroes" in "Chasing Girls in Hardcover", applauded and gave thumbs up to express her admiration for John Woo.

"That's the taste!" Tang Huan also greatly appreciated it, and at the same time he murmured to himself - "Windtalker" was released several years earlier than the original time and space, and it caught up with the trend of commemorating the [-]th anniversary of the end of World War II. Looking at this in the American media How can a bunch of snobs still complain?
After being polite for a while, Wu Yusen worried: "Some violent scenes may make this movie rated as NC-17, which will affect the box office."

"Let's work as best as possible first." Tang Daheng, who was fully supporting the other party, waved his hands disapprovingly, "I don't think there is any need to make any deletions on the camera."

Wang Jing patted Wu Yusen and joked, "With Tang Sheng's strong support, what are you worried about?"

……

It took half a day, and after finishing the movie, Mr. Richest Man, who can be regarded as relaxed, started to leave for Europe to attend the 50th anniversary celebration of Russia's huge victory in the Great Patriotic War.

And on this grand occasion that included the leaders of all major countries, some snobbish details of etiquette could not help but make Tang Huan feel a sense of urgency.

(End of this chapter)