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Chapter 177: So-called Freedom
🕑 Added 2024-12-06 17:08:37 +0000 UTC"Mr. Gibson, don't you think it's a bit excessive to portray William Wallace, a figure acknowledged as a traitor by Britain, as a hero?"
As soon as Mel Gibson stepped out of the premiere theater, he was surrounded by dozens of reporters. These people seemed to have been waiting for him specifically, with questions that were clearly well-prepared.
"Do you happen to have a particular fondness for traitors and informants?"
"Mr. Director, shouldn't you have checked the historical records before making the film? A film should at least align with basic historical facts, right?"
Naturally rebellious, Mel Gibson glared at the reporter who asked the question and coldly replied, "History is written by the victors..."
Before he could finish, his publicist tugged at him—comments like that should not be made in public.
The reporters became even more excited. A journalist from The Sun loudly asked, "Mel, are you implying that all of Britain's recorded history is fake? Do you think Scotland should be independent? Isn't it a bit much to publicly interfere in Britain's domestic affairs?"
"If history is written by the victors, does that mean American and British history never happened? That World War II never existed?"
The reporters seized the opportunity, bombarding Mel Gibson with leading questions. They were practically calling him a traitor and an informant.
Gibson clamped his mouth shut, refusing to answer any more of these sensitive questions. He only relaxed once he got into the car that had arrived to pick him up.
"Most of those reporters are from Warner, Disney, News Corporation, and some from Fleet Street," his publicist reminded him once the car door was closed. "Mel, the subject matter of your film is already quite sensitive. Although you're trying to generate buzz through controversy, you really shouldn't respond to questions like that."
Having spent many years battling it out in Hollywood, Gibson calmed down, realizing that the reporters had been trying to trap him in a public relations nightmare. Sometimes, these media traps had to be avoided.
"Damn bastards!"
His eyes stared through the car window in the direction of Hollywood. He was convinced that this situation had something to do with another production team.
"Kyle, have you received feedback on 'Saving Private Ryan's' premiere?" Gibson asked his assistant in the front seat. "What are people saying?"
"The film is still screening, but the audience has given two standing ovations so far."
Through the rearview mirror, the assistant could see that Gibson's face didn't look too good. "And the applause lasted quite a while both times."
"That doesn't mean anything!"
As an industry insider, Gibson knew very well that some productions planted people in the audience to lead applause and cheers at special moments in the film. He had even done it for his own movie. When William Wallace shouted "freedom," it was the plants who started the applause.
While such shouts would surely win over the Academy voters, their actual impact on the general audience was limited.
"Anything else?" he asked again.
"At the end of 'Saving Private Ryan,' the applause lasted over ten minutes." The assistant avoided looking at Gibson and relayed the truth. "Duke Rosenberg and Tom Hanks led the cast in taking four bows, but the audience still wouldn't leave."
"What?"
Gibson's face grew serious. Applause lasting that long and multiple bows couldn't be orchestrated by plants. There was only one explanation: the film had struck a deep emotional chord with the vast majority of the audience!
Could it be that the film was even better and more powerful than they had anticipated?
Later, lying in bed at home, Gibson was still pondering this possibility. Meanwhile, in distant Chicago, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, who had just left the theater, had already come to the same conclusion.
Having attended the test screening of 'Braveheart,' they opted for the midnight screening of 'Saving Private Ryan.' After watching it, they walked silently into the theater lobby, their faces tense.
"Is this really a Duke Rosenberg film?" Siskel couldn't help but break the silence first. "No car chases, no over-the-top explosions, no sharp editing... It doesn't look anything like his previous three films."
"But it is his film!" Ebert blinked, as if still recalling parts of the movie. "You must have noticed, Gene. There are a lot of explosion scenes in the film, some of which are entirely unnecessary. Who else but Duke Rosenberg would cram so many pointless explosions into a movie?"
"Michael Bay!"
Siskel seemed to be trying to lighten the mood with a joke. "Didn't someone say that the director of 'Bad Boys,' which premiered last month, was just copying Duke Rosenberg?"
"Let's focus on this film," Ebert nodded to the occasional fan who waved at him, speaking softly. "He's definitely grown as a filmmaker. We've all been laughing at him, but the reality is..."
"Duke Rosenberg didn't shy away from the bloodshed and violence of war, nor did he depict it from a strategic perspective. He focused on the most direct participants in war—the common soldiers. He reflected on war from their viewpoint, using the simplest and most straightforward approach to portray the realities of the battlefield."
Since this was a private conversation, Siskel didn't hold back his true thoughts. "No movie has ever depicted the brutality of war so directly. The bullets, the bloodshed, the screams... the realism of the scenes makes it hard to watch."
Nodding in agreement with his old friend, Ebert added, "The film's reflection on war is greatly elevated through its stark portrayal. The notions of justice and injustice seem incredibly fragile in the face of death. Duke Rosenberg also delves deep into human nature. The soldiers in the film are brave, cowardly, decisive, hesitant—war reveals all aspects of human nature. The film's profound impact and resonance will stay with audiences for a long time."
"Roger, how are we supposed to review this?" Siskel asked, clearly frustrated. "If we criticize it..."
"Don't criticize it. That'll only cause trouble for us." Ebert shook his head. "Don't forget, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. There are commemorative events happening worldwide, including in North America. The film's political stance and values are so correct that criticizing it would be a losing battle."
He looked at Siskel. "Ignore it. Neither praise nor criticize it. Pretend the film never existed."
"We really don't have any other choice."
As they got into the same car, Siskel changed the subject. "Mel Gibson is going to have a rough time during awards season."
They had both attended the test screening of 'Braveheart' and had spoken with Gibson, knowing that the ambitious Australian had his sights set not just on the summer box office but also on next year's awards season.
"From what I can tell..."
Despite the anger in his eyes directed at a certain director, Ebert's words were surprisingly calm. "If Duke Rosenberg were ten years older, with the timing of this film and its subject matter, not to mention his ethnic background, next year's Oscar for Best Director would definitely be his."
"But unfortunately..." His tone turned harsh. "We can stay silent now, but the awards season won't be silent!"
"Should we go all out to sabotage him then?"
Hearing Siskel's question, Ebert nodded slowly but firmly.
The black car drove through the streets of Chicago, heading toward the suburbs. On the way, they passed by an independent theater, which was still brightly lit. The midnight screenings were still drawing a large crowd.
Criswell, the owner of the theater, had to put in extra effort to run an independent cinema, especially on weekends when major productions were released. Often, he stayed until the early hours of the morning.
Tonight was no exception. Even though 'Saving Private Ryan' had finished screening, he wasn't ready to leave yet. Instead, he asked his staff to get feedback from the audience who had seen the two newly released films.
He had no other choice. As an independent theater owner, he couldn't afford to hire a professional survey company. If he wanted to adjust the screening schedule for the next day, he had to figure things out himself.
Standing near the exit of the theater, he listened to the audience's reactions.
"Great storyline, excellent actors, perfect visuals and sound—'Saving Private Ryan' is by far the best war movie!"
The first ones to leave were the audience from 'Saving Private Ryan.' Many looked exhausted, their eyes red, as if they had been crying.
"Damn... Duke Rosenberg, he made such an emotional movie—it made me cry!"
"I want to curse him too. He made such a war movie, how are we supposed to watch other war movies after this?"
"And Tom Hanks... the look in Captain Miller's eyes when he died—it still hurts my heart!"
An older viewer, calmer than the younger crowd, said, "A lot of movies claim to be powerhouses of collaboration, but they usually end up disappointing. This time, Duke Rosenberg and Tom Hanks delivered a true powerhouse collaboration!"
As he listened to the audience's genuine reactions, Criswell nodded repeatedly. Duke Rosenberg was clearly a box office guarantee for the summer season!
A few minutes later, the audience from 'Braveheart' began to leave.
"The film was okay, but it's a story about Scots—it doesn't really have much to do with us Americans."
One viewer shook his head and left, while another remarked, "Mel's performance was impressive, but his directing seemed average. The pacing was too slow and dragged on."
Finally, a man in his thirties commented, "The film's way of stirring emotions felt too forceful. We all know how important freedom is, but there was no need to shout it out like that. The 'freedom' shout felt so fake. It makes me want to vomit. In this land, I think the monkeys in the zoo are more real and free than the freedom shouted out exaggeratedly by William Wallace!"
After returning to his office, Criswell immediately called the sales manager in and said, "For next day's daytime screenings, the screening rate of Braveheart will be reduced by 10 percentage points compared to the original plan, and Saving Private Ryan will be increased by 10 percentage points!"
