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Chapter 166: The First Week Amid Protests
🕑 Added 2025-01-01 09:53:09 +0000 UTCThe Cannes Film Festival commenced on May 8, coinciding with the anniversary of the Allies' victory in World War II. As a result, the production team had to remain in Europe for over a week.
Of course, they didn't idle during this time. Instead, they traveled to major European cities for promotion. Paris, London, Rome, Madrid, and Berlin were among the stops on their itinerary.
Warner Bros., the overseas distributor, organized the entire schedule, including promotional events in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, after concluding the European tour.
This marked the first time the Gilbert production team ventured outside North America for promotion, signaling the growing international appeal of his films.
Although the Cannes Film Festival opened on May 8, the film had its simultaneous premiere in major markets across North America and Europe on May 4, a Friday.
Due to the time difference, European audiences got to watch the film several hours before their North American counterparts.
The extensive media coverage over the past few days, coupled with Gilbert's growing reputation in Europe, drove many European moviegoers to theaters.
In Paris, at a cinema near the iconic Champs-Élysées, lines of eager viewers stretched long.
They weren't there for a French film. Such a grand turnout had only one reason: a Hollywood blockbuster had hit French cinemas.
Although Gilbert's name wasn't as renowned as Spielberg or George Lucas, he still enjoyed considerable popularity among European audiences, particularly younger viewers who adored the equally young director.
Adrian and Claude had been fans of Gilbert in France since Speed. Over the years, as Gilbert gained more recognition, they organized a group of fans, forming Paris's first Gilbert fan club.
Whenever a Gilbert film premiered in France, they gathered their group to watch it together.
Claude, unaware of the media reports, enthusiastically recalled the last time he saw The Rock in theaters:
"I watched it three times, man! Mason was so cool. When I grow old, I want to be a super-cool old man like him!"
When describing something extraordinary, the French often add "super" for emphasis. Claude was no exception, passionately narrating his experience watching the film in theaters, making fans who missed it regret their choice.
"Will The Rock be re-released in theaters, Claude?" one fan asked.
"Probably not. But if you want to watch it, I can lend you my VHS copy. I bought it for my collection," Claude replied.
Adrian, seeing Claude's high expectations, decided to temper them:
"Claude, I heard this movie is pretty serious. You might be disappointed."
"Really?" Claude was skeptical.
Once inside the theater, Claude understood what Adrian meant. However, he wasn't disappointed. On the contrary, he was moved to tears by the end of the film.
Initially embarrassed, he quickly felt at ease seeing others in the same emotional state.
Meanwhile, in North America, watching Gilbert's latest summer blockbuster had become a tradition for many moviegoers, like a holiday ritual requiring a trip to the theater.
This year, Lewis was in Africa filming lions and couldn't return to North America. Instead, he watched the film in a nearby European cinema.
Without Sarati, Morton, and other fans by his side, he felt something was missing.
However, seeing European fans speaking different languages cheer and cry over the movie gave Lewis a sense of belonging.
After watching the film, Lewis made a transatlantic call to Sarati Morton:
"Sarati, have you guys seen Saving Private Ryan yet?"
"Not yet! We're planning to go soon!"
"Hurry up and watch it! It's incredible. I guarantee you'll cry at least three times," Lewis said excitedly.
Anticipating such a response, Sarati Morton laughed:
"Alright, I'd better bring enough tissues to wipe my tears."
She then added:
"But Saving Private Ryan is being protested. It seems the North American premiere didn't go smoothly."
"Protested again?" Lewis frowned. "By who this time?"
"The African-American community," Sarati Morton replied, looking at the New York Times headline about the film's unprecedented success at its European premiere.
On the second page, there was coverage of African-American protests accusing the film of ignoring their contributions during World War II, as there weren't any African-American characters in the movie.
Sarati Morton found the report frustrating. It was true that African-Americans had served in World War II. However, most were in segregated units and rarely integrated with white soldiers.
Gilbert was simply staying true to history. To her knowledge, no African-American units participated in the Normandy landings.
Indeed, Gilbert faced protests again, this time from the African-American community.
A prominent African-American activist expressed indignation through various media:
"Saving Private Ryan is a prejudiced film that entirely disregards the sacrifices and contributions of African-Americans during World War II.
I urge all African-American viewers to boycott this movie in solidarity."
This statement sparked a strong response within the community, leading to demonstrations in several cities and protests outside cinemas.
They demanded the film acknowledge African-American contributions to the war, issue an apology, and offer reparations.
Essentially, they were one step away from directly asking for monetary compensation. Without that, they would continue protesting, attempting to tarnish the film's reputation.
Meanwhile, African-American historians cited statistics during interviews, emphasizing the significant sacrifices made by African-Americans during the war:
"Our sacrifices were immense. We contributed to the nation's victory but have been long overlooked. It's time to highlight the true history."
In a society where white people controlled the narrative, African-American voices often required backing from another white group.
It was evident this was a tactic employed by rival studios competing for the summer box office.
There was no need to dig deep to identify the orchestrators. During the summer blockbuster season, everyone was both a competitor and a potential adversary.
The protests quickly shifted the public conversation in North America.
Initially, people discussed the profound themes and messages of Saving Private Ryan. However, the discourse soon centered on the extent of African-American contributions during the war.
Compared to other groups, African-Americans seemed particularly sensitive to perceived injustices, even when others deemed the treatment fair.
No African-American characters? Protest. African-American characters portrayed as villains? Protest. Insufficient screen time? Protest. Too much screen time? Protest.
Why protest excessive screen time? Because it implied African-American actors were overworked on set, evoking memories of slavery on plantations.
Similarly, protests arose over pay. Too little? Protest. Too much? Protest.
These protests were less about genuine grievances and more about business.
The leaders of these movements often received significant payouts from white sponsors. Meanwhile, most rank-and-file protesters, from underprivileged backgrounds, participated for as little as a meal or $10 a day—cheap labor.
The majority of the profits went to the organizers, while ordinary protesters barely scraped by.
Using African-American protests as a tactic wasn't new. Even Spielberg and George Lucas had faced it before. It was almost a rite of passage for Hollywood directors.
The tactic was effective, as it influenced box office performance, with many African-American viewers avoiding protested films.
However, Hollywood's African-American community remained silent, wary of offending Gilbert.
They understood the underlying politics and chose not to jeopardize potential future collaborations.
Back in North America, the first week of Saving Private Ryan unfolded amid these protests.
The film grossed $5.24 million during midnight screenings, setting a new record for R-rated films.
At the Melon estate, Naomi Watts awaited a phone call, with Charlize Theron keeping her company.
Though aware of the protests, they weren't overly concerned, only slightly worried about the film's box office performance.
When the call finally came, Naomi heard the midnight box office numbers and excitedly clenched her fists in celebration.
After hanging up, Charlize asked, "Naomi, what's the midnight gross?"
"$5.24 million," Naomi replied. "It broke the R-rated midnight screening record previously set by Terminator 2."
Charlize, overjoyed, suggested, "We should call Gilbert to share the good news."
Naomi thought for a moment and shook her head:
"Let's not. He's been exhausted these past few days. Let him rest."
"Alright," Charlize agreed.
The two women, now in high spirits, chatted as they headed to bed.
The protests weren't limited to African-Americans. Some parents also expressed outrage over the film's R rating, deeming it inappropriate due to its graphic violence.
One parent angrily told the media:
"My child was traumatized by the sight of exploding brains and exposed intestines. The film should've been rated NC-17, not R."
Such complaints weren't new. Even Jurassic Park had faced parental backlash.
Interestingly, Universal Pictures announced this year that Jurassic Park 2 was officially in pre-production.
Despite founding DreamWorks, Spielberg continued collaborating with Universal and was confirmed as the director for the sequel.
