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Chapter 163: A Necessary Change
🕑 Added 2025-01-01 09:51:21 +0000 UTCAfter walking the red carpet, Gilbert and Sophie Marceau entered the theater. Many notable figures from the French film and cultural world attended the premiere, with Sophie Marceau acting as Gilbert's guide to introduce him to some of these personalities.
"Hello, Director Gilbert," greeted an elderly man with gray hair and an unkempt beard.
Sophie Marceau stepped in to introduce him. "This is Director Jean-Luc Godard, known for films such as Pierrot le Fou, Alphaville, and First Name: Carmen."
After the introduction, Gilbert shook hands with Jean-Luc Godard. "Director Godard, nice to meet you."
"Welcome to France, Gilbert."
"Thank you..."
Following this, Sophie Marceau introduced Gilbert to Claude Chabrol, Luc Besson, and other French directors.
Most of these names were unfamiliar to Gilbert, except for Luc Besson, whom he recognized as the director of Léon: The Professional.
Unlike most French directors, who carried an air of superiority, Luc Besson showed respect for Gilbert, a Hollywood director.
Having worked in Hollywood himself and achieved some success, Luc Besson was well aware of the differences and gaps between French and Hollywood cinema.
"Director Gilbert, your The Rock and Speed are films I've watched repeatedly. Your talent in filmmaking is truly unparalleled," Luc Besson praised.
"Thank you. You're not bad yourself. I've seen Léon: The Professional, and it was very impressive," Gilbert responded.
After exchanging pleasantries, their conversation ended.
Nearby, someone whispered to Luc Besson, "Aren't you being too polite to him? After all, he's just a popcorn movie director."
Luc Besson shook his head and replied, "It's precisely these popcorn films that have dominated the French film market. If French cinema wants to find its path forward, learning from Hollywood is inevitable.
We should follow the example of the Italians and the British and integrate with Hollywood."
Luc Besson's opinion was reasonable, but it didn't sit well with the fiercely independent French filmmakers. "What's the point of being a follower? French cinema must represent European culture and show these North American barbarians what real cinema is."
Most French filmmakers maintained a turtle-shell mentality. Whenever Hollywood films were released in France, they urged French audiences to support domestic cinema and not contribute to Hollywood's box office success.
Whether audiences complied was uncertain, but many French filmmakers, in their pride, refrained from watching Hollywood films themselves. Their evaluations, therefore, were based on limited knowledge and lacked objectivity.
But today was different. For many French filmmakers, this was their first time watching a Hollywood film in a theater.
As the screening segment of the premiere approached, Tom Hanks chatted with the other cast members. "I can almost predict the amazed expressions on people's faces when they see this film."
"Yeah, they probably won't expect that Gilbert has crafted such a stunning film with profound significance," added Vin Diesel, who was also attending the premiere.
A "popcorn movie" director venturing outside his comfort zone could also excel.
Tom Hanks had taken this role partly because the script was excellent and partly because of Gilbert's impressive track record.
To solidify his position in Hollywood, an Oscar win wasn't enough for Tom Hanks. He needed strong commercial successes, and collaborating with a director like Gilbert was a great choice.
"Emmanuelle, over here..." Sophie Marceau waved to a slender woman with expressive eyes who walked over.
Compared to the tall and leggy Sophie Marceau, this woman appeared more petite. Her beauty was striking at first glance, making one wonder if an angel had descended to Earth.
Interestingly, this woman had indeed starred in a film titled An Angel on Earth.
"Emmanuelle, let me introduce you to Director Gilbert Landreni," Sophie Marceau said. "Gilbert, this is Emmanuelle Béart."
Gilbert shook hands with Emmanuelle Béart. "Hello, Miss Béart. I've seen your performance in An Angel on Earth—it was very impressive. Congratulations on collaborating with Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible."
Emmanuelle Béart smiled warmly. "Thank you. Sophie invited me to attend the premiere, and as soon as I heard it was your film, I couldn't wait to come. I'm really looking forward to the screening."
"I hope this film won't disappoint you..."
After a brief exchange, Emmanuelle Béart went inside to find her seat, while Gilbert continued chatting with Sophie Marceau.
"Is she the French beauty you wanted to introduce to me?" Gilbert asked.
"Yes," Sophie Marceau replied enthusiastically. "So? How does she compare to the women back home?"
"She's stunning," Gilbert admitted. "I thought you were going to introduce me to Isabelle Adjani."
"Oh, come on!" Sophie Marceau feigned shock. "She's 41 this year. Are you interested in her too?"
"That's not fair. Aren't you 30 yourself? I'm still very interested in you," Gilbert quipped.
Sophie Marceau laughed, covering her mouth. "You really know how to flatter women."
As more guests arrived, the premiere of Saving Private Ryan officially began.
Sitting among the audience was Harvey Weinstein, patiently waiting for the film to start.
He had initially wanted to attend an internal screening but wasn't qualified to interfere with Touchstone Pictures' affairs. Eventually, Weinstein secured an invitation to the premiere through Michael Eisner.
Despite being part of the same parent company, Weinstein remained competitive, determined to outdo Saving Private Ryan at the Oscars next year and win Disney's trust.
Sophie Marceau chatted with Emmanuelle Béart. While neither was young anymore, they exchanged animated stories.
If one were close enough, they might notice Sophie vividly recounting Gilbert's remarkable talents, causing Emmanuelle to react with both surprise and curiosity. She occasionally glanced at Gilbert with a mix of intrigue and anticipation.
Luc Besson, seated in the audience, was prepared to watch this work by the young Hollywood director.
Unlike most French directors influenced by the New Wave movement, Luc Besson followed his own path, which set him apart and left him unwelcome in certain French filmmaker circles.
But Besson didn't mind. He believed in making films his way, a philosophy that had brought him increasing success in recent years.
Roger Ebert, who hadn't attended the critics' screening, was present at the premiere. As a well-known admirer of Gilbert's work, Ebert consistently supported his films, much to the curiosity of other critics.
"Roger, what do you think of this film? Another popcorn movie?" asked a French critic.
"No," Ebert replied. "I think Gilbert has reached a bottleneck in the commercial film arena. Without change, his future success would be limited.
From what North American critics have said, this film marks a turning point for Gilbert."
"Really?" The French critic remained skeptical. "Isn't transformation incredibly difficult? Are you so confident in Gilbert?"
"It's not blind faith," Ebert smiled. "Gilbert has proven his versatility. He started with horror-thriller films and has also made sci-fi movies.
This demonstrates his ability to explore different genres. He's self-aware enough to recognize his challenges and adapt accordingly."
Although Gilbert hadn't yet achieved the $800-900 million global box office successes of Spielberg, his annual films demonstrated consistently stronger commercial performance, proving his sharp market instincts.
Had he maintained his old style, Gilbert might still succeed, but audiences would soon grow weary of it.
Ebert's old friend, Kenneth Turan, had uncharacteristically praised Saving Private Ryan, further convincing Ebert that Gilbert had successfully transformed his style with this film.
A few rows behind Ebert sat ordinary fans, mostly French, with a few who had traveled from Italy and the UK.
Before the film began, the fan section buzzed with multilingual chatter, creating a chaotic yet lively atmosphere.
In one instance, a British fan and a French fan engaged in conversation using their respective languages. One understood French, and the other English, allowing them to communicate without barriers.
When the French fan prepared to eat popcorn and drink soda, the British fan stopped him. "Mate, you won't need those. You'll be too engrossed in the movie to eat."
The French fan, puzzled, asked, "Why?"
The British fan proudly replied, "Because the film is directed by Gilbert. His movies leave no time for distractions."
As their exchange continued, the Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Touchstone Pictures, and Melon Studio logos appeared on screen.
Accompanied by John Williams' stirring score, the image of a waving American flag filled the screen, signaling the official start of the film.
