novellhall Chapter 393 Venice Film Festival
Chapter 393 Venice Film Festival
Chapter 392 Venice Film Festival
Morning light streamed through the villa's vintage bay window, gently illuminating the wooden floor and even causing fine dust particles to float in the air.
Chen Xun got up and walked to the stairwell.
I saw Emma wearing a beige apron, bending over to arrange the coffee beans on the counter, sunlight falling on her hair.
"Awake?"
Emma heard footsteps, turned around and smiled, still holding her special coffee grinder in her hand: "I saw you slept late last night, so I specially brewed a cup of decaffeinated hand-drip coffee and served it with some whole wheat toast. It should suit your taste."
Chen Xun walked over and took the grinder from her hand.
His fingers accidentally brushed against the back of her hand, and they both paused slightly before exchanging a smile.
"Why didn't you sleep a little longer?"
He bent down to grind coffee beans, and the rich aroma slowly spread: "Anyway, I don't have to rush, so there's no need to be in such a hurry."
"I'm used to it. I get up early every day to practice dancing, and I've long since developed the habit of waking up early."
Emma leaned against the counter, looking at his serious profile, a smile hidden in her eyes: "By the way, your vinyl record needle needs cleaning. When I watched you play it yesterday, the sound quality was a bit muffled. I brought some special cleaning tools; I'll teach you how to clean it later."
After breakfast, the sunlight in the living room was just right.
Emma pulled a vinyl record cleaning kit from the storage box. It contained a soft cleaning brush, a gentle cleaning solution, and an anti-static record sleeve.
She sat on the carpet, gesturing for Chen Xun to come over. Holding a stylus cleaning tool, she explained softly, "Look, you have to be gentle when cleaning the stylus. Use this soft brush to gently wipe along the direction of the stylus. Don't use too much force, or you'll scratch the stylus and affect the sound quality."
Chen Xun squatted down beside her, diligently following along, his fingers gripping the cleaning brush, his movements clumsy yet meticulous.
Emma couldn't help but laugh out loud, reaching out to gently correct his posture: "Slower, gentler, like this, following the lines."
Their skin brushed against each other, and both of their cheeks flushed slightly. The only sounds in the living room were the soft rustling of the cleaning brushes and the occasional chirping of birds outside the window.
After cleaning the stylus, Emma took out several rare vinyl records and taught Chen Xun how to clean the surface of the records: "You need to use a special cleaning solution, not one containing alcohol, as it will damage the material of the record. When wiping, wipe gently in a clockwise direction, then wipe it dry with a lint-free cloth. When storing, store it vertically to avoid deformation."
Chen Xun listened patiently, occasionally nodding in agreement, and held a cleaning cloth in his hand, wiping the record little by little following her movements.
afternoon.
The two moved to the storage room next to the audiovisual room.
This place was temporarily transformed into Emma's retro little world, with rows of vinyl records neatly arranged on a special record rack.
An old-fashioned typewriter and film camera are placed in a corner of the desk, along with several bookshelves full of rare and out-of-print books.
Emma squatted in front of the bookshelf and pulled out a yellowed old script, a classic work from Hollywood's golden age. The cover was worn, but it was well preserved.
"This is a treasure I found on my first flea market trip. It took me a long time to find it. It even has the signatures of the crew from back then."
She carefully opened the script, her eyes filled with appreciation: "There are also the female lead's handwritten notes here, which are especially precious."
Chen Xun leaned closer, looked down at the neat handwriting on the script, and gently brushed his hand across the yellowed pages: "It's not easy to preserve it so well. I'll help you organize it regularly from now on and put it in a dehumidifier box to prevent it from getting moldy and fading."
His thoughtfulness warmed Emma's heart. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a strange light.
The two sat on the carpet, flipping through old books and scripts while chatting.
Emma told Chen Xun the origin of each treasure, the interesting stories of her running around flea markets in Europe, and the surprise she felt when she found a rare vinyl record.
Chen Xun then told her about the small details in the later stages of "Joker," about the preparations for the Venice premiere, and about the rumors and gossip circulating outside. His tone was calm, without a trace of hostility.
As the conversation got more interesting, Emma got up and walked to the old-fashioned typewriter, gently pressed the keys, and a crisp "tap-tap" sound rang out in the room.
She smiled and turned to Chen Xun: "Shall I teach you how to type?"
"This is from World War II. It has a really good typing feel. I use it to type out a few lines of dialogue whenever I have free time."
Chen Xun walked over and sat down at the typewriter. Emma stood behind him, reached out and held his hand, teaching him the pressure and rhythm of the keys little by little.
"That's it!"
"Slow down~"
"No rush, every move must be precise and effective!"
Her breath brushed gently past his ear, carrying a faint scent of coffee and shampoo.
Chen Xun's heartbeat quickened slightly.
Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
The crisp sound of typing, accompanied by the gentle breeze outside the window and the faint chirping of birds in the distance, creates the most tender melody.
Emma followed the rhythm and softly recited a line from La La Land: "I think when you want something enough, the whole universe will make it happen for you."
Chen Xun followed her rhythm, tapping the keyboard little by little, typing out the line word by word.
Soothing old jazz songs flowed from the record player. Chen Xun and Emma sat on the sofa, holding warm milk in their hands, looking at an old movie book together, occasionally talking in hushed tones, their eyes full of tacit understanding.
As the sun set, its afterglow shone through the French windows onto the two of them.
The melody of the vinyl record is still flowing gently.
The scent of old books, the warmth of coffee, and the rich aroma of milk intertwine to create the most cozy and comforting daily life at home.
Emma leaned back on the sofa, looking at the calm and gentle Chen Xun beside her, feeling a sense of peace in her heart.
These past few days, she has temporarily shed the aura of a movie queen and returned to being the quiet person she always was.
"Chen Xun, thank you."
She spoke softly, her tone full of sincerity: "These past few days have been the happiest days of my life."
Chen Xun turned to look at her: "When you come back from England, you'll still be welcome here. I'll take good care of your babies."
Emma Stone's favorability +1, current favorability: 98
In August in Venice, the sea breeze from Lido Island, carrying the salty, damp scent of the Adriatic Sea, blows across the red carpet of the film festival's main venue.
The closing night of this year's Venice International Film Festival is destined to be etched into film history.
Prior to this, comic book superhero movies had always been excluded from the three major European film festivals. These types of films, which were regarded as products of commercial assembly lines, rarely even made it into the screening section, let alone the main competition section, which represents the highest level of cinematic art.
Joker is the first comic book adaptation to stand here in film history.
The controversy has never stopped since the day the shortlist was announced.
Numerous veteran film critics have publicly condemned the move, stating, "The entry of commercial superhero films into art film festivals is a desecration of the art of cinema!"
Hollywood rivals further fueled the fire by saying, "Chen Xun and Todd are trying to use film festivals to gild their bad movies; they'll only humiliate themselves!"
Even within the Venice Film Festival's organizing committee, some judges had reservations about the film.
However, after watching the finished film, they overruled objections and included it in the main competition.
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On the night of the world premiere, the screening room at the Venice Film Palace was packed.
The world's top film critics, film festival judges, Hollywood producers, and film directors from various countries gather here.
The media reporters who squeezed in filled the screening room, which could hold a thousand people.
Even the aisles were packed with people.
Christine, Dakota, and Rob sat in the front row of the guest seats, clutching their support signs tightly, looking even more nervous than the main cast on stage.
Chen Xun and Todd sat side by side in the main creative team area.
Even though Chen Xun knew the value of "Joker," he was still a little nervous at this moment.
After all, this is related to his Oscar win.
This is not only his response to the Oscars' disappointment, but also his weapon to break Hollywood's prejudice against Asian actors, and a key step in his ultimate goal of making history.
The lights went out.
The screening room fell into absolute silence instantly.
The Warner Bros. logo disappeared, and a gloomy, rainy Gotham City appeared on the big screen.
Arthur Fleck stretched a distorted smile at the corners of his mouth with his fingers in front of the mirror, while tears streamed down his face.
During the 122-minute screening, the entire theater was eerily quiet.
There were no cheers or screams typical of superhero movies, only the uncontrollable gasps of the audience.
In the subway shooting scene, Arthur's eyes shift from fear to resolve before pulling the trigger; in the long take of the staircase dance, Arthur's transformative dance moves are captured in the interplay of light and shadow; in the live talk show scene, Arthur confronts the cold world in front of the camera; and finally, in the moment of pulling the trigger...
Some audience members couldn't help but cover their mouths, their hair standing on end.
Everyone's eyes were glued to the big screen.
They were dragged into the tragic world of Gotham by Arthur Fleck, played by Chen Xun.
The audience watches as a man who wanted to bring joy to the world is gradually crushed by society, eventually transforming from Arthur Fleck into the mad Joker.
As the film's final shot fades, Arthur, barefoot, dances in the sunlight down the corridor of Arkham Asylum, his figure disappearing at the end of the long corridor—
The moment the screen went completely dark, the theater remained deathly silent.
After a moment of silence, deafening applause erupted in the screening room without warning.
Without exception, all the judges, film critics, and directors in the front row, and the reporters and audience members in the back row, stood up and applauded.
Applause echoed repeatedly in the enclosed screening room.
Chen Xun and Todd stood up, turned around, and bowed deeply to the audience.
But the applause didn't diminish at all; on the contrary, it grew louder and louder.
The audience in the front row started chanting Chen Xun's name, shouting "Clown," and some even whistled loudly.
One minute, three minutes, five minutes, eight minutes —
The applause lasted for a full ten minutes and showed no sign of stopping.
Chen Xun and Todd bowed repeatedly to express their gratitude. When they straightened up, they both saw the moisture in each other's eyes.
Many audience members had red eyes, clapping enthusiastically while wiping away tears.
Even many seasoned film critics who were used to big events got teary-eyed and clapped so hard that they didn't even realize their hands were red from clapping.
It took a very long time for the applause to gradually subside.
Alberto Barbera, the president of the Venice Film Festival, who was sitting in the first row, was the first to give a thumbs up to the main creators and Chen Xun on stage.
The media interview area after the premiere was packed with people, all eager to interview the director and lead actor of the film "Joker" as soon as possible.
Reporters from all over the world swarmed around them like madmen, microphones practically shoved in Chen Xun and Todd's faces.
Numerous film critics immediately gave it perfect scores, showering it with praise on camera: "This is absolutely one of the most shocking psychological thrillers in recent years! It's not a superhero movie at all; it's a social tragedy disguised as a clown, a sharp dissection of the times and human nature!"
"Chen Xun's performance was top-notch. He made us forget that this was Spider-Man, and all we could see was Arthur Fleck."
Every glance, every subtle movement of his precisely pierced the deepest part of people's hearts; he deserves a Best Actor award!
"It has blazed a completely new trail between art and commerce! The ceiling for comic book adaptations has been utterly lowered, and the applause at Venice is the highest tribute to the spirit of the filmmakers!"
The grand premiere and the film critics' perfect scores spread across the global internet overnight.
Twitter, Instagram, Weibo—all social media platforms were flooded with posts about Joker.
The hashtag #ChenXunTheClownGodhood# immediately topped the global trending search list.
The number of views on related topics exceeded 100 billion overnight.
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Domestic fans launched a resounding comeback.
Since losing the Best Actor Oscar, fans have been holding their breath for a long time, and have been relentlessly mocked by haters.
Since Chen Xun hadn't spoken out, the fans were all in sync, closely following their idol's lead.
At this moment, they finally felt triumphant.
The supertopic and comment section are filled with excited messages from fans: "You'll never regret becoming a fan of Chen Xun! He'll never let you down!!"
"His haters criticized his acting, saying he didn't deserve awards, but now his first comic book adaptation has won one of the three major European Golden Lion awards! A new record in film history! He's been thoroughly slapped in the face!"
"A ten-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival! Perfect scores from film critics worldwide! This is Chen Xun! He will always use his work to slap those haters in the face!"
"From 'La La Land' to 'Joker,' from the Berlin Silver Bear to the Venice Golden Lion, he has steadily etched the name of Chinese actors onto the milestones of world film history! We are so proud!"
The previously overwhelming smear campaign articles disappeared almost overnight.
Those haters who mocked Chen Xun's acting skills as poor and unworthy of awards immediately shut up, and the comment section was no longer filled with jumping clowns.
But some undeterred individuals, hiding behind anonymous accounts, continued their sarcasm: "So what if it's the Golden Lion? It's still far behind the Oscars. It's just a minor European award, what's there to brag about?"
"The award went to the film, not Chen Xun himself. He didn't even win the Venice Film Festival's Best Actor award, so what are his fans getting so excited about?"
"What does it have to do with an actor winning an award for a movie? In the end, it's because the director made a good film; he just benefited from the award."
These scattered negative reviews were quickly drowned out by the film reviews and on-site feedback from fans.
Numerous professional film critics have given Chen Xun the highest praise for his performance.
He bluntly stated that the soul of "Joker" is Chen Xun's performance!
Those stubborn arguments appear pale and laughable in the face of irrefutable facts.
The Venice Film Festival's closing awards ceremony was held as scheduled three days after the premiere.
When the presenter opened the envelope for the Golden Lion Award for Best Film, glanced down at it, and looked up into the microphone: "The winner of the Golden Lion Award at the 74th Venice International Film Festival is—Joker, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Chen Xun!"
The entire awards ceremony erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.
Todd Phillips' eyes instantly reddened, and he turned around and hugged Chen Xun tightly.
Chen Xun patted him on the back, a warm light appearing in his eyes.
They did it.
They made comic book adaptations stand on the highest podium at the three major European film festivals for the first time, creating an unprecedented record in film history.
The two walked hand in hand onto the stage. Todd accepted the Golden Lion trophy first, his voice trembling with excitement as he repeatedly thanked the creative team and the Venice Film Festival into the microphone.
Finally, he looked at Chen Xun beside him and said in an extremely solemn tone: "The person I want to thank the most is my lead actor, Chen Xun. Without you, there would be no 'Joker,' and none of us standing here. You are one of the greatest actors of this era."
The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause once again.
Chen Xun accepted the heavy Golden Lion trophy, stood in front of the microphone, looked at the countless cameras and eyes below the stage, and took a deep breath: "Thank you Venice Film Festival, thank you to the jury, thank you to all the audience who like this film. Many people have asked me why I made such a film, why I played such a role."
"Because the meaning of film is never just about creating dreams, but also about seeing reality. We want everyone to see those people who have been forgotten in the corners, those dreams that have been crushed by society, and those silent cries."
"This award belongs to every creator of 'Joker,' and to everyone who hasn't given up searching for light in the darkness. Thank you all."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire audience stood up and applauded again.
At that moment, all the world's live cameras were focused on the Chinese face standing on the podium holding the Golden Lion trophy.
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