There was silence in the hall. European movies … are dead? What kind of arrogant words were those? But no one refuted it. After the baptism of social responsibility, most people didn't think that Adriaan was not qualified to say such things. Most of the time, they forgot that Director Miracle was not only a director, but also a media mogul. He almost developed AC Media with his friends.
"Before this, I had this picture in my mind about Hollywood and European movies. A 30-year-old young man and a 40-year-old middle-aged man are running almost side by side. The young man is leading by one or half a body length. Although they have friction from time to time and don't see eye to eye with each other, they are both trying hard to compete with each other." Adriaan didn't give them a chance to refute. "However, today, I suddenly realized that I was wrong. I never agreed with Rumsfeld's old European theory, but now I unexpectedly feel that it fits so well."
After a pause, he sneered. "This is no longer a competition between a young man and a middle-aged man. It's a picture of the middle-aged man running at full speed, leaving the old man far behind. The old man used to work hard to catch up, but then he slowly gave up. From time to time, he would mock the middle-aged man's back to comfort himself. He missed the time when he was in the lead and completely gave up the idea of catching up. I can imagine that in a few years, when the middle-aged man's back is getting farther and farther away, the old man's mockery won't reach the middle-aged man's ears no matter how loud he is. He will inevitably turn around and vent his anger on the younger people who are chasing after him. For example, Iranian movies, Indian movies, Japanese movies, and Chinese movies! "
Adriaan's voice rose again. "Look at what you have left now. DOGMA95? The Ten Commandments? Something that even the initiators can't do! I seem to see the great and holy preachers of the Middle Ages shouting to burn heretics, or the workers of the 18th century who rushed into factories and smashed the machines, claiming that they were stealing their jobs! "
"How ridiculous, how ridiculous! You actually want to stop the progress of technology to maintain your sense of superiority. " He laughed loudly and sharply. "Without technology, there would be no movies. Without technology, there would be no cameras. Without technology, everything that exists today would not exist. The ridiculous thing about this declaration is that the people who signed it never thought of walking to the forefront of technology to guide and control it. Instead, they avoided and spurned it to show their superiority. How sad and pitiful is this! "
Tyr's face turned red and he stared at him angrily. Rosset, Bertolucci, and many people around him also had ugly faces.
But Adriaan continued. He started to get excited. "I love France because movies were born here. Because the New Wave started here. I've always hoped that French movies could lead European movies to compete with Hollywood. Because competition brings motivation, and competition brings vitality! Hollywood can only go further if there are people chasing after it! But what about the truth? I'm so disappointed, very, very disappointed. Look at what you have now. Except for women's nudity, fragmented footage, and the director's self-talk, what else is there?! "
"You think you are God. You make up your own things unscrupulously, but you don't even bother to build the basic logic of the story. You ask the audience to accept it, but you don't care about the audience's feelings. The audience is just a chip to prove yourself in your eyes. What do you think movies are!" Adrian was starting to get angry. This kind of questioning from him completely suppressed the people present with his imposing manner.
But there were still people who could barely speak.
"You have directed such a movie, haven't you?" Bertolucci, the old man, said weakly, and his face was very ugly. After all, no one had ever made such a severe accusation in front of him, and he couldn't refute it for a while.
However, the old fox was an old fox after all. With a light sentence, he pointed out the problem in Adriaan's words. You object to these, but you have directed similar movies. This was not easy to answer. If he was not careful, the previous preaching might be wasted. Unfortunately, Adriaan came prepared.
"Of course, because I will not express my opinion when I know nothing about something. For example, I have never been to the United States, but I can shamelessly say that I am telling the story of the United States." Adriaan sneered and once again turned the attack to Tyre.
Tyre, who was originally blushing, became even more annoyed, but Adriaan still did not give him a chance to speak. "I invested in Luc's film company, and I consulted Giuseppe's Italian film. I really hope that someone can lead European films to compete with Hollywood. In my opinion, even Uwe Bauer is better than you people. At least he still wants to tell a story! But the result? What do you have left? 'Last Tango in Paris'? "
"I want to remind you, Mr. Kewell, I hope you can respect Mr. Bertolucci a little. Time has proven …" Camille Rossi shouted angrily, but Adriaan immediately used a louder voice to suppress her. "I also want to remind you, madam, please respect time!"
"You think 30 years is enough? Very well, then how about we add a zero at the end? Of course, maybe you think this is as good as Van Gogh's paintings or Shakespeare's plays, so how about we add another zero? If you think it can be compared to the Parthenon Temple, then how about we add another zero? "Adriaan expressed his own mockery.
"Yes, Europe has a long history that no one can match. This is also the reason why you are so proud and arrogant. But so what?" He laughed loudly. "Thousands of years ago, the Romans were indulgent. A few hundred years ago, they were a group of fanatical ascetics. Now … Needless to say, it's just a cycle of reincarnation. So — you are just. I don't care about the flood after I die!"
He finally lowered his voice and put away his anger. His tone was cold and condescending as if he was making his final judgment. "Such disdain, such superiority and arrogance. In my opinion, you are just a group of selfish cowards who only want to immerse themselves in their own world and don't dare to face reality. You only want to be cheered and catered to by others. You refuse to be criticized by others. You only ask others to change but never reflect on yourself … I am ashamed to be associated with you!"
He coldly threw down such a sentence and strode to the door in the dead silence. He only stopped when he reached the door and turned around. "Oh yes, there's one more thing. Please continue! Please continue your arrogance, please continue your disdain, please continue to carry your complacent history on your shoulders, so that we can run further and faster. You — are no longer a threat. "
Bowing, Adriaan left the hall without looking back. A few seconds later, the silent crowd burst into an uproar.
"Kewell obviously doesn't realize that when he accuses others of being arrogant, he himself is arrogant. We understand this kind of arrogance. After all, the United States has only been founded for more than 200 years. They are always eager to be recognized. Once they hit a wall, their fragile hearts will become extreme and distorted. Kewell is a good proof of this. "— Evening Post.
"This kind of words is inappropriate, and Tyr does have a big mouth. But no matter how dissatisfied Kewell is, he should not say such a ridiculous statement that European films are dead." — Le Figaro.
"At this year's Cannes Film Festival, Director Miracle once again made shocking news. He publicly announced at Ms. Camille Rousse's salon that European films are dead. According to news from the scene, Danish director Lars von Trier claimed that sympathy for Nazis was the trigger. Although Kewell's remarks are regrettable, Tyr is equally worrying. The development of the Cannes Film Festival seems to have encountered obstacles. "— The Times.
"There is no doubt that Kewell is right. The arrogance of European filmmakers has always been deeply engraved in their bones. They are as disgusting as those old men who still like to criticize other people's lives when they are old." — San Francisco Chronicle.
Unsurprisingly, Adriaan's speech at the salon shocked the film industry on both sides of the Atlantic the next day. There were many reporters at the salon, and his speech was naturally sent to the editorial departments of various newspapers. The news was even published on the Internet late that night.
Of course, no reporter would deliberately take it out of context at this time. First, the news was shocking enough, and there was no need to play such tricks. Second, Adriaan himself was a media tycoon. No matter what his purpose was for making such a speech, it was impossible that he did not have a backup plan. In fact, not long after the news on the website came out that night, the full text of the speech appeared on his Facebook, and it was indicated that reposting was welcome, so it quickly spread on the Internet.
The reaction of the European media was also very interesting. Denmark was naturally on Tyr's side, but they did not mention the topic of sympathy for Nazis. Of course, their opinion was not important at all.
Italy, because Bertolucci was there and was humiliated, felt offended, so most of them were against it, even if Adriaan had an ambiguous relationship with the Italian goddess, and he had also produced "La Belle Legend of Sicily" and made Monica the Oscar Best Actress.
France was much more conflicted. Although most people were disgusted with the phrase "European films are dead," Adriaan's words revealed his good impression and expectations for France, so it was difficult for them to criticize him like the Italian media. Although some film critics had written articles to criticize him, there was always a feeling that they were not strong enough, even the article written by Rousseau, who was present that night.
Instead, they attacked each other fiercely. Some people thought that Adriaan was completely talking nonsense, while others thought that although the sentence was exaggerated, the whole speech still had its merits. As they spoke, the two sides began to attack each other, and many people were affected. For example, Luc Besson called Adriaan and complained, "You really made me suffer."
After the news came out, he and Tornadore were named, so many reporters kept chasing after them. At the same time, they were criticized by their own compatriots.
Relatively speaking, the British media was more objective. They did not like Hollywood, nor did they like European films. Although they were still part of Europe and were included in Adriaan's speech, they had always thought that they were different from the European guys. That was why such an interesting scene had occurred.
As for the American media, they were basically one-sided in support. Adriaan was a media tycoon, and he was standing on their side. How could they not support him? Even the tactful Spielberg, when questioned by reporters, clearly conveyed his meaning: at least part of what Adriaan said was true. European films had indeed reached a place where they needed to change.
For example, David Konenberg said with some disdain that Adriaan was just complaining, too childish, and not mature enough. However, many people paid attention to his words. The United States was a free country, after all. Like a pebble thrown into a pond, it made a small splash and then sank to the bottom.
Speaking of the directors' opinions, another interesting point had to be mentioned. The real veteran directors in Europe, such as Rommel, Rieveldt, Antonioni, and Godard, who had never hidden his dislike of Jews, remained silent in the face of this matter. It was unknown if he didn't want to comment or if he disdained to comment, and Bertolucci, one of the parties involved, also declined the reporter's interview, indicating that he had nothing to say.
Some reporters sighed in private that it was really not easy to refute the miracle director.
It couldn't be helped. No one could be like him, achieving astounding achievements in many fields. He was not only a super-rich man, but also an excellent director and producer. He could produce any kind of film. Black comedy, British classical, fantasy epic, thriller, inspirational, science fiction, music, biography, France, Italy … There seemed to be no film genre that he could not produce. What was even rarer was that every film had an excellent reputation and box office.
Such a resume might not seem like much, but at this time, any director had to retreat in front of it. Of course, people with mental problems like Lars von Trier were not included. Not to mention that he was the richest and most powerful person in the world. He had control of information channels, was a great philanthropist, and was an important figure in the media industry.
In short, it was not good to criticize him from any aspect. If one was not careful, there would be a situation like "what qualifications do you have to talk about social responsibility in front of me". As for his private life …
However, the storm had just begun. When Adriaan arrived in Los Angeles, he left Cannes the afternoon after the Salon ended. He then quickly returned to Paris and London, and then took his private plane back to the United States. It was 2 o 'clock in the afternoon when he arrived in Los Angeles. He did not hide his itinerary, so many reporters were waiting outside the airport, so he gave a speech in public.
"I know that some people will be very unhappy and feel offended. I also know that some people will try to prove that I am wrong and they are right in various ways. This is actually normal, just like we rarely admit our mistakes when debating, especially when there is a seemingly rich argument.
So, why should we care? Why should we care about their dissatisfaction, their rebuttal, and their ridicule? Don't forget, we are only 200 years old, we are still very young, we are born to look forward! Yes, we do not have that much history, but so what? Movies were born in France, but they developed and grew in Hollywood! The film industry is different, but a complete system has been established in Hollywood. We landed on the moon, we built the Internet, we did what no one has done before! Because we know that the most important thing is to run forward! Let them carry their history to the pile of old papers, we have a future! God bless the United States! "
The scene was thunderous, as if they were welcoming a hero. Many people could not help but sigh after reading the relevant news on the Internet or the next day's newspapers. There was no doubt that even if the European filmmakers took the time to unify their opinions, once the topic was raised, and there was a leading figure standing at the forefront, the two sides of the Atlantic would have a long debate in this regard.
Lars von Trier was really a fool. How could he provoke such a person, and even say such things in public, in front of so many people, such as sympathizing with the Nazis. Director Miracle was also very strange. Why did he suddenly attack the entire European film industry because of this kind of thing? Or did he sincerely want to support the European film industry to compete with Hollywood?
"Of course I'm sincere." In the office, Adriaan said shamelessly, "There is no benefit to a monopoly, only with competition will there be motivation."
"Oh?" Claude was unmoved.
"All right, all right!" He laughed. "You know why I'm doing this, and you also know that this will do more good than harm. Since I am the brand of AC Media, what harm is there in making this brand bigger?"
This conflict was no accident. This was the last step in Cannes that was mentioned before, and this step would also determine the results of next year. If he wanted to become Hollywood's spokesperson, he couldn't just rely on 'The Pianist' alone. He had to clearly stand on their side and tell them, 'Look, I'm the most suitable person to be their spokesperson, just like right now.'
Of course, he didn't want to start a fight in the salon at first. There was an open-air cocktail party before the award ceremony, and there would only be more celebrities attending the party. It wasn't difficult to start a fight in that situation, and it would only take a few words. If he debated with more people, the effect would only be stronger. After all, no one had been able to beat his carefully planned resume so far.
However, he did not expect to meet a brainless guy like Lars von Trier at the salon. The other party seemed to have taken the wrong medicine and kept pushing him from the beginning. So after thinking about it, Adriaan immediately decided to lay his cards on the table at the salon.
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