CHAPTER 643: CHAPTER 436: MOVIE PREMIERE

When shooting previously, Wu Mu often watched his own shots behind the monitor, and at that time, he didn’t feel anything special.

But now, seeing it on the big screen, with sound effects and dialogues, the feeling is completely different.

Wu Mu stared blankly at himself on the screen.

Along with Lin Qingyue’s dialogue appeared himself sitting by the classroom window, expressionless.

Lin Qingyue previously said she wanted to capture the feeling on him, wanted to capture that sense of loneliness.

He always felt that although there were many things from Earth he might never be able to communicate to others, he wasn’t really lonely.

But...

A faint hum resonated through the hall.

The quality of the film, like a novel, can sometimes be sensed just from the opening.

The opening of Lin Qingyue’s film undeniably made people immediately realize there was something significant.

The numerous film people in the hall couldn’t help but softly discuss.

"The style is very comfortable, gentle monologues paired with soothing background music, and clean visuals. You instantly understand the film’s style."

"The camera work is impressive, capturing the atmosphere and feeling with just a far shot of a classroom."

"That actor’s performance is also..."

The film people softly discussing seemed a bit stuck.

Frankly, saying his performance was good, it was merely a side shot without much action.

Yet, saying it wasn’t good, seeing him, you immediately feel an immensely strong atmosphere.

It’s like filming an astronaut thrown into dark, lifeless space, though he’s sitting in a classroom surrounded by so many classmates, it feels like he’s so out of place.

It’s not just the film people around, but Li Man’s group who had been secretly filming by the side were also shocked suddenly.

The focus of Wu Mu’s filming group was originally on Wu Mu’s appearance.

They didn’t expect too much from Wu Mu’s film, just thought capturing more striking visuals of Hua Country celebrities would be good too.

But now, just as the movie began...

Something feels off!

Colleagues next to her whispered, "Kind of like his previous raising-head shot in ’Disappeared’."

"Hmm." Li Man nodded, her mind also thought of that scene.

Not as flashy, yet indeed it holds that atmosphere; once you see it, it’s memorable, makes you want to capture it as a wallpaper.

Hmm.

One can only say that the collaboration between Wu Mu and Lin Qingyue is exceptionally professional and fitting.

Lin Qingyue is adept at capturing shots that can be used as wallpapers.

Wu Mu’s photos, even ordinary ones, seem like portraits, suitable for wallpapers.

The combination of the two results in an effect greater than the sum of its parts.

Moreover...

"Is it true about transferring schools, transferring to where?"

"Wenhai, Southern Province."

"That’s far."

Wu Mu watched himself on the screen, discussing the transfer with classmates, feeling something was off.

When filming, was he really creating such atmosphere, just talking casually without any special expressions and clearly hiding something in his heart?

Did he have this strong of an effect when filming?

It seemed not as exaggerated when he was watching then.

The more Wu Mu watched, the more he felt something was wrong.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he opened his system panel.

On the system panel, the skill [Immersion] was gently glowing.

"..."

So, I’ve been cheating all along.

Wu Mu silently thought.

[Immersion]

[Rare Passive Skill for Actors]

[Effect: When you forget the role and immerse genuinely, it can bring larger resonance to the audience.]

[Evaluation: Immersion is good, but don’t go too deep.]

This was a passive skill drawn during the filming period.

When drawn, he specifically observed and didn’t see any special effects, thinking the skill wasn’t useful.

Turned out it’s active here.

Wu Mu looked at himself on the screen, and the reaction of those around him, roughly understanding.

This skill is essentially an acting version of [No skills, all emotions]; like singing, when he acts with genuine emotions, it amplifies his inner feelings, allowing others to perceive them.

This directly results in, although he doesn’t do much action or acting in the scenes, it seemingly feels as if he uses some actions to convey his emotions and state.

Sitting in the classroom reading a letter, clearly without any special expression, but he appears so out of place.

Playing soccer with classmates at school, he clearly also smiles, yet the smile feels like a facade, hiding something inside.

Writing a letter, casually looking out the window, seemingly as if looking at someone he likes over vast distances.

Basically, the atmosphere is maximized, focusing on how he appears to carry a story without much action.

One of the difficult aspects of a film is allowing the audience to immerse in the story and feel its emotions rather than finding it dull.

Wu Mu’s emotion amplifier undoubtedly significantly reduces this difficulty.

Combined with Director Lin’s filming style and the film’s story itself...

The editor-in-chief of "Screen," Scott, continued noting various aspects of the film since its beginning as a reference for their festival journal.

"The style is very comfortable, like reading a well-written novel, softly listening to the story."

"The Hua Country actor’s performance is surprisingly emotive with minimal actions, perhaps it’s the eyes?"

"A love story separated by time and distance, reconnecting through letters, yet facing separation again."

Scott recorded the film’s merits, yet as he wrote, he found it difficult to continue.

"Ultimately, lovers have to part..."

"Loneliness..."

He stared unfocused at the large screen, his mind drifting to the fading image of a girl he liked as a youth, due to various reasons, and now thinking of his wife and daughter, and his ritual of smoking a cigarette in the car every day after work before going upstairs.

"At that moment, I seemed to understand the existence of eternity, heart, soul, I felt we understood everything about each other after thirteen years."

Wu Mu was also watching quietly at the screen, watching as he and Lin Qingyue kissed beneath the withered cherry blossom tree, and listening to his own monologue.

In the film, the souls of the characters seem to touch one another during this kiss, enabling them to understand each other’s hidden emotions and thoughts thoroughly.

The joy of being understood, responded to, liked by someone feels like one is no longer alone in the world, there’s a sense of reliance, a happiness as if someone is part of yourself.

Like in reality, he and Lin Qingyue gradually understood each other, growing familiar and intimate.

But...

"But in the next moment came unbearable sadness, knowing well that we couldn’t always be together, with life’s vastness and time’s elusiveness inevitably blocking our way."

No intense quarrels, no major conflicts, but as distance grows, they no longer write letters or contact one another.

Very calm, yet so real it gives chills.

That moment of soul-touching was merely fleeting, the wish for complete acceptance and understanding of the soul turns out to be unreachable.

Director Lin’s romantic yet pessimistic portrayal emphasizes intimate lovers eventually separating, everyone continues their solitude, the pursuit for understanding and reliance is eternally unattainable.

The sixty-minute film ended quickly.

As they brushed past each other at the train station, the screen gradually dimmed.

After a moment of silence in the exhibition hall.

The sound of applause suddenly arose.

Then everyone seemed to awaken and joined the applause.

Under the thunderous applause, faint sounds of audience sobbing could still be heard.

The applause lasted for three or four minutes before gradually diminishing.

Then beneath the applause, the sobbing sounds became glaringly noticeable.

"I’m sorry, it hurts, I remembered the story of separating from my first love."

"So real, watching the film inevitably reminds one of oneself."

"Initially, I didn’t understand, but as soon as the music played, suddenly it all made sense, and tears couldn’t be stopped."

Quite a few audience members had tears glistening in their eyes.

For those without tears, it was as if suddenly realizing, and the atmosphere exploded.

"Wu!"

----

ps: This Chapter is a bit short, it will be longer tomorrow.