The unfolding scenes of the film showcased Nie Xiaoqian as she was, still exuding a demonic charm and ethereal beauty, yet she displayed the seductive allure of the demon to perfection, not vulgar but enchanting. Many came for Julia's passionate scenes, only to be disappointed when they saw a different Ning Caichen, who seemed rather disappointing and almost effeminate, taking a backseat to the spotlight. Julia's exceptional acting talent reached its peak in this film, and she may never surpass herself in the future.
The plot gradually became clear, unlike the usual adapted films that struggle to surpass the classic original, this film is about the love between humans and ghosts, but it is much more than that! Watching Nie Xiaoqian's comical scenes, and her final reluctant glance to save Ning Caichen, her smile represented a sense of reluctance and encouragement, expressing these complex emotions with a single smile, it was truly poignant to watch.
Nie Xiaoqian sacrificed herself to save Ning Caichen, the film should have ended here, a remarkable work of art. Julia proved her genius in acting and directing with this film, and while she had been confined by her previous roles, she had reached her pinnacle. However, the camera suddenly shifted to Ning Caichen arriving at the Bodhi tree, where she had said would be her final resting place.
The music suddenly turned mournful, and the entire football field filled with the sound of soft sobbing, as Ning Caichen gazed at the lush Bodhi tree with a sense of trance. Slowly raising her head, she saw a butterfly land on the Bodhi tree, which transformed into a Bodhi fruit, radiantly red.
The scene shifted to Julia gracefully dancing among the flowers, still wearing her white flowing robes, yet now she appeared ethereal and stunning. Suddenly, she stopped and said, "Caichen! As long as I have you, the world will never be sad again."
Perfect! The ending was truly perfect! There were no words to describe the awe in their hearts. The news and entertainment journalists, as well as the film critics, could not help but praise Julia's success. Adapting a classic requires great courage, as it is difficult to satisfy everyone's tastes. While it may seem like an open-ended conclusion, it is not so! Julia's overtly met the public's tastes on the surface, giving them something to anticipate, but she also gave a deep reflection to all seasoned viewers, pondering the simplest question, yet an eternal one - what is true love?
Even Agathe Duval, the notorious editor-in-chief of Agence France-Presse, could not help but give her a thumbs up. She should be more lenient towards her in the future! Many journalists had already planned the headlines for the next day.
"This film, derived from the old version, has transcended the framework and, as the Chinese idiom goes, 'the student has surpassed the master.'" - Agence France-Presse, Agathe Duval.
"I can't believe how excited I was when I saw the butterfly land on the Bodhi tree. The Bodhi represents rebirth, and the butterfly is a beautiful legend. What was she trying to imply? I need to go back to the cinema and find the answer!" - Guangming Daily.
"The story is quite good, but it is entirely due to the influence of the classic! And the production is too rough, the 3D technology seems to be stuck in the past!" - War God Daily.
The major newspapers had differing opinions, but most were filled with endless praise. While there were some political factors at play, the Greene family was meddling, most of the reviews were overwhelmingly positive. Even the newspapers critical of Julia did not dare to be too harsh, after all, the film was showing and being well-received.
This time, Julia delivered a stunning counterattack in the Federation, silencing those who doubted her, and with the outdoor shooting, as well as the highly anticipated factors such as the sharpshooter, the film earned 102 million on the day of release, breaking a record of reaching 100 million in three days, but it took two days longer! However, it lost its momentum afterwards, with ticket sales of 526 million in the first week, a greater decrease compared to the war film "Bloodless Blood War to the End," which had reached 472 million in three days. But in the end, the total box office after a week was more than 472 million for "Bloodless Blood War to the End"!
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The low-cost remake of "A Chinese Ghost Story" can be said to be a complete contrast to "Blood Battle Without Tears", but of course, these are all stories for another time.
Julia listened to the applause of the crowd, moved to tears with joy. The movie was one of her dreams, as well as a means to her success. As she listened to the thunderous applause, Julia once again took the stage and addressed the crowd below, "Please welcome our creative team. Everyone has worked hard."
"Hey! What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get up there! Let's establish some fame first, so we'll have a star when we start shooting the film!" Monica pushed Barrett Walker, speaking with a sharp tone. After all, as broad-minded as she was, watching the whole film, apart from the kiss between Julia and Barrett Walker, there was nothing else! And what was even more unacceptable to her was that the actor playing Ning Caichen was a complete drag queen! You could even smell the disgusting stench coming from him from a distance.
As Barrett Walker also went up on stage, Lorena Brons whispered to Monica, "Are you really so confident in him?"
"What's there not to be confident about? I may have physical control over him, but I can't hold his heart. But I promised, as long as he can rise to the position of the war god, what's a few more female confidantes to a man like him? There's no big deal." Monica looked at the crowd under the spotlight on stage, listening to the thunderous applause like a tidal wave. Perhaps this was the true charm of movies. The desire to make movies in her heart grew stronger, and maybe she and he could bear this kind of applause together.
"Are you envious?" Lorena Brons looked at Monica's somewhat hazy eyes and couldn't help but ask.
"Yes!" Monica nodded noncommittally and changed her posture. She was already thinking about what kind of film she should shoot to surpass the others.
"The Battle of the Yellow River Valley," Lorena Brons suddenly said in a way that was hard to understand.
"What!" Monica turned her head in confusion to look at Lorena Brons.
"We can invest together to shoot The Battle of the Yellow River Valley!" Lorena Brons spoke without hesitation. The Battle of the Yellow River Valley was a sacred place for humanity to counterattack alien monsters, where the loyal bones of countless ancestors were buried. Many people wanted to bring this battle to the screen, but the difficulty was too great. Not to mention the attention from various forces that the filming of this holy war would attract, they both had the money, but money was not always the solution. The Battle of the Yellow River Valley was too spectacular, with countless battles in the sky, on the ground, in the water, and underground. Without good control, it would definitely turn this sacred war into rubbish, and the consequences endured would be more than just public opinion.
Seeing Monica's silent expression, Lorena Brons patted her shoulder and said, "Are you afraid of the consequences? I will bear it with you!"
"Sigh! That's not the problem..." Monica sighed softly and said to Lorena Brons, "Let's do it! When have I ever been afraid?"
"Good, with your connections through my father, I can get any star from the Federation for you. They can all play supporting roles for us." Lorena Brons said proudly. She could imagine using all the big stars as supporting roles. After this movie was released by the Federation, the amazing effect it would have.
Monica was sweating profusely. If all the big stars were really brought in as supporting roles, would this movie still become a classic? It would just be a documentary of people showing off. In her mind, the Battle of the Yellow River Valley should be more about the bravery and tragedy of the common people, rather than these big stars making appearances, which was a display of lack of confidence. Then the Battle of the Yellow River Valley, which was claimed to be an epic holy war as long as humanity survived, would become a complete failure!
"I can't keep up with your thoughts, so don't get involved! When I have everything ready, I'll ask you for whatever's missing!" Monica said in a rare serious tone.
"Alright! I'll leave everything to you then!" Lorena Brons looked at Monica's rare seriousness and didn't want to antagonize her, so she nodded in agreement.