After the premiere of Inglourious Basterds, Harvey Weinstein held a celebration party, and Duke also arrived at the hotel where the party was taking place.
"Very interesting film."
Standing opposite Quentin Tarantino, Duke also praised the guy's ideas. "Especially the ending."
Unlike the style of his films, Quentin Tarantino was a slick and socially adept director. He immediately said, "This is the Jewish revenge I imagined. Although all the stories are made up by me, this is the ending I hoped for."
Harvey Weinstein laughed nonstop beside them, and Duke nodded slightly.
On the other side, Brad Pitt chimed in at the right time, "Quentin came to me alone back then. We talked for a few hours, and I felt like I was under some kind of spell. A month later, I was already wearing a uniform."
He then said to Duke, "You know what, Duke? There's a popular saying in Cannes now that Fury Road is somewhere between rock 'n' roll and opera. After watching the whole movie, I think that description is just perfect! How did you pull it off?"
Smiling, Duke said, "That was one of the original concepts of the film. It's just about whether you can maintain the chase while adding enough along the way. Editing the film was a massive task; you need to find its internal rhythm, and once you catch that beat, you can't let go not even for a second. Filling things in along the way also takes a bit of skill."
Brad Pitt nodded seriously and said, "I really hope we can collaborate someday."
"We will," Duke replied politely.
Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt went off to socialize elsewhere, but Harvey Weinstein didn't leave. He was a shrewd businessman and seemed to have something to say to Duke.
Once there was no one else around, the Jewish big man suddenly said, "Duke, I spoke with Robert Rodriguez on the phone last night and heard some news there's a woman strongly urging the jury to go against your Fury Road."
There was an undertone of flattery in his words.
"Thanks!" Duke nodded lightly. "I already know about this."
In fact, by this point in the Cannes Film Festival, all films in the competition section had been screened. Compared to the stunning impact Fury Road made at the opening, the other films, whether in media or audience response, were very mediocre.
But the awards at film festivals are never concentrated on a single film. The three major European film festivals are far more known for "dividing the pie" than the Oscars.
In a large conference room, the jury of this year's festival had gathered to discuss the awards.
Among them, as with every year, there was disagreement over the Palme d'Or.
"I think Fury Road is the most suitable. It's the most popular film during the festival."
Robert Rodriguez made his stance clear in supporting the Hollywood film. "This is a truly classic visual film. Its story relies on its images. Its visuals can be summed up in two words convincing!"
"But it lacks dramatic depth, no substance!" British playwright Hanif Kureishi suddenly commented indifferently. "This kind of film that just fights from start to finish is practically synonymous with garbage."
"Hmph…" Robert Rodriguez first sneered in disdain, then said, "Too little drama? No substance? That's like picking bones out of an egg. The purpose of a film is to attract the eye. If Duke had been dumb enough to add more dramatic scenes, I bet theaters around the world would be filled with curses!"
Hanif Kureishi wanted to say something more but was stopped by Isabelle Huppert raising her hand. She said directly, "I think Fury Road is very suitable."
She was the jury president. Although she couldn't decide the awards by herself, if she was dead set on pushing this film, no one could stop her.
Besides, everyone knew she was a feminist.
After Isabelle Huppert expressed her opinion clearly, Hanif Kureishi shut his mouth, and most others also stayed silent.
Sitting by the side of the conference table, Natalie Portman's gaze flickered. To achieve her goal, she had been privately lobbying the jury members, and now seeing this result, she felt very unwilling.
"I think it's quite inappropriate," she slowly said in reminder. "Have you all forgotten that film festival awards must be based on artistic value as the basic criterion? A shallow film like Fury Road, I can't see any artistic merit in it."
Hearing this, Robert Rodriguez couldn't help but look at Natalie Portman in surprise. In Hollywood, Jews are famously close-knit, especially when dealing with external forces. They often act in unison, like the blacklisting of Mel Gibson. Duke Rosenberg and Natalie Portman were well-known Jewish figures in Hollywood…
What was this woman trying to do? He couldn't help but frown slightly.
Everyone has their own agenda and stance, and Robert Rodriguez was no exception. Besides being a Hollywood film, Fury Road also had a style that perfectly matched his taste.
He immediately asked, "Miss Portman, then which film do you think is more suitable for the Palme d'Or?"
Natalie Portman glanced at Isabelle Huppert and said, "The White Ribbon reveals the darkness caused by the hypocrisy of human nature. It alludes to the origins of German fascism and the subsequent course of history. The film is not only entirely presented in black and white but also has no musical score at all. Its pure cinematic artistry is far superior to Fury Road."
After speaking, she looked again at Isabelle Huppert.
Isabelle Huppert also hesitated and did not speak immediately. The discussion ended there, and no decision was reached for the Palme d'Or.
After the meeting, the other jurors left one after another. Natalie Portman deliberately stayed behind. When Isabelle Huppert finished packing up her materials and was about to leave, she suddenly stood up and walked over.
"Something you need?" Isabelle Huppert looked at her and asked.
Natalie Portman showed a kind smile and said, "Someone asked me to remind you—don't forget who the director of The White Ribbon is."
Isabelle Huppert fell silent. How could she forget that the director of this film was Michael Haneke, who had done her a great favor?
Seeing the expression on her face, Natalie Portman's smile deepened. She turned and calmly walked out of the conference room.
She remembered very clearly that in 2001, Michael Haneke had won the Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize for The Piano Teacher, and had also propelled Isabelle Huppert—this year's Jury President—to win the Best Actress award.
Back in her room, sitting on the sofa with her eyes closed, Natalie Portman couldn't help but recall some scenes of her time with Duke. Not only had he stripped away the glamorous shell that covered her, but after having a substantial relationship with her, he discarded her like trash.
Want to take the Palme d'Or? It won't be that easy!
Indeed, one cannot be welcomed by everyone, and the same goes within Hollywood.
The media frenzy over Fury Road directly reflected in fan communities everywhere. Since it wouldn't be officially released until May 22, North American moviegoers were undoubtedly teased and hyped by the media's relentless promotion. After ticket reservations officially opened across North American theaters, pre-sale numbers skyrocketed.
This, of course, caused concern among some people.
"Just received the latest update…"
In the office, an assistant reported to David Ellison, "Fury Road's pre-sale revenue has already reached $30 million!"
David Ellison frowned slightly and asked, "What about our Tintin?"
The assistant glanced at him, then cautiously said, "Less than... less than $10 million."
His frown deepened. David Ellison knew he had to take action. Fury Road's current $30 million pre-sale figure might not compare to Transformers or The Dark Knight, but for an R-rated film, it was already terrifying.
What's more, it was far ahead of his investment, The Adventures of Tintin.
Some time ago, Spielberg had declined some of his requests. The situation was clear: the Jewish old man was willing to compete with Duke Rosenberg in the open market, but he didn't want the competition to cross certain boundaries.
Spielberg was only cooperating with regular promotional distribution. If Ellison wanted to do more, he'd have to rely on himself.
After pondering for a moment, he said, "Increase media PR efforts. In addition to continuing to promote Tintin, have them emphasize that Fury Road is a feminist film!"
The assistant wasn't stupid—he immediately understood David Ellison's intention and said, "I'll get the PR department in touch with the relevant media right away."
David Ellison had already sent someone to watch the film. In reality, the feminist tone in it wasn't particularly strong or offensive, but certain organizations were always blindly aggressive. As long as they were incited to a certain extent, they were bound to behave irrationally.
It was true that the feminist movement was on the rise, but the opposing forces remained strong. And in this world, just how many men genuinely supported feminism was still questionable. As long as they could stir up resentment among male audiences, the film's target demographic would inevitably shrink.
As for the Palme d'Or, he had no network within the European film circle, so he could hardly influence it. Fortunately, while the Palme d'Or did have some impact in North America, its influence wasn't particularly big. Overseas markets were more concerning in this regard.
However, David Ellison was well aware that with Sky Flim Pictures' current strength, its influence overseas was too weak. All he could do was try to go head-to-head with Duke Rosenberg in the North American market.
Besides, the other party had never been favored by the European film circle, so he might not get the Palme d'Or anyway.
...
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