1RomanceEB Chapter 8 "The Blade"
Chapter 8 "The Blade"
"Ding!"
Cheng Xiaodong lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then put down the manuscript in his hand.
"Ah Long, did you really write this?"
"I wrote it."
"It seems I underestimated you; you are even more talented than I imagined."
"Hey bro, do you think 'The Blade' is worth investing in?"
Cheng Xiaodong did not answer directly, but asked:
"You want to act in it yourself?"
I want to act in it myself.
"In that case, it will be difficult to attract investment, because you have no fame and no box office appeal."
Moreover, your story is too depressing, too bloody, and too violent; the audience may find it difficult to accept.
Tang Long understood these principles.
He had many options when he was preparing to write the script.
The reason for ultimately choosing the story of "The Blade" was not because of its commercial success, but because of its unique artistic style.
He can write scripts with higher commercial value, but he will encounter the same problems when trying to attract investment.
He was not famous and had no box office appeal.
Investors wouldn't agree to let him play the lead role, and might even sideline him and bring in big stars to develop the project.
Film investors have a keen eye; they can tell a good script from a bad one at a glance, and they rarely make a mistake.
On the contrary, stories like "The Blade," which have lower commercial value and are more niche, are less likely to be acquired by large companies and investors.
For Tang Long, whether the movie makes money is secondary; the most important thing is whether it can bring him fame.
The original timeline of "The Blade" was released in 1995, by which time audiences had already grown tired of martial arts and kung fu films.
Tsui Hark saw the decline of Hong Kong martial arts films. Since he couldn't preserve the glory, he decided to go all out this time.
He abandoned the glamour and romance of his past martial arts films, abandoned the themes of national righteousness, and abandoned the ethereal aesthetics.
Through extreme realism and violence, it presents the audience with the bloody, brutal, and oppressive true nature of the underworld.
In this movie, he no longer makes people yearn for the martial arts world, but rather makes them escape from it.
"The Blade" is one of Tsui Hark's most emotional expressions.
With this film, he personally shattered the romantic martial arts dream he had built since "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer".
After filming this movie, he left Hong Kong and went to Hollywood to pursue his career.
The film "The Blade" performed poorly at the box office, grossing only HK$3.3 million.
The highest-grossing film in Hong Kong that year was Jackie Chan's "Rumble in the Bronx," which grossed HK$57 million.
"The Blade" is not even a fraction of what others make.
However, the film sparked considerable controversy after its release.
Some people love it, while others criticize it for being obscure and eccentric.
The film "Swordsman" has just been released, and the concept of new martial arts films has only just been proposed.
If "The Blade" were released now, its extremely realistic and rough style might be seen as a bolder breakthrough than "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer".
Its groundbreaking nature will garner more attention and discussion than it did in 1995.
Only with buzz can there be popularity, and Tang Long, as both the lead actor and screenwriter, will gain even greater fame.
Audiences are not yet tired of martial arts films, and there are almost no similar realistic and violent martial arts films.
The film may not be a huge box office hit, but its performance will definitely be much better than the original HK$3.3 million.
Most importantly, the production cost of "The Blade" is low, making it easier to attract investment.
"Boss, I understand all of this. Some people will find the story of 'The Blade' hard to accept, while others will really like it."
Could you help me submit these to major film companies, especially Director Xu's film studio?
"It seems you were prepared, knowing that Director Tsui prefers this type of film," Cheng Xiaodong said with a smile.
"Director Tsui is one of the few directors in Hong Kong who has high aspirations and does not blindly pursue entertainment and commercial success."
If anyone is interested in this script, I think the most likely candidate is Director Tsui.
Tsui Hark left New City because he didn't want to make comedy films anymore.
He wants to make some films with depth and meaning.
After he established his film studio, a series of films emerged, including "Working Emperor," which exposed the exploitation of factory workers in Hong Kong; "Peking Opera Blues," which showcased patriotism; and "A Chinese Ghost Story," which depicted a tragic love story.
What's even more remarkable is that Tsui Hark is able to strike a good balance between artistry and commercial appeal.
The story of "The Blade" doesn't have to wait until 1995; Tsui Hark would have liked it at any time.
He brought up the film "The Blade" hoping to secure investment from Tsui Hark.
Tang Long's only worry was whether Xu Ke would replace him because he lacked fame and box office appeal.
His biggest connection is Cheng Xiaodong, and he can only pin his hopes on Cheng Xiaodong.
I hope he can personally hand the script to Xu Ke and recommend him for the male lead.
Cheng Xiaodong met Tang Long's expectant gaze, stubbed out his cigarette, and said seriously:
"I will recommend this script to Director Xu in person, and I will also recommend you for the male lead role in the film."
As for whether Director Xu will invest in the project or agree to let you play the male lead, that's not something I can decide.
"I understand, you've been a great help to me."
Otherwise, relying solely on myself, the script would most likely be ignored and ultimately thrown away like waste paper.
"Make several copies of the script, and I'll submit them to all the major film companies for you. Don't put all your eggs in one basket with Director Tsui."
"Thank you, boss." Tang Long said sincerely.
He realized he had met a benefactor.
Having struggled alone for many years in his previous life, he understood even more how valuable Cheng Xiaodong's help was.
"A grown man shouldn't be so coy; it's nothing to me."
And I also quite like the story of "The Knife".
Tang Long understood that Cheng Xiaodong spoke lightly, but doing so would require him to use a lot of favors.
He has a certain amount of influence in the industry, but influence is dwindling.
Tang Long is currently unable to offer enough in return, so he can only keep this gratitude in his heart for the time being.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he left Cheng Xiaodong's office.
Then all we need to do is wait for further instructions.
Meanwhile, after Tang Long left, Cheng Xiaodong brought the script to Xu Ke's film studio.
The two have worked together for many years and are very familiar with each other.
He went straight to Xu Ke's office, knocked on the door and came in to find Shi Nansheng there as well.
"It's perfect timing that Mr. Shi is here too. Director Xu, I have a really good script here. What do you think?"
Xu Ke wasn't in the mood to watch it; he was already overwhelmed with problems because of the losses from "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer."
But this was the first time Cheng Xiaodong had recommended a script to him, so he needed to give face to this friend and business partner.
He himself was also curious about the script, which was so interesting that it was worth Cheng Xiaodong speaking up for him.
"Bring it here, I want to take a look now."
After reading the first page, Xu Ke straightened his back and sat up straight, his expression becoming much more serious.
Shi Nansheng and Cheng Xiaodong watched quietly without disturbing her; both understood that Xu Ke was captivated by the story.
The room fell silent, with only the rustling sound of him turning the pages of the script.
As he closed the last page, he looked up at Cheng Xiaodong:
Who wrote this script?
What do you think?
"very nice."
Are you interested in investing?
"Yes, but we'll have to wait until next year."
"This is written by a newcomer, and he wants to play the male lead himself. Are you still willing to vote for it?"
"A newcomer?" Xu Ke frowned.