RBCT Chapter 143
Chapter 143
Chapter 143
"His eyes were shining then."
Li Jun said.
"That kind of light is more precious than anything else. We do this not for stability, but for that light—the light of creation, the light of expression, the light of being seen."
He looked out at the mountains: "Master Cheng has fallen, but the actions he left behind, the films he made, still shine. That's enough."
Xiao Chen nodded and didn't say anything more.
The car turned onto the mountain road and began to climb the hill.
The mountain roads in southern Anhui are winding and twisting, with cliffs on one side and deep valleys on the other.
A stream flows at the bottom of the valley, and the sound of water can be faintly heard.
Occasionally, when passing through a village, I would see old people sitting in their doorways basking in the sun, dogs lazily lying by the roadside, and chickens pecking at vegetables in the fields.
Time seems to slow down here.
It was noon when we got back to the village.
Aunt Gui was drying radishes in the courtyard when she saw Li Jun and quickly put down what she was doing: "Director Li is back! Have you eaten? I'll heat up some food for you!"
"No need to trouble yourself, Aunt Gui, I'll eat with everyone."
"That won't do. You just got back; you need to eat something hot."
Without saying a word, Aunt Gui went into the kitchen.
Li Jun put down his luggage and went to the film crew's accommodation first. Everyone was having lunch, and when they saw him, they all gathered around.
"Director Li is back!"
"How is Master Cheng?"
"What's the situation in Beijing?"
A barrage of questions arose. Li Jun patiently answered them one by one:
Mr. Cheng's condition is stable, and the treatment costs are being raised. Recovery will take time, but he has received everyone's good wishes.
"in addition,"
Li Jun raised his voice.
"Master Cheng asked me to pass on a message to everyone: Focus on making the film, don't get distracted. He said, 'Movies outlive people.'"
The scene fell silent. Several young staff members had tears in their eyes.
Nicholas Tse walked over and patted Li Jun on the shoulder: "It's good to be back. There's a crucial scene this afternoon, and we need you there."
"What play?"
"The play about Lin Shen destroying the painting."
Qin Hailu said softly.
"The script says that as war approaches, Lin Shen is worried that his paintings will fall into enemy hands, so he decides to burn his life's work."
Li Jun's heart sank.
He remembered this scene; it was one of the emotional climaxes of the entire film.
For a painter to burn his own paintings is tantamount to burning his own life.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Ready."
Nicholas Tse nodded.
"But you need to be careful on set, not too sentimental, not too bland. That kind of calm amidst destruction is the hardest to act."
"What time in the afternoon?"
"Three o'clock. Master Li has already made arrangements in that open space on the back hill."
At lunchtime, Li Jun didn't have much of an appetite.
Aunt Gui specially stir-fried some greens for him and steamed a bowl of egg custard, but he only ate a few bites.
Qin Hailu sat down next to him and said softly, "Director Li, don't worry too much. Teacher Xie and I have been working on this scene for a long time, and we are confident."
"It's not that I'm worried you won't act well."
Li Jun said.
"It's because this scene is too heavy."
"But we have to film it, don't we?" Qin Hailu said.
Lin Shen burned the paintings not out of despair, but out of hope—the hope that the spirit of these paintings would remain, rather than become spoils of war for the enemy.
This is a higher level of perseverance.
Li Jun looked at her.
This usually gentle actress had a rare sharpness in her eyes at this moment.
"You understand it very well," he said.
"Because that's how Wanrong would interpret it."
Qin Hailu smiled.
"When she accompanied her husband to burn the paintings, she didn't cry and sob. Instead, she helped him organize the scrolls and handed him the embers, as if completing a solemn ceremony. She knew that some things cannot be burned away."
Li Jun nodded, feeling a little more at ease.
After the meal, he went back to his room to rest for a while.
Lying in bed, I couldn't fall asleep; my mind was filled with images from the scene that afternoon.
He got up, opened the script, and found those pages.
Scene: Open space behind the mountain, at dusk.
Characters: Lin Shen, Wanrong.
Event: Lin Shen piled up his life's worth of paintings into a small mountain and set it on fire.
The dialogue is very short, only a few lines:
Wanrong: "Is it all here?"
Lin Shen: "They're all here."
Wanrong: "What a pity."
Lin Shen: "It's no pity. What should have been left is left here."
Then it was lit, burned, and silently watched as the flames devoured the mountains, rivers, flowers, birds, and figures.
Li Jun closed the script and walked to the window.
Outside the window, the village breathes quietly in the afternoon sun.
Aunt Gui was hanging clothes out to dry, the Party Secretary was repairing farm tools, and the children were chasing and playing.
In the distance, mountains rise and fall, shrouded in mist.
Such a peaceful place, yet they're going to film a scene of destruction.
But perhaps it is precisely this contrast that makes the scene more powerful.
At 2:30 pm, the film crew set off for the back mountain.
The open space was on a hillside behind the village, quite secluded, surrounded by several old pine trees, with bare rocks and a little soil on the ground.
Master Li had already set up the scene: a pile of scrolls, scrolls, and album pages of various sizes, stacked into a small mound, with some sketches scattered around.
They are all meticulously crafted props, so realistic that they could easily be mistaken for real ones from a distance.
Nicholas Tse and Qin Hailu were rehearsing their lines on the side. Both of them had changed into their costumes; Nicholas Tse's long robe was even older, with the cuffs worn white.
Qin Hailu's clothes were patched, but clean and tidy.
Their makeup and hair made them look older; Nicholas Tse's sideburns were completely white, and Qin Hailu had deep crow's feet drawn on the corners of her eyes.
"When we light the fire later, Li Jun will give the final instructions."
"The fire will start at the bottom of the pile of paintings and slowly spread upwards. Don't stare at the fire for too long; look at each other."
Lin Shen looked at Wanrong, as if asking: Do you regret it? Wanrong looked at Lin Shen, as if answering: No, I don't regret it.
He paused. "The bigger the fire, the calmer you will be. Because what you cherish most is safe, in your hearts."
The two nodded.
"All hands on deck!"
The camera was set up in two positions:
One is facing forward, capturing a panoramic view of the two people and the campfire;
One is positioned to the side, specifically for close-up shots of the face.
The lighting technician is adjusting the light to simulate the ambiguous moment when the light is about to fade at dusk.
The pyrotechnics team has prepared safe fuel and ignition devices. Firefighters are on standby at the scene.
"Scene 75, Shot 1 of 'Dreams of Mountains and Rivers,' begin!"
The clapperboard clicked.
Xie Tingfeng stood in front of the pile of paintings, looking at the scrolls.
His eyes were complex, showing regret and reluctance, but more than anything, a resolute determination.
He crouched down and reached out to touch the scroll at the top, which was "Autumn Mountain Visiting Friends," the "original" painting given to the students at the beginning of the movie.
Qin Hailu walked over, holding a tinderbox in her hand.
She didn't say anything, but simply handed him the tinderbox.
Nicholas Tse took it, but did not light it immediately.
He looked up at her, his eyes seeming to ask: Is this really how it should be?
Qin Hailu nodded, her eyes calm and firm.
Nicholas Tse took a deep breath and lit the tinderbox.
The tiny flame flickered in the twilight.
He crouched down and brought the flame close to the ignition source at the bottom of the pile of paintings.
A few seconds later, flames shot up and began to engulf the bottom sheet of paper.
The flame was small at first, crackling and producing blue smoke.
Then it grew larger and larger, the flames licking the scroll, the Xuan paper curling, turning black, and turning to ash under the high temperature.
The ink marks appeared one last time in the firelight, outlining the mountains, the ripples of the water, and the postures of the trees, before disappearing.
Nicholas Tse stood up, took a few steps back, and stood side by side with Qin Hailu.
The two watched the flames in silence.
The close-up shot zoomed in on Nicholas Tse's face.
The firelight danced in his eyes, but his gaze was calm, like a deep pool.
His lips were pressed tightly together, and the lines of his jaw were taut, a sign of extreme restraint.
A close-up of Qin Hailu. Her face is illuminated by the firelight, half bright and half dark.
She didn't cry, nor did she show any sadness; she simply watched quietly, as if observing an inevitable sunset.
She gently took Xie Tingfeng's arm, not out of dependence, but as if they were side by side.
The flames rose higher and higher, illuminating half the sky.
The crackling sound of burning drawing paper, the popping sound of burning pine branches, and the sound of wind all blended together.
Xie Tingfeng suddenly spoke, his voice very soft, almost drowned out by the sound of the fire: "What should have been left is left here."
He pointed to his heart.
Qin Hailu turned to look at him, a faint but genuine smile appearing on her lips: "I know."
Then she turned back and continued to look at the fire.
The firelight flickered in her eyes, like the light of tears, but it wasn't tears.
The camera slowly zooms out, from the backs of the two people, to the entire campfire, to the surrounding pine trees, to the distant mountains, to the gradually darkening sky.
The firelight illuminated them, and it also illuminated the land that was about to be swallowed by war.
"Cut!"
Li Jun called a halt.
The scene was completely silent. Only the fire continued to burn, crackling and popping.
It took Nicholas Tse a long time to come out of character.
He wiped his face and let out a long breath.
Qin Hailu also breathed a sigh of relief, but her eyes were red.
During the playback, everyone gathered around the monitor.
The fire, the two people, and the tranquility amidst the destruction in the footage are breathtaking.
"This one is approved."
Li Jun said his voice was a little hoarse.
"No need for insurance."
Everyone started packing up the equipment.
The fire was almost out of control, so the firefighters went to put it out. Water was poured on it, hissing and creating large plumes of white smoke.
Xie Tingfeng walked over to Li Jun and handed him a cigarette.
The two walked to the edge of the hillside and looked at the village in the distance.
As dusk settled, lights began to twinkle in the village.
Smoke rose in wisps, mingling with the mountain mist.
"When filming this scene,"
Nicholas Tse exhaled a puff of smoke.
"I was reminded of my father. He was an old actor who played supporting roles his whole life."
In his later years, he collected all his scripts, stills, and awards, saying he wanted to leave them to his grandson. But during a move, the boxes were lost. He sat in the empty room, lost in thought for a long time.
He paused for a moment: "I asked him if he was sad. He said: Yes, I was sad. But acting isn't about those pieces of paper, it's about this." He pointed to his heart.
Paper may be discarded, but the roles you've played and the lives you've experienced remain in your heart. They can't be lost.
Li Jun listened quietly.
"Burning paintings in the forest probably feels like this too."
Nicholas Tse said.
"The landscapes on paper may be burned, but the landscapes in your heart will never be burned. As long as your heart is still there and your pen is still there, you can paint again."
"So this scene is not a tragedy."
Qin Hailu walked over and continued the conversation.
"It is Nirvana. Only by burning away the old can the new be born."
Looking at the two actors, Li Jun felt a warm feeling well up inside him.
Having actors like this is a blessing for directors.
By the time we descended the mountain, it was completely dark. We walked along the mountain path, flashlights in hand, our steps uneven and shaky.
The flashlight beam flickered in the darkness, like a firefly.
Back in the village, Aunt Gui had already prepared dinner.
I added extra dishes today: a stewed chicken, stir-fried cured pork, and some seasonal vegetables.
But everyone ate quietly. The emotions from the afternoon's performance hadn't completely dissipated.
After the meal, Li Jun walked alone onto the stone bridge.
The village was quiet at night, with the occasional bark of a dog and the sound of a television.
The starry sky was dazzling, and the Milky Way stretched across the heavens like a luminous river.
He recalled the fire during the day. The image of Nicholas Tse and Qin Hailu standing side by side in the firelight was imprinted in his mind.
The scene reminded him of an ancient poem: "Leaving behind withered lotus leaves to listen to the sound of rain."
Beauty exists in destruction. Gain exists in loss.
What the film aims to capture is this complex and contradictory beauty.
My phone vibrated; it was Zhang Liangying.
"How did the filming go today?"
She asked.
"We filmed a key scene: Lin Shen burning the painting."
"ah----"
Zhang Liangying took a soft breath on the other end of the phone.
"That must be very difficult to film."
"But it was filmed very well."
Li Jun said.
"Teacher Xie and Teacher Qin portrayed that dignity amidst destruction."
"Just like Master Cheng."
Zhang Liangying said softly.
"The body may have collapsed, but the dignity remains."
Li Jun was taken aback. He hadn't expected Zhang Liangying to make that connection.
I visited him at the hospital today.
Zhang Liangying said.
I brought him the demo of my new album and played it for him.
He couldn't speak, but his eyes moved. His wife said he heard her.
Li Jun's eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
"Thank you."
He said.
"No need to thank me, it's what I should do."
Zhang Liangying paused.
"Li Jun, I think we are all doing the same thing: using art to resist time, resist forgetting, and resist all forces that want to destroy beauty."
"Um."
"So don't overwork yourself. If you're tired, take a break and film the scenes slowly."
Tickets for the last show of my tour are sold out. Chengdu Stadium, 30,000 seats.
"At that time, I want to sing 'Between Light and Shadow' on stage and say that this song is dedicated to a director."
Li Jun laughed: "Aren't you afraid of media hype?"
"I'm not afraid."
Zhang Liangying laughed and said, "We're doing this openly and honestly, what's there to be afraid of?"
After hanging up the phone, Li Jun stood on the bridge, looking at the starry sky.
The Milky Way is so vast, and humans are so insignificant. But even insignificant humans can leave a trace in the vast universe through film, music, and paintbrush.
Even just a tiny glimmer of light.
That's enough.
In the following days, filming entered its final sprint.
Only a few scenes remain of the main plot of "Dreaming of Mountains and Rivers":
The flames of war finally reached the village, and Lin Shen and Wanrong held their ground amidst the gunfire.
The village fell, and the two were captured;
The final farewell.
These scenes are highly emotional and pose a great challenge to the actors.
Nicholas Tse and Qin Hailu were almost always immersed in their roles. Even off-screen, they rarely joked or laughed, but quietly drank tea, read the script, and occasionally exchanged a few words.
The atmosphere on set became solemn. Everyone walked quietly and spoke in hushed tones, as if afraid of disturbing something.
That afternoon, they were filming a scene amidst gunfire.
The scene is set in a village.
The art department arranged several streets to resemble the post-war era, with bullet holes in the walls, rubble on the ground, charred doors, and scattered items.
The pyrotechnics team prepared a large quantity of smoke bombs and gunpowder effects.