Chapter 371: Chapter 95 Verbal Battle

“I was fortunate to have finally seen the latest work by the Miracle Director Adrian Cowell yesterday, yes, the war movie that caused quite a stir at the beginning of the year. Just from the scenes, it wasn’t too bad, quite grand and with an epic feel, the stirring war scenes were enough to boost every man’s adrenaline, and his control over visuals and pacing was always decent, but from other aspects, this movie… was terrible.

I think, Mr. Adrian might need to go back to school for a proper history lesson, especially on British history–during the era of William Wallace, Scots had not yet begun wearing kilts. Of course, distinguishing between the English and the Scots is an acceptable excuse, but let’s not forget that Wallace’s entire family was loyal to Edward I, if we really want to nitpick, Wallace should be considered a traitor not a hero. It’s ironic that the real hero, the real ‘Braveheart,’ Robert Bruce, was portrayed as a hesitant character, who only started striving for Scotland’s independence inspired by Wallace’s death.

Besides, Isabelle was just a few years old and had not yet moved to England during Wallace’s rebellion, how did she manage to cross the English Channel and develop a bond with Wallace? I believe Adrian could have adapted this part – Isabelle, meeting Wallace, falls for him at first sight, and then they have an affair. Later, when Edward I captures Wallace and sentences him to death, Isabelle whispers to him that she is pregnant with Wallace’s child. Look, isn’t that moving and steadfast? That is how a Hollywood movie should be, isn’t it?

Not to mention other details, in the first decisive battle, one of the soldiers fighting Wallace, sometimes wore a helmet, sometimes not, his appearance shifting immediately as the camera turned. It must be said, Wallace was lucky, his opponent was too busy taking off and putting on his helmet, otherwise, he might have already died at the hands of the enemy.

This was a film completely lacking in sincerity, anyone who knows anything about that period in history could spot countless errors within three minutes of viewing, the Miracle Director choosing such a theme to produce such a film seems more about showing off himself. Look, he can shoot any genre. The audience’s feelings can wait until later.”

–The Times, Johnny Stanley.

“There is no doubt, this is a splendid movie, a grand epic, a cry of defiance of a nation, Wallace’s cry of ‘Freedom’ before his execution was resounding!

This is a story adapted from real history. In the Middle Ages, Britain was not unified as it is now, England and Scotland were constantly at war against each other, sometimes unified, sometimes divided, and ‘Braveheart’ tells the story of the heroes that emerged for Scotland’s fight for independence during that period.

William Wallace’s father was a hero, who was executed by the cunning King Edward Longshanks during the fight against England. Although Wallace hated the English, he did not wish to inherit his father’s will until his fiancee was killed for resisting an English soldier. After Wallace avenged her death, amidst the village and friends shouting ‘we have a hero’, he finally understood the value of freedom and embraced his destiny.

In his repeated battles against the English, he gained the support of the Scottish nobility, eventually solidifying a foundation for independence. But politics are always dirty, the Scottish nobility couldn’t control him, so they turned and betrayed him to the cunning and brutal King Edward Longshanks. Betrayed, Wallace was not disheartened; he continued to fight, against the English and the traitors, again and again unraveling the plots of Longshanks and forming a deep friendship with the far-married Isabelle–both were aware of the feelings in their hearts but could only bury this love due to their differing statuses.

Ultimately, under King Edward Longshanks, elated and wanting to stabilize the royal authority through public execution, Wallace, unbeknownst to Robert Bruce, was betrayed by Bruce’s father to the English. However, no matter how much the executioner tortured Wallace, he never uttered ‘request for pardon’. In the end, at the moment the ax fell, he shouted ‘Freedom!’

Adrian is indeed the Miracle Director, whether it is the joy after victory, the defeat after betrayal, or the final outcry, as well as the private emotions between Wallace, his fiancee, and Isabelle–all touched people deeply, particularly the final cry of ‘Freedom.’ A story eloquently told, making one immerse in it unconsciously, flowing with the rhythm of the tale. Although there are quite a few errors, such as continuity errors, some historical inaccuracies, and the real events of Wallace’s life, these do not overshadow the enormous charm of this film!”

–Los Angeles Times, Philip Gunther

Soon after the trailer of ‘Braveheart’ was released, Bossworth Film held its first screening, and then these two starkly contrasting reviews came forth. The former full of cynical mockery–if not for professionalism, it might have been deemed utterly worthless; while the latter was full of praise, almost considering it the best movie of the year.

The reason for this situation was clear when one looked at the two newspapers that covered the story. British film critics generally scoffed at “Braveheart,” and some didn’t even bother to disguise their disdain.

“Even if it’s adapted from real history, there has to be a limit. I’d rather not have attended this screening,” a British film critic wrote in his column.

American critics, though some thought the adaptation went a bit far, mostly considered it a quite good film from the standpoint of the film itself.

“It’s just a movie. As long as key events remain unchanged, details can naturally be altered for the sake of the story. Did Wallace rebel against England centuries ago? Of course! Did Scotland gain independence? Of course! So, what’s the problem? It’s just a movie, not a documentary,” an American critic retorted when questioned by his British colleagues.

“Perhaps it’s necessary to educate some people on the meaning of limits, just as Johnny’s article mentioned. When Wallace betrayed them, Princess Isabelle was only a few years old, yet in the film she comes to England and develops a romantic connection with Wallace, which is utterly absurd. Did Adrian ever consider respecting history?” the British promptly counterattacked.

“If one paid attention, they would notice a line at the end of the credits, after the cast list, saying ‘This story is not actual history.’ I’m sure many people didn’t note that. It’s just a movie, why can’t we put aside those issues and analyze it from a cinematic perspective? Aren’t those heroic, impassioned, beautiful scenes and settings exactly what a great movie should have?” the American wrote half-mockingly.

“Please note, strengths are strengths, and flaws are flaws. One cannot overlook the flaws just because there are strengths, especially when these flaws likely overshadow the strengths, thereby affecting the overall quality of the film!” the British film critics, although fewer in number than their American counterparts, were no less fierce in their verbal battle.

Two sharply conflicting views clashed uncompromisingly. By mid-December 1995, aside from the regular gossip and various movies vying for the Christmas-New Year slot, the verbal sparring over “Braveheart” was the most conspicuous in entertainment news. It aroused a massive response among the general public, much like Adrian’s earlier film, “Howards End,” piqued everyone’s curiosity. What kind of movie could cause such endless arguing between film critics of two nations?

“Of course, I’m definitely going to see it. If they’re arguing this much, it must be an interesting film, right?” a British man responded when asked by a reporter on the street.

“What else is there to say? A movie by the Miracle Director must be excellent,” an American chose to support without hesitation.

As the verbal sparring progressed, media from other countries also got involved. A French journalist expressed eagerness for the film’s release, wanting to see how Adrian had altered that period of history and having high hopes for Sophie Marceau’s performance. Conversely, Scottish media, as previously, remained neutral under the pretext that no one attended the screenings and they lacked complete information about the film’s content. Even though some wanted to promote Scotland’s glorious history of independence, they refrained due to lack of full documentation and the conflicting opinions from the English and United States media.

Nevertheless, that didn’t stop the ongoing debate. Finally, even The Sun couldn’t sit idly by any longer. It gave up on following the stalemated gossip about the Miracle Director and conducted two surveys in England and Scotland on whether they supported the new film by the Miracle Director. The results were as follows: in England, support was only 15.2%, indifferent 23.4%, and not supportive 61.4%; in Scotland, not supportive was 8.4%, indifferent 21.5%, and supportive 70.1%. As before, no commentary was provided, just the data laid out, a tactic decidedly “insidious.”

Such a survey was truly meaningless. Polling 10,000 people does not represent the whole region’s opinion, but the readers love this stuff, resulting in further discussions.

At last, even Adrian, who had held his tongue until then, finally spoke a few words when pressed by reporters.

“This is just a movie, just a story. It doesn’t completely represent history. Any adaptation is a form of re-creation, and you can’t completely demand it to conform to certain facts you deem true. I understand their feelings, and I agree that any historian could point out dozens of errors–indeed, historical-themed films have always been this way, and finding errors is easy–but I don’t think there’s a problem with making such a film, rather than seeing it as promoting incorrect history, think about how to introduce the real history to those who watch the film and feel puzzled,” Adrian had said.

He certainly understood what the British were thinking, and he felt a slight sense of smugness in his heart. Though Mel Gibson had also sparked some controversy, he couldn’t stir up a worldwide storm as Adrian did. After all, the British probably felt a sense of betrayal. Before this, Adrian had always been known as the most insightful American director into the United Kingdom, from “Howards End” to “Emma,” beautifully reflecting the British estate style. The British inevitably felt a sense of pride, which now was even more pronounced, elevating Adrian in the same way they lauded Gwyneth for playing British characters.

But now, using William Wallace, a traitor at the time, and Scottish independence as themes for a film, and furthermore titling it “Braveheart,” claiming it was about freedom, to say they weren’t furious or infuriated would be a lie. Although Scotland could not possibly become independent now, this topic remained highly offensive, particularly as it involved promoting incorrect history to other countries–never underestimate the promotional power of films. Hence, the British felt betrayed, even if their earlier adulation was somewhat unilateral, they spared no effort in their attacks when provoked.

Of course, Adrian wasn’t bothered by this. He had several other themes in mind, and gaining the British acclaim again was simpler than eating or drinking, so let the verbal battles continue, the fiercer the better. Keeping it up until the film’s release, naturally, the box office would see a significant increase. It was known that under the onslaught of big productions vying for the Christmas-New Year slot at major film companies, “Emma’s” box office had already declined markedly, but due to this verbal dispute, it actually saw a significant rebound. Thus, one could imagine how many people would rush to the theaters right when “Braveheart” was released!

A Ferrari sports car, a limited edition model, pulled up at the hotel entrance, drawing quite a bit of attention. Adorned with a bow tie and looking very dashing in a suit, Adrian got out of the car, tossed the keys to the valet, and walked directly into the familiar Baccarat Hotel, having attended too many parties here, past and present; he almost knew the layout with his eyes closed.

“Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Adrian?” The lobby manager was still the same Terry Mabusi, who came up immediately with a smile, more respectfully than ever.

He had watched Adrian transition from a mere profligate heir to an incredible major figure today, so even if there was nothing specific, he would always come forward to ask, hoping to leave a good impression.

“Nice to see you, Terry; you look well,” Adrian said with a smile while greeting him on his way to the elevator.

“That’s because I can provide the best service to the guests,” Mabusi replied aptly. Seeing that Adrian seemed to have no other requests, he was about to leave but was called back.

“Wait, Terry,” Adrian seemed to have thought of something, a slight, almost imperceptible smile appearing on his lips, “there is something I might need your help with.”

He gestured for Mabusi to follow to a secluded corner, then looked around before whispering a few words in his ear.

“I understand,” Mabusi immediately showed a knowing smile, “I’ll have someone arrange it right away.”

Adrian then pulled out his checkbook and pen from his pocket, swiftly wrote a few lines, tore it out, and handed it over, “Make sure there are no hitches.”

“Rest assured, there won’t be any problems,” Mabusi tucked away the check, his smile containing a kind of understanding only men share, “just like before.”

“Same as before,” Adrian also smiled meaningfully and then walked briskly toward the already arrived elevator.

He went straight to the Blue Hall on the fifth floor where the party had just begun, and all the guests were here.

“Hey, Ed, you finally made it.” As he entered the hall, a voice rang out. A slightly overweight, bearded Harvey Weinstein approached with excitement.

“Your eye is always so sharp, Harvey,” Adrian said, laughing and patting him on the back.

“You have a keener sense than I do, you’re a VIP who could make the British and Americans argue over you,” Weinstein joked with a laugh, always skillful in his public relations.

While saying this, he pulled Adrian over to a group of people he had been chatting with; they were all individuals Adrian was quite familiar with.

Jerry Bruckheimer, Don Simpson and a manager from Paramount, and an independent producer were there, but unfortunately, Michael Bay, Nicholas Cage, and Sean Connery couldn’t make it due to other commitments. Otherwise, the main creative team behind “The Rock” would have been complete.

Don Simpson’s complexion didn’t look good, a bit pale, which was not surprising as he had just struggled back from the brink of death two weeks ago. It’s strange how fickle the butterfly wings of fate can be. Although Adrian had warned Simpson, he didn’t take it to heart and continued to indulge heavily when he felt like it. But Bruckheimer took the advice to heart; he had heard about Adrian saving River Phoenix from the edge of death, so he often reminded Simpson.

The day Bruckheimer thought of this and went over to his house, he happened upon Simpson convulsing from an overdose while his female companion sat trembling beside him, completely clueless about what to do. Bruckheimer, who had some first aid knowledge, managed the emergency immediately and called an ambulance, thereby saving Simpson’s life.

“If not for Jerry, I probably wouldn’t be here today chatting with you all,” Simpson remarked when speaking of this incident, “So I’m sorry I can’t stay too long or drink.”

“That’s fine, Don, I think everyone understands, right?” Weinstein said with a smile.

“Indeed,” Adrian added, “Take good care of yourself, Don. I still have many ideas I haven’t brought out yet, hoping you and Jerry can turn them into outstanding movies like ‘The Rock.'”

The reason Adrian said this was that Simpson, in some ways, had a clearer insight than Bruckheimer. Although Bruckherimer could also accurately grasp the audience’s psychology and those commercial elements in production, Simpson had one thing he hadn’t learned: a grasp of the American spirit.

Simply put, it involved capturing the mainstream society’s appetite while focusing on commercial aspects. For instance, during the production of “The Rock,” Bruckheimer opposed the involvement of the military, but Simpson chose to support Michael Bay. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on wuxiaworld.site. Your support is my greatest motivation.)