The movie ended.

Since they had booked a private screening, the executives weren’t in a hurry to leave. Instead, they discussed the plot of the film.

They were curious about whether this film, as Mr. Pei’s final trump card, could truly deliver a killing blow.

Nie Yunsheng asked with some confusion: “Although this movie was indeed well-made, it seems there’s still quite a gap between it and winning the Golden Lion Award, isn’t there?”

“Are you suggesting that there simply weren’t any strong competitors at this year’s Venice Film Festival, allowing this film to win by default?”

Lu Xiaoping shook his head slightly: “There weren’t many strong competitors, true, but the quality of this film shouldn’t be underestimated.”

“Although I haven’t been able to analyze this film carefully yet, from my first viewing experience, this movie truly has unique qualities in many aspects. It’s not surprising that it gained the jury’s approval.”

Nie Yunsheng was surprised: “Oh? Mr. Lu, please tell us how this film compares to ‘Your Property’?”

Lu Xiaoping explained: “The two share similarities in their themes, except one leans toward the extreme in its plot arrangement, while the other focuses more on details.”

Nie Yunsheng and the other executives nodded in agreement. This point was obvious even to those who weren’t film experts.

“My Property” imagined an extremely bizarre scenario where one person controlled the vast majority of wealth on the entire planet, even monopolizing air, water sources, and everything else.

“The Future You Choose,” on the other hand, didn’t feature such extreme scenarios. All the events took place in a setting that seemed extreme but also somehow logical. Even small-time gangsters could rise through various shady means. The world was chaotic, but the ladder for upward mobility hadn’t been completely cut off.

So although their thematic content had similarities, the finished films gave completely different impressions.

Lu Xiaoping continued: “I won’t analyze the film’s themes and deeper implications. That kind of content requires watching the film multiple times to observe the details.”

“I’ll just briefly discuss some techniques used in this film.”

“In my view, this movie strikes an excellent balance between commercial appeal and artistic merit. In certain aspects, it’s very straightforward, such as using different lighting and color tones to represent the disparities between characters.”

“At the beginning of the film, the camera descends from the highest point to the lowest. The truly wealthy live at the top, where sunlight is abundant, and even at night, they can see the most beautiful lights of the entire city. Living above the clouds, they seem to dwell in a paradise.”

“As the camera rapidly descends, the audience sees the scenes at the bottom. Whether during day or night, everything is gray and hazy down there. That layer of clouds blocks out both sunlight and artificial light, turning the lower world into a jungle society where only the strongest survive, plunged into absolute chaos.”

“At the end of the film, the camera rises again from below, reinforcing this feeling.”

“I find the design of this cloud layer very clever.”

“These buildings appear to soar into the clouds, and while they are indeed very tall, the clouds are actually generated by equipment in the middle of the buildings.”

“Although the film doesn’t provide a direct explanation, one can guess that the wealthy living in those high floors don’t want to see the chaotic and dirty scenes below, don’t want their view disturbed when looking out their windows, so they use the cloud layer as a screen.”

“And the cloud layer can actually be seen as a means of isolation and monopolization. Since those living on the high floors are the upper class of the entire society, they can use this blatant method to monopolize the sunlight received by the entire city. Just like in ‘My Property,’ where the rich monopolized the air.”

“When the protagonist played by Lu Zhiyao plots to replace the young wealthy heir, despite engaging in the darkest work, the scene is deliberately shot with very bright lighting. After the protagonist replaces the wealthy heir, the process of managing his assets, legitimizing his gang, and continuously accumulating wealth is presented in a very cheerful atmosphere.”

“Even the soundtrack uses solemn and elegant string music.”

“This soundtrack and lighting create a stark contrast with the treacherous and sinister plot, producing an absurd effect.”

“But at the same time, this seems to imply that for a poor man like the protagonist who will do anything to climb upward, his sense of right and wrong, good and evil, has completely distorted. To reach the highest point and embrace the sunlight, he has actually completely abandoned or deliberately twisted his moral compass.”

“Additionally, the film uses many montage techniques.”

“For instance, during the protagonist’s growth in the gang, montage techniques are used to contrast the protagonist’s activities when he first joined the gang with those after he had been in the gang for a long time. Things that the protagonist initially found repulsive quickly became routine.”

“Through the cross-cutting of the beginning and end, the camera highlights the enormous changes the protagonist undergoes during this period, also conveying a sense of cycle. All members of the gang actually go through this process, from the naivety and innocence of first joining to becoming ruthless characters who abandon morality and use any means necessary.”

“If told in chronological order, this sense of cycle and fate could not be conveyed, and it would also drag on.”

“Beyond that, the film’s details are well-executed. The food the protagonist can obtain and the clothes he wears at various stages of life match his circumstances.”

“For example, when he was a homeless person, after joining the gang, or after becoming wealthy, the protagonist’s living environment and attire change.”

“And I must say, Lu Zhiyao’s acting skills are truly impressive.”

“He actually plays two roles, and one of those roles has two different stages.”

“At the beginning, when the poor protagonist is fighting and struggling at the bottom, although he kills someone, he still has some internal principles. But as his position in the gang rises higher, on the surface he appears to become more calm, but in reality, he has abandoned his inner adherence to justice.”

“Lu Zhiyao not only has to portray this feeling of the poor protagonist, but also play the young wealthy heir well.”

“This young wealthy heir has a completely different personality, full of idealism and adventurism. He’s passionate and hopeful about life, and in terms of fighting spirit, seems to have many similarities with the poor protagonist. But careful observation reveals their inner spirits are completely different.”

“There’s a detail in the film where both the rich and poor protagonists keep the same ornamental plant, but the rich protagonist’s plant thrives because it’s placed on the upper floor with frequent access to sunlight. The poor person’s plant frequently gets sick, with yellowing leaves, half-dead and requiring careful attention just to survive.”

“This suggests that different living environments determine how two people with the same adventurous and enterprising spirit end up becoming completely different types of people.”

“The most brilliant part is that Lu Zhiyao not only portrays three personalities but also excellently shows the continuous changes between these three personalities.”

“It even creates an illusion that the poor protagonist and the wealthy protagonist just look somewhat similar, but internally are two different people.”

“Being able to deliver such a brilliant and complex performance, winning Best Actor is well-deserved.”

Nie Yunsheng nodded slightly: “Indeed. This film has many subtle techniques in the details. If you hadn’t explained it, I wouldn’t have noticed; I just felt it flowed smoothly and naturally.”

“What concerns me is the small stone on the protagonist’s chest and its symbolic meaning.”

“First, a homeless person mistakenly thinks this stone is something valuable and robs him, then he accidentally kills the homeless person, forcing him to begin his gang career. Finally, it’s likely because of this stone that he’s exposed, and in the end, it falls from the building and shatters, suggesting the protagonist’s failure.”

“Looking at it this way, Director Zhu Xiaocai’s ambition is indeed substantial. This film is ingeniously conceived, and it seems from the beginning it was aimed at winning awards.”

Lu Xiaoping was in the film industry after all, so his vision was much higher than the other executives, and he could see many techniques.

Of course, he wasn’t a particularly professional film critic, and having only watched it once, he just shared his first impressions and the points he could identify.

Since this film won an award, it must have been excellent not only in artistic techniques but must also have had deeper implications that moved the judges.

Nie Yunsheng asked with some concern: “Mr. Lu, do you think ‘My Property’ can win?”

Lu Xiaoping thought for a moment and said: “There’s never an absolute winner in art. Using terms like ‘win’ or ‘lose’ is too crude and utilitarian, not appropriate here.”

“After all, we’re not competing on box office or awards, but public opinion.”

“From the current perspective, ‘My Property’ has precisely targeted Tenda Group, while ‘The Future You Choose,’ although it affects us to some extent, doesn’t have a significant impact.”

“I even think this film’s destructive power is not as strong as the game.”

“After all, the game attacked our Anti-Tenda Alliance through its ending, while the film doesn’t even mention it.”

“Instead, both films continuously portray and work hard to push Tenda Group into the position of a monopolistic corporate giant. The subtle influence on the audience cannot be underestimated.”

“As public opinion continues to ferment, everyone will be more or less vigilant about Tenda Group’s current state.”

“All in all, I think ‘My Property’ is already excellent enough. As for what happens next, let fate decide success or failure!”