As the opening film on the Cannes red carpet,Fury Road naturally attracted great attention and was also one of the key recommended films at the Cannes Film Festival. Duke arrived in Cannes two days before the festival opening along with Charlize Theron, Tom Cruise, James Franco, and Anthony Hopkins. Having just adjusted their jet lag, they attended the official Fury Road pre-screening press conference.
Duke walked into the Palais des Festivals press hall, sandwiched between Charlize Theron and Tom Cruise. Compared to his home base in North America, his producing style naturally made him less popular among the professional media and journalists in Europe.
This was exactly the case. Reporters directed their questions mainly at Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron, while Duke, James Franco, and Anthony Hopkins received little attention.
Anthony Hopkins was old and long past his prime, having seen many ups and downs in his career, he appeared very calm; James Franco’s most famous work was superhero movies, but in recent years he had shown a tendency toward crude potty humor comedies, which European media naturally disliked.
As for Duke, did he care about this?
A few journalists did try to ask him questions, but Duke responded only perfunctorily. Facing European film journalists who considered their cinema far more artistic than Hollywood’s, he couldn’t be bothered to say much.
If stripping actors naked at every opportunity and displaying the most primal human movements on screen was considered art, then Japan and the San Fernando Valley truly were full of countless film artists.
Duke exchanged glances with Charlize Theron and Tom Cruise. Both actors were no fools and naturally took on the role of press conference main characters, energetically promoting the film.
"When the film was fully completed, I watched it and felt a completely shocking effect."
Looking at Duke beside her, Charlize Theron said, "I was completely stunned by the film’s entirety. After the long post-production was over, my memories of filming began to fade, and watching the movie in Duke’s editing room, I felt very unfamiliar with the version of myself on screen. It felt like that wasn’t really me acting. I could truly enjoy the pleasure of watching a movie. Of course, after watching it, I sincerely felt proud of everyone’s efforts on this film."
Tom Cruise also knew what to say on such occasions, "Those days filming in the desert were tough enough to make me complain constantly. I’ve always owed Duke an apology because during filming, I was often frustrated by not understanding his ideas. Now I think I finally understand what Duke wanted me to convey. The most frustrating and difficult thing during months of preparation and shooting was figuring out what kind of feeling Duke wanted me to express."
He then looked at Duke and smiled, "Duke, I have to apologize because at the time I was discouraged."
Before Duke could say anything, Tom Cruise continued, "But after watching the movie, I was instantly won over by Duke. Under such extreme desert conditions, he ensured everyone’s safety while turning such a complex project into a fearless and pure story on screen. I knew Duke was incredible, but only after watching the film did I truly realize how amazing he is. My first reaction was, ’God, I must apologize to Duke for my lack of effort halfway through.’"
As the director, Duke naturally had to say a few words.
"Filming under extremely harsh climate conditions combined with continuous action scenes was undoubtedly a huge challenge for the actors."
Speaking into the media microphones, Duke expressed thanks and recognition for all the leads, saying, "Tom and Charlize faced very dangerous situations on set every day. I’m very grateful that in the end, everyone came out safe and sound. Looking back, one piece of equipment we used something like a crane was really high and very precarious, but thankfully we made sure it was very safe."
Hearing this, Tom Cruise immediately joked, "Actually, that thing wasn’t safe at all, okay!"
The Cannes Film Festival is both simple and complicated. Simple in that the procedure is almost the same every year; complicated because, like Hollywood and the Oscars, Cannes is full of various behind-the-scenes factors.
Yet, on the surface, Cannes remains glamorous and lively.
For visiting filmmakers and locals alike, the biggest characteristic of Cannes is the noise and commotion. The festival organizers acknowledge this: as long as a film is screened, crowds gather; as long as people watch films, they are happy. Whether the film suits their tastes is secondary. The key is to get the feeling of "coming to a lively place to watch movies."
Perhaps Cannes really is an ideal place to watch movies, and those who come know how to "join the fun."
During the festival, the streets and seaside of Cannes overflow with the voices of fans. Groups of fans and tourists laugh and greet each other as they head to cinemas and restaurants. Voices praising or criticizing films ring out, while surrounding tourists listen in, occasionally stealing glances at the animated fans. This atmosphere makes "film critics" quite happy.
Cinema sounds are more "refined" than the streets because films often feature characters speaking foreign languages, sometimes ones most viewers don’t understand such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic. The music ranges from classical to modern, from heavenly melodies to unbearable noise. The Cannes Film Festival’s famed "cinematic diversity" is embodied in these sounds.
Of course, one indispensable mixed sound is Hollywood.
In today’s globalized world, it is difficult to find a film festival without the influence of Hollywood films.
Besides competition entries like Fury Road and Inglourious Basterds, Hollywood excels at premieres, screenings, retrospectives, and distributor meetings. Hollywood films have already become the highlight and focus of Cannes, with American English accents echoing around giant, expensive advertisements.
Also present are the typical calls and sales pitches found even at the most highbrow and artistic festivals. Film producers from around the world promote their products.
Many films that did not qualify for Cannes competition screenings are also shown during the festival.
Commercial Hollywood does not miss such opportunities. Pixar’s Up and Paramount’s Star Trek nearly wrapped the Carlton Hotel, where guests stay, in posters so dense it was airtight.
The most exaggerated was Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin. At the festival’s highest point, huge posters were erected, visible in almost every corner of Cannes.
Today’s Cannes Film Festival is no longer what it used to be. The entire world film industry has been shattered by Hollywood’s impact. Europe long ago lost its position as the world’s film center. Even if the French never admit it, the fact that Cannes is increasingly unable to attract big-name stars is undeniable.
Perhaps this is one reason they agreed to make Fury Road the opening film.
On the evening of the next day, the red carpet ceremony of this year’s film festival officially began. Isabelle Huppert, the chair of the jury, appeared first on the red carpet, accompanied by the other eight jury members. The composition of the jury itself clearly showed Hollywood’s current influence over European film festivals.
Among the nine jurors, three came from Hollywood: Robert Rodriguez, Natalie Portman, and Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank.
The red carpet wasn’t very long this space was more suited for stars to showcase their presence. After the jury members took their routine group photo, they proceeded up the grand steps of the festival palace.
Commercialization has now penetrated every corner of the film industry, and the Cannes Film Festival is no exception. For example, many festival sponsors allow their endorsed stars to walk the festival’s red carpet, but the official live broadcast and the press cameras rarely linger on these people.
As Duke once said, these people are just there to freeload off the red carpet.
Stars usually walk the red carpet slowly, but compared to the officially invited guests, those freeloaders move even slower. Since the festival’s official media gives them no attention, they often hire their own photographers to capture footage of them walking Cannes’ red carpet, then send the videos to their home countries to boost their status.
After all, for the unaware public, being able to walk the Cannes red carpet is a symbol of status and class.
But the public has no idea that these people are basically performing a one-person show with their own hired entourage.
Moreover, the slow pace of these freeloaders is not welcomed by the Cannes officials.
As the crew of the opening film, Duke, Charlize Theron, and others were definitely the grand finale. While waiting in the tent near the red carpet, Duke noticed a well-known actress from his former circle who was trying to freeload the red carpet. She was repeatedly urged by festival security to move along, even to the point where she might be asked to leave...
This is truly a bizarre circle those freeloaders have thick skin, and the officially invited guests have just as thick skin. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⁂𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⁂𝓷𝓮𝓽
Duke chatted briefly with Charlize Theron when a car stopped in front of the red carpet, and suddenly huge cheers erupted. Sophie Marceau, the beloved French actress, walked onto the red carpet.
Then, something happened that surprised everyone.
The French actress was wearing a double-shoulder deep V strap evening gown. When she reached the middle of the red carpet, either intentionally or unintentionally, the strap on her left shoulder suddenly slipped off. Exposed in this instant, Sophie Marceau’s revealing moment caused quite a stir. However, this typically bold actress did not panic. She calmly fixed her dress as if nothing had happened, and continued to wave to the fans on both sides as she walked forward.
But after this incident, almost all the reporters gathered around her.
Although people often admire her figure on screen, seeing it in person occasionally wasn’t bad. Moreover, once the photos were published, newspaper sales would definitely rise sharply the next day.