Chapter 194 I want to be a screenwriter
Zhang Wei's evaluation of "No Country for Old Men" reached McCarthy's ears, and he suddenly felt as if he had found a close friend with a similar mind in the vast sea of people.
It is a kind of relief that goes deep into the bone marrow, like a lonely traveler who suddenly meets someone who can understand him during a long journey.
This encounter is like two rivers that originally drifted separately and finally converged, arousing deep resonance. Just like the harmonious melody on the same strings, it is the communication of souls and the connection of emotions!
This is the feeling of meeting a soulmate!
McCarthy's mood began to get excited involuntarily, and the eyes he looked at Zhang Wei began to become hot.
It’s hard to find a good friend!
Zhang Wei continued to read the book review non-stop, gradually moving from the plot to human nature, and then from human nature to philosophy.
“When Moss’ wife faced death, she chose to face it bravely, which reflects the power of free will and love. Her choice, choice, demonstrates the dignity and dignity of human beings when facing life and death. Courage...
The Sheriff is trying to find a balance between duty and morality, trying to maintain justice in a chaotic world, which highlights the need for everyone to take responsibility for their actions and persevere when faced with choices. Moral Principles
This also reflects the conflict between social responsibility and moral dilemmas, leading us to think about how to uphold justice and morality in a complex social environment.
The choices made by the characters in the novel have profoundly affected their life trajectories. This is an expression of the tension between free will and destiny, as well as human subjectivity in the face of dilemmas.
There are also many seemingly absurd elements, as well as the experience of alienation, as well as the characters' struggle in an indifferent world, which all reflect existential philosophy's thinking about the meaninglessness of life, loneliness and freedom.
I see in it the pursuit of living a meaningful life in an indifferent and even hostile world. I think this novel encourages me to find the meaning of life and face the challenges of life bravely..."
Zhang Wei narrated in an orderly manner, but McCarthy fell into deep thought.
"It turns out that the novel I wrote contains so many rich philosophies of life! Why didn't I discover it when I was writing it? But having said that, what he said is still very reasonable."
At this time McCarthy unknowingly fell into Zhang Wei's over-interpretation. And the more I listened, the more I felt that Zhang Wei’s interpretation was very reasonable.
Finally, when Zhang Wei’s interpretation began to rise to a philosophical level, the names of philosophers such as Francis Bacon, Rene Descartes, David Hume, Georg Hegel, etc. , and their philosophical theories kept coming out of Zhang Wei's mouth, and when they were applied to the work "No Country for Old Men", McCarthy also began to be confused
"We are really watching the same movie. A novel? Why do I still have so many philosophical theories in my works? According to him, when I wrote this novel, I was possessed by Bacon, Descartes, Hume and Hegel.”
McCarthy's expression changed again, from surprise to admiration.
The surprise just now was due to meeting a close friend. Zhang Wei's interpretation was exactly the connotation of "No Country for Old Men". It can be said that it completely spoke to his heart and expressed what he wanted to express.
And what he admires now is that he found that Zhang Wei was so knowledgeable, and he blurted out the theories of so many philosophers. Apart from anything else, this understanding of philosophy alone is beyond the reach of many writers, at least not by McCarthy.
"He also understands philosophy! And it seems that he has studied it in depth, so he knows so much. But he is a scientist! Aren't scientists supposed to be running in the laboratory every day, staring at the microscope and playing with test tubes? There are actually scientists studying philosophy!”
However, the next second, there was a trace of embarrassment in McCarthy’s eyes.
Obviously, McCarthy’s understanding of philosophy is not as thorough as Zhang Wei said, nor is it as deep as Zhang Wei said. In other words, Zhang Wei’s in-depth interpretation of philosophy has now reached the level of philosophy. This is to give gold to the work "No Country for Old Men".
The key is that these philosophical concepts mentioned by Zhang Wei are not inconsistent at all when applied to "No Country for Old Men". It sounds like the same thing!
You are obviously not that awesome, but others praise you for being so awesome. This is really embarrassing.
But McCarthy couldn't deny it. Others were talking to you about life and philosophy. At this time, you said, "What I wrote has no depth. It's all shit. That's not just a slap in the face." In the face, it was a slap in the face.
What's more, McCarthy is a master of American literature, and he said that the novels he wrote were shit and shit with no depth?
This is like Mo Yan saying that he wrote a book called "Rebirth of the Industrial Tycoon" and his reputation accumulated over decades was completely destroyed!
And McCarthy can't say that Zhang Wei is over-interpreting, which is equivalent to telling Zhang Wei that I, the author, are not as deep as you, the reader, and there is no place for this old face!
I have to say that the book review provided by the devil is of a very high standard. It must be deep and connotative, and its connotation must be philosophical and philosophical.
Finally, Zhang Wei finished reading the entire book review, and McCarthy opposite him let out a sigh of relief.
Thank you for finishing your beeping. If you keep beeping for a while, I won’t know how to answer the call!
“I didn’t expect that you could have such a profound interpretation just by reading it quickly!” McCarthy couldn’t help but praise.
"Then my interpretation is quite appropriate, right?" Zhang Wei asked immediately.
"What you interpreted is exactly what I wanted to express in my work. It is no exaggeration to say that you almost explained all the connotations that I wanted to convey to readers! Especially the use of philosophy to explain the characters The behavioral logic part is really in line with my thoughts!" McCarthy said shamelessly.
At this point, he can only rush to put it on the shelves and forcefully say "it suits me very well".
"I just stated what I understood. My ideas are still relatively superficial. I didn't expect to be recognized by the author. It's such an honor!" Zhang Wei also started to promote business.
“No, no, no, your understanding of the work has reached a relatively deep level. It is no exaggeration to say that you have surpassed 99.99% of readers!”
"99.99%? It sounds like you want me to help with a chop!" Zhang Wei thought to himself.
McCarthy continued: "Speaking of which, I want to express my gratitude to you. Thank you for your in-depth understanding of my work, your ability to capture the emotions and meanings hidden between the lines, and your ability to feel what I am trying to convey. Those concepts and philosophies.
To me, this is simply the most perfect reader feedback! I even think that you are not a reader, but a very good writer who can understand a work at a glance. Connotation! "
"In fact, I am really a writer!" Zhang Wei said with a smile.
McCarthy was stunned for a moment, then put a smile on his face. His first reaction was that Zhang Wei was joking.
Zhang Wei continued: "I have written an adventure-themed novel about exploring an ancient tomb, similar to the movie "The Mummy." This novel was just published a year ago and has sold over 100 copies in China. 10,000 copies!”
“Sold one million? That would rank high on the bestseller list. I didn’t expect you to be not only a scientist, but also a writer. But it’s a pity that I don’t understand Chinese. , otherwise, I will definitely read your work." McCarthy showed an amazed expression.
"I also wrote an English novel recently." Zhang Wei said, taking out the manuscript of "The Thirst Game" from his bag, and said: "Actually, I came to visit you today because I hope I can get your advice!"
"That's it." McCarthy smiled and nodded, but did not agree immediately.
There are many literary masters like McCarthy who come to him to comment on their works, but almost all of them are turned away by McCarthy.
He doesn't even bother to accept interviews from the media, so he doesn't have time to comment on other people's works.
Rare things are more valuable. McCarthy’s comments on literary works are very valuable.
Now facing the work handed over by Zhang Wei, McCarthy originally planned to make some comments. After all, the person in front of him was his close friend, and he was also very good at "in-depth interpretation". It's hard to find a close friend, and it's even harder to find a close friend who can interpret it in depth. If Zhang Wei is rejected, and people don't want to play with him in the future, wouldn't that mean he loses a close friend?
But when McCarthy thought of Zhang Wei's "in-depth interpretation" just now, he did not dare to comment on Zhang Wei's work.
When you reviewed my "No Country for Old Men", you went to a philosophical level and brought out Bacon, Descartes, Hume and Hegel. It's my turn to review your work. If you don't mention a few words about Socrates, , Plato, Aristotle and Nietzsche, wouldn’t that make me look very uneducated?
Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if I didn’t see the connotation of the work, the meaning of it, and what you wanted to express?
After pondering for a moment, McCarthy asked: "Actually, I don't know much about Chinese culture, and I have never been to China, so I don't know what China is like. So I'm afraid I It’s hard to make an objective comment on your work!”
This excuse is very subtle. It’s not that I, McCarthy, have no culture or content, but that I don’t understand Chinese culture, so I have saved all my face.
Zhang Wei then said: "You have misunderstood. This novel of mine has nothing to do with Chinese culture. What I wrote is a story that takes place on the North American continent, a story from the Western world."< br>
McCarthy suddenly felt that he had been defeated.
If an American writer doesn’t understand Chinese culture, can he still understand Western culture? And they all mentioned it by name. This is a story that happened in North America. It’s about your family. Do you have the nerve to say you don’t understand?
In desperation, McCarthy asked patiently: "As an Easterner, it is rare to write a Western story. What type is your work?"
“This is a doomsday-themed novel.” Zhang Wei replied.
When he heard about the doomsday theme, McCarthy instantly became excited!
"I am familiar with this subject matter! Not only am I familiar with it, but I am also very good at it! The best writer of doomsday-themed novels in the United States is me, Cormac McCarthy!
The majors are quite relevant. This is not a collision. Is the gun on? I might be afraid of other themes, but there is no reason for me to be afraid of the doomsday theme!"
Thinking of this, I took the manuscript of "The Thirst Game" with a smile. , and replied: "I happen to have time recently. If you don't mind, please put this manuscript here. I will read it carefully!"
"No problem, the manuscript will be placed here. , take your time and look forward to your advice!”
……
After returning to the hotel, Zhang Wei once again called the devil.
"Why, we have to change the book review again?" the devil said impatiently.
"I don't want a book review this time, I want a script."
"Do you want to copy the script? Are you planning to become a screenwriter?" The devil paused and then asked: "What kind of script do you want?"
"The script for the movie "No Country for Old Men" shot by the Ken brothers should be more detailed, with scene concept drawings and even descriptions of the shots! How many minutes does it take? Lifespan?”
"It takes twelve hundred minutes of life."
"That's twenty hours? Why is it so expensive? The college entrance examination questions only have a lifespan of six hours, and the whole set of eight volumes of Ghost Blowing the Lamp only has ten. The lifespan of one hour, this script of yours, has a lifespan of twenty hours. You are too stupid!”
“If it is an ordinary script, it will not be so expensive, but you still need scenes. Concept drawings also need to be described by shot, which is of course much more expensive.
You have to know that an ordinary script basically only contains character dialogue, monologue narration, plot setting, character setting and then scene description. For a stage play, there will be an additional stage instruction. The scene description in the script will not be directly included.
But the scene description of the film is an important part of the production process, and it is usually the director or the storyboard artist. It is not the job of the screenwriter to formulate based on the content and creativity of the script
You need a script with storyboard descriptions, which requires the work of a screenwriter and a storyboard artist, not to mention scene concept drawings, which are of course expensive. "
Zhang Wei felt that twenty hours is a lifespan, and it would not be cost-effective to change the script, so he said: "Then you should talk about the other two conditions! "
"The second option is to sleep fourteen hours a day for ten consecutive days..."
"The third option is to have kidney deficiency for thirty consecutive days, right? ? "Zhang Wei interrupted the devil.
"Congratulations, you are all ready to answer! ”
"Can you answer quickly? Isn't this the double price of a ghost blowing a lamp!"
After Zhang Wei thought for a moment, he said: "This time I choose to sleep fourteen hours a day, continuously. Ten days!”
……
In the evening, after dinner, McCarthy felt a little bored and decided to read a book for a while.
When he came to the study room, he suddenly remembered Zhang Wei's manuscript, so he immediately sat at the desk, picked up the manuscript, and started reading from the introduction:
"The country built on the ruins after the catastrophe was divided into 12 poor administrative districts and a wealthy ruling center. Almost all the output of each administrative area was looted by the capital, and the residents of the administrative areas could only exchange for barely subsistence food. , this is a dystopian world!”
This setting alone made McCarthy feel very appetizing. He opened the first chapter and entered the world of "The Thirst Game".
"Catching a squirrel in exchange for bread. This description is a bit interesting. Although it is not explicitly described, it can be seen how hard their life is.
Drawing lots? Tribute? The word tribute, for For living people, it usually represents death! It seems that this lottery is actually a lottery for life and death!"
Soon, McCarthy was immersed in the novel.
It wasn't until a knock on the door interrupted McCarthy's reading.
"Dad, are you still working?" the son's voice sounded.
"I'm reading a book, are you okay?" McCarthy asked.
"Dad, you have been in the study for four hours. Do you want to come out and walk around?"
"Four hours? Is it so fast?" McCarthy looked at the wall. The wall clock is really four hours!
"Unconsciously, four hours have passed, and I didn't even feel it. It seems that "The Thirst Game" is really in line with my appetite! Being able to write such a work is really worthy of being my soulmate. !”
At this time, McCarthy was already thinking about words of praise, and he decided to write a review to praise this book "The Thirst Game"!
(End of this chapter)