Echoes of Hollywood

"What is this?"

In the theater, Michael Bielson complained to his companion, "A shot without any dialogue, lasting for two minutes. Are you kidding me?"

His companion also looked dissatisfied. "The pace is so slow it's putting me to sleep. Is this really a Murphy film?"

The person on their right shook his head, "This is not what we expected. This isn't an action crime movie."

The group fell silent. This film was a niche, art-house biopic.

The slow pace, long shots meant to express inner turmoil, the agonizing struggle of choices, and various artistic shots were completely different from the fast-paced noir film they had anticipated.

Not to mention the slow, dramatic scenes earlier on. In the climax where Diego Ross takes down his gang leader, they expected a comet-crashing, explosive showdown typical of Murphy's style. But there was none. The gunfight was brief, with the film focusing on Diego Ross's schemes rather than large-scale action scenes.

Diego Ross, leveraging the conflicts between his gang and the Mexican drug dealers, collaborated with a police captain and the gang's accountant to eliminate the gang leader and rise to power. The film ended at that point.

Despite seeing familiar faces like James Franco and Jonah Hill, many of Murphy's fans were not satisfied. As they left the theater, many had disappointed expressions.

"The film is indeed dark and serious," a fan remarked while walking, "but it's missing something that excites you."

Someone shrugged, "It's missing a climax scene. The whole film's narrative is slow, making it feel very flat."

"This isn't a film made for us." A fan inadvertently hit the nail on the head.

In the premiere theater, as the credits rolled, Todd McCarthy stood up and applauded vigorously. This was one of the best films he had seen entering the awards season. The storytelling was calm yet profound, the character development outstanding, and the long shots ingeniously designed. Compared to Murphy Stanton's earlier film "Chaos City" from the first half of the year, this one showcased even more skill.

Kenneth Turan also applauded. The film's unique dark atmosphere highlighted Murphy Stanton's extraordinary directorial prowess. The use of cinematic language was more straightforward, making it easier to evoke emotional resonance.

The theater thundered with applause. Kenneth Turan saw the crew members in the first row heading towards the press room and said to Todd McCarthy, "Let's go. Tonight was very rewarding."

Todd McCarthy followed Kenneth Turan, walking out with the crowd, saying, "Murphy Stanton has finally abandoned the glitz in his films and returned to the pure essence of cinema."

Murphy Stanton's past films were good, but compared to this steady-paced and thematically deep film, they were too fast-paced, the shots too short, too flashy, and the editing too sharp.

Films like this, which show profound skill in simple cinematic language, were what he should be pursuing.

After the screening, Murphy was handling a barrage of questions from media reporters at the press conference.

"Director Stanton..."

The first to stand up was a reporter from The Hollywood Reporter, whose question was quite professional. "This film mainly uses long shots and has a slower pace, completely different from your previous fast-paced films. Why did you make this change?"

"Because I first need to ensure the audience can feel the emotional atmosphere of the story. Emotion is something I wanted to preserve at all costs in this film."

Unlike past interviews, Murphy was mostly honest in his response. "What do you want the audience to feel? If throughout the film, the audience can feel what you are trying to convey, then everything you've done is worth it. What they ultimately remember isn't the editing techniques, the cinematography, or the performances, not even the story, but their emotions."

To make the audience remember Diego Ross, an unknown to them, they needed to empathize deeply.

This was Murphy's idea, but he couldn't guarantee it would work.

Another reporter stood up, took the microphone, and said, "Murphy, while watching the film, I sat at the back with some ordinary fans. Some of your fans were very unhappy with the slow narrative pace."

Murphy was silent for a few seconds, then said, "As a filmmaker, you must know that no matter how positive things seem, you will always see negative reviews. You'll always notice that what some people like, others will hate, so you can't take measures to please everyone. I think you just need to do what you believe in."

Murphy had anticipated this. Such a film was unlikely to please his core fans, but the negative impact would be limited. Almost all big commercial directors had directed art films at some point. After this art-oriented film, he planned to use a massive commercial blockbuster to mitigate any negative effects.

The subsequent questions were mostly routine, regarding his relationship with Diego Ross and related rumors. Murphy had prepared extensively for these and deflected them with ease.

"I know you don't like talking about yourself too much, but may I ask a somewhat personal question?" One reporter shifted the topic to Murphy personally. "What do you like to do when you're not making movies?"

Murphy answered directly, "I like being with my fiancée. I don't play golf, ride horses, or enjoy racing. Being with Gail helps me relax completely."

Perhaps inspired by the previous reporter, the next question also targeted Murphy personally.

"If you could choose, whose career would you like your future to resemble?"

"Well, there are many great filmmakers in the world."

As he said this, Murphy had already thought of his answer. With the awards season underway, he needed to show enough positivity. "I would love to work into my old age like some of the great filmmakers—like John Huston."

After a slight pause, he continued, "I think Stanley Kubrick was amazing. If he wanted, he could make very personal films within the studio system. I think that's what most filmmakers desire. Steven Spielberg has always stayed true to himself and remained at the forefront of cinema, which is incredible! And Clint Eastwood! I believe many filmmakers today make films just as enjoyable as their first hit. Constantly striving to create excellent works is my ultimate pursuit."

The reporter didn't hand over the microphone but instead asked quickly, "Years from now, when people look back on this era, how do you hope they will describe Murphy Stanton's films?"

Murphy could have refused to answer, but after a few seconds of thought, he said, "I hope they say my films were always ambitious, always sincere, and that I worked hard to achieve that ambition. That's all I hope for. As for the quality of the films, I certainly hope people like them."

He then laughed, "But honestly, who knows?"

While Murphy was dealing with reporters, Todd McCarthy had already arrived at his studio. He opened his computer, logged into his online column, and looked through his notes, ready to update his column immediately while the film was still fresh in his memory.

"In 'Diego-Ross,' Murphy Stanton uses a realistic approach to deeply depict the chaotic Los Angeles of the 80s and 90s, creating a modern apocalypse. What's most worth pondering is what the so-called nation and religion have truly given to the people? Can law and justice rise on this land of freedom? For minorities, it remains a huge cloud of uncertainty, something they cannot even imagine, let alone see..."

"The issues reflected in this film are not just confined to Los Angeles or America. They extend to the world. Violence and religious problems in today's civilized world are persecuting every child and teenager. The wealth of the upper class always contrasts sharply with poverty and backwardness. They, perhaps including us, struggle on the edge of a painful world."

After updating his column, Todd McCarthy opened his old friend Kenneth Turan's online review column and found that the old guy had already updated his column five minutes earlier.

"Murphy Stanton has crafted a meticulously detailed and non-conventional narrative for 'Diego-Ross.' His storytelling approach is very close to art, which is the film's most shining aspect."

"I admire his skill immensely. The film is filled with violence, rampant firearms, and drugs, making it hard to find a clean, bright frame. The entire film is immersed in a yellowish, dim, stale, and old atmosphere."

"He uses an extremely realistic shooting method to tear apart the reality of a character's fall due to the collapse of faith, showing us the decline of morals and the collapse of belief. The City of Angels opens its bloody mouth, devouring every young life."

Just then, Todd McCarthy's phone rang. It was Kenneth Turan.

"I just got news. A few days ago, 20th Century Fox sent a copy to Roger Ebert."

His tone was very fast. Before Todd McCarthy could respond, he continued, "Roger Ebert has reportedly accepted the film's copy!"

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