Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 190 Moscow does not believe in tears

   Ronald still sent his own experience and analysis to the movie "God is Crazy" by fax to New World Productions.

  Roger Coleman admires Gail Hurd's talents, and some things can gradually help her get started. After receiving Ronald's fax, Gale made a long-distance call to confirm the viewing effect of "God Is Crazy".

   The film broke box office records while it was in theaters in South Africa. However, the social impact on South Africa's imprisonment of black leader Mandela also made Coleman, who heard Gale's report, stop introducing the idea. The motto of New Century Productions is to take no risks.

   Ronald continued to watch movies in Montreal.

   It must not only meet the aesthetics of American audiences, but also have a strong story and be cheap. It's really not easy to find movies that meet the three criteria.

   Just when Ronald suspects he's going home empty-handed, the second screening film of the Souvelle Union delegation comes out.

   The name of this movie is very strange, called "MoscowDoesNotBelieveinTears".

   asked the officials of the State Film and Television Commission (Goskino) of the Souvelle Union, who had met last time, to understand that this is an old Russian proverb, which really means that Moscow will not be moved by tears. When you encounter setbacks, you must wipe away your tears and win the favor of your destiny by striving.

   The plot of the movie is a bit old-fashioned. In 1958, Katerina, Lyudmila and Antonia, three young girls from small towns, went to work in a factory in Moscow and lived in a worker's dormitory. One of Katarina's relatives is a university professor. When they were on vacation, Katarina pretended to be the professor's daughter and threw a party with her two girlfriends.

  Rudolf, a videographer of Moscow TV, took a fancy to Katerina's social status and pursued her. Caterina was afraid that Rudolph would look down on her background and lied that she was the daughter of the professor. When the two were talking about marriage, Rudolph went to the factory to interview and accidentally discovered Caterina's true identity.

   Rudolph's mother refused her son to marry Katerina, a girl who went to work in the city. At this time, Katerina was pregnant, and asked Rudolph to borrow money to try to perform an operation, but she was refused, and she could only give birth to her daughter. With the help of two girlfriends, she raised her daughter alone. Katerina got into college by hard work.

  The structure of the film is very classical, with an intermission at 1 hour and 10 minutes. It's a two-act structure that only old-fashioned blockbusters like "Gone with the Wind" have. Intermission for the audience to use the bathroom to touch up makeup.

   Ronald also went to the bathroom. He felt more and more that the audience movie reviews he heard here were more reliable than movie critics. But most of them spoke French, which he couldn't understand. I overheard a few viewers talking in English, and most of what they said was that they didn't expect Suwell to have sighs like an unmarried mother.

   Ronald felt the same way. This story took place in America, so it was much more harmonious. Pregnancy out of wedlock, single mothers, young people from small towns to big cities, no matter how you look at it, they are all bridges that can only be found in America. No wonder Goskino officials say the movie broke attendance records at the Souville. The audience there has never seen this kind of plot?

   Go back to your seat to watch the second half. The time has come to 1979, Catalina graduated from University and has become the director of the factory where she works. Lyudmila divorced her alcoholic hockey player husband and is still hanging on to her husband. Only Antonia married the country farmer Valodya and had several children and the family was complete.

   The divorce rate in this movie is almost catching up with America. Ronald was even more convinced that the director was out of line.

   Visited her friend Antonia in the countryside, and Katerina met a fitter, Guosha, on the train back to the city. Guosha fell in love with Katerina at first sight and immediately began to pursue her. However, he mistakenly thought that Katerina was an office clerk, so that strong men and weak women would last for a long time. Instead of ending up in a divorce like your last marriage.

  Gosha helps Katerina's daughter Alexandra beat the gangster and plays the role of a father. Just as the two were about to get married, Alexandra's biological father, photographer Rudolph, went to the factory to shoot an advertisement and recognized Katerina.

   Rudolph rashly broke into Katerina's house for dinner and told the secret that Katerina was the factory manager. Guosha was angry at Katarina's deception and left the house on the spot.

  The two friends, Lyudmila and Antonia, decide to help Katerina find the fruit sand. Antonia's husband Valoja finally found Guosha who was drinking at home with a few clues, and the two solved the knot by drinking together. In the end, Guosha returned to Katerina's house, and the family had dinner.

   Ronald, how do you feel after watching the movie?

The    movie was of course a good one, and it did well at the Souville box office. But this kind of routine has been seen frequently in American movies. And the film is shot in another world after all, and there are some subtle differences in culture that the audience may not accept.

   And the movie is two hours and twenty minutes long, and there is an intermission, so the movie theaters in America are a little troublesome.

  Thinking of these unfavorable factors, Ronald chatted for a while with the officials of the National Film and Television Commission he met last time.

   Can feel the obvious frustration of the other party. The film received a cold reception from buyers. Although they all congratulated Suwell for making a good box office film, they were not interested in introducing them to their respective countries.

   One of the roles of the National Film and Television Commission is to promote the culture of Souvel to the outside world. This film participated in the West Berlin Film Festival in the first half of this year and got nothing. The West Berlin Film Festival, influenced by American capitalism, certainly didn't want to see this film.

  Despite all kinds of controversial plots, it ended up being a happy ending. The judges did not vote for such films that did not deeply expose the dark side.

   Seeing Ronald, the officials came to the spirit again. If the American film company can introduce this film and land on the American theater chain, it is also an achievement, and it can be written into the annual summary to ask for credit.

   He couldn't help but think of the request from the secretary-general of the committee to let Western audiences know about Souville's artistic achievements.

   After thinking about it, he took out his killer weapon.

"Mr. Ronald, we, the Souville National Film and Television Commission, in order to allow the people of America to see the real life of the people of Souville and deepen mutual understanding, we can sell you a few copies of this film at a nominal price. Copy. As long as you can guarantee a release in theaters.

  If you can get a commercial release in American theaters, you can go to the Soviet embassy and consulate in the United States and get in touch with the cultural counselor to order more copies, and we will negotiate the price at that time. "

"Is this..." Ronald's mind turned sharply, which was in line with Coleman's philosophy. There is no risk. It is equivalent to taking movie copies for nothing. Many art theaters need movies to fill the gaps in commercial releases, and they are willing to accept them. This kind of copy, like the late night theater in New York...

   "You know, Comrade Director. America is a commercial society. If the audience doesn't accept this movie, the theater chain will lose money, and we will lose money..."

   "No, we have participated in this year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and submitted him to the Oscars, so we will not lose money."

   "This? Will your Soviet Union movie also be selected for the Oscars?" Ronald was a little surprised.

   "Of course, Suwell's film has won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film twice." Comrade Director began to talk about Suwell's film achievements.

   Original, back in 1969. The series "War and Peace" directed by Bondarchuk won the Oscar for best foreign language film. This film, which was performed by more than 120,000 Soviet troops, caused a great response in the West, and received 58 million rubles at the box office worldwide.

  The other was introduced by Roger Coleman, and "Desu Uzara" shot by Akira Kurosawa in Souville won the Oscar for best foreign language film in 1976. Since the investment belonged to the Soviet Union, the film was considered an Oscar by the Soviet Union, and the award went to the Soviet Union.

   Ronald is overjoyed, if this "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" can be nominated for the best foreign language film, then there should be some people who are willing to go into the cinema and try it. It's even better if you can win a prize, plus a copy that costs almost nothing, it's a sure-fire deal.

But he still said calmly, "Comrade Director, the American people have a bad habit of not being interested in what's going on in the rest of the world. If it's European audiences, they'll definitely go and see the film festival nominees. works of art, and the people of America..."

   "I understand, I understand, this is also the trouble for me as the National Film and Television Commission responsible for the work of the Americas Division." Comrade Director said that he understood Ronald's troubles very well.

"Could it be time to ask the film's creators to do some publicity for our film on the occasion of going to Los Angeles for the Oscars? You know, the people of America worship heroes, and a Suwell movie won an Oscar, and they might want to see it What heroes are capable of such feats."

   "Ah... ah... this, this has to be arranged by our committee." The director said embarrassedly. The director Mensov was criticized by some conservatives for this film. Who told him to shoot some controversial plots of an unmarried mother and an alcoholic husband?

  Although the general secretary of the Souvelle Union is a movie fan, he personally decided to release the movie after watching it, and it also achieved a good box office. But those people have banned him from going abroad to participate in international film festivals on the pretext that his films have bourgeois tendencies, fearing that he would defect.

   On the contrary, it is the director of "Stalker" Andrei Tarkovsky. Although no one understands his films, Europeans respect him very much and often win awards to fight for the league's honor. To be able to go abroad to participate in film festivals, and even go abroad to shoot movies.

   "In short, we will definitely support the film's release in America." Comrade Director, seeing that Ronald seemed to be withdrawing, immediately began to wear a high hat. This is a great cause for mutual understanding between the people of the Soviet Union and the United States. "

   "Hey, this business still has no prospects, if the main creators are not present."

   "I'll send a telegram to my superior immediately to report this matter." The director said solemnly, "If you leave your address, we will instruct the cultural counselor of the Soviet consulate in Los Angeles to directly transfer a few copies to you..."

   "Our New World Company." Ronald quickly took over.

   (end of this chapter)