The Best Director-Chapter 501 - Bang! Bang! Bang!

Chapter 501: Chapter 501 Bang! Bang! Bang!

“I don’t want to be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me…”

As Jack Nicholson’s deep voiceover began, “The Deceased” started to play, and the silver screen was filled with a montage of historical footage, depicting fights between Irish gangs and the Italian mafia on the streets of New York, a turbulent and violent black era. The 1960s were highlighted with a grim, gray atmosphere that hit the audience with full force.

The pacing at the beginning seemed deliberate and measured. With the dialogues of the Irish gang leader Frank, the scenes changed, now focusing on Frank’s villainous life, but more often on the separate childhoods of the youngsters Billy and Colin, and then their adolescence.

“You make your own way in life, nobody’s gonna give it to you, you have to take it.” The story was in the past, the kids were growing up, gradually moving into the 80s. This span was longer than the audience had anticipated, but nonetheless, they were deeply engrossed. This was due to the exquisite acting, precise editing, meticulous imagery, rich historical ambiance, philosophically profound dialogues, and anticipation of what was to come… And the brutally violent R-rated scenes certainly evoked a sense of psychological oppression in the viewers; this was not the sunlit, miraculous Yang!

Since so far only children and adolescents had performed, the audience had yet to see Ledger and Pitt, both of whom were nominated for Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor, but Nicholson’s performance had already shaken the entire audience. The old Joker played the seemingly gentle but actually very threatening mob boss to perfection, which could just be a piece of cake for him.

“It’s incredible.” Christy Lemire from the Associated Press had already started praising. And for good reason, since the film demonstrated a level of technical expertise that deserved to be lauded! Considering the film “The Deceased” had a short production cycle, not a single trace of sloppiness could be found, whether in cinematography, composition, lighting, or sound design. All aspects were approached seriously and delicately. If it proves that its seven Golden Globe nominations are not just for show, it will surely secure a host of Oscar nominations for technical categories. Isn’t that incredible?

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And to the audience’s relief, the cultural atmosphere that the film exuded was unmistakably American, New York’s underclass society flavor; Wang Yang had not been trapped by adapting an Eastern film, nor by his age or experience while filming simultaneously. Beneath the rigid and bullish grand style, his delicacy was still discernible.

Watching Colin doing mischiefs and being rewarded by Frank, while his mates looked on with envy and happiness; Billy, longing to stay away from crime due to his gangster father, unable to spend much time with his family, and being bullied by other kids, looked sullen and dismayed. Watching these two Irish boys, David Edelstein from New York Magazine sensed the invisible tension. The future gang mole Colin had a pleasant childhood and adolescence; whereas the future police mole Billy was going through a decidedly unhappy growing period.

What’s noteworthy is that Colin came from innocence, and Billy from a gangster family. Edelstein knew this certainly wasn’t a bloated start. The movies by the miraculous Yang never contained a trace of excess fat. He felt it was the same this time. So, why the emphasis on these scenes?

“‘The Deceased’ is not an old-style or a new-style gangster film.” Earlier in a media press conference, Wang Yang had described it as such. Indeed, it was. If “Infernal Affairs” is about the police and criminals’ battle of wits, and the WB version of “Infernal Affairs” is an old-style gangster film, then the fiery take of “The Deceased” lies somewhere in between. Yang had said, “It will contain a small portion of gangster crime content, but thematically, it’s about identity and good versus evil. It’s about how two undercover operatives are influenced and transformed by their environment. Regardless, its entertainment value is very high, a thrilling drama.”

Observing the images on the big screen, the engrossed audience around her, Nancy’s face bore a contented smile. She had worked so hard for so long, and it was all for the reward of this moment!

This segment certainly wasn’t without purpose; on the contrary, it played an important role in laying the groundwork for the entire film and thematic exploration. In passing along the work’s intent, she had listened to a lot that miraculous Yang had said.

“Man is the product of environment and education.” This famous statement was proposed by the 18th century French materialist philosopher Helvetius, and echoed by thinkers like Holbach and Robert Owen. This proposition posits that the morality and intelligence of humans are not innate but are moulded by their environment and education after birth.

It is an inevitable logical conclusion drawn from a series of philosophical views on human nature, spirit, and the origins of ideas put forth by Helvetius and others. Speaking solely of moral good and evil, they started with sensationalism, or the notion that humans are a unique form of material existence and thus follow immutable laws of activity, believing that people have an eternal and unchanging natural nature, which is self-love (selfishness or self-interest). Self-love, in itself, is neither good nor bad, the reason it goes towards good or evil in a moral sense is due to the social environment.

The social environment the philosophers spoke of is vast and includes the political and legal institutions of society; to put it simply, it encompasses a wide array of aspects that influence humans through their life experiences. For Colin and Billy, that environment was the small New York neighborhood where they grew up.

What shaped the later Colin and Billy? According to this theory, people’s moral motivations and purposes are closely linked to their interests. If a certain virtue is encouraged and praised, people will naturally follow their desire for personal happiness and natural inclination toward goodness; thus, a good political and legal system conforms to human nature, rewarding good and punishing evil, because it steers people and society towards good. Conversely, if doing good leads to no good end, and if murderers and arsonists are rewarded, then society will turn towards evil.

In other words, what you do and how you do it to gain everyone’s praise, recognition, and benefits is what you will enjoy and pursue. Without being aware of it, people can be influenced by their environment.

So at that time, Colin’s belief was that evil is good, and although he was educated and smart enough to avoid the underworld, he agreed to become an undercover gang member. Billy, on the other hand, believed that evil was not good, and was determined to become a police officer to escape the plight of his ancestors.

“When I was your age, people would say, ‘We either become cops or criminals.’ Today, what I want to tell you is, where’s the difference when you’re faced with a loaded gun?” he gently asked the young Colin on the big screen, who appeared to be deep in thought.

Blurring good and evil were life, death, and power. As the age-jump scenes flashed by, the story moved to their police academy days. Nancy wrapped her arms around herself and leaned back comfortably in her chair. She knew the real drama was just beginning.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!” Through a montage of different time points, Billy and Colin each enrolled in the police academy, and after that, the state police academy. The sounds of gunfire echoed through 3,765 North American Cinemas, energizing the already excited audience as Heath Ledger and Michael Pitt made their entrances! Their temperaments were evident from their looks, and the police academy segment well-portrayed their characters – the humorous and easy-going Billy and the arrogant Colin. Both met a good friend, a black man named Brown and a white man named Barrigan.

“Wow, they look so cool in their police uniforms!” Yet more movie fans were swooning. Evelyn was one of them, continuing to praise to her friend Kelly, “Wang Yang sure knows how to pick actors!” Kelly nodded, and Evelyn added, “I’d really like to see what Wang Yang looks like in a police uniform.” Kelly nodded again.

Soon, the two of them were walking down diverging paths. Colin, who graduated earlier, became a plainclothes officer in the police department. With or without Frank’s behind-the-scenes help, he made many contributions and was well-liked in the department. Meanwhile, Billy, about to graduate, had been picked out to go undercover. In the police department office, accompanied by officer Dignam’s colorful language and mockery, Chief Queenan asked him, “Do you want to be a police officer, or do you want to look like one?” Do you want to enjoy the perks of being a police officer, or do you want to do something truly just?

“God, that guy is so annoying!” many viewers murmured under their breath, cursing Dignam, but with that kind of power in his performance, it need not be said how well he acted! Film critics were impressed, predicting this might be one of Wahlberg’s most memorable performances. And Spacey also turned in a performance worthy of praise.

Perhaps there was a choice, perhaps not, but Billy took on the undercover mission. However, nothing was rosy. As he lost his identity as a police academy trainee and became a criminal, a gang member, getting into fights and intimidating others… with the change in his life, the pressure mounted day by day, and he would often become irritable and depressed when alone, nearly reaching a breaking point and starting to suffer from insomnia.

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On one side, Billy became increasingly anxious and distressed, while on the other, Colin grew more and more popular and cheerful. Not only was he commended and promoted, but he also dated and fell in love with a beautiful colleague. He gradually became accustomed to and fond of being a police officer and found Frank increasingly irritating.

Years quickly passed, and as Billy made his way to the psychiatrist’s office, an interesting conversation unfolded. The audience finally witnessed the full range of performances from the four big stars—all scoring full marks!

Heath Ledger captured Billy’s complex, deteriorating state and his return to a calm, mature demeanor with utter precision, his portrayal of lonely oppression penetrating to the bone; no one could embody the tormented insomniac more vividly. Michael Pitt flawlessly portrayed Colin’s transformation from a high-profile, flashy street thug to a composed, mature cop. His disdain for Frank and the chilling oppression that seeped out while protecting his own identity was deeply affecting.

“Brilliant!” Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger thought that both actors decidedly deserved Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor—and, with the current situation, they would undoubtedly be the hot favorites for next year’s Oscars. It was just unclear whose acclaim would be higher, for both were so outstanding!

“It’s a pity, such a pity…” George Lucas, who came to see “The Deceased” specifically for the scenes between Portman and Ledger, sighed to himself with deep regret. His beard seemed to have whitened in an instant, lamenting his original casting decision—Heath Ledger should have been Anakin!

Wang Yang truly is a man with magical abilities! Seeing these marvelous performances, the fans of the actors, like Natalie’s, were delighted. Surely, working with Wang Yang always pays off and there’s no need to worry about failures. They saw a side of Natalie that was never before seen in “Pirates of the Caribbean” or “Pride and Prejudice”—a charm both stern and vivacious. Natalie proved that her studies at Harvard were not in vain, confirming the saying that partnering with the magical Wang Yang brings limitless power. Why was her performance always so explosive?

Both women fully deserved to be in contention for the Golden Globe and other film critic association awards for Best Supporting Actress! Now, them being overlooked could only be attributed to their limited screen time and the abundance of other great performances.

“A dazzling cast of actors.” Andrew Sarris of the New York Observer had already thought of his overall evaluation for the acting section of his film review. For next year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards, “The Deceased” had over a ninety percent chance of winning Best Ensemble Cast.

Halfway through the film, an air of tension and thriller enveloped the theater, and following a case of capture and counter-capture, both the police and the gangsters realized there was a mole within! An internal investigation was underway, and the film gradually reached its climax. A scene where Billy tails Colin on the streets made the audience’s hearts race. Evelyn was struggling to catch her breath, but soon, she let out a sharp scream, “Ah—,” and immediately covered her mouth with her hands!

“Bang boom!” On the big screen, Officer Queenan fell from a dilapidated building and crashed into a back alley, blood spraying wildly! Billy, who barely missed being hit, stood petrified.

“Ohhh—,” “Whoa!” The audience erupted in shock, startled by this sudden, brutal scene! The dim lighting and the atmosphere of horrified disbelief heightened the tension, and just like that, the friendly and approachable Officer Queenan was dead. Most of them had not seen “Infernal Affairs” and disliked spoilers, so they would not peek or inquire ahead, which meant they were utterly taken by surprise—R-rated Wang Yang was indeed not to be messed with!

On the big screen, Billy looked up at the high-rise in shock, then walked up to Queenan with a dazed expression, his face flushing red. His trembling lips pursed as he struggled to breathe, unable to speak, only unconsciously muttering, “FUCK, WHAT-THE-FUCK…”

Lejer’s powerful emotional impact instantly made the audience feel more oppressed. The gangsters had already killed many civilians, and now the death of a police officer, representing justice, added to the pain! Especially since Queenan’s brief moment of warmth towards Billy was still fresh in their minds. He was both despicable and respectable—an elder to be esteemed. How could the audience, who had mentally sided with the good guys, not be saddened? Some even had wet eyes and let out a long sigh.

Chinese student fans of “Infernal Affairs” were somewhat disappointed, feeling that it fell short of the Hong Kong version. There were no slow-motion shots, no music, just a pool of blood—the artistic conception was so much less! What was Wang Yang thinking?

Before anyone could ponder further, the screen erupted into chaos with policemen and gangsters exchanging gunfire. The relentless sound of gunfire and continuous cursing of “FUCKING” filled the air, people getting shot and bleeding, others falling…

“Oh, another one’s dead!” “Good riddance, he finally died!” Soon the story took another major turn. Using the undercover intelligence provided by Billy, the police surrounded the gangsters at the construction site conducting illegal transactions. After a fierce firefight, in a secluded area, Colin personally killed Frank. Maybe there was never any affection between them, or perhaps just a little. As Colin looked at Frank’s body, his face was expressionless, but anyone could see the relief in his demeanor. With Frank dead, no one else knew about his undercover identity—or maybe things were not over yet.

However, Billy discovered that Colin was the mole for the gangsters! If he hadn’t found out, most likely Colin would have resumed his identity. Whether he continued to be a policeman or not, everything would have been fine, but he did find out! After leaving some evidence with a psychiatrist as a precaution, Billy arranged to meet Colin on the rooftop of the building where Queenan fell. Meanwhile, he informed the Black officer Brown to bring Dignam to arrest someone.

“Phew—” Many viewers exhaled, the film’s fast-paced rhythm leaving no time for anyone to calm down even for half a minute; film critics realized that the most exciting part was about to happen!

“FUCK-YOU! FUCK-YOU!!!” Watching angry Billy beating and swearing at Colin on the dilapidated rooftop, the cinema audience had mixed reactions. Some were excited and tense, while others felt disappointed. The rooftop scene was simple but powerful. As Brown arrived, Dignam, who was on paid leave, was absent. Billy had no choice but to hold Colin hostage and head downstairs. He had evidence!

The elevator descended floor by floor, a somewhat dazed Colin with a trembling voice: “Give me a chance, PLEASE, PLEASE.” Billy couldn’t help but laugh: “How to give you a chance?” Colin whispered: “I took the wrong path before, I want to be a good person…” Before Billy could respond, they reached the first floor. The elevator doors slowly opened, and bang—! A gunshot rang out, Billy’s head jerked back, exploding into a spray of blood!

“Ah—,” “Oh NO!!” “FUCK!” The audience across North America erupted in shock at this scene. Evelyn and others all widened their eyes. Billy was dead, just like last year’s “blue glove” incident—killed by a clean, swift shot to the head! My God! Who did it?

Then, the screen showed the usually simple and honest Barrigan, could it have been a misfire?! While the audience was still formulating this thought, they saw Brown emerge from another elevator. He hadn’t even had time to react to Billy’s death, when Barrigan, unlocking Colin’s handcuffs, raised his gun and shot—and bang—! Brown hit the ground with a burst head, blood pooling around him, dead.

“Did you think you were the only rat? Castro was planning to sell us out to the FBI. We’re on the same side now, get it?” Barrigan said, stepping out of the elevator and checking if Brown was dead. The audience collectively gasped. This guy was also an undercover gangster! What a deep cover! “Give it to me.” At that moment, Colin took out a cloth to wipe off fingerprints, and the foolish Barrigan actually gave him the gun—and bang—! Billy aimed at Barrigan’s head and pulled the trigger, another burst of blood.

Suddenly, three bodies lay on the concrete floor, leaving only Colin standing. He calmly cleaned the fingerprints and quickly left after placing the gun down. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)