Chapter 166: Apology

"Tina, you stay here." Reaching the second floor of the test-screening theater, Duke had Tina Fey stop outside a lounge. "Don't let anyone else in."

"I understand." Tina Fey nodded.

Though she had been in Hollywood for barely two months, Tina Fey had already realized her past assumptions about the place were far too naive. The fierce competition and the complex web of relationships among actors, directors, agents, and major studios were completely beyond the small circle she used to run in. These people could be collaborating yesterday, turn into bitter enemies tomorrow, and join forces in the same trench the day after...

"Robin, Charles."

Entering the lounge, Duke greeted the two production managers and took a seat. "How is the situation looking?"

"I'll have someone submit the detailed materials to you tomorrow..."

Duke raised a hand, interrupting Robin Grande. "Just give me the short version."

For a film to succeed, staying updated on the competition was essential. Braveheart had held a test screening a few days ago, and the media reporters in attendance had already fed their reactions back to Warner and Fox.

"In terms of audience word-of-mouth, out of 357 general audience members at the screening, eighty-three percent gave it an A-grade rating," Robin Grande said. He didn't even mention professional reviews, focusing instead on the factors that truly influenced the film market. "The major exhibitors from the North American Theater Alliance all sent viewing delegations, and their overall evaluation was an A."

"A formidable rival!" Charles Roven wore a serious expression. "From the theater chains to the audience, it's bound to have an impact."

Competition was inevitable, true of any release window in the Summer Season. Duke asked, "And the content of the film?"

"It's about William Wallace leading Scotland against the British army to fight for Scottish independence."

Hearing Charles Roven's answer, Duke gently tapped the armrest of his chair a few times. "Since that's confirmed, there's a lot more we can capitalize on."

"I remember there are quite a few self-proclaimed traditional Mayflower Descendants organizations in North America. I imagine they would be extremely displeased with this kind of content," Duke said thoughtfully. "And if I recall correctly, Fox and News Group have a close relationship with 10 Downing Street?"

"Mm..." Charles Roven nodded, clearly guessing Duke's train of thought. "Ban or delay the release of Braveheart in Britain, or even the entire British Commonwealth, thereby scattering Paramount Pictures' focus on the North American market and creating more opportunities for us?"

"I think the people in England certainly won't like seeing this movie."

At that, all three men laughed. Britain was one of Hollywood's primary overseas markets, and Paramount Pictures could never afford to abandon it.

"There's also Sean Connery."

Even though the man had suffered severe injuries, Duke didn't mind dragging him back out into the light. "We can have the media remind the audience that this guy is still embroiled in a string of scandals."

"Mel Gibson is no saint either," Charles Roven said without hesitation. "We can play a few tricks on him, too."

As long as a tactic could deal a blow to their competitors without directly breaking the law, none of the three would pass it up. Competition was never as simple as firing blanks.

While Duke and the others schemed upstairs to suppress their rivals before the screening began, down below, Mike Scott—a reporter sponsored by CAA and Paramount—stepped into the theater. He found a suitable seat, sat down, and quietly waited for the movie to start.

A few days ago, Mike Scott had received a sponsorship. The sum was fairly generous, and the required work was neither dangerous nor particularly demanding. There was no reason to refuse it. Besides, he knew very well that there were definitely others in this theater who had taken on similar jobs.

Sweeping his gaze around the room, Mike Scott didn't spot Duke Rosenberg. He did, however, see Tom Hanks, as well as Leonardo DiCaprio and Claudia Schiffer, who had been the subject of a recent media frenzy fueled by News Group tabloids. And then there were...

What was the deal with those old men sitting in the front rows, wearing medals on their chests?

Very quickly, Mike Scott figured it out. This was a movie about the World War II Normandy landings; those men had to be veterans who had fought in the war.

'A rather brilliant promotional tactic, isn't it?' Mike Scott had to admit.

Leaning back in his chair, the septuagenarian David Brown was still in robust health. As a former member of the Pennsylvania 2nd Commando who had participated in the Omaha Beach landing, he hadn't even had to think twice before accepting the organizer's invitation.

It was a cruel memory, a time of blood and fire, a moment he would remember for the rest of his life.

It wasn't until he arrived in Los Angeles at Fox's invitation that he realized a massive group of veterans had converged here. Sitting to his left were the veterans of the 101st Airborne Division...

Just to David Brown's front left, Stephen Ambrose pulled out a pen and notebook, ready to record his impressions of the film. He was, of course, no film critic. Given their experiences the previous year, D-Day Studio naturally wouldn't spend a fortune inviting critics to attend the test screening.

Stephen Ambrose was a renowned historian and author, as well as an authoritative scholar on the Normandy landings. He carried significant influence nationwide and boasted an illustrious reputation in the academic world.

Only when the film was about to begin did Duke, Robin Grande, and Charles Roven walk into the theater, locate their respective seats, and sit down.

Duke subtly glanced left and right. He had noticed upon arriving that the studio had invited nearly a hundred veterans. If the film could resonate with them like the original had in his past life, it would inevitably become an excellent promotional hook.

"Hi, Duke."

Someone behind him reached out a hand, and Duke shook it. "Hello, Jossman. Great to see you."

"We value this picture very highly."

As an expert screener for the Regal Theater Chain, Jossman made no effort to conceal his anticipation for the film. "Regal Entertainment loves your production style above all."

"Thank you!" Duke replied politely.

It wasn't just Jossman. As Duke's gaze swept toward the back, he also spotted Lynch from AMG, Carter from United Artists Theaters, and others.

This could only mean one thing: theater chains all across North America treated him like a cash cow.

The film began. Because no opening credits had been added, a fluttering Star-Spangled Banner appeared directly on the screen...

From the moment the cemetery appeared in the shot, David Brown's fists clenched tightly. It was the US military cemetery on the bluffs of Omaha Beach. Quite a few of his old buddies were resting in eternal peace right there.

However, the scenes that followed made his eyes widen. Even though the war depicted in the film was nowhere near as cruel and bloody as the real Omaha Beach had been back then, it was by far the closest of any war film he had ever seen. Just watching this opening sequence was enough to make anyone understand the sheer brutality of war.

On the screen, it was just helmets, faces, helmets, faces, helmets... Each of them looked as though they had just startled awake from a nightmare only to head straight into the next. Paired with the gloomy sky, a suffocating feeling rose spontaneously. A lump of vomit spewed from one soldier's mouth, while the soldier sitting beside him swallowed hard—the tension extended all the way down through the entire landing craft.

David Brown felt as if he had been transported back to those bygone days. Memories buried deep in his mind constantly echoed in his chest.

Taking the beach had been bought with the blood of countless soldiers. By the same token, the road to Berlin was paved with that same blood. In Saving Private Ryan, blood likewise became the most striking protagonist on the battlefield.

There were no unkillable characters shrugging off explosions, no unrealistic dying counterattacks. Death came so fast it almost left viewers breathless. The deaths steadily piled up—one, two, three... countless—ultimately forging a tragic and horrific spectacle upon the silver screen.

However fragile life was, that was how cruel war could be! This was David Brown's greatest realization after surviving the war.

Different perspectives and different priorities meant watching the movie from completely different angles. Through Jossman's eyes, there was no cruelty of war, no underlying humanitarian care, no fragility of life, and certainly no paradox in sending eight men to save one.

He only wanted to see and find one thing: what the film's selling points were!

"A truly bestselling war film is one that makes the audience feel like they are being shot at!"

Over the past few years, countless examples had proven this quote by Sam Fuller. A war-themed film capable of achieving this would, at the very least, not fare poorly commercially. In Jossman's view, Duke Rosenberg's Saving Private Ryan interpreted that quote almost perfectly.

The opening battle sequence easily dragged him into the atmosphere of the battlefield. The urgent, lethal pacing could clearly infect everyone watching.

"An outstanding opening sequence. Nothing else needs to be said; if I were in the audience, this battle scene alone would make me feel like I got my money's worth."

Jossman nodded. The film's opening sequence was absolutely packed with selling points, but as for what came after...

The emotional buildup later on was executed quite well. It showcased Duke Rosenberg's progress in both narrative technique and emotional expression. The film's premise was also attractive enough. Even though scenes where the squad constantly lost men might trigger distaste in some viewers, they would equally draw in another segment of the audience.

However, the soldier named Upham definitely wouldn't be well-liked by the audience, and he was particularly prominent.

True, he was a remarkably realistic, flesh-and-blood character, and his presence could elevate the film's depth and provoke thought. But a character so annoying to audiences could very easily drag the rest of the film down with him, sparking a backlash against the movie itself.

Based on his years of experience screening and selecting films, Jossman judged that without the Upham character, or at least with a few adjustments to him, the film's reception among general audiences might be even better.

Even so, this was enough for the Regal Theater Chain to take it seriously. It was a rare masterpiece!

Unlike Jossman, Mike Scott's biggest task was to record whatever he considered to be the film's flaws. The shaky camerawork was dizzying, and the bloody scenes were unbearable...