Chapter 473: A Perfect Ending

Closing those windows, Roger Ebert returned to the Instant Sharing homepage. In today's most-clicked sharing section, five of the top ten posts were about Return of the King, and all of them were positive reviews. That alone would have been fine. He had vaguely heard who the two shareholders behind the website were. But what terrified him were the view counts attached to those glowing reviews—the numbers were simply horrifying.

Take the one he had just read, for example. Posted only a few hours ago, it had already surpassed 20,000 views, with nearly 15,000 likes!

The view counts and likes for the other positive reviews were generally around the same level.

Roger Ebert then switched to his own online column. Heavily promoted by the Chicago Sun-Times and his television network, it had been updated earlier, and by all logic, his personal reputation was far greater. Yet, compared to the comments posted by ordinary moviegoers on Instant Sharing, his view count was negligible.

Since he posted his review of Return of the King, fewer than 2,000 people had visited his column!

Roger Ebert switched back and forth, refreshing his online column and the Instant Sharing homepage. Looking at the widening gap between the two numbers, he couldn't figure out why.

How could the online comments of a bunch of nobodies overwhelmingly crush a renowned film critic like him?

What exactly was wrong with this world? Could film critics no longer even compare to ordinary moviegoers?

Closing his column, Roger Ebert stared at the Instant Sharing website and fell into deep thought. He had a good head on his shoulders, after all, and he gradually figured out a few things—but those realizations only chilled his heart further.

This Instant Sharing website was aimed at ordinary internet users. Anyone could immediately publish their thoughts on people or events—such as reviews of Return of the King. Furthermore, users could follow each other. As long as you had enough followers, or your comments on an event were novel or unique enough, you could be seen by countless people.

Here, film critics had practically no advantage; they were just ordinary members among the masses of internet users.

Why did film critics wield such influence in the seventies, eighties, and even up to the mid-nineties?

Roger Ebert actually knew the answer very well. It wasn't because critics had truly unique tastes or could guide the development of the film industry. In reality, most of their reviews were just nitpicking and hurling abuse, and even the most brilliant movies had flaws.

The vast majority of film critics had no real talent and only a superficial understanding of the film industry. They had reached their positions less because the audience chose them and more because the media chose them. They were able to voice their opinions through the media, while ordinary audiences had no such platform. This was undeniably the biggest difference between critics and the general public.

But now, the rise of emerging online media had completely changed that landscape.

The freedom of the internet far surpassed that of any traditional media. This was especially true for Instant Sharing, which had risen rapidly since the second half of last year, attracting millions of users...

Roger Ebert helplessly realized that as Instant Sharing gained more users, the opinions posted on it would receive even more attention. The voices of ordinary moviegoers would seemingly grow louder. If fans could rapidly exchange views on a massive scale, film critics would undoubtedly become even more marginalized.

Could it be that in the future, everyone would be able to review movies? That anyone could share their thoughts on a film across the internet?

If so, what use would there be for professional film critics?

Staring at the vibrant Instant Sharing website before him, Roger Ebert couldn't help but think of the company and shareholders behind it. He suddenly sensed a conspiracy—a conspiracy aimed squarely at professional film critics.

Ordinary moviegoers, however, did not care what Roger Ebert thought. Starting from the second half of last year, when Duke, Steve Jobs, and Pixar Studio made Instant Sharing their home base to announce their latest updates, the website's traffic and user base had skyrocketed. The public had also discovered that the site was far more convenient and streamlined than a blog. They gradually grew fond of sharing their views on it, and Duke's hardcore fans, in particular, became some of its most active members.

Because he had been on an overseas business trip recently, Norman Hiller had failed to book a movie ticket near his home. He had no choice but to travel to a distant small town to watch Return of the King. It was already very late when he got back, but instead of resting immediately, he turned on his computer and logged into his Instant Sharing account.

He had only become a user of the site in January of this year. After using it, not only did he abandon his own blog, but he also recommended the website to his friends and colleagues. Now, all of them were extremely active users.

Although he only had a few thousand followers on the site, Norman Hiller greatly enjoyed the feeling of sharing, even if only a handful of people saw his opinions. As a veteran moviegoer, his views on films were naturally the centerpiece of his posts.

So, he didn't hesitate to type out a long review of his viewing experience.

"After watching Return of the King, I have to sigh in admiration that The Lord of the Rings series is truly a miracle in cinematic history. Its magic doesn't just lie in how breathtakingly beautiful the visuals are, but in the quality of the trilogy. Watching the entire series from start to finish, it can be called a flawless masterpiece. This isn't to say that The Lord of the Rings series has absolutely no flaws, but from the perspective of overall quality, the trilogy has reached the pinnacle of cinema in comprehensive entertainment value."

"Very few movies are made with such widespread appeal, and what's even rarer is that the quality of all three installments has been maintained at a top-tier level, completely satisfying and surpassing fans' prior expectations. Based solely on the dream-fulfilling magic of Return of the King, it is absolutely qualified to win next year's Oscar for Best Picture! I just don't know if the School, which always likes to flaunt its support for mainstream art while actually being incredibly niche, will choose Duke's masterpiece!"

"One last thing: Duke didn't disappoint. The final chapter is a hundred times more spectacular than the best outcome we could have possibly hoped for!"

After posting it, Norman Hiller still didn't feel sleepy. His head was full of the excitement brought on by the cavalry charge, so he simply opened the profiles of some users he followed and started browsing. Many of them were movie lovers just like him, and quite a few had caught the advance screening of Return of the King. Their reviews were universally full of praise.

A few people even shared their bizarre experiences from watching the advance screening.

"This year, I fell for the captain of the school cheerleading squad. After secretly crushing on her for a long time, I finally confessed today and decided to invite her to a movie. The film was Duke's Return of the King, and she agreed."

"It was a normal Thursday night. Hand in hand, I walked into the theater with the beautiful girl I had crushed on for so long. For a full three hours, my acne-ridden self was so blown away my jaw hit the floor!"

"However, less than halfway through the screening, the cheer captain started fidgeting. She repeatedly asked to go home, saying her dad would be very angry if she didn't."

"She kept asking me over and over to take her home, while I just stared wide-eyed as the Ghost Legion charged toward White City, grunting and nodding absentmindedly without the slightest intention of moving."

"After a while, she said coldly, 'How about I just leave first?'"

"My eyes were glued straight to the great eye of Sauron as I replied, 'Alright, you go ahead.'"

"My first love ended in a single day, but I don't regret it, because I found something even more spectacular than a first love!"

Norman Hiller couldn't help but laugh. To make a Lord of the Rings fan walk away from the big screen during a showing of Return of the King—how agonizing would that be?

Closing his computer, Norman Hiller prepared to get some rest. But for many fans, this was destined to be a sleepless night.

Bryan was a frontline investigator for CinemaScore Company, specifically responsible for the Seattle area. Even though it was already past midnight, his work for the day had only just begun.

Stepping into an office, he exchanged a few words with the manager of a partnered theater and confirmed the venue's attendance rate. Although Return of the King had seen a slight drop from the 95 percent attendance of the advance screening, it still exceeded 90 percent. Barring any accidents, the midnight screenings and advance screenings of this film alone would generate a terrifying figure.

As the midnight screening neared its end, Bryan left the office and gathered a few assistants. They waited by the theater exit, ready to interact directly with the audience to obtain firsthand market feedback and data.

He readied his small voice recorder. The moment he saw a moviegoer walking over, he approached him. It was a fan in his thirties. After Bryan explained his purpose, the man readily offered a few words.

The fan's eyes were slightly red; he still hadn't shaken off the emotions the film had stirred in him.

"At the end of Return of the King, I never expected my face to be covered in tears. From The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001 until now, it feels like an entire century has passed. And throughout that time, I've just been quietly watching them—watching them fight, watching them destroy the One Ring. How I wish all of this could keep going on. No matter how many more centuries, I think I'd stay by their side."

"I think only a director like Duke Rosenberg could have created such a great masterpiece as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, because he has such a profound love and passion for cinema."

"Out of ten, what would you rate it?" Bryan asked.

The fan thought for a moment. "Giving it a ten might be a bit too exaggerated, but it's absolutely worth a 9.5!"

After exchanging a few more words with other members of the audience, Bryan simply stood to the side, objectively observing and listening to his assistants' interviews.

"This isn't just a movie; it's another world. An absolute classic!"

"A perfect ending, the best battles, fearless hearts, and courageous advances. This film has the most touching moments of all three—whether it's the peak of hope they almost reach, the deep melancholy after the battles, Aragorn remaining humble when bestowed with the crown, the hobbits being treated with honor by the entire kingdom, or the reluctance to let go during the final parting..."