Chapter 724: The Fate of the Palme d'Or

After the premiere of Inglourious Basterds, Harvey Weinstein threw a celebration party, and Duke headed over to the hotel to attend.

"A very interesting movie."

Sitting across from Quentin Tarantino, Duke praised the director's vision. "Especially the ending."

Contrary to the violent style of his films, Quentin Tarantino was a smooth operator who knew how to handle people. He replied immediately, "It's my fantasy of a Jewish counterattack. I made the whole story up, but it's the ending I wanted."

Harvey Weinstein chuckled beside them, and Duke gave a slight nod.

Brad Pitt chimed in at just the right moment. "When Quentin came to see me privately and we talked for a few hours, it was like he'd cast a spell on me. A month later, I was putting on a military uniform."

He then turned to Duke. "You know, Duke, people around Cannes are calling Fury Road a spectacle somewhere between a wild rock concert and an opera. After watching the whole movie, I couldn't agree more. How did you do it?"

Duke smiled. "That was one of the core concepts. It all came down to whether we could sustain a nonstop chase while packing in enough story along the way. The edit was a massive undertaking. We had to find its internal rhythm, and once we caught the right beat, we couldn't slack off for a second—we had to ride it the whole way through. Layering all that in takes a bit of skill."

Brad Pitt nodded earnestly. "I really hope we get the chance to work together."

"We will," Duke replied politely.

Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt wandered off to mingle, but Harvey Weinstein stayed behind. Ever the seasoned businessman, he clearly had something to say.

Once they were alone, the heavy-set man of Jewish descent lowered his voice. "Duke, I was on the phone with Robert Rodriguez last night and heard some news. There's a woman lobbying the jury hard, and she's targeting Fury Road."

He was clearly trying to curry favor.

"Thanks." Duke gave a slight nod. "I know."

By this point in the Cannes Film Festival, every film in the competition section had screened. But compared to the stunning impact Fury Road had delivered on opening night, the reception for the rest was extremely mediocre—both in the press and among the audiences.

But the festival wouldn't shower all its awards on a single movie. The "dividing the spoils" approach of the Three Major European Film Festivals was always far more blatant than the Oscars.

Inside a large conference room, the festival jury was gathered to debate the awards.

And just like every year, a fierce dispute had broken out over who would take home the Palme d'Or.

"I think Fury Road is the best choice. It's the most popular film of the festival."

Robert Rodriguez took a firm stance in support of the Hollywood blockbuster. "It's a quintessential visual movie. The story relies on its imagery. And the essence of that imagery can be summed up in one word—convincing!"

"But it lacks drama, and it has no depth," British playwright Hanif Kureishi interjected coldly. "A movie that's just one long fight from beginning to end is synonymous with garbage."

"Hmph." Robert Rodriguez let out a disdainful sneer. "Lacks drama? No depth? That's a terrible attempt at nitpicking. A movie's purpose is to draw the eye. If Duke had been brain-dead enough to shoehorn in more drama, I guarantee audiences around the world would be cursing his name!"

Hanif Kureishi opened his mouth to argue, but Isabelle Huppert raised a hand to stop him. "I think Fury Road is a very fitting choice," she said bluntly.

As the president of the jury, she couldn't single-handedly dictate who received the awards, but if she was truly determined to push for a film, the others wouldn't be able to stop her.

Besides, everyone knew she was a staunch feminist.

With Isabelle Huppert making her stance clear, Hanif Kureishi shut his mouth, and the majority of the room fell silent.

Sitting further down the conference table, Natalie Portman's eyes flickered. She had privately lobbied the judges to achieve her goal, yet this was the result. She refused to accept it.

"I think it's entirely inappropriate," she said slowly, reminding the room. "Have you all forgotten that this festival must use artistic merit as its baseline standard? I don't see any artistic value in a superficial movie like Fury Road."

Hearing this, Robert Rodriguez shot Natalie Portman a look of surprise. Within Hollywood, people of Jewish descent were famous for sticking together. They often presented a unified front against external threats, just as they had during the blacklisting of Mel Gibson. And Duke Rosenberg and Natalie Portman were arguably two of the most prominent Hollywood figures of Jewish descent...

'What is this woman trying to do?' he wondered, frowning slightly.

Everyone had their own biases and agendas, and Robert Rodriguez was no exception. Aside from Fury Road being a Hollywood film, its hyper-kinetic style suited his tastes perfectly.

He immediately asked, "Which movie does Miss Portman think is better suited for the Palme d'Or?"

Natalie Portman glanced at Isabelle Huppert and said, "The White Ribbon reveals the darkness bred by human hypocrisy, serving as an allegory for the origins of German fascism and the subsequent course of history. The film is presented entirely in black and white and uses absolutely no soundtrack. Its pure cinematic artistry is far superior to Fury Road."

With that, she looked toward Isabelle Huppert again.

Isabelle Huppert hesitated and didn't reply immediately. The discussion ended there, failing to produce a consensus for the Palme d'Or.

After the meeting adjourned, the other jury members filtered out. Natalie Portman deliberately lingered behind. As Isabelle Huppert finished packing her materials and prepared to leave, Natalie stood up and walked over.

"Did you need something?" Isabelle Huppert asked.

Natalie Portman offered an amiable smile. "Someone asked me to pass on a message: don't forget who directed The White Ribbon."

Isabelle Huppert fell silent. How could she forget that it was directed by Michael Haneke, a man who had shown her immense kindness?

Seeing the older woman's expression, Natalie Portman's smile deepened. She turned on her heel and sauntered out of the conference room.

She remembered clearly that in 2001, Michael Haneke had won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival for The Piano Teacher, single-handedly elevating Isabelle Huppert—this year's jury president—to the throne of Best Actress.

Returning to her room, Natalie Portman sat on the sofa and closed her eyes. She couldn't help but recall her time with Duke. The man hadn't just stripped away her glamorous exterior; after using her for sex, he had tossed her aside like garbage.

He thought he could just walk away with the Palme d'Or? It wouldn't be that simple!

Indeed, no one was loved by everyone, and the same held true in Hollywood.

The media's fanatical reaction to Fury Road fed directly into the fan communities. With the public release still held back until May 22, the relentless hype had whetted the appetites of North American moviegoers. The moment North American theater chains officially opened ticket reservations, presale figures soared.

Naturally, this was a cause for concern for certain people.

"News just came in..."

Inside an office, an assistant reported to David Ellison. "Presale revenue for Fury Road has already hit 30 million dollars!"

David Ellison frowned. "What about our The Adventures of Tintin?"

The assistant glanced at him, replying cautiously, "Less than... less than 10 million dollars."

His frown deepened. David Ellison knew he had to do something. The 30 million dollars in presales for Fury Road was nothing compared to Transformers or The Dark Knight, but for an R-Rated Film, it was a terrifying number.

Besides, it was far ahead of his own investment, The Adventures of Tintin.

A while ago, Spielberg had politely declined a few of his requests. The situation was clear: the old Jewish man might be willing to compete directly with Duke Rosenberg in the market, but he didn't want the rivalry to cross their respective bottom lines.

Spielberg was only willing to execute standard promotion and distribution. If David Ellison wanted to push things further, he would have to do it himself.

He pondered for a moment before speaking. "Step up our media PR. While continuing to promote The Adventures of Tintin, have them hammer home the point that Fury Road is a feminist movie!"

The assistant wasn't an idiot and immediately caught on to David Ellison's intent. "I'll have the PR department contact the relevant outlets right away."

David Ellison had already sent someone to screen the film. In truth, its feminist undertones weren't particularly heavy, nor were they offensive. But certain organizations were inherently blind and aggressive; push them just a little, and they could always be counted on to act irrationally.

The feminist movement was undeniably on the rise, but its opposition remained powerful. Moreover, just how many men in the world truly supported the movement was still a big question. As long as he could provoke a backlash from the male demographic, the movie's target audience would inevitably shrink.

As for the Cannes Palme d'Or, he had no connections in the European Film Circle and couldn't influence the outcome. Fortunately, while the Palme d'Or did carry some weight in North America, its impact wasn't massive. The real threat was the boost it would give the film in the overseas market.

However, David Ellison knew all too well that Sky Film Studio's overseas influence was too weak. He could only settle the score with Duke Rosenberg on North American soil.

Besides, Duke had never been well-received by the European Film Circle anyway, so he might not even win the Palme d'Or.