Life and death

At the organizer's request, a check was conducted to ensure no hidden photography or recording equipment was present.

Bella had no such equipment, so she quickly passed the inspection with her invitation in hand.

Entering the ancient and elegant screening hall of the Chinese Theater, the entire space gradually filled up as the audience and fans entered in an orderly manner. It seemed like every seat would be taken.

Over eight hundred spectators chatted quietly, and the intense atmosphere began to slowly spread through the air...

Perhaps due to her profession as a columnist and film critic, Bella was given a good seat close to the large screen, in the third row.

She nodded in acknowledgment to Lucy, not far away, then took out a pen and notebook from her handbag, patiently waiting for the film to begin...

As the director, Lyman naturally sat in the front row.

Seated in the middle, to his right were René, Thomas, and George, and to his left were Nicolas Cage, Heath Ledger, and Jon Bernthal, the main cast. As for the film's crew or other invited minor actors, only Eva Green was present, sitting in the third row together with the media journalists.

At this moment, watching the pitch-black screen and hearing the murmurs around him, Lyman's thoughts couldn't help but drift away.

The last time he had a proper premiere was at the Sundance Film Festival. This time, he was presenting a new work.

The setting may be different, but he would still face the judgment of the audience and film critics.

In "Fury", he incorporated many of his own ideas, unlike "Buried" or "3 Idiots", where he made improvements while sticking to the original thematic framework.

He was very satisfied with his attempt, and from the moment he finished editing, he was filled with confidence.

But whether it would be successful or accepted by the audience remained to be seen in the coming weeks.

At this moment, his feelings were full of anticipation, mixed with a hint of nervousness, making him feel quite complicated and restless.

The people around him also had their own emotions, and no one spoke; only the voices of the audience behind them could be heard.

After about half an hour, the lights in the screening hall gradually dimmed, and "Fury" began to unfold.

In the pitch-black darkness, a white light appeared, and EuropaCorp's logo appeared first.

The entire screening hall slowly quieted down, with everyone fully focused. Suddenly, the screen flashed, and the opening animation of Mann Studios followed. A completely blue butterfly emerged from its cocoon, fluttered out, and flew toward a bright spot. Then the butterfly vanished, and the scattered light formed the studio's English abbreviation.

Just like "3 Idiots", after the iconic production opening, the film went straight into the main story, beginning with a panoramic sketch.

Bella couldn't help adjusting her sitting position and let out a long breath. Under the guidance of the melodious and grand orchestral accompaniment, she entered the world of "Fury".

The vast and majestic plain gradually unfolded before the audience's eyes under the powerful symphony accompaniment. Realistic shots depicted the magnificence of nature, so much so that when the camera slowly panned down from high above to a small town nearby, the unparalleled visual contrast was truly captivating.

Then the scene shifted to an elderly woman sitting on a chair indoors. She looked up at the photo hanging on the wall and then, with teary eyes, took out a military identification tag from a drawer. It was the "dog tag", as people commonly called it, which every active-duty American soldier must have as proof of their identity.

The tag hanging on the rusty chain was obviously pierced by a bullet.

This tag belonged to her son, one of the many casualties on the Eastern Front of Europe during World War II.

At this moment, the photo of her son on the wall made the elderly woman break down further. She could no longer control her emotions and burst into hysterical tears.

It turned out that today was her son's birthday, and she sobbed, hysterically crying for a long time before gradually regaining her composure.

The old woman held the identification tag in her palm, gently caressing the marks engraved on it, seemingly immersed in memories...

The screen went black and then lit up again, displaying the film's production information. After a series of cast and crew names, a few heavyweight creators appeared: Nicolas Cage, Heath Ledger; Producers: George, René; Director: Lyman.

Following this, a line of text emerged: "Peace begets war, and war begets peace."

"A different style," Bella whispered to herself, a faint smile on her face.

To her, this director seemed quite talented and versatile. The depiction of scenes and cinematography in "Fury" was notably different from "3 Idiots".

The soft warmth of the past was nowhere to be seen, replaced by the simple and desolate atmosphere of "Fury".

The only thing that remained unchanged was the long shot at the beginning, which was similar to "3 Idiots", lasting a little over a minute, carrying on the tradition.

"This movie is so boring," at this moment, Bella heard a man's voice behind her complaining in a low voice.

She turned her head to see a head in the dark screening hall.

The man continued, "I knew I should've gone to see "Die Another Day", Harley Berry is in it, and it's much better than this trash. Jennifer, I bet you this will be terrible..."

"Nearly two hours, and I feel like I'm going to fall asleep. I waited in line for so long and paid $60 for two tickets, just to watch a plain and an old woman. What's this thing? It's not worth it..."

Bella was about to ask him to be quiet when the girl next to him spoke softly, "If you want to watch "007", go by yourself. I want to watch this one, got it?"

The man grumbled a couple more times, then reluctantly closed his mouth and remained silent.

Bella could finally watch the movie in peace.

"What will you bring to me this time?" she murmured to herself.

The music gradually changed, evoking a melancholic feeling. On the left side of the screen, the scene switched, showing a group of soldiers stationed in a military camp, with people coming in and out of the gate.

Then the camera cut to the interior of a tent in the military camp, where several officers in command attire were sitting together, discussing the next move for their troops.

The story officially began.

"Will they like this movie?" Nicolas asked Lyman beside him as he looked at the screen.

Lyman glanced over and noticed a hint of anxiety in his eyes.

"They will. Your performance in it is excellent," Lyman affirmed Nic's role with his words and gently patted his hand. "When did you become so lacking in confidence, Nic? That's not like you."

Lyman knew where Nic's unease came from: this was his first film after the failure of "Windtalkers". If this one also failed, the hard-earned career he had built over the years could be cut short, and he might lose all war-themed roles altogether.

This wasn't a joke; reality was just that harsh, and he understood it as well.

But Lyman's consolation seemed ineffective. Nicolas was still nervous, tightly gripping the armrest.

Lyman didn't know how to comfort him without any real evidence to support his words. It sounded feeble and powerless, so he patted Nic's hand back and turned his gaze back to the screen.

The scene changed. From the military camp at the beginning, it switched to a wilderness.

Soldiers in German uniforms were digging trenches in groups, setting up defense fortifications, waiting for the possible arrival of a major battle.

The camera panned to the German commanders, who were loudly discussing something.

The theme promoted here is World War II, and with the depiction of these scenes, it is clear that the Allied forces are about to launch an attack on German territory.

Next, the scene changes, and "Wardaddy", played by Nicolas, appears on the screen.

He is half-sitting in a steadily advancing tank, and the side of the tank is emblazoned with the word "Fury", perfectly matching the film's title.

The Sergeant looks at the scenery along the way, his weather-beaten face remarkably calm. He takes out a canteen from his backpack and drinks a large gulp of water.

Then, he briefs the soldiers in his squad on some matters and action orders to be mindful of when they engage in battle and urges them to stay focused.

However, even before the Allied forces can properly arrange their firepower, the German forces have launched a fierce attack against them.

The whistling of shells and the sound of machine guns blend into a symphony of death, constantly harvesting the lives of Allied soldiers.

The sudden outbreak of war is met with a rapid response from the Allied forces.

Each unit forms a wall of firepower as per the initial commander's orders.

Soon, the advantage of the Allied forces in terms of numbers and equipment becomes evident.

Even though the German forces had already set up defensive lines and dug trenches.

Under the double impact of the Allied bombers and artillery, their defenses are easily torn apart.

The squad where "Wardaddy" is in operates one of the most powerful land-based suppression tanks and is not at the frontline initially.

Only when the German defenses are torn apart, this unit is commanded to enter the frontlines.

Dozens of tanks form a horizontal line, with infantry following behind and on the sides, advancing towards the enemy's position in a crushing manner.

Under the relentless barrage of powerful artillery, they quickly cover half of the distance.

However, the German forces are steadfast; even though their previously established defensive works have been destroyed, they refuse to retreat a single step.

The two sides engage in close combat at a distance of several meters.

People are constantly being felled by bullets and dragged away by their respective medics...

War has always been about life and death, casualties are sometimes just numbers.