Discovery

Ang Lee appeared to have received strict upbringing.

The saying "Actions speak louder than words" seemed to be tailored for him.

A large platter of roasted lamb and beef arrived promptly.

With some sauce smeared on, the plump and tender lamb meat was easily torn apart.

From this moment on, he fell silent.

Devoting himself entirely to the food before him, as if he couldn't disappoint it.

Lyman, on his own, found it difficult to speak up too easily.

After all, if the other party didn't respond, the situation would become quite awkward.

So, he decided to fill his own stomach first.

He tore off a piece along the grain, then popped it into his mouth.

Surprisingly, it had a unique taste.

He couldn't identify the sauce, but when eating, it had a balanced saltiness and a faint hint of spices.

The meat was cooked to perfection as well, not as tough as the usual barbecue.

Both of them ate quickly.

About half an hour later, after Ang Lee reached for the water pitcher, poured a glass, and slowly drank it down, he finally wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"I've been here several times and the taste has always been quite good."

"Yes," Lyman nodded.

He had waited for Ang Lee to say something, but since he hadn't, he decided to break the silence.

Gently clearing his throat, he began discussing business, "Well, Director Lee, isn't there just a small portion of scenes left for your film? I've come this time to look for suitable actors, so could you finish Heath's scenes first?"

Lyman blinked his eyes, his gaze fixed on Ang Lee.

"Is it really urgent?"

"Very urgent," he emphasized, ramping up his persuasion. Not that it was really that urgent, but as long as they hadn't started filming, it wasn't considered urgent.

Of course, Ang Lee didn't know that. He lifted the water pitcher, poured another glass, and remained silent without answering for a while.

His film wasn't even finished yet, and the actors on set were already thinking about the next project. Such behavior displayed a lack of moderation.

But he wasn't overly put off by it either. After all, within the film industry, this was quite common.

For some A-list actors, their schedules could even be booked into the next year.

Though he didn't know much about Heath, he had no negative impressions of him. On the contrary, he found him quite satisfactory.

If it was indeed urgent, he was still willing to expedite the completion of the scenes.

This was also why he had agreed to this dinner.

"He has two scenes left, but there have been some issues with shooting. Do you know about this?"

"Yes."

The sheep refusing to drink water was quite a formidable reason for delay.

"I originally planned to finish shooting the day before yesterday, but due to this issue, it's been delayed till now. There's also no good solution." Ang Lee spoke slowly, then suddenly thought of something and asked, "Do you have any good suggestions?"

Indeed, both being directors, perhaps the other had some good ideas. Even if not, sharing insights or suggesting shooting directions could be beneficial.

Then he went on to describe the general scene background and his own shooting concept for that particular scene.

He rambled on, and Lyman understood most of it.

If judged solely on the content, anyone would think it's just a film about same-sex love, not much to talk about.

However, Ang Lee's approach was different. When he received this film, it was another low point in his life.

He didn't want to tell a mere story about two men in love. His ambitions were grand.

As many would later comment, the most prevalent phrase used to describe the film was, "Everyone has a Brokeback Mountain in their hearts."

Was everyone gay?

No, what Ang Lee wanted to convey was not about the gay relationship. He sought to portray a simple truth: everyone has someone or someplace they can't forget, a deep-seated memory that surfaces only in the dead of night, in solitude, hidden from the world, buried deep within.

His concept was nuanced, and "Brokeback Mountain" adhered to this style.

In "Brokeback Mountain", Jack and Ennis indeed found their true selves.

What the scenes needed to achieve was presenting, from this perspective, the entirely different attitudes toward love by two personalities.

Ennis's love was perpetually restrained, while Jack's was always forthright.

As for the portrayal of this scene, it aimed to convey the same viewpoint.

But the problem was that the desired effect of the scene was ruined due to the sheep's uncooperativeness.

Under that oppressive, wide-angle lens, Ennis appeared numbed by Jack's separation.

"I wish I knew how to quit you. I wish I knew how to quit you."

"Time just gets away from us. You know? You'd think I'd a-thought about this enough, but... I think about you all the time."

Their reunion four months later should have been beautiful, but it turned into an argument.

Because of his inaction, because of his... unreadiness to face the truth, or rather, his fear. Ennis's fear.

Of course, Lyman didn't quite grasp such profound depths.

He had always followed the principle of serving the characters in service of the story. In his films, audiences remembered the characters, while Ang Lee typically used characters to serve the story or to convey his own narratives, his own perspectives.

However, he vaguely understood some aspects as well.

Their ideologies differed, but their techniques of expression and emotional connection were similar.

"This mountain's got us. Is that right? The sheep, the ranch, none of that means anything. What it is, it's Ennis not wanting to leave behind that last step. And he won't take it, because he's scared of stepping into the unknown away from Brokeback Mountain."

Ang Lee looked at him, his eyes full of admiration.

Seemingly affirmed, Lyman's explanation grew clearer.

"So, with this scene, you're aiming to capture this layered sentiment."

With that, Ang Lee's discussion about the film gained momentum.

For a moment, the room was filled with various topics related to cinema.

This person had two extremes when it came to art films and commercial films.

For the former, he used his heart, for the latter, money.

Or rather, with his filming style, making popcorn films would be a disaster.

Sometimes, without carefully savoring his work, it was hard to decipher what he intended to express through his films.

Could you really expect those who wanted to witness the unstoppable power and violence of the Hulk, Conner, to instead contemplate worldly matters, power, and especially uncontrollable forces?

Therefore, Warner Brothers had truly misjudged.

Forcing this director was futile, and the rushed products lacked any spirituality.

He had to let him take his time, making films that interested him.

Who knew, he might craft a work of pure art.

Lyman had also noticed: Ang Lee was a reserved and introverted man.

Usually, he kept all his thoughts to himself, never revealing any ripples on the surface.

Regarding the delay in filming, he didn't even explain it to the crew. Many thought he might have OCD.

Insisting on filming the sheep drinking from the stream.

But in reality, did sheep even drink from streams? He was merely using it to convey Ennis's melancholy.