Brilliant Life in the Entertainment Circle

Atonement is a best-selling novel in Europe and America, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature.

Song Ya sat on the plane and roughly read the novel.

How should I put it, a sad love story full of all kinds of mistakes.

"It was said on the Internet that director Joe White started filming without reading the original novel." Li Xinyan handed the compiled materials to Song Ya. "After reading the novel, let's read these again."

The story of "Atonement" took place in the summer of 1935.Brioni, a 13-year-old girl from a wealthy family in England, has just started to try her hand at writing and has a rich imagination. At the same time, she has a crush on Robbie, the servant's son.However, one day, she discovered that her sister Cecilia had an unusual relationship with Robbie. They were very ambiguous, and even Robbie wrote a love letter full of erotic meaning.This made the young Brioni panic, and her rich imagination made her start to fabricate all kinds of terrible things when she was in love.When her cousin, Laura, was raped in her back garden, Briony perjured her, saying that Robbie was responsible for all the crimes.In this way, Robbie was imprisoned for injustice, leaving the heartbroken Cecilia.A few years later, when World War II broke out, Robbie and Cecilia went into the battle to defend their home and country, and Brioni also became a military doctor when he grew up.It was too late when Brioni finally plucked up the courage to confess to his sister and Robbie that he had committed perjury. Robbie was injured in a battle and finally died of sepsis...

The story takes place in England, and the protagonists are all British. So, what did the director ask me for?Are there Asian faces in the script?Song Ya didn't figure it out until she got off the plane, but now that she's here, the answer will be revealed soon.

As expected, it was raining when Song Ya arrived in London.

The gray sky, the continuous rain, the ancient streets and the buildings full of history make people feel as if they have traveled back to the last century.

"It is said that London also suffered from very serious pollution in the last century, and many people died." Sitting in a taxi, Li Xinyan said looking at the streets on both sides.

"Yes, but I forget the exact year. Anyway, after that incident, the UK began to make great efforts to clean up the bad air, and it took nearly 20 years to finally improve the quality. I think it should be regarded as a rebirth of New England, Otherwise, under such severe smog, the British Isles may sink early." Song Ya half-jokingly said.

Arriving at the office building where the crew of "Atonement" is located, casting director Gina Jie warmly received Song Ya at the door.

"Oh, dear, I'm glad you came as promised." Gina gently hugged Song Ya and kissed her cheeks on both sides.

"It should have arrived yesterday afternoon, but it suddenly rained heavily in Los Angeles, and the plane had to be delayed. I hope I'm not late." Song Ya said apologetically.

"No, my dear, you are not late, how should I say, everything is just right. Joe just finished his role in the small town of Ridka, and will be back in London at noon today. We can talk first, and then wait for Joe to come." Now, let's have a good chat." Gina said with a smile, and then welcomed Song Ya and Li Xinyan into the office building.

After a few simple opening remarks, Song Ya directly raised a question: "Excuse me, Ms. Gina, can you tell me why such a British-style movie found me-an Asian person participated? I read the original novel After that, there wasn't a single Asian face in it."

"A pure English version of the original novel?" Gina asked sideways. As far as she knew, "Atonement" had not been published in Korean.

"Yes, I bought it at a bookstore in Los Angeles." Song Ya introduced.

Gina was surprised: "Wow, being able to read the original English version proves that your English is very good, but with all due respect, you speak English with a slightly American accent."

Of course, because I was an American in my previous life!

However, from Gina's half-joking words, Song Ya saw a hint of distrust, so she hurriedly adjusted her sitting posture, and said to Gina with the graceful posture that a British woman often has: "British accent? Actually I will too, what do you think of what I said?"

The British don't like to go round and round, and being honest with each other is social courtesy.Seeing that Song Ya was full of sincerity and at the same time, sitting on the chair with an elegant and dignified posture, Gina nodded secretly, already giving a passing grade to this Korean girl with a mixed-race face.But whether it can be selected in the end depends on the meaning of director Joe White.

Song Ya didn't know that the role she auditioned for was her sister "Brioni Thales" until Joe White hurried back from the set.

"Little girls have to grow up, right?"

It was raining heavily outside the window, and Joe White's hair was wet.It turned out that the role of "sister" in this movie will be played by three actors of different ages. At 13, at 18, and finally at old age.

Previously, "Brioni" at the age of 13 and when she was old had already completed her roles.The fledgling actress Saoirse Ronan is so good, she's a genius.And the performance of the old actor Vanessa is nothing to say.Perhaps these two performed too well, but made a group of young actors who came to audition for "Brioni" look poor.

"I have probably auditioned dozens of people for this role, British, American, French, but I am not satisfied with their performance. Oh, of course, I think the face shape is also a big problem. That face shape is really too difficult among white people. found it."

Only when Song Ya saw the photo of "Little Brioni" on Joe White's computer did she understand what he meant by "that kind of face shape is too difficult to find among white people".

The young actress Saoirse Ronan has a very delicate face in the eyes of Europeans and Americans, with a pointed jaw, a round face without edges and corners, between a melon seed face and a duck egg face, very girly, very delicate, very ...rare.Even in Asia, such a face shape known as the "beauty benchmark" is rare.Korea certainly has them, but most of them are acquired.It looks okay from a distance, but it looks a little scary up close. After all, it is fake and cannot withstand scrutiny.

But Saoirse Ronan's face is pure and natural, so the more you look at it, the more you like it.

"Your face shape is very similar to hers." Joe White stared closely at Song Ya's duck egg face, and carefully evaluated, "Of course, it can't be said to be exactly the same, your face is shorter and rounder than hers Some, but people have to change when they grow up, right? As long as the changes are not big—like plastic surgery, I think the audience can accept it.”

Subsequently, Joe White ordered the makeup artist to apply makeup to Song Ya.

"Honey, is it okay to wear non-prescription contact lenses?" asked the makeup artist.

"No problem." Song Ya said with a smile, then took the contact lens and put it on her eyes.

In order to achieve a pale effect, the makeup artist applied a light-colored foundation to Song Ya's already fair face, and then freckles.

Soon, a slightly sick and melancholy image of a white girl appeared in the mirror.

"How long have you dyed your blonde hair?"

While the makeup artist was doing Song Ya's hair, Joe White asked behind him.

"The first time I dyed my hair was in 06, when I was filming "Blueberry Night". Afterwards, because I played white people, I continued to dye my blonde hair."

"What's your hair color?" He asked again.

"Dark brown."

At this time, the hair is almost done.Joe White carefully looked at Song Ya in the mirror, after a while he smiled slightly, and said with some compliments: "Actually, gold suits you very well."

"Thank you." Song Ya said with a smile.

After putting on makeup, Song Ya followed Joe White to the audition room. There was only one old-fashioned chandelier in the room, and two cameras were placed in the middle and left. The windows were open, and the sound of rain came in clearly, as if it was falling in the room It started to rain.

"I heard from Gina that you have read the original novel?"

Joe White asked, and then gestured for Song Ya to sit on a wooden chair in front of the desk.

"Yes, but I only watched it once." Song Ya tidied up her clothes and sat on a chair.

"I haven't watched it once, so you are better than me." Joe White joked. "By the way, what do you think of Brioni, do you think she is bad?"

Song Ya felt that Joe White was like a university professor, and she was a student participating in the thesis defense. His questions were always one after another, seemingly endless, making people overwhelmed.

"To Robbie and Cecilia, Brioni is the downright bad guy. Thirteen isn't young, especially a century ago, and 13 was already judged to be close to an adult age." Despite the headache , but Song Ya patiently explained her point of view to Joe White. "She perjured her testimony and got Robbie in prison. Although she wanted to atone for her crime, fate refused to give her a chance. In this way, World War II came and everyone's life was disrupted. And Robbie and Cy Celia was even more miserable, loving each other but not being together. One died of sepsis, one died of an air raid. Indeed, what a pity."

Joe White nodded, motioning for Song Ya to continue.

"But, when I look back and think about it occasionally, I think Brioni is very poor. No matter what she does, she is only 13 years old after all, and she loves fantasy, she is at the age of first love, and the most important thing is that she has always been She likes Robbie, but at the same time, she hates herself for liking him. Brioni is a contradiction. Although it is not written in the book, judging from her series of performances, she should suffer from mild anxiety and delusions of persecution symptoms, but these miraculously disappeared after she sent Robbie to prison."

"You used the word 'miracle'?" Joe White raised his eyebrows, his eyes full of approval.

"Yes, miracles, ironic miracles."

"One last question, yaa, answer me seriously, do you think Brioni should be forgiven?"

"If I were Robbie or Cecilia, I would never forgive her. But I am the reader, and I think at the beginning of the perjury, Brioni didn't know the ending would be so bad." Shrugging, Song Ya said again, "Maybe life is like this, and the cause of many crimes is only ignorance and jealousy."

The audition part took 5 minutes.Joe White sat behind the camera in the middle and motioned Song Ya to watch the rain outside the window. "You can talk to yourself, you can keep silent, you can do whatever you want. Now, let's get started."

Song Ya nodded, took a deep breath and started her performance.That night, she received an invitation letter from the crew of "Atonement", formally inviting her to participate in the filming of the film at a hospital in the suburbs of London at five o'clock tomorrow morning.At the end of the email, Joe White wrote sincerely: Waiting for you, Brioni.

***********

When the filming started the next day, it was still cloudy and gray in London, and the dilapidated hospital smelled damp, cold and musty.In the first set of shots, "Brioni" has already put on a nurse's uniform. As a rich lady, she gave up the chance to go to Cambridge to study, and chose to be an army/corps medical staff.Everyone thought she was crazy, but she knew that there was only one purpose for doing this—to meet Robbie.

"Yaa, this was not a pleasant journey. You didn't laugh from the beginning to the end. In addition to the bad weather, I hope you can hold on." Before the filming started, Joe White gave Song Ya a good shot.

"It doesn't matter, I made a film that was a hundred times sadder than "Atonement" in Korea, but I ended up here happily. Don't worry, playing tragic roles is my strong point." Song Ya said mischievously.

In the first group of shots, the tall and serious-looking head nurse led two rows of nurses into the inpatient department of the hospital pompously.The roundabout and dark corridor was set against the white nurse's uniform.Song Ya was in the last row in preparation for her next appearance.

In the corridor, the nurses' footsteps were a little messy, while the head nurse's footsteps were resonant and powerful.This is a set of long shots, without dialogue, and the only sound is the inconsistent footsteps of everyone.Entering the ward, the head nurse began to find fault: "The bed must be aligned, and the head of the bed should be facing inward. Yesterday I found that three of them were placed backwards. Who knows who did it? Who is responsible for laying the bed today?"

"It's me, head nurse." A fat-faced nurse said tremblingly.

"I don't think you can tell what's wrong with you." The head nurse stared at her.

"Yes, I can't tell."

"You folded all the labels inside, didn't you?" The head nurse pointed out the mistake impatiently.

"Yes, Matron."

"Overlap!" The head nurse said without hesitation, and then shouted to the group of nurses behind her: "Nurse Thales comes to my office, and the others dismiss."

The nurses dispersed one by one, as if welcoming the protagonist to come out, Song Ya was the last one.The camera is focused on her face, getting closer and closer, her skin is pale, her expression is slightly disturbed, but her eyes are always looking forward, her eyes are empty.Behind the monitor, Joe White didn't stop until Song Ya swallowed a mouthful of saliva before he said softly, "OK, very good."

Song Ya didn't know whether it was because the crew was in a hurry to complete the production or because her acting skills were really outstanding. After joining the group, she only acted in the scene twice and Joe White would yell "pass".Sometimes, Song Ya felt that her performance was very average and did not meet the requirements of the script. When she wanted to do it again, Joe White said, "I think it is very good, and there is no need to retake it." A major scene that would start filming a month later came on the fifth day.

"Come on, yaa, let me introduce you." On that day, Song Ya had just finished her role in the hospital when she was brought by the crew to an old neighborhood in the suburbs of London.As soon as she walked into the set, the casting director Gina called her over, and then Songya saw Keira Knightley and James McAvoy who had already put on makeup.

Keira is a big shot, the new "British Rose". Even when she is putting on makeup, there are two black bodyguards standing there doing their duty.

"Hello, yaa." Song Ya stretched out her hand friendly and said in English.

"Hi, Kayla."

"Hello, James."

The temperament of British actors is similar to that of cats, and they will keep a friendly distance from strangers they meet for the first time.After saying hello, the three of them had nothing to say.

"Hmm...I heard that you are Korean?" After all, he was a boy, James had a thick skin, and tried to chat with Song Ya.

"Yes, Korean, but I'm of mixed race, and my father is Norwegian." Song Ya finished introducing herself in one breath.

As if he didn't expect Song Ya to say so much, James stood there in a daze, his blue eyes slightly dazed, like a Persian cat seeing a monster.It was Keira Knightley who opened the conversation, pointing to her eyes and asking, "Are you wearing contact lenses?"

"Ah."

"Does it hurt?"

"It will be a little bit after a long time." The contact lenses can only be worn for eight hours at most, but in order to keep up with the schedule, Song Ya doesn't finish work until three or four in the morning every day. It is lucky that there is no inflammation for such a long time.

"It will be better to use some eye drops." Keira quickly took a piece of paper from the table, and said while writing quickly: "This eye drop is good, it is for contact lenses, you can try it, when I was filming "Pirates" "I used it when I was young, and the effect is very good. It prevents inflammation and allergies, and it is sold in major pharmacies in London."

"Thank you." Keira's enthusiasm surprised Song Ya.If you only look at the appearance, Keira should be a typical British cold beauty.

"It's rare, Keira." James joked, "It's rare to see you be so enthusiastic about other people's affairs."

"Of course." Keira ignored James' teasing, "yaa is my sister, and I should treat her better."

"Oh, sister, but you may have forgotten that she is the murderer who broke us up." James emphasized "viciously".

"She's not, Saoirse is," Kayla argued.

At this time, a little blond girl ran quickly from outside the crowd. "I just heard someone talking about me." She looked at Keira and James, furious.

"You heard me wrong." Kayla and James emphasized contemptuously together.As if they didn't want to stay here, they waved to Song Ya: "yaa, see you on the set later." Then they turned and left.

"It's disgusting! The two of them definitely have an affair!" said the blond girl, staring fiercely at the backs of Keira and James.Song Ya recognized her as Saoirse Ronan, who played the 13-year-old Brioni.

"Hello, I'm Saoirse Ronan." After being angry for a while, Saoirse began to introduce herself to Song Ya. "I was born in 1994, and I am exactly 13 years old this year. What about you, how old are you this year?"

Like all adolescent girls, Saoirse speaks very aggressively, with a look of arrogance that belongs to teenagers, as if adults are fools.

"My name is Yaa, Korean, and I am 24 years old."

"You have 24?" Saoirse didn't believe it at all, her eyes looked up and down, left and right, Song Ya carefully like a CT scanner. "You have good skin, no wrinkles, and you look seventeen or eighteen years old. That Kayla is not going to be. She is about the same age as you, but there are already crow's feet around the corners of her eyes."

"Are you sure?" Song Ya narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sure!" Saoirse said coldly.

I have stayed in Korea for too long, and it has been a long time since I saw Song Ya, a little girl who has no scruples about criticizing her seniors like this. "So, what do you think of me?" Song Ya asked with a smile.

"You're fine." Saoirse said earnestly. "Anyway, she's better than Keira. She always bullies me. But with all due respect, she looks more temperamental than you. No wonder that James is fascinated by her."

ha!Song Ya really likes this straightforward little girl.

*********

The scene that Song Ya, Keira and James will shoot today is also the highlight of the whole play——

[Walking out of the church, Brioni decided to ask Cecilia to confess that she had perjured herself—although it was no secret, because of this matter, Cecilia had already cut off contact with her, but she still decided to go out At this step, she came to the place where her sister lived - a dilapidated small building. Cecilia did not welcome her, and just as the sisters were talking, Robbie came out of the bedroom... ...]

Robbie looked emotionally at Brioni - the girl who had inexplicably ruined his life and his love affair with Cecilia.

"Stop! James!" Joe White stood up from behind the monitor, and while looking back at the camera just now, he analyzed and said, "Well, don't just stand there and glare at Brioni, just come over and walk around her Turn around, and then start the next question, how about it?"

"Ok!" James fully accepted the director's proposal.

"Oh, Yaa, you performed very well just now, and continue to maintain this expression between fear and guilt." Joe White raised an eyebrow at Song Ya.

"Thank you, I'll keep it up."

Filming begins.

Robbie walked towards Brioni angrily, and when he got behind her, he asked through gritted teeth, "What is she doing here?"

[In the camera, Robbie's expression seems to crush Bligh.Bligh trembled slightly, not daring to meet Robbie's eyes. 】

Sisi: "She has something to tell me."

Robbie: "Oh yeah, say what?"

Bligh was at a loss, trying to meet Robbie's eyes: "Tell me about the horrible thing I did."

Robbie was angry, he wanted to smash things, he wanted to leave here, he didn't want to say a word to this girl, because it was too late, he wanted to kill her, he remembered that he couldn't do it because of those trumped-up charges Not separated from Sisi, he had to go to the battlefield to live a hellish life.

Robbie, who had nowhere to vent, walked towards the gate quickly, but Ceci stepped forward and stopped him: "Robby, dear..."

Suddenly, Robbie turned around, pointed at Brioni and expressed all the grievances in his heart: "Let me tell you straight, I'm going crazy thinking, should I break your neck, or throw you from the stairs?" Up and down? Oh, God, do you know what it's like to be in jail? Of course you don't!"

Brioni wanted to speak, but didn't know what to say.She understood that Robbie's anger at the moment was not fake, he hated her, and wanted to kill her immediately.

Robbie went on: "Tell me, don't you enjoy the thought of me suffering in prison?"

Bly: "No..."

Robbie: "No? Then you just stood by! You think I raped your cousin? Did you think so?"

Bly shook his head.

"Since it's not, then why are you sure it's me now?!"

"Because I grew up! I was only 13 years old..."

"How old do you have to be before you can tell right from wrong?" Robbie interrupted loudly. "How old are you now, 18? Do you have to be 18 years old to admit that you lied back then? Some soldiers did, but they Already died on the side of the road!"

...In this scene, the three actors were so devoted to the performance that when it came to the excitement, James had symptoms of rapid heartbeat due to excessive emotional fluctuations. His assistant and the crew doctor hurriedly let him Lie down and take a deep breath.Song Ya's mood is not much better. She has been in the UK for almost a week, but she has only seen the sun for 10 minutes. The rest of the time London is shrouded in gray shadows.

"Drink some water, yaa." Keira thoughtfully handed over a glass of warm water.

"Is James okay?" Song Ya asked.She was so into the show that she didn't dare to step up to take a look at James.For fear that he would suddenly stand up and punch her.

"Oh, he's fine." Keira laughed. "Even though he's not tall, he's very strong. Don't worry, we'll restart the machine in 10 minutes."

His body is very strong?Song Yamo was distracted by these words named Kaila.Interesting, how did she know his body was strong?

In "Atonement", there are not many scenes belonging to Brioni.Song Ya completed the filming in only two weeks.It was also a coincidence that the crew of "Blackjack" also called, saying that there was finally a casino in Las Vegas willing to provide a shooting location for the crew, but the shooting time could not exceed two weeks.

"When will you be back?" my partner Jim asked on the phone.

"The day after tomorrow. I have another scene to make up for tomorrow."

"Is London fun?" Jim asked with a smile.

"Hmm...that's fine, but I prefer the bright sunshine in Los Angeles."