The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1116 Research Role
To be honest, Anson was very busy and he didn't have time to care about those cats and dogs.

The role of Johnny Cash is undoubtedly the biggest challenge Anson has faced so far, both in terms of acting and singing performance.

Of course, this is also an important reason why Anson took on this project.

If Anson wants to get rid of the image of Joaquin Phoenix's performance in his mind and inject a new soul into the role and the film in his own way, then he must stay focused and start from scratch.

As for the rumors outside, Anson didn't care at all.

Anson did not rush or try to get into the role hastily. Instead, he calmed down, slowed down, and started with the basics.

On the one hand, you have to carry a guitar with you, learn about it, get used to it, and adapt to it. No matter how you perform the role or how the movie is shot, you must first become close friends with the guitar.

This takes time and cannot be accomplished in three to five days or one to two weeks.

It was just right that Anson could use this time to conduct research and enrich his understanding of background knowledge before delving into performance.

On the other hand, the book starts from the era in which Johnny Cash lived, temporarily putting aside the protagonist himself, to understand the popular culture and characteristics of the time, and to understand the life of the protagonist before he became a country superstar.

Perhaps for most movies, such actions are redundant because this information is rarely shown in the film shots or actors' performances.

But for biographical films, it is an important step for actors to get into the role and sort out the character's context.

It's like Anson has been studying the character's look.

Johnny Cash was born in Arkansas in 1932.

There are two important pieces of information here. In 1932, it was the end of the Great Depression in the United States. Economic depression and social unrest still loomed over this land. Poverty and food and clothing were the top priorities that troubled countless families. Everyone could feel the fatigue of the times.

Arkansas, located in the southern United States, was once an Indian gathering place. It was mainly engaged in mining, animal husbandry and agriculture. Farmers and workers were the main survivors of this land. It is conceivable that during the Great Depression, the residents here may have faced even more severe survival pressures.

Johnny is the fourth of seven siblings, with three older brothers and sisters and three younger brothers and sisters. His father and mother are both poor farmers. They have picked cotton, suffered from floods, and wandered and migrated in Arkansas in search of survival.

In the torrent of the times, they are the weakest ants. Johnny's childhood and youth were spent in poverty, and having a full stomach was a luxury.

During his childhood, Johnny's younger brother passed away in an accident, and his father vented all his anger and resentment on Johnny.

Before I had time to fully grow up, World War II broke out. Even though there was the Atlantic Ocean between the North American continent and the European continent and the main battlefield was not here, the tension and panic filled with gunpowder smoke permeated every corner of life, and the emotional tension of excitement and frustration was pervasive.

And later, in 1950, when Johnny was eighteen, he joined the Air Force, was trained, and was sent to Germany, not returning to San Antonio until 1954.

Depressed, dull, and frustrating.

This is the main color of Johnny's childhood and teenage impressions, and these memories later became the shadow that Johnny could not get rid of throughout his life. He did not know how to love or be loved. The so-called happiness was always fragmented and could fall apart at the slightest touch. At the same time, because he lived in Arkansas, Johnny, like countless southern children, the church was an indispensable part of their lives. For most of his life, he was a devout Christian and published and released many gospel albums.

After finishing his Air Force career, the first thing Johnny did when he returned to San Antonio was to propose to the girl he had met during training at the Air Force base. They entered into marriage early, completely following the guidance of the church.

This belief is what Johnny insists on, but it is also the source of his inner struggle.

For example, about the death of his younger brother; for example, about the misfortune of his marriage; for example, about his own fall into alcohol and drugs.

On the one hand, he tried to stay true to his faith, even though his marriage had ended in name only as early as 1961, he had had countless women during his tours, and his wife had asked for a divorce many times; but he still covered his ears like an ostrich and refused to end the marriage.

On the one hand, his doubts and questions never received answers from his faith, which made him fall endlessly into darkness, not just living a life of drunkenness and dreams; as they spent time together day and night, he fell in love with June Carter and hoped to bravely pursue his own happiness, but he did not dare to do so.

Apparently, for them, "divorce" is something that goes against their beliefs.

The same is true for the famous Korean director Hong Sang-soo.

Hong Sang-soo's wife is a devout Catholic who has faithfully adhered to her marriage vows. In 2016, she discovered Hong Sang-soo's affair with actress Kim Min-hee and came forward to accuse him. Although Hong Sang-soo tried his best to deny it, the fact was confirmed by many parties soon after.

After that, Hong Sang-soo and Kim Min-hee went out together openly without any reservations; at the same time, Hong Sang-soo filed for divorce and created a series of smoke screens, saying that he and Kim Min-hee had broken up. However, the other party's lawyer and the media revealed that he was just lying for the divorce lawsuit.

In the end, Hong Sang-soo lost his divorce lawsuit.

Later, Hong Sang-soo gave up and became an open couple with Kim Min-hee. He repeatedly chose Kim Min-hee as the heroine of his movies. At the same time, he never tired of praising Kim Min-hee in the movies and did his best to show his love to the world.

In order to respond to the attacks at the social level, Hong Sang-soo even filmed a special work, "A Novelist's Movie", in which he used the characters in the work to harshly complain about the attacks: meddling in other people's business.

Some people are curious, since this marriage is already dead in name only, why does Hong Sang-soo's wife still refuse to divorce?
There is only one reason: faith.

In her belief, divorce is not allowed, so she would rather hold on to a marriage certificate that no longer exists than let Hong Sang-soo go and refuse to let herself go.

The same goes for Johnny. Faith is the light that guides him forward in the darkness, but it is also the shackles that bind his soul in difficulties and disasters.

Is Johnny perfect?

No, Johnny calls himself "the biggest sinner in the church." He knows how bad and evil he is, but he still can't get rid of it.

To some extent, Johnny often punished himself. It was an indulgence, a depravity, and even a torture. Maybe alcohol, women, etc. were a kind of entertainment and enjoyment; but later it gradually evolved into a torture. He still allowed himself to gradually slide into the endless abyss in the darkness.

Some things cannot be gotten rid of just by saying so.

(End of this chapter)