379. I Cannot Accept

Even now, Ms. Merritt feels a chill whenever she recalls what she just saw in the movie.

What makes her even more desperate now is that, as a film critic and a film connoisseur, she genuinely feels from the bottom of her heart that this film is quite excellent, outstanding, and better than any other film she has seen in this year's competition.

To be honest, many movies are now just routine for Ms. Merritt. No matter how miserable the characters are or how tragic their lives are, she feels nothing and might even want to give them a bad review with a smile.

However, this film, "Spring No War," whether due to the actors' superb acting skills, the realistic scenes, or the outstanding script, managed to captivate Ms. Merritt.

It is precisely because I was so immersed in it that I was hurt so deeply.

The first half of the film is an artistic adventure, while the sudden and dramatic twist and dark turn at the end confirms the tragic plot at the beginning of the story, bringing the entire world to life.

Whether they are protagonists or supporting characters, named or unnamed, they all together present to Ms. Merritt a glimpse into the struggles of everyone in this world as they desperately try to survive.

If such a world truly exists, then its very existence is a profound despair.

Some art films depict love, some attempt to portray human nature, and others focus on ignorance and a culture of folly.

This film, "Spring No War," is themed around despair.

No matter how noble the wishes, how powerful the abilities, or what kind of struggles are attempted, all efforts are merely ripples before destruction.

Ms. Merritt initially thought it was a form of nihilism, but upon closer examination, why did Lu Ban go to so much trouble to depict those beautiful things, those beautiful girls, those beautiful moments? Was it merely to make the audience heartbroken at the moment it was shattered?

Then she understood.

Although Amber ultimately died tragically, and her intense hope turned into despair, it was precisely because of the beauty that preceded it that this despair was possible.

Conversely, isn't this a story about humanity striving for beautiful things even in the face of utter despair, and not giving up on the pursuit of hope even as the cruelest end approaches?

Death is not the opposite of life, but rather exists eternally as a part of life.

Despair and hope are not mutually exclusive; how can one appreciate the beauty of hope without witnessing despair?

According to Ms. Merritt, this film transcends the attempts of many directors to portray the good, evil, ugliness, and beauty of human nature, instead focusing on a higher level: civilization, humanity, and the question of survival and destruction.

This is a perfect art film!

By Ms. Merritt's standards, assuming she doesn't inject any personal bias into her evaluation, then this year's Palme d'Or will undoubtedly go to "Spring No War".

This means she will have to remain silent about the film for a long time and cannot reveal details of it to other audiences until it is officially released.

This was a perfect irony for Ms. Merritt.

She had watched the first half of the movie with great joy, just like the main character, but was struck by lightning in the second half and couldn't publicly criticize the director.

And now, she's going to act as an accomplice to this movie, just like those old witches who sent Amber to her death, so that it can harm even more people!

Although one is set in a fantasy world and the other in reality, their situations inexplicably overlap.

"No, I can't accept it. I can't accept it."

Ms. Merritt somewhat haggard.

The pollution of her mind clouded her consciousness, and her calm reflection only pushed her to the brink of despair.

Although Ms. Merritt could easily ignore it and go online or to the newspapers to criticize Lu Ban and "Spring No War," ruining his reputation and exposing his carefully crafted ending prematurely, she would only lose her job. Ms. Merritt could do that at any moment in a fit of anger.

However, what is disheartening is that Ms. Merritt still retains some rationality.

She knew perfectly well that this film might truly leave its mark on film history; it was a work of art. The crazy ideas that had just crossed her mind were nothing short of spraying a huge F**K onto a painting by Van Gogh or Cézanne.

Because she still possessed a sliver of reason, Ms. Merritt understood that she could not destroy this work.

She even needs to help Lu Ban carefully disguise this film as a heartwarming romantic road movie, deceiving all the audience into entering the theater with the highest expectations, only to be met with the sharpest knife.

Ms. Merritt was dedicated to art, never imagined that one day she would find herself in dire straits because of her pursuit of art.

What else can I do?

Ms. Merritt remained silent for a long time. She opened the window, and the damp air characteristic of the French countryside flowed into her lungs. At that moment, the forty-three-year-old film critic lost all her focus.

"No matter what I do, I can't get the director to change the ending, nor can I bring the dead people in the story back to life. What else can I do?"

She stared blankly as the white mist drifted across the woods, shimmering in the moonlight.

In her despair, Ms. Merritt felt a call.

The call came from the infinite heights, from the starry sky, from the depths of the ocean, from the abyss of the seabed, from the heart of the desert, from an unknown mausoleum.

She stood up.

She took off her shoes and stood on the windowsill.

The calls calmed Ms. Merritt's mind, and she was able to see her own location clearly.

From the moment she pressed play, she was like Amber embarking on a journey, with only one ultimate ending.

She can't escape now.

Taking a step forward, Ms. Merritt wanted to step into that call.

Just then, her dog suddenly rushed into the projection room and barked twice, bringing Ms. Merritt back to her senses.

"Ouch!"

As she turned to look at her dog, she slipped and fell off the windowsill.

"Woof woof woof!"

The dog's barking echoed in the damp night. The dog came to the windowsill and looked down.

Ms. Merritt fell into the grass, covered in scrapes. When she came to her senses, she cried out as if she had broken a bone.

As she tried to stand up and ask for help, images from the movie kept replaying in Ms. Merritt's mind.

She knew very well that her dreams would be related to this for a long time to come.

She also understood the purpose of those colleagues sending her emails.

The best way to deal with this movie is to recommend it to anyone you meet!

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