From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

The contradictions and conflicts regarding faith were undoubtedly the answers Johnny Cash sought throughout his life. Some doubts and struggles couldn't be easily shed, much like the countless philosophical questions humanity continues to explore in the spiritual realm.

Only by truly understanding these can one grasp Johnny's inner turmoil and struggles—

He was a complex composite.

Within him existed both justice and evil, light and darkness.

For Johnny's first wife, Vivian Liberto, he was a disaster. She met Johnny at an air force base when she was seventeen, and they fell in love. While Johnny was serving in Germany, they maintained their love through letters. After Johnny returned, they immediately married.

And within a short five years, they had four children.

However, Johnny was constantly on tour, always on the road, rarely by Vivian's side.

Vivian knew about the women Johnny encountered on tour. She single-handedly raised their four children at home. She realized their marriage was long over, so she was willing to let go, allowing Johnny to pursue his happiness and freeing herself. But Johnny consistently avoided it.

Vivian's children had little to no emotional connection with Johnny. She was like an abandoned tool, never truly understanding Johnny, never truly possessing him, let alone entering his heart.

But for June Carter, Johnny was her salvation. She could see his struggles and his inner vulnerability.

It was the same Johnny, but he presented completely different faces in front of different people and in different situations.

This complexity is Johnny's charm, the essence of humanity, and also the actor's challenge—

Acting is not just about presenting joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. Behind simple expressions and emotions lies an even larger and more complex system.

The spotlight is a curious thing.

When we, as the audience, sit in the audience and enjoy music or movies, what enters our field of vision is a glamorous slice, beautiful and dazzling, making people yearn.

Thus, we project our own depictions of perfection and happiness onto those images. What we see is the singer's brilliant three minutes on stage, or the actor's perfect role on the movie screen, using our own imagination to depict an irreplaceable idol or lover.

However, reality is often not like this.

Those people in real life have their own truths, which may not necessarily be ugly or dirty, but undoubtedly different from the image presented under the spotlight, and may even be completely different.

Johnny Cash may be an excellent singer, or the Man in Black who bravely spoke out for the poor and injustice, but he is definitely not perfect.

In front of Vivian, in front of June Carter, in front of his children, in front of his parents, this legendary superstar has many faces that an ordinary person should or should not have.

This kind of complexity is subtly condensed in Johnny Cash, which is precisely the biggest challenge for actors.

Edgar and Anson had previously discussed not making biographical films about people who are still alive, because such works often avoid those dark sides and struggles, and eventually evolve into a eulogy to the protagonist.

The "Walk the Line" script happened to be a project jointly promoted by Johnny Cash and June Carter, making it difficult to avoid this dilemma.

In fact, Edgar was right.

To some extent, "Walk the Line" does praise Johnny Cash, especially the love between Johnny and June Carter.

The script largely ignores Vivian's existence and portrays June Carter as Johnny's savior, relying on love to bring the prodigal son back.

In real life, this relationship may be more complicated; but in the movie script, it becomes a footnote of happiness and romance.

However, one thing that the script is commendable for is that it does not shy away from Johnny's struggles.

Just like Johnny's self-deprecation, the script shows Johnny's darkness and complexity, allowing people to see his wounds and the demons hidden deep in his soul.

This requires courage.

From another perspective, the script is just a small incision, peeking into a small part of the complexity behind Johnny's dual identities as an ordinary person and a top superstar.

Only by experiencing those pains can one understand how much struggle is hidden behind the saying "Learned all the principles but still can't live a good life."

So, Anson is not in a hurry to study the role, but instead carries his guitar, embarks on a journey, and heads to Arkansas—

Anyway, there is enough time.

The early preparations for "Walk the Line" take some time.

The two James were in a state of frustration for a long time, the future was uncertain, and they did not dare to easily start the preliminary work. This is also the reason why they found Anson, hoping to rely on the joining of big-name actors to pry the film company; until the official signing and the budget was obtained, the crew really started to operate.

Finding suitable shooting locations and schedules, and making sets and costumes that meet the characteristics of the era, are all very time-consuming. If the two James insist that all the equipment in the movie must use those old antiques from the 1950s and 1960s, then the preliminary preparation time will be even longer.

Currently, the crew is running at high speed, but there is no clear start time and shooting schedule for the time being, and everything still needs to be patient.

The crew has things that the crew needs to prepare, and the actors also have things that the actors need to prepare—

Reese also signed up for guitar and vocal lessons and formally accepted professional training. This training also takes time, and it cannot be effective in just ten days and a half a month.

And Anson took his guitar and started a road trip.

Not only Arkansas, but also San Antonio, and Memphis—he went to Memphis after marrying Vivian and started his singing career there.

Wandering all over the world.

In the first half of the year, in Europe, Anson and Miles mainly relied on trains to move, occasionally hitchhiking along the way, with a sense of youth and wantonness of a graduation trip.

This time, on the North American continent, Anson drove on a road trip, with only natural scenery and his guitar along the way.

At the end of last year, Anson had already taken a road trip to promote "Catch Me If You Can", but at that time he basically slept and made up for sleep the whole time, and there was no time to appreciate the scenery outside the window.

This time it is different. Leaving the two coastlines on the east and west sides and going deep into the heart of this continent, the sparsely populated natural scenery and rural scenes slowly unfold before your eyes.

Originally, it was just a pre-work, but I never expected that it would become a journey of escape.