From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

"So, this is what you were doing here just now? Reflecting on Johnny's life?"

Mangold looked up, surveying the surroundings, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Anson glanced at Lucas, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, "You could say that."

Mangold looked at Anson again, and at that moment, Anson's embarrassment and awkwardness seemed to have found their explanation. He thought he understood Anson well enough as the filming of the movie neared its end, but he didn't expect to be surprised again and again. Anson always managed to overturn their perceptions unexpectedly.

Amidst the surprise and unexpectedness, Mangold thought for a moment, "But why?"

"I mean, why here? Just because of the Folsom Prison album?"

Anson shook his head, "No, because of the prison."

"Johnny Cash himself had been in prison, because of some foolish actions; but more than that, even before he entered prison, he was always trapped in his own cage."

"In his father's eyes, JR was the murderer who killed his beloved youngest son. Although he wasn't brought to court, his father had already sentenced JR to life imprisonment."

"And the more cruel fact is that he has no way to atone for his sins, nor can he seek forgiveness. Even he himself decided to trap himself, refusing to let himself go."

"Until June Carter appeared."

Mangold hiccuped, his eyes filled with confusion and struggle, "But it wasn't his fault."

Anson looked at Lucas, "Yes, it wasn't his fault, it was just an accident; but sometimes, things aren't that simple, and right and wrong aren't always black and white. This is also the most complex part of human nature."

Lucas was stunned, awkwardly lowering his gaze, hiding his eyes and face in the shadows; but his hands, tightly gripping the edge of the table, still betrayed his true emotions.

Only Anson's voice continued to surge gently in his ears, striking his eardrums again and again.

"Until one day, he finally realized that everyone should have a chance to start over."

"Well, maybe not everyone."

"Some people are hopelessly incorrigible, some refuse to repent and atone, some are guilty of heinous crimes, but if a person is willing to break away from the darkness and say goodbye to sin, maybe—just maybe—he should be given a second chance, just like Johnny Cash himself."

"The point is, who should be the judge?"

"God? The gravity of the universe? Justice? Or fate? At least Johnny isn't prepared to play the role of judge. He's just a guide, an advocate."

"There are different ways to atone."

"Bearing the weight of other people's lives to pursue happiness is one way, igniting the dawn of dreams and hope is another..."

His words paused slightly.

Lucas immediately noticed and looked up at Anson. These words were clearly directed at him.

However, this time Anson didn't turn to look at him, seemingly unaware of the deep meaning in his words.

Mangold was also slightly stunned, taking another look at Anson.

The corners of Anson's mouth turned up slightly, as if he was just taking a breath, and he continued to speak calmly.

"Or use music to build bridges, awaken the kindness and justice in people's hearts, awaken people's trust in hope and the future, dare to start over, dare to take steps, dare to pursue dreams, dare to embrace sunshine and hope, dare to use their own hands to change life, change the status quo, change society."

Little by little, inspiration completely ignited a storm—

Mangold took over the conversation.

"Starting in prison, ending in prison, it must be prison, and only prison, because everything had already begun before JR started his music career, before he started his life. The cage of his original family trapped his soul."

"It is precisely because of this that the Folsom Prison live performance achieved Johnny's musical peak. Reality breeds art, and art illuminates reality."

Muttering in a low voice, talking to himself, Mangold didn't pay attention to anyone else at all. The vague words surged between his lips and teeth, like a machine gun, becoming more and more excited, even starting to wave his hands.

"Ah, if that's the case..."

"We can completely add a scene where Johnny is lost in thought in the dressing room before going on stage, awakening childhood memories. His father blames him, treats him coldly, even despises him, and regards him as a murderer."

"Following the memories, we cut into childhood, naturally starting to narrate, thus avoiding starting from childhood at the beginning, like a chronological account. Although we can't completely break the boundaries between reality and memory like 'Gods and Monsters', so that the characters wander in the montage timeline; but we can at least complete a loop on Johnny."

"At the end of the movie, we return to the performance at Folsom Prison again, forming a circle in the timeline, and turning the entire movie into a flashback before going on stage."

"I know that flashbacks are the most cliché existence, but now we are turning the entire movie into a flashback, which can be considered a unique flashback, right?"

In Hollywood, frequent use of flashback narration is a typical soap opera technique, which is not only inefficient but also cumbersome. This means that the director is trying to use flashbacks to explain the situation, and it also means that the director is incapable of simply explaining a slightly more complicated story by changing tools.

In TV dramas, simple and direct flashbacks are always the most frequently used technique.

And now, Mangold is preparing to play a big one.

Anson chuckled, "This is called a flashback, not a flash. A flashback that lasts more than five minutes can't be called a flash, because it's not 'flashy' at all."

"In addition, we can use the cheers and applause from the Folsom Prison scene as drumbeats, on the one hand, to let Johnny feel the support from the audience, and on the other hand, to play the role of a bridge and lever to guide and awaken memories."

Mangold took a deep breath, looked at Anson, his eyes brightened, "Ah!"

Although he was sitting in place, the picture in his mind immediately became clear and lifelike, possessing vitality.

At the beginning of the movie, the audience is pulled into the movie with the swing blues drumbeat cutting in from far to near, and Johnny Cash is also pulled into the memory.

At the end of the movie, the rhythm of the prisoners' clapping is connected from far to near, seamlessly connecting from the flashback timeline to reality, completing a perfect closed loop.

Anson, "No, no need, just rely on the camera language and the actors' performance."

Mangold tilted his head and thought for a while, then suddenly stood up, looked around, the camera, the camera position, the actors, the picture in his mind immediately became vivid and lifelike, possessing vitality.

In the beginning of the movie, the audience is drawn in by the swing blues drumbeat that starts far away and gets closer, and Johnny Cash is drawn into his memories.

At the end of the movie, the rhythm of the prisoners' clapping connects seamlessly from the flashback to reality, creating a perfect loop.