America 1987

Chapter 85 Two Kinds of Blood

A large part of the reason David Copperfield chose to make "Dances with Wolves" was because of the huge benefits that this politically correct film brought to Costner in the original timeline.

It not only received 12 nominations at the 63rd Academy Awards, but also swept 7 awards including Best Director and Best Picture.

They also benefited greatly from the era's "dividends." From the 80s to the early 90s, "Indian sympathy films" became a trend, and the cause of Native Americans received attention from charitable foundations and even US leaders.

The year "Dances with Wolves" swept the Oscars, "the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs received the most Senate applications to join in history," demonstrating that the film's political influence directly permeated policymaking.

The various benefits he received, both explicit and implicit, were so substantial that Costner remained "fond of Western themes" for more than thirty years afterward, hoping to replicate the success of "Dances with Wolves."

The benefits are numerous, but the filming difficulty is also exceptionally high.

"What kind of blood do you want?"

David asked Naomi.

The other party was wearing traditional Sioux Indian clothing.

A light-colored sleeveless deerskin top, fitted to the body and exposing the shoulders and arms, is a common everyday garment for Sioux women, designed for ease of work and activity on the grasslands.

The matching leather apron-style bottoms, ankle-length, with simple tassels along the edges, sway gently in the wind as you walk.

"Hmm, is there even a choice?"

"Of course, when we make movies, we usually have artificial blood and commercial fake blood products available for actors to choose from. I personally recommend that you use commercial fake blood because..."

The former is a very common, mass-produced product, while the latter is an optimized version.

Commercially produced fake blood by professional film and television equipment companies undergoes rigorous testing and is clearly labeled as food-grade, edible, and safe for contact with mucous membranes. For scenes requiring close-up shots where the blood may be ingested or come into contact with the eyes, this standardized product provides actors with greater peace of mind.

Moreover, commercially available fake blood products typically have improved washability and clearly indicate the washing method.

For fake blood on the skin: use solid soap to lather and wash, avoid using makeup removers containing lotion; for fake blood on clothing: pre-rinse with plenty of cold water, then soak in detergent.

Actresses have higher demands for both styling and skin protection, making predictable cleansing results an important consideration.

So, as he expected, Naomi chose commercial fake blood that was as thick as cream.

Seeing that the other person had already finished her makeup, David turned to Quentin and gave him an OK sign.

By the way, when this guy was filming Kill Bill Vol. 2, he apparently used condom blood bags to create the blood effects.

This is a low-cost method invented by Hong Kong director Chang Cheh in the 70s: cover domestically produced insurance suits with fake blood, let the actors hold them in their hands, and squeeze them when they are "cut," causing blood to spray out.

Quentin was very pleased with this retro approach and deliberately used it to create the feel of a low-budget B-movie.

The scene he and Naomi were about to film was the latter's first appearance—Dunbar, the male lead, was patrolling the grassland when he found the female lead sitting alone under a big tree, and he went up to greet her.

Just as I was about to ask the other person's name, the American flag planted on the horse's back was suddenly blown onto my face by the wind.

David angrily ripped it open and spat out, "You son of a bitch."

Upon seeing that the other person was white, Naomi quickly stood up. Her hand and abdomen were covered in fresh blood, indicating that the other person was injured.

The rest of the story is predictable—the female protagonist faints due to excessive blood loss and the terror she feels upon seeing white people. The male protagonist, being a good person, decides to send her back to her tribe.

The sense of panic is relatively easy to explain. In the early 19th century, with the westward expansion, the conflict between white Americans and Native Americans over land issues became "irreconcilable."

President Jackson, elected in 1828, viewed Native Americans as a "major obstacle" to westward expansion and pursued a policy of forced relocation. He claimed, "If the Indians continue to maintain contact with the whites, they will degenerate and be destroyed."

In other words, there's no need to negotiate with them anymore; just expel them.

Why did you name my character "Standing with a Clenched Fist"?

"Didn't you read the rest of the script?"

David shook off the water stains left from washing his hands with blood and casually sat down in the shade under a tree.

"I saw it, but is this how Native Americans all name things?"

"Not entirely, it's just that the Sioux prefer this naming convention."

The Sioux do not have surnames; their names are chosen arbitrarily based on the actions of animals or people in nature.

For example, the male protagonist was later called "Dancing with Wolves" because of his friendly posture with wild wolves when he was discovered; the female protagonist was called "Standing with a Clenched Fist" mainly because her family was killed by the Poni tribe when she was young, and she was adopted by the Sioux tribe. When she was attacked, she clenched her fists to resist, and this posture was remembered by the Sioux, hence the name "Standing with a Clenched Fist".

"Well, I've always had a question I wanted to ask you," Naomi said, not interested in that, but in something else entirely.

"What's the problem?"

"How many films has this been?"

"Hmm, let me count," this question really stumped him. After quickly recalling in his mind, he said, "The fourth one."

"Uh, but I heard you've had roles in three of them," Naomi asked curiously. "Do you really enjoy directing and acting? Don't you find it tiring?"

"It's alright, not too tiring," David said casually, looking at the sun hanging in the sky.

Hollywood is not Hong Kong. The industrial process is more rigorous, and everyone has their own job. It is rare for someone to hold multiple positions, and it is even rarer for someone to write and direct their own work.

In his memory, there was only one film, "Spaceballs," written and directed by Mel Brooks in 87, which parodied the space opera and satirized the "Star Wars" series in every way.

"The main reason is that it's cheap. If I act in it, I can save the salary of a big-name male actor, which makes it easier for me to control the production cost of the film."

The governor's salary for the 88 film "Two Brothers" was $1200 million, and with the box office share, it reached $3500 million. A few years later, in the 90s, the $2000 million club would become the standard for A-list stars. Hiring two big names would probably eat up a third or even half of the film's production budget.

So David wasn't lying when he said this would control costs, but his self-directed performance wasn't solely due to this factor.

Among the many stars in Hong Kong, Jackie Chan and Stephen Chow are able to stand out from the others by a wide margin, largely because they have transcended the identity of actors or even directors and risen to the status of core creators of films.

Their works from their peak periods were mostly produced when they held the core creative rights.