Chapter 14: Rise up to the Challenge
Standing under the showerhead in the bathroom, the warm water washes away the fatigue from the muscles. The long day has finally ended, it also signals the beginning of a new day.
"The Pacific," this work, as the brother piece of "Band of Brothers," focuses on a slightly different perspective.
"Band of Brothers" emphasizes the cruelty of war, depicting the camaraderie amongst the soldiers and the ups and downs of the entire World War II through the experience of a company of soldiers. The Normandy landing became the representative work of the entire series, hailed as more shocking than "Saving Private Ryan." The theme of "I am not a hero, I fight alongside heroes" is stirring.
"The Pacific," on the other hand, focuses on the impact of war. The series links three characters throughout the run, Eugene B. Sledge, John Basilone, and Robert Leckie, all of whom are real-life figures, and the entire series is based on the memoirs of Eugene and Robert. The main storyline of the war revolves around these three individuals, showcasing the comprehensive impact of World War II on each individual, each family, and even the entire societal state.
Renly is about to play the role of Eugene, who shoulders the core soul and sublimation ideology of the entire series.
In a previous life, Renly had watched "The Pacific" and was deeply impressed by Eugene. This is a very interesting and complex character.
He was originally a weak young man who couldn't even exercise vigorously due to a heart condition. However, on the battlefield, he gradually grew into a soldier with bloodied hands and even some impulsiveness. When he first set foot on the battlefield, he would vomit at the sight of corpses, but later he watched his comrades die one after another, and the struggle for survival and difficulties began to distort his beliefs, and humanity gradually disappeared—even when he saw a crying baby, his first reaction was not to protect the weak but to see them as human bombs.
He firmly believed that the war was the only way to protect his homeland, but on the battlefield, he realized that even the enemy were living beings with their own families and beliefs. Their fight was not to protect their homeland but to kill each other. How did all this come about? This made him start to question his faith—if God loves every citizen, why does he allow war to exist? If God is willing to bear the punishment for everyone, why are his hands stained with blood against his will?
The loss of humanity and the collapse of faith turned Eugene's world upside down. He was lucky to survive, but he hated himself for it because braver and stronger comrades were forever sleeping on the battlefield while he, who was timid and cowardly, survived. He didn't even know how he returned home. The confusion, the pain, the struggle, were rooted in Eugene's blood.
He returned to his hometown, physically intact until the end of the war, but he didn't know how to continue living. Eugene, is no longer Eugene.
Throughout the series, Eugene is the most complete, the fullest, the richest character, almost embodying all the ambitions of "The Pacific" in just ten episodes, displaying the vast waves of life. Even compared to "Band of Brothers," Eugene's depth and height as a character are far ahead, enough to be made into a movie.
Of course, this also means the challenge in performing is far beyond imagination.
Joseph Mazzello, a child star in his previous life, played Eugene. He had a fragile quality like Bambi, which gave Eugene a special touch, and the confusion, hesitation, and despair in his eyes matched the style of the entire series. However, Joseph's performance was somewhat monotonous, lacking layers and depth, failing to show the delicate changes, inadvertently weakening the core ideas of the series; especially in the latter half, the transition from grandeur to silence was almost completely absent, a major blow to the efforts of the creative team.
(A/N: Bambi is a deer in a Disney movie)
After "The Pacific" aired, it still received high praise from critics, but audience response couldn't match "Band of Brothers."
There are many reasons. Firstly, there were extremely high expectations due to the preceding masterpiece, and the audience's standards were raised to a new level, inevitably leading to comparisons in all aspects. Secondly, there was a shift in the series' intention, resulting in a change in focus, weakening the chemical reaction of war scenes. Thirdly, one must also consider the issue of the reference materials for adaptation. "Band of Brothers" was adapted from a novel, while "The Pacific" was adapted from two different memoirs, which had some impact on coherence, especially in the first half.
Lastly, and most importantly, Joseph failed to interpret Eugene with sufficient depth, failing to uphold the soul of the series, causing the climax of the series to fall short, lacking the summarizing baptism seen in "Band of Brothers."
Audiences are subjective, and the disparity between the two works is enough to make them dissatisfied. Critics are objective, giving sufficient affirmation from aspects such as the framework of the series, quality of scenes, and core ideas.
Now, the role of Eugene is taken over by Renly. How will his performance be? Can he meet expectations? Can he surpass Joseph's performance? Can he use the power of performance to present the ideas of the creative team? Can he illuminate the soul of the entire "Pacific War"?
The overall quality of a work is not something an actor can change, especially considering Renly is a newcomer with no acting experience. However, the quality and intensity of the performance are the actor's responsibility, solely. This is not an easy task; strictly speaking, it is a daunting task.
Renly's blood surged rapidly, adrenaline stimulating his muscles, unable to contain his excitement.
Becoming an actor is his biggest dream and perseverance since his rebirth, but everything before this moment has been just talk; even though he has had some scattered acting experiences in London's West End and off-Broadway, he doesn't know if he has the talent to be an excellent actor, if he has the ability to continually challenge his acting skills. Moreover, there's the immense pressure from his family, weighing heavily on him.
Now, the opportunity has finally come! And it's a rare opportunity!
Renly isn't daunted by the daunting challenge; rather, he's incredibly excited because of it. Although this is only his first formal performance, he's eager to get started.
He didn't come here to hesitate or hold back; he wants to unleash himself, boldly push his limits, and see how bright his life can truly shine. He wants to follow in the footsteps of Tagore and explore this journey.
After the excitement ebbed, Renly gradually calmed down. Merely talking about challenges won't do; precisely because of the severity of the challenge, he needs to take it seriously. Perhaps, he should visit the New York Public Library tomorrow and start understanding the background information from the World War II era.
For most actors, acting is just acting, relying on instinct and skill to present. However, Renly understands, thanks to ten years of movie-watching experience in his previous life, as well as his study experience at Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the present life, that acting is based on the character. Only by fully understanding the background knowledge and life experiences can the inner qualities be emitted, giving the character a vivid authenticity.
It's like how the British nobility insists on studying fine arts and reading paper books. The internal qualities are difficult to describe in words but often crucial in determining fundamental differences.
He thought he would toss and turn due to excitement, but unexpectedly, he fell asleep quickly after laying his head on the pillow. Because Renly knows better than anyone else that he's been waiting for this day for a lifetime. He's prepared for it, and now all he needs to do is conserve his energy and get ready.
New York's mornings are always particularly noisy, with the roaring engines of cars deafening, the noisy voices filling the entire building, accompanied by the struggling groans of the plumbing pipes, bursting with vitality yet with a hint of restlessness.
Having slept soundly until half-past ten, Renly would have preferred to stay in bed longer if it weren't for today's plans. Today, Renly plans to go to the New York branch of the Screen Actors Guild to inquire about the upcoming schedule for "The Pacific" and understand the specific situation before heading to the library to research.
Renly opened the fridge, browsed up and down, but didn't find much food. He realized that he hadn't been to the supermarket in a while. It seems Chris forgot about it too. After searching for a while, he picked up an apple, stuffed it into his mouth, and prepared to leave.
"Wait a minute." Chris opened the door, holding a T-shirt, hastily putting on his shoes. "Wait, are you going to the Actor's Guild now? I'll come along."
Renly raised an eyebrow, showing a puzzled look. Chris casually explained, "I'm going to check out the situation."
Without much thought, Renly waved his hand and said decisively, "Come along."
Chris finished putting on his shoes, hurriedly catching up, then saw the apple in Renly's hand, "... Is that the apple I bought? I'll grab one too."
"This is the last one." Renly said frankly, taking a big bite out of the juicy apple, the crunch particularly crisp.
Chris stood beside him, full of black lines.
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