"Welcome, Ethan, to my movie!"
Upon meeting Ethan, Patty Jenkins immediately stood up to greet him, as aside from the actors, the most prestigious person on set was Ethan. After all, he had just won Best Cinematographer, and in recent times, he had received numerous awards from different associations, with several trophies already filling up 20% of the three-story display case at his home.
Everyone was keeping an eye on how many Oscars Chicago would win at the upcoming Academy Awards. There was no doubt about the movie winning awards; the question was whether it could take home the coveted Best Picture award.
Coming from such a prestigious film, Ethan naturally earned respect. After a brief discussion with Patty Jenkins and the other crew members, Ethan sat beside the director to join the conversation.
"Ethan, what do you think we should do to showcase the visuals in this movie?" After outlining the plot, Patty began asking for Ethan's opinion.
Ethan pondered as the movie was based on a true story, revolving around the infamous American female serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who killed six men between 1989 and 1990. She became widely known in the United States.
The movie unfolds her story, where the character Aileen, portrayed by Charlize Theron, is a woman with a tragic life. From childhood, she was abused by her brother and grandfather, and at 14, she became pregnant by a friend of her grandfather. Her life was bleak.
However, this was just the beginning. As she grew older, she became addicted to drugs. In order to support her habit, she resorted to offering special services on the roadside to passing drivers, much like the characters in "Taxi Driver."
In this desperate life, Aileen reached the point of wanting to end it all when she met Shelby, a lonely woman in a gay bar. They quickly became lovers. In order to protect Shelby from the shame of her occupation and to fulfill her financial desires, Aileen began using emotional manipulation with the drivers. She would show photos of two children, claiming they were hers and that she needed money for their travel expenses. The sympathy from the drivers often resulted in bigger tips.
She hoped her life would improve step by step, but it didn't. During one final transaction, a perverted driver kidnapped her and tortured her in the woods. Unable to bear the humiliation, she killed him. This marked a turning point in her life, where her actions turned extreme, and she began killing regularly.
However, she always loved Shelby. Even when she was caught and sent to trial, she never revealed Shelby's identity.
The movie was filled with a sense of oppression and pessimism from start to finish. There was no awakening or struggle for women—just an outright tragedy.
But Charlize Theron brought the character of Aileen to life. She destroyed her image for the role, transforming from a beautiful, polished woman into a full-bodied, red-faced prostitute. Her performance was shocking, breaking all the preconceived notions about her. This was the main reason she won the Oscar for Best Actress, as everyone knew that to win an Oscar, you had to break free from your usual image.
Thinking of this, Ethan suddenly connected the figure he had seen earlier to a scene from the movie, and instinctively asked, "Is Charlize here?"
"Yes..." Patty was momentarily taken aback before answering, "She just finished trying out makeup and is removing it now."
"No wonder," Ethan muttered. He had wondered how such a disheveled woman could be in this building, and now it made sense—it was Charlize Theron.
But after thinking about her character in Monster, he lost interest. Theron's portrayal of Aileen in the film was so intense and unsettling that it drained any attraction.
"Did you recognize her?" Patty laughed, clearly impressed with Charlize's dedication to her role. "Honestly, after seeing her makeup test, I didn't recognize her."
"I didn't recognize her either. I just guessed, but I didn't expect it to really be her."
Ethan then shifted back to the main topic. "I think the film's color palette should follow the tone of the story. Patty, you should lean more towards realism and authenticity, right?"
"Exactly, this film is realistic, so we shouldn't use overly bright colors."
"No problem," Ethan said confidently. Even though this wasn't his strongest area in terms of color work, he knew how to handle it. Since he couldn't rely on color, he decided to focus on lighting.
He planned to borrow the lighting style from the famous Korean film Oldboy, which, despite its title sounding like an upbeat song, was a deeply twisted film with taboo themes like an incestuous relationship with a daughter, graphic violence, and a haunting atmosphere. Ethan knew its lighting and long shots were iconic and would be perfect for the dark, suspenseful tone of Monster.
"Alright, Patty, I have a rough plan in mind." Ethan picked up a piece of paper and began explaining his ideas to the lighting crew: "We can use a high contrast lighting style, especially for the scenes where Aileen kills. Imagine, the first time she kills, the light only covers her left eye..."
"As her killings become more rampant, the shadows on her face grow, until they cover most of it. She stands in the darkness, coldly staring at the corpse on the ground, her hands covered in blood, a smile on her lips, with only her right eye left in the light..."
As Ethan spoke, Patty's expression became more excited. When he finished his explanation, she immediately clapped her hands. "This is great! Ethan, I love this lighting idea. Let's shoot it like this. Can I leave the lighting and art direction to you?"
"Of course, no problem."
In the original film, the lighting and art direction were not particularly praised. If it weren't for Charlize Theron's performance, the film might have been lost in the sea of B-movies. Patty Jenkins, being a new director, lacked experience in this area.
Just then, the door opened, and the sound of high heels approached.
Ethan turned to see Charlize Theron, now with her makeup removed. Unlike her previous disheveled look, she now appeared with a tight and refined face. Though she wasn't wearing makeup, her beauty was still evident.
The only downside was that her body had become much fuller, a result of her weight gain for the role. No matter how beautiful someone is, gaining weight can reduce their appeal, and even Charlize Theron wasn't exempt. However, Ethan knew this was only temporary—she was a talented actress who would slim down once filming wrapped.
"Hello!" Charlize greeted Ethan, glancing curiously at Patty.
When she learned Ethan's identity, her eyes lit up with recognition, and she smiled brightly as she shook his hand. "I think I've heard your name... from Chicago, right?"
"Yeah... that's right," Ethan nodded. "I was the cinematographer for Chicago."
"I saw that movie. The lighting and the long opening shot really left a strong impression on me!"
Ethan shrugged modestly. "That's just what I do."
"So, for this movie, have you already figured out how to design it?" Charlize asked with anticipation. She was particularly interested in this film and saw a lot of potential in the script.
The role of Aileen offered a great deal of space for acting, which was why, despite the director's lack of experience, she was willing to take it on.
"Of course, I've already discussed it with Patty. Don't worry, Charlize, I'll make sure you look absolutely terrifying in this movie, the kind that will scare little kids."
"Hahaha! That's perfect. I'm looking forward to it, Ethan."
"Looking forward to working with you, Charlize."
As the crew for Monster plunged into busy preparations, Raymond's new song was officially released.
When the record store owner, Deval, saw the black-and-white cover of the album, he was stunned. It featured the same photo from Raymond's previous album, but this time in black and white, a choice that made it look like funeral colors.
Deval knew Raymond had passed away and that this song was his final legacy, but he hadn't expected this unique touch.
"Could the music video be black and white too?" Deval thought skeptically, then inserted the DVD and started playing.
Three minutes later, Deval was holding his head in shock, staring at the blue television screen. He couldn't find words to express his amazement.
"WTF! Is this for real?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "This... this is insane!"
"Absolutely mind-blowing," music critic Tony immediately posted a review on his blog.
The review didn't focus on the music itself but instead on the music video.
"I can't believe it, it's only January, and Ethan has already delivered an unparalleled masterpiece! The mocking tone, the chaotic performance, the intense violence, paired with... the hellish low whispers of a dead man—it's beyond words! My scalp is tingling!"
"Honestly, I can't find any words that do this justice. Everyone should watch it, not just listen to the song! Watch the video! That's the only way you'll feel the full impact!"
"I think Ethan will win the MTV award this year because I can't imagine anything that could top this! Nothing else exists that can compete!" he wrote.