Cannon Fire Arc-Chapter 984: Aftertalk: Which country made the most expensive movie in the world?
Chapter 984: Aftertalk: Which country made the most expensive movie in the world?
The youthful director Bondarchuk couldn’t contain his inner excitement.
Because today, he would visit Marshal Aleksei Konstantinovich Rokossovsky, who was vacationing at the White Sea Villa.
Of course, given Bondarchuk’s status, he couldn’t possibly have personal friendship with the Marshal. This visit was for a film depicting the great patriotic war thirty years ago.
He brought along a streamlined crew, including the actor who would play the Marshal, the actress who would play the Marshal’s wife, and the actress portraying the last Tsar, Olga, among others, as well as the entire writing team.
Most of the actors were young people born after the war, and now they were too excited to sit still.
The sole exception was the elderly actor playing Marshal Pavlov, who appeared calm and composed: "You all shouldn’t be so worked up!"
"Griff," the actor playing the Marshal said to the man in his fifties, "this is a living legend before us! The tide-turning Rokossovsky—rumor has it he secretly controls half of Europa even now!"
Griff chuckled: "Ah, once you meet the Marshal, you’ll see. He has a down-to-earth aura about him."
Saying this, Griff took out a medal shaped like a cross: "Look, this Iron Cross was gifted to me by the Marshal himself. During the Battle of Abawahan, I was just a kid. When the Marshal led the charge, I followed him and even helped kill a Prosenian soldier. Later, the Marshal gave me the Iron Cross from that Prosenian soldier as a keepsake!"
"The Marshal personally led the charge?" Bondarchuk asked in astonishment.
"Indeed, he did. We all saw it. The Marshal’s deputy officer, Yakov, even died during that charge. What a pity—had he survived, he’d be a General by now."
The old man sighed and rubbed his bald head.
Bondarchuk asked: "Have you visited Marshal Pavlov?"
"I have, but the old man is over eighty now. He’s busy writing memoirs and has a peculiar temperament—he outright refused to be interviewed. When I went to see him, he shouted at me: ’Go talk to that guy with the little tank! Or ask Yegorov—they’re the ones with stories to tell. I was just cleaning up their messes!’"
Everyone burst into laughter.
At that moment, the bus entered the Rokossovsky Estate.
"Look! There’s an anti-aircraft missile—looks like a 2K99 model," exclaimed the young man playing General Vasily. "Why would the Marshal’s residence have anti-aircraft missiles?"
Bondarchuk replied, "Because, if war breaks out, this place will turn into a Headquarters immediately. Isn’t it only logical to have anti-aircraft defenses?"
The young man shrugged.
The bus drove deeper into the courtyard and eventually onto a coastal avenue.
Someone exclaimed in surprise: "Look! Somebody’s birdwatching over there!"
A middle-aged woman, likely in her forties or fifties, was holding a camera with a long lens aimed at the seagulls flying above the beach.
She seemed entirely oblivious to the bus.
"Could that be the last Tsar, Olga?" someone murmured.
"Heard she and the Marshal’s wife have been living here at the villa, helping raise the Marshal’s son and daughter."
"I also heard that the Marshal’s daughter is actually her child."
"Shush! Are you crazy? If the National Security General Bureau overhears that, we’re doomed. Filippov, the Bureau’s director, is the Marshal’s protégé. He fought under the Marshal’s command during the war!"
Finally, the bus pulled up to a beautiful building. In the distance, an elderly man in pajamas could be seen waiting at the door.
Bondarchuk was the first to get off the bus. He hurried forward and grasped the Marshal’s hand: "Hello, I’m Bondarchuk. I’m here to shoot a panoramic—"
"Liberation, right?" The Marshal interrupted Bondarchuk. "It was I who recommended you to be the chief director."
"What?" Bondarchuk was utterly stunned.
The Marshal then asked, "How is Nelly doing?"
"Nelly? She’s doing well, of course. She’s been fully supportive of our filming efforts."
The Marshal remarked, "And yet she won’t come back to visit me?"
"Um..." Bondarchuk was at a loss.
The Marshal continued, "Liu Da keeps nagging me that Nelly needs to find a dependable man. It’s driving me crazy. I tell her, if Nelly doesn’t want to marry, don’t force her. And guess what Liu Da says? ’Then have Nelly marry a man instead!’ No wonder she doesn’t want to look at my old face."
Then, the Marshal glanced behind Bondarchuk at the group: "These are all the actors, right? Let me see—this handsome guy here must be playing me, right? This bald old fellow is playing Pavlov? He’s pretty convincing! Hold on a minute—I feel like I’ve seen you before."
The Marshal appeared slightly lost in thought for a moment, but then his face lit up: "Griff, little Griff! Hahaha, you’ve become an actor!"
Griff said, "Didn’t you watch my movie? I starred in ’Saint Luke Returns,’ which everyone in the Federation knows!"
"I watched it. Thought it was just a namesake!" The Marshal replied.
Griff retorted, "Oh, come on, Marshal. You recognized me immediately—how could you not have recognized me in the movie?"
The Marshal awkwardly rubbed his cheek: "Uh, maybe it was the makeup! Anyway, never mind that—have you gone to see Pavlov lately?"
"I did, but he kicked me out!"
"Aye, Pavlov always thought he was nothing but a paper-pusher, but that’s not true! Let me tell you—back in the day, he was like a little wife! Every time I went to the frontlines, he’d throw a tantrum and threaten to quit. You’ve got to convey that little-wife personality in your portrayal!"
At that moment, a few Melania People’s Army officers emerged from inside the house.
The General leading them said to the Marshal: "We’ll be heading off now."
"Alright. Remember, the Secular faction’s duty is to fulfill the people’s needs!"
"Understood!" The Melania soldiers saluted the Marshal.
Bondarchuk commented, "You really maintain close ties with the Melanians."
"Indeed. I still have a bit of influence over there. Who’s playing Vasily?"
"That would be me!" The actor stepped forward and saluted the Marshal.
"Hmm, good casting—he’s got that sly streak! Have you interviewed him yet?"
"Not yet. The General is currently inspecting the Baltic Sea coastal bases."
"Ah, he’s gone to check on the deployment of the Tu-22Ms. Regarding his story, you can ask me. Let me tell you—his biggest expertise back then? Cleaning latrines! Fast and thorough!"
Bondarchuk and the crew exchanged bewildered looks.
The Marshal asked, "Have you visited Yegorov?"
"We did. The Marshal keeps a black cat around all the time—it’s bizarre."
"That’s his guardian spirit! Oh, right—what about Popov? Has his Alzheimer’s gotten any better?"
Bondarchuk replied, "Not really. When we visited, he could barely speak. But when he saw the promotional photo of the actor playing you, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, ’Ah, my old mate, I knew you’d come. Has the Federation declared war on us again? Help me up—I can still fight!’"
The Marshal burst out laughing.
After his laughter subsided, he pointed to a large tree in the yard: "That was planted the year of victory. My old friend, Admiral Tom, even helped me dig several shovelfuls of dirt!"
"Was that the Federation’s Five-Star Admiral?"
"Yes, the one who bombarded the Royal Palace and Jiuduan Mountain. You absolutely must make a great film, so he can see it across the ocean. He privately sent me a copy of the book that tells his story, ’Sunset Waves.’ Don’t embarrass me—make it a masterpiece!"
The Marshal paused.
Bondarchuk immediately pledged, "We will. We’ll complete the mission for sure!"
"Good. I believe you will." After a brief silence, the Marshal asked, "Has the name of the series been confirmed as ’Liberation’?"
"Yes, Marshal Davarish. But we’re still discussing the subtitles for each installment."
The Marshal said, "For the first installment, why not call it ’Artillery Arc’?"
Bondarchuk immediately nodded. "Excellent! That’s a fantastic name!"
(The End)
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