Theater of Desire [Showbiz]

[1] Du Songni has a bewitching, graceful appearance. Her first leading role in a film pairs her with the acclaimed actor Yu Erzhi, who is twelve years older than her. In the film, she seduces the reserved piano teacher and leads him step by step into the abyss, only to be killed by the man after he goes completely mad. Offscreen, however, she is so inexperienced and awkward in the intimate scenes that the director scolds her until she bursts into tears. "Sit here." During a scene rehearsal, Yu Erzhi smiles gently and indicates his lap with his long, clean hand. Patiently, he tells her, "If you touch my eyelashes, I'll feel ticklish. If you touch my chin, I'll want to kiss you. If you touch my wrist, I won't be able to stop myself from grabbing you." Like a good teacher, he shows her step by step how to seduce him. He even tells her that his most sensitive spot is the small of his back. So during the kissing scene, she slips her hand inside his jacket, with only his shirt between her palm and his skin. For the first time, Yu Erzhi loses his composure. As he tries to get up, Du Songni catches his wrist. Smiling brightly, she says in an innocent voice, "Teacher, come catch me." In the film, it is impossible to tell whether his passionate expressions are real or not. On set, he looks at her as if he is deeply in love, but once filming wraps, he pulls away cleanly and decisively, as cool and composed as if he had never gotten into character. [2] Some people say Teacher Yu is quick to leave character, while Du Songni is young and sincere in her reactions. She might get too deeply immersed and have a hard time getting out, and end up suffering for it. Yet no one knows that Yu Erzhi's greatest regret, and his greatest relief, is having told her, one by one, all his weak spots during that scene that was both real and pretend. Late at night, he watches the film over and over, unable to escape the strange emotions of his character, while she smiles sweetly at another actor, just as she used to smile at him. "Songni is being naughty again." Propping his chin on one hand, he smiles faintly, almost obsessively, and murmurs to himself, "Come back to Teacher." Restraint and abandon, darkness and innocence. The first person to make the pretense real is the one who loses. Theme: Searching for the truth in one's heart