As time steadily marched toward 2010, Murphy received some good news amidst the perennial disputes of the award season. Through relentless public relations efforts, a significant number of Academy members were inclined to support him and "The Wolf of Wall Street." Although this didn't guarantee nominations for the Best Director and Best Picture Oscars, it undoubtedly increased the chances of being on the shortlist.
Meanwhile, they were also striving for nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, with Robert Downey Jr. and Jonah Hill being part of Murphy's circle.
People like Murphy, CAA, and 20th Century Fox were veterans in Hollywood. Like the Academy, aging often leads to conservatism. Despite their seemingly aggressive actions, they couldn't compare to the newcomers eager to claim a piece of the Oscar pie.
In mid-December, James Cameron's long-awaited epic "Avatar" was officially released in North America, then began to sweep the world with almost frenzied momentum, poised to create a new legend.
Twelve years ago, the truck driver-turned-director had conquered the Oscars with commercial success, and at the award ceremony, he had arrogantly raised the golden statuette and shouted, "I'm the king of the world!" With "Avatar" achieving super success in both North American and overseas markets, many believed James Cameron would make a triumphant return.
Knowing his style didn't quite align with the Oscars, with themes and values at odds with the mainstream, Murphy was aware he wasn't the top choice for many Academy members. All his efforts were aimed at gaining support from a portion of the voters; getting the desired nominations would be a victory.
Thus, the super success of "Avatar" in the market wouldn't significantly affect his Oscar journey. Instead, those who crafted their films to perfectly fit the Oscar mold felt a tremendous threat.
Given past precedents, many feared James Cameron and "Avatar" would once again conquer the Oscars with outstanding box office performance. Some daring newcomers naturally viewed "Avatar" as their primary competitor.
It's well-known that the Oscars are never decided solely by the film's merits. Just because a film is excellent doesn't mean an Oscar will fall into one's lap while they wait.
Like Hollywood, the Oscars are far from a pure land, filled with competition.
At a party, Megan Ellison had once shared her Oscar strategy with Murphy, later putting it into practice.
This girl in her early twenties was bold and decisive, not only investing in "The Hurt Locker," which perfectly suited the Oscar and American social climate, but also hiring Barack Obama's campaign public relations manager to handle the film's entire PR strategy.
The most outrageous move was Megan Ellison instructing one of "The Hurt Locker's" producers to email numerous Academy members, attacking "Avatar" while urging them not to vote for "Avatar" or James Cameron.
Such PR tactics were extremely risky.
However, Murphy acknowledged that Megan Ellison's strategy was clever. Her understanding and study of the industry definitely surpassed her brother David Ellison.
This nearly insane, gambling-like PR approach, if used on directors like Steven Spielberg or other Academy favorites, would be akin to self-destruction. But targeting James Cameron was a different story.
James Cameron was a typical tech-oriented commercial director. Even Spielberg had made a few art films like "The Color Purple" and "Empire of the Sun," but Cameron always played with what interested him, never seeking the Academy's favor.
Subsequent events proved this point. Megan Ellison's widespread emailing to Academy voters couldn't be kept secret and was soon exposed. However, the only person punished was the producer who sent the emails, merely barred from participating in that year's Oscar-related activities.
As for Megan Ellison and her investment in "The Hurt Locker," they were unaffected, and many voters' stances were influenced by her emails.
Of course, people like Murphy knew such tactics, despite quick results, would leave long-term repercussions.
Every circle has its rules. Those who break the rules are never welcomed, sometimes even ostracized. Murphy wouldn't easily cross certain boundaries.
So, while Megan Ellison might gain short-term benefits, once this Oscar season passed and voters reconsidered, future retaliation was inevitable. Her films would find it twice as hard to win Oscars again.
Influenced by Megan Ellison, Murphy took Gal Gadot to the cinema to watch the much-talked-about "The Hurt Locker." The next day, Gal Gadot dragged him to an IMAX theater to experience "Avatar" in true IMAX 3D.
After returning home from the films, Gal Gadot asked Murphy, "If all three films get nominated, which do you think has the best chance of winning Best Picture: 'The Wolf of Wall Street,' 'The Hurt Locker,' or 'Avatar'?"
"We should first exclude ourselves," Murphy replied, accepting the water Gal Gadot handed him. "My style isn't what the Oscars favor. Winning a major award, especially Best Picture, requires more accumulation."
Gal Gadot looked at him. "What about the other two? 'The Hurt Locker'?"
Murphy nodded. "If it's between these three for Best Picture, based on the film's theme and PR situation, 'The Hurt Locker' would win."
He explained, "The film's themes include anti-war, humanitarianism, self-awareness confusion, and the war's distortion of human nature. Compared to typical war films, it offers new perspectives and techniques. Its style is very gritty, using a documentary-style handheld camera, making it extremely realistic and impactful."
Gal Gadot nodded. "I think the pacing and editing are also commendable."
"Exactly," Murphy agreed.
Personally, he thought Kathryn Bigelow's later film "Zero Dark Thirty" was better. That film didn't explicitly highlight or interpret a theme, focusing more on re-enactment than expression.
However, due to excessive PR efforts and overly obvious Oscar ambitions, it didn't fare as well at the Oscars as "The Hurt Locker."
In his view, "The Hurt Locker" had some flaws in details and themes, mainly because the script's source was an article by Chris Hedges, a long-time Middle East-focused liberal writer and "New York Times" reporter. The work wasn't rigorous or profound enough, leading many bomb disposal experts to criticize the details.
But Murphy had to acknowledge that Kathryn Bigelow was an outstanding female director, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with many of Hollywood's greats.
Compared to her, Sofia Coppola, despite having numerous resources, was far less capable.
"And 'Avatar,' its contribution to film technology is comparable to the introduction of color film and sound," Murphy said, sitting next to Gal Gadot, speaking about a film where the protagonist always disgusted him. "But compared to 'The Hurt Locker,' not to mention it feels like a CG animation, its themes and content are too conventional."
"Conventional? I don't think so," Gal Gadot disagreed with Murphy. "I don't believe 'Avatar's' story is outdated, simple, or lacking depth."
Hearing this, Murphy shrugged, asking, "What's your reasoning?"
"Let's put it this way," Gal Gadot, clearly having strong opinions, didn't blindly follow Murphy's views. "If we compare it to literature, 'Avatar' and 'Star Wars' are like folk tales, fairy tales, not realistic novels."
She continued, "Today's moviegoers are too accustomed to novel-like modern narratives. They're used to finding philosophical meaning and moral judgments in complex, tangled stories, enjoying plots full of contradictions and hidden implications."
Murphy nodded lightly. Audiences indeed love to interpret films, often extracting ideas the creators never considered.
"But 'Avatar,' like 'Star Wars,' is a 'source story,' extremely simple, primal, and archetypal."
Gal Gadot's thoughts flowed clearly, "Folk tales or epic poems are like that. Their ideas may not be as complex or profound as Borges' novels, but they aren't shallow or lacking impact. I think 'Avatar's' narrative is very clear and well-paced."
She added, "The pacing in 'Titanic' was somewhat slow in the first half, while 'Avatar,' as the story progresses, naturally puts you on the Na'vi side—that's the advantage of clear-cut morality in folk tales. Otherwise, the audience's stance would be very ambiguous and confusing."
Murphy shrugged, neither agreeing nor denying.
Truth be told, having watched "Avatar" many times over the years, every time he saw the protagonist betray humanity, he felt sick. Especially during the climax, he always wished the protagonist would just die.
The concept of a 'traitor to humanity' was indeed peculiar.
Seeing Murphy dismiss her viewpoint, Gal Gadot pouted, and Murphy tactfully changed the topic.
"It's getting late. Let's check how the preparations for the dinner are going. This is Ross's first time here. If we mess up, Downey will start with his sarcasm again."
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