Although many fans expressed their desire to support Robert Downey Jr., Ethan felt completely unbothered by this level of public opinion. In fact, he found it somewhat amusing.
Because no matter who tried to attack Downey from the angle of his past imprisonment, they would ultimately end up embarrassing themselves.
There wasn't even a need for a response from Norton's Eye. Ethan merely gave some guidance to cooperating journalists, and within just two days, newspapers had already started whitewashing Downey's image.
"Robert Downey Jr.'s Road to Redemption"
This article provided a detailed account of Downey's experiences after his release from prison.
He worked as a stunt double for music video performers, took on supporting roles in low-budget films, maintained a humble attitude, and kept a low profile.
It seemed as if the once arrogant Downey had completely disappeared, replaced by someone new.
The article also delved into Downey's mindset when he received an offer from the Inception production team and the efforts he made in preparation for the role.
In just a few hundred words, the article painted the picture of a man who had turned his life around, making many readers deeply empathize with his journey.
Especially the last sentence of the article:
"We must allow people to start anew after making mistakes—this is America."
Readers left numerous comments in response:
"I loved Downey's performance in Chaplin. It was so natural and fitting, as if he truly brought Chaplin to life. An actor capable of such a performance—I believe he won't end up in prison again."
"So what if he went to prison? He admitted his mistakes and is actively correcting them. That's a real man! I support him!"
"I can hardly imagine—someone who was once nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor ended up working as a stunt double in music videos. My god, what a massive fall from grace."
"No matter what he does, he will always be the most handsome in my heart."
With this article leading the narrative, countless tabloids followed suit, generating a wave of similar reports.
Within just a week, public opinion had completely reversed. Since Robert Downey Jr. had kept a clean record after his release and maintained a low profile, people began to develop a favorable impression of him.
As a result, all his past mistakes were now seen as simply part of a man's journey in life.
Regardless of the details, Downey had successfully reintroduced himself to Hollywood and reminded everyone of his presence.
Inception also took advantage of the moment to gain some exposure.
With the cast finalized, the film officially moved into pre-production.
"Take a look, Ethan. What do you think of these filming locations?"
Carl sat on the sofa, discussing Inception's location scouting with Ethan.
Before Ethan lay a collection of location photographs, as Inception featured a variety of different environments.
For example, the academy scene was set at University College London. The mirror space sequence was filmed near the Eiffel Tower. The snowy mountain setting was shot in Banff National Park, Canada.
Not to mention locations in Japan, Morocco, France, and more.
However, Ethan had made some changes to this version of Inception.
For instance, he removed the snowy mountain scene entirely.
Christopher Nolan seemed to have a particular fondness for snow-covered landscapes—starting from Batman Begins, snow-capped mountains frequently appeared in his films. But for Inception, Ethan felt this particular setting was dragging the film down.
From a visual standpoint, a vast, white, snowy landscape was already difficult for viewers to navigate.
The protagonists, dressed in white snow gear, further blurred the distinction between characters, making it hard for the audience to recognize who was who.
Or even what they were doing.
When Ethan watched the original version, he found this scene unnecessarily complex and rather dull.
So he directly replaced it with a bank setting.
He planned to include a gunfight to inject more action and excitement into the sequence.
For this, he even considered inviting John Woo to oversee the scene's choreography.
After finalizing most of the filming locations with Carl, the production team began actively contacting various sites and coordinating schedules.
Inception was tentatively set to begin filming in October.
With five months remaining, the schedule was still quite manageable.
Once Ethan wrapped up work on Inception, he shifted his focus to preparing for No Country for Old Men.
Compared to Inception, this film was significantly simpler—its setting was primarily in the southern United States near the Mexico border, an expansive and desolate region.
As for casting, Ethan directly invited actors from the original film.
Tommy Lee Jones as the aging sheriff.
Josh Brolin as the film's protagonist, a greedy hunter.
Javier Bardem as the psychopathic killer.
All three were recognized as top-tier character actors. While they weren't particularly known for their looks, their performances were undoubtedly outstanding.
When they received Ethan's invitation, they were somewhat surprised. They all knew Ethan was busy preparing Inception—so how did he have time to work on another film?
But Ethan simply brushed it off as no big deal.
Sure, juggling multiple projects was hectic, but it was still preferable to being stuck in a situation where multiple invitations conflicted, leaving one unable to decide.
Before long, the No Country for Old Men crew was officially assembled and arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Desolate. That was Ethan's first impression of the area.
Sitting inside the car, he gazed at the deep yellow desert in the blue hour light, the withered, jagged branches of trees standing eerily against the sky. Many crew members from Los Angeles and New York gasped in astonishment.
Having grown up in cities, they had never seen a landscape like this before—low-rise houses scattered amidst the drought-resistant vegetation.
There wasn't a soul in sight on the road, only the occasional abandoned vehicle left to rust in the desert, now serving as a resting place for birds.
"This kind of place... really makes for a perfect murder scene," Javier Bardem suddenly remarked, startling Josh Brolin.
"Hey, man, are you already in character? Wake up!" Josh Brolin shifted uneasily.
They were both in full makeup and costume, especially Javier Bardem. His gloomy, bowl-cut hairstyle and the bluish stubble on his chin made his smile disturbingly eerie—just like a crazed killer.
Javier Bardem had been quite resistant when he first saw his character's styling. He groaned in despair, "Oh no, I really don't want to walk around with this for two months."
But as he gradually got used to the look and carefully studied the character's psyche during script meetings, he started to enjoy it.
Like right now.
He slightly curled his lips, took out a coin, and flicked it into the air.
As it landed in his palm, he glanced at the face on the coin and grinned. "You can't escape."
"FXXK!" Josh Brolin quickly moved away and sat beside Ethan. "That's terrifying! I swear, after this movie comes out, you'll be the stuff of nightmares."
"Maybe," Javier Bardem replied casually, then turned to scare other crew members.
When the group finally arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border, everyone got out of the car.
Before them stood a roadside motel.
"This will be our temporary residence," Ethan announced.
He had rented the entire place, not just to accommodate the crew but also to use as a filming location.
A crucial confrontation in No Country for Old Men takes place in a motel, making it a key setting for the film.
After the crew settled in, the film officially began production.
The story of No Country for Old Men was simple, yet deeply profound.
The protagonist, Moss, was a broke war veteran. One day, while hunting deer by the river, he stumbled upon a drug deal gone wrong—two gangs had engaged in a bloody shootout.
Driven by greed, he approached the scene and found a briefcase full of cash next to a dying Mexican man.
For a poor yet daring man, the choice was obvious. Moss took the briefcase and returned home.
But he didn't know that inside the case was a tracking device.
That night, perhaps due to guilt, Moss returned to the scene with a bottle of water, intending to help the dying man.
But the man was already dead, and another group had arrived, searching for the money.
A chase ensued. Moss barely escaped by jumping into a river, but he had left his truck behind. Knowing that the gang would track him down, he hurriedly sent his wife away and embarked on a desperate escape.
Meanwhile, the psychotic hitman Anton had just murdered a police officer and an innocent bystander. He soon received a call from the drug cartel, hiring him to retrieve the stolen money.
And so, the hunt for Moss began.
Along the way, Anton killed many people—innocent or guilty, it made no difference to him.
Before deciding a victim's fate, he would flip a coin, letting chance dictate life or death.
This twisted sense of "principle" eventually put him at odds with the cartel itself.
Moss didn't die by Anton's hands; instead, he was gunned down by the cartel's men.
In response, Anton killed the cartel boss—to uphold his own deranged sense of order.
At the film's climax, Anton even executed Moss's wife, honoring a promise he had made to Moss over the phone: If Moss refused to surrender, his entire family would be wiped out.
This was Anton's idea of "honor." It was also what made his character truly terrifying.
Meanwhile, Tommy Lee Jones' character, Sheriff Bell, trailed behind, desperately trying to stop the carnage.
But his age prevented him from physically confronting the killer.
And this brutal new world had long since left him behind.
Everything he did was in vain.
There was no justice—Anton was never caught.
Just like the film's title, No Country for Old Men.
The irony was razor-sharp.
Ethan loved this story. In fact, anyone who truly understood it would be shaken by its core message.
Unlike traditional crime films that explore human nature or convey simple moral lessons, No Country for Old Men attempted to paint a picture of an unpredictable, merciless world.
That was likely why it won so many awards.
To do justice to this film, every actor had to give their best performance, pouring 100% of their effort into their roles.
Ethan was no exception.
He made several adjustments to the film's color scheme, though unlike his previous films, he didn't use extreme color contrasts. That would weaken the story's impact.
Color in cinema serves many functions—contrast is just one of them.
To enhance realism, Ethan decided on a single dominant tone: the arid yellow of the desert. Everything else would serve as a backdrop.
That night, after finalizing his storyboard, Ethan stepped outside to get some fresh air—only to hear gunfire.
"Bang! Bang!"
The shots rang out rhythmically from a nearby street. Moments later, a car sped by, pursued by several police vehicles.
Ethan quickly retreated indoors, keeping his hand near the gun holster on his waist.
Ring, ring!
The phone rang.
He picked up. "What's wrong, Tom?"
Since arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, Ethan had taken every precaution to ensure safety. Tom and the hired security team were stationed downstairs, ready to protect the crew at all times.
But despite these measures, trouble still found them.
"Ethan, one of our crew members got injured," Tom reported.
"What?!" Ethan was stunned.
"He was buying beer from a vending machine on the street when a stray bullet hit his shoulder."
"FXXK! That's insane! So who's shooting?"
"Looks like drug dealers. Probably got busted selling, and the cops chased them down..."
"And those damn cops couldn't even stop one car? SHXT!" Ethan was furious. "Get him to a hospital—medical expenses are on the production."
"He's already been taken in. But there's something else," Tom continued, his tone calm but his words quickened. "A lot of crew members are scared. Some of them might leave."
"Emmm, understood." Ethan knew Tom was right.
This place was too dangerous. Anything could happen at any moment.
The crew wasn't here to risk their lives—of course, they'd be reluctant to stay under such conditions.
So Ethan gathered everyone in the motel's dining area for a meeting.
He assured them that security would be their top priority, that they would be provided with insurance, and that strict rules would be in place:
No one was to go out at night.
This area was rife with smugglers and drug deals. Daytime was relatively safe with police patrols, but at night, anything could happen.
After convincing the crew to stay, Ethan postponed the original shooting schedule and visited the local police department.
In a capitalist society, money could buy almost anything—including safety.
When Ethan returned from the station, two police cars followed him back.
From then on, they would accompany the crew throughout filming, ensuring their safety.
But what Ethan truly valued wasn't their ability to react to danger—it was the deterrence their presence provided.
No drug dealer would be reckless enough to cause trouble under the watchful eyes of law enforcement.
With security in place, the crew finally felt at ease.
Production on No Country for Old Men officially began.
The first scene was set on a deserted road—where Anton, the ruthless killer, would reveal his true nature.
His first victim?
A defenseless old man.
All for the sake of stealing his car.
.....
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