I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 375 - 375 374. This child must not be sent back to the

Chapter 375: 374. This child must not be sent back to the country_1 Chapter 375: 374. This child must not be sent back to the country_1 Of course, Mrs. Meritt didn’t give up watching.

After all, she took a particular liking to the female lead, an actor of such caliber that her performance alone was worth the price of admission, Mrs. Meritt was able to keep watching, solely because she wanted to see this female lead’s acting.

It was truly hard to imagine the future development of such an actor, who was so young yet possessed such mastery.

In the art and art house film sector, it was common to use newcomers or unskilled actors, partly due to budget constraints, as many directors from non-Europe and America countries didn’t have the funds to hire big stars and could only find cheaper actors, and partly due to some directors’ preferences. For instance, some directors liked to use high school students to play high schoolers, or pregnant women to play mothers, to achieve a perfect match between the actor and the character.

Mrs. Meritt naturally thought that this female lead might also be a rookie who hadn’t made her debut, possibly the daughter of a Shrine family, raised in such an environment from a young age, capable of expressing the Shrine Maiden’s aloofness from ordinary people.

“From this point of view, the director does have a bit of professional integrity,” she mused.

Mrs. Meritt particularly despised those who mindlessly cast big-name stars without any regard for the character’s traits and image, especially nowadays with many politically correct practices in Europe and America where movies and TV shows must include black people, women, and individuals of special gender identities, even turning mermaids into black people.

Mrs. Meritt believed this was a desecration of art!

However, due to politics and racial issues, this trend was becoming more and more common, especially in France, where the locals disliked having children, and the incoming refugees and immigrants were prolific breeders. In just a few years, black people and adherents of foreign religions might well exceed fifty percent of the population, and at that point, it might indeed be time to raise the white flag of surrender.

Mrs. Meritt was, to a certain extent, somewhat racially prejudiced.

However, a director like Lu Ban who selected actors based on character traits made Mrs. Meritt feel not too bad about him; at least, there was a basic respect for film.

She continued watching.

The following segment of the plot was about the reason for the journey, and at the same time, the male and female leads formally met for the first time.

Mrs. Meritt was not sure if it was her illusion, but whenever the female lead appeared, the scenes seemed unusually soft and gentle. A few short shots with hardly any dialogue, relying solely on her acting, had already left a deep impression of the female lead in her heart.

The scene in the movie shifted to the evening, the male lead walking alone in the courtyard for a night stroll. The sakura at night had a different flavor, unlike the warm coziness of the day, it had more of a bewitching and enticing charm.

The male lead heard a peculiar sound, followed it, and arrived at a yard.

He saw the Shrine Maiden focusing intensely on archery, bow in hand.

Thud—

With the arrow striking the bullseye, Mrs. Meritt felt her heart quake for a moment.

The female lead at night seemed different from how she was during the day; if the daytime version was cool, lofty, and unattainably beautiful—a flower to be admired from a distance—the nighttime version, like the falling night cherry blossoms, possessed a captivating charm.

That arrow was not shot at the target but struck deep into Mrs. Meritt’s heart.

She had seen many movies where the female characters either existed as appendages to men, decorations set against the backdrop of male chauvinism to showcase the heroism of male leads.

Or it was simply replacing the original male lead with a woman with no hint of feminine characteristics, just using the title of woman to tell a man’s story, a bait-and-switch script.

But this female lead—by day, she was like a well-bred elegant girl with a hint of detachment from the world, and by night, she revealed her diligence and dedication. Such a woman, independent, ambitious, and full of charm, composed a character that Mrs. Meritt liked.

“Not bad at all.”

She took another sip of her martini, allowing the cool liquor to moisten her throat, bringing a hint of chill on this damp, early summer day.

The fleet set sail, and next was the male lead’s turn to showcase himself—he fished at sea, blending in effortlessly with the sailors and striking a stark contrast to the female lead, Amber.

Yet through the details, it was still evident that Amber herself aspired to that free life; the only reason she maintained her current aloof demeanor was to avoid getting too involved with those around her and thus, avoid wavering.

“Classic character design, cliché, but quite a feat if performed well.”

Mrs. Meritt made a comment.

In current cinema, many people want to portray a character that grows and changes, for such characters are more layered and deeper, and if well depicted, are more endearing to the audience.

But many directors have failed—either the character is initially too detestable, with insufficient motivation for change, making it feel fake to watch, or the actor’s performance is limited, showing little difference from beginning to end.

In Mrs. Meritt’s view, a character like Amber is a classic representation of a princess who yearns for freedom but is burdened with responsibility. Such characters usually develop certain affections with the knight escorting them to their destination and undergo transformations, eventually either breaking free from their fate to pursue freedom or upholding their duty and parting ways with the knight. Either way, they are certain to change.

Whether such classic character design can be successfully created hinges on more than the plot—it’s significantly dependent on the acting.

And without a doubt, the portrayal of Amber now was a resounding success.

“We’ve found a real gem,” Mrs. Meritt couldn’t help but exclaim. Such actors, given time, will inevitably become true superstars, capable of handling a variety of roles.

She wondered if this actress would attend the film festival; if so, Mrs. Meritt was determined to persuade her to stay in Europe for artistic cultivation rather than sinking into those profit-chasing film sets.

This talent must not be allowed to return to her home country.

By this time, the movie had reached its first quarter, and under the moonlight, Shobu, the leader of the mercenaries, explained that this journey was highly dangerous. The camera panned out, showing the two boats shrinking in the distance, crossing the ocean, and gradually reaching another fleet of boats.

On this fleet, the Bandaged People, wrapped in peculiar bandages and looking oddly unique, were leading several warships, eyeing the protagonist’s fleet with predatory anticipation.

Undoubtedly, in the upcoming plot, they would seize an opportunity to attack the protagonist’s fleet, attempting to kill the female lead.

“Still the same old adventure action movie tactics, huh?” Mrs. Meritt picked up her glass, about to take another drink, only to find her glass was already empty.

Rather unusually, perhaps due to the hot and humid weather, she had finished her drink.

She paused the movie and got up to pour another glass, but after thinking it over, she decided to put a bottle of sparkling wine in an ice bucket and take it to the screening room instead.

During the break, Mrs. Meritt noticed she had received several text messages— all from colleagues who were fellow judges.

The content of their messages was more or less the same, revolving around a single theme.

“Go watch ‘Peaceful Days in Spring’!”