Chapitre 197: Amicable
Rooney's smile lit up, as if shattering a thin layer of ice, and warm spring sunlight poured down. Her youthful exuberance carried a hint of boldness, making her demeanor captivating. Amid her composure, one could faintly sense a trace of youthful restlessness. The fleeting hint of childishness about her even seemed more tender than Renly's own appearance.
"Why wait a while? We can do it now," Renly's response left Rooney momentarily stunned. A glimmer of reflection danced in her eyes before she excitedly stood up and took a couple of steps forward. However, she noticed that Renly hadn't followed suit. She paused, turned around, and waved her hand. "Aren't you coming with me?"
Rooney carried a certain Nordic chill in her demeanor, maintaining a certain distance in her gestures and actions—not so distant as to be unapproachable, but still exuding an air of detachment. In reality, she was a quintessential American, growing up in New York. When her smile blossomed, it exuded a warm charm, akin to breaking through a layer of ice.
Once her words were out, Rooney felt a tinge of regret. What if he refused? However, before she could formulate an outcome, Renly's response had already reached her ears.
"Sure." Renly didn't decline. This was Telluride, wasn't it? Telluride broke all bonds and barriers, it shattered all confines and shackles.
Taking the phone from Renly, he took a few photos of Rooney. Nearby young people raised their voices in inquiry, "Do you want me to take a photo for you guys?" Both Renly and Rooney were momentarily stupefied, failing to immediately register the conversation. Eventually, they realized they were being addressed, and a slightly ambiguous atmosphere seemed to settle in. With exchanged glances and smiles, they both waved, "No, thank you."
Only then did Rooney realize that her impulsive actions were a bit presumptuous. They hadn't even exchanged names; they were complete strangers. "Rooney Mara."
"Renly Hall." Renly also chuckled, politely introducing himself.
"Yes, I know who you are." Taking her phone back, Rooney's initial awkwardness eased a bit, and her speech grew more animated. She gestured towards the other direction, "I was planning to go see "Buried" originally, but the theater is already packed. I have a friend in Toronto who was fortunate enough to see the movie. After coming back, they strongly recommended it to me. In fact, I'm waiting for the 2:30 PM screening right next door on that street."
This explained Rooney's intention to relax at the café.
"At least I've already seen it." Renly's response widened Rooney's smile, "Trust me, it's a movie worth watching, although the viewing experience might be a bit uncomfortable. But compared to "127 Hours", it's much more tolerable."
Rooney's sister, Kate, starred in "127 Hours", and Renly's words were clearly a clever play on words.
Rooney immediately caught on, not bothering to hide her smile. She laughed lightly with joy, "The anticipation is already high enough. I hope the final product doesn't disappoint."
"Renly, Renly!" The group of young people nearby also recognized Renly by now and surged forward, "Your performance was truly amazing! Absolutely stunning! How did you manage it? Everything was so incredible!"
"Performance," Renly's response left everyone momentarily puzzled, but they quickly grasped the irony and wit within the words. Laughter rippled through the crowd.
"I mean, you're just twenty years old, right? How did you do it? The entire movie's performance carries such a profound and genuine soul-shaking impact."
"Firstly, thank you." Renly courteously inclined his head, accepting the praise in such a gentlemanly manner that it elicited more light laughter. Rooney also couldn't help but smile, "Secondly, taking on this movie was indeed a daunting challenge. I didn't believe I had the capacity for it, so I chose the dumbest approach—truly experiencing the sensation of confinement. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but I stayed in a coffin for eight hours. For a movie about being buried alive, that was undeniably immensely helpful."
Before coming to Telluride, Andy Rogers had discussed this with Renly. This was a unique setting where all conversations were equal and candor was the primary condition. Hence, Telluride was the best place for Renly to talk about his preparation process for the performance, if someone happened to bring it up.
"Eight hours?" Rooney exclaimed in surprise.
Renly shrugged lightly, "A fool employs foolish methods."
This witty response triggered another round of laughter. "So, what exactly does that feel like?" someone else asked aloud.
"I did my best to portray it in the movie. That's my sole job." Renly's way of speaking always carried an air of ease. The humorous and witty tone couldn't contain the laughter, "I'll leave that question to the audience to answer. Otherwise, it would be a dereliction of my duty."
"Even just a hundred minutes of the movie was almost unbearable for me. I refuse to be buried alive in a coffin. So, I can't imagine what it's like to stay in a coffin for eight hours. Are you sure you didn't develop claustrophobia?" Someone in the crowd exclaimed, triggering laughter once again.
Soon, another question emerged, "Renly, do you think Paul and Pamela are really having an affair?"
When this question was raised, everyone turned their gaze toward Renly and a perplexed Rooney. In the past week, there had been numerous discussions about "Buried", and one of the hot topics was the relationship between Paul and Pamela.
Upon closer examination, Paul's reaction to the video threat against Pamela had been overly intense. The dynamics between Paul, his wife, and her friend hinted at underlying tensions. Not to mention, Paul's extreme vomiting when Pamela was shot indicated something deeper. All these details suggested that Paul might actually be having an affair with Pamela, giving CRT the excuse to fire him, a scenario that didn't seem far-fetched.
This topic had sparked debates on Yahoo Community, but most viewers hadn't seen the movie yet, so they couldn't join in. Some supported this view, but more were against it, as the movie portrayed Paul's strong commitment and love for his family from various angles. Especially in the final moments, even if just for a remote possibility, Paul resolutely cut off his own finger.
When they were in Toronto before, no one had really thought about this layer, missing the opportunity to inquire further. But now, they finally had the chance to communicate face to face with Renly.
Renly wore a smile and calmly said, "Does it matter?"
This unexpected response left everyone momentarily stunned. Then, someone reacted and retorted, "Isn't it important?"
"So, are you implying that if Paul and Pamela were really having an affair, CRT's actions were justified?" Renly once again responded with a question. Voices surged within the crowd, eager to give affirmation, yet the words hesitated on their tongues before being swallowed, leaving a buzzing murmur in the air.
"But!" The restlessness in the crowd persisted, as they attempted to argue without exactly pinpointing what was amiss.
With a smile, Renly scanned the crowd, pausing for a moment before speaking, "Suppose that between Paul and Pamela, a colleague-like friendship developed. Then, let's consider, what factual change arises from that in the movie?"
"His wife..." If Paul had an affair, he would be guilty toward his wife and family. However, that would only amount to moral condemnation, not a reason for him to be buried alive. His son shouldn't have to lose his father either.
"The company...?" According to the timeline of the movie, the company wasn't even present before. It wasn't until Paul had been trapped for several hours that they unearthed "evidence" and then fired him. The notion that he was already fired that morning was completely baseless. In other words, they were merely searching for evidence to cut costs on insurance, or even more so, fabricating evidence. The point wasn't whether he had an affair, but that they needed an excuse to fire Paul. If he had an affair, they had a handle on him; if not, they would create one.
As Renly had said, whether there was an affair or not was never the focal point. CRT merely needed a pretext.
"But that doesn't mean he's in the right." A voice rose from the crowd.
Renly nodded, "No one is saying he's right. But here's the issue—at the national level, amid the struggle for interests, personal safety isn't significant. Whether Paul is right or wrong won't affect his fate. But have you realized that your focus has inevitably shifted to whether he's having an affair or not? What does that indicate?"
It indicated that the public was ignorant and easily swayed, just like Paul. Because like him, they were all separate individuals. They couldn't consider issues from a collective perspective, and they inevitably cared more about personal interests. This meant that when they encountered a crisis, like Paul, they too could be abandoned.
The torrent of reflection brought an unexpected silence to the agitated crowd.
Rooney's voice was faint but clear, "Seventy years ago, German author Erich Maria Remarque wrote "All Quiet on the Western Front". Seventy years later, we're making the same mistakes."
Renly turned to look at Rooney, a hint of amazement flickering in his eyes. The core theme of "All Quiet on the Western Front" could be summarized in a sentence: In the face of national interests, individuals are objects to be exploited, hypnotized, deceived, and sacrificed. The masses are always ignorant, easily deceived, and repeatedly fall into the same trap. This aligned with the topic Renly had just addressed.
The deliberate ambiguity in the script of "Buried" regarding the relationship between Paul and Pamela was exactly for this purpose.
"So, Renly, do you think something really happened between Paul and Pamela?" A voice from the crowd asked, full of confusion.
With a smile, Renly said, "I think neither Paul nor Pamela should have died, but they both did."
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
Shallowman
Shallowman Yeah, no one really deserves death... except Fortnite and Roblox players. They are the abomination and Devil incarnate. No prejudice, it is just truth.
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