The Greatest Showman #833 - Gentleman Magnanimous

Facing sharp accusations from the opposition, as well as disdain and ridicule, Katarina was the first to resist. "What did you say? Renly has opened up and accepted all the discussions, but you're still saying this? Why? I think you're being unreasonable! There's no right or wrong in the discussion of art. Everyone is allowed to express their opinions. You're forcing Renly to accept yours. It's disgusting!"

Katarina's aggressive defense caught the others off guard, and they all stubbornly avoided eye contact, refusing to respond.

Amused, Renly chuckled softly. He had encountered such fans in Telluride before, but Berlin's audience was different—more professional, seasoned, profound, aggressive, engaged, and, despite it all, more likeable than their Telluride counterparts.

"What are you expecting? That I hate this movie? If that were the case, first of all, I wouldn't have taken the role in the first place, given the script's heavy reliance on monologues. And second, I wouldn't be at the Berlin Film Festival. The festival is over, and I'm sure there are jobs available back in the U.S. right now."

His lighthearted words eased the tension, and many people couldn't help but chuckle. "As an audience member, I might not like this film, but as an actor, I'm madly in love with it. It constantly pushed my limits, and working with Tony has been an absolute rollercoaster ride. I love it just as much as you hate it."

"Personally, I love all my current work," Renly added, raising an eyebrow before glancing at Jack. "The same goes for Jack. I'm sure he'll give the same answer." Jack paused briefly, about to respond, but Renly teased, "Wait, are we including Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in that list?"

A burst of laughter erupted, even from Jack himself. He pointed an accusatory finger at Renly, but there was nothing he could do but shake his head helplessly, letting a smile form.

"Renly, I have to ask, what does Henry represent?" Katarina seized the opportunity, now directing her question at Renly. "I mean, from an actor's perspective."

Renly laughed lightly, "From an actor's perspective?" He thought for a moment, then continued, "In my view, Sammy is actually Henry. In other words, Henry represents what Sammy could grow into in the future. As for how Sammy and Henry look, I think every viewer who loves this movie has their own interpretation."

Renly deliberately emphasized the word love, which sparked another round of laughter from his opponents. One of them shouted, "Renly, even if you say that, I still won't like this movie."

Renly raised his coffee cup in acknowledgment, earning approval from the crowd for his broad-mindedness. He remained humble and enthusiastic, accepting both criticism and praise with grace. It had been a long time since such an actor had come along.

Mark cleared his throat. "Renly, thank you for discussing this with us. We won't disturb you any longer." With a bright smile, he gestured to his friends, and they all turned to leave, chatting and laughing as they walked toward the cinema. As they moved away, Mark added, "I told you, Renly is different from those Hollywood actors. He's a true European actor!"

...

In the span of thirty seconds, the noisy group had transformed into a more subdued crowd, now heading toward the cinema like old friends, engaging in casual conversation about their film experiences from the past few days.

Renly turned around and caught Jack staring at him intently.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Renly asked with a puzzled expression. "Did I accidentally spill coffee on the corner of my mouth?"

"No," Jack chuckled lightly, then fell silent for a moment, carefully considering his words. "As an audience member, do you really not like Transcendence?"

Today, Jack seemed more relaxed and at ease than he had the day before. After unexpectedly running into Renly at the cinema hall, Jack had invited him to a nearby café for coffee, which Renly had gladly accepted.

"Yes," Renly answered succinctly. "In my opinion, Tony went too far with this one. The discomfort throughout the film is too overwhelming—too proud, too self-indulgent."

Jack raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. "Actually, I really liked the movie. The parts you dislike are exactly the ones I appreciate. Especially the chalk animation sequence and the interview with Henry—it was absurd, yes, but there was this fascinating contradiction between reality and the surreal. It felt like a slow-moving river, with a poetic quality."

Renly thought about it for a moment, then closed his jaw meaningfully without saying anything. Jack immediately picked up on the gesture and laughed.

"What's with that look?" Jack asked, amused.

"It's a very unique taste," Renly replied, a playful glint in his eye. Jack laughed but rolled his eyes.

"I'm complimenting your work here," Jack said, shaking his head.

Renly raised his hands in mock surrender, then exaggeratedly pursed his lips and sealed his mouth shut.

Jack sighed, exasperated but smiling. "Alright, alright, I admit it—I hate Prince of Persia. To be honest, I really hated it."

The two exchanged smiles. Rather than diving deeper into the topic of Transcendence, they began discussing other films from the Berlin Film Festival, like regular festival-goers. However, the conversation was short-lived. About half an hour later, they both got up and left.

Jack and Renly had both snuck out during the midday break.

As a judge, Jack had to watch every film in the competition. This year, 19 films were shortlisted, all of which needed to be analyzed and discussed at the final awards meeting—a heavy task for any judge.

Renly, on the other hand, was only in Berlin for four days. His schedule was packed with media and promotional events, and he'd only managed to carve out three hours during the noon break to watch a movie. He would likely be stuck in his hotel room working late into the night once he returned from the afternoon events.

In the three days since he arrived, this was the fifth time Ned Mullan had seen Renly, and each encounter left him with a different impression. Today, Renly looked a little tired, but there was an undeniable energy in his expression. When Ned casually asked about his day, Renly eagerly launched into a discussion about the film he had seen at noon and his interaction with the audience.

Wearing just a simple shirt with his hair slightly tousled, Renly exuded an effortless charm. His unrestrained demeanor added a unique quality to his already elegant and handsome face.

After the release of Transcendence, Entertainment Weekly humorously claimed that it was Renly's most handsome role to date, even more so than Crazy, Stupid Love, and joked that Twilight fans would likely flock to the film. Ned, however, agreed on another level—Renly played Henry Bart with an undeniable charm.

"Aren't you worried at all?" Ned finally asked, unable to contain his curiosity. "After the release of Transcendence, the movie has been engulfed in controversy. Major media outlets are constantly debating it."

Empire magazine had led the charge in interviews earlier that day, and there were still at least 25 media outlets lined up for interviews.

"In a way, this should be one of Tony's goals," Renly replied without a hint of worry. Tony Kaye was being interviewed in the next room, and Renly knew there was a long road ahead with many more media interactions.

Renly's calmness was striking. "The film doesn't just critique education; it also addresses broader societal issues. We've all been, are, or will be educated, and because of that, we face different challenges depending on the class we belong to."

Renly continued, "Even the upper class, with its Ivy League schools and century-old British institutions, has its educational values challenged. Education is the cornerstone of the future, so it's not surprising that the audience might have a strong reaction to it."

"Tony's experimental approach, raw and unyielding, is bound to offend some people. But if Tony wanted to make a film that everyone loved, then he wouldn't be Tony Kaye."

Ned paused, reflecting, and then nodded with a smile. "So, you're saying you're not concerned by the criticism?"

"Exactly," Renly affirmed. "I read all the reviews, both the criticisms and the praise. If possible, I'd love to engage directly with the audience—not to argue, but to have a meaningful dialogue. The goal is not to change anyone's position, but to exchange ideas."

Renly's dignified and magnanimous stance impressed Ned, who could only smile in admiration. "I think the audience would love that kind of dialogue. This is the Berlin Film Festival, after all, so as long as you're prepared, it'll be a great experience."