The Greatest Showman - Chapter #1071: Mirror Each Other

Renly found his true artistic resonance in Drunk Town Folk. In the last life, he had yearned for the life he dreamed of but was afraid to try. In this life, it was the same feeling, as though he saw the shadow of himself in the world and even glimpsed the echo of the album Don Quixote.

"Don Quixote" and Drunken Country Ballads seem like two reflections across a lake, mirroring each other. Both narrate the story of Don Quixote, walking alone in the harshness of reality.

Renly realized that the Coen brothers shared a similar vision. They heard faith and perseverance in the song "Beast," and they also felt the dream and vision embedded in Don Quixote. Their creative spark ignited, and they presented an invitation Renly could not ignore.

Upon reflection, Drunken Country Ballads seemed like a perfect match for Renly, and LeVern, the protagonist, was an artistic projection of Renly. They both arrived in New York alone to pursue their dreams. They played and sang in small bars, changing their lives because of a ballad. They faced the crossroads of compromise but chose stubbornness instead. They both created albums, placed them on bookshelves at home, hoping that one day someone would discover them.

The only difference between them was that in real life, Don Quixote was a success, while LeVern Davis's album, Inside-Llewyn-Davis, went unnoticed and unappreciated. No one cared.

In other words, Lewynn Davis is Renly Hall—a person who failed to pursue his dream. To be more precise, after Renly's failure and fifteen years of struggling, he became LeVern.

This realization sent a chill down his spine. If Renly had never been sure of his own path, he would not have connected with the Coen brothers, and they would not have written a script inspired by his life. The idea of a time-space disorder crept into his thoughts.

Wait… was there really a Levine Davis in the last life, and because of Renly's rebirth or crossover, Renly took his place? Perhaps the Butterfly Effect came into play, with Renly's real experience shaping the creation of Drunken Country Ballads in the previous generation. Who had truly altered the course of history?

Renly's head spun, lost in the maze of possibilities. Shaking off the confusion, he looked at Joel and Ethan Coen, now aware of their eager, expectant faces. They had no idea what he was thinking. The look in their eyes made Renly chuckle.

There was no doubt that this was the project Renly longed for most after Love Crazy.

An overwhelming rush of emotion flooded his chest—not just because it echoed Don Quixote but because the character itself was a challenge.

LeVern-Davis carried the weight of dreams and reality and encapsulated the entire era. His character was a mixture of confusion, bitterness, arrogance, and self-doubt—each emotion conflicting with the next. His story was one of contradiction, yet it all coexisted in harmony.

This was an incredibly difficult role, much like the great artists—David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain—whose unique temperaments transcended their circumstances. LeVern was an artist, flawed yet magnetic. He was a jerk, but an irresistible one.

The challenge for Renly was to portray LeVern's vileness without turning the audience away, to capture the complexity of his character without overacting. To present LeVern's charisma in a restrained yet deep performance—without resorting to exaggeration.

Playing LeVern was a challenge, but doing it justice was even harder.

In Renly's last life, Oscar Isaac had portrayed LeVern. His performance was decent, winning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. However, he lost out in other acting categories. Despite being praised for his singing in the film, his portrayal of LeVern lacked nuance. He didn't convey the full complexity of the character's relationships, especially with Jane.

The loss of these finer details made the audience misjudge LeVern's role in his relationship with Jane, reducing him to a simple villain. In reality, it was Jane who had betrayed him, not the other way around.

Oscar Isaac's performance wasn't enough to win widespread recognition, despite Renly's personal admiration for his natural sadness and charm. Isaac's portrayal of LeVern perfectly fit the folk music wave, lending the film an addictive quality. Renly found himself impressed by the actor's talent.

Of course, Renly recognized that he couldn't replicate Isaac's performance. They had completely different temperaments and styles, meaning their portrayals would inevitably differ.

So how would Renly approach the role?

Just imagining it filled him with excitement. Drunken Country Ballads was a dream project, like Love Crazy, but even more personal. It told Renly's story—the struggles, the confusion, the persistence—all woven into LeVern Davis's character.

LeVern's gestures, expressions, and emotions were so vivid in Renly's mind that he could almost embody the role without effort. This was a rare challenge, but one Renly was ready for.

But as the weight of the realization hit him, Renly felt a pang of loss. He couldn't star in this film. It was a blow, and a trace of regret filled his eyes as he sat there, quietly overwhelmed.