Back in his hotel room, the Asian reporter pulled out his laptop and began organizing the comments from moviegoers he had gathered. He stored the recorded content in a separate folder and sent it to the editorial office far away. Then, he opened a document and started typing his own review, recalling the film he had watched that afternoon.
Although he had just started covering Hollywood, he had been a professional film journalist back home and had a high level of appreciation for movies.
"Murphy Stanton's new film 'Spotlight' is a deep and thought-provoking movie. Religious groups still hold significant sway in Western society, so a film that dares to confront and criticize the internal system of the Catholic Church is inherently courageous and powerful. Like the journalists in the movie who fight for the truth, the film's voice represents a positive stance in public opinion. This attitude is encouraging for those who suffer in silence, a painful wake-up call for those who enable it through ignorance, and a direct rebuke to those who commit crimes in the name of God. Media has the power to influence public opinion, and the integrity of the media is the hope of a nation and society. Therefore, the scenes of the journalists in 'Spotlight' overcoming difficulties to achieve victory were the most exhilarating for me..."
Of course, as a journalist working for a well-known liberal newspaper back home, his comments were very targeted.
"Religious faith might not be closely tied to our people, but in Western society, it has deep roots and a long history. Even in modern society, religious groups no longer control every aspect of Western life as they did in the Middle Ages, but their influence is still pervasive. In an open and civilized society like the United States, religious influence is much greater than we might imagine. Recently, I have been reading 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins, a famous British atheist. He discusses the biases and injustices faced by atheists in contemporary American society, particularly highlighting the importance of faith in the political life of Americans. He states: for any presidential candidate, admitting to atheism is unequivocally political suicide."
"The victims of the abusive priests in the film share many similarities: low-income families, fatherless homes, and broken families. One victim said: 'If you were a poor kid, religion was important. And when a priest pays attention to you, that's a big deal. He asks you to clean the hymn books or take out the trash, you feel special, like the Lord is asking for your help.' These kids felt this way because, in Catholicism, priests preside over Mass, administer baptisms, hear confessions, and even heal people. In the eyes of the faithful, priests seem to carry the glory of God. Therefore, being noticed by a priest was something to be proud of. But it is infuriating that it was this sacred guise that some clergy used to repeatedly prey on children."
"The film's staggering data on the Catholic Church's scandals makes it impossible for people to be completely unaware, especially within the Church itself. But why are so few people openly criticizing it? The film provides several perspectives: victims are too ashamed to speak out; the Church protects the offending clergy from the top down, continuing to employ them without punishment. Even if victims speak out, they often find themselves at a disadvantage against the powerful Church, and many cases are settled privately; and even those who speak up for justice on behalf of the victims are quickly silenced by the omnipresent power of the Church. Police cover for priests, lawyers collude with the Church, and courts seal critical evidence..."
"Another crucial point is the public's silence and tolerance. Some people naturally fear and feel inferior to authority; others, out of a desire to protect the sanctity of the Church and its leaders, turn a blind eye; and some extremists even disbelieve those who courageously reveal the dirty deeds. I recall reading a case where a daughter told her mother about inappropriate behavior from a respected church pastor. Instead of seeking justice for her daughter, the mother was furious, believing her daughter was slandering someone she saw as holy..."
"Challenging and questioning authority and power requires great courage, especially in the media industry..."
At this point, the Asian journalist suddenly stopped typing, his thoughts drifting back to his own country and the relationship between power and the media.
He couldn't help but wonder, what does the American media truly stand for?
"Spotlight" is an extremely realistic film. He had read numerous reviews from North American media, including liberal, right-wing, and conservative outlets, all acknowledging this point.
The film left him with the deepest impression of the media's resistance to authority...
As a journalist from a southern liberal newspaper, his mind had inevitably been tainted by some corrupt influences.
Sitting in front of his laptop, thoughts provoked by this film that showcased media freedom and power kept surfacing. In his fervor, his fingers unconsciously typed out an article.
"Every year, after the certain broadcast of a certain gala, a certain news program always says that the gala conveyed positive energy and a strong sense of national pride and gained praise from mainstream media and the vast number of netizens. A certain mainstream newspaper always publishes an article on the front page titled 'Conveying Positive Energy,' accompanied by a commentary 'Marching Towards Dreams or Ideals'; a certain commentary agency publishes an editorial 'Nationwide Celebration'..."
"But on social media platforms mainly composed of ordinary people, the comments about the gala are different, full of complaints. Watching the gala turned into an extended version of the news broadcast, most people probably had countless *** moments pass through their minds. So, why is there such a discrepancy between what people see and what is evaluated by mainstream media? Aren't they watching the same gala? Is it a divided society?"
"It's clear what the mainstream media stands for, and those media that don't want to change their stance have only one outcome! The broadcasting authority requires foreign companies not to provide video services within the country and will completely ban them!"
"This is our reality, whether you accept it or not. Moreover, higher directives have stated that news and public opinion work must prioritize the political direction, and all work of news and public opinion media should reflect the ruling class's will and the *** stance. As for evaluations, it's better not to comment."
"Suddenly, I think of the former deputy director of a certain planning bureau. He was wronged. When asked about his illegal constructions, he asked the interviewing journalist: 'Are you here to speak for my boss or for the public?' As a result, his words shocked the world. This statement was regarded as shocking and quickly spread nationwide, making the deputy director a sudden internet celebrity. In hindsight, the deputy director was a truly forward-thinking politician. He had foreseen some things early on..."
"I have to lament, times change too fast, too fast to catch up, too fast to catch the constantly dropping glasses. This is a wonderful era. We should all shout long live and thank the benevolent ruler!"
At this point, the journalist could no longer continue his serious review. The greatest sense of helplessness emerged. He felt like a eunuch commenting on the emperor's sex life—impotent yet criticizing others...
The education he had received since childhood told him that history always progresses, with the present better than the past. However, the current reality made him, a media worker, feel that today is not as good as yesterday, not even the day before.
With a long sigh, the Asian journalist separated the last part of the content and saved it in a hidden folder. The heated words he had just typed could never be published; otherwise, he would lose his job and might never work as a journalist again.
After taking several deep breaths to calm down, he resumed writing the serious review he had started.
His fingers flew over the keyboard, producing more text in the document.
"Murphy Stanton's film is very realistic and highly cautionary—the breeding ground for corruption is exactly this: wrongdoing being shielded from the top down, and so-called authority and honor being wrongly upheld..."
"Spotlight" has garnered unusual attention since its screening at the Toronto Film Festival, not just because it is based on a true scandal, but because the scandal involves many clergymen.
Perhaps we should not be too surprised by the moral decay of clergymen.
Rational thinking should tell many that clergymen are just ordinary people, and it is normal for some to make mistakes.
A person does not become morally perfect just by joining the Church. Joining the Church is still a long way from true spiritual conversion. Society's long-standing neglect of this process has led to overly high expectations of clergymen, often equating them with faith. Thus, when a scandal breaks out, it becomes a crisis of faith. For the devout, shock is not enough to describe their inner collapse, followed by anger and disappointment, just like journalist Mike's frenzy after obtaining solid evidence and Sasha's grandmother's tears after reading the report in the film.
After a few days in Toronto and participating in several promotional activities, Murphy also prepared to return to Los Angeles.
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