Rustling, rustling.
The cast members took their places one by one, leaving only two left—
"Mystery River" and "Elephant."
Who will be the grand finale?
Whispers and hushed conversations buzzed around, spreading throughout the entrance of the Palais des Festivals. Even the red carpet seemed to pulse with anticipation.
Immanuel found it intriguing.
Initially, she thought she was the only one concerned about Anson's outfit. After all, men's fashion is still a relatively new field with limited attention.
But now, it seems that the Cannes trip is subtly changing that. Anson is indeed showcasing a broader and more profound influence.
Imagine, if—just hypothetically—if Anson wins Best Actor tonight?
Wow.
That... that's just... unimaginable!
Just the thought of the possibility made her heart nearly burst with excitement.
"He's here."
A voice came from the crowd, and everyone's gaze turned toward the entrance of the red carpet like a tidal wave. The mix of excitement and tension made the world pause, if only for a brief moment of silence, as if all noise had vanished.
Only the sound of the waves gently lapping at the shore remained in the air.
It was—
Gus Van Sant!
The "Elephant" crew arrived on the red carpet first.
Click, click, click.
Flashbulbs lit up the entire scene, showering Gus like a waterfall.
Controversy, chaos, focus.
When the official magazine was released, no one expected to see the "Elephant" crew at the closing ceremony.
Not even Gus himself.
He rushed back to Cannes in a hurry, everything happened so fast. Busy and tense throughout, he felt like a tightly wound spring. Even now, his heart raced, still in shock, his face clearly showing his confusion:
Who am I, where am I, what am I doing?
Standing on the red carpet, Gus appeared somewhat reserved.
However, no one could deny that "Elephant" brought a wave of impact.
A raw, gritty, wild, yet powerful and fierce impact.
Even now, after enduring the bombardments of "Dogville" and "The Brown Bunny," the discussions surrounding "Elephant" have not yet settled down.
This is the power of cinema.
Then, Alex and Eric followed one after another onto the red carpet.
Technically, this was their second time; after experiencing the movie premiere, they should be able to relax a little and adapt to the camera flashes. But reality isn't that simple—one experience doesn't bring a transformation.
On the contrary, the two were even more nervous and stiff.
Alex waddled like a penguin as he edged closer to Gus.
Eric teased Alex a bit, trying to show off his own posture, but ended up awkwardly moving in sync with himself, looking no better.
A soft laugh rustled through the crowd.
It was immediately apparent that the "Elephant" crew wasn't prepared—
Evening wear seemed to be a last-minute arrangement.
Not that they looked bad, but the meticulous preparation for the premiere was missing. From the style to the color, everything seemed a bit too standard.
White shirts, black suits, black bow ties.
The design details might differ slightly, but the overall style remained the same.
In terms of brands, Gus was likely in Armani, Eric in Dior, and Alex in Burberry. Each chose a suit that suited them, but the designs and styles appeared conventional.
In a rush, avoiding mistakes became the priority.
Details often reveal the truth; it seems the "Elephant" crew was indeed caught off guard.
In a previous interview, Gus said:
Just being selected for the Cannes main competition was a surprise. He initially wanted to work with HBO to make this film to provide some warnings and reminders, but Cannes accepted the film and even gave it main competition treatment. This is an honor, and he has no other expectations.
Awards? Not at all.
Now it seems Gus was being honest.
So, what about Anson?
The second car pulled up.
Swish, swish, swish.
All cameras swiftly adjusted. Immanuel's camera lens aimed and focused. The moment the car door opened, her finger pressed the shutter.
Click, click, click.
The shutter sounds escalated a notch, and the surging heat at the entrance of the Palais des Festivals came crashing down, the world blurring into a sea of silver.
As Anson stood still, the energy unexpectedly surged, rendering all other sounds silent.
Boom! Buzz, buzz, buzz...
A thunderous roar.
In the vast expanse of the silver curtain, Anson's silhouette faintly emerged, the gaze tracing from the ground up.
Black shoes, black trousers, unremarkable.
The only praise-worthy aspect was his physique; his legs seemed to stretch endlessly, always astonishing.
A blue suit, white shirt, nothing special.
At first glance, nothing stood out, leaving a slight sense of disappointment.
It wasn't that the reporters were picky, but Anson had already set a higher standard. The outfits at the opening ceremony and the premiere were not only stunning but also bold and sharp, causing a sensation on the red carpet, still memorable to this day.
In comparison, the difference was clear—
Was there anything different between Anson and Gus and the others?
Wait, there was something different.
The most direct and obvious difference was Anson's suit jacket, unlike the others. It was a single-breasted navy blue jacket.
However, what stood out was that Anson had unbelievably rolled up the sleeves of his jacket.
What... kind of rebellious hobo style is this?
No one—mind you, no! one!—rolls up the sleeves of their suit jacket. For those of noble status, even rolling up the sleeves of a shirt is considered untidy and lazy, let alone a suit?
But Anson did just that.
Neatly and tidily, he rolled up the sleeves as if he were a good student. Even in rebellion, he did so in a disciplined manner.
Then, he revealed the light blue lining inside the suit.
So the suit transformed into three-quarter sleeves. One would think this would look cheap and rough, but it didn't. Instead, it appeared youthful and vibrant.
Details are key.
From black to navy blue to light blue, finally transitioning to the white of the shirt, the entire outfit seamlessly showcased a gradation and change of color.
Just like "Elephant."
In the film, the change in the sky is the only hint in the frame. In daily life, it seems like nothing happens, but the sky has already revealed the turning point of fate.
Anson subtly presented this.
If you observe more closely, you can notice two more details.
First, Anson wasn't wearing a bow tie but a black, narrow woven tie.
The usual tie people are accustomed to can be tucked into the waistband. But Anson's tie only reached the fourth button on his shirt.
Narrow and short.
Second, Anson had a red string tied around his left wrist. No jewelry or diamonds, just a simple red string, yet it became the highlight of his entire outfit.
Like the touch of red that lit up Gus and the others' black suits on the premiere red carpet.
An entire outfit that seemed ordinary and conventional was, in fact, rebellious and full of thought in every detail. Moreover, everything became unique because of Anson.
Capturing the gaze, impossible to look away.