Chapter Ten: Replacing the Leading Man

"Cut!"
"Cut!"
"Cut!"
...
Yan Xu called for a halt once again, his brows tightly furrowed.

"How many times have I told you, your expression isn't right. You're impatient inside, and the dancer in your car is someone you despise. The type of woman you hate most—she vomited all over your car. Then, with the sudden rain, your childhood traumas surge back. Your anger is only conveyed through your eyes: cold, uncontrollable fury, not lust. You're a psychological deviant, not a lecher." Yan Xu could no longer contain himself and strode up to the male actor, launching into a furious tirade.

The filming of the movie had no grand publicity, no rituals or offerings—such a low-budget production left no room for those expenses. Originally, Yan Xu thought the greatest challenge would be the numerous actors with no experience, but to his surprise, mistake after mistake kept coming from the male lead.

This male lead had been specially selected, having attended the TVB acting classes, and he'd played lead roles in a few films. His appearance matched Yan Xu's vision for the protagonist. Yan Xu had even set aside a week and paid him ten thousand dollars for his role—the main highlight of the film was this character, and Yan Xu wasn't afraid to invest heavily because of it.

But now, the male lead left Yan Xu thoroughly disappointed. His acting was leagues apart from Ren Dahua's. If it was just a minor gap, Yan Xu could have tolerated it, but the lead couldn't grasp or convey the protagonist's psyche at all, turning a twisted soul into a mere pervert.

"Why so many demands? He is a pervert, isn't he? Otherwise, why would he violate corpses? What's wrong with my performance?" The actor, too, grew impatient with Yan Xu's requirements. With films like these, usually everyone just muddles through—no director ever has so many demands, especially with such a small budget and short filming schedule. No one bothers to delve into the protagonist's inner world.

"I paid you to act, so you should follow my instructions. Did you even read the script properly? He violates corpses, yes, but only because he really liked that female student. When he killed the first victim, he felt no guilt, just driven by rage—it was a prostitute, and he felt as if he was carrying out justice. For the second and third victims, he killed because he'd become addicted. By the fourth, he was weary. Before killing her, he talked with her in the car for a long time, and only then did he violate her corpse." Yan Xu spoke with a deep frown.

"So you spent money, and now you think you're all that? For a low-budget production, is all this necessary? Forget it, I'm not filming anymore. Go find someone else." The actor, having been scolded by such a minor director, was furious. If it weren't for the ten thousand a week—which was not a small sum for him—he would never have taken on such a shoddy project.

"If you want to leave, then leave. Don't think this film can't go on without you. Who do you think you are? Even a background actor performs better than you." Yan Xu, having wasted so much film, was already in a foul mood. He'd invested everything into this film, and his impatience boiled over, leading to a heated argument with the actor.

**************************

The lead actor left, and the shoot couldn't proceed. No one expected the film to end so abruptly on its very first day, and nobody knew when it could resume.

"What now? You managed to drive the lead away," Ji Mao said as he saw Yan Xu sitting alone with a dark expression. He opened a bottle of beer and handed it to him.

"What kind of actor is that? Arrogant, with no professionalism," Yan Xu said angrily. In his view, apart from the top stars, few actors dared confront the director. Most would go out of their way to curry favor just for more screen time.

"They're all like this now. With so many productions, these actors—recognizable but not expensive—never worry about finding work," Brother Nine said, walking over to Yan Xu. He'd been overseeing the film shoots for the club, making him a semi-insider in the industry.

"Should we halt the shoot and look for another male lead?" Ji Mao asked, taking a swig of beer.

"The shoot can't stop," Yan Xu raised his head. His budget was nearly spent; if filming paused for even a day, he'd incur losses he couldn't bear.

"What about the male lead? Your standards are high, and you won't find someone like that overnight. Plus, good actors aren't cheap," Brother Nine said.

"This..." Yan Xu's expression darkened; he was deeply troubled.

"Why not play the role yourself? Nobody understands the script better than you, and you don't look bad—maybe you could even become a star," Ji Mao remarked offhandedly.

"Ah!" Though Ji Mao spoke casually, Yan Xu heard every word, and his eyes lit up.

Why couldn't he act himself? He'd seen both the film and TV versions, studied acting at school, and his looks weren't lacking. The role suited him perfectly, and if he acted, he'd save a considerable amount.

"Alright, it's settled." Yan Xu slapped his knee.

"What is it?" Ji Mao and Brother Nine looked at Yan Xu together.

"I'll play the lead myself!" Yan Xu stood up, expression resolute.

**************************

With Yan Xu taking the lead role, filming resumed and quickly entered a steady rhythm. Within days, most scenes were shot.

Apart from the main plot points Yan Xu recalled, he enriched several scenes and details. The second and third victims, previously glossed over, now received more screen time, though not excessively so. Notably, the dismemberment scenes—Yan Xu being a devout Cult film enthusiast and a lover of splatter flicks—featured far more gore than the original.

At the time, Hong Kong operated under only the film censorship system, but since it had no legal basis, the ordinance enacted in 1953 was essentially illegitimate. The censorship was largely enforced through administrative orders by successive government press directors, with most banned films being those involving politics. Excessive sexual or gruesome scenes, however, rarely faced much interference. For instance, in Li Han-hsiang's 1975 film "The Amorous Adventures," there was a bold nude scene between the prince and one of the actresses playing the princess, even including foot licking—a daring move for that era. Similar scenes appeared in many of Li Han-hsiang's later films.