SPOILERS

POSTSCRIPT/ DIRECTOR'S DVD COMMENTARY

I wanted to contrast Junggar being cajoled to sign a “three-wish” contract that offers him wealth and immortality, immediately after the Author is pressured to sign a “three-book” contract that offers him a franchise and a “resurrection engine.” Junggar’s act of tearing the contract is wish-fulfillment for the Author who feels trapped by his own obligations and needs.

The Djinn asks “What do you want?” because, as a supernatural merchant, he literally cannot conceive of a being who doesn't have a price. In the Prelude, Zhongyuan represents the “Market”. To the Market, the answer to “What do you want?” is always money, fame, or a legacy. The Author’s wish for something else is just as incomprehensible.

The Author’s voicemail is the answer to that unasked question. He wants the one thing no contract can give: reality to be different. The “Resurrection Engine” that would appease the publisher is a cheap, literary substitute for the miracle he actually needs, for the woman to whom he keeps calling, knowing she won’t pick up.

Feedback welcomed—do I need to be more ‘on the nose’ about the sub-themes?

JUNGGAR'S HUNT CONTINUES SOON…