Cinema reframes wartime memory

Through cultural lens

As one of the most powerful Chinese movies commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Dead to Rights has grossed 2.58 billion yuan ($359.3 million), topping the country's box-office charts in summer — a fiercely contested season running from June 1 to Aug 31.

Released on Aug 7 in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada, it will soon expand to Malaysia, Singapore, Russia and South Korea.

Gaining fame from a series of films inspired by real-life incidents, with No More Bets being his previous most successful work, Shen employs a calm and restrained narrative to portray an ensemble of ordinary people turned heroes, including a postal worker, a little-known actress, a photo studio owner and his family, and a soldier.