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Home-grown movies are pulling in big audiences

By Edward Mills (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-01-05 08:36

The cinema always seems like an ideal choice around the holiday period, especially in the winter. A comfortable warm environment to escape the cold for a few hours with friends and loved ones, that perfectly goes with eating out or an alternative - a tried and tested method of relaxation for many.

In this period, though, the cinemas were even more crammed than usual, with long queues at many locations and difficulty with online booking, other than significantly in advance. The reasons for this particular challenge are two new Chinese-made films that arrived on the big screen toward the end of last month.

The first of the two, Let the Bullets Fly, is billed as an action comedy by some, an "Eastern" (to the Americans' Western) and a thriller by all.

It takes place in an isolated town in the south of China in the early 1920s. The protagonist (and director of the film, Jiang Wen) kidnaps and takes the place of the new county magistrate, an imposter to be installed by the local big shot. The result is the extreme displeasure of this figure, played by Chow Yun-fat, triggering a drawn out power struggle between the two, Jiang's black humor ever-present throughout.

The film was released on Dec 16 and by the weekend became the fastest local film to breach the 100 million yuan mark. With a great many still flocking to see this film, it's possible it will be breaking a few more records during the coming weeks.

The second major Chinese release, If You Are the One II, is a completely different kettle of fish.

Following up from Feng Xiaogang's highly successful prequel, the romantic comedy sees a not untypical storyline for the genre - but a love story is always horrendously popular and this follow-up is unlikely to be an exception, especially with the Chinese setting. Released just before Christmas, on Dec 22, it's certain many cinema-goers will be looking to catch this film at the moment.

Beijingers, like the majority of the population in China, pay special attention to the newest homemade releases. The draw of language, history and cultural elements present in these films that compliment the Chinese mindset, cause a lot more interest in these movies than those coming from abroad.

That said, in the case of the initial film mentioned particularly, it's not just the home audience that have enjoyed this film. A leading Hollywood film studio has already snapped up the rights to remake Let the Bullets Fly for an American audience and has even invited Jiang to direct it, according to the marketing director for the movie, Yan Yunfei.

Undoubtedly, it shows Chinese cinema is improving rapidly and one expects the original to have some following around the world regardless of the remake, with many reviews from outside China being equally favorable.

Those who have seen both films thoroughly recommend seeing them, for different reasons. If like me, you enjoy a laugh alongside complex character interplay and "Eastern" action, Let the Bullets Fly might be the film worth watching to conclude your winter evening successfully.

If you're into Chinese love stories, If You Are the One II is the movie for you, or one to placate the other half in a trade for watching the first.

With such high praise from the critics, it seems fair to say both films will be viewed by most. Let the Bullets Fly was a must-see for me, although one can't forget the subtitled version if watching the version in Sichuan dialect.