Posters for "My Country, My Parents" (L) and "The Battle at Lake Changjin" (R). /CFP
Much-anticipated war-epic film "The Battle at Lake Changjin” rocketed to 1.012 billion yuan ($155.12 million) at the Chinese box office on Saturday, just three days after its release on Thursday. With a score of 9.5 out of 10 on China's major movie rating platform Maoyan, the 176-minute movie is proving to be a satisfying pleasure for audiences.
It has broken 10 Chinese film history records, including the National Day holiday film single-day box office record, the National Day holiday film opening day screen time record, and the opening day box office record for a war movie.
A poster of the Chinese historical film "The Battle at Lake Changjin" at a cinema in Beijing, October 1, 2021. /CFP
The battle took place at Lake Changjin area on the eastern front in the second battle of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.
Three corps of the 9th Corps of the Chinese People's Volunteers Army (CPVA) had a direct contest with the U.S. Army between November 27 to December 24, 1950. The ill-equipped CPVA wiped out an entire world-class equipped regiment of American troops.
The epic war is brought to the screen by famous Chinese directors Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam. The cast also brings together A-listers such as China's leading actors and idols Wu Jing, Jackson Yee, Zhu Yawen, Li Chen, Hu Jun and Duan Yihong.
Actor Wu Jing (L) and Jackson Yee (R) at the premiere in Beijing, China, September 25, 2021. /CFP
"It was a very fierce battle. The CPVA entered Korea in thin cotton clothing and could not keep up with supplies. We paid a great sacrifice and price," Yu Dong, the film's chief producer said.
"The strategic significance of this war is huge. It directly affected the entire War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, and laid the foundation for victory. But for a lot of reasons, the story has never been told." Yu also pointed out that the film is educational since the history of the epic battle is little known.
While "The Battle at Lake Changjin" presents a major historical event for the audience, the movie "My Country, My Parents" released on the same day reflects the changes in Chinese history and the inheritance of the national spirit from the perspective of small characters. According to data from Maoyan, the movie touched 419 million yuan at the box office.
During the National Day holiday, 13 films are being screened with a wide range of themes from history and war to romance and cartoon fantasy. Eleven of these 13 films are made in China.