HONG KONG – Chinese filmmakers suffered a further
setback at home this week, when Ang Lee's Life of Pi
reigned at the box office despite the challenge of two
newly released locally produced historical epics.
Life of Pi, which was into the second week of its run, took
160 million yuan ($25.7 million) from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2,
according to figures from China Film News, a portal run
by the official State Administration of Radio, Film and
Television. Feng Xiaogang's Back to 1942, secured 130
million yuan ($20.9 million), with Lu Chuan's period
drama The Last Supper lagging behind with 40 million
yuan ($6.4 million).
Admittedly, both Back to 1942 and The Last Supper were
released only on Nov. 29, but Life of Pi's takings were still
a surprise, as it was taken off the popular Imax circuit to
make way for Back to 1942.
Critics have described Life of Pi's resilience in China as
an "upset." Quoted in the Guangzhou newspaper
Southern Metropolis Daily, a blogger called "Bright Light
Dark Shadow" wrote: "I bet Ang Lee wouldn't have
expected something like this – and Feng Xiaogang and Lu
Chuan wouldn't have expected this even more."
Critically acclaimed at home and abroad – it won a prize
at the Rome international film festival last month – Back
to 1942, which stars Chinese A-listers Zhang Guoli and
Zhang Hanyu as well as U.S. actors Adrien Brody and
Tim Robbins, is still expected to be rack up impressive
takings during its continuing run. But this short-term
defeat adds to what has amounted to a disappointing
year in terms of Chinese productions' performances,
with Painted Skin: Resurrection being the only homespun
movie landing a berth in the Top Ten highest-grossing
films in the country in 2012.
It's amidst such gloom that rumors circulated widely
about two Hollywood blockbusters, Skyfall and The
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, being bumped to a
release in early 2013 so as to give Chinese productions a
clear run in local cinemas, with commentators pointing
to how The Dark Knight, The Amazing Spider-Man and
Prometheus – which all took bows in other markets
across different weeks in July – were released during the
same weekend in China in August
Ironically, Back to 1942 and The Last Supper were made
to suffer the same fate this time round, as both films
were pitched head-to-head after a string of changed
release dates – a situation caused by the political
uncertainty surrounding the run-up to the 18th National
Congress of the Chinese Communist Party last month.
Feng has also criticized the Imax chain for whipping up a
media frenzy for Life of Pi. In a press conference in
Guangzhou promoting Back to 1942 last week, the
mainland director – who is well-known for his fiery
broadsides against his detractors - said: "I don't want to
sound like weaving conspiracies here, but they have
done promotion… by saying Life of Pi will only be
released [on Imax] for a week, and you've got to come
see it quickly as after this week there will only be Back to
1942."
He was referring to the exclusive deals offered by the
Imax chain in China, stipulating there will only be one film
being released in the large-size format at any given time.
Meanwhile, The Last Supper – which was hotly tipped for
a premiere at Cannes in May – was originally to open in
China in early July. Speaking at a forum at the Shanghai
International Film Festival in June, Lu and his producers
hinted at state intervention as the reason for the
subsequent postponement of the local release of the
film, which revolves around the power struggle between
two warlords seeking to become the ruler of an unified
China after the end of the Qin Dynasty.
