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BEIJING: A Chinese film set during one of the darkest chapters of the country’s modern history is taking the domestic box office by storm this summer, as China keeps up a nationwide campaign to mark 80 years since the end of World War II.
Wartime thriller Dead to Rights has raked in 1.5 billion yuan (US$208 million) since its Jul 25 premiere, topping charts, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing ticketing data from online platform Maoyan.
Set against the backdrop of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre - the mass killing and sexual assault of tens of thousands of Chinese civilians by invading Japanese troops - the film follows a group of survivors who seek refuge in a photo studio.
While developing photos for the invading army, the civilians uncover graphic images of the atrocities and risk their lives to preserve the evidence.
Dead to Rights has been well-received in China, holding a 9.7 rating on Maoyan and 8.6 on Chinese review platform Douban.
"Personally, what moved me to tears were the before and after pictures shown during the closing scene. Having studied in Nanjing, seeing familiar landmarks presented in such a manner truly stirred my emotions,” said a Douban user who left a positive review.
Another user called it his "number one Chinese film of the year", adding that the movie's greatest strength lay in using the civilians' stories to reflect larger historical events.
Dead to Rights has opened in Macau and is scheduled for release in Hong Kong this month. The movie is also slated to premiere in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Malaysia and Singapore, according to Chinese news outlet CGTN.
Anticipation is also building for another wartime title.
Titled 731, the film depicts the harrowing human experiments and biological warfare carried out by Japan’s Unit 731. It is set to open in Chinese cinemas on Sep 18 - the 94th anniversary of Imperial Japan’s invasion of China.
The film was originally slated for release on Jul 31, in a nod to the unit’s numerical designation, but the debut was eventually pushed back without explanation.
CHINA’S COMMEMORATIVE CAMPAIGN
The release of Dead to Rights and the upcoming premiere of 731 come amid a broader commemorative push by Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII.
In July, Chinese officials unveiled a dedicated exhibition at the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing. The 12,200 sq m exhibition features 1,525 photos and 3,237 cultural relics, and is slated to become a permanent fixture at the museum.
In a press conference in early July, Chinese authorities also announced a series of themed audio-visual works to be released across radio, television and online platforms.
"We are advancing the creation of a series of themed works that tell the story of the Chinese people's unyielding struggle before, during, and after the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression,” said Liu Jianguo, a deputy director of the National Radio and Television Administration, as reported by the state-run Global Times.
The headline event will take place on Sep 3, when China stages a major military parade to mark the end of WWII.
It will take place in Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing, a decade after such a Victory Day parade was first held.
It is expected to feature marching troops, armoured columns and aerial flypasts. State news agency Xinhua said the parade would also showcase "new types of combat forces, including unmanned, intelligent equipment".
Officials have said leaders and senior officials of foreign countries will be invited to the ceremony. The Kremlin has already confirmed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attendance.
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