China's Korean War movie smashes box office record, China became the world biggest movie market

[beijingwalker]

China's Korean War movie smashes box office record, China became the world biggest movie market
https://edition.cnn.com/profiles/laura-he
CNN Business

Updated 1019 GMT (1819 HKT) October 4, 2021

Movie goers passing in front of a poster for "The Battle At Lake Changjin" in a cinema in Wuhan, China.

"The Battle at Lake Changjin" was released at the start of the week-long holiday in China and was also timed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party.

It tells the story of the brutal 1950 Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War. The Chinese side claims it as the most critical victory of the conflict, known in China as the "War to Resist American Aggression and Aid Korea."

It is the "most expensive film" made in China, Bona Film's chairman Yu Dong told media at its premiere last month. The Hollywood Reporter previously reported the movie had a budget of 1.3 billion yuan ($200 million).

Yu said that he was inspired by patriotic Korean war films when he grew up, and wanted to make a new one"for the young people today," according to the state-owned National Business Daily.

Dengta, a box office data app owned by Alibaba(BABA), forecast the film will pull in as much as 4.5 billion yuan ($700 million). That could make it the second biggest movie globally this year, behind the $822 million earned by Chinese comedy "Hi, Mom," according to data compiled by Box Office Mojo.

In 2020, China overtook the United States to become the top movie market in the world — a milestone achieved in large part because the United States struggled to contain the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, many of the biggest box office draws in the last few months were produced by Chinese studios and production companies, including last year's top film, the Chinese war epic "The Eight Hundred."

China's Korean War propaganda movie smashes box office record

A film glorifying the heroism of Chinese soldiers fighting American troops during the Korean War smashed box office records for China's National Day holiday.

edition.cnn.com

 

[MH.Yang]

Just three days after screening, the box office has reached 2 billion CNY (US $0.32 billion). The film has the opportunity to challenge the box office of 10 billion CNY (US $1.6 billion).

The film will enter the top ten box office in the world.

 

[beijingwalker]

The runaway success of a Korean War movie blockbuster perfectly captures China’s national mood amid rising tensions with the US
Tom Fowdy

5 Oct, 2021 12:54

'Zhang jin hu' (2021) Dir: Chen Kaige, Dante Lam, Cui Hark © Bona Film Group

Think ‘No Time To Die’ was the world’s biggest film last weekend? Think again. Chinese Korean War epic ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ took that accolade, serving as an indicator of the rising wave of patriotism in the country.

The Chinese historical drama smashed local box office records over the past week, becoming one of the most lucrative National Day earners in the country’s history and raking in nearly $300 million in just under four days.

The film tells how Chinese troops confronted the United Nations Command led by Douglas MacArthur in 1950 at Chosin Reservoir in North Korea, after the American general had decided to cross the 38th parallel. The battle would become one of China’s most iconic victories in the conflict, forcing the UN Command to retreat south.

Despite there being thousands of movies glorifying US exceptionalism and militarism, CNN predictably branded ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ a “propaganda movie” – but that ultimately tells us little about why it’s been so successful, and why there is such an appetite for films like this in China.

The Chinese film market has always been huge, and is still growing. Indeed, since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic it has boasted some of the world’s highest grossing films, as the Western box office has faltered. But this particular movie is proving popular for specific reasons, and it is true to say they are political: there is a rising wave of patriotism in view of China’s increasing tensions with the US. The film’s premise has never been more relevant.

Whilst nationalistic movies have had huge success in China before – in particular the now notorious ‘Wolf Warrior 2’, which depicted a fictional rescue mission in Africa – the Korean War has long held a special status in contemporary Chinese history.

Officially described as ‘The War to Resist American Aggression And Aid Korea’, China’s intervention in the conflict in 1950 is heralded as a historical turning point as it represents the moment where the country was no longer prepared to be militarily subjugated or bullied by the West. Instead it stood up to it, and held its own in the process, consolidating itself as a force to be reckoned with.

With the People’s Republic of China having been established by Mao Zedong only a year previously, Beijing’s entry into the war effectively helped him consolidate his power and set the narrative that China had stood up when it mattered. It demonstrated that it was a power again in its own right, thus closing ‘the century of humiliation’ which had haunted the country for the previous 100 years.

The results only served this narrative well. With North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung having failed to capture South Korea and been outwitted by MacArthur through the Incheon Landing, the UN forces invaded North Korea and then tried to extend the conflict into China, ignoring Beijing’s warnings.

Subsequent accounts have revealed that MacArthur wanted to drop a number of atomic bombs near the Sino-Korean border to consolidate the peninsula. Despite the fact that at the time, the newly created PRC had no air force and no navy – although it was given subtle air support by the Soviet Union’s Stalin – what was named the People’s Volunteer Army crossed the Yalu River between North Korea and China and launched a blistering offensive, which saw the allies pushed back as far as Seoul.

Although the Korean War would ultimately end in a stalemate around the 38th parallel, thus preserving the status quo division of the peninsula, with China having suffered considerable losses, the conflict continues to be perceived as a triumph. Its legacy instils a sense of confidence that China has taken on the US before, held its own and can do so again.

This sets the stage for its relevance today, with US-China tensions escalating, the Americans attempting to advance their military containment of China via AUKUS and sporadic aircraft carrier naval exercises, while things are heating up in the Taiwan Strait.

As a result, the legacy of the Korean War has become something the Chinese people can connect with in a patriotic way, expressing their own sense of national confidence with a view to the challenges which lie ahead.

And whilst a film is a film, its message and the legacy of that war should be taken seriously: that China is always prepared to fight for its own interests, press hard and endure sacrifices for doing so, whether in the past, present or future. This is how the Chinese people understand their own national obligation.

The People’s Republic of China is built wholeheartedly on these recurring themes of humiliation and national revival, and in no circumstances will Beijing let the country be subjugated again. We will see this play out in the various flashpoints of the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and so on, and while conflict may not be inevitable, the message is abundantly clear: do not underestimate China.

If the country was prepared to go all out against a coalition of the United States and all its allies with a peasant army, no navy and no air force, what could it achieve today? It’s unlikely the people would be any less willing now.

Those who are banging the drums of war and looking for confrontation with Beijing would do well to remember the legacy of the Korean War, which is sometimes called ‘the forgotten war’ in the West. China certainly hasn’t forgotten about it – as is amply demonstrated by the appetite to see ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’.

The runaway success of a Korean War movie blockbuster perfectly captures China’s national mood amid rising tensions with the US

Think ‘No Time To Die’ was the world’s biggest film last weekend? Think again. Chinese Korean War epic ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ took that accolade, serving as an indicator of the rising wave of patriotism in the country.

www.rt.com

 

[MH.Yang]

The flag of the 31st regiment of the 7th infantry division of the USA Army, which was completely annihilated by the volunteers in Lake Changjin.

 

[Beast]

The back ground and even war equipment are very realistic. They even reactivate real M-26 Pershing tank capture during Korean war to be used in the movie.

The flag of the 31st regiment of the 7th infantry division of the USA Army, which was completely annihilated by the volunteers in Lake Changjin.

View attachment 782377

Not only that, the US commander was shot in head and died instantly.

The runaway success of a Korean War movie blockbuster perfectly captures China’s national mood amid rising tensions with the US
Tom Fowdy

5 Oct, 2021 12:54

'Zhang jin hu' (2021) Dir: Chen Kaige, Dante Lam, Cui Hark © Bona Film Group

Think ‘No Time To Die’ was the world’s biggest film last weekend? Think again. Chinese Korean War epic ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ took that accolade, serving as an indicator of the rising wave of patriotism in the country.

The Chinese historical drama smashed local box office records over the past week, becoming one of the most lucrative National Day earners in the country’s history and raking in nearly $300 million in just under four days.

The film tells how Chinese troops confronted the United Nations Command led by Douglas MacArthur in 1950 at Chosin Reservoir in North Korea, after the American general had decided to cross the 38th parallel. The battle would become one of China’s most iconic victories in the conflict, forcing the UN Command to retreat south.

Despite there being thousands of movies glorifying US exceptionalism and militarism, CNN predictably branded ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ a “propaganda movie” – but that ultimately tells us little about why it’s been so successful, and why there is such an appetite for films like this in China.

The Chinese film market has always been huge, and is still growing. Indeed, since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic it has boasted some of the world’s highest grossing films, as the Western box office has faltered. But this particular movie is proving popular for specific reasons, and it is true to say they are political: there is a rising wave of patriotism in view of China’s increasing tensions with the US. The film’s premise has never been more relevant.

Whilst nationalistic movies have had huge success in China before – in particular the now notorious ‘Wolf Warrior 2’, which depicted a fictional rescue mission in Africa – the Korean War has long held a special status in contemporary Chinese history.

Officially described as ‘The War to Resist American Aggression And Aid Korea’, China’s intervention in the conflict in 1950 is heralded as a historical turning point as it represents the moment where the country was no longer prepared to be militarily subjugated or bullied by the West. Instead it stood up to it, and held its own in the process, consolidating itself as a force to be reckoned with.

With the People’s Republic of China having been established by Mao Zedong only a year previously, Beijing’s entry into the war effectively helped him consolidate his power and set the narrative that China had stood up when it mattered. It demonstrated that it was a power again in its own right, thus closing ‘the century of humiliation’ which had haunted the country for the previous 100 years.

The results only served this narrative well. With North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung having failed to capture South Korea and been outwitted by MacArthur through the Incheon Landing, the UN forces invaded North Korea and then tried to extend the conflict into China, ignoring Beijing’s warnings.

Subsequent accounts have revealed that MacArthur wanted to drop a number of atomic bombs near the Sino-Korean border to consolidate the peninsula. Despite the fact that at the time, the newly created PRC had no air force and no navy – although it was given subtle air support by the Soviet Union’s Stalin – what was named the People’s Volunteer Army crossed the Yalu River between North Korea and China and launched a blistering offensive, which saw the allies pushed back as far as Seoul.

Although the Korean War would ultimately end in a stalemate around the 38th parallel, thus preserving the status quo division of the peninsula, with China having suffered considerable losses, the conflict continues to be perceived as a triumph. Its legacy instils a sense of confidence that China has taken on the US before, held its own and can do so again.

This sets the stage for its relevance today, with US-China tensions escalating, the Americans attempting to advance their military containment of China via AUKUS and sporadic aircraft carrier naval exercises, while things are heating up in the Taiwan Strait.

As a result, the legacy of the Korean War has become something the Chinese people can connect with in a patriotic way, expressing their own sense of national confidence with a view to the challenges which lie ahead.

And whilst a film is a film, its message and the legacy of that war should be taken seriously: that China is always prepared to fight for its own interests, press hard and endure sacrifices for doing so, whether in the past, present or future. This is how the Chinese people understand their own national obligation.

The People’s Republic of China is built wholeheartedly on these recurring themes of humiliation and national revival, and in no circumstances will Beijing let the country be subjugated again. We will see this play out in the various flashpoints of the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and so on, and while conflict may not be inevitable, the message is abundantly clear: do not underestimate China.

If the country was prepared to go all out against a coalition of the United States and all its allies with a peasant army, no navy and no air force, what could it achieve today? It’s unlikely the people would be any less willing now.

Those who are banging the drums of war and looking for confrontation with Beijing would do well to remember the legacy of the Korean War, which is sometimes called ‘the forgotten war’ in the West. China certainly hasn’t forgotten about it – as is amply demonstrated by the appetite to see ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’.

The runaway success of a Korean War movie blockbuster perfectly captures China’s national mood amid rising tensions with the US

Think ‘No Time To Die’ was the world’s biggest film last weekend? Think again. Chinese Korean War epic ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ took that accolade, serving as an indicator of the rising wave of patriotism in the country.

www.rt.com

Actually, if they can make a movie about 38th PLA army in second campaign of Korea war will be better. That unit is legendary. They make incredible feat which are impossible to replicate even by any army unit.

 

[Battlion25]

China's Korean War movie smashes box office record, China became the world biggest movie market
https://edition.cnn.com/profiles/laura-he
CNN Business

Updated 1019 GMT (1819 HKT) October 4, 2021

Movie goers passing in front of a poster for "The Battle At Lake Changjin" in a cinema in Wuhan, China.

"The Battle at Lake Changjin" was released at the start of the week-long holiday in China and was also timed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party.

It tells the story of the brutal 1950 Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War. The Chinese side claims it as the most critical victory of the conflict, known in China as the "War to Resist American Aggression and Aid Korea."

It is the "most expensive film" made in China, Bona Film's chairman Yu Dong told media at its premiere last month. The Hollywood Reporter previously reported the movie had a budget of 1.3 billion yuan ($200 million).

Yu said that he was inspired by patriotic Korean war films when he grew up, and wanted to make a new one"for the young people today," according to the state-owned National Business Daily.

Dengta, a box office data app owned by Alibaba(BABA), forecast the film will pull in as much as 4.5 billion yuan ($700 million). That could make it the second biggest movie globally this year, behind the $822 million earned by Chinese comedy "Hi, Mom," according to data compiled by Box Office Mojo.

In 2020, China overtook the United States to become the top movie market in the world — a milestone achieved in large part because the United States struggled to contain the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, many of the biggest box office draws in the last few months were produced by Chinese studios and production companies, including last year's top film, the Chinese war epic "The Eight Hundred."

China's Korean War propaganda movie smashes box office record

A film glorifying the heroism of Chinese soldiers fighting American troops during the Korean War smashed box office records for China's National Day holiday.

edition.cnn.com

I have been waiting for this movie and I always wanted to see a Chinese point of view in that war. China basically created North Korea and had they not intervened it would have been one korea but typically I have seen the watered down South Korean-American version highly propagandist almost unwatchable.

Here is a funny part I noticed in that South Korean-American version or take on the Korean war Turkey makes a cameo out of nowhere and puts troops on the ground.. I was like wait what

Turkey remembers its fallen soldiers in Korean War
ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

Turkey’s dispatch of soldiers to the Korean War in 1950 has brought the countries closer together, developing both diplomatic and economic ties.


Turkey was the country sending the fourth most troops to Korea, with four brigades of a total 21,212 soldiers.

Turkey was third among the 16 participating countries in terms of casualties with over 900 total dead, veterans and missing in action. The U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan bears 462 Turkish soldiers.

Ankara and Seoul have enjoyed amicable relations since the 1950s, with each country’s leaders maintaining bilateral ties as well as dialogue within international organizations such as the U.N., G20 and MIKTA (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey, Australia).

On the 60th anniversary of relations in 2017, 120,622 Korean tourists visited Turkey, while 27,272 Turkish tourists visited South Korea.

Turkey remembers its fallen soldiers in Korean War - Türkiye News

Turkey’s dispatch of soldiers to the Korean War in 1950 has brought the countries closer together, developing both diplomatic and economic ties.

www.hurriyetdailynews.com

 

[Song Hong]

Unfortunately out of the 9th corp, the 20th and 27th Army were disbanded. Only the 26th army remains.

US 1st Marine barely escaped when bombers bombed out a corridor 24 x 7.

 

[beijingwalker]

In 1950 US GDP accounted for 52% of the world total with best military equipment and battle harden troops, China can not even produce screws and bolts, this is incredible courage and bravery for the Chinese leaders and troops .

 

[Song Hong]

I watch the trailer. It has a critical flaw. It portrays PLA use human wave attack, which in reality, such techniques are despise in all PLA ranks.

To sum up how PLA wins, basically PLA commanders deploys soldiers as if everyone are special forces. PLA form crack teams, to infiltrate, ambush at night at omni direction. Then US bombers and come and found they cant drop any bomb without massive collaterals. Heavy weapons are no use because attack are at close range.

 

[FuturePAF]

In 1950 US GDP accounted for 52% of the world total with best military equipment and battle harden troops, China can not even produce screws and bolts, this is incredible courage and bravery for the Chinese leaders and troops .

Especially considering US troops were battle hardened having just completely defeated the Germans and Japanese in 4 years of total war. The Chinese too had just come off driving the Japanese out and driving the KMT to Taiwan.

 

[Song Hong]

Especially considering US troops were battle hardened having just completely defeated the Germans and Japanese in 4 years of total war.

What do you think about the human wave tactics employed by the PLA and North Koreans?

No human wave. PLA knew long ago, with 2-3 maxim machine guns, an entire division will be massacre. Human wave is what US and S Korea tried to denigrate PLA, after they become sore losers.

 

[kankan326]

Especially considering US troops were battle hardened having just completely defeated the Germans and Japanese in 4 years of total war. The Chinese too had just come off driving the Japanese out and driving the KMT to Taiwan.

What do you think about the human wave tactics employed by the PLA and North Koreans? Do you think this guy gives a fair assessment (despite his choice of certain words)?

Human wave for machine guns. Just check the cacualties in world war 1.

 

[Song Hong]

Another reason why PLA won is because the US division level maneuver trajectory is extremely predictable. US troops cannot fight without wasting ammo. Upon all engagement, the coward US will first lavish incredible amount of ammo on target.

In this scenario, all US troops cannot stay far away from big trucks. When US are overstretch, PLA just cut of their supply line and encircle them. It will be matter of time they run out of bullets. When such things happen, the US commanders will give order to flee ASAP.

 

[Oldman1]

Another reason why PLA won is because the US division level maneuver trajectory is extremely predictable. US troops cannot fight without wasting ammo. Upon all engagement, the coward US will first lavish incredible amount of ammo on target.

In this scenario, all US troops cannot stay far away from big trucks. When US are overstretch, PLA just cut of their supply line and encircle them. It will be matter of time they run out of bullets. When such things happen, the US commanders will give order to flee ASAP.

PLA didn't win. South Korea still exists.

 

[beijingwalker]

PLA didn't win. South Korea still exists.

PLA won, North Korea still exists.