An influx of foreign movies seems to have pushed domestic filmmakers to greater creativity and use of themes that appeal to locals. Xu Wei explains the big picture.

The past year of 2013 was like a roller coast ride for Chinese filmmakers and producers. The big increase in the import quotas of US films (now a total of 34 US films a year) undoubtedly aroused wide concern about the domestic film industry.

However, every sword has two edges. China’s box office last year marked a surprising revival of homegrown movies and indicate that influx of Hollywood films has been not a nightmare or invasion as feared, but a strong push for the domestic industry.

Last year, domestic box-office receipts hit 21.8 billion yuan ($US3.6 billion), a 34.6-percent increase from the previous year. It was also 10 times the figure of 2006.

Domestic films grossed 12.8 billion yuan, up 54.3 percent from the previous year. They became the dominant share of the Chinese market, accounting for 58.7 percent of mainland box-office revenues last year. In 2012 domestic movies were only 48.5 percent of the total.

Among the 10 highest-grossing movies in 2013, seven are homegrown movies and only three are Hollywood productions. Stephen Chow’s “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons” topped the list with 1.25 billion yuan and beat “Iron Man 3” — the highest-grossing film of 2013 at the US box office.

Other films on the top 10 list include the nostalgic college-themed romantic film “So Young,” “Pacific Rim” and crime-action film “Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon.” (See sidebar for the full list.)

According to Guo Ying, marketing manager of Shanghai United Cinema Lines, the city’s leading cinema chain, domestic movies have shown strong growth momentum and rebuilt people’s confidence. Films with comic themes and heartwarming life stories and nostalgic scenes are specially popular among today’s audiences.

“Comedy movies and animated films catering to the tastes of the whole family had an outstanding performance last year,” says Guo. “The popularity of the two genres will continue for a long time.”

He also attributes the unfavorable performance in China of imported Hollywood movies to a lack of diversity.

“It seems that Hollywood sci-fi movies are more likely to get permission from Chinese censors, therefore many of the 34 US films shown last year are sci-fi productions,” he adds. “There are still many excellent and thought-provoking realistic Hollywood works that have not been released in China.” 

Alex Huang, a local IT worker in his 30s and a big movie fan, says that the revival of domestic films is not much of surprise to him. With the improvement of cinematography and production, it would happen sooner or later.

“Hollywood blockbuster films that are replete with action and explosive scenes have caused aesthetic fatigue among Chinese audiences,” Huang says.

“Despite stunning visual effects, many of the imported movies have stories that are too simple. In this fast-paced modern society, fast-food movies are losing their appeal as people want much more from a film — relaxation, psychological refreshment and new inspiration for life,” he adds.

Movie buffs and critics also note that Chinese filmmakers understand what Chinese audiences really need — their confusion and desires. Therefore many of the best-performing domestic productions have realistic roots and are very relevant to people’s lives.

For instance, the comedy romance “Finding Mr Right” reflects the social phenomenon that a lot of Chinese women are traveling to the United States to give birth.

Both “So Young” and “American Dreams in China” are about youthful nostalgia. Depiction of campus love and young people’s growth in the two movies are very touching and appealing to Chinese viewers and remind them of their own experiences.

China’s box office is now the second-largest in the world, second only to that in the United States, which was an estimated US$10.9 billion in 2013.

The film market in China also is growing very rapidly. A total of 638 Chinese films were produced last year and 5,077 film screens were added. The number of movie screens in the country now totals about 18,200.

To get more attention from Chinese audiences, more Hollywood productions have included “Chinese elements” such as backdrops, scenes and actors. “Iron Man 3” even presented a Chinese version with a Chinese setting and characters when it was released in China. 

Although China’s film industry is flourishing, insiders note that it is still not fully developed and strong. Many domestic films are still unknown to the audience; more creativity and imagination are required for the scripts and distinctive and segmented cinema lines are yet to be established for different viewing tastes.

Shi Chuan, vice president of the Shanghai Film Association and a veteran film critic, says that China’s film industry and market still have a huge potential for growth.

“(China’s) film box office will see considerable growth in the following years with the considerable increase of theaters and film screens in the smaller cities around the country,” Shi explains.

“But the strength of a film industry is not just rooted in expansion. It is also very important for Chinese filmmakers to improve the overall quality of Chinese cinema and have a smart market positioning,” he adds.

He anticipates that in addition to heartwarming comedy films, nostalgic movies about youth, growing up and real-life dilemmas will be among the most popular genres in China.

He says that the post-1980s generation is now a major proportion of cinema-goers in the country. Films exploring their emotions during their growing up and in their lives seem a good bet right now.

“But in the future, when the post-90s generation becomes a major targeted audience of the market, popular video games, animation and online novels can be good inspiration for film creation,” he adds.

Top 10 highest-grossing movies shown in China in 2013

  “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons” — 1.25 billion yuan

  “Iron Man 3” — 768 million yuan

  “So Young” — 719 million yuan

  “Pacific Rim” — 696 million yuan

  “Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon” — 602 million yuan

  “Personal Tailor” — 589 million yuan

  “American Dreams in China” — 539 million yuan

  “Finding Mr Right” — 520 million yuan

  “Tiny Times” — 488 million yuan

  “Gravity” — 436 million yuan