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Summer turns up heat on film debate
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EMMA Wang, a local university student and avid movie buff, can’t wait for the summer movie season to kick off in earnest.
This year, her list of must-see films includes star-laden blockbusters like action-comedy “Bounty Hunters,” romantic-romper “So, I Married the Anti-Fan” and fantasy-adventure “Time Raiders.” But it isn’t just storyline or production value that’s piqued Wang’s interest in these films — they also star three of her favorite heartthrobs: South Korean actors Lee Min-ho and Park Chan-yeol as well as Chinese star Lu Han.
“Lee’s 2013 TV series ‘The Heirs’ impressed me so much,” says Wang. “‘Bounty Hunters’ is his first film cooperation with Chinese actors. I can’t wait to see it.”
Viewers like Wang are a major force behind the explosive growth of China’s film industry. Ticket sales in the country surged to 44 billion yuan (US$6.62 billion) in 2015, an increase of over 48 percent from the previous year, according to the local film regulator. If such rates continue, industry experts see China overtaking the US as the world’s largest movie market by 2017.
As the industry flourishes, summer has become a major bright spot for local studios and theater owners. Figures from Shanghai-based cinema chain operator United Cinema Lines show ticket sales in July and August accounting for nearly one-third of full-year ticket sales.
This summer promises to be especially hot, with some 34 homegrown film productions set to hit local cinema screens over the period, about 70 percent more than last year. Many of this year’s summer spectacles are fantasy epics, youth-oriented romances and animated family films targeted at young viewers on summer holidays.
But as the film market booms, many critics and film insiders have voiced frustrations with the quality of local productions and the tastes of Chinese movie patrons.
Two of last summer’s most successful films — “Monster Hunt” and “A Hero or Not” — were largely panned by critics and high-minded viewers. Yet, this didn’t stop “Monster Hunt” from becoming the highest-grossing domestic film of all time as it pulled in 3.2 billion yuan.
Art house blight
In the eyes of IT engineer and self-professed cinephile Alex Huang, summer is typically a barren time for fans of more serious film fare.
“We’re repeatedly offered commercial movies with similar styles and childish subjects,” Huang complains. “The chances of an inspiring art-house movie showing in this golden slot are almost zero. The silver screen is filled with shallow productions that try to hook audiences with the faces of idols and dazzling visual effects.”
Huang says he prefers original products that explore real-life subjects and human nature. As he sees it though, films with ambition and artistic merits are becoming increasingly rare on local cinema screens.
“It’s not a good sign for the Chinese film industry to make so many ‘fast-food’ movies for young people,” Huang adds. “Recently many domestic TV producers are following the formula of Hollywood blockbusters. Even though they include Chinese elements, the films are still like fast food. I hope the gold-digging fever seen in summer will not drag into other months.”
Hong Kong director Derek Yee also issued a warning to the Chinese cinema industry at the recent Shanghai International Film and TV Festival. Yee struck a chord with local viewers last year with “I Am Somebody,” a heartwarming film about the dreams and struggles of extras in China. According to the filmmaker, creating a healthy industry starts with focusing on artistry. Too many pictures today though, he lamented, are superficial and full of commercial elements.
“Nowadays a lot of veteran filmmakers in Hong Kong are working with mainland producers on so-called blockbuster movies for high box office receipts,” Yee added. “This is a situation that’s also confronting the cinema of Hong Kong. There are fewer film directors still concentrating on making artistic movies.”
Mainland director Zhang Meng, known for “The Piano in a Factory,” said that despite China’s box office boom, it is still a difficult time for art house film directors.
“It’s urgent to nurture a younger generation of audiences in the country,” Zhang said. “Otherwise art movies will have few possibilities for public screenings, let alone in coveted screening slots.”
Many art-movie filmmakers have abandoned the genre and are now working on action-packed sci-fi movies or romances starring heartthrobs and teen idols.
Liu Jie, after winning the Golden Goblet for best feature film at the 2016 Shanghai International Film and TV Festival for art film “De Lan,” told audiences that his win is an honor for all the people devoted to making art-house movies. He then went on to plug his upcoming commercial film “Hide and Seek,” a suspense thriller starring Taiwan heartthrob Wallace Huo.
Many other mainland art-house film makers like Liu are now working on more commercial fare. Lu Chuan, known for the “Kekexili: Mountain Patrol,” presented 3D adventure action film “Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe” last year. Its sequel will start shooting in autumn. Jia Zhangke founded a commercial film production company FABULA in Shanghai last year. He and his team will produce an array of commercial movies including suspense films based on the crime and mystery novels by Japanese author Higashino Keigo.
Film critic Shi Chuan, vice president of the Shanghai Film Association, says viewers in their 20s, who constitute the bulk of summer movie audiences, have had their viewing habits shaped by exposure to the Internet.
“They are more likely to be indulged in a virtual world to escape from the pressures of reality,” Shi says. “That’s why fantasy movies are increasingly popular in China these days.”
Chinese film market, in Shi’s opinion, is still in its infancy in terms of diversity and originality.
“We need to nurture audiences and help to elevate their viewing taste by developing an art-house theater chain,” Shi adds. “It will take years, but the effort will be worth it.”
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