About 40 minutes into “The Battle at Lake Changjin,” a Chinese comrade aboard a train headed to the China-North Korea border expresses his skepticism regarding the Chinese effort in the Korean War of 1950. “I quit,” he yells, opening the railwagon door. Two other comrades detain him, and soon, everyone on board is mesmerized by the beautiful homeland of China and its Great Wall. Company commander Wu Qianli addresses his brother: “You will stay here as your punishment until the morning.”
This is only one of the countless patriotic scenes that “The Battle of Lake Changjin” has to offer, and given that it was funded by the propaganda department of the Chinese Communist Party to celebrate the Party’s 100th anniversary, the patriotism is no surprise. With a budget worth more than 200 million Usd and directorial credits given to Tsui Hark, Chen Kaige and Dante Lam–arguably three of the greatest filmmakers...
This is only one of the countless patriotic scenes that “The Battle of Lake Changjin” has to offer, and given that it was funded by the propaganda department of the Chinese Communist Party to celebrate the Party’s 100th anniversary, the patriotism is no surprise. With a budget worth more than 200 million Usd and directorial credits given to Tsui Hark, Chen Kaige and Dante Lam–arguably three of the greatest filmmakers...
- 5/2/2022
- by Spencer Nafekh-Blanchette
- AsianMoviePulse
Errors and omissions are standard features of historical dramas everywhere. It is therefore no surprise to find Korean War history being filtered to suit domestic requirements in the three-hour Chinese blockbuster “The Battle at Lake Changjin.” Nor is it unexpected for U.S. military characters to be cardboard cutouts with excruciatingly bad dialogue. And, like many other jingoistic war epics, this prestige production co-directed by industry heavyweights Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam
The latest in a long line of strongly nationalistic films released during the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, “The Battle at Lake Changjin” has collected almost all its $905 million revenue (as of Dec. 27) from domestic ticket sales. It is currently the highest grossing film of 2021, with only “Spider-Man: No Way Out” and “No Time to Die” as serious rivals for the top spot.
This very old-fashioned production depicts a string of military engagements during...
The latest in a long line of strongly nationalistic films released during the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, “The Battle at Lake Changjin” has collected almost all its $905 million revenue (as of Dec. 27) from domestic ticket sales. It is currently the highest grossing film of 2021, with only “Spider-Man: No Way Out” and “No Time to Die” as serious rivals for the top spot.
This very old-fashioned production depicts a string of military engagements during...
- 12/27/2021
- by Richard Kuipers
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.