bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Ziyu Zhang

A film celebrating the Chinese Communist Party’s centenary has drawn mixed reactions from audiences despite topping the box office charts in the first two days of its release.
Co-directed by Huang Jianxin and Zheng Dasheng, 1921, which tells the story of the founding of party 100 years ago, hit the cinemas on Thursday.
It features a star-studded cast portraying many of the leading figures of the era, including Mao Zedong played by Wang Renjun.
According to the China Movie Data Information Network, the film took 81.60 million yuan (US$12.6 million) on its opening day, and 44.2 million yuan the next day. Ticket sales would top more than 250 million yuan by July 3 if preview screenings were included.
Communist Party sticks to the script on a day for young and old
But Shu Ziran, a movie buff who saw it before its cinema release at the Shanghai International Film Festival, was not impressed.
“It turned out to be another star-driven blockbuster – as expected,” she said.
The cast includes many big name actors such as Huang Xuan and Ni Ni, who are especially popular with young Chinese.
“The film funnelled so many big names, but few immersed themselves in their roles. I remained an outsider sitting in front of the silver screen instead of being pulled into the history,” she said.
Li Wen, a worker at a state-owned enterprise who said his company had “organised” a viewing session for employees, was also not impressed.
“The flow of the plot is so messy and bland that I almost fell asleep halfway into the movie,” he said.

However, Wang Yifan, a music teacher in eastern Shandong province, said she was deeply touched.
“I was deeply, deeply touched. I could not hold my tears back when Li Dazhao [one of the party founders] shouted slogans during the May Fourth Movement,” Wang said, referring to the 1919 student-led protests in Beijing.
“I am really grateful to see the history of the revolution on screen. There would be no People’s Republic of China had it not because of these pioneers – not to mention our happy life now.”
Wang added that she would gladly bring her parents to watch the film.
Communist Party seeks younger members as it looks to the future
Chris Berry, a professor of film studies at King’s College London, said propaganda and audience approval did not always go hand in hand.
“Prioritising the political message can sometimes alienate the audience,” said Berry, who has not watched the film.
He noted that previous efforts by the party have not always been successful, prompting filmmakers to try to make propaganda films more entertaining in an effort to lure audiences.
“It’s clear that there are substantial numbers of people going to see these films. What we don’t really know is – what are the different attitudes of those audiences? And what are their reasons for going to see the film?” Berry said.


He said that while some people would watch out of patriotic or even nationalistic motives, others may be curious or want to see their favourite stars – and some may even have a cynical attitude and just want to laugh at it.
The film will be released in Hong Kong this week, and a release is planned in English-speaking countries such as the United States and Britain.
Yin Hong, vice-chairman of the China Film Association and a professor at Tsinghua University, said 1921 took a more humane and artistic approach to portraying the characters.
The main creators changed the way they shot the production to cleverly “hide” mainstream values into the plot, he said, according to China National Radio.
Chinese actress and filmmaker Jia Ling applauded the movie, saying Huang fleshed out every character.
“Faced with the distress of the nation, the revolutionary forefathers in the early days of the founding of the party confronted death with faith and firm conviction … This is awe-inspiring,” she said on her microblogging account, calling on the public to go see the production.


US midterm elections will highlight Trump effect

Why communist China succeeded but the Soviet Union failed

How collapse of the Soviet Union still weighs on Chinese leaders’ minds 30 years on

China ‘modified’ the weather as Communist Party marked centenary in Beijing

China’s Communist Party turns 100

Chinese Communist Party centenary film 1921 tops box office – but is it anything more than propaganda?

The movie is set in revolutionary-era China. Photo: Weibo

People walk past a poster for '1921', a film about the founding of the Communist Party of China in the same year, ahead of the Chinese Communist Party's 100th founding anniversary at a cinema in Beijing on June 28, 2021. (Photo by WANG Zhao / AFP)

From Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping: how China’s Communist Party leaders have shaped its ideology

Mao Zedong promoted a revolution led by peasants that he referred to as “surrounding the cities from the countryside”. Photo: Universal Images Group via Getty Images

epa03162194 Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) and his wife Liu Yongqing (R) wave to media as they arrive in New Delhi, India, 28 March 2012, to attend the fourth Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) Summit. The summit to be hosted by the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 29 March 2012 and to be attended by Presidents Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, Hu Jintao of China and Jacob Zuma of South Africa. This summit will be focused on the theme 'BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Security and Prosperity'.  EPA/HARISH TYAGI

CCP's general secretary Jiang Zemin claps his hands, during the People's Republic of China's 40th anniversary ceremony, 1949-1989. (Photo by Patrick Durand/Sygma via Getty Images)

Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping talking together circa 1959. Mao Zedong or Mao Tse-tung (1893 - 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary and founding father of the People's Republic of China, which he ruled as an autocrat styled the Chairman of the Communist Party of China from its establishment in 1949, until his death in 1976. Deng Xiaoping (1904 - 1997); Chinese revolutionary and statesman. He was the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China from 1978 until his retirement in 1989. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

BEIJING, China - Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping waves at a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 15, 2012, after he replaced Chinese President Hu Jintao as head of the Communist Party of China as a new leadership was elected by the party's Central Committee. (Photo by Kyodo News Stills via Getty Images)

BEIJING, CHINA - JULY 07:  A visitor looks on front portraits of former Chinese leaders (L-R) Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and current President Xi Jinping are seen at Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression commemorating the World War II victory over Japan after the opening ceremony of the "Great Victory and Historical Contribution" exhibition on the 78th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, 2015 in Beijing, China. Wanping Fortress, also known as Wanping Castle, is a place which marks the beginning of the Japanese War of Aggression Against China, which lasted until Japan's defeat by the Allies in 1945.  (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Deng Xiaoping was elected the chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the First Plenum of the Fifth National Committee of the CPPCC in March 1978. (Photo by: Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

China’s Communist Party turns 100: how each generation justifies its rule

Illustration: Perry Tse

This photo taken on May 18, 2019 shows paramilitary police officers marching past the portrait of late communist leader Mao Zedong on Tiananmen Gate, as it undergoes renovations in Beijing. (Photo by GREG BAKER / AFP)

UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1754: Mao Zedong December 26, 1893 - September 9, 1976) Chinese revolutionary, political theorist and communist leader. led the People's Republic of China from 949 until his death in 1976 (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

Emperor Gaozu of Han. Photo: Wikipedia

News

China

People & Culture

Trending in China

Lifestyle

Entertainment


The film has an all-star cast, but some viewers felt let down and say they struggled to stay awake
By contrast, patriotic fans of the movie said some scenes moved them to tears



The film has a star-studded cast and moved some fans to tears, but other viewers felt let down and say they struggled to stay awake


China’s Communist Party

China society

Chinese language cinema

Cinema

Chinese Communist Party centenary film 1921 tops box office – but is it anything more than propaganda?

The film has an all-star cast, but some viewers felt let down and say they struggled to stay awake By contrast, patriotic fans of the movie said some scenes moved them to tears

The film has an all-star cast, but some viewers felt let down and say they struggled to stay awake

By contrast, patriotic fans of the movie said some scenes moved them to tears