Though the film had plenty of pre-launch publicity, the premiere received little coverage in the mainland press. This muted response was in stark contrast to the media attention lavished on the opening of Red River Valley, a staunchly nationalistic movie about Tibetan resistance to British colonialists in the 1800s. Indeed, lead actor Pao Guoan saw his character, Lin Zexu, more as anti-drug campaigner than nationalist hero. Lin wanted to have trade with the West. And that might just be the key to the official slight.
Public reception promises to be much warmer.
At an earlier promotional event, movie buffs were out in force to snap up signed copies of commemorative picture books. Clearly, merchandising is one area where the film is breaking new ground. And if it scores at the box office, director Xie may well have set a marketing trend for Chinese movies. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you.