China to Release Blockbuster Propaganda Film Marking 60 Years of Communism
In Variety Friday, Clifford Coonan writes about a new film, The Great Cause of China’s Foundation, an epic, feature-length homage to Mao’s revolution starring every huge mainland star. 2009 marks the 60th anniversary of the communist revolution and I guess, what better way to convince a country of a billion people that Mao was a good idea, than a huge cinematic spectacle that everyone will be dying to see. I found present-day Chinese people to be quite convinced already, but a huge movie, that, by the way, is funded completely by the government, can’t hurt. Coonan writes of the starpower:
Among the stars will be helmers Chen Kaige and Feng Xiaogang plus thesps Andy Lau, Jiang Wen and Ge You.
Local heroes Tang Guoqiang and Zhang Guoli will play bitter civil war rivals Chairman Mao Tse-tung and “Generalissimo” Chiang Kai-shek. China Film declined to give the budget for the movie, but said the stars were offering their services at a special rate to support the anniversary of the state’s foundation.
A special rate? Try that in Hollywood. I always thought Mao should be played the great Danny DeVito, but it looks like producers of the film had a different, more Chinese vision for Mao.
The propaganda film is set for release on September 10th and will be available on pirated DVD as soon after the release as humanly possible, if not before.