On June 24, 2024, a Japanese mother and child were attacked and injured by a man at a bus stop in Suzhou. A Chinese woman, Hu Youping, stepped in to stop the assailant, was severely wounded, and sadly passed away. The Japanese Embassy in China issued a statement honouring Hu Youping’s noble act and flew its flag at half-mast in mourning. (Composite screenshot)
[People News] The anti-Japanese film '731' premiered in mainland China on September 18. By the end of its opening day, the box office had already exceeded 300 million yuan. However, audience reviews were sharply divided. The film's release was previously delayed due to a boycott by 1.8 million people over its controversial content.
Real-time box office data from 'Maoyan Professional Edition' indicated that '731' crossed the 200 million yuan mark by nearly 2 PM, surpassing the first-day box office record of another anti-Japanese war film, 'Nanjing Photo Studio'. By 8 PM, it had exceeded 300 million yuan, capturing a remarkable 97% of the box office share.
As reported by Central News Agency, the first-day reviews on 'Douban Movies' revealed a polarised response from viewers. Those who rated the film four or five stars praised its extensive scope, historical accuracy, and the truth it revealed, highlighting the documentary-style end credits as a significant feature.
Conversely, a larger number of viewers rated it one or two stars, criticising the director's lack of skill, the disorganised narrative, and the rough quality reminiscent of a web drama. They described it as 'more like a light comedy about escaping that ties together themes of hatred and patriotism'. Some viewers bluntly remarked, 'If you lack the ability, don't tackle this subject, ' while others noted that there was continuous laughter from the audience during the screening.
In the Weibo discussion forums, negative reviews of '731' are significantly more prevalent. Netizens have criticised the film, stating that while the subject matter is promising, the execution is poor, with comments like, 'This movie does a disservice to history.' Conversely, many 'little pinks' (a term for young nationalists) have come out in support of '731', arguing that those who hastily criticised the film on its opening day are 'pro-Japanese'. This has led to a heated exchange between both sides, with some mainland netizens expressing frustration, saying, 'If you watch a movie, you are patriotic; if you don’t, you are unpatriotic.'
'731' was initially set to premiere on July 31. Two weeks prior to its scheduled release, the film shot to the top of trending searches. The surge was not due to record-breaking box office pre-sales, but rather a 'record number of reports' against it. A 30-second trailer for '731' prompted 1.8 million people to sign a petition calling for a boycott.
In the Weibo discussions, the topic 'Boycott the release of 731' has garnered over 800 million views. Parents have expressed concerns, stating, 'The visuals are too bloody!' 'It will frighten the children!' 'These historical scars should not be revealed!' 'It damages Sino-Japanese friendship.'
According to propaganda materials from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), '731' is a collaborative production involving the Propaganda Departments of the Shandong, Jilin, and Heilongjiang Provincial Committees, as well as the Harbin and Qingdao Municipal Committees, along with the Changchun Film Group and other companies. The film aims to expose the crimes of the Japanese 'Unit 731' through the experiences of a minor character.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance against Japan. The CCP has chosen to release '731', which focuses on the Japanese biological warfare unit, on 'September 18', a date that clearly aims to incite anti-Japanese sentiment. △
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