A hit film recalling an ancient poem fuels Chinese nationalist fervour
“Full River Red” draws on history, but its modern meaning is clear
“My hair bristles with anger,” young men cry as they leave their red-cushioned cinema seats. “We will feast on the barbarians’ flesh...we will drink their blood.” They are reciting lines from “Full River Red”, a poem believed to be written by Yue Fei, a 12th-century general of the Song dynasty. It is also the title of China’s top-selling film over the recent Lunar New Year holiday. The movie has grossed more than 4bn yuan ($590m) since its release on January 22nd.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Seeing red on the silver screen”
From the February 11th 2023 edition
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