War epic headed for Chinese mainland movie theatres

Poster of Hacksaw Ridge [Photo provided to China Daily]

One of this year's most acclaimed war epics, Hacksaw Ridge, will open in Chinese mainland theaters on Thursday.

Directed by Oscar-winner Mel Gibson, the film chronicles the heroic experience of World War II American army medic Desmond Doss, the first man in United States history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.

The 139-minute feature, which premiered in the US on Nov 4, recently earned seven nominations, including best picture and best director at the Critics' Choice Awards, widely seen as a pivotal predictor of the Oscars.

Chinese celebrities, including leading local filmmakers and several Olympic champions, went to a film preview screening in Beijing on Sunday.

Most of them agreed the film examines wartime humanities through a vivid recreation of the turbulent moments.

Feng Xiaogang, director of the 2007 war epic Assembly and a self-claimed a diehard fan of Hollywood war films, said that Hacksaw Ridge could be a good project for domestic filmmakers to learn narrative skills and visual effects.

The movie is imported by China Film Group, distributed by Huaxia Film Distribution Co. Ltd, and dubbed by Changchun Film Studio Group Co. Ltd.