Nolan dreams up box-office winner

Christopher Nolan's sci-fi thriller Inception, which has become a global sensation, hit Chinese mainland theaters yesterday, untouched by censors.

China imports 20 foreign films a year - including those from Hollywood - for theatrical release. The films may have their content cut by censors.

Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard, has passed through without losing a minute of its 148 minutes, following close on the heels of local box office champion Aftershock and Hollywood blockbuster Shrek 4.

A 10-year dream-come-true for Nolan, Inception centers on DiCaprio's Dom Cobb, a skilled thief who steals valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during a person's dream state. Cobb's rare ability makes him a coveted player of corporate espionage, but also turns him into an international fugitive. One last job could give him back his life, but instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse; their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one.

The nation's rise as a booming film market can be gleaned from box office revenues that have seen a more than 30 percent rise over the past five years to reach a record 6.2 billion yuan ($912 million) last year.

However, the 20 foreign films, mainly Hollywood productions, accounted for almost half the revenue last year. And of the 4.8 billion yuan grossed in the first half of this year, 1.3 billion yuan was contributed by Avatar alone. That proves a Hollywood blockbuster can make as much in China as in other traditionally profitable markets such as Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Local filmmakers are gearing up to face the competition.

Inception will have to contend for box office glory with at least four Chinese blockbusters this summer. Among them are Zhang Yimou's return to the romance genre with Under the Hawthorn Tree, which will premiere on Sept 16, and Tsui Hark's period thriller Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame to release on Sept 29.

Joining the battle are Hong Kong veteran Andrew Lau's The Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen on Sept 21, and John Woo's Reign of Assassins on Sept 28, both kungfu flicks.

In a telephone interview with Chinese reporters, Nolan expressed confidence in his new work, whose appeal he asserts is universal.

"We all dream," he says. "We all experience the phenomenon of our minds creating a world and living in that world at the exact same time. There is also an incredible contrast in the world of dreams - they are so intimate and yet they have infinite possibilities in terms of what we can imagine. I wanted to create a film that would allow the audience to experience the limitless realities that we can realize only in dreams"

He says Chinese audiences should just sit back and enjoy the ride, rather than get too involved in the complex plot.

"Do not feel you have to understand every aspect of it, it is intended as entertainment, and I hope you will enjoy the entertainment," he says. "There is no test afterwards."

The film will also be screened in 16 IMAX theaters across the country.