Yearender: Film critics' top 10 Chinese films of 2015

No 7: Wolf Totem

A screen capture from Wolf Totem. [Photo/Mtime]

Hui Lang: The attitude and seriousness that went into filming this multi-national co-production ensured is quality, but also gave rise to a film that's flat and mediocre. The protagonists of the film were not the wolves, nor the people, but the relationship between them. From the call of the wild to the longing for freedom in us all, the film shines the spotlight on "survival" and reenacts it in a way that's directed at the audiences.

She Fan: Jean Jacques Annaud sought for serenity and beauty of nature in this film. The music of James Horner was electrifying, maneuvering the audiences' emotions and bringing them straight to the storyline. One may sigh at the amity of life and death in the slaughtering scenes of the wolf cubs, horses and sheep. We are elated by the courage and dignity of the wild when the wolves choose death over surrender.

In brief: This is a film adaptation based on a Chinese semi-autobiographical namesake novel. It tells a story of a Chinese student's experience in Inner Mongolia where he teaches shepherds and learns about the lives of the wolves. Helmed by French director Jean-Jacques Annaud, the film was released on Feb 19 and stars Chinese actors Feng Shaofeng and Dou Xiao.