Filmmaker Chen presents first panoramic view of Korean War

Photo: Courtesy of Douban

The first installment of a planned trilogy that intends to document the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) army deployment to the battlefields of the Korean War, The Volunteers: To the War, has grossed over 560 million yuan ($76.86 million) in box office as of Monday since its debut on September 28, according to data from the live tracker Beacon Professional Edition.

Instead of focusing solely on a single battle or a single conflict, the "first panoramic" view of the war by renowned filmmaker Chen Kaige approaches the narrative from an international perspective, providing a comprehensive look at the historical context, reasons for the war, and the course of the war.

"Initially, we considered dividing it into two parts, but upon a careful examination of the materials, we realized that two parts couldn't accommodate all the content. So, we ultimately decided to create a 'trilogy,' with each of the three films undertaking different tasks," Chen told the Global Times, adding that this was a "challenge," but he hopes to embrace this challenge and infuse the trilogy with new ideas.

The story unfolds through many plotlines, ranging from Chinese authorities making difficult decisions to send troops into danger from the US to common soldiers losing their lives in numerous pivotal engagements.

It also portrays the collective image of the CPV and vividly depicts the heroic men and women defending their homeland on various fronts.

"One of the themes I most hope to express is that the 70 years of peace in China has come at a great cost," Chen told the Global Times.

The primary purpose of making a film is not to instill or educate but to contemplate how to create a compelling and visually appealing movie. Therefore, when creating a work, his first consideration was the story, the layout, the characters, and how to film multiple battle scenes with different characteristics, ensuring that the audience wouldn't feel fatigued, Chen said.

"As long as we achieve this, we believe that young people will be able to feel the spirit of the CPV's heroism, thereby fostering empathy and connecting with their own experiences," he added.

This is not the first movie about the war. The Battle at Lake Changjin once aroused spontaneous tributes from the audience for CPV who sacrificed their lives during the war. Chen also co-directed the movie, which became the highest-grossing film in the Chinese film market in 2021 by earning 5.78 billion yuan at the box office.

"The Battle at Lake Changjin focuses on one battle, but this movie expands its story under the scope of international game theory. It shows a panoramic view of history about why we had this war and how we achieved victory in the end," Chen explained the differences in the two movies.

According to Chen, the trilogy uses the viewpoint of the common people to depict this war, highlighting the will of the common people. 

"What truly holds power is the people. As for whether the movie is good or has any value, that should be left for the audience to judge," said Chen, adding that as a director, he always likes to inject new ideas into a film and is always open to challenges.

When it comes to the filming process, Chen candidly stated that coordinating a crew of nearly 3,000 people, including hundreds of foreign actors for a shoot that lasted nearly 400 days was a major "challenge." 

"The filming lasted for 13 months, which is the longest time I have filmed for since I started filming," he said.

The movie holds an average rating of 7.1/10 on the Chinese review platform Douban.