After suddenly realizing that The Great Gatsby is not a Hollywood production, Chinese film regulators moved like lightning to have the film released. The 3D adaptation of the classic American novel, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, opens in Beijing theaters today.
Chinese film quotas put limits on the amount of Hollywood productions that can be released per year, but this quota didn’t apply to the Australian production.
Director Baz Luhrmann admitted that he had to rush to release the film at short notice, getting his team on a plane to Beijing this week. MSN Entertainmentquotes the director, "A very rare amount of (Hollywood) films are selected for China, and Gatsby wasn't going to be, and then all of a sudden the Chinese said, 'Yes, Gatsby, go.' So, I had to scramble my whole team, and we're all on a plane, and off we go to Beijing.”
According to Cnr.cn, on the evening of August 28, the director was received with class at the film’s launch party where clips of the film were shown. And none other than the illustrious Zhong Lina was summoned to rain sparkles on the event. The Chinese actress turned up dressed in full 1920s garb to show her full support for the film. After sharing a kiss with Luhrmann and smearing his face with red lipstick, she was quoted as saying, “I heard this was an amazing romance movie. I can’t wait to see it!”
Suitably, Luhrmann was originally inspired to make this film while reading Scott Fitzgerald's novel on a train in China. Bet he didn’t imagine Zhong Lina would pucker up to him for the idea.
In other movie news, as Pacific Rim blasts through the box office, a PLA officer has been reported to have warned his troops not be brainwashed by this “Hollywood propaganda.” The film includes battle scenes in the South China Sea and Hong Kong, and it is probable that the officer was alluding to a growing US military presence in the Pacific region.
While this is true, we’re quite sure the US isn’t planning on fighting monsters from another dimension anytime soon.
Here are some arts and entertainment events this week:
- Fuerza Bruta: Interactive Theatrical Show from Broadway
- Revel's World of Shakespeare
- Hand-woven Fine Art Carpet Exhibition
- Beijing International Book Fair
Photos: Cnr.cn
