中国制造的史诗电影巨作

In the mean time, some directors turned their attention to history. In 2005, a docudrama series entitled "Palace Museum" provided audiences with a refreshing viewing-experience as they found there were actors performing as historical figures and many animated scenes created by special effects. From major historical issues to the luxurious court life, from spectacular architecture to precious antique collections, the docudrama reveals every facet of the Forbidden City. Within the first week of it being shown, ratings had already climbed to 6%. Zhou Bing, the director of "The Bund", set up his fame with this work.

"I just wanted to make a difference with this documentary. The way of its narration is more international. For instance, Chinese people like to use descriptions of facts as an opening, such as when a building was built, its height and its style. But Western docudrama workers prefer a more dramatic opening, such as a murder. So I designed many suspension and conflicts to create tension in the atmosphere."

A year later, a docudrama film entitled "Yuan Ming Yuan" astounded audiences again. Known for its extensive collection of gardens and buildings and other works of art, Yuan Ming Yuan was the summer palace for emperors during the Qing Dynasty. In 1860, Yuan Ming Yuan was destroyed as British and French troops looted and burned down the place. The docudrama recorded that history. And the highlight was no doubt the spectacular scenes of the garden which were created by computer graphics. Director Jin Tiemu says this one-and-a-half-hour film took his team five years to create.

"There are more than 30 minutes of computer-animated scenes in 'Yuan Ming Yuan'. I hope this can be written into Chinese film history. I was asked to shoot 'Yuan Ming Yuan' as a documentary. But when directing it, I put some vivid characters into the work, such as the emperors and the foreign painter. When 'Yuan Ming Yuan' hit the big screen, the box office earnings exceeded 10 million yuan. That made me really excited."
In 2009, Zhou Bing decided to take a step forward and allow the actors to involve in dialogues. In previous Chinese docudramas, the conversations or the mental activities of the roles are mostly interpreted by the narrator. Inspired by some docudramas produced by the National Geographic Channel, Zhou Bing thinks he can also give the performers some lines to work with in his new work "The Bund".

"This time, I want to make 'The Bund' more like a feature film. I want to make history more attractive to audiences, especially younger ones."

Though much younger than in the West, Chinese docudrama is developing at a very rapid pace. Now more and more Chinese directors are paying attention to docudramas and producing many high-quality works. Some of the works have even been issued to overseas markets and received very positive feedback. Gao Feng, director of the China Central Newsreel and Documentary Studio, points out the popularization of the docudrama is an inexorable trend.

"A docudrama is very well suited for historical subjects. The audiences want to face history more directly. When there are just scenery shots and narrations, like in traditional documentaries, they couldn't get a deep understanding of what happened. When there are stories and characters, it becomes more interesting and entertaining."

However, the admitted fact is that the docudrama market in China is yet to be fully developed. There are still problems in promoting and commercializing these works. But if we think of it from a different angle, we may find it also has a positive side, as the situation can be theimpetus for Chinese directors to make better docudramas.