The currently most condemned movie in Chinese blogosphere (posted by Lawrence Li)

The Promise (Wu Ji, official English title in North America: Master of the Crimson Armor), the latest blockbuster by Chen Kaige - director of the Cannes Palme d'Or winner Farewell My Concubine, is certainly the most-condemned movie in the mainland Chinese blogosphere recently. Below is the well-known columnist Lian Yue's blog post translated into English, this must be the most emailed/trackbacked blog post about the film in the past week. Click here to read the original Chinese version.

The Promise

1. Yes, it's true that the director's contract of Farewell My Concubine fell into Chen Kaige's hand after the original unknown talented director got murdered by him.

2. It's true that Chen Kaige envies Zhang Yimou.

3. Like all the miserable fellows suffered from jealousy: no matter how crappy Zhang is, Chen is always worse.

4. Guo Jingming did reaffirm the rule of art: plagiarism will get you nowhere.

5. Although there are tons of beauties ready to sleep with directors in the showbiz, it's not a chance operation that Chen married Chen Hong.

6. It's true that even Chen himself couldn't understand his own frequent pontification.

7. It's true that Ang Lee is the no. 1 Chinese director.

8. It's true that Chinese audience are being treated like jerks.

9. If the investors of The Promise don't go bankruptcy after the film, the Chinese cinema market will soon get drowned by the "blockbuster-bubble".

10. The investors of The Promise are going to spend their last 5.5 million yuan as the cost of hospitalization to the 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University.

Footnotes:

1. Guo Jingming is a post-80s writer, he's responsible for the screenplay of The Promise.

2. The 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University made it to the headlines when a patient found his bill had risen up to 5.5 million yuan after being hospitalized for two months.