The special effects of the eagerly anticipated fantasy film Asura could not save it from being disdained and dismissed by the public.
Whether it is by the size of its population, the extent of its wall or the magnitude of its failures, such as the Great Leap Forward, China reliably stuns with the numbers. This time, it has clawed its way up to fifth place in the flop rankings of global cinema. The most expensive movie ever made in China — which is the diametrical opposite of what the label suggests — was pulled from theatres by its makers after recovering just $7.3 million of the $113 million budget. The special effects of the eagerly anticipated fantasy film Asura could not save it from being disdained and dismissed by the public.
Not long ago, maybe just years ago, the film may have been shielded from the public gaze by the implacable hand of the state. Asura apparently draws on Tibetan Buddhist mythology, and its production may be read as a sign that the Party is less touchy about both Tibet and mythology than it has tended to be. It follows, since the Dalai Lama has tempered his position, indicating that China can retain control of Tibet. And a confident nation may not feel impelled to denounce the stories of the old faiths as lies.
It is always fascinating to see socialism with Chinese characteristics in play, in an economy where Starbucks can flourish (it’s adding 3,000 stores this year) but Google must flounder. In the case of Asura, a film which could have been stonewalled by the Party at an earlier date for entering controversial terrain, has been scuppered by market forces, because it’s been seen as awful. What would have required the ponderous might of the state, and sparked off a furore about free speech in the free world, has been achieved by the equally unsparing forces of the cultural marketplace.