"The 2009 Research Report on China's Movie Industry" unveiled to the public in Beijing on Wednesday is critical of the way Chinese directors are presenting China-centric films.

The report on China's movie industry is drafted by China Film Association and a comprehensive evaluation of the development, problems, and prospects of China's movie industry.

The report points out Chinese directors' inability to present China's interesting history and vibrant culture in a manner that could appeal to the audience. Catering to the taste of the overseas audience proved to be the undoing of these directors, as the movies are neither entirely Chinese nor entirely Hollywood style.

In a finding that could stir up a hornet's nest for the movie industry of China, it was revealed that though 64 percent of Chinese audiences favor movies with a lavish sprinkle of Chinese elements, the directors fell short of their expectations with slapdash treatment of the films.

Two domestic big-budget movies in 2008, "The Red Cliff" directed by John Woo, and "Forever Enthralled" by Chen Kaige, though carrying Chinese flavor, failed to move audiences.

The directors, apparently, borrowed some Western concepts to market the films without building upon the strength of the original Chinese elements.

Cui Zi'en, a movie expert at Beijing Film Academy, sharing his perspective on this problem, says, "Hollywood has a global influence that overshadows other producers in the world, and its multi-culture has enabled it to delve deeper into the themes of other countries and regions, which movie producers in China lack."

Last year, all the top three best-received movies were imported, with "Kung Fu Panda" turning out to be the most popular. Statistics in the report show that as high as 80.2 percent of audience was satisfied with the movie, which was a Hollywood blockbuster that also captured Chinese audiences, with a theme of traditional Chinese kung fu.

However, the report is not entirely dismal for the movie industry. Impressive box office returns and production of aesthetically superior domestic movies were the silver lining that the report talked about amid some worrying issue plaguing the industry.

(Global Times June 26, 2009)