In recent years military (军事的), movies are becoming more popular, such as 2017's British hitDunkirk, 2014's AmericanSniper. It's common to see heroes fighting for their countries on the big screen. But even though we are used to seeing patriotic Western soldiers saving the world, Chinese filmmakers are also showing that China also has heroes that they want to share with the audience.
Operation Red Seais based on the real-life events of the Chinese Navy who rescued hundreds of Chinese and foreign nationals from Yemen in 2015. This military action movie came out on Feb. 16th, 2018 in Chinese cinemas. It became headlines across the country, from newspapers to social media.
Many Chinese people may have thought that the Chinese military only dealt with disaster and public safety within Chinese boundary. However, the success ofOperation Red Seachanged people's ideas.
"These days there is more and more news in China about the military, perhaps reflecting the global environment and China becoming a great power," Beijing-based film and box office Jiang Yong said. "It's influencing young people more."
Operation Red Seawas co-produced by the Chinese Navy's media arm, and came hot after Chinese box office recordsWolf Warrior 2(《战狼2》). The Chinese military's willingness to show its latest arms and equipment (装备) is due to the fact that " the national strength of China has risen and in some aspects even surpasses (超过) other leading powers", Chinese naval expert Li Jie told theGlobal Times.
