The most expensive film in Chinese movie history, the US$31 million "Hero," hit the screens last week, regaling fans with its widespread slogan, "Hurrah for the Oscars!"

An Oscar nomination for the 2002 Best Foreign Film award for "Hero" would be the savior of the gloom-ridden movie industry, both in China and Asia, and raise the international profile of Chinese martial arts.

Zhang Yimou, who directed such films as "Raise the Red Lantern" and "Red Sorghum," which won international prizes, explained his desire for an Oscar in an interview with the Chinese magazine New Cinema.

"An Oscar will boost the movie's sales," he said.

Star-studded with the likes of kung-fu king Jet Li and Hong Kong's Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung, the movie "targets international audiences," The Associated Press quoted Zhang as saying.

China's movie industry has been in the doldrums since the 1980s, which drove many Chinese to foreign movies. But the public is calling for a locally made movie to reclaim the market as China's annual import quota for foreign films has doubled from 10 to 20 since it entered the World Trade Organization last year.

The Chinese media has commented that "Hero" is fighting a battle against cultural invasion from the West, not just aiming for an Oscar.

"China's 'Hero' is telling the world that Chinese culture is fighting back!" said the Beijing Youth Daily.

The movie has also attracted foreigners' attention. "I had to see the film for myself since it's everywhere in the news," said John Snyder, a student from California. "I also care about its fate at the Oscars."

American magazine Time said that "Hero" was "shouldering the responsibility for reviving Asian movies."

In order to protect intellectual property rights, security was tight at last night's first public screenings on the entire movie. "I got the copy of the movie only one hour before the scheduled release time," said Li Zhiqiang, a projectionist at the Capital Cinema in Beijing.

In some places, high-tech infrared glasses were used to examine the audience during the show to check for photographers.

The whole "Hero" project is taking on the international market, said Zhang Yimou, who "hopes it can introduce Chinese culture to the world."

(Xinhua News Agency December 21, 2002)