VISION OF A REPUBLIC: Mao Zedong (right), portrayed by Tang Guoqiang, and Zhou Enlai by Liu Jin, ponder over the future of a new republic in the movie

Sixty years ago, at the dawn of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong, the then Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), offered some prophetic words.

"The founding of a new republic will be half a success if we can invite all the heavyweights for the national political consultative conference," he said.

Sixty years later, an epic movie based on this vision, The Founding of a Republic, has brought together an all-star cast to replicate this historic moment, and the achievements that led up to it. Of the 172-strong cast, nearly 100 are A-list actors and actresses, as well as the country's top directors.

COMMERCIAL SUCCESS: Han Sanping (right) and Huang Jianxin, directors of The Founding of a Republic, aims to make the mainstream tribute movie a commercial success through fresh interpretations of historical figures

Creative breakthroughs have generated a significant buzz surrounding the release of this film in terms of the sensitivity of the subject matter and the portrayal of historical figures. The historical accuracy surrounding the film, meanwhile, has aroused great interest from the Chinese movie-going public.

Indeed, box office receipts have already been extremely successful. By September 16—the first day of its release—the film had reportedly earned 14.77 million yuan ($2.2 million). And within four days, the movie set a new domestic box office record—103.5 million yuan ($15.2 million).

Sending a gift

This year, of course, marks the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. It has been a tradition ever since 1958 that films are made to commemorate every 10th anniversary.

Like previous movies paying tribute to the spirit of the revolution, The Founding of a Republic is of high artistic integrity and ideological content. But it also emphasizes its entertainment and box office value.

"Some movies, though they have had screenwriters and directors emotionally involved in the production, failed to move the audience," said Han Sanping, the film's general director, "because one element is absent—the audience's perspective and interests."

Stardom, added Han, is a simple secret to attract a larger audience. "We need the most bankable stars to attract more audience to go to the cinema," he said.

Han said director Chen Kaige, winner of the Palme d'Or at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, recommended he cast all-star actors because only six months were available for production and pre-production.

"Casting stars who have personal charisma and superb acting skills were the only choice to finish the project in such a short time," he said, adding that Chen called them, one by one, until the list of names swelled from 20 to 172.