The above scene of “Dear You” playing in a movie theatre is from the propaganda giant, People’s Daily, but it’s not much of an exaggeration. When I attended the film in Beijing you had to book tickets ahead of time and the theatre was packed. It was also very pungent and savory from all the hot, spicy snacks being noisily consumed on all sides; more about that in a minute.
Other recent forays into Chinese theatres felt more like entering a giant private screening room because there were so many unsold seats. I usually found myself among a small handful of hard-core filmgoers in the room. This was especially true for serious history films, which I find interesting, but that may be a minority taste.
In any case, a history film was packing them in. What’s more, it did so with almost no over-the-top drama, battle scenes or bombastic dialogue.
“Dear You” is a quiet film, but it’s struck a loud chord.
The boost in audience interest is good for theatrical showings and good business for the many …
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