Director Zhang Yimou's new epic film "The Flowers of War," which is China's official Oscar entry for the Best Foreign Language Film award, has been waging an awards-qualifying run in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco since Friday.
The film's Los Angeles's premiere was held that day at the Nuart Theater. Since then, the movie has received mixed reactions from critics and audiences in the United States where it is a contender for the best Foreign Language Film awards at next year's Oscars and the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
The film's exquisitely colorful scenes and riveting storyline have touched audiences' hearts with many moved to tears by the scene in which the prostitutes decide to sacrifice themselves to save the schoolgirls.
"This is one of Zhang Yimou's most unforgettable films that I have ever seen," one American cinemagoer told Xinhua News Agency.
Famous Hollywood writer, director and producer Chris Libby, who directed the documentary series "Mysterious China," said he was deeply impressed by the movie's script, plot, structure and performance by Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale.
"This movie blew me away," said Daniel Walker, a Hollywood composer. "Not only is it incredibly powerful, but the artistry is absolutely sensational."
Su Yantao, President of the Sino-U.S. Film Festival, who is in charge of the film's media publicity in North America, said, "This movie not only offers a wonderful visual-acoustic effect, but also a realistic meaning in reflecting history and calling for peace in this multibattle world today.
The film, which is based on the novel "The 13 Women of Nanjing " by Yan Geling, is the largest and most expensive movie production in China to date, requiring five years of shooting and a 6-billion-yuan (US$948.5 million) budget.
Zhang's previous films "Raise the Red Lantern," "To Live" and "Hero" had been nominated for Academy Awards.