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The 20 interviewees were all aged between 23 and 35. Fifteen said that they went to the movie mainly just to see the stars, but then discovered that the plot was quite good. Online forum surveys also confirmed the positive feedback.
The film focuses on the years between 1945 and 1949, when the Communists, led by Mao Zedong fought with Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists, after the failed effort to set up a democratic coalition government.
Also, it gives a detailed depiction of how in 1948 the Communists organized the first meeting of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which today still serves as an important political advisory body.
Liu Zeyu, 28, an IT consultant, took a half-day off work just to see the movie. "I was not familiar with that period of history. The movie helped me understand it deeper. Stars are really acting well, but I am more attracted to the story. It is a story of love, war, conspiracy, and motherland - all elements in blockbuster movies. But this one is special, as it is more of a documentary to me," says Liu.
For history lover Zhang Xiping, 34, the movie is more entertaining. "I learned this history when I was a student, but I didn't know some of those details, for example, that Mao Zedong once met a sneak attack. Audiences will find more interesting details as the movie goes on," he says.
Though it is a serious movie about the country's history, the audience laughed when certain actors made appearances in the film. A-listers included Fan Wei, acting as a chef; Wang Baoqiang, as a soldier; Ge You, as a commander.
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