'Misérables' box office (2)

Persistent charm

The late time of introduction and the somewhat light screen schedule at Chinese cinemas also contribute to low ticket sales. Since it came to China almost three months after its debut in Europe and America, some audiences eager to see the movie have already viewed it online or on DVD.

Still, the good comments from those who like it are driving others to go, and it keeps playing at cinemas. What's more, the public praise is causing theaters to give it more time on the schedule. To some, the fact that it is still there proves the charm of this classic.

Indeed, it might not be as "dismal" as some describe. It is reported that, as a movie musical, its box office by March 8 of 40 million yuan already far surpassed the total income of Perhaps Love, breaking a record for movie musical's box office in the Chinese mainland.

It stands out also among imported art films. Its nearly 50-million-yuan box office by March 12 has left movies like Anna Karenina, The Artist and Hugo far behind.

In recent years, the Oscar art movies all failed to attract crowds for their heavy air of art. Most Oscar-winning movies that also won the Chinese audiences' hearts are commercial movies with strong visuals rather than some deep interpretation of life or human nature.

Reflecting on the reasons, there used to be criticism aimed at the audience regarding its collective taste. But a netizen named Leng Zhaobo said, "How can you expect us, who have grown used to movies like Avatar, to appreciate a dainty art film?"

It is widely known that the box office is usually the primary concern for the movie importers, and most of those imported are movies of grand scenes, strong visual effects and fast-paced plots, which could attract Chinese moviegoers. Some insiders once complained that it is movie importers that set Chinese audience's taste for foreign movies.

But the taste is somewhat changing. Lu Di, a professor of cinema in communication at Peking University, said he is glad to see that a musical movie could be loved by so many audience members, and the word-of-mouth publicity is prolonging the movie's life in China.

"There is prejudice against Chinese audiences' taste. The fact is, they can appreciate such movies and grow diversified," he said.

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