“Article 20” was one of the highest-grossing films during the Spring Festival holidays.
Zhang Yimou's comedy drama “Article 20” opened in Australian cinemas on February 22. It will hit theaters in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland on the 23rd.
The film took in about 1.34 billion yuan ($186 million) in revenue during the Spring Festival holiday from February 10 to 17.
With “YOLO”, “Pegasus 2” and “Boonie Bears: Time Twist”, they captured 97.7 percent of the total ticket revenue of the Spring Festival Festival, which was a record 8.02 billion yuan this year .
Starring Lei Jiayin, Ma Li and Zhao Liying, the film focuses on the efforts of Chinese prosecutors to restore the truth of a difficult case and safeguard the fairness and justice of the judicial system.
The film combines elements of both reality and comedy.
The film has raised public concern over legal concepts and cases.
The film's title refers to Article 20 of China's Criminal Law, which deals with justified self-defense.
Based on real cases, the film also presents the development and progress of China's legal concepts and judicial system. It has gained widespread attention on the Internet.
On China's film review website Douban, cinematographer Ju Wujian praised director Zhang's mature storytelling techniques that capture both reality and comedy.
“At over 70 years old, Zhang is still exploring new narrative forms,” Ju said. “Intertwined with multiple lines, the film provides an insight into the main legal difficulties in real life and promotes the spirit of fairness and justice in law.”
