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After a stunning opening weeked, Wen Muye’s ripped-from-the-headlines drama seems well on its way to becoming the top-grossing film in China this year
Dying To Survive
Dir: Wen Muye. China. 2018. 115 mins
A remarkable true story gets the big screen treatment in Wen Muye’s debut feature Dying To Survive. Leukemia patient Lu Yong became a folk hero when he imported generic anti-cancer drugs from India to China to supply fellow patients suffering from chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who could not afford the cost of the domestically available medication. Arrested for promoting counterfeit drugs in 2013, the charges against Lu were eventually dropped following a public outcry by over 1,000 patients whose lives had been extended by his efforts. As the presence of comedy star Xu Zheng in the lead role suggests, this Chinese cousin of Dallas Buyer’s Club (2013) is laced with caustic humour, although not at the expense of its fundamental sincerity.
A rousing piece of torn-from-the-headlines storytelling that delivers laughs and tears in equal measure.
The modest success of such socially conscious dramas as Caught in the Web (2012), Dearest (2014), and Angels Wear White (2017) has suggested that Chinese audiences are ready seek out topical fare, but the incredible $200 million opening weekend performance (including Thursday previews) of Dying to Survive proves that films which deal with social issues in populist fashion have genuine mass appeal. Indeed, if this early momentum can be sustained, Dying...