





Promotional material for The Great Wall featuring Matt Damon Photo: IC









While concerns that renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou's new film The Great Wall was whitewashing its cast has became a huge topic of discussion on social media in the US, film lovers in China seem to be less interested in weighing in on the discussion.



The film became a much-discussed topic on Twitter after US actor Matt Damon responded to accusations that his leading role in the China-Hollywood co-produced action blockbuster was whitewashing in an interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday.



Damon, well-known by Chinese audiences for his Bourne series, told AP that his participation in the film did not replace any Asian actors, as his role in the movie was planned from the very beginning.



All quiet in China



Currently, discussion about the film in China has focused more on the Chinese cast, which includes young stars Wang Junkai and Lu Han, than any controversy about race.



Judging from the hundreds of comments on a Sina Weibo post by the Global Times featuring a video of the AP interview, some don't even know what "whitewashing" is.



"What bad thing did he do that he needs to whitewash it?" a Weibo user called Little G Is Not Busy commented, clearly thinking of the more common meaning of whitewash - "a deliberate concealment of someone's mistakes or faults in order to clear their name."



Chinese filmgoers' innocence about whitewashing and other race issues in film is not uncommon, according to Chen Changye, editor-in-chief of film blog Yiyuguancha.



"The US film industry is more concerned about such issues because they were one of the earliest to launch affirmative action and due to the country's strong diversity," Chen told the Global Times in an interview on Thursday.



Good business







Some suspect that the debate in the US is actually part of the film's promotional strategy - a way to get people talking about the film before its official release next week in China.



"To me, it seems they are just trying to stir up social media and create discussion. They just had a press conference in China for the film a day ago," a moviegoer surnamed Li told the Global Times on Wednesday.



A co-produced blockbuster boasting a $150 million budget, The Great Wall takes the familiar Hollywood monster movie and sets it in ancient China - a clear attempt to woe Chinese and US moviegoers.



Chen pointed out that the choice of Damon reflects China Film Group, LeVision Pictures and Universal Pictures' strategy to capture attention and spark discussion on social media platforms in both countries.



"Choosing Hollywood movie stars in a production like this is an inevitable business decision," Chen said.



"If Chinese movie producers want to sell a film in Hollywood and around the world, they have to bring in Caucasian actors and actresses to play roles meant for Asians or create Caucasian roles in the film for them," he added.



"This is not discrimination, it's just business. Chinese stars, such as Zhang Ziyi and Jing Tian, are not as globally-influential as Hollywood celebrities yet. This is the reality."