Chinese blockbuster Once Upon a Time in the Middle East in the Oscars race
A Chinese chef navigates war-torn Iraq, amid fire-filled scenes and state propaganda.
The film Once Upon a Time in the Middle East was presented as China's Oscar entry, a blockbuster that mixes cuisine and war devastation. It follows a Chinese chef thrown into the chaos of the Iraq war, between absurd episodes and brutal violence. According to Variety, the film recalls the 2002 wuxia spectacle Hero by Zhang Yimou, but has not renewed an international nomination since that title. The state-backed production showcases a technical feat: an entire city reduced to ash, then a military base stormed with flamboyant pyrotechnics. The same piece notes the film's openly propagandistic and tasteless nature, despite its entertaining aspect.