Back to the future

British actor Joe Alwyn stars as the American soldier Billy Lynn in Ang Lee's new film Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, to be released on Friday. CHINA DAILY

Revealing that he was drawn to the novel by its elements that could be filmed at 120 frames per second, Lee says he regards facial expressions as being among the most suited material for 3-D on the big screen.

"A human face contains a lot of information. And when you see it as clearly as possible, you can capture the inner emotions and struggles," says Lee.

In his pursuit of reality, Lee sent some actors, including his son Mason Lee (who plays a soldier), to be intensively trained by American troops and told the cast to perform without makeup.

"Heavy cosmetics would shield the performance that came from the soul," says Lee.

Meanwhile, despite the high ticket prices, ranging from 180 yuan ($27) to 320 yuan, many times the cost of a regular movie ticket, many fans are enthusiastically discussing online if they should travel to Shanghai or Beijing to see the film, reminding industry watchers of James Cameron's Avatar.

Then, when the alien-themed epic－best viewed in 3-D Imax－was released on the Chinese mainland in 2010, China has 28,000 screens but only 12 have Imax facility, and 800, which can screen films in the 3-D format, says Bona Film Group's CEO Yu Dong.