FOR the ruling Communist Party it is China's version of The Greatest Story Ever Told. For Jesus Christ substitute Mao Zedong in The Founding of the Republic (Jian Guo Da Ye), a lavish feature film about the communist leader's rise to power, which today will be given the widest release of any feature in China.

It's not just any historical drama. It has been made by China's propaganda department to coincide with the extraordinary gala celebrations of the party's 60 years in power on October 1 this year, which will be marked by a military parade down Beijing's main boulevard and into Tiananmen Square.

The lead role of Mao will played by look-alike Tang Guoqiang, who has played the former Communist Party chairman in 27 other films. (Now that's typecasting.)

And while many of the other lead roles will be filled by relative unknowns, a veritable galaxy of China's best-known film stars and directors - 100 all up - have given their services free of charge.

Popping up for a quick scene here and there will be actors Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Chow Yun Fat, as well as directors Chen Kaige and John Woo (whose scene has been snipped from the final cut).

And that's to name just those who would be better known in Australia. Other stars of Chinese and Hong Kong cinema also have bit parts in the movie.

Roll up, roll up, say the film posters, to see one celebrity every three minutes.

"For the stars, taking part in this movie is an investment for their future market and box office," says Wen Song, who was in the cast but who has used a pseudonym because of the film's promotion rules.

"Since China is still a country with nationalist sentiment, to have a patriotic posture makes (the actors) better accepted by audience as well as the authorities. Participation in the film, for the movie stars, is a declaration of their political standing," Wen tells The Australian.

"The stars want to contribute to the country, it reflects their morality as actors. Besides this, chief director Han Sanping andChina Movie Group's influence also attract them."

In the industry, Han has the nickname "Grandpa San": he is a famous producer and the general manager of China Movie Group, which controls film distribution across China's quickly growing number of screens, now numbering about 4100.

"Grandpa San makes a movie, who dares not to come?" one actor jokes.

Han has admitted his concern that, without the stars, not many viewers would go to cinemas to see such a mainstream film. Yet it's not just the stars flitting across the screen in this extravaganza who are lining up to helpcongratulate the party on its 60 years inpower.

Perhaps the most famous Chinese cinema star to return to China is director Zhang Yimou, who rose to fame through a series of searing portraits of the country such as Red Sorghum and Raise the Red Lantern. Zhang last year directed the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics and this year, as part of the huge anniversary celebrations, he is directing a stadium production of Puccini's Turandot, on October 6 and 7.

After a patchy career in Hollywood (Face/Off, Mission Impossible 2), Woo last year made a spectacular return home with the big-budget, two-part historical drama Red Cliff.

Zhang Yuan rose to prominence shooting the first music video for Chinese rock'n'roll godfather Cui Jian. He made Beijing Bastards in 1994, which was shown at the Sundance film festival, and went on to make China's first homosexual-themed movie, East Palace, West Palace.

He was banned from filmmaking in the mainland for years and receded from public view after being detained in a drug scandal in January last year. Now he is back making films at home with his latest, Dada's Dance, telling the story of a young woman who takes to the road after she is falsely told that her mother is not her birth mother.

"The overseas Chinese movie stars value the mainland market, too," widely published Beijing-based film critic Wang Jue tells TheAustralian. "It's not easy for Chinese to get into the mainstream market of Hollywood, so China's mainland market becomes vital for their survival, too.

"They want to show to the audience their patriotic images and show to the authorities their political standing, to make them more welcome to audiences, and their projects also find it easier to get market entry approval."

Amid the national celebrations, one eye will be on the till. China is one of the fastest-growing film markets, with box-office rocketing from $117 million five years ago to $630m last year. For the first six months of this year it took $331m.

The Founding of the Republic is certainly not the only screen celebration of what the party calls the New China.

Flicking through China's cable television stations in recent weeks, the viewer would come across an unusually high number of what look like historical dramas: not usual Chinese viewing fare.

TV movies and miniseries depicting the high points in communist China's history have been made for the anniversary.

Despite the return of many of its established film artists to the fold, China still heavily censors and persecutes its artists in many fields. Ai Wei Wei, the internationally successful artist who was the main designer of Beijing's "bird's nest" Olympic Stadium, has become increasingly politically active and has been harassed by the authorities. He claims to have been beaten by police. It's not treatment those involved in The Founding of the Republic are likely to receive and Han has promised audiences a "sincere work".

"The film is a birthday gift dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the founding of the republic," he says.

Wen says the filmmakers tried to have history recorded correctly.

"The film actually is not like what people thought: full of lecturing tones. The story was told through (people) and their personalities, not only through big events.

"If there are archives or photos (that) show somebody was then on site, we didn't delete him or her."

But Wang says she doesn't have high expectations of the film, which follows Mao's successful campaign against Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists for control of China.

"It's a partially segmented historical story, repeated in many such films," Wang says. "It will be interesting to see the audience response, young and old, different walks of life, if they go to the cinema (despite) expensive tickets. For example, my mother, she was born in the countryside, had education and work in the city as a doctor, a party member. I think she will have different views with mine."

In copyright-challenged China, The Australian asked for a DVD of the film to view to assist with this article.

"We aren't supplying any," a spokesperson for the film said. "For obvious reasons."

Source: The Australian