Golden Era lacks silver-screen luster(2)

Hui asked them to not only act but also talk directly to the camera—an approach that risks alienating audiences from feeling close to the storyline.

The 67-year-old director describes the film as an adventure and herself as a gambler.

"Filmmaking for me is like gambling. I keep trying when I lose, and I win something back. I wouldn't stop at this time but instead put more money in it."

The original cut was even longer than the version in theaters.

Yin Xue, marketing director of the film's production company, Stellar Mega Films, says she has seen many different cuts, including a six-hour version and a four-hour version. The three-hour version is Hui's bottom line. Insiders say the length is a box-office obstacle.

"Films longer than three hours are problematic for theater managers, especially during the precious National Day holidays slot," says producer and former theater manager Chen Zheng.

"The screening time could accommodate two animated films or a feature and a half."

Critics have given the film mixed reviews.

Variety calls it a "three-hour endurance test". Critic Yang Zao calls it a dissertation on modern Chinese literature, rather than a film that enables audiences unfamiliar with Xiao Hong to better understand her.

The avant-garde narration technique is a double-edged sword.

While writer Song Fangjin sings the praises of its novelty and courage, critic Mu Weier believes it inhibits emotional involvement.

"I'm not surprised viewers haven't accepted the film," Mu writes on his weibo, China's answer to Twitter.

But he acknowledges Hui's courage.

"She never stops challenging herself and trying new things."

Hui said in a speech in Hong Kong that she tried the narrative approach because she believes it's an original and appropriate way to convey the nuances of the writer's complicated life.

She didn't know how viewers would react—which is exactly why she adopted it.

China is a tough landscape for art-house movies. Art cinemas are rare, so art-house films must compete with commercial flicks in the same theaters.

Critic Tan Fei believes it's too early to judge the film's value.

"We can find many reasons why The Golden Era hasn't won over the market, such as the length, subject and release time," Tan says.

"But the brave film has dignity. I don't think the box office is the proper measure for art-house films in the first place."