China's privately-owned Huayi Brothers motion picture company has released the thrilling spy film The Message. The movie premiered in Tianjin on September 22, eight days before the 60th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC).

The movie was directed by Gao Qunshu from the mainland and Chen Kuofu from Taiwan. According to Chen, the movie was filmed to tell the destinies of people involved in China's Anti-Japanese Aggression War (1937-1945).

In 1937, the Japanese marched over Lugou Bridge in Beijing, triggering the war between China and its eastern neighbor. The film was adapted from the novel, which is about secret agents who fought for the liberation of China during that time.

According to Jiefang Daily, the film is paving a new path by showing China's struggle during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) on the big screen. It has several big-names appearing in it, including Hong Kong actress Zhou Xun, mainland actresses Li Binbin and Zhang Hanyu, as well as mainland actor Huang Xiaoming.

The plot of the film was inspired after a murder mystery game, in which one tries to guess who is “killing” the others in the group. However, the film is more solemn than the game, as heroes and heroines in the movie are tortured both physically and spiritually in a bid to fulfill their purposes.

The Beijing Evening News reports that although the ending is apparent, the intriguing plot leaves the audience in deep thought. No matter who's the real criminal, everyone will suffer the pain from when the boundary between brightness and darkness is not clear. The movie shows reverence to those who fought in the war and also celebrates the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC.

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