China Unionpay’s film has tapped the current cultural vogue for all things Tang
“The Last Transfer of Western Tang Empire” (大唐漠北的最后一次转账) is an epic sixteen-minute story of war and money set during some dark days of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in the aftermath of the empire’s loss of the Western regions. Following a devastating battle, only two men survive to haul a heavy load of military funds between the two remaining cities under the empire, facing a vast desert, storms, and hostile enemies on the way.
Duty serves as the core concept of the film, which makes no mention of sponsor Unionpay until a text epilogue at the end that echoes the plot: “Chinese people have never changed their belief in fulfilling missions. China Unionpay believes that every cent is a mission to be fulfilled…. No distance too far, no penny too small.” The film is steeped in history and references the cultural riches of the Tang era through its poetry and music, and taps into the current interest in the period inspired by one of the summer’s hit TV dramas, the critically acclaimed “Longest Day in Chang’An.” The film was released while “Longest Day” was airing, and received a recommendation from its lead actor.
The ad agency SGAD collaborated with 37 Film on the production, which has received an overwhelming positive reception for its professional, cinematic quality. On review site Douban, the film has a score of 8.3 and 81 percent of viewers gave it 4 or 5 stars.
