Reimagining Hong Kong Cinema with Cross-Regional, Multiple Interpretations: Analysis of the Spectators of Raging Fire in Mainland China

This paper focuses on <em>Raging Fire</em>, the Hong Kong film that holds the highest box office record in mainland China to date. Going beyond surface-level commercial success, the study examines how Hong Kong cinema is received across different Chinese-speaking regions, with particular attention to content stratification and cultural decoding divergences. It further provides empirical evidence and strategic references for differentiated creative approaches in film production. Drawing on Liebes and Katz’s multiple interpretation matrix, the study conducts in-depth interviews with mainland spectators. It is found that the audience's interpretation of characters (including motivation, relationship, fate) is mainly “aesthetic” and “moral”, supplemented by some “playful” readings of character relationships; in the thematic interpretations (including film genres and social contexts), “aesthetic” and “ideological” decoding tendencies are most prevalent. These characteristics reflect the commonalities and differences in the dissemination and imagination of Hong Kong cinema. Based on these findings, the study proposes three layers of cross-regional dissemination strategies, offering valuable insights for text creators to carry out differentiated conception.