 Lu warns that domestic box office sales are not reliable indicators of a film 's popularity in mainland China , because of piracy and because of state or social group sponsorship ; many workers were given free tickets to promote the film , and a 1999 report claimed that more tickets were purchased by the government than by individuals . The film was more popular than most government @-@ promoted films touting the party line and Lu claims that it had " tremendous social support " , but Pang points out that its success was " not purely egalitarian , but partly constructed . " 
