The Battle at Lake Changjin: A National Aesthetic Paradigm for Chinese Blockbusters

Yichuan Wang

doi:10.1515/jcfs-2022-0009

Article

The Battle at Lake Changjin: A National Aesthetic Paradigm for Chinese Blockbusters

An erratum for this article can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1515/jcfs-2025-2001

Yichuan Wang
Yichuan Wang received his doctorate from Beijing Normal University in 1988. In 2005, he was appointed an outstanding professor with the title of “Changjiang Scholar” by the Ministry of Education, and he was selected as a master teacher under the “Ten Thousand Talents Project” in 2016. He served as a professor and dean of the School of Arts, Peking University. Currently, he is a professor at the Center for Studies of Literary Theories at Beijing Normal University, as well as a deputy chair of Chinese Literary Critics Institute, a vice president of China Esthetics Institute, a vice president of Chinese Literary and Artistic Theory Institute, and a vice president of Chinese Film Critics Institute. His research interest lies in literary theory, art theory, esthetics, and film and television criticism. His major publications include Momentary Becoming of the Meaning, Rhetorical Aesthetics, The Emergence of Chinese Experiences of Modernity, The Second Text, Public Appreciation of Art, The Transcultural Art and Aesthetics, and The Chinese Artistic Mind.

Published/Copyright: June 23, 2022

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From the journal Journal of Chinese Film Studies Volume 2 Issue 1

Abstract

The significance of The Battle at Lake Changjin (Changjinhu, 2020) arguably lies in its shaping of a national aesthetic paradigm for Chinese blockbusters. This is mainly reflected in its creation of a panoramic film structure, constructing a solemn yet generous aesthetic style, forming the image of Chinese heroes, casting a consciousness between family and country, and rewriting historical justice through an aestheticized depiction. Behind the film’s latest success at the box office lies the enlightenment in Chinese blockbusters’ exploration of a national aesthetic paradigm: Chinese blockbusters need to firmly progress through this newly developed national-image aesthetic paradigm and continue exploring diverse aesthetic styles.

Keywords: The Battle at Lake Changjin ; Chinese blockbuster national aesthetic paradigm; shaping; family and country connection; historical justice

Translated by: Jingran Zhu, Communication University of China, Beijing, China. Zhu Jingran is a postgraduate student at the School of International Studies of the Communication University of China. Her research interest is News translation. She is in the research team of the China National Social Science Major Research Project “General History of Film Translation in China” (Grant number: 20&ZD313), which has supported the translation of this article.

Corresponding author: Yichuan Wang, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, E-mail: wangyichian@bnu.edu.cn

About the author

Yichuan Wang

Yichuan Wang received his doctorate from Beijing Normal University in 1988. In 2005, he was appointed an outstanding professor with the title of “Changjiang Scholar” by the Ministry of Education, and he was selected as a master teacher under the “Ten Thousand Talents Project” in 2016. He served as a professor and dean of the School of Arts, Peking University. Currently, he is a professor at the Center for Studies of Literary Theories at Beijing Normal University, as well as a deputy chair of Chinese Literary Critics Institute, a vice president of China Esthetics Institute, a vice president of Chinese Literary and Artistic Theory Institute, and a vice president of Chinese Film Critics Institute. His research interest lies in literary theory, art theory, esthetics, and film and television criticism. His major publications include Momentary Becoming of the Meaning, Rhetorical Aesthetics, The Emergence of Chinese Experiences of Modernity, The Second Text, Public Appreciation of Art, The Transcultural Art and Aesthetics, and The Chinese Artistic Mind.

Acknowledgements

This paper is a phased research result of “The Research of the Development History and Peak of Literature and Art” (Grant number: 18ZD02), a major art project of the National Social Science Foundation of China in 2018.

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Published Online: 2022-06-23

Published in Print: 2022-05-25

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https://doi.org/10.1515/jcfs-2022-0009

Keywords for this article

The Battle at Lake Changjin; Chinese blockbuster national aesthetic paradigm; shaping; family and country connection; historical justice