王一川：A National Aesthetic Paradigm for Chinese Blockbusters

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To Cite This Article:

Wang, Yichuan. "The Battle at Lake Changjin: A National Aesthetic Paradigm for Chinese Blockbusters" Journal of Chinese Film Studies, vol. 2, no. 1, 2022, pp. 199-205. https://doi.org/10.1515/jcfs-2022-0009

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About the Author

王一川 Yichuan Wang

Wang Yichuan 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.

王一川，1988年在北京师范大学获得文学博士学位，2005年入选教育部“长江学者”特聘教授，2016年入选“万人计划”教学名师，曾任北京大学艺术学院院长、教授，现为北京师范大学文艺学研究中心暨文学院教授，兼任中国文艺评论家协会副主席、中华美学学会副会长、中国文艺理论学会副会长、中国电影评论学会副会长；主要从事文艺理论、艺术理论、美学、影视批评研究，代表性著作有《意义的瞬间生成》《修辞论美学》《中国现代性体验的发生》《第二重文本》《艺术公赏力》《跨文化艺术美学》《中国艺术心灵》等。

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Abstract and Keywords

摘    要:   《长津湖》的整体意义体现在，它称得上是中式大片民族美学范式的定型之作，这主要体现为营造全景散点式巨制，建构悲歌慷慨、气韵沉雄的影像美学 风格，塑造中华脊梁式英雄群像，铸就家国同构意识，重写历史正义并予以审美化宣示。该片的最新和最高观影票房背后隐伏着中式大片在民族美学范式探索上的定型及启迪：中式大片需要更加坚决而扎实地沿着这条新定型的影像民族美学范式道路前行，拓展出更加多样且更为成熟的民族影像美学风格的力作。

关键词:《长津湖》；中式大片民族美学范式；定型；家国同构；历史正义

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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.

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

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A Glimpse of the Article

Less than two months after its release, The Battle at Lake Changjin broke an all-time box offifice record for both Chinese fifilms and the global single-distribution market. Bringing with it a synthesizing effect, it offers a lot of valuable inspiration for the creation of Chinese fifilms, especially blockbusters. While its critical reception has been varied, here I try to put forward some observations based on my instinctive feelings (Wang 2021) since the fifilm’s release and continue to learn from other experts.‍

The national aesthetic paradigm of Chinese blockbusters, namely Operation Mekong (Meigonghe xingdong, 2015), Operation Red Sea (Honghai xingdong, 2017), The Wandering Earth (Liulang diqiu, 2017), Wolf Warrior II (Zhanlang II, 2017), My People My Country (Wo he wo de zuguo, 2019), and The Captain (Zhongguo jizhang, 2019), have undergone a process from transformation to confifiguration. The integrated signifificance of The Battle at Lake Changjin lies in its continuation of the Chinese blockbuster, concluding in a national aesthetic paradigm. The integration of a specifific national aesthetic and the semantic system of Chinese blockbusters form this national aesthetic paradigm, marking the stabilization of a modern national aesthetic standard, and the formation of a system in form and meaning. It will play a leading and demonstrative role in the future of domestic cinema.

       影片《长津湖》在上映不到两月的时间里，创造出中国国产片票房历史新高和年度全球单一市场票房第一的奇迹，给当前中国国产片创作、特别是中式大片创作带来新的集大成式整体效应，留下诸多宝贵启迪。对此的概括和评论诚然是见仁见智的事，但不妨尝试在该片上映之初的个人粗浅观感基础上，再次提出约略新的观察，继续就教于方家。

     《长津湖》的集大成式整体意义集中表现在，它称得上是继《湄公河行动》《红海行动》《流浪地球》《战狼2》《我和我的祖 国》 和《中国机长》等以来持续进行的，中式大片民族美学范式从转型到构型再到定型的作品。中式大片的民族美学范式，是中国式电影大片的特定民族美学形式与其意义系统的融合体式，标志着这种民族风格大片在创作上获得了完整而稳定的现代民族美学规范、表达程式和意义系统范型，对未来国产片创作起到引领和示范作用。

01 营造全景散点式巨制

                 Creating a Panoramic Film Structure

The most notable aspect of the national aesthetic paradigm of this film is the creation of a panoramic and scattered perspective war epic. First, it is rich in multilayered majestic scenes and audio–visual effects. There is not only a magnificent scene of a pre-war rally but also ones depicting strategic deployment and material gathering. It presents not only our national leaders, senior and grassroot commanders, soldiers and the public, but also the enemy’s counterparts, building up a multisequence, comprehensive, and complicated social group structure. Moreover, it turns to thorough uses of montages, special effects and piercing sounds, to immerse the audience in heart-wrenching, breathtaking, and unforgettable scenes of fierce battles and selfless fighting.

该片的中式大片民族美学范式定型上最引人关注的一点在于，创造出一种全景式和散点透视式的战争巨制，简称全景散点式巨制。这首先是由于其场面恢弘雄壮、 层次多样立体、富于超强度视听震撼效应的奇观。这里既有巨大的战前动员场面，又有战场前方交战和战场后方支援相交织的关联景观，还有大后方的战略部署和物资集聚场面；不仅有对我方国家领导人、高级指挥员、基层指挥员、战士及民众的刻画，同时也有对敌方几乎同样多层次人员的描写，烘托出多序列、全方位、立体化的社会群体结构；更有蒙太奇手段、特技特效镜头、强刺激声音手段等的综合运用，让观众身临其境地沉浸在一幕幕几近撕心裂肺、动人心魄、长久难忘的剧烈交战和忘我搏击场景中。

More importantly, this kind of panoramic three-dimensional landscape, made by special effects in modern movies, is deeply in line with the tradition of scattered perspectives unique to Chinese classical painting. Each section of the film can be both independent of, and subordinate to, the whole, and the audience can fully engage with the scenery throughout. Complemented by the national aesthetic paradigm within the scattered perspective, the audience can adapt to the leaping correlations between the front and rear of the battlefield, the Chinese side and the enemy, the main battlefield and the other battlefields, direct scenes and indirect scenes. Even the subplots of Yang Gensi and the “Ice Sculpture Company”, which seem to be unrelated to the battle of the Seventh Company of the Volunteer Army, do not produce any obvious sense of incongruity under the montage editing.

重要的是，这种看起来是现代电影特技特效镜头特制的全景式立体式景观，同时又能深深契合于中国古典绘画特有的散点透视传统：影片各部分既可以相互独立又从属于整体，而观众从每个部分去观看，也似乎都能联想到其整体景致。也正是得力于散点透视这一民族美学范式传统的隐性支撑，观众可以习惯于观赏战场前方与后方、我方与敌方、主战场与次战场、直接场景与间接场景之间的跳跃式关联，甚至与七连战斗看似无关的杨根思故事片段和“冰雕连”故事片段，在蒙太奇剪辑下也没有产生明显的违和感。

Such an unprecedentedly magnificent and impressive war epic with panoramic and scattered perspectives fully serves one goal: to bring the audience back to the memory of the bloody battle 70 years ago, in which a weak force overcame a powerful opponent. The common people together with the top leaders sent their sons to the DPRK to participate in the war and jointly won the battle of Changjin Lake. This film uses advanced imagery and high-tech means to update the aesthetic tradition of scattered perspectives and reshape personal, family and national memory, making the film the most integrated Chinese-style blockbuster so far; an unprecedented breakthrough.

这样空前宏阔、壮丽且令人震撼的全景散点式巨制，全力服务于一个目标：把观众带回到七十多年前那场以弱胜强的血战记忆中，重述一则普通民众和国家最高领导人分别送子入朝参战、以英雄主义气概共同打赢长津湖战役的官民同心、保家卫国的壮烈故事。这可以说是一次利用先进影像、高科技手段去更新古典散点透视美学传统，重塑个人和家庭记忆、全民集体记忆及国家记忆之举，使得该片成为迄今为止，中式大片影像美学集成式突破的空前力作。

02 建构悲歌慷慨、气韵沉雄的民族影像风格

   Constructing a Tragic and Magnanimous Aesthetic Style

The most significant blockbusters in world film history often construct original and unique aesthetic styles, such as Saving Private Ryan (1997) and Schindler’s List (1993). Chinese blockbusters are also pursuing such unique styles. The Battle at Lake Changjin focuses on presenting a national aesthetic style that blends the tragic and the magnanimous. The film is characterized by passionate and deep expressions of solemn and stirring feelings, which make people think of Sima Qian’s comment on Xiang Yu’s “heroic tragedy” (Si 2011, 283). The audience cannot help but sigh with deep emotion that this glorious victory cost the lives of countless heroes. At the same time, the film also reminds people of the comment on Cao Cao’s poem “like a veteran of Youyan, with a strong charm” in the Poetry Reviewby Ao Taosun of the Song Dynasty (Ao 1998, 7541). Therefore, people can better understand and feel the “charm” exuded 70 years ago by veterans from the people’s army, which boasts more than 90 years of history. The fifilm combines vigorous and passionate generosity with calm and tragic spirits. Sometimes it presents the story in an impassioned way, and sometimes it depicts the heroic legend in touching and meandering ways. The “veterans’ heroic charm” can be viewed as an accomplishment of the classical national aesthetic style with the help of high-tech imagery.

世界影史上真正优秀的大片往往会建构独创的美学风格，例如《拯救大兵瑞恩》和《辛德勒的名单》等。中式大片同样在呼唤独创性民族美学风格。《长津湖》着力呈现一种不妨称之为“悲歌慷慨”与“气韵沉雄”交融的民族影像风格。该片有着以情感激昂而又深沉的高歌去长抒内心悲壮情怀的特点，让人不禁想到司马迁有关项羽“悲歌慷慨”2 的评价，观众难免不沉痛地感慨，这场以弱胜强的辉煌胜利，恰是以无数英雄的鲜血和生命才换来的。该片同时还可以让人联想到宋人敖陶孙在《诗评》中有关曹操诗作“如幽燕老将，气韵沉雄”3 的评价，由此更可以理解和品味至今已有九十余年军史的人民军队，在七十余年前释放的沉稳而雄健的“老将”“气韵”。该片将悲壮激昂的慷慨情怀和沉稳雄健的精神气韵交融一体，时而慷慨激昂而响遏行云，时而低徊悲壮而百折千回，感人肺腑地叙述英烈们可歌可泣的英雄传奇。影片在其“悲歌慷慨”的英雄旋律中蕴蓄“幽燕老将”的“气韵沉雄”，属于古典民族美学风格借助于影像高科技手段而实现的一次完型。

Such a national aesthetic style also releases unavoidable contemporaneity: to re-engrave the national collective memory of the war to resist the U.S. aggression and to assist Korea, and once again venerate the martyrs who have long been buried. This is all to enhance the national cohesion of contemporary citizens and inspire young people to quicken their personal growth and strive to meet the serious challenges ahead through patriotism and heroism.

这样一种民族影像美学风格同时也释放出不可回避的当代性：重新铭刻有关抗美援朝战争的民族集体记忆，再度召唤那些早已长眠于大地的烈士英灵，以便增强当代国民集体凝聚力，激励青少年观众以爱国主义情怀和英雄主义精神去加速自身成长和奋力迎接已经和正在面临的严峻挑战。

03 塑造中华脊梁式英雄典型

Forming the Image of Chinese Heroes

                          

The most rousing feature of Chinese war blockbusters is not only the splendid and intense war scenes, but the charisma of the typical heroes. Although the concept of typification comes from the West, it has been integrated with the theory of characters or features established by Li Zhi and Jin Shengtan since the Ming and Qing Dynasties and have fused them with a modern Chinese standard theory of a national aesthetic paradigm. The audience is interested in the hero who meets their ideals and commands respect from them. Just as readers appreciate the heroes in All Men Are Brothers, a popular novel by Shi Nai’an, the audience has an ideal of heroes in movies. To meet the audience’s ideal, modern popular movies tend to depict the heroes through major stars. The fifilm spares no effort in this regard: let an actor who has repeatedly played a superhero in Chinese blockbusters fifill the role of Wu Qianli, a resourceful and brave commander; choose a burgeoning young actor to play the rebellious, fearless and fast-growing Wu Wanli as a recruit; select an experienced actor who can play challenging roles as the veteran Lei Suisheng who is wise and willing to sacrififice himself. Other stars play the roles of Mei Sheng, a handsome and elegant political instructor with both literary grace and military skills; Yu Congrong, a cheerful and gallant platoon leader; Ping He, a reticent sharpshooter; and Mao Anying, a mild-mannered and determined soldier. Moreover, this fifilm focuses on the growth of humbler heroes. It not only portrays company commander Wu Qianli’s heroic legend but also depicts the growth of his brother Wu Wanli thanks to the help of the whole company.

中式战争大片最为动人心魄的，不应仅在于战争场面之精彩激烈本身，而更应在于由此塑造的英雄典型的感召力。典型概念虽然来自西方，但进入中国百年间已同中国明清小说以来由李贽和金圣叹等建树的人物性格或面目理论实现交融，托举出具备民族美学范式特色的中国现代典型理论。观众感兴趣的是能否遇见自己倾心期待和纵情敬仰的英雄典型，正像古今读者欣赏《水浒传》中的武松、李逵、鲁智深、林冲等，作为现代大众艺术的电影，则偏向以观众喜爱的“明星”去刻画他们期待的英雄典型。该片对此可谓不遗余力：让在近年来中式大片中屡次充当超级英雄的男演员扮演智勇双全、英勇无畏的战地指挥员连长伍千里；选择冉冉上升而备受瞩目的青年演员扮演具有叛逆性格、不畏生死和快速成长的新兵伍万里；由善于饰演硬汉形象者充当充满人生智慧而富于牺牲精神的老兵雷睢生；另有几位同样耀眼的“明星”分别出演英俊儒雅、文武双全的指导员梅生、性格开朗而作战勇猛的排长余从戎，沉默寡言而对敌弹无虚发的神枪手平河，以及温文尔雅而性格坚毅的毛岸英等。

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