A new framework for understanding the characteristics of China’s new mainstream film: The look, hook, and book with Chinese characteristics

In recent decades, the Chinese main melody film type has evolved into the highly successful new mainstream film that combines nationalistic and ideological propaganda with characteristics of the popular commercial film. Five of China’s top ten highest grossing box office films are new mainstream films, including Wolf Warrior II (2017), Operation Red Sea (2018), The Wandering Earth (2019), and The Battle at Lake Changjin (Part 1 (2021) and 2 (2022)). This presentation develops an understanding of the commercial, nationalistic, and propaganda aspects of new mainstream films by examining The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021) through Wyatt’s (1994) look, hook, and book of the high concept film because it is a stable framework for explaining the attributes of blockbuster type films. This concept will be adapted into a new framework based on the uniqueness of the Chinese film industry where ‘art serves politics’ as the look, hook, and book with Chinese characteristics.