Spring Festival blockbusters display cultural confidence

Iconic director Zhang Yimou's suspense comedy Full River Red tells a story of eliminating evil to demonstrate loyalty and pursue justice. The drama is based around Yue Fei, a patriotic military commander of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), who fought battles against the Jin dynasty (1115-1234).

Ye Hang, an associate professor with the Beijing Film Academy, noted that the characters in the film pursue truth, and uphold morality and integrity. The patriotic feelings and majestic momentum contained in the film are very emotional and inspiring, according to Ye, while it reveals the value and meaning of life, sentiments that have been praised by people and passed down through the ages.

The Wandering Earth II -- a prequel to the 2019 sci-fi blockbuster The Wandering Earth -- tells the story of mankind building enormous engines to propel Earth to a new solar system as the sun rapidly burns out.

Chen Xuguang, a professor with the School of Arts of Peking University, noted that the Wandering Earth II is a complex of "Chinese imagination," "Chinese thinking" and "Chinese elements," showing that human beings will never give up their homeland.

Rao Shuguang, president of China Film Critics Association, said that the film conveys messages about caring for the Earth and the homeland, as well as the protection of the family, which are important ideas in China's traditional culture.