Domestic films grow in transformation.

During the Spring Festival this year, there were two war films in the film market, which triggered a movie-watching craze. The Battle at Lake Changjin’s sequel "Watergate Bridge of Changjin Lake" is based on large and medium materials, showing the "panorama" of the war; Sniper sees the big picture in a small way, which is more like a local "close-up" of the battle. The same theme of war, choosing the same schedule for release, all showed good box office appeal and word-of-mouth influence, breaking the previous market pattern of leading comedy films in the Spring Festival.

　　The theme of war has always been an important theme in film creation. In the film history of China, there have been many creative upsurge of war theme, and a number of well-known works have been born. However, for some time, domestic war films have fallen into a creative bottleneck. Some of them are full of bullets and gunfire, but they make people sleepy. There are also obvious traces of preaching, lacking the power to penetrate the hearts of the people and being "left out" by the market. From the "big" of The Battle at Lake Changjin series to the "small" of Sniper, what kind of transformation has taken place in domestic war films?

　　War movies are getting better and better, which is inseparable from the improvement of the film industry in China. The level of film industry is reflected in the typed creation, scientific and systematic production management and the application of new technologies. The creative experience of The Battle at Lake Changjin series shows that the same type of film can follow certain creative rules from script to production according to certain creative standards, and constantly replicate successful experiences to ensure sustainable production. The combination of technology and art is also an important standard of film industrialization. The Battle at Lake Changjin series created a breathtaking audio-visual experience for the audience with the help of high technology, and more than 90% of post-production and special effects technology were completed in China. At present, under the impact of online media, movies need to move towards a higher level of production, and movie audiences hope to get a completely different experience from other audio-visual platforms in the cinema. These changes urgently require filmmakers to lead the development of the industry with scientific and technological innovation. With the further improvement of film technology research and development capabilities, the unique charm of the big screen will further bloom.

　　War movies are getting better and better, which is inseparable from the improvement of China’s storytelling ability. Nowadays, war movies pay more and more attention to telling short stories in the big scene. It can not only "get both the big and the small", but also "see the small and view the big", which not only has a panoramic expression of the war process, but also vividly depicts the ordinary soldier. From this point of view, although there is no grand scene in Sniper, its characterization is deeply rooted in people’s hearts. In particular, the use of dialects, with mild comedy to describe the tragic core, so that one by one amiable and respectable image of China soldiers leap onto the screen. The cultural attribute of the film determines that it must bear the national spiritual and cultural value. Therefore, film creation should not only pursue the shock of the scene, but also the shock of the soul. When the technical means that directors can use are more and more advanced, they should also settle down and think about what kind of art form to use to recall the bonfire years and pay tribute to the "most lovely person".

　　Domestic films should not only base themselves on the domestic market, but also open their international horizons. What is worthy of recognition is that at present, while the domestic war films are promoting the main theme, the theme is no longer single, and the relationship between war and peace, war and people is deeply considered. Film art is a universal language and one of the best carriers to spread the story of China. China’s films still need to expand the breadth and depth of themes, strengthen international exchanges and cooperation, find the code of human empathy, and let the story of China really go to the world.

　　The Battle at Lake Changjin series and Sniper show us that war themes have a broad creative space. By February 9, 2022, the total box office (including pre-sale) of national cinema films exceeded 10 billion yuan, which shows the consumption potential of the film market. It is expected that China films will grow in the process of transformation, and achieve a double harvest of social and economic benefits with more acclaimed and well-received art works.