This paper provides a systematic review of academic controversies surrounding the definition and theoretical territory of the Chinese Road Movie. Previous research has been predominantly informed by an American-centric perspective, which focuses on mobility, psychological transformation, and the return to mainstream values. However, it is argued that a new definition of the Chinese Road Movie can be based on journey space and its class background. This definition illuminates the interaction between physical mobility, spatial process, and identity reconstruction. This paper argues that the Chinese Road Movie, rather than functioning as a branch of the American model, emerges locally as a revision of the global tradition. It develops cultural logics and visual practices unique to contemporary Chinese society. Additionally, its mixed-class composition makes it an instrumental movie genre for examining diverse Chinese masculinities in the contemporary era.
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