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1 | Rock Huang's Personal favorite Films in Chinese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3 | A. Shanghai Animation Film Studio (I have to put this in the very begining otherwise these masterpiece get so easy to be ignored) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Director | Name | IMDB link | Year | Story | Memo | Name in Chinese | Just watch | Other ways to watch | ||||||||||||||||||
5 | 1. Wan Laiming, Tang Cheng | Havoc in Heaven | tt0059855 | 1963 | A monkey's revolution against the gods | An enlightment of Eastern Aesthetics for me | 大闹天宫 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-monkey-king-1964 | |||||||||||||||||||
6 | 2. Yan Dingxian, Wang Shuchen, Xu Jingda | Nezha Conquers the Dragon King | tt0354770 | 1979 | Young warrior Nezha who takes on a group of evil dragons under the sea. | A challenge to tradition confucian ideology | 哪吒闹海 | - | YouTube | ||||||||||||||||||
7 | 3. Xu Jingda, Ma Kexuan | Three Monks | tt0133191 | 1980 | Tale of three monks living in a hilltop monastery. | A cute and healing story | 三个和尚 | - | bilibili | ||||||||||||||||||
8 | 4. Te Wei, Qian Jiajun, Tang Cheng | Baby Tadpoles Look for Their Mother | tt1331015 | 1960 | A group of lost tadpoles search for their mother. | Very cute. First animation in ink and wash. | 小蝌蚪找妈妈 | - | DailyMotion | ||||||||||||||||||
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10 | B. Taiwanese New Wave Cinema (Best way to take a bite at Chinese Culture) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Director | Name | IMDB link | Year | Story | Memo | Name in Chinese | ||||||||||||||||||||
12 | 1. Edward Yang (My favorite Chinese Director, went to the U.S. for grad school, know both culture well; famous for his insights on Taiwanese society.) | A Brighter Summer Day | tt0101985 | 1991 | With the pressure from both inside and outside, a boy at 14 killed his lover. | Wrote this as my senior film analysis essay | 牯岭街少年杀人事件 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/a-brighter-summer-day | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | Yi yi | tt0244316 | 2000 | People in different ages try to reconcile with themselves in a family | Good for rewatching at different ages | 一一 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/yi-yi | ||||||||||||||||||||
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15 | 2. Hou Hsiao-Hsien (Master of Eastern Aesthetics, Chinese Akira Kurosawa) | A City of Sadness | tt0096908 | 1989 | A beautiful, historical film based upon the complex lives of four brothers | Just amazing. | 悲情城市 | - | YouTube | ||||||||||||||||||
16 | The Puppetmaster | tt0107157 | 1993 | Puppeteer Li Tian-lu tells his life story, and through it, the story of Taiwan in the first half of the 20th century. | Epic but subtle. | 戏梦人生 | - | DVD | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | Dust in the Wind | tt0091406 | 1986 | A young couple leave their mining town home for Taipei where they struggle to eke out a living in an industrial wasteland. | Sad and extremely beautiful | 恋恋风尘 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/dust-in-the-wind | ||||||||||||||||||||
18 | Flowers of Shanghai | tt0156587 | 1998 | In the "flower houses" (upscale brothels) of Shanghai, various interweaving stories of love, loyalty, and deceit play out subtly. | spy war and romance | 海上花 | - | DVD | |||||||||||||||||||
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20 | 3. Ang Lee (Went to NYU Tisch and well known for not only his nuance approach to subtle human interactions in culture collision, family drama or social trauma, but also his broader yet successful approaches in different genres) | Eat Drink Man Woman | tt0111797 | 1994 | A senior chef lives with his three grown daughters and find it getting harder to express himself as they have their different plans for the future. | If you feel bored watching the beginning, wait till the end | 饮食男女 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/eat-drink-man-woman | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | Lust, Caution | tt0808357 | 2007 | A girl tries to assasinate a top spy through seducing. | Prepare yourself well before watching it | 色，戒 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/lust-caution | ||||||||||||||||||||
22 | The Wedding Banquet | tt0107156 | 1993 | A homosexual man want to get away with his parents through a fake marriage with his female friend | Queer+Family Drama+Cultural Shock | 喜宴 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-wedding-banquet | ||||||||||||||||||||
23 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | tt0190332 | 2000 | A young warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman, followed by some mess and a romantic encounter. | One of the best martial arts movies. | 卧虎藏龙 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon | ||||||||||||||||||||
24 | Pushing Hands | tt0105652 | 1991 | A retired Tai-Chi Master Chu tries to find his place in the foreign American world with his immigrant family. | Comedy+Family drama+Cultural Shock | 推手 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/pushing-hands | ||||||||||||||||||||
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27 | C. Hong Kong Genre Films (Best Chinese Industry level films ever) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
28 | Genre and Representative Director | Name | IMDB link | Year | Story | Memo | Name in Chinese | ||||||||||||||||||||
29 | 1. Action- Jackie Chan (The most live risk Action Comedian ) | Police Story | tt0089374 | 1985 | Cop vs. top drug head | Simply feeling good after watching it | 警察故事 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/police-story | |||||||||||||||||||
30 | Project A | tt0085127 | 1983 | Agent from Navy vs. pirates | Simply feeling good after watching it | A计划 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/jackie-chans-project-a | ||||||||||||||||||||
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32 | 2. Gangster - Andrew Lau, Alan Mak | Infernal Affairs | tt0338564 | 2002 | A young police officer has been sent undercover as a mole in the local mafia, while a young mafia member infiltrates the police force. | Best Gangster drama | 无间道 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/infernal-affairs | |||||||||||||||||||
33 | Infernal Affairs II | tt0369060 | 2003 | 无间道II | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/infernal-affairs-ii | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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35 | 3. Comedy - Stephen Chow | Kung Fu Hustle | tt0373074 | 2004 | A young punk’s road towards Kungfu master in a chaotic world. | My favorite Action Ganster Comedy | 功夫 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/kung-fu-hustle | |||||||||||||||||||
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37 | 4. Romance - Peter Ho-Sun Chan | Comrades, Almost a Love Story | tt0117905 | 1996 | Two Chinese-mainlanders living in Hong Kong form a close friendship, though one of them plans to go abroad. | Simply feeling good after watching it | 甜蜜蜜 | - | DVD | ||||||||||||||||||
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39 | 5. Biography - Stanley Kwan | Center Stage | tt0102816 | 1991 | Biography of China's first real movie star, a woman who lived a "colorful" life and was dead before she was 30. | A kaleidoscope of emotion and tragedy. | 阮玲玉 | - | DVD | ||||||||||||||||||
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41 | 6. Drama - Ann Hui | The Way We Are | tt1233499 | 2008 | A hardworking single mother and her teenage son living in the troubled housing estate of a suburb regularly featured in the news for all the wrong reasons. | Real and touching-- actually most of Ann Hui's films are based on true stories | 天水围的日与夜 | - | DVD | ||||||||||||||||||
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43 | 7. Wong Kar-wai (This guy opens his own genre. Not everybody likes it, but everyone respects it) | The Grandmaster | tt1462900 | 2013 | The career and romance of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee. | Best Romantic Martial Arts | 一代宗师 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-grandmaster | |||||||||||||||||||
44 | Chungking Express | tt0109424 | 1994 | Two cops each experiences a mysterious relationship | Respect | 重庆森林 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/chungking-express | ||||||||||||||||||||
45 | In The Mood for Love | tt0118694 | 2000 | Two neighbors, a woman and a man, both married, form a platonic bond. | ⬆️ | 花样年华 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/hua-yang-nian-hua | ||||||||||||||||||||
46 | Fallen Angels | tt0112913 | 1995 | A hitman hopes to get out of the business, and his elusive female partner. | ⬆️ | 堕落天使 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/fallen-angels | ||||||||||||||||||||
47 | Happy Together | tt0118845 | 1997 | A couple take a trip to Argentina but both men find their lives drifting apart in opposite directions. | Best Queer Film in Hong Kong | 春光乍泄 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/happy-together | ||||||||||||||||||||
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49 | D. Mainland 4-5th Generation Directors （First generations of directors making author films after the birth of new China. The only difference between the 4th and 5th is the 4th are educated before The Cultural Revolution, while the 5th is after） | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
50 | Director | Name | IMDB link | Year | Story | Memo | Name in Chinese | ||||||||||||||||||||
51 | 1.Wu Yigong | My Memories of Old Beijing | tt0085326 | 1983 | The society and life in Beijing in 1920s through the eyes of a 6 year old girl. | Best prose film in China | 城南旧事 | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||
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53 | 2. Zhang Yimou （Most Well known still active Director from mainland. Famous for astonishingly stunning cinematography and set design. Another signature figure of Eastern Aesthetics besides Hou Hsiao-Hsien） | Red Sorghum | tt0093206 | 1988 | A young widow is forced to run the winery to make a living while contending with bandits, her drunkard lover, and the invading Japanese army in 1930 . | A representative film of rural China | 红高粱 | - | YouTube | ||||||||||||||||||
54 | Hero | tt0299977 | 2002 | Ancient China, an assasin went on a task to kill the most powerful king who unified China | A Film that opens up the new era of Chinese commercial epic film | 英雄 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/hero-2002 | ||||||||||||||||||||
55 | Raise the Red Lantern | tt0101640 | 1991 | An American finds refuge during the 1937 Japanese invasion of Nanking in a church with a group of women. | Fantastic Psycho- horror; One of the best combination of cinmatography and set design in the film history | 大红灯笼高高挂 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/raise-the-red-lantern | ||||||||||||||||||||
56 | The Flowers Of War | tt1410063 | 2011 | An American priest finds refuge during the 1937 Japanese invasion of Nanjing in a church with a group of women. | Caution: Violence and Rape scene | 金陵十三钗 | https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-flowers-of-war | ||||||||||||||||||||
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58 | 3. Chen Kaige | Farewell My Concubine | tt0106332 | 1993 | The story of two performers in the Beijing Opera, stage brothers, and the woman who comes between them. | Best Queer Film in mainland China | 霸王别姬 | - | YouTube | ||||||||||||||||||
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60 | 4. Huo Jianqi | Postmen In The Mountains | tt0210916 | 1999 | A young man finally understands his father, a retiring mailman in the mountains, after taking over his job. | A powerful and touching film. Good for watching when relaxed. | 那山那人那狗 | - | YouTube | ||||||||||||||||||
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62 | 5. Huang Jianxin | Back to Back, Face to Face | tt0109235 | 1994 | A very talented man, the vice director of a local Cultural Centre waits to be appointed as the new director while another guy was appointed to be the director... | Hillarious drama yet very in-depth criticism on bureaucracy. | 背靠背，脸对脸 | - | YouTube | ||||||||||||||||||
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64 | E. Mainland 6th Generation Directors and their fellows (Mostly underground liberals, doing reflections on nationalism, authoritarianism, or social issues through different approaches. Winning awards all over the world yet banned from China.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
65 | Director | Name | IMDB link | Year | Story | Memo | Name in Chinese | ||||||||||||||||||||
66 | 1. Lou Ye (The most well known idependent filmmaker from mainland China) | Blind Massage | tt3469964 | 2014 | A drama centered around the employees of a Nanjing massage parlor who share a common trait: they are all blind. | Watch it curious, finish it touched | 推拿 | - | https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2djl5e | ||||||||||||||||||
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68 | 2. Jia Zhangke | The Pickpocket | tt0144020 | 2013 | A love story between a pocket thief and a hooker. | Unexpected humane depiction | 小武 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmN33TQz9WQ&ab_channel=GunTop | |||||||||||||||||||
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70 | 3. Zhang Yuan | Little Red Flowers | tt0492473 | 2006 | A 4 years old boy fights against the evaluation system in his kindergarten. | Critics with great humor | 看上去很美 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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72 | 4. Jiang wen （his works are unique and nuance in a brutal and hilarious way. My favorite director from mainland China.） | In the Heat of the Sun | tt0111786 | 1994 | The sexual enlightening of four priviledged teenagers during the Cultural Revolution in Beijing. | Trainspotting+American Pie? | 阳光灿烂的日子 | ||||||||||||||||||||
73 | Devils on the Doorstep | tt0245929 | 2000 | During the Japanese invasion, a peasant are asked by the guerrilla to keep 2 caught Japanese solders for few days, but the guerrilla never shows up after then | Very very special war comedy Im not sure is there any other films are like this | 鬼子来了 | |||||||||||||||||||||
74 | Let The Bullets Fly | tt1533117 | 2010 | In 1920s China, a bandit arrives in a remote provincial town posing as its new mayor, where he faces off against a tyrannical local nobleman. | Amazing fable comedy as a reflection on the Chinese revolution history. Hilarious+ if you speak Mandarin | 让子弹飞 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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76 | F. Other Great Films in the new century (Less political comparing to the 6th generation, more independent works, in chronological order. ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
77 | Director | Name | IMDB link | Year | Story | Memo | Name in Chinese | ||||||||||||||||||||
78 | 1. Feng Xiaogang (Master of dark humor) | Big Shot's Funeral | tt0287934 | 2001 | A famous Hollywood director anticipates his death during shooting in China and asked his young Chinese documentarist to make a happy funeral for him, which ends up becoming a crazy commercial competition. | The best dark humor comedy on reverse culture shock and extreme Capitalism | 大腕 | ||||||||||||||||||||
79 | A World Without Thieves | tt0439884 | 2004 | A shoplifters couple protects a naive peasant with his life -savings from being stolen by other thieves on a train ride. | Just amazing. | 天下无贼 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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81 | 2. Lu Chuan | Mountain Patrol | tt0386651 | 2004 | A breathtaking race between cops, mountain patrol, and poachers. | Catch Me If You Can Tibet version, but a lot more savage and serious. | 可可西里 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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83 | 3. Ning Hao | Crazy Stone | tt0843270 | 2006 | Both an internationally known master thief and a group of local thrifters try to steal a valuable jade that is tightly guarded by a security chief, the protagonist. | Masterpeice of structure. A fantastic homage to Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. | 疯狂的石头 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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85 | 4. Wilson Yip | Ip Man | tt1220719 | 2008 | During the Japanese invasion, a wealthy martial artist is forced to leave his home when his city is occupied. | A very nice nationalist approach to the biography of Bruce Lee's trainer, the protagonist of The Grandmaster. | 叶问 | YouTube Movies | |||||||||||||||||||
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87 | 5. Doze Niu | Monga | tt1604900 | 2010 | In 1980s Taiwan, after the end of military dictatorship, Monga centers around the troubled lives of five boys coming of age together. | A touching movie with brilliant rhythm that successfully combines the elements of youth, crime, gangster, and romance together. | 艋舺 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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89 | 6. Zhang Meng | The Piano in a Factory | tt1723118 | 2010 | To fight for custody of his daughter who loves playing the piano, a steel factory worker decides to forge a piano from scratch. | A great story taken place in Northeastern China, which is rarely seen in the cinema. | 钢的琴 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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91 | 7. Wei Te-Sheng | Seediq Bale: The Sun Flag | tt2007993 | 2011 | An anti colonial war against Japanese invasion from indigenous clan-based people in Taiwan. | Has a lot of things to share with Braveheart by Mel Gibson and The Last of the Mohicans by Michael Mann. | 赛德克巴莱：太阳旗 | ||||||||||||||||||||
92 | Seediq Bale: The Rainbow Bridge | tt4164468 | 2011 | 赛德克巴莱：彩虹桥 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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94 | 8. Lu Yang | Brotherhood of Blades | tt4019426 | 2014 | Being bribed by their target once, 3 elite guards for the emperor are facing series of life-threatening troubles. | Best Action Romance these years. | 绣春刀 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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96 | 9. Yang Ya-che | The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful | tt7479784 | 2017 | Madame Tang colludes and mediates between the government and the private businesses for the benefits of her all-female family. One case does not go according to plan, and an entire family close to Madame Tang fall victim to a cruel murder. | Crazy spy war in an all-female family. Top level psycho horror. | 血观音 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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98 | 10. Chih-Yen Hsu, Mag Hsu | Dear Ex | tt8443704 | 2018 | A teenage boy and his mother are further driven apart when they find out that his father's life insurance policy is to be received by his male lover. | The direct translation of the title in Mandarin is "Who fell in love with him first". | 谁先爱上他的 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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100 | 11. Bai Xue | The Crossing | tt8875366 | 2018 | Studying in Hong Kong but living in Shenzhen, Mainland China, a young girl joins a smuggling gang and uses her student identity to smuggle iPhones from Hong Kong to Mainland. | Just amazing. | 过春天 | ||||||||||||||||||||