10 Recommended Chinese Movies for Cinephiles: 101

The Farewell 别告诉她 (2019)  IMDB: 7.4

This movie is about an American-Chinese family that learns their grandmother has only a short time left to live. They decide not to tell her the truth. Then, they arrange a family gathering before she dies. The film is based on part of director Wang’s life experiences.

At the 77th Golden Globe Awards, the film was nominated for two awards including Best Foreign Language Film, and won the Best Actress Award- Musical or Comedy.

Sayınalp, S. (2020, September 1). Elveda – The Farewell – FilmLoverss Eleştirisi. Filmloverss. https://filmloverss.com/elveda-the-farewell/

Dying to Survive  我不是药神 (2018)  IMDB: 7.9

This film is based on the real-life story of Lu Yong, a Chinese leukemia patient who smuggled cheap but unproven cancer medicine from India for 1,000 Chinese cancer sufferers in 2004.

At 55th Golden Horse Awards, won in the Best Leading Actor, Best New Director, and Best Original Screenplay categories.

Chinafilminsider, B. Y. (2018). Headlines from China: ‘Dying to Survive’ Crosses $45.2 Million On Opening Day |. Chinafilminsider. http://chinafilminsider.com/headlines-from-china-dying-to-survive-crosses-45-2-m-on-opening-day/

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 臥虎藏龍 (2000) IMDB: 7.8

The plot is about a young Chinese warrior who steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man on the frontier of the nation.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon won over 40 awards and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2001, including Best Picture, and won Best Foreign Language Film, Best Art Direction, Best Original Score, and Best Cinematography.

AGENCY. (2020, December 15). ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ at 20: Ang Lee on the game-changing martial arts film. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/entertainment/2020/12/15/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon-at-20-ang-lee-on-the-game-changing-martial-arts-film

Kung Fu Hustle  功夫 (2004) IMDB: 7.7

In Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious “Axe Gang” while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.

The film was nominated for the 16th Hong Kong Film Awards, out of which winning Best Picture, Best Action Choreography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Effects, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Visual Effects. Five more awards were later picked up at the Golden Horse Awards including an award for Best Director for Stephen Chow.

Facts, U. (2019, April 10). 14 Unknown Facts About Kung Fu Hustle. Unbelievable Facts. https://unbelievable-facts.com/2017/11/facts-about-kung-fu-hustle.html

Ip Man 叶问 (2008) IMDB: 8.0

Ip Man is based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun and teacher of Bruce Lee. The movie focuses on events in Ip’s life that supposedly took place in Foshan. During the Japanese invasion of China, a wealthy martial artist is forced to leave his home when his city is occupied. With little means of providing for themselves, Ip Man and the remaining members of the city must find a way to survive.

Ip Man is the first film in the Ip Man film series. The second installment titled Ip Man 2, was released in April 2010, Ip Man 3 was released in 2015, and Ip Man 4: The Final was released in 2019. The film was nominated for 12 Hong Kong Film Awards, winning Best Film and Best Action Choreography awards.

Moore, M. B. P. A. V. S. (2013, May 1). Review: Ip Man (2008). WordPress.Com. https://kiaikick.com/2010/04/21/review-ip-man-2008/

So Long, My Son 地久天长 (2019) IMDB: 7.7

The film tells the story of two families over about thirty years. Each of the families has one son and they were born on the same day. Both families were originally close and worked in the same factory, but became estranged in the 1980s. These two married couples adjust to the vast social and economic changes taking place in China from the 1980s to the present.

At 69th Berlin International Film Festival, the film won the two main acting awards, with Wang Jingchun and Yong Mei winning the Silver Bear for Best Actor and Actress.

Brady, T. (2019, December 6). So Long, My Son: The long-form Chinese picture revitalised. The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/so-long-my-son-the-long-form-chinese-picture-revitalised-1.4103326

The Coffin in the Mountain 心迷宫 (2014) IMDB: 7.7

The plot begins with a young man attempting to escape his family’s oppressive power, but when he accidentally kills a local thug, his fate becomes inextricably linked to that of his father. A woman who has been a victim of domestic violence for years seeks peace and comfort in the arms of her ex-lover. The news of her husband’s death arrives just as she is about to murder him.

The film won the Grand Prix at the 30th Warsaw International Film Festival.

Deep in the Heart (The Coffin in the Mountain) (2014) awards & festivals on MUBI. (2014). Mubi. https://mubi.com/films/the-coffin-in-the-mountain/awards

Raise the Red Lantern 大红灯笼高高挂 (1991) IMDB: 8.1

Raise the Red Lantern is an adaptation by Ni Zhen of the 1990 novel Wives and Concubines by Su Tong. The movie is about a 19-year-old college student who drops out of school after her father dies; when her stepmother is unwilling to support her, she agrees to become the fourth wife of a wealthy lord and must learn to live with the strict rules and tensions within the household.

The film was nominated for more than 20 awards including the Oscars, in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival | Raise the Red Lantern. (2018). goldenhorse. https://www.goldenhorse.org.tw/film/programme/films/detail/1860?r=en

To Live 活着 (1994) IMDB: 8.3

It is based on the novel of the same name by Yu Hua. The movie tells a story about Fugui who had a rich family and lost his family’s property while gambling. After losing everything, his father cannot endure the sorrow and dies. Fugui starts a shadow puppet troupe and lives with his family. Then; the Chinese Civil War starts and they have to go through difficult cultural changes during the 1940s to 1970s China.

To Live won awards at Cannes Film Festival and BAFTA, including Best Actor.

Baylon, R. (2010, October 26). Houzhe (To Live) 1994. Filmexpression. http://filmexpression.blogspot.com/2010/10/houzhe-to-live-1994.html

Mao’s Last Dancer 毛泽东时代的最后舞者 (2009) IMDB: 7.3

Mao’s Last Dancer is a 2009 Australian film based on professional dancer Li Cunxin’s 2003 autobiography of the same name. The movie tells the story of a boy who is taken from his family and trained to become a dancer during Communist China. Since he is a gifted kid, he is being chosen to attend a ballet summer school in Houston, Texas, and sent there. During the days in the USA, he falls in love with an American girl. But the Chinese government wants his turn to his homeland to serve the country.

The film was nominated for over 20 awards and won the Best Original Music Score award at AACTA Awards.

‘Mao’s Last Dancer’ Performs Strictly on Autopilot. (2010). Copyright 2007-Current HollywoodChicago.Com LLC. https://www.hollywoodchicago.com/reviews/11583/film-review-mao-s-last-dancer-performs-strictly-on-autopilot

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