What do you know about Chinese films?

Registered User

12-09-08

Originally Posted by grex

I think chinese culture kind of differs. If its about war films, Hero(2002) made a huge impact with the arrow rain scene. Probably even to western culture.

Cape no.7 recently made a good rise in taiwan. Its not really full chinese but people get the "feel" out of it.

Wong kar wai has many good films too that captivate moods very well.

Zhang yimou stylizes chinese martial arts. the colors and all. Like Curse of golden flower. The many golden soldiers rushing in the palace again silver soldiers was kind of badass.

Martial arts film go all the way for chinese films too. Jet li, jackie chan, donnie yen.

Edward yang writes spectacular scripts too bad he died recently. Ah whatever.

Edward Yang and Tsai Ming-Liang are both on my list of directors I need to see. I also need to see In the Mood for Love and Ashes of Time and Ashes of Time Redux from Wong Kar-wai. I did see 2046 and it was quite stunning. I feel like I need to see it again, though, so I probably will.

stellacadente

Registered User

12-09-08

Originally Posted by Otth

Being form Norway, seeing foreign films, or subtitled films, isn�t something I am uncustomary to.

To categorize movie by country of origin have always been a �no no� for my part. It gives me as a viewer no useful information about the movie. What language they speak on the other hand is very important. Some languages, like Mongolian and the Russian/Slavic languages, makes my stomach sick. Mandarin and Cantonese aren�t the most beautiful languages out there, but they aren�t nausea inducing.

I can�t say that my experience with Chinese movies is all that great. I think I only have seen twenty or so movies when one includes those form Hong Kong. The majority, but not all, of these are shockingly enough Kung Fu or Wuxia flicks.
I think the reason for my lack of interest in Chinese movies can be attributed to the Chinese filmmakers. Unlike the contemporary filmmakers of Japan and Korea, I find the Chinese filmmakers quite boring. They are not lacking in interesting concepts, but I find their presentation very unimaginative and formulistic.

If you exclude the random array of Kung Fu and Wuixa movies I have ready to viewing, the only Chinese movie I currently have on my way to big playlist is Three Times.

That's a really interesting point about the country of origin. Normally, I'm the complete opposite, but I have to confess, I only recently started to really think about the nation of origin for Chinese-language films. Like most Americans, my experience with "chineseness" in America is through Cantonese, since the vast majority of immigrants to North America, pre-1980s, were from one region in Cantonese-speaking China. And my experience with Chinese films were all wuxia, HK action and the films of Zhang Yimou and a few others.

And the more I think about nation of origin for Chinese films, the more I realize it's a very blurry thing. Nary a Chinese movie gets made (or distributed with or without review by censors) without significant input of talent and money from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Europe or the US.

But thanks, Otth, some fascinating observations.

stellacadente

Registered User

12-09-08

Originally Posted by Vertical Gunn

I watch movies if they look good regardless if it's foreign or not, is my point.

For example, I saw Pan's Labyrinth and I loved it. I saw 13 Tzameti and I loved it.

Same here, but sometimes I active go seeking something different.

Pan's Labyrinth, to me, transcends pretty much any label you could slap on it except Bloody Brilliant.

I've not seen 13 Tzameti, guess I'll have to check it out!

stellacadente