[MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR: China, a dichotomous land
of centuries' old tradition and cutting-edge technology,
has been churning out a myriad of cinematic treasures
that belong on your Watchlist.
So on this IMDbrief, we present a streaming
passport to just a few of our favorites from and about China.
Chinese filmmaking dates back to 1905,
within a decade of the art form's 1896 introduction
to the world.
But most international audiences became captivated by Hong Kong
cinema in the late '60s and early '70s,
when genre productions explode on the scene.
Bruce Lee's Kung Fu fight fests and the visual wonder
of martial arts movies are signatures of this period
of Hong Kong cinema.
And our first Watchlist pick is an early example
of blood-soaked blade brandishing,
1967's The One-Armed Swordsman, available on Prime Video.
[SWISH]
And miss all the fun?
Soon after its release, superstar Wang Yu, a.k.a.
Jimmy Wang Yu, and the titular swordsman
grabbed worldwide attention, spawning sequals, spin-offs,
and even a crossover with Japan's kenjutsu king,
Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[FIGHTING SOUND EFFECTS]
[GRUNTS]
And the Wuxia or martial heroes genre is alive and well
with modern masters like Zhang Yimou,
adding a razor-sharp spin to his visually
stunning Shadow from 2018.
[WHISTLING]
[CLANG]
Or writer/director/star Stephen Chow, literally spinning wuxia
on its head for 2004's hilariously
cartoonish Kung Fu Hustle.
Both are totally Watchlist worthy
and streaming on Netflix.
[SCREAMS]
Yeah, you won't want to miss this.
In the tradition of France or Italy,
Hong Kong enjoyed its own new wave of filmmaking in the '80s
and '90s that has evolved and elevated the artistry
of its style and storytelling.
And for an unexpired taste, we recommend
adding director Wong Kar-Wai's two-part tale of lost lovers
and love lost, Chungking Express, now streaming
on The Criterion Channel.
If you're not in the US or Canada,
Quentin Tarantino released "Chung King Express"
on his own DVD label to make sure the world can
experience the beauty and tragedy
of Wong's award-winning films.
If you're a fan of the classics, this 1948 poetic
postwar unrequited romance is considered to be
China's best movie ever made.
And it just so happens to be the all-time favorite
of Wong Kar-Wai, Spring in a Small Town,
now streaming on Prime Video.
Flipping channels to TV recommendations,
we'd suggest a quick culinary trip with Anthony Bourdain
to another hub of Chinese filmmaking, Shanghai.
Watch it on the CNNgo app or rent it from Prime Video,
the first episode of the fourth season of Bourdain's tasty
travel series, Parts Unknown, explores Shanghai's finest
in wontons to wine cellars.
Food is the best weapons on earth to make peace.
It's the food.
It's the drink.
We have better peace on earth.
NARRATOR: For the less urbane approach to culture,
Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais
dispatch their friend/punching bag Karl Pilkington to walk
the Great Wall in the premiere episode of Sky One series
An Idiot Abroad.
You can rent all of the self-proclaimed homebody's
misadventures on Prime or Google Play.
OK, I'll give you a challenge-- a challenge.
[YELLS]
What's the other challenge?
NARRATOR: Lastly, we look to the future of Chinese cinema
to recommend this sumptuous story
from young filmmaker Bi Gan.
Long Day's Journey Into Night is a haunting mystery
about a forgotten affair in the city of Kaili,
and it combines a Chinese sensibility
with Western influence and a passion for video games
that culminate in a mind-blowing,
unbroken, 59-minute final shot that was
projected in eye-popping 3D.
Catch Long Day's Journey Into Night
on The Criterion Channel, Kanopy,
or rent it on Prime Video.
And for more streaming passports and trending tales, stay
glued to imdb.com/imdbrief.