It seems like I talk smack about Chinese cinema a lot on this Channel
Not my intention, I swear
So, why don't we balance it out?
I'm going to recommend you a few Chinese language films
50, how about that?
They are all films I've watched
That I think will be worth your time
I'll include some mainstream entertainment
Some art house classics
And some lesser known cult movies
All organized by genre
I'll pick films that stood the test of time
So I'll avoid stuff that is too recent
The list will also skew heavily towards Hong Kong cinema
Because that's just what I'm most familiar with
Sorry, Singapore
If you don't see a movie on the list
Feel free to share your recommendations in the comments
Without further ado
Here are 50 Chinese movies to watch
Before you kick the bucket
Let's start with action
The one genre you think of when you think of Chinese movies
Drunken Master II is probably my favourite
And arguably the most well-made Kung Fu movie of all time
If you are a Tarantino fan
His recommendation would probably be Clan of the White Lotus
Where the character of Pai-Mei came from
And Iron Monkey
Where Tarantino himself acted as the US producer
And if you like Iron Monkey
Once Upon a Time in China
and Fong Sai Yuk
Are both similar folk hero films
And both feature Jet Li
But my favorite classic Kung Fu flick has to be The Prodigal Son
And The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
Both films perfectly capture the feel of a traditional Chinese fable
Simple in story
Deep in meaning
Outside of ancient Chinese settings
There is Fist of Legend
Both the setting and the martial art are a bit more contemporary
It's actually a remake of Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury
Which is also worth watching
And I believe to be Bruce Lee's best work
Another Jet Li flick, The Bodyguard from Beijing
Is cheesy as all hell
But damn if it's not a good time
Ip Man needs little introduction
I made a whole video about it
But Donnie Yen's other modern action flicks like SPL
And Flash Point
Are also worth watching for their brutal MMA action alone
According to Jackie Chan
His best film is Police Story
I don't disagree
But I think Crime Story's focus on suspense over humor
Makes it a superior film in terms of narrative
For Wuxia movies, you can't go wrong with Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
It was, at one point, the highest grossing foreign language film
There's also Hero, from Zhang Yimou
Where the film is so visually stunning
We learned about it in film school, in Canada
2011's Dragon brings in a rather unique, indie feel to the genre
But if you want the best of the best
Wong Kar-wai's Ashes of time
Is for the hardcore cinephiles among you
It's hard to include a comedy section
Because it'll just be dominated by a single actor
Really, pretty much the entire filmography of Stephen Chow
Prior to 2004, is made of classics
But if I have to pick the best
Flirting scholar for the best classic Stephen Chow
From Beijing with Love for a good political satire
Fight Back to School 1 and 2 for both action and comedy
Kung Fu Hustle for the artistic achievement alone
And Shaolin Soccer is, I think, his best film overall
Outside of Chow
Return to the 36th Chamber is also a good comedy
Sequel to the Kung Fu classic
Might be the inspiration for Karate Kid
Shaolin Popey is also another Kung Fu comedy
Featuring the most beloved child actors in Chinese movie history
The sequels aren't half bad either
Mr. Vampire is one of those movies that I want to talk more about in the future
Just know that it combines action, special effects, horror, and zeny humor expertly well
And started a Jiangshi craze in Asia
Mr. Vampire III is also good
And you don't have to watch the first two
So you can skip over the crap-tastic second installment
Nobody talks about Ten Brothers
But I grew up watching this batshit insane comedy
There's a man giving birth to five demigod children
You have to add it to the list
For a modern setting
Aces Go Places is a great comedy spoof of the James Bond series
Years before Austin Powers become a thing
For a more wholesome touch
Try Love on a Diet
Where two fatties fall in love
Finally, Crazy Stone is a mainland Chinese indie hit
That makes fun of many Chinese social phenomena
It's worth it, if you are into cultural studies
Crime and thriller is a popular genre for social commentary
They rarely enter the views of foreign audiences
But their impact is global
Chief among them, Infernal Affairs
One of the most intense crime dramas ever
The Oscar winning movie, The Departed, is based on it
Young and Dangerous is a comic book based movie
About youth crime in Hong Kong
It's worth it just for cultural relevance
But the movie is so popular, there are tons of sequels and spin offs
Many of which are also worth checking out
Monga, on the other hand, is about Taiwanese gangs
When it came out, it got a lot of attention in Taiwan
Especially for the realistic violence
Speaking of violence
John Woo's A Better Tomorrow
The Killer
And Hard Boiled
Are all cinematic masterpieces that transformed gun fights forever
Johnnie To, however
Is like wine to John Woo's moonshine
Election is an all time classic crime movie
And Breaking News is worth a watch
Just for the 7 minute long one take opening shootout
And his relatively recent film, Drug War
Proves that this genre is still going strong
Finally, let's talk about drama
Stephen Chow's King of Comedy deserves a mention
Because it's not a comedy, damn it
Another Hong Kong classic drama is Comrades: Almost a Love Story
It's worth it just for the sound track alone
Yi Yi, also known as The One and The Two
Is perhaps one of the best Taiwanese movies ever made
Certainly a landmark film in the Taiwanese Second New Wave
But Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman is also great
I briefly talked about it in an earlier episode
And it's enough to make people teary
For something a bit more suspense oriented
Suzhou River is your indie go-to
Named after the river that was famous for catching on fire once
It's the perfect film reflecting on the harsh underbelly of China
Let the Bullets Fly is relatively recent
But it's already clear that it'll be remembered as a monumental film
The metaphor within is dense
But it's still enjoyable with surface text only
But if you want the best Mainland Chinese drama
You can't get much better than Farewell, My Concubine
And Raise the Red Lantern
One examines the prejudice on homosexuality
The other, the oppression of women
Both beautiful to look at
And thought provoking throughout
Finally, there is my favourite film of all time
Not just favourite Chinese film
But films everywhere
In The Mood for Love
It's poetry in celluloid form
Never have I seen a film so touching, so sad
And so beautiful
Which is a strange thing to say
Because, at the risk of sounding like a complete snob
It's a fairly slow and boring movie to a casual audience
So why am I recommending it?
Well, because next episode
I'll try to show you
How to view this film
To see beyond the textual story
And understand the language of film better
And hopefully, we can enjoy the film together
I'll see you in two weeks.