Tag: Chinese Film

Today let's take a brief introduction of a famous Chinese movie named "Ashima".Ashima is the first color musical film with wide screen revue and stereo in China, produced by Shanghai Film Studio, directed by famous director Liu Qiong, starred by Yang Likun and other people. This film won the Best Dance Film Award of Sandander the 3rd International Music and Dance Festival in 1982 and Wenhua Award (issued by Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China) in 1994. It was appraised as a classic of the 20th century.

Chinese cartoons: Uproar In Heaven (大闹天宫)

"Uproar in Heaven", also known as "Havoc in Heaven", is the milestone of Chinese animation and one of the most influential films in all of Asia. The film was created at the height of the Chinese animation industry in the 1960s and received numerous awards. It earned domestic and international recognition.

Chinese film: Hero英雄

If you want to pick up a film that has ushered the entire Chinese film industry to a new era, it must be Zhang Yimou's 2002 assassination-themed blockbuster "Hero." Following Hollywood's production process, the film cost a whopping US$30 million to make, becoming the most expensive Chinese film at that time. It rejuvenated China's then weak film market by drawing crowds back to theaters. The mega-hit took in more than US$30 million at the box office. It was the first film to hit such a high mark in several decades.

The history of Chinese-language films

China has a proud history of filmmaking. The first Chinese film was made in 1905, ten years after the birth of film in France. In the next two decades, Chinese films started to boom. In the 1920s, Chinese big cities saw hundreds of film production companies established. Port city Shanghai played a crucial role. It was home to more than 140 production companies. It was also the birth place of China's first feature drama.

Chinese film: A Chinese Odyssey Duology大话西游

Comedy film "A Chinese Odyssey," directed by Jeffrey Lau, starring Stephen Chow, Karen Mok and Man Tat Ng, was released in two parts – "Pandora's Box" and "Cinderella". Jeffrey Lau and Stephen Chow use main characters from the ancient classic novel "Journey to the West," including the Monkey King, the Pig Guy, the Monk Sha and the Master to create a far-fetched fantasy. The films are a mixture of miscellaneous elements like love affairs, kung fu and time travel.

Chinese film:Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 卧虎藏龙

This kung fu-love tale by Chinese-American director Ang Lee was quite a curious phenomenon back in 2000. It was a highly acclaimed, commercially successful hit in the West, raking in nearly US$130 million in ticket sales in North America alone, propelling Zhang Ziyi to international stardom. In China, it was coldly received and dismissed by moviegoers as choreographically and verbally ridiculous.

Chinese film: Days of Being Wild 阿飞正传

This art-house film written and directed by Wong Kar-wai tells about love affairs between six local young people in Hong Kong. It boasts an impressive cast including Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Carina Lau, Jacky Cheung and Andy Lau.

Chinese film: A City of Sadnes 悲情城市

Helmed by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien, "A City of Sadness" revolves around a family during the "White Terror" period imposed by Kuomintang. It is the first film to deal with the 2/28 Incident in 1947, a turning point in Taiwan history when thousands of people were killed.

Chinese film: Yi Yi,A One and a Two

This nearly three-hour long drama written and directed by Edward Yang tells about the lives of a Taipei middle-class family through three generations. The film moves at a very slow pace and seems to lack any climax but manages to present the day-to-day life as it is.

Chinese film: Farewell My Concubine霸王别姬

Renowned director Chen Kaige's melodrama "Farewell My Concubine" is a pinnacle of Chinese cinema. It is the first and only Chinese-language film to win the prestigious Cannes Palm d'Or to date. To many people, the film remains the crown jewel of Chinese cinema.