Best 100 Chinese movies -- How many have you watched?

[Ian_Lee]

In commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Chinese movies, 香港電影金像獎協會 has chosen the best 100 Chinese movies. Here are the top 10 on the list:

(1) 《小城之春》(費穆)

(2) 《英雄本色》(吴宇森)

(3) 《阿飛正傳》(王家衛)

(4) 《黄土地》(陳凱歌)

(5) 《悲情城市》(侯孝賢)

(6) 《省港旗兵》(麥當雄)

(7) 《龍門客棧》(胡金銓)

(8 ) 《投奔怒海》(許鞍華)

(9) 《侠女》(胡金銓)

(10) 《臥虎藏龍》(李安)

[Ian_Lee]

The list is very politically correct since the front ranking 小城之春 was made in 1948.

While Hollywood famous Chinese directors John Woo, Chen Kaige and Ang Lee rank within the top 10, Oscar contender Zhang Yimou's didn't make it that far up. In fact, "Hero" and "House of the Flying Daggers" didn't even make into the 100 list.

But the influence of deceased director King Hu is pervasive even decades afterwards. Two of his movies made into the top 10.

And understandably a lot of the chosen movies are from HK and Taiwan. Wong Kar Wai got the most (six) on the 100 list: 《阿飛正傳》、《重慶森林》、《東邪西毒》、《旺角卡門》、《春光乍洩》和《花樣年華》 (Hmmm.......What about 2046?)

Here are the post-'49 Mainland movies chosen into the 100 list:

(4) 《黄土地》-- 陈凯歌

(17) 《阳光灿烂的日子》-- 姜文

(25) 《红高粱》-- 张艺谋

(45) 《秋菊打官司》-- 张艺谋

(46) 《我这一辈子》-- 石挥

(53) 《舞台姐妹》-- 谢晋

(55) 《霸王别姬》-- 陈凯歌

(63) 《站台》-- 贾璋柯

(81) 《蓝风筝》-- 田壮壮

(86) 《芙蓉镇》-- 谢晋

(94) 《林则徐》-- 岑范

(95) 《红楼梦》-- 岑范

(99) 《黑炮事件》-- 黄建新

[Jack MacKelly]

Some of the more famous films like a Better Tomorrow 英雄本色 , 新龍門客棧. Dragon Inn and 花樣年華- ( In the Mood for Love ) I'd know, but I have trouble trying to recognize some titles as I'd know them by the English name and I can't easily read some of the Chinese titles

[Ian_Lee]

Here is the English translation I can find:

(1) 小城之春 -- I haven't seen this movie yet and I can't find any information about it because it was made long time ago (1948) in Pre-PRC China.

(2) "A Better Tomorrow" -- John Woo (HK)

(3) "Days of Being Wild" -- Wong Kar Wai (HK)

(4) "Yellow Earth" -- Chen Kaige (Mainland)

(5) "A City of Sadness" -- Hou Hsiao Hsien (Taiwan)

(6) "Long Arm of the Law" -- Johnny Mak (HK)

(7) "Dragon Inn" -- King Hu (HK/Taiwan) (The 新龍門客棧 is a re-make of this classic epic)

(8 ) "Boat People" -- Ann Hui

(9) "A Touch of Zen" -- King Hu (HK/Taiwan)

(10) "CTHD" -- Ang Lee (Taiwan)

[Gary Soup]

#1 is called "Springtime in a Small Town" in English. It was recently remade by Tian Zhuangzhuang and is available in a boxed set along with the original.

I don't think the list has anything to do with political correctness; "The Blue Kite", for example, has never been released in China. I think it's the work of serious HK film scholars, but they bring with them their own biases.

[TSkillet]

I own 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10 on DVD. I don't read Chinese well enough to know most of the movie titles without their english names though.

[skylee]

Where could I find the full list?

[xiaoxiajenny]

新龍門客棧 is good

[Gary Soup]

The full list is here:

http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/2005-03-15/1434677149.html

[laolee]

I'd add my recommendation for Spring in a Small Town. It is very impressive and I prefer it over the remake. I watched them back to back from the double movie set on vcd and the original is far superior. I found the camerawork self-indulgetnt on the remake.

Here's hoping the 1948 film gets issued on DVD w/subs now as a result of this recognition!

[gato]

These "best of" list are always a bit unsatisfying because in such a highly subjective matter, combining people's preferences through a vote is bound to give a muddled result and obscure each voter's individuality. It also almost always leave out the lesser known but highly worthwhile choices.

It would be more interesting to see how each person voted. If John Woo or Wong Kar-Wai voted, I'd love to see their vortes. I'm not sure if I care how Joe Schmoe Critic voted.

I'm suprised that Zhang Yimou's "Ju Dou" and "Raise The Red Lantern," and Edward Yang's (杨德昌) "Yi Yi" did not make the list. I would also have added Tsai Mingliang's (蔡明亮)"The River." I think it's Tsai's best work. It's more mature than his "Rebels of Neon God" (青少年哪吒), which made No. 100 on the list.

[Bob Dylan Thomas]

I think i say this every time the issue of Chinese films crops up, but my two favourites by an absolute mile are Lou Ye's "Suzhou River" 娄烨 《苏州河》and Gao Xiaosong's "Where have all the flowers gone" 高晓松 《那时花开》, and so i'm devastated to see that neither of them are in this list. Anyone agree with me?

And "Blue Kite"! That film is awful - atrocious acting (apart from the Mao loyalist grandma), and don't even get me started on the plot.

[Ian_Lee]

Actually 103 films were chosen since some got the same votes. And Zhang Yimou has 3 films on the list -- "Not One Less" is ranked No. 103.

Of course this kind of "Best" list is highly subjective. I heard that Mainland is also going to choose its own 100-list.

I guess there are several reasons why "Blue Kite" was chosen:

(1) It was the first movie about Tibet.

(2) It was banned and is still banned in Mainland.

(3) Tian Zhuang Zhuang is the representative of 4th generation directors.

[Gary Soup]

I guess there are several reasons why "Blue Kite" was chosen:

(1) It was the first movie about Tibet

Tibet? I must have missed something.

[gato]

Tibet? I must have missed something.

That's 《盗马贼》(The Horse Thief), also directed by Tian Zhuangzhuang.

[Ian_Lee]

Sorry I got mixed up with another movie directed by Tian. What is "Blue Kite" about? Why is it banned?

[Gary Soup]

There's an excellent contributed review of it on IMDB here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107358/

I went there to check my recollections because it's been about 10 years since I've seen it. I suspect it's still iffy in China because of its references to the Anti-rightist movement which can be laid at MZD's door more than the Cultural Revolution (which was just those damned kids acting up).

I recall a funny/tragic scene in it which illustrates the term "toilet reactionary." The Anti-rightist movement began when some of Mao's more zealous followers took an offhand comment by MZD too literally. He had opined that about 10 percent of cadres were still rightists, and a campaign began to weed out the 10 percent. Every work unit, whether a school, factory, or whatever, felt duty bound to select 10 percent of their constituents to be so branded, often at meetings where they all awkwardly sat to decide which among them had to take the hit. If you were so naive (as was one of the protagonists) to give in to your needs and take a bathroom break, you might find that you had been identifed as a "rightist" by vote while you were gone.

There is a subtle reference to the Anti-rightist movement in "The Road Home" which is key to understanding the film, but the sharp-eyed minders let it go.

[Ian_Lee]

So "Blue Kite" is a scar movie (傷痕電影) like 芙蓉镇.

Strangely some 傷痕電影 were banned while some were not.

[Jack MacKelly]

Thanks for the translations Ian_Lee

So 11-20 as far as I understand are named

11 Street Angle 马路天使, A bright summer day 牯岭街少年杀人事件, Private Eyes 半斤八两, 枪火 ? I don't know this one?? , One-Arm Swordsman 独臂刀, Chinese Connection 精武门, Heart of The Sun 阳光灿烂的日子, 危楼春晓 ?? I don't know this one ?, 西游记 ? I don't know this either ??

number 20 : the Arch 董夫人

It seems a lot of films on the list are from the 60s, some even go as far back as the 1930s

[Jack MacKelly]

I found the English version of the top 100

http://www.monkeypeaches.com/050316A.html