Chinese Cinema
Alice's collection of Chinese films is growing as the film industry there expands and begins to embrace an ever-increasing international audience. Films from China are often marked by great craft and attention to detail, and the stories are involved and often carry a political subtext. Though we have very little that is pre-1990, there is everything here from engaging personal stories to sweeping historical epics.
Pictured: Maggie Cheung in the stylized and breath-takingly beautiful 'Hero' from master craftsman Zhang Yimou.
The Battle of Red Cliff (2008)
7.4/10
Director: John Woo
Starring: Chang Chen, Hu Jun, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony Leung (Chiu Wai), Zhang Fengyi, Zhao...
Aka "The Battle of Red Cliff". An epic historical drama based on a legendary 208 A.D. battle that heralded the end of the Han Dynasty. A power hungry... Read more
Red Sorghum (1989)
7.5/10
Director: Zhang Yimou
Starring: Gong Li, Wen Jiang, Liu Jia, Rujun Ten
A vivid, richly coloured drama about a young woman who takes on the management of her late husband's distillery in Northern China. All appears to be g... Read more
Happy Times (2001)
7.5/10
Director: Zhang Yimou
Starring: Dong Jie, Zhao Benshan
From acclaimed director Zhang Yimou ("Raise the Red Lantern") comes this light-hearted Chinese comedy about a retired factory worker who hires his fia... Read more
The Flowers of War (2011)
7.6/10
Director: Zhang Yimou
Starring: Christian Bale, Ni Ni
In 1937 China, an American mortician (Christian Bale) come to Nanking to deal with a monk's burial finds himself trapped by the Japanese occupation of... Read more
Jasmine Women (2004)
Director: Yong Hou
Starring: Zhang Ziyi, Joan Chen, Wen Jiang, Liu Ye
Based on the well-regarded novel by Su Tong and starring Ziyi Zhang and Joan Chen, both in multiple roles, this is the story of three generations of C... Read more
Warriors of Heaven and Earth (2003)
6.4/10
Director: He Ping
Starring: Wen Jiang, Nakai Kiichi, Zhao Wei, Wang Xueqi
After years of service to the Chinese Emperor, Japanese emissary Lai Xi longs to return home, but is bound to complete one last mission - the capture... Read more
The Great Wall (2016)
6/10
Director: Zhang Yimou
Starring: Andy Lau, Matt Damon, Willem Dafoe, Pedro Pascal, Jing Tian
Set a thousand years ago, during the Song dynasty, Matt Damon portrays a mercenary warrior who is imprisoned within the Great Wall, where he discovers... Read more
The World (2004)
7.1/10
Director: Jia Zhang-ke
Starring: Zhao Tao, Chen Taisheng, Jue Jing, Zhong-wei Jiang, Yi-qun Wang
Set in the massive theme park outside Beijing where famous world landmarks are recreated, this beautiful allegorical film (and ironic given the endles... Read more
Temptress Moon (1996)
6.9/10
Director: Chen Kaige
Starring: Leslie Cheung, Gong Li, Kevin Lin, He Saifei
1920's Shanghai is displayed in all it's decadence with opium-addicted Ruyi (Gong Li) forced to officially head the Pang family after the death of the... Read more
The Bombing (Air Strike) (2018)
7.1/10
Director: Xiao Feng
Starring: Adrien Brody, Bruce Willis, Kenny Bee, Wu Gang, Liu Ye, Rumer Willis
During World War II, five different Chinese people fight their way through Japanese Air Force attacks to protect an important military machine in Chon... Read more