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.
Little Big Soldier (2010)
7/10
Director: Sheng Ding
Starring: Lee-Hom Wang, Jackie Chan
Warring states Liang and Wei collide in battle leaving only two men standing - an aging foot soldier (Jackie Chan) and the rival general (Lee-Hom Wang... Read more
Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013)
6.8/10
Director: Stephen Chow
Starring: Shu Qi, Zhang Wen, Bo Huang, Show Luo, Shing-Cheung Lee, Bingqiang Chen, Sihan C...
This is a world plagued by demons, who cause its human inhabitants unspeakable suffering. Young demon hunter Xuan Zang, fearlessly guided by his belie... Read more
The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
7.6/10
Director: Zhang Yimou
Starring: Gong Li, Lei Lao Sheng, Ge Zhi Jun, Lui Pei Qi
In this beautiful and humourous film from the acclaimed director of 'Raise the Red Lantern', a peasant woman takes on the Chinese legal system when he... Read more
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005)
7.5/10
Director: Zhang Yimou
Starring: Ken Takakura, Nakai Kiichi, Shinobu Terajima, Jiamin Li
Ken Takakura gives a career-defining performance as an old Chinese fisherman who has been estranged from his son for many years. When he receives a c... Read more
City of Life and Death (2009)
7.7/10
Director: Chuan Lu
Starring: Hideo Nakaizumi, Ye Liu, Wei Fan, Yuanyuan Gao
Director Chuan Lu pulls off a rare feat by providing a clear-eyed drama about an event in Chinese-Japanese history - the 1937 Rape of Nanking followin... Read more
Monkey King: Hero is Back (2015)
7/10
Director: Tian Xiao Peng
By angering the gods, the legendary Monkey King was imprisoned for over 500 years, but when a child releases him from his curse, the warrior must now... Read more
Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011)
6/10
Director: Tsui Hark
Starring: Jet Li, Xun Zhou, Chen Kun, Mavis Fan
In Tsui Hark's epic wuxia thriller, Jet Li plays a swordsman at war with the reigning forces holding power during the Ming Dynasty, while a concubine... Read more
The Great Wall ( Blu-ray ) (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 Battle of Red Cliff ( Blu-ray ) (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
An Empress and the Warriors (2008)
5.9/10
Director: Tony Ching Siu-Tung
Starring: Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Xiaodong Guo, Kelly Chen
In the tradition of "Seven Swords" comes the action saga of a kingdom locked in a desperate battle for survival. In ancient China, in the vacuum of th... Read more