Cinema of China

When we talk about Chinese cinema, we mean Chinese-language cinemas including the Cinema of Mainland China together with the Cinema of Hong Kong and the Cinema of Taiwan. Currently, the vast majority of the Mainland-produced movies use Mandarin. In 2011 Chinese films earned 54% of a total box office of US$2.06 billion. China's box-office receipts grew 33.3 percent in 2011 and became the second-largest in the world. So please watch a Chinese movie before travel to China.

Selected Chinese Films
The Blue Kite (Lan fengzheng), dir. Tian Zhuangzhuang, 1993
Beijing Bastards (Beijing zazhong), dir. Zhang Yuan, 1993
Beijing Bicycle (Shiqisui de danche), dir. Wang Xiaoshuai, 2001
Breaking with Old Ideas (Juelie), dir. Li Wenhua, 1975
The City That Never Sleeps (Buye cheng), dir. Tang Xiaodan, 1957
Crossroads (Shizi jietou), dir. Shen Xiling, 1937
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wohu canglong), dir. Ang Lee, 1999
Crows and Sparrows (Wuya yu maque), dir. Zheng Junli et al., b/w, 1949
The Days (Dong Chun de rizi), dir. Wang Xiaoshuai, 1993
Ermo (Ermo), dir. Zhou Xiaowen, 1994
Evening Bell (Wanzhong), dir. Wu Ziniu, 1988
Farewell My Concubine (Bawang bieji), dir. Chen Kaige, 1993
Five Golden Flowers (Wuduo jinhua), dir. Wang Jiayi, 1959
A Girl from Hunan (Xiang Xiaoxiao), dir. Xie Fei, 1986
Hibiscus Town (Furong zhen), dir. Xie Jin, 1986
Horse Thief (Daoma zei), dir. Tian Zhuangzhuang, 1986
The Lin Family Shop (Linjia puzi), dir. Shui Hua, 1959
Myriad of Lights (Wanjia denghou), dir. Shen Fu, 1948
New Year's Sacrifice (Zhufu), dir. Sang Hu, 1957
Plunder of Peach and Plum (Tao li jie), dir. Ying Yunwei, 1934
Raise the Red Lantern (Dahong denglong gaogao gua), dir. Zhang Yimou, 1991
Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker (Paoda shuangdeng), dir. He Ping, 1994
Red Detachment of Women (Hongse niangzi jun), dir. Xie Jin, 1960
Red Sorghum (Hong gaoliang), dir. Zhang Yimou, 1988
Sacrificed Youth (Qingchun ji), dir. Zhang Nuanxin, 1985
Shadow Magic (Xiyang jing), dir. Ann Hu, 2000
Seventeen Years (Guonian huijia), dir. Zhang Yuan, 1999
Song of China (Tianlun), dir. Fei Mu with Luo Mingyou, 1935
Spring in a Small Town (Xiaocheng zhichun), dir. Fei Mu, 1948
Spring River Flows East (Yijiang chunshui xiangdong liu), dir. Cai Chusheng, Zheng Junli, 1947,
Stage Sisters (Wutai jiemei), dir. Xie Jin, 1964
Street Angel (Malu tianshi), dir. Yuan Muzhi, 1937
The Suzhou River (Suzhou he), dir. Lou Ye, 2000
Third Sister Liu (Liu sanjie), dir. Su Li, 1960
This Life of Mine (Wo zhe yibeizi), dir. Shi Hui, 1950
Three Women (Liren xing), dir. Chen Liting, 1949
Woman Demon Human (Ren gui qing), dir. Huang Shuqin, 1989
Yellow Earth (Huang tudi), dir. Chen Kaige, 1984

Since the late 1980s and progressively in the 2000s, Chinese films have enjoyed considerable box office success abroad. Formerly viewed only by cinetastes in the 1980s, its international appeal mounted after the immense international success of Ang Lee's period wuxia film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000, which earned Ang and Chinese cinema massive commercial and critical acclaim abroad. The multi-national production Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon achieved success at the Western box office, particularly in the United States, providing an introduction to Chinese cinema (and especially the Wuxia genre) for many and increased the popularity of many earlier Chinese films which may have otherwise been relatively unknown to Westerners. To date Crouching Tiger remains the most commercially successfully foreign-language film in U.S. history. Similarly, in 2002, Zhang Yimou's Hero was another international box office success. Its cast featured many of the most famous Chinese actors who were also known to some extent in the West, including Jet Li, Zhang Ziyi, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. Despite criticisms by some that these two films pander somewhat to Western tastes, Hero was a phenomenal success in most of Asia and topped the U.S. box office for two weeks, making enough in the U.S. alone to cover the production costs.

Other films such as Farewell My Concubine, 2046, Suzhou River, The Road Home and House of Flying Daggers have also been critically acclaimed around the world. The Hengdian World Studios can be seen as the "Chinese Hollywood", with a total area of up to 330 ha. and 13 shooting bases, including a 1:1 copy of the Forbidden City.