Greatest Chinese Films Of All Time
by srtecstasy-77 | created - 07 Oct 2013 | updated - 04 Oct 2015 | PublicExcluding Jackie, Jet Li & Donnie Yen's.
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1. In the Mood for Love (2000)
PG | 98 min | Drama, Romance
Two neighbors form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.
Director: Kar-Wai Wong | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Siu Ping-Lam, Tung Cho 'Joe' Cheung
Votes: 166,818 | Gross: $2.73M
2. Mural (2011)
100 min | Fantasy
A poor scholar is travelling to the capital to take an exam. During this trip, he becomes distracted by a mural and enters into the fantasy land depicted therein. There he meets the fairies who inhabit it and encounters love and hate.
Director: Gordon Chan | Stars: Chao Deng, Li Sun, Ni Yan, Shuang Zheng
Votes: 618
3. Red Cliff (2008)
R | 148 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The first chapter of a two-part story centered on a battle fought in China's Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.).
Director: John Woo | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 48,492 | Gross: $0.63M
4. Lost in Thailand (2012)
Not Rated | 105 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
On a wild road trip, three men find inner peace in the city that never sleeps.
Director: Zheng Xu | Stars: Zheng Xu, Baoqiang Wang, Huang Bo, Hong Tao
Votes: 3,880 | Gross: $0.06M
5. Red Cliff II (2009)
142 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Second and final part of epic tale about a legendary battle that changed the course of China history.
Director: John Woo | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 25,354 | Gross: $0.63M
6. Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
PG-13 | 145 min | Drama, Romance
The heartwarming tale of Nitta Sayuri, a young Japanese woman who transcended from her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
Director: Rob Marshall | Stars: Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, Suzuka Ohgo
Votes: 160,733 | Gross: $57.49M
7. Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013)
PG-13 | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Tang Sanzang, an aspiring Buddhist hero tries to protect a village from three demons. He develops complex feelings for Miss Duan, the demon hunter who repeatedly helps him, and finally quests to meet the legendary Monkey King.
Directors: Stephen Chow, Chi-Kin Kwok | Stars: Zhang Wen, Shu Qi, Huang Bo, Show Lo
Votes: 13,978 | Gross: $0.02M
8. Painted Skin: The Resurrection (2012)
Not Rated | 131 min | Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
An ancient fox spirit embarks on a diabolical quest to become human after escaping an icy prison, and becomes bound to a disfigured princess who seeks the love of a noble guard as her ... See full summary »
Director: Wuershan | Stars: Xun Zhou, Wei Zhao, Kun Chen, Tingjia Chen
Votes: 3,666 | Gross: $0.05M
9. Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)
R | 114 min | Action, Drama, Romance
During China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as wife. She has borne him two sons and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou, Ye Liu
Votes: 45,959 | Gross: $6.57M
10. Mulan: Rise of a Warrior (2009)
Not Rated | 114 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
The epic story of the Chinese girl-warrior, Mulan, who fights to defend her father.
Directors: Jingle Ma, Wei Dong | Stars: Wei Zhao, Kun Chen, Rongguang Yu, Jiao Xu
Votes: 6,873
11. Ye yan (2006)
Not Rated | 131 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
A loose adaptation of Hamlet, "The Night Banquet" is set in an empire in chaos. The Emperor, the Empress, the Crown Prince, the Minister and the General all have their own enemies they would like to finish off at a night banquet.
Director: Xiaogang Feng | Stars: Ziyi Zhang, You Ge, Daniel Wu, Xun Zhou
Votes: 7,171
12. The Flowers of War (2011)
R | 146 min | Drama, History, Romance
An American finds refuge during the 1937 Japanese invasion of Nanking in a church with a group of women. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Xinyi Zhang, Tianyuan Huang
Votes: 55,717 | Gross: $0.01M
13. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 281,596 | Gross: $128.08M
14. Painted Skin (2008)
103 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
An action-thriller centered on a vampire-like woman who eats the skins and hearts of her lovers.
Directors: Gordon Chan, Andy Wing-Keung Chin, Danny Ko | Stars: Donnie Yen, Xun Zhou, Kun Chen, Wei Zhao
Votes: 5,279
15. Hard Boiled (1992)
R | 128 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A tough-as-nails cop teams up with an undercover agent to shut down a sinister mobster and his crew.
Director: John Woo | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Teresa Mo, Philip Chan
Votes: 54,011
16. So Close (2002)
R | 111 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A conflict of interest between two high-kicking assassin sisters is complicated as they're pursued by the criminals who hired them and an equally high-kicking female cop.
Director: Corey Yuen | Stars: Shu Qi, Wei Zhao, Karen Mok, Song Seung-heon
Votes: 8,037 | Gross: $0.08M
17. Shaolin Soccer (2001)
PG | 87 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
A young Shaolin follower reunites with his discouraged brothers to form a soccer team using their martial art skills to their advantage.
Director: Stephen Chow | Stars: Stephen Chow, Wei Zhao, Yat-Fei Wong, Man-Tat Ng
Votes: 89,163 | Gross: $0.49M
18. Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
R | 99 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
In Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious "Axe Gang" while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.
Director: Stephen Chow | Stars: Stephen Chow, Wah Yuen, Qiu Yuen, Siu-Lung Leung
Votes: 150,829 | Gross: $17.11M
19. Lust, Caution (2007)
NC-17 | 157 min | Drama, History, Romance
During World War II era, a young woman, Wang Jiazhi, gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Tang Wei, Joan Chen, Leehom Wang
Votes: 45,512 | Gross: $4.60M
20. Infernal Affairs (2002)
R | 101 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A story between a mole in the police department and an undercover cop. Their objectives are the same: to find out who is the mole, and who is the cop.
Directors: Andrew Lau, Alan Mak | Stars: Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Eric Tsang
Votes: 131,416 | Gross: $0.17M
21. Infernal Affairs II (2003)
Not Rated | 119 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In this prequel to Mou gaan dou (2002), Chan Wing Yan has just become an undercover cop in the triads while Lau Kin Ming joins the police force. Both the triads and the police find an enemy in a rival crime boss.
Directors: Andrew Lau, Alan Mak | Stars: Edison Chen, Shawn Yue, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Francis Ng
Votes: 19,762
22. The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
PG | 100 min | Comedy, Drama
A peasant woman seeks justice after the headman of her village has kicked her husband in the groin.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Gong Li, Peiqi Liu, Liuchun Yang, Kesheng Lei
Votes: 6,654 | Gross: $1.89M
23. The Emperor and the Assassin (1998)
R | 162 min | Drama, History, Romance
In pre-unified China, the King of Qin sends his concubine to a rival kingdom to produce an assassin for a political plot, but as the king's cruelty mounts she finds her loyalty faltering.
Director: Kaige Chen | Stars: Gong Li, Fengyi Zhang, Zhou Sun, Xiaohe Lü
Votes: 6,469 | Gross: $1.33M
24. A Better Tomorrow (1986)
Not Rated | 95 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.
Director: John Woo | Stars: Lung Ti, Leslie Cheung, Chow Yun-Fat, Emily Chu
Votes: 25,459
25. Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
PG | 125 min | Drama, Romance
China in the 1920s. After her father's death, Songlian is forced to marry the wealthy Master Chen. With three wives already, each living in a separate house, there is fierce competition for his attention and the privileges that are gained.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Gong Li, Jingwu Ma, Saifei He, Cuifen Cao
Votes: 35,336 | Gross: $2.60M
26. 2046 (2004)
R | 129 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Several women enter a science fiction author's life over the course of a few years, after the author has lost the woman he considers his one true love.
Director: Kar-Wai Wong | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Ziyi Zhang, Faye Wong, Gong Li
Votes: 61,762 | Gross: $1.44M
27. Red Sorghum (1988)
Not Rated | 91 min | Drama, History, Romance
When a leprous winery owner in 1930s China dies a few days after his arranged marriage, his young widow is forced to run the winery to make a living while contending with bandits, her drunkard lover, and the invading Japanese army.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Gong Li, Wen Jiang, Rujun Teng, Ji Liu
Votes: 9,872
28. Monster Hunt (2015)
TV-Y7 | 117 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Human and monsters have lived in their separate worlds, but after the birth of Wuba, the last of the monster kings, begins the adventure to bring the two races together.
Director: Raman Hui | Stars: Baihe Bai, Boran Jing, Wu Jiang, Elaine Jin
Votes: 5,685 | Gross: $0.02M
29. The Assassin (2015)
Not Rated | 105 min | Action, Drama, History
A female assassin receives a dangerous mission to kill a political leader in eighth-century China.
Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou | Stars: Shu Qi, Chang Chen, Yun Zhou, Satoshi Tsumabuki
Votes: 17,983 | Gross: $0.61M
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