The spiritual world of modern (young) Chinese I
What are modern young Chinese watching and reading, and what does that say about what they are thinking? Beijing Channel will launch a 4-part series that tries to offer a glimpse.
In these four newsletters, your host will rely on the top 250 movies and books list of Douban.com, arguably one of the most go-to websites where users share their opinions of movies and books.
Your host will offer a translation of the lists and explain why the works are popular, which may help you get a better grasp of where the younger Chinese generation is on things. You'll likely find unexpected discoveries going over the list. The list is a perfect place to start if you search for quality movies and books relevant in today's China.
Keep in mind that the two lists are not "authoritative "in that it's only based on the aggregated ratings given by the site's users. Douban users have a more liberal tilt than some of the other social media sites frequented by young users.
Without further ado, let's get started with the first part, the movies list part 1.
Year: 1994
Country: the United States
Coincidentally, the movie also ranks number 1 on the IMDB list, underscoring its worldwide appeal. In Douban reviews, hope, freedom, and friendship come to be the high-frequency words, suggesting that audiences around the globe commonly treasure these values.
2. Farewell My Concubine （霸王别姬）
Year: 1993
Country: China
The film chronicles the troubled relationships between two Peking opera actors and lifelong friends in a politically tumultuous 20th-century China. As the first Chinese-language film to achieve the Palme d'Or, it is considered one of the landmark movies that brought Chinese film directors to world attention. Leslie Cheung's performance in the film is highly praised and has broadened the audience's perception of masculinity. Even nearly two decades after his death, there are still a large number of fans who adore and remember him.
Year: 1994
Country: The United States
A comment on Douban with over 4700 likes writes, "The imagery of Forrest Gump running should remain in the hearts of every viewer." Unsurprisingly, one of the most beloved scenes in the movie is when Gump plays table tennis with a Chinese player, paying homage to the U.S.-China ping pong diplomacy.
While some label the movie in the United States as "conservative propaganda," such views have little market in China, where the critique is more likely to be dismissed as "the liberals going too far. " You'll see similar dynamics surrounding the controversy over Gone with the Wind.
4.Titanic
Year: 1997
Country: The United States
Although China started introducing U.S. movies to domestic audiences in 1994, the 1997 blockbuster was the first memory of American film by many. The tragic love story between Jack and Rose created an unprecedented sensation in China that was not likely to be ever repeated. Your host remembered My Heart Will Go On blasting from audio shops on every other street corner and posters flying off the shelves. Thanks to this movie, Celine Dion, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kate Winslet will go down as some of the most well-known Western artists in China.
Year: 1994
Country: France
This story of an unlikely friendship between a trained assassin and a 12-year-old girl claimed the spot as the most popular French and European movie. Some of the success of the film in China may be owed to the masterfully translated movie title: 这个杀手不太冷, or literally "This killer is not so cold. "
Year: 1997
Country: Italy
Wholesome movies in which the righteous triumph over the evil can't go wrong with Chinese audiences. Such films would often rank slightly higher on Douban than IMDB.
Year: 2001
Country: Japan
This masterpiece of Ghibli animation is praised as "the perfect combination of Miyazaki's best production and Hisaishi's best soundtrack" in Douban. It is worth noting that Hayao Miyazaki is the most mentioned director in this Douban list. The plot reflects consumerism, environmentalism, and traditional Japanese culture, making it meaningful to adults.
As you'll see further down the list, Japan's movie industry probably has the most considerable influence in China of any foreign country, second only to the United States.
Year: 1993
Country: the United States
"Whoever saves one life saves the world entire." This Talmudic aphorism is known to the Chinese public as a line in this movie. What also touched Chinese audiences was the sympathy for the victims of the Holocaust and the hatred of fascism.
Year: 2010
Country: The United States
Not bad for a science fiction movie to enter the top 10 of the list. DiCaprio is perhaps the sole actor who played significant roles in two of the top 10 films.
Thanks to this movie, Nolan comes in as the second most mentioned director on the Douban list, with six top-rated films.
Year: 2009
Country: The United States
A successful remake of the 1987 Japanese film Hachikō Monogatari. The original movie told the true story of the Akita dog, Hachikō, who lived in Japan in the 1920s. Today, a bronze statue of Hachiko sits in his waiting spot outside the Shibuya railroad station in memory of its loyalty.
Coupled with Doge, Japan seems to have a knack for producing world-famous dogs.
11.Interstellar
Year: 2014
Country: The United States
Nolan strikes again with the masterpiece. By striking a balance between science fiction, astounding visual effects, and human nature, the movie is a favorite among Chinese fans. The film is also highly acclaimed for its BGM, written by the legendary Hans Zimmer.
Year: 1998
Country: The United States
It might be a surprise that this movie ranks considerably higher on Douban than on IMDB, which ranks 145th.
Year: 1998
Country: Italy
Why this movie received almost universal acclaim in China while receiving mixed reviews on U.S.-based movie-rating websites is open to interpretation.
14.3 Idiots
Year: 2009
Country: India
The most popular Indian movie resonated with many Chinese audiences for its satire and reflection on the country's competitive education system.
15.WALL·E
Year: 2008
Country: The United States
Did any expect Wall E to become the most popular Disney movie on Douban? Even without conversation and human presence for much of the film, the main characters still successfully demonstrated the best qualities in the world.
After Spirited Away, Wall E also has a theme of environmental protection. Can anyone still question China's widespread support for its ongoing campaign to preserve the planet?
16.The Chorus
Year: 2004
Country: France
It is a French musical drama film that follows a new teacher at a severely administered boys' boarding school which works to affect the students' lives through music positively.
Maybe listen to the movie's BGM album on your way to work. Even if you can't find the time to watch the film, it'll 100% make your day better.
17.Infernal Affairs （无间道）
Year: 2002
Country: China (Hong Kong)
Though technically Chinese movies, Hong Kong movies deserve to be listed separately, the former colony's movie industry developed independently from the mainland. Some of the best Chinese language crime films are made in Hong Kong, which offers an ideal setting for fast-paced action. Among these films, Internal Affairs is considered one of the best and most well-known in the Chinese-speaking world. Many iconic lines, scenes, and music from the movie have made it into popular culture and enjoy widespread recognition until this day.
18.Zootopia
Year: 2016
Country: the United States
It says something that this Disney movie is the only post-2015 production among the top 20.
19.A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella （大话西游之大圣娶亲）
Year: 1993
Country: China (Hong Kong)
A spin-off of the famous classic novel A Journey to the West, this movie has successfully created its legacy.
It is the second part of Stephen Chow's "A Chinese Odyssey" trilogy. Its nonsensical humor style("无厘头") and classic dialogues have spread widely, forming a subcultural phenomenon on the Internet. The film's "10,000 years" line became one of the most popular buzzwords for Chinese cinema.
20.Silenced
Year: 2011
Country: South Korea
Congratulations to Korea for squeezing into the top 20. Based on actual events, this film depicts the sexual abuse scandal of a school for the hearing impaired. The public outcry triggered by this movie pushed South Korea's National Assembly to pass a Dogani (the film's title) Bill, which abolished the statute of limitations for sex crimes against minors and the disabled. The Chinese audience always appreciates realism in movies, especially if it conduces change.
21.Witness for the Prosecution
Year: 1957
Country: The United States
You'll realize that not many classics have made it into this list, with this movie being an exception. The film impressed viewers with the surprise ending and comes to be a successful adaption of the 1953 play by Agatha Christie. She is well known among Chinese readers of detective fiction.
Year: 1972
Country: The United States
If you've wondered where the number 2 IMDB ranked movie is, here it is.
Year: 2006
Country: The United States
Yes, it's not unlike a bowl of chicken soup, but when has the Chinese audience shunned an excellent old, heart-warming movie?
Lacking the cultural reference, Chinese viewers mostly know the movie by its Chinese title: 当幸福来敲门 （When happiness is knocking on the door）
24.Intouchables
Year: 2011
Country: France
The film offers viewers the possibility of sincere friendship beyond race and class. And it also inspires Chinese audiences that respect should come before compassion when dealing with people with disabilities.
25.Flipped
Year: 2010
Country: The United States
Many Chinese viewers would find it challenging to develop a relationship in their grade school years. Watchful teachers and parents stand ready to break up any signs of 早恋, fearing it may damage grades. Perhaps this movie can offer solace for those who missed the chance to experience early love.
Year: 1988
Country: Japan
In 2018, thirty years after its premiere, My Neighbor Totoro became the first Hayao Miyazaki film released in mainland China. Long before its public release, Totoro already had a huge fan base in China. In the era of rapid economic development and urban expansion, Totoro evoked nostalgia and the memory of an innocent childhood in Chinese audiences.
Year: 1987
Country: the U.K.
The film depicts the life of Puyi, the final Emperor of China, with the collaboration of an Italian director, a British screenwriter, Chinese-American actors, and a Japanese composer. It was the first Western feature film authorized by the People's Republic of China to film in the Forbidden City in Beijing.
28.Coco
Year: 2017
Country: The United States
Coco is a Pixar animated fantasy film inspired by the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead involving family honoring deceased ancestors, similar to the Chinese Qingming Festival. Also, the movie's concept of family and the soul's immortality makes Chinese audiences feel close.
Year: 2008
Country: the United States
A superhero movie stands out among its peers under the direction of Nolan.
30.To Live （活着）
Year: 1994
Country: China
Based on a namesake novel by Yu Hua, the film is considered a successful adaptation and the best of director Zhang Yimou. It is similar to the number 2 movie on this list in that it also follows an ordinary Chinese through the tumultuous 20th century.
A meme is making rounds on Chinese social media depicting the main themes of literature from different countries.
U.K.: I die for honor.
France: I die for love.
U.S.: I die for freedom.
Russia: I will die.
China: To Live.
31. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Year: 2001
Country: The United States
It's unnecessary for any explanation for this one. China is as bewitched as any other country in the world by magic. Although one does wonder if there's a magical world in China, what Chinese characteristics might it have?
32. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Year: 2003
Country: The United States
Another no-brainer. I only want to point out that for a movie steeped in Western history and culture, some of the movie's luster was lost before the Chinese audience, which may explain why it performed better on the IMDB list (7th)
Year: 1939
Country: The United States
Many are indignant when they discover that Margret Mitchell's classic is being de-shelved in the United States.
34. Hope
Year: 2013
Country: South Korea
Another realism movie made by China's eastern neighbor. The film is based on a real case in which an 8-year-old girl was kidnapped and raped by a drunk man.
35. Up
Year: 2009
Country: The United States
Another wholesome Pixar movie that finds an audience in everyone.
36. Dangal
Year: 2016
Country: India
Dangal has performed exceptionally well in China, partly attributed to Khan's popularity in China owing to the success of his previous films 3 Idiots (2009) and P.K. (2014). It was also reported that Chinese audiences could relate to the underlying social theme of Dangal in that it portrayed the success story of sisters in the backdrop of a patriarchal society. On Chinese social media, the film has sparked a hit discussion about women's independence, women's rights, and gender division of labor.
37. Dying to Survive (我不是药神)
Year: 2018
Country: China
Based on the real-life story of a Chinese leukemia patient who smuggled cheap but unproven cancer medicine from India for thousands of Chinese cancer patients, it is China's answer to the Dallas Buyer's Club.
38. Capernaum
Year: 2018
Country: Lebanon
Capernaum tells the story of a 12-year-old Lebanese boy who sues his parents for child neglect from an almost documentary perspective. After its release, Capernaum became a hit in China with the help of solid word-of-mouth on Chinese social media. In addition to the reflection on parental responsibilities, the film has sparked many concerns about Middle Eastern society and refugee issues in Douban.
39. 12 Angry Men
Year: 1957
Country: The United States
12 Angry Men is frequently featured in the movie viewing events of Chinese law school. It is widely regarded as a classic visual reference for Chinese students to understand the American judicial system, especially the jury system. A 2015 Chinese adaptation, 12 Citizens, is also worth watching.
Year: 2004
Country: Japan
With numerous metaphorical imagery and poetic lines, Howl's Moving Castle is more like a fable of modern life and is known as the most profound work of Miyazaki on Douban. Influenced by Miyazaki's opposition to the United States' invasion of Iraq in 2003, the film contains strongly anti-war sentiment.
41. Life of Pi
Year: 2012
Country: The United States
Ang Lee's Life of Pi achieves the near-impossible through miraculous storytelling and unparalleled 3D visual mastery. The film gained critical and commercial success in China and is known as "The most spectacular adventure" in Douban. With five masterpieces, Ang Lee is the most mentioned Chinese-speaking director in Douban TOP250, tying with director Kar Wai Wong from Hong Kong.
42. Devils on the Doorstep （鬼子来了）
Year: 2000
Country: China
The "devil" is a term of abuse for foreign invaders, referring to brutal and violent Japanese aggressors in China during World War II. Shot in black and white to mimic the style of old-time war movies, the film shows the brutality of war and how it affects the Chinese people.
43. A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box (大话西游之月光宝盒)
Year: 1995
Country: China (Hong Kong)
It is the first part of Stephen Chow's "A Chinese Odyssey" trilogy.
Year: 2002
Country: The United States
DiCaprio and Hanks team up in this fast-paced and witty movie.
Year: 1986
Country: Japan
Miyazaki could not miss with the Chinese audience. It has also been cited as an influential classic in the steampunk and dieselpunk genres. In China, even those who have not seen the film are familiar with the soundtrack.
46. Scent of a Woman
Year: 1992
Country: The United States
The film contributed many famous scenes that have been widely spread in China, such as the tango, which Douban hailed as "the most stunning ever in the history of cinema."
47. The Pianist
Year: 2002
Country: France
The Pianist is based on the 1945 namesake autobiographical book, a Holocaust survivor's memoir by the Polish-Jewish pianist and composer Wladyslaw Szpilman. A Chinese review writes: "Polanski is restrained throughout the film, recreating the real Jewish history of World War II in a subtle expression of the notion of right and wrong. The only emotional catharsis is the piano piece on the ruins, which brings the film to a climax with the power of music."
48. Cinema Paradiso
Year: 1988
Country: Italy
Set in a small Sicilian town, the film centers on the friendship between a young boy and an aging projectionist who works at the titular movie theatre. In June 2021, when the film was first released in China more than 30 years after its production, it aroused nostalgia among multitudes of movie fans.
49. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Year: 2002
Country: The United States
50. Let the Bullets Fly （让子弹飞）
Year: 2010
Country: China
Set in China during the Warlord Era in the 1920s, Let the Bullets Fly embodies the fights and collusion of multiple forces at the local level, such as the governor of the National Government, landlords, and bandits. Jiang Wen continues his violent aesthetic and dark humor in this film and makes it "an entertaining hot pot of wry political commentary." Let the Bullets Fly won acclaim in China for its story and dialogue. Many iconic lines in the film, such as "Translate for me, what the fuck is a surprise," have circulated widely on social networking platforms, giving rise to many parodies and derivative work.
51. Roman Holiday
Year: 1953
Country: The United States
Sometimes it is difficult to say whether a film has made an actor or an actor has made a film. But in China, when Audrey Hepburn is mentioned, people think of the innocent and pure princess in the city of Rome.
52. Heidi
Year: 2015
Country: Germany
Based on the 1881 classic novel by Johanna Spyri, the film heals many Chinese audiences in fast-paced urban life with stunning Alpine scenery and heartwarming character relationships. A Douban review reads: While some movies show profanity, complexity, sin, fear, and darkness, there must be movies responsible for expressing simplicity, innocence, kindness, joy, and beauty, and Heidi belongs to the latter.
53. The Matrix
Year: 1999
Country: The United States
For the Chinese audience, the movie is one of the earliest discussions on how much technology is too much technology? Two decades later, we might be closer to the dangers described in the movie than we allow.
54. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Year: 2001
Country: The United States
55. Havoc in Heaven （大闹天宫）
Year: 1961
Country: China
Another Journey to the West spin-off. This movie is often heralded as one of the most iconic Chinese animes.
Year: 1974
Country: the United States
Year: 1989
Country: The United States
The spirit of not being afraid to speak up is not lost on Chinese audiences.
58. The Attorney
Year: 2013
Country: South Korea
Inspired by the real-life of the late former President of Korea, The Attorney follows a tax lawyer from Busan, who formed a legal team to defend the arrested dissidents and grew into an influential human rights lawyer. The film is a tearful history of Korea's democratic transformation. Its relevance in reflecting on the past and facing the present is even more significant than the film itself.
59. Green Book
Year: 2018
Country: The United States
Don't be surprised that an anti-racism movie found a more receptive audience in China and the United States.
Unfortunately, not many guesthouses listed in green books survive today, as your host found out when planning a road trip in the Deep South in 2019.
60. The Lion King
Year: 1994
Country: The United States
The movie needs no explanation.
61. Fight Club
Year: 1999
Country: The United States
In January 2022, the film was shown on China's Tencent Video service, but the building explosion scene at the end was replaced by a subtitle saying that the police had successfully prevented the attack. After facing a social media backlash, Tencent soon restored the film's original ending.
62. Eat Drink Man Woman (饮食男女)
Year: 1994
Country: China (Taiwan)
The title is a quote from the Book of Rites, one of the Confucian classics, referring to the basic human desires and accepting them as natural. The beginning of the quote reads as follows: "The things which men greatly desire are comprehended in food and drink and sexual pleasure." The film shows an authentic Chinese family banquet, but with the family suppressing their emotions and desires, such a delicious meal is just a tasteless ritual. Eat Drink Man Woman is the third installment of The Father Knows Best Trilogy in the early 1990s. Through the trilogy, director Ang Lee portrayed the conflict between traditional Confucianism and modern life in a profound and witty way, thus winning a good reputation in the Chinese-speaking world.
63. A Beautiful Mind
Year: 2001
Country: The United States
Since 2000, John Nash has visited China several times to participate in forums and lectures. Game theory and John Nash are not new to Chinese academia and the public. For Nash's passing in 2015, Weiying Zhang, an economist from Peking University, paid tribute in person that Nash had made a significant contribution to social science by creating a whole new approach to research.
64. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Year: 2008
Country: The United States
With four of his films listed in the Douban Top250, David Fincher's films have distinctive characteristics, both in terms of content and style. According to Douban's reviews, his focus is on human nature and the darkness of society, and his visual expression is robust and heart-shaking.
Year: 2006
Country: Germany
The film is set in 1984 East Berlin. It follows a security officer conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover. As time goes on, the main character changes his heart about the subject of his work.
66. Love Letter
Year: 1995
Country: Japan
Love Letter tells the story of two women who reacquaint themselves with a deceased man through letter exchanging. By the hand of pure love film master Iwai Shunji, the film has become the benchmark of Japanese aesthetics in the minds of Chinese audiences with a fresh and unique photography style, beautiful and romantic camera language, timeless and elegant soundtrack, subtle and reflective emotions. This film was introduced to China in 1999, 22 years later in 2021, re-released on the mainland, and again set off a retro trend.
67. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Year: 2008
Country: the U.K.
Set in World War II, this Holocaust drama relates the horror of a Nazi extermination camp through the eyes of two eight-year-old boys: the son of the camp's Nazi commander and a Jewish prisoner.
68. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
Year: 1998
Country: the U.K.
According to Douban reviews, Guy Ritchie is considered an influential director who has created a model of the British crime film. For Chinese audiences, the suspense and reversals in the movie bring a fresh and exciting experience unlike any other. It is said that many Chinese films, such as Crazy Stone, which is ranked 187 on this list, are alleged to have been inspired by the film's multi-line narrative approach.
69. Malèna
Year: 2000
Country: Italy
It's another one of those films the Chinese audience adores despite a much lower reputation in the West.
Year: 2016
Country: Spain
The Invisible Guest is among the few thrillers on the Douban Top 250 list.
Year: 1998
Country: The United States
As one of the six films directed by Spielberg on this list, Saving Private Ryan is seen as an embodiment of mainstream American values. The film restores the war scenes with the utmost realism, allowing the audience to witness the intensity and brutality of war. Unlike typical Chinese war movies, which portray national heroes who are not afraid to sacrifice, Saving Private Ryan focuses on the value of individual lives.
Year: 1965
Country: The United States
As a successful film adaptation of the 1959 namesake Broadway musical, The Sound of Music was one of the earliest Western works introduced to mainland China after the Cultural Revolution. It became popular throughout the country, with its anti-fascist and peace-oriented themes resonating with Chinese audiences. The film's soundtrack is also an undisputed classic, with songs such as Do-re-mi, The Lonely Goatherd, and Edelweiss selected for Chinese music textbooks and remain household nowadays. Until this day, many Chinese genuinely believe the Edelweiss is a German language folk song.
73. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Year: 1975
Country: The United States
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest is a masterpiece of American socio-political cinema of the 1970s. On Douban, the movie is known as the madhouse version of The Shawshank Redemption.
Year: 1997
Country: Iran
Children of Heaven is the only Iranian film movie on the Douban Top250. The director takes a very tender approach to expose the wealth gap in Iran. As the world's largest developing country, the Chinese people also experienced the hardship of not being able to afford shoes in the last century, so they can especially empathize with the barefoot children in the film and think about the relationship between poverty and kindness.
75. Avatar
Year: 2009
Country: The United States
Avatar is the first blockbuster through which mainland Chinese audiences genuinely appreciate the charm of 3D movies.
76. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Year: 2011
Country: The United States
Incidentally, the two highest-ranking H.P. movies are the first and last.
Year: 1991
Country: The United States
Silence of the Lambs is one of the few horror films in the Douban movie Top 250. The film explores the psychological ailments of the characters and attempts to explore the roots of terror in contemporary American society. Anthony Hopkins, who plays Professor Hannibal, contributed a top-notch performance in the film, impressing Chinese audiences.
78. The Cove
Year: 2009
Country: The United States
The Cove is currently the highest-rated documentary on the Douban list. The film is a call to action to halt mass dolphin kills and captures in Japan and educate the public about captivity and the increasing hazard of mercury poisoning from consuming dolphin meat. The documentary has sparked great outrage and sympathy among animal advocates in China.
79. The Prestige
Year: 2006
Country: The United States
It is one of the six films directed by Nolan on this list and has gained no less acclaim than the Batman trilogy among Chinese audiences.
80. Shutter Island
Year: 2010
Country: The United States
The star power of Martin Scorsese and DiCaprio is almost a guarantee for success in China. Leonardo's performance is precise and influential in the film, continuing his usual tough-guy image and gangster temperament in Scorsese films.
Year: 2014
Country: The United States
The Grand Budapest Hotel is director Wes Anderson's most recognizable film in China. Inspired by his unique cinematic aesthetic, a video style in the form of symmetrical compositions and retro collages is directly named after Wes Anderson himself on Chinese social media platforms.
Year: 2004
Country: The United States
83. Once Upon a Time in America
Year: 1984
Country: The United States
By presenting the American landscape through the eyes of a European director in a very charming form, the film has become a classic chapter in the history of cinema.
Year: 1997
Country: The United States
Who doesn't love a good prodigy story?
85. Pulp Fiction
Year: 1994
Country: The United States
Although Pulp Fiction's ranking on Douban is not as impressive as its number 8 ranking on IMDB, it's unwise to downplay Tarantino's popularity among the Chinese audience.
86. Happy Together （春光乍泄）
Year: 1997
Country: China (Hong Kong)
Happy Together is a 1997 Hong Kong romantic drama film directed by Kar-wai Wong that explores the theme of homosexuality.
87. Modern Times
Year: 1936
Country: The United States
Modern Times is considered one of the greatest films in cinema history and one of Charlie Chaplin's most famous works. As the last film of Chaplin's silent era, with Chaplin's comical and exaggerated body language, Modern Times impressed Chinese audiences even more than any other sound film.
88. Se7en
Year: 1995
Country: The United States
With the help of religion, David Fincher elevates the whole film to reflect on social issues such as moral degradation. He is widely acclaimed for his thoughtfulness in Douban.
89. King of Comedy （喜剧之王）
Year: 1999
Country: China (Hong Kong)
The movie is loosely based on Chow's early career, as he started as a temporary actor before becoming a successful and popular comedy actor over a decade. The film is his transition from actor to director, expressing Stephen Chow's journey as a comedian actor. The iconic line "I am an actor" summates Stephen Chow's inner thoughts on his acting path.
90. Identity
Year: 2003
Country: The United States
There are plenty of movies about multiple personalities and schizophrenia. According to Douban reviews, Identity is the most outstanding and innovative attempt.
Year: 2003
Country: South Korea
Based on the true story of Korea's first confirmed serial murders, the film follows two detectives struggling with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.
92. Kung Fu Hustle （功夫）
Year: 2004
Country: China (Hong Kong)
Kung Fu Hustle is an action-comedy film directed, produced, co-written by, and starring Stephen Chow. The film tells the story of a murderous neighborhood gang, a poor village with unlikely heroes, and an aspiring gangster's fierce journey to find his true self. The cartoon special effects in the film accompanied by traditional Chinese music are often cited as its most striking feature. According to Douban reviews, Kung Fu Hustle deserves a special place in the history of China cinema because of its use of digital technology to expand the genre of martial arts films in time and space.
93. Detachment
Year: 2011
Country: The United States
The film's sense of misanthropy has left a deep impression on movie lovers of Douban. The film also explores many critical social issues, such as adolescent education and women's social identity.
94. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Year: 2004
Country: the U.K.
95. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Year: 2003
Country: The United States
The film is the first film in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, has become an iconic Hollywood character, making this film the most popular pirate-themed movie in China. Depp's large fan base in China has also won him a lot of sympathy during the never-ending court trials with Amber Heard.
Year: 2006
Country: Japan
It is a Japanese musical film that recalls the complex and tortuous life of the heroine Matsuko, who spent her whole life longing to love and be loved. Director Tetsuya Nakajima shrouded tragedy with wit, creating a colorful fairy-tale dreamscape with lots of animation and MTV-style drawings. The film reveals that in East Asia, with the tradition of sexual repression and subtlety, there is always a lack of love education in the people's socialization process.
97. Paprika
Year: 2006
Country: Japan
It is said that if Hayao Miyazaki could be compared to the sun of Japanese animation, healing the masses with warm sunlight, Satoshi Kon should be described as the moon of Japanese animation, illuminating the dark corners of the modernization process. This can be confirmed in this breathtaking animated film: not only because of its unique transitions, dazzling graphic design, and unimaginable plotting but also because Kon exposes the social reality in Japan like aging, high suicide rate, objectification of women, workplace bullying, etc. Some argue that Paprika influenced Inception.
98. The Hunt
Year: 2012
Country: Denmark
The film tells the story of a man's life ruined by rumors of gossip, lies, hatred, and suspicion.
Year: 2017
Country: The United States
On Chinese social media, the homosexuality-themed film and its soundtrack have gained a cult following and have spawned many derivative works.
100. Miracle in Cell No.7
Year: 2013
Country: South Korea
The film is a hilarious, tender, and heartwarming story between a wrongfully imprisoned father and his lovely daughter. The film confronts the realistic question of whether the mentally disabled can raise their children, showing the obstacles they encounter in a tear-jerking way.
101. Edward Scissorhands
Year: 1990
Country: The United States
Edward Scissorhands is an American fantasy romance film in which Johnny Depp plays an artificial humanoid named Edward, an unfinished creation with scissor blades instead of hands. For many Chinese, Edward Scissorhands is their first experience with the Gothic aesthetic.
102. Braveheart
Year: 1995
Country: The United States
Braveheart has always been regarded as a tragic, epic film incorporating the legend of blood and tears and has won the unanimous welcome of Chinese film fans with its grandeur and magnificence.
103. Brokeback Mountain
Year: 2005
Country: The United States
As the most iconic LGBT-themed film, Brokeback Mountain depicts the complex romantic relationship between two American western cowboys. As a director of Chinese origin, Ang Lee rubbed so much of the unspeakable reserve and sensibility of the Oriental way into Brokeback Mountain, which Chinese audiences feel close to.
104. Flirting Scholar (唐伯虎点秋香)
Year: 1993
Country: China (Hong Kong)
The title refers to 唐伯虎 (Tang Bohu), a well-known prodigy in China during the Ming dynasty. But Tang loses all seriousness of a scholar in this comedy directed by Stephen Chow, which shows the extraordinary imagination to subvert the classical theme with post-modern techniques.
105. Departures
Year: 2008
Country: Japan
Departures follows a young man who works as a traditional Japanese ritual mortician despite strong social taboos. He eventually gains respect from relatives through the beauty and dignity of his work. In Chinese society, where people value secular life and taboo talking about death, the film is no less than a death education, reminding viewers of the philosophy of life and death.
106. The Sixth Sense
Year: 1999
Country: The United States
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American supernatural psychological thriller written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
107. Amelie
Year: 2001
Country: France
Amelie is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life and tells the story of the shy waitress Amelie who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better while dealing with her isolation.
108. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Year: 2002
Country: The UK
109. Before Sunrise
Year: 1995
Country: The United States
As the first installment in the Before trilogy, it follows a young man and woman who meet on a train in Europe and spend one evening together in Vienna. The storyline of a Hollywood romance movie is almost absent from the film. Instead, the audience is treated to uninhibited ramblings: about parents, music, and death. The Before trilogy has changed the impression of Chinese audiences on drama films and can count as one of the most classic romance films.
110. Chungking Express (重庆森林)
Year: 1994
Country: China (Hong Kong)
Chungking Express is a 1994 Hong Kong romantic crime comedy-drama film written and directed by Kar-wai Wong. The film consists of two love stories: the urban encounter between a lost cop and a mysterious female killer and the romance between a patrolman and a fast food restaurant girl. Director Wong was described as one of Chinese cinema's most daring avant-garde filmmakers.
111. Yi Yi （一一）
Year: 2000
Country: China (Taiwan)
Yi Yi is the masterpiece of director Edward Yang centering on the struggles of an engineer and three generations of his middle-class family in Taipei. The title in Chinese means "one by one." When written in vertical alignment, the two strokes resemble the Chinese character for "two": (二). The film constructed a model of urban life, where every Chinese can find their place in the movie.
112. Princess Mononoke
Year: 1997
Country: Japan
Set in medieval Japan during the Muromachi period, Princess Mononoke is a Ghibli animated film that depicts the struggle between humans, gods, and demons. The film inherits Hayao Miyazaki's long-standing profound reflection on the relationship between human beings and nature to explore whether human beings and nature can achieve the ultimate proposition of harmonious coexistence.
Year: 2012
Country: The United States
114. Little Forest: Summer/Autumn
Year: 2014
Country: Japan
Based on the namesake manga by Daisuke Igarashi, the Little Forest series tells the story of the main character Ichiko, who returns from the city to the countryside to live a self-sufficient life and learn to get daily food from seasonal ingredients. The lure of the country, or 田园生活, is perhaps a commonality in Chinese and Japanese societies. This theme has also generated generations of literature in China.
115. In the Heat of the Sun (阳光灿烂的日子)
Year: 1994
Country: China
It was based loosely on author Wang Shuo's novel Wild Beast. In the Heat of the Sun was Jiang Wen's first foray into directing after years as a leading actor. In the film, Jiang Wen utilized eroticism for restructuring the discourse of Maoist China. The romantic and nostalgic representation of history is evident through the sensual narrative and the sexual experience of the film's characters at the height of the Cultural Revolution. It is a brand new Chinese film from content to form, and its appearance marks a new era in Chinese cinema.
116. Kikujiro
Year: 1999
Country: Japan
Kikujiro is one of the warmest and brightest films directed by Japanese director Takeshi Kitano. The film is about the arduous journey to find his family, the different kinds of people he meets, and the love between people. Takeshi Kitano's humor and his grasp of the art of laughter in the film are impressive. The film brings laughter while highlighting the lovability and spirituality of the characters. The theme music of the movie is also a timeless treasure.
117. Big Hero 6
Year: 2014
Country: The United States
The image of Baymax has a high profile in mainland China, and since the outbreak of COVID-19, Baymax (Da Bai in Chinese) has been used to describe epidemic prevention workers in white jumpsuits.
118. A Perfect World
Year: 1993
Country: The United States
A Perfect World is a 1993 American crime drama film directed by Clint Eastwood. It follows an escaped convict who takes a young boy hostage and attempts to flee on the road with the child.
119. Nobody Knows
Year: 2004
Country: Japan
Based on actual events, Nobody Knows follows the slow and orderly narrative style of Japanese cinema through the story of several children who support each other's tenacious survival in an environment without parents. Unlike most children's films, which are full of sunshine and joy, the whole movie is set in a gray atmosphere. Director Hirokazu Koreeda is one of the best-known contemporary Japanese directors in China, with four films on the Douban Top250.
120. Before Sunset
Year: 2004
Country: The United States
As the sequel to Before Sunrise and the second installment in the Before trilogy, Before Sunset, follows Jesse and Céline as they reunite nine years later in Paris.
121. Gone Girl
Year: 2014
Country: The United States
Gone Girl is a 2014 American psychological thriller film directed by David Fincher. The film is now considered a cult classic, with some jokingly calling it a "must watch" for couples before getting married.
122. Little Forest: Winter/Spring
Year: 2015
Country: Japan
Year: 2010
Country: Japan
As Yonebayashi's directorial debut, the film continues the style of Ghibli animation supervised by Miyazaki. Based on the 1952 novel The Borrowers by Mary Norton, it tells the story of a young Borrower befriending a human boy while trying to avoid being detected by other humans. It reflects the relationship between man and nature with childlike expression.
124. Comrades: Almost a Love Story (甜蜜蜜)
Year: 1996
Country: China (Hong Kong)
Comrades: Almost a Love Story is a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Peter Chan, starring a luxurious cast including Maggie Cheung and Leon Lai. The title refers to "Tian Mi Mi," a song by famous singer Teresa Teng whose songs are featured in the film. Set on the eve of the handover of Hong Kong and the year following the death of Teresa Teng, the film tells the romance of two lonely immigrants who came to Hong Kong from mainland China to make a living.
125. A Chinese Ghost Story (倩女幽魂)
Year: 1987
Country: China (Hong Kong)
A Chinese Ghost Story is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy horror film starring Leslie Cheung and Joey Wong. Both portrayed the critically acclaimed classic image and gained a considerable fan base. The film combines martial arts, gods and monsters, thrillers, funny, and love in one, pioneering the first Hong Kong stunt gods and monsters film.
Lu Jianan, an intern with Beijing Channel, contributed to this newsletter.