It's on my watch list. Rated fairly highly. I definitely want to watch it. It seems to be fairly popular, like Oldboy. 2046 is popular too. There is nothing wrong with such films, although people think I might be looking down my nose at such films. I am not! Heck, you know I love 2046.

I'm just trying to point out that the best way to discover these great movies is to apply different methods together. The methods are:

- Follow the essays and commentaries of Asian film scholars, such as Donald Richie, Tony Rayns, David Bordwell, Audie Bock, etc.
- Get intimate with the Criterion Collection over at criterion.com, and use the Explore section
- Build a familiarity with the directors and their filmography
- Build a familiarity with the actors, and follow their filmography
- Get familiar with the different film movements, and learn how to differentiate them
- Discover the films being discussed at Mubi.com
- Use a film social networking site to see what others like
- Pay attention to the Sight & Sound directors and critics polls
- Get familiar with Roger Ebert's list of "Great Films"

Speaking of Korean films, I recommend Secret Sunshine and Poetry, both by Chang-dong Lee. I have only seen Secret Sunshine, but Poetry is rated highly.

I just watched Mikio Naruse's Scattered Clouds. Lovely movie.

That makes nine Mikio Naruse films that I've watched now:

Repast
Wife
Sound of the Mountain
Late Chrysanthemums
Floating Clouds
Flowing
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
Yearning
Scattered Clouds

Yi Yi
The Face of Another
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
2046
Sansho the Bailiff
Late Spring

But they may not be what you are looking for in cinema. But tastes evolve as you become more familiar with the cinematic landscape. I can assure you that those are all masterpieces.

Some of the most important films ever made are foreign and subtitled, among them many Asian films. I've been mentioning them.

Hlynur,

Donald Richie has always been a guy worth listening to. Sadly he passed away recently. Always read his essays and listen to his commentaries when given the chance.

http://criterioncast.com/news/japan-society-to-hold-two-part-tribute-to-donald-richie/

Singlebyte,

I haven't yet really discussed the Japanese New Wave or its origins, and I want to. But for the time being, I recommend Masahiro Shinoda's nihilistic noir, Pale Flower. Scored by Toru Takemitsu, and starring Ryo Ikebe and the gorgeous Mariko Kaga, it's a pretty fantastic example of the New Wave. Here's a trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOOr4nuWFqU

Best seen sourced from the Blu-ray. Gorgeous squid ink blacks.

Hlynur,

Are you familiar with the Chinese silent film actress Ruan Lingyu? Tragic story. I recommend Stanley Kwan's 1992 biopic of her entitled Center Stage starring Maggie Cheung. See the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwp-_UL2PlY

I'm not making any statements about the film and how excellent it might be. I bought the Blu-ray months ago because I consider it essential and a movie to watch. Please have no concerns that I don't want to watch it.

My real point is only that it is typically one of the first Asian films that people watch, and it's been my experience that when someone brings it up, it's not possible to tell if that person has truly sampled many of the great films in Asian cinema.

Conversely, if someone brings up Equinox Flower, Yi Yi, Center Stage (The Actress), Days of Being Wild, The Face of Another, Spring in a Small Town, Woman of the Lake, Sansho the Bailiff, Floating Clouds, With Beauty and Sorrow, The Vertical Ray of the Sun, What Time is it There?, and Platform all in the same breath, then my ears prick up!

I'm only trying to discern Singlebyte's level of immersion into Asian cinema, and how far he wants to go.

For the record, some of the films I just listed, I haven't even seen yet, but they're representative.

I'm not reading any in depth reviews of the film or storylines, because I want to watch the film. It is on my list. But I'm trying to get a sense of how in depth your Asian cinematic knowledge is, and how interested you are in exploring some of the Asian film canons. Could you elaborate?

I'm sure it will blow me away. And I do want to watch it. But you must understand that it's what everyone watches, and doesn't indicate any real familiarity with Asian cinema. I still don't know if you have that familiarity or not. I want you to! I want you to stay with this thread and discover some of the most wonderful films you can imagine.

And you never watch Asian cinema dubbed. Except anime, if you want, because even in their native language, it's dubbed. But never watch live action films dubbed. You are removing a portion of the film - the auditory component of the actor's acting. I cannot imagine watching someone wonderful like Setsuko Hara or Hideko Takamine without hearing their voices.

Now, you still need to answer my question: do you respect Roger Ebert's reviews, in general? I do. Please answer.

I have the Oldboy Blu-ray. I haven't watched it yet. The thing is, it always gets recommended in topics like this. I kind of feel like it's one of the ten Asian films outside of the Criterion Collection that you can go buy at Barnes and Noble. I definitely want to watch it though. Thank you for doing more than just typing a movie name.

Do you respect Roger Ebert's opinions, for the most part?

What is it you don't get?

The nihilism in Masahiro Shinoda's films? How the traditions of society impinge upon women in Yasujiro Ozu's films? The plight of women in Mikio Naruse's films? The themes of identity in Hiroshi Teshigahara's films? The artful direction depicting unrequited love in Wong Kar-Wai's films? The expressive loneliness of individuals in urban society in Edward Yang's films? The fall of women in Kenji Mizoguchi's films? The sexuality in Nagisa Oshima's films? The outside influences and their effects upon rural societies in Keisuke Kinoshita's films?

What exactly don't you get?

I have not seen Wong Kar-Wai's latest, but I definitely want to. I'm torn, because the American cut is in the theaters, yet the Chinese cut is the one that most reflects Wong Kar-Wai's muse. Which Wong Kar-Wai films have you seen? Which ones did you like?

Feel free to start a European Cinema thread. I have two Lars von Trier movies sitting on deck, and I desperately want to see Tarkovsky's work, especially The Mirror. I have his book Sculpting in Time.

Please stick with this thread. So much more to touch on. Ozu alone deserves much more discussion and analysis.

I've seen Infernal Affairs (1). Are you familiar with Tony Leung in his most famous roles - notably in Wong Kar-Wai films? Also, he was in Ang Lee's Lust, Caution, which I really want to see, and Tran Anh Hung's Cyclo, which I really want to see.

I earnestly encourage you to follow this thread at a deep level. Unless you're a serious Asian film cinephile, there's whole worlds in here that you might not know about. Then again, maybe you do, I don't know.

Yes. Wim Wenders loves Ozu. Start with Late Spring. It takes about two Ozu films to get into his rhythm, and then something magical happens. I recommend Early Summer or Tokyo Twilight as your second Ozu.

Tokyo Story is the one you'll hear the most about, but it's a little different from his favorite theme that he normally explores. Also, it's considered to be a very important film, but that's a slightly different thing.

Start with Late Spring. It's also a very important film in its own right.

I really want to see Shûji Terayama's Pastoral: To Die in the Country. It's a little bit avant-garde.

Here's a fan made "Three Reasons for Criterion Consideration" montage of the film: https://vimeo.com/30090257

Well, have you watched Ozu, Naruse, or Mizoguchi?

And from the Japanese New Wave, have you watched Yoshida, Imamura, Shinoda, Oshima, Teshigahara, Masumura, or Kurahara?

Have you watched any films from Yasujiro Ozu, Mikio Naruse, or Kenji Mizoguchi? If so, which ones?

Hlynur,

So as I understand it, you haven't watched any films from Japan's golden era of cinema nor the Japanese New Wave?