Asian films old and new: recommendations, discussion and appreciation

[hlynur]

thanks for the recommendations.
i see you now as my future mentor for asian cinema.  
please be patient, looks like there's a lot to catch up with.
In exchange I can provide you with much background info if you're interested in european directors and movements, eg dogma-style from scandinavia (founded by Lars von Trier).
As mentioned in pm I'm engaged right now with russian director Andrei Tarkovsky and his theories about cinema, I will put that project on the sideline for some time.

[Anon135246]

Ichi the Killer is a great Japanese movie

[dragonkid]

Infernal Affairs Part 1 - 3 - Very good film
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infernal_Affairs

Fighter In The Wind - A true story of a martial art legend
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416499/

I will list some more later.

[FirstAscent]

Infernal Affairs Part 1 - 3 - Very good film
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infernal_Affairs

Fighter In The Wind - A true story of a martial art legend
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416499/

I will list some more later.

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.

[FirstAscent]

thanks for the recommendations.
i see you now as my future mentor for asian cinema.  
please be patient, looks like there's a lot to catch up with.
In exchange I can provide you with much background info if you're interested in european directors and movements, eg dogma-style from scandinavia (founded by Lars von Trier).
As mentioned in pm I'm engaged right now with russian director Andrei Tarkovsky and his theories about cinema, I will put that project on the sideline for some time.

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.

[dragonkid]

Infernal Affairs Part 1 - 3 - Very good film
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infernal_Affairs

Fighter In The Wind - A true story of a martial art legend
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416499/

I will list some more later.

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 actually met Tony Leung in person, once when I was a little kid. He just started to get famous. Most of Tony Leung's film is quite good. Have you seen his newest film? The Grandmaster http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1462900/. Ziyi Zhang is also in it, too.

[FirstAscent]

Infernal Affairs Part 1 - 3 - Very good film
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infernal_Affairs

Fighter In The Wind - A true story of a martial art legend
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416499/

I will list some more later.

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 actually met Tony Leung in person, once when I was a little kid. He just started to get famous. Most of Tony Leung's film is quite good. Have you seen his newest film? The Grandmaster http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1462900/. Ziyi Zhang is also in it, too.

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?

[didjaydisteele]

I don't get it.

[FirstAscent]

I don't get it.

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?

[Singlebyte]

Oldboy

The film won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and high praise from the President of the Jury, director Quentin Tarantino. Critically, the film has been well received in the United States, with an 81% "Certified Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.  Film critic Roger Ebert claimed that Oldboy is a "powerful film not because of what it depicts, but because of the depths of the human heart which it strips bare. 4/4". In 2008, voters on CNN named it one of the ten best Asian films ever made.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009S2T0M
(Read the comments!)

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/oldboy-2005

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldboy_(2003_film)#Plot

[FirstAscent]

Oldboy

The film won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and high praise from the President of the Jury, director Quentin Tarantino. Critically, the film has been well received in the United States, with an 81% "Certified Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.  Film critic Roger Ebert claimed that Oldboy is a "powerful film not because of what it depicts, but because of the depths of the human heart which it strips bare. 4/4". In 2008, voters on CNN named it one of the ten best Asian films ever made.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009S2T0M
(Read the comments!)

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/oldboy-2005

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldboy_(2003_film)

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?

[Singlebyte]

Oldboy

The film won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and high praise from the President of the Jury, director Quentin Tarantino. Critically, the film has been well received in the United States, with an 81% "Certified Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.  Film critic Roger Ebert claimed that Oldboy is a "powerful film not because of what it depicts, but because of the depths of the human heart which it strips bare. 4/4". In 2008, voters on CNN named it one of the ten best Asian films ever made.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009S2T0M
(Read the comments!)

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/oldboy-2005

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldboy_(2003_film)

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?

No...but this film will blow you away!!!!  I saw it with subtitles (don't know if there is an English dubbed one).  I know Spike Lee is doing an english remake of it this year.  It was a jaw dropping, amazing, fucking crazy movie!!  

[FirstAscent]

Oldboy

The film won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and high praise from the President of the Jury, director Quentin Tarantino. Critically, the film has been well received in the United States, with an 81% "Certified Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.  Film critic Roger Ebert claimed that Oldboy is a "powerful film not because of what it depicts, but because of the depths of the human heart which it strips bare. 4/4". In 2008, voters on CNN named it one of the ten best Asian films ever made.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009S2T0M
(Read the comments!)

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/oldboy-2005

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldboy_(2003_film)

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?

No...but this film will blow you away!!!!  I saw it with subtitles (don't know if there is an English dubbed one).  I know Spike Lee is doing an english remake of it this year.  It was a jaw dropping, amazing, fucking crazy movie!!  

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.

[hlynur]

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?

No...but this film will blow you away!!!!  I saw it with subtitles (don't know if there is an English dubbed one).  I know Spike Lee is doing an english remake of it this year.  It was a jaw dropping, amazing, fucking crazy movie!!  

the review is a good summary but its filled with so much spoilers. You should watch this movie without any prior influence.
Then it really blows you away by its sheer intensity. (have to chime in  )
It's an opera of revenge...

I've seen original version with subs in the cinema and later a german synchro on dvd (quite bad, perhaps english one is better but wouldn't recommend it).

But I can't stand spike lee doing this remake. So many good movies got an US-remake and one was worse than the other. (watched remake of Haneke's "funny games" some weeks ago...absolutely disappointing)

[Singlebyte]

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

Already answered you...NO.

No...but this film will blow you away!!!!

Are you asking for more of an explanation? I feel his reviews are sometimes over critical and his movie choices do not fit a majority of peoples reviews.  Sometimes it felt like he was paid to promote or slam a film.  I know that is highley unlikey but it still seemed like it when I compared his reviews to my personal likings.  I prefer to read yahoo movies comments to get a feel of a movies quality.

I will have to check on some of the other recommends from this thread.  They sound interesting.  Regarding Oldboy, it is definitely not for everyone.  You need to like weird/twisted movies....which I do.  It is also best NOT to read the storyline or plot because it will ruin the ending.


-edit-

You should watch this movie without any prior influence.

Take hlynur's advice!!

[FirstAscent]

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

Already answered you...NO.

No...but this film will blow you away!!!!

Are you asking for more of an explanation? I feel his reviews are sometimes over critical and his movie choices do not fit a majority of peoples reviews.  Sometimes it felt like he was paid to promote or slam a film.  I know that is highley unlikey, it still seemed like it when I compared his reviews to my personal likings.  I prefer to read yahoo movies comments to get a feel of a movies quality.

I will have to check on some of the other recommends from this thread.  They sound interesting.  Regarding Oldboy, it is definitely not for everyone.  You need to like weird/twisted movies....which I do.  It is also best NOT to read the storyline or plot because it will ruin the ending.

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?

[hlynur]

But you must understand that it's what everyone watches, and doesn't indicate any real familiarity with Asian cinema.

I totally understand your point.
But let me say here that Oldboy was the movie that lit up my whole obsession with asian cinema in the first place more than 10 years ago. (out of chan-wook's bubble i then started to look what else is around)
I know your problem, but sometimes you have to commit yourself that you like something although if it irradiates a commercial touch every whole-hearted fan despises.
That's the problem of commercialism, it blurs the borders of what's designed to be consumed like everydaytrashtv and what's the real innovation that expands your perception.
This is a movie where these lines are not visible, because of the disturbance with cannes prize (which is a good choice, but it brings marketing with it). Chan-Wook did a much more westernized and commercial film with "JSA", just because he needed the money to make Oldboy good.
it's like biting into the poisoned apple to just get the seeds out and grow your own tree.
directly after he continued with his vision of the trilogy where he began, without any influence of JSA from my perception. (there's just an amazing increase of visual perfection and intensity in the chronology of all three movies)

without Cannes prize this movie wouldn't even have reached out that far into the commercial side of western cinema

[FirstAscent]

But you must understand that it's what everyone watches, and doesn't indicate any real familiarity with Asian cinema.

I totally understand your point.
But let me say here that Oldboy was the movie that lit up my whole obsession with asian cinema in the first place more than 10 years ago. (out of chan-wook's bubble i then started to look what else is around)
I know your problem, but sometimes you have to commit yourself that you like something although if it irradiates a commercial touch every whole-hearted fan despises.
That's the problem of commercialism, it blurs the borders of what's designed to be consumed like everydaytrashtv and what's the real innovation that expands your perception.
This is a movie where these lines are not visible. Chan-Wook did a much more westernized and commercial film with "JSA", just because he needed the money to make it good.
it's like biting into the poisoned apple to just get the seeds out and grow your own tree.
directly after he continued with his vision of the trilogy where he began, without any influence of JSA from my perception. (there's just an amazing increase of visual perfection and intensity in the chronology of all three movies)

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.

[FirstAscent]

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

[FirstAscent]

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.