Fandor 100 Essential Chinese Movies

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Created by benitotambara.

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Among the many recent additions to the Fandor catalog, I am most excited by several classic Chinese films that I consider to be among the very best to have ever been made in that language: The Big Road, Street Angel (a film I love so dearly that I modeled my wedding photos after some of its iconic shots), Crossroads, Spring in a Small Town, to name a few. The sight of these titles got me thinking: what are the essential movies that anyone curious about Chinese cinema needs to see? The following video of 50 essential Chinese language films – and expanded list of 100 essential films found further below – is my attempt at an answer.

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  1. 100 new

    Rang zi dan fei

    2010 — a.k.a. Let the Bullets Fly, in 1 top list Check
  2. 99 new

    Nanjing! Nanjing!

    2009 — a.k.a. City of Life and Death, in 1 top list Check
  3. 98 new

    Hái-kak chhit-ho

    2008 — a.k.a. Cape No. 7, in 1 top list Check
  4. 97 new

    Se, jie

    2007 — a.k.a. Lust, Caution, in 5 top lists Check
  5. 96 new

    Yi He Yuan

    2006 — a.k.a. Summer Palace, in 3 top lists Check
  6. 95 new

    San xia hao ren

    2006 — a.k.a. Still Life, in 11 top lists Check
  7. 94 new

    Niu pi

    2005 — a.k.a. Oxhide, in 2 top lists Check
  8. 93 new

    Mang jing

    2003 — a.k.a. Blind Shaft, in 4 top lists Check
  9. 92 new

    Tiexi qu

    2002 — a.k.a. Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks, in 8 top lists Check
  10. 91 new

    Mou gaan dou

    2002 — a.k.a. Infernal Affairs, in 14 top lists Check
  11. 90 new

    Siu Lam juk kau

    2001 — a.k.a. Shaolin Soccer, in 5 top lists Check
  12. 89 new

    Zhantai

    2000 — a.k.a. Platform, in 10 top lists Check
  13. 88 new

    Fa yeung nin wah

    2000 — a.k.a. In the Mood for Love, in 30 top lists Check
  14. 87 new

    Yi yi

    2000 — a.k.a. Yi Yi: A One and a Two..., in 19 top lists Check
  15. 86 new

    Wo hu cang long

    2000 — a.k.a. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, in 27 top lists Check
  16. 85 new

    Cheung foh

    1999 — a.k.a. The Mission, in 5 top lists Check
  17. 84 new

    Xiao Wu

    1997 — a.k.a. Pickpocket, in 3 top lists Check
  18. 83 new

    Heung Gong jai jo

    1997 — a.k.a. Made in Hong Kong, in 6 top lists Check
  19. 82 new

    Tian mi mi

    1996 — a.k.a. Comrades, Almost a Love Story, in 5 top lists Check
  20. 81 new

    Dung che sai duk

    1994 — a.k.a. Ashes of Time, in 7 top lists Check
  21. 80 new

    Chung Hing sam lam

    1994 — a.k.a. Chungking Express, in 19 top lists Check
  22. 79 new

    Sai yau gei: Yut gwong bou haap

    1995 — a.k.a. A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box, in 3 top lists Check
  23. 78 new

    Ai qing wan sui

    1994 — a.k.a. Vive L'Amour, in 9 top lists Check
  24. 77 new

    Yang guang can lan de ri zi

    1994 — a.k.a. In the Heat of the Sun, in 4 top lists Check
  25. 76 new

    Xi meng ren sheng

    1993 — a.k.a. The Puppetmaster, in 11 top lists Check
  26. 75 new

    Xi yan

    1993 — a.k.a. The Wedding Banquet, in 9 top lists Check
  27. 74 new

    Lan feng zheng

    1993 — a.k.a. The Blue Kite, in 8 top lists Check
  28. 73 new

    Ba wang bie ji

    1992 — a.k.a. Farewell My Concubine, in 18 top lists Check
  29. 72 new

    Ruan Ling Yu

    1991 — a.k.a. Center Stage, in 10 top lists Check
  30. 71 new

    Qiu Ju da guan si

    1992 — a.k.a. The Story of Qiu Ju, in 8 top lists Check
  31. 70 new

    Wong Fei-Hung

    1991 — a.k.a. Once Upon a Time in China, in 9 top lists Check
  32. 69 new

    Ah Fei jing juen

    1990 — a.k.a. Days of Being Wild, in 11 top lists Check
  33. 68 new

    Guling jie shaonian sharen shijian

    1991 — a.k.a. A Brighter Summer Day, in 19 top lists Check
  34. 67 new

    Bei qing cheng shi

    1989 — a.k.a. A City of Sadness, in 10 top lists Check
  35. 66 new

    Yim ji kau

    1987 — a.k.a. Rouge, in 8 top lists Check
  36. 65 new

    Liàn liàn fengchén

    1986 — a.k.a. Dust in the Wind, in 4 top lists Check
  37. 64 new

    Hong gao liang

    1988 — a.k.a. Red Sorghum, in 11 top lists Check
  38. 63 new

    Sien lui yau wan

    1987 — a.k.a. A Chinese Ghost Story, in 6 top lists Check
  39. 62 new

    Lung foo fung wan

    1987 — a.k.a. City on Fire, in 4 top lists Check
  40. 61 new

    Chou tin dik tong wah

    1987 — a.k.a. An Autumn's Tale, in 4 top lists Check
  41. 60 new

    Kong bu fen zi

    1986 — a.k.a. The Terrorizers, in 6 top lists Check
  42. 59 new

    Ying hung boon sik

    1986 — a.k.a. A Better Tomorrow, in 10 top lists Check
  43. 58 new

    Qing mei zhu ma

    1985 — a.k.a. Taipei Story, in 8 top lists Check
  44. 57 new

    Tóngnián wangshì

    1985 — a.k.a. A Time to Live, a Time to Die, in 8 top lists Check
  45. 56 new

    Sang gong kei bing

    1984 — a.k.a. Long Arm of the Law, in 2 top lists Check
  46. 55 new

    Si shui liu nian

    1984 — a.k.a. Homecoming, in 1 top list Check
  47. 54 new

    Huang tu di

    1984 — a.k.a. Yellow Earth, in 9 top lists Check
  48. 53 new

    Xiao Bi de gu shi

    1983 — a.k.a. Growing Up, in 1 top list Check
  49. 52 new

    Er zi de da wan ou

    1983 — a.k.a. The Sandwich Man, in 3 top lists Check
  50. 51 new

    Shu Shan - Xin Shu shan jian ke

    1983 — a.k.a. Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain, in 5 top lists Check
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Last updated on Dec 31, 2012; source