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. 2 new

    Xiao Wanyi

    1933 — a.k.a. Little Toys, in 2 top lists Check
  2. 3 new

    Zi mei hua

    1934 — a.k.a. Twin Sisters, in 0 top lists Check
  3. 4 new

    Shen nu

    1934, in 10 top lists Check
  4. 5 new

    Yu guang qu

    1934, in 0 top lists Check
  5. 6 new

    Dalu

    1935 — a.k.a. The Big Road, in 4 top lists Check
  6. 7 new

    Ma lu tian shi

    1937 — a.k.a. Street Angel, in 6 top lists Check
  7. 10 new

    Yi jiang chun shui xiang dong liu

    1947 — a.k.a. The Spring River Flows East, in 5 top lists Check
  8. 12 new

    Xiao cheng zhi chun

    1948 — a.k.a. Spring in a Small Town, in 10 top lists Check
  9. 13 new

    Wanjia denghuo

    1948 — a.k.a. The Lights of Ten Thousand Homes, in 2 top lists Check
  10. 15 new

    San Mao liu lang ji

    1949 — a.k.a. The Winter of Three Hairs, in 0 top lists Check
  11. 18 new

    Wu Xun zhuan

    1951 — a.k.a. The Life of Wu Xun, in 0 top lists Check
  12. 19 new

    Wei lou chun xiao

    1953, in 1 top list Check
  13. 23 new

    Lin zexu

    1959 — a.k.a. The Opium Wars, in 2 top lists Check
  14. 24 new

    Lin jia pu zi

    1959 — a.k.a. The Lin Family Shop, in 2 top lists Check
  15. 31 new

    Wutai jiemei

    1964 — a.k.a. Two Stage Sisters, in 6 top lists Check
  16. 32 new

    Po xiao shi fen

    1968, in 2 top lists Check
  17. 33 new

    Du bei dao

    1967 — a.k.a. The One-Armed Swordsman, in 4 top lists Check
  18. 36 new

    Dong fu ren

    1968 — a.k.a. The Arch, in 6 top lists Check
  19. 37 new

    Dong nuan

    1969 — a.k.a. The Winter, in 1 top list Check
  20. 38 new

    Jia zai Tai Bei

    1970, in 0 top lists Check
  21. 39 new

    Qiu Jue

    1972 — a.k.a. Execution in Autumn, in 3 top lists Check
  22. 40 new

    Jing wu men

    1972 — a.k.a. Fist of Fury, in 8 top lists Check
  23. 42 new

    Ying lie qian qiu

    1976 — a.k.a. Everlasting Glory, in 0 top lists Check
  24. 44 new

    Shao Lin san shi liu fang

    1978 — a.k.a. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, in 8 top lists Check
  25. 47 new

    Fung gip

    1979 — a.k.a. The Secret, in 2 top lists Check
  26. 49 new

    Foo ji ching

    1981 — a.k.a. Father and Son, in 1 top list Check
  27. 50 new

    Tau ban no hoi

    1982 — a.k.a. Boat People, in 8 top lists Check
  28. 52 new

    Er zi de da wan ou

    1983 — a.k.a. The Sandwich Man, in 3 top lists Check
  29. 53 new

    Xiao Bi de gu shi

    1983 — a.k.a. Growing Up, in 1 top list Check
  30. 54 new

    Huang tu di

    1984 — a.k.a. Yellow Earth, in 9 top lists Check
  31. 55 new

    Si shui liu nian

    1984 — a.k.a. Homecoming, in 1 top list Check
  32. 57 new

    Tóngnián wangshì

    1985 — a.k.a. A Time to Live, a Time to Die, in 8 top lists Check
  33. 58 new

    Qing mei zhu ma

    1985 — a.k.a. Taipei Story, in 8 top lists Check
  34. 59 new

    Ying hung boon sik

    1986 — a.k.a. A Better Tomorrow, in 10 top lists Check
  35. 60 new

    Kong bu fen zi

    1986 — a.k.a. The Terrorizers, in 6 top lists Check
  36. 61 new

    Chou tin dik tong wah

    1987 — a.k.a. An Autumn's Tale, in 4 top lists Check
  37. 62 new

    Lung foo fung wan

    1987 — a.k.a. City on Fire, in 4 top lists Check
  38. 64 new

    Hong gao liang

    1988 — a.k.a. Red Sorghum, in 11 top lists Check
  39. 65 new

    Liàn liàn fengchén

    1986 — a.k.a. Dust in the Wind, in 4 top lists Check
  40. 66 new

    Yim ji kau

    1987 — a.k.a. Rouge, in 8 top lists Check
  41. 67 new

    Bei qing cheng shi

    1989 — a.k.a. A City of Sadness, in 10 top lists Check
  42. 68 new

    Guling jie shaonian sharen shijian

    1991 — a.k.a. A Brighter Summer Day, in 19 top lists Check
  43. 69 new

    Ah Fei jing juen

    1990 — a.k.a. Days of Being Wild, in 11 top lists Check
  44. 70 new

    Wong Fei-Hung

    1991 — a.k.a. Once Upon a Time in China, in 9 top lists Check
  45. 71 new

    Qiu Ju da guan si

    1992 — a.k.a. The Story of Qiu Ju, in 8 top lists Check
  46. 72 new

    Ruan Ling Yu

    1991 — a.k.a. Center Stage, in 10 top lists Check
  47. 73 new

    Ba wang bie ji

    1992 — a.k.a. Farewell My Concubine, in 18 top lists Check
  48. 74 new

    Lan feng zheng

    1993 — a.k.a. The Blue Kite, in 8 top lists Check
  49. 75 new

    Xi yan

    1993 — a.k.a. The Wedding Banquet, in 9 top lists Check
  50. 76 new

    Xi meng ren sheng

    1993 — a.k.a. The Puppetmaster, in 11 top lists Check
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Last updated on Dec 31, 2012; source