Zhang Yimou

[wkw]

Hong Gao Liang (Red Sorghum) (1987)


Ju Dou (1990)


Da hong deng long gao gao gua (Raise the Red Lantern) (1991)


Houzhe (To Live) (1994)


The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
Keep Cool (1997)
The Road Home (1999)
Not One Less (1999)
Happy Times (2000)
Hero (2002)
House of Flying Daggers (2004)
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005)

Zhang is the most prominent member of China's influential Fifth Generation directors, the first generation of Chinese filmmakers since the Cultural Revolution. Most of Zhang's earliest and best works were banned in China due to anticommunist themes.

Red Sorghum, Ju Dou, and Raise the Red Lantern form a trilogy which is tied together by a common opening motif: A young woman sold into marrying a infertile old man. I have seen more than half of his works, and I consider Red Sorghum, Raise the Red Lantern, and To Live as Zhang's best.

[ie]

Isn't it confusing that Ikiru and Houzhe translate to the same phrase "to live"?


I've only seen Hero (Ying Xiong) and House of the Flying Daggers, and I know those aren't fully representative of his entire work, but I thought they were decent. House of the Flying Daggers was colorfully average, but still had a couple things worthwhile about it. As for Hero, I liked it.

I do want to see more of his work, though.

[wkw]

Houzhe was adapted from a popular novel by the same title. It's similar to Chen Kaige's masterpiece Farewell, My Concubine in that it take place in the same time period, but the story and message is quite different.

Hero was an good film, but it's mostly saved by Chris Doyle's cinematography and Tony Leung's performance. House of Flying Daggers has some great scenery, but otherwise the story don't do much for me. I think working with big budgets has made Zhang lose focus of the importance of the story.

[ie]

I agree with you on the two that I've seen, and I agree with you completely on House of Flying Daggers, although I have a little bit more to add for Hero: I thought it was like a modern day Rashomon, so I liked the story in addition to the cinematography.

[wkw]

The narration in Hero is less effective than it is in Rashomon because whereas in Rashomon none of the stories are completely true but likely contains parts of the truth, in Hero the real story is eventually revealed.

[PTAhole]

I think both Hero and especially House of Flying Daggers are great films. Not as good as say Raise the Red Lantern or To Live, but still wonderful.

[sacrilegend]

I saw House Of Flying Daggers. I didn't enjoy it at all, it has made me wary of his other stuff.