Member DiP Posted July 24, 2014 Member Share Posted July 24, 2014 http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/10-best-modern-directors-mainland-china-hong-kong-taiwan?utm_content=buffer22d14&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitterbfi&utm_campaign=buffer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member masterofoneinchpunch Posted July 24, 2014 Member Share Posted July 24, 2014 What is your opinion on this list DiP? It is very art centered -- possibly too much. Funny as soon as I saw Hou Hsiao-hsien I thought I would see both Tsai Ming-liang and Jia Zhangke (and Edward Yang). An interesting coincidence is that the movie I watched last night was Tsai's Goodbye Dragon Inn. I like Tsai and Jia, though I have not seen any Hou (shame on me). But I like them in small doses. I can't watch them every night (or really even once a week.) The list is too much dominated by Taiwanese and Mainland art-house directors though. Really with his list Tsui Hark seems like a version of "which one doesn't belong." (I like Tsui Hark, it's just his aesthetics do not really match the others.) I think Chen Kaige is the "why is he missing" director (using Berra's criteria). Ang Lee seems a conspicuous absence, though he is probably too mainstream for John Berra. Of course in my opinion the biggest missing auteur is Johnnie To. Seriously with no To, the list is a no go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted July 24, 2014 Author Member Share Posted July 24, 2014 Not too familiar with Taiwanese cinema nor with directors from Mainland China. Definitely agree about J. To though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Superfly Posted July 25, 2014 Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 Not sure if I can name 10 but here goes. 1. Johnny To 2. John Woo 3. Andrew Lau 4. Felix Chong & Alan Mak 5. Peter Chan 6. Wilson Yip 7. Tsui Hark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member masterofoneinchpunch Posted July 25, 2014 Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 The good aspect about lists is that they tend to give you ideas on future viewings. While I've seen all of Wong Kar-wai's Chinese films (I have not seen his American film), most of Zhang Yimou's films, a decent amount of Tsui Hark, I still have to see many of Ann Hui's staple, any Hou Hsiao-hsien and a mixture of films mentioned in this list. I wonder if anyone gets annoyed as me when they see City of Sadness mentioned which I've never seen an English-subtitled release of it (there is a youtube release of it with CHinese subtitles which can be translated, this is not the best way for understanding the film though) or A Brighter Summer Day which Criterion had told me they had planned on releasing as their next Taiwanese film (I do of course own Yi Yi). Some of these films mentioned on the list are just so dang hard to find. A few years back Wong Kar-wai would be the only HK auteur to get mentioned among certain cinephiles (this reminds me of the first Criterion site I used to admin where Chinese cinema seemed to being and end with Wong Kar-wai, Tsai Ming-liang and Hou Hsiao-hsien ) now Ann Hui rightfully gets more recognition these days, but it still seems that art-house directors from Mainland and Taiwan get more recognition than the much more popular HK films. Some critics like David Bordwell and Stephen Teo are huge Johnnie To fans. Some like Jonathan Rosenbaum like Stanley Kwan. I'll think more (since I'm going to take a walk break) on my top ten modern list but I can guarantee that: Zhang Yimou, Johnnie To, Wong Kar-wai, John Woo, would be on there. With possibly Ang Lee, Chen Kaige, Tsai Ming-liang, Tsui Hark. I haven't seen enough Ann Hui, Stanley Kwan, Lou Ye, Edward Yang, Tian Zhuangzhuang to consider them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Superfly Posted July 25, 2014 Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 The good aspect about lists is that they tend to give you ideas on future viewings. While I've seen all of Wong Kar-wai's Chinese films (I have not seen his American film), most of Zhang Yimou's films, a decent amount of Tsui Hark, I still have to see many of Ann Hui's staple, any Hou Hsiao-hsien and a mixture of films mentioned in this list. I wonder if anyone gets annoyed as me when they see City of Sadness mentioned which I've never seen an English-subtitled release of it (there is a youtube release of it with CHinese subtitles which can be translated, this is not the best way for understanding the film though) or A Brighter Summer Day which Criterion had told me they had planned on releasing as their next Taiwanese film (I do of course own Yi Yi). Some of these films mentioned on the list are just so dang hard to find. A few years back Wong Kar-wai would be the only HK auteur to get mentioned among certain cinephiles (this reminds me of the first Criterion site I used to admin where Chinese cinema seemed to being and end with Wong Kar-wai, Tsai Ming-liang and Hou Hsiao-hsien ) now Ann Hui rightfully gets more recognition these days, but it still seems that art-house directors from Mainland and Taiwan get more recognition than the much more popular HK films. Some critics like David Bordwell and Stephen Teo are huge Johnnie To fans. Some like Jonathan Rosenbaum like Stanley Kwan. I'll think more (since I'm going to take a walk break) on my top ten modern list but I can guarantee that: Zhang Yimou, Johnnie To, Wong Kar-wai, John Woo, would be on there. With possibly Ang Lee, Chen Kaige, Tsai Ming-liang, Tsui Hark. I haven't seen enough Ann Hui, Stanley Kwan, Lou Ye, Edward Yang, Tian Zhuangzhuang to consider them. I forgot Ang Lee. Despite the dumpster fire of the Hulk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted July 25, 2014 Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 Funnily, I find Ang Lee way overrated. Except for Hulk, I couldn't sit through any film of his I tried to watch - and I'm talking Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Life Of Pi, two (movies always praised as) masterpieces. In terms of great directors, my list (if I was to make one) would have: Tsui Hark Zhang Yimou Ann Hui (A Simple Life is marvelous) Wong Kar Wai (loved The Grandmaster) Wilson Yip I'm curious on Johnnie To and Ringo Lam, as I found Triangle which they co-directed (along with Tsui Hark). The film is actually in 3 parts and the parts while forming a coherent narrative, are different as each was directed by one of the 3 directors. The trailer eventually showcases the differences only with short snipets. Looks pretty nice I must say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted July 25, 2014 Author Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 My top 10 HK directors would be: Johnnie To Ringo Lam Wilson Yip John Woo Wai Ka-Fai Soi Cheang Team Alan Mak/Felix Chong Tsui Hark Sammo Hung Jackie Chan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted July 25, 2014 Author Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 I'm curious on Johnnie To and Ringo Lam, as I found Triangle which they co-directed (along with Tsui Hark). The film is actually in 3 parts and the parts while forming a coherent narrative, are different as each was directed by one of the 3 directors. The trailer eventually showcases the differences only with short snipets. Looks pretty nice I must say. Highly recommended J. To films: The Big Heat Loving You Beyond Hypothermia The Odd One Dies Too Many Ways To Be No. 1 Expect the Unexpected The Longest Nite A Hero Never Dies Running Out of Time Where a Good Man Goes Fulltime Killer PTU Breaking News Election 2 Exiled Eye in the Sky Mad Detective Sparrow Vengeance Accident Punished Life Without Principle Motorway Highly recommended R. Lam films: City on Fire Prison on Fire School on Fire Wild Search Full Contact Full Alert Victim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted July 25, 2014 Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 Highly recommended J. To films: The Big Heat Loving You Beyond Hypothermia The Odd One Dies Too Many Ways To Be No. 1 Expect the Unexpected The Longest Nite A Hero Never Dies Running Out of Time Where a Good Man Goes Fulltime Killer PTU Breaking News Election 2 Exiled Eye in the Sky Mad Detective Sparrow Vengeance Accident Punished Life Without Principle Motorway Highly recommended R. Lam films: City on Fire Prison on Fire School on Fire Wild Search Full Contact Full Alert Victim Boy, looks like I have a lot of catching up to do here. But thanks for the recommendations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Superfly Posted July 25, 2014 Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 Ang Lee''s Eat Sleep Woman Man is a fantastic film IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member masterofoneinchpunch Posted July 25, 2014 Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 Boy, looks like I have a lot of catching up to do here. But thanks for the recommendations. Semantic Note: several of those mentioned are not Johnnie To directed films (but produced) like Motorway, Accident, Eye in the Sky, Punished. Several are co-directed like The Big Heat, some do not have his name but he directed a decent amount of scenes like The Odd One Dies. Regardless Johnnie To is one of my favorite directors (and producer). I do think Ang Lee is a pretty good director though. I thought Life of Pi was a magnificent theater experience. If you think Ang Lee is too art house wait till you check out Tsai Ming-liang. Let me see if I can find my Triangle review. Hmm, apparently I did not post here. Will have to find it. EDIT: I created a new thread in the Reviews section for this film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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