The Lunar New Year, otherwise known as Chinese New Year, celebrates the designation of the new year on the lunisolar calendar. The holiday is prominent across many Asian countries and has been recognized by a variety of different names from Tết Nguyên Đán in Vietnam to Seollal in South Korea. Millions of Asian-Americans partake in Lunar New Year celebrations that symbolize a fresh start and new beginnings. In China, the Lunar New Year spans over 15 days of observance, whereas Tết Nguyên Đán is only a week, and Seollal takes place across three days.
2022 is the Year of the Tiger: a year of bravery, confidence, and strong will. The Tiger is viewed as a metaphor for driving out evil from one’s life and becoming more courageous. Those born under the Tiger Chinese Zodiac harness the positive aspects of the tiger and apply complementary qualities to their own lives. In Chinese mythology, the tiger was sought out by the Jade Emperor to exorcise demons and purge them from China. As the Lunar New Year commences, here are seven Chinese movies to watch in celebration of the holiday.
7 Red Cliff
Red Cliff is a Chinese period piece that dates itself back to the Battle of the Red Cliffs in 208 to 209 A.D. Director John Woo captures the action and the intensity of ancient Chinese warfare, retelling the ending of the Han Dynasty through a more cinematic point of view. The film crowns itself with the title of being the most expensive piece of Asian filmmaking to date, and it illustrates the final battle between warlord Cao Cao and General Zhou Yu. Its sweeping battle scenes are a striking backdrop against an array of Woo's signature techniques in filmmaking. The importance of The Three Kingdoms era in Chinese history was restored through cinema and immortalized through what remains to be one of the most successful pieces of Asian film.
6 House of Flying Daggers
As the Tang Dynasty fights to keep its stronghold over China through its rule, they are faced with the opposition of rebel groups prepared to take a stand against them. The House of Flying Daggers is the "Robin Hood" of rebels; they steal from the rich and give back to the poor. Chinese official police are asked to investigate the House of Flying Daggers, specifically a dancer who is suspected to be in association with the organization. The two men who are assigned to look into her affiliations are instead charmed by Mei (Zhang Ziyi), and instead, are determined to help her escape. Declared as a classic martial arts film, House of Flying Daggers is as cinematically arresting as it is aesthetically stunning. This Mandarin-language art house film is still viewed as a triumph for Chinese cinema.
5 Kung Fu Hustle
Kung Fu Hustle sources its success from its sharp comedy and its genuinely entertaining approach to the traditional beats in Chinese filmmaking. Singe (Stephen Chow) and Bone (Feng Xiaogang) are determined to scam the residents of Pig Sty Alley through the empty threats of the Axe Gang's arrival. After their hollowed-out fearmongering results in the gang making their descent upon the Shanghai tenement housing, they're faced with the realization that there are retired kung fu masters among their midst. Though these retired masters of martial arts are incognito, they don't warmly welcome unwanted visitors. Kung Fu Hustle is a 1940s-inspired mobster movie that has disarming determination to please.
4 The Farewell
Chinese Writer-director Lulu Wang breaks into the world of filmmaking after the theatrics of her real-life lie are up-played for cinematic effect. Based on true events, The Farewell backtracks on the Wang family hiding a terminal cancer diagnosis from grandmother Nai Nai (Shuzhen Zhao). Billi (Awkwafina, who won a history-making Golden Globe) must accompany her family back to Changchun to stage an elaborate wedding in order to gather the family before Nai Nai passes away. The story was first told through National Public Radio before it was sensationalized by A24 for the big screen. The Farewell is a deeply endearing, incredibly heartfelt love letter to Chinese culture while addressing the conversation around death in Asian countries. Its tender humor and gentle disposition are profoundly touching. It strikes the intersection of grief and celebration of kith and kin.
3 Eat Drink Man Woman
Ang Lee settles into the discomfort of family relationships through Eat Drink Man Woman through the intimacy of food. After widowed patriarch Zhu assembles a feast for his three daughters, they delve into the navigation of life, love, family, and tradition. The conversation about the transition from tradition to modernity is sparked, especially with the concept of gender through a societal outlook. Frustrations simmer as unexpected life events ask the Zhu family to reflect on themselves in the face of change. Each personal shift in every character's life seemingly impacts another's as there is an introspective perspective invited when further digging into the depths of human relationships. The sentimental ballad of consanguinity is Lee's only film to be shot in his native Taiwan. Eat Drink Man Woman is seasoned with humor and rich with allegory statements.
2 Hero
Wuxia, which translates to "martial heroes," became a popular genre in Chinese fiction often associated with adventurous plotlines. The word itself is a compound of "wu" and "xia," combining terms alluding to heroic deeds with the code of xia. Wuxia focuses on a code of chivalry that abides by ethical boundaries, particularly addressing righteousness or removing oppressive forces. Hero is an early-2000s Chinese film that follows a nameless protagonist on their journey to assassinate the King of Qin. The plot looks to Jing Ke's similar quest in 227 B.C. with the same mission in mind. Hero's use of color and landscape appeal to the eye with a more bold, daring story beneath the surface. It strays away from the confines that historical epics are typically bound to, leaving it to be both thrilling and thoughtful.
1 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Champion of the wuxia genre, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is director Ang Lee's most prominent work in Chinese film. It sources its inspiration from the novel of the same name, which is the fourth member of the Crane Iron pentalogy. The film centers itself around the era of the 19th-century Qing Dynasty and deals with the complexities of romance among kinship. A young Chinese warrior snags a sword from a famed swordsman, tossing her into her new adventure. The greatest enemy that each warrior is asked to face is the inescapable power of love, rooted in the soul. It elevates tropes found in past Eastern motion picture arts, sinking dramatics into dreamlike holds over Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Lee's agitation of action in Chinese and Eastern entertainment was significant; for as elaborate as each fight scene is, there is never a moment of disbelief. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sinks into the beauty of ethereal drama while mastering pulpy, imaginative storytelling.