Best Asian Film Directors ?

Fret not, I've concluded a while back that we have different cinematic sensibilities...
I like Wong because he's the closest thing to Almodovar Asia has to offer. As opposed to most other Asian films, his are filled with warmth, colours and romanticism, even when dealing with lonely, alienated characters, and I have a particular hard on for melancholy which most of his films have an overabundance of. I love his choice of music soundtracks (as a fellow music nutter, you should appreciate that ) and I love Christopher Doyle's cinematography.

However, I'm not a rabid fan either, I think 2046 was unnecessary, and I haven't seen Ashes of time or As tears go by (I have a feeling and have been told they aren't that good). I also prefer Fallen angels to Chungking express...

Thanks for the recommendation Lines, I'll try to track it down...

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Me too.

That said, I'm not a massive fan of Willy Wong Kar.

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Well, that's not surprising. I grew up watching Kung-Fu theater on Saturday mornings and ever since then I've had a soft spot for these *types* of flicks, you may get into it someday, but it's just a childhood thing is all. And yeah I would say give yourself a few more years before you start really trying to get into Miike. He is a different cup of tea entirely.

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I liked Ashes of Time a lot, but I don't think there is a decent dvd print of it out anywhere, well there wasn't a few years ago when I saw it. Maybe I'll have another look.

edit - hmm it seems Wong Kar Wei has done a 'redux' of Ashes to Ashes picked up by Sony, but its a long while ago. Sony classics have it listed on their website but with no release date as yet.

Its strange nobody has mentioned Hou Hsiao Hsien.. A City Of Sadness (1989) is probably the greatest chinese film to come out of Greater China (mainland,hongkong,taiwan).

The Blue Kite, by Tian Zhuangzhuang, is IMO, better than Yimou's To Live, but both are important films if you want to get a glimpse of Maoist China.

@lines Somehow i havent really seen any film by Tsui Hark. Planning to watch 'The Blade' but i cant seem to find it on DVD....

My ranking for Chinese movies would be like:
1. A City of Sadness -Taiwan
2. Yi Yi -Taiwan
3. The Blue Kite -China
4. Kung-fu Hustle (Chow's best movie. Super funny as well!) -Hong Kong
5. To Live -China
6. In The Mood For Love (2046 was good, but its a little slow and sleep-inducing) -Hong Kong


As for greatest Asian director, that would be Kenji Mizoguchi The number of films he made is unbelievable (70+)

Planet will love you if he sees this post

@Tyler:

I'll check out City of Sadness. The only film by Hou that I've seen is Millennium Mambo, but I don't really remember it.

Since you haven't seen anything by Tsui Hark, I would recommend starting with Peking Opera Blues and Once Upon a Time in China. The latter should be widely available, both are beautiful and have great stories. I love The Blade but it is pretty uneven and sloppy in places, so it may not be the best one to start with. He set the style of tons of Hong Kong films in the 80s and 90s as a producer and director in his studio, Film Workshop. For example A Chinese Ghost Story and The Swordsman trilogy.

Stephen Chow is hilarious.

For Japanese directors I'd also include Nagisa Oshima and for Chinese Ann Hui. Kurosawa and Ang Lee too.

Thanks lines, I'll check out Peking Opera Blues. I seem to recall the famous Jet Li's ladder fight scene in Once upon a time in china. Tsui Hark's films are slapstick-heavy, the way i see it.

John Woo anyone ?

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Ehh... Takashi Kitano >> John Woo

It's Zyang Yimou for me

yeah, I like John Woo too!

That's true of most of his movies, but then it's also true of most Hong Kong cinema of a certain period. Here are a few that I don't think have any slapstick:

The Blade
Time and Tide
Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind (AKA Don't Play With Fire)
The Butterfly Murders
A Better Tomorrow III

And I can't remember the slapstick content (if any) of Green Snake and We're Going to Eat You.

Here are my favorites:

great:

Peking Opera Blues
Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain
Once Upon a Time in China
The Blade
Time and Tide
Shanghai Blues

good:

Once Upon a Time in China 2 & 3
The Chinese Feast
Knock Off
Twin Dragons (co-directed with Ringo Lam)
Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind
The Butterfly Murders

^ Thanks, i'll start with Peking Opera Blues, it looks great.

In addition to Kitano's Asia Director, my favorite is shantianyang, Chung Chi, Tin Zhuhangzuhang, Zhang Yimou, Jin Qide, Bong junhe-each film, he has been good so far, Hong Kong health Zhu, Chen Kaige, Viet Nam Director anhongchenwen as his fantasy movie Central, the scent of green papaya and in high summer and Hirokazu Koreeda if only gorgeous Maborosi. Then the old school name-xiaojinanerlang, GOU Akira Kurosawa and Kenji Mizoguchi sth, which has to be top of my head.

Miike. It's out of the question. He works so fast, but quality is never suffers from it. Various genres, thrillers like Audition, actions like Crows, black comedies like Yatterman