Do you guys feel that the topics shown in chinese cinema is rather limited?

[Jah_rastafar_I]

All right firstly i don't think chinese cinema still has the type of budget that hollywood can afford. I still think that in china the HK movie industry is still bigger than the mainland one. Correct me if i'm wrong.

Now hollywood isn't perfect either and their movies can be kind of stale sometimes but at least their scope is much larger and they have more varieties. I guess in asia china should have the biggest film industry followed by japan, korea and bollywood(terrible).

I guess china has been producing movies that are of a higher quality and many of them are even screened in the US and make it big over there but the problem is the topics are rather limited. It's either some early 20th century type of setting while china was under the influence of western powers or under japanese occupation or some type of period drama kungfu piece. If it's produced mainly by HK it's mostly about triads and cops and robbers. Then there will be a few movies on the supernatural.

I wish they did kind of make more variety in their movies. They don't have to be like hollywood which is more of a global outlook and i think possibly the only movie industry which has more of a global thing since most countries movie industries solely focus on their country's issues.

Anyway i was hoping they could create some type of adventure movie with a chinese historical figure say zheng he. The movie would talk about his voyages in distant lands. I read he even sailed to east africa so perhaps they could be more adventurous and make a film involving zheng he in some african country. This is actually a very common hollywood theme. This would allow chinese cinema to branch out.

 

[Maximilian Chua-Heng]

So you wanna watch a Chinese-made version of the Pirates of the Carribean?

 

[Cestbon]

So you wanna watch a Chinese-made version of the Pirates of the Carribean?

Ha ha..............
Use sampan...........

 

[chootchiew]

The topic shown in sammyboy is even more limited

 

[Watchman]

What the hell you guys know . It is in line with Hongkong watchdog group.

You don't try to teach old dogs new tricks .
Common people should remain uninformed and as little as possible .
So the continual recipe will always work .
Bigwig will always make money .
Small people will have to spend their money .

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

So you wanna watch a Chinese-made version of the Pirates of the Carribean?

WHat pirates of the taliban?

Zheng he has the imperial decree to set forth and sail from the middle kingdom the most powerful kingdom in its day. A tall and imposing figure ready to set forth into the unknown african jungles where he met brutal savages. However displays chinese characteristics instead, unlike the brutal europeans does not subjugate or even attempt to steal the land from the africans once again showcasing the chivalry and the kindness of the chinese character.

Movie stars a star studded cast and a prominent director along with hot new talent from china to replace well established but about to retire stars from HK.

Sequels are already in production where zheng he will go to south east asia, malacca to meet those lazy m&ds and to the middle east in the 3rd movie/2nd sequel.

 

[hairylee]

All right firstly i don't think chinese cinema still has the type of budget that hollywood can afford. I still think that in china the HK movie industry is still bigger than the mainland one. Correct me if i'm wrong.

Now hollywood isn't perfect either and their movies can be kind of stale sometimes but at least their scope is much larger and they have more varieties. I guess in asia china should have the biggest film industry followed by japan, korea and bollywood(terrible).

I guess china has been producing movies that are of a higher quality and many of them are even screened in the US and make it big over there but the problem is the topics are rather limited. It's either some early 20th century type of setting while china was under the influence of western powers or under japanese occupation or some type of period drama kungfu piece. If it's produced mainly by HK it's mostly about triads and cops and robbers. Then there will be a few movies on the supernatural.

I wish they did kind of make more variety in their movies. They don't have to be like hollywood which is more of a global outlook and i think possibly the only movie industry which has more of a global thing since most countries movie industries solely focus on their country's issues.

Anyway i was hoping they could create some type of adventure movie with a chinese historical figure say zheng he. The movie would talk about his voyages in distant lands. I read he even sailed to east africa so perhaps they could be more adventurous and make a film involving zheng he in some african country. This is actually a very common hollywood theme. This would allow chinese cinema to branch out.

There were many good scripts in the past but Hongkie directors and actors spoilt them all.
I would have watched them if not for these directors and Hongkie "stars".

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

There were many good scripts in the past but Hongkie directors and actors spoilt them all.
I would have watched them if not for these directors and Hongkie "stars".

Who wrote those good scripts btw? You know i noticed that HK has not been making that many movies of late. Just a few or they aren't released in sg. The latest chinese movie i saw released involved some kungfu chinese opera crap but at least this time they had new faces for the leading actors.

I know that HK movies in the past operated on shoe string budgets and this is true for many countries in the world. Yet i feel that they don't need to put in too much money unlike hollywood. HK and chinese cinema has the potential to match up or exceed hollywood movies and they have a number of movies that have screened in the US that did pretty well. The only problem is that their scope is rather limited. Take out the police and mafia drama and it seems like there's no more movies from HK. Take out wuxia movies and they are stuck with china in the 20th century involving some kungfu legend.

 

[hairylee]

Who wrote those good scripts btw? You know i noticed that HK has not been making that many movies of late. Just a few or they aren't released in sg. The latest chinese movie i saw released involved some kungfu chinese opera crap but at least this time they had new faces for the leading actors.

I know that HK movies in the past operated on shoe string budgets and this is true for many countries in the world. Yet i feel that they don't need to put in too much money unlike hollywood. HK and chinese cinema has the potential to match up or exceed hollywood movies and they have a number of movies that have screened in the US that did pretty well. The only problem is that their scope is rather limited. Take out the police and mafia drama and it seems like there's no more movies from HK. Take out wuxia movies and they are stuck with china in the 20th century involving some kungfu legend.

Movies from the last two years or so.
Usual Jackie chan, japanese guy, liu de hua....
Somehow these few guy must be the actors for any movies to be made.

 

[Agoraphobic]

It was only recently that PRC came out and opened to the world - although not fully still. Not long ago, they mostly produced pro-party, nationalistic type cine works. That's started to change and there's a lot of talent in that big country. The government will have to relax her grip and constraints on aritistes, writers, etc. What comes out will be good, and a change from the hollywood staple.

USA is more worldly and open to different genres, and has led the world since the end of WW2 with contributions from every race, creed, and class. Others (nations) are disadvantaged in this area, and will have to find their own niches. I do not see China (or anyone else) making Sci-fi movies up to where Hollywood's are and may be restricted. However, there's nothing to stop them from making movies in my favorite genre - comedy. One of the best to me was made by South Africa - The Gods Must be Crazy. And one doesn't even need to know the language to enjoy that flick.

Cheers!

 

[jw5]

Anyway i was hoping they could create some type of adventure movie with a chinese historical figure say zheng he. The movie would talk about his voyages in distant lands. I read he even sailed to east africa so perhaps they could be more adventurous and make a film involving zheng he in some african country. This is actually a very common hollywood theme. This would allow chinese cinema to branch out.

The issues they face making a movie with a historical figure is that they have to get the facts right.
And if they get the facts right, it's probably not that interesting or exciting. :o

I'm still quite impressed with chinese cinema, and chinese tv as well.
Taiwan has a few good movies with local themes like Cape No 7 and Mangka.
HK movies are typically swordfighting period sagas, triad or cop shows, but some of them are pretty good.
If you haven't watched this, catch "Eye In The Sky" this afternoon on mediacorp channel 8.
Great cop movie with Simon Yam in a rather unusual role for him.
Their cop movies are not just police chase thief, their themes go much deeper and they usually have a good story about the villians, not just the heroes, which hollywood seldom does.

For Chinese tv and cinema, they can also go back to great stories like Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, 108 Outlaws From The Marsh, Yang Warriors, Condor Heroes, etc. I could watch stories relating to the first 3 over and over again, whoever the actors or wherever the production. My view is that Hollywood has been poor for a long time, my favoruite movies still remain "Deer Hunter", "The Sting", Godfather I and II, Taxi Driver, etc after all this time. In more recent times, only Shawshank Redemption springs to mind as a great movie.

 

[RonRon]

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/e7_KduBnaDE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This 'Chinese' movie is quite diff from the norm. It reminds me of the last of the Mohicans

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/e7_KduBnaDE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This 'Chinese' movie is quite diff from the norm. It reminds me of the last of the Mohicans

Did a jap soldier betray his own side and join forces with the natives?

Not bad it's the first time i'm learning of the seediq ppl. Hollywood has already done movies like this in the past, talking about some minority tribe. It's nice to see some taiwanese and chinese director do the same for this small tribe in taiwan. We gain a different perspective of WW2 rather than the usual story and we learn of a new tribe.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

The issues they face making a movie with a historical figure is that they have to get the facts right.
And if they get the facts right, it's probably not that interesting or exciting. :o

Yeah real life wouldn't be so exciting but i think it's fine if they added in more action and drama.

I wonder if they have done movies of china's minorities, i cannot think up of any movie. I do know that they are featured in some movies like in crouching tiger but then again they were not in a central role. Choose a smaller tribe located in yunan province. Mongolians and manchurians should be pretty well known.

 

[Maximilian Chua-Heng]

jw5,

"Eye in the Sky" really quite nice wor.

Finally got past the initial lull and the cui lead actress, Xu Zishan?

 

[Maximilian Chua-Heng]

Bro Jah,

jw5 is right. Some HK cop/mob movies go much deeper. You not Johnnie To's fan?

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Bro Jah,

jw5 is right. Some HK cop/mob movies go much deeper. You not Johnnie To's fan?

Well i can concur, the thing is i don't know how many tired veteran cop roles i have seen anthony wong star in and also how many seasoned mobster roles in how many films francis ng has starred in. I swear those 2 actors have probably acted in like more than 10 movies with that same role i think. It's the same role anthony wong played in infernal affairs as a police officer and the same role francis ng acted as in young and dangerous 1.

In any case the HK cops and gangster movie scenes are rather cliche. That's cos they have a whole plethora of such films. Take a movie that was popular in the 90s goo wang chai or young and dangerous. Since the setting is in HK and HK more or less looks like the typical HK you see in so many movies therefore that movie looks just like any HK gangster or cop movie from the last time till today. Fast forward to a fairly recent times. The movie Saat Po Long. Yup totally different storyline and more fight scenes but since it's in HK and the setting looks like HK it doesn't look different from all their other street and gangster movies. Like channel 8 will show some chinese movie at night on saturday for eg. Same as channel 5 showing hollywood movies. I realised that i sometimes don't even know the name of that HK movie especially if it came out in the last 7 yrs. I cannot even tell some of the movies apart. The setting looks exactly the same, the actors might be different but they somehow act and speak the same way no doubt cos of the dubbing. I've stopped following their movies cos it's more or less the same. I only know the famous ones in the past and the more famous ones heavily promoted ones like ip man.

 

[RonRon]

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y6F4dYlXcZg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

My own opinion, this is one of the best Chinese movie in recent years..starring both of my favourite Chinese actress 李冰冰 & 周迅

 

[Cruxx]

[video=youtube;SQ8imPmQ0js]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ8imPmQ0js[/video]

[video=youtube;ExWfh6sGyso]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWfh6sGyso[/video]

 

[Maximilian Chua-Heng]

Johnnie To has his stable of actors. It's the signature of a cult director using the same actors. Much like in Hollywood, Scorsese's leading man being Decaprio. Given To's success, other wannabes will inevitably follow the leader.

Movies like Ip Man appeal to the nationalistic pride of PRCs and the Greater China. Hence it's a commercial consideration.

Well i can concur, the thing is i don't know how many tired veteran cop roles i have seen anthony wong star in and also how many seasoned mobster roles in how many films francis ng has starred in. I swear those 2 actors have probably acted in like more than 10 movies with that same role i think. It's the same role anthony wong played in infernal affairs as a police officer and the same role francis ng acted as in young and dangerous 1.

In any case the HK cops and gangster movie scenes are rather cliche. That's cos they have a whole plethora of such films. Take a movie that was popular in the 90s goo wang chai or young and dangerous. Since the setting is in HK and HK more or less looks like the typical HK you see in so many movies therefore that movie looks just like any HK gangster or cop movie from the last time till today. Fast forward to a fairly recent times. The movie Saat Po Long. Yup totally different storyline and more fight scenes but since it's in HK and the setting looks like HK it doesn't look different from all their other street and gangster movies. Like channel 8 will show some chinese movie at night on saturday for eg. Same as channel 5 showing hollywood movies. I realised that i sometimes don't even know the name of that HK movie especially if it came out in the last 7 yrs. I cannot even tell some of the movies apart. The setting looks exactly the same, the actors might be different but they somehow act and speak the same way no doubt cos of the dubbing. I've stopped following their movies cos it's more or less the same. I only know the famous ones in the past and the more famous ones heavily promoted ones like ip man.