China/Taiwan/Hong Kong Polling is hereby launched!
We are back. Effectively immediately, the “Three China” Film Polling is live. Each voter is allowed fifteen (15) choices to be presented in ranked order, chronologically or alphabetically. Films can be from China, Taiwan or Hong Kong. The voting period will run until Tuesday, February 8th at 5:00 P.M. As always, Voting Tabulator Bill Kamberger will make all decisions regarding eligibility. Narrowing my own list down to fifteen was torture -as it will be to most- but here it is in alphabetical order:
The Blue Kite (1993; Tian Zhuangzhuang) China
A Brighter Summer Day (1991; Edward Yang) Taiwan
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000; Ang Lee) Taiwan
Crows and Sparrows (1949; Zheng Junli) China
Farewell My Concubine (1993; Chen Kaige) China
The Goddess (1934; Wu Yonggang) China
Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003; Tsai Ming Liang) Taiwan
Happy Together (1997; Wong Kar-Wai) Hong Kong
In the Mood for Love (2000; Wong Kar-Wai) Hong Kong
Little Toys (1933; Sun Yu) China
Raise the Red Lantern (1991; Zhang Yimou) China
Red Sorghum (1988; Zhang Yimou) China
Spring in a Small Town (1948; Fei Mu) China
Street Angel (1937; Yuan Muzhi) China
The World (2004; Zia Zhangke) China
Click on names for archives
Writers/Founders
Wonders in the Dark 
Hi Sam,
Since I’m not a fan of martial arts film, you’ll find my list light on Hong Kong films. Still, I’m pretty happy with it:
1. A Brighter Summer Day (Taiwan, Edward Yang, 1991)
2. Raise the Red Lantern (China, Zhang Yimou, 1991)
3. Long Day’s Journey into Night (China, Gan Bi, 2018)
4. Spring in a Small Town (China, Fei Mu, 1948)
5. A Simple Life (Hong Kong, Ann Hui, 2011)
6. What Time Is It There? (Taiwan, Tsai Ming-liang, 2001)
7. Yi Yi (Taiwan, Edward Yang, 2000)
8. The Road Home (China, Zhang Yimou, 1999)
9. Ash Is Purest White (China, Zhangke Jia, 2018)
10. Legend of the Mountain (Taiwan, King Hu, 1979)
11. A Place of One’s Own (Taiwan, Lou Yian, 2009)
12. The King of Masks (China, Tian-Ming Wu, 1996)
13. Our Time Will Come (Hong Kong, Ann Hui, 2017)
14. Shadow Magic (China, Ann Hu, 2000)
15. Shower (China, Yang Zhang, 1999)
Marilyn, I do love “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” and a few others, but largely I am like you went it comes to martial arts films. I can only take so much of that., and to be sure, very little! Ha! Alas I still need to see your Number 10, Number 11 and Number 15. I share your deep affection for “Raise the Red Lantern,” “A Brighter Summer Day,” and “Spring in a Small Town,” but several other on your list are loved as well. Your entire list is extraordinary and as always, essential to this project. Many thanks my good friend! Only one film on your list still hasn’t captured me. I saw it only one time though, and need to give it another go. (your Number 3).
Thanks, Sam. “Legend of the Mountain” has a bit of martial arts in it, so I haven’t ignored it completely. As for “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” I undersand your reticence. It is a slow, elliptical film, but images from it continue to haunt me. That is, to me, the sign of an extraordinary film.
Marilyn, LONG DAY’S JOURNEY is a film I do need to watch again. Your position is fully with an overwhelming majority who saw greatness on first viewing. Yes it is slow indeed, but I do need to apply myself more comprehensively methinks. If you see this response, I meant to ask you a question. Did you like the Japanese film DRIVE MY CAR, which I seriously need to see ASAP.
Yes, I quite liked it, Sam. A number of people I know like his WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY more. It is streaming through Facets, so I will probably see it in the next week or so.
O.K here is my top 15 , there are big gaps in my viewing experience in regards to this regions cinema output eg.. pre communist chinese cinema , the early films of edward yang , hsiao-hsien hou and ang-lee etc.. with that in mind…
1.) IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (KAR-WAI) (2000)
2.) YI YI : A ONE AND A TWO (YANG) (2000)
3.) CROUCHING TIGER , HIDDEN TIGER (A.LEE) (2000)
4.) A SIMPLE LIFE (HUI ) (2011)
5.) ASH IS PUREST WHITE (ZHANGKE) (2018)
6.) SPRING IN A SMALL TOWN (MU) (1948)
7.) CHUNGKING EXPRESS (KAR-WAI) (1994)
8.) A TOUCH OF ZEN (HU) (1971)
9.) KING OF THE CHILDREN (KAIGE) (1987)
10.) TO LIVE (YIMOU) (1994)
11.) RAISE THE RED LANTERNS (YIMOU) (1991)
12.) THE SPRING RIVER FLOWS EAST (CHUSHENG/JUNIL) (1947)
13.) DRAGON GATE INN (HU) (1967)
14.) BULLET IN THE HEAD (WOO) (1990)
15.) THE GODDESS (YONGGANG) (1934)
Marco, this is of course a sensational list and another in your long line of gems in our international pollings. I do share a good number of these with you on my own list! Thank you so much my good friend!
3.) IS CLEARLY MEANT TO BE DRAGON NOT TIGER , SORRY FOR THE SLAPDASH POSTING.
Hi Sam, here are my 15 in alphabetical order, I trust documentaries are OK:
1428 (Haibin Du)
Devils on the Doorstep (Wen Jiang)
The Goddess (Yonggang Wu)
The Hole (Ming-liang Tsai)
The Horse Thief (Tian Zhuanzhuang)
In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai)
Karamay (Xu Xin)
Raise the Red Lantern (Zhang Yimou)
Spring in a Small Town (Fei Mu)
Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks (Wang Bing)
A Time to Live, A Time to Die (Hou Hsiao Hsien)
A Touch of Zen (King Hu)
The World (Zhangke Jia)
Yellow Earth (Chen Kaige)
Yi Yi (Edward Yang)
James, thank you once again my longtime friend! Always so fantastic (and vital) to have your list and yes, documentaries are indeed eligible in this and all polls. Your alphabetical presentation included a good number I sponsored as well, and the others I didn’t include I wish I had!!!
Hi Sam, this was tougher than previous lists. I also realized that a lot of the films I like all came out in 2000.
Ranked roughly in order:
1. In the Mood for Love (2000, Hong Kong, Wong Kar-wai)
2. Yi Yi: A One and a Two (2000, Taiwan, Edward Yang)
3. Flowers of Shanghai (1998, Taiwan, Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
4. Platform (2000, China, Jia Zhang-ke)
5. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994, Taiwan, Ang Lee)
6. Election (2005, Hong Kong, Johnnie To)
7. Spring in a Small Town (1948, China, Fei Mu)
8. Raise the Red Lantern (1991, China, Zhang Yimou)
9. West of the Tracks (2002, China, Wang Bing)
10. What Time is It There? (2001, Taiwan, Tsai Ming-liang)
11. Chungking Express (1994, Hong Kong, Wong Kar-wai)
12. Infernal Affairs (2002, Hong Kong, Andrew Lau/Alan Mak)
13. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, Taiwan/Hong Kong/China, Ang Lee)
14. Devils on the Doorstep (2000, China, Wen Jiang)
15. Ash is Purest White (2018, China, Jia Zhang-ke)
Sachin, as always you bring your amazing expertise to one of the international projects. Yes this particular assignment was especially challenging, I agree. Each of the countries showcase some supreme masterpieces, and I think you nailed it here! Many thanks my good friend!
alphabetically:
Boat People
Chunking Express
A City of Sadness
Curse of the Golden Flower
Days of Being Wild
Eat Drink Man Woman
Enter the Dragon
Happy Together
In the Mood for Love
Legend of a Drunk Master
Lust Caution
Raise the Red Lantern
The Road Home
Spring in a Small Town
Street Angel
In no special order:
Yi Yi (2000)
The Hole (1998)
The Goddess (1934)
Rebels of the Neon God (1992)
Election (2005)
Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2000)
In the Mood for Love (2000)
Millenium Mambo (2001)
Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
All About Love (2010)
Spring in a Small Town (1948)
A Touch of Zen (1971)
A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2001)
An Elephant Sits Still (2018)
My Top 15 is presented alphabetically. This was a difficult assignment:
Boat People (Hui)
City of Life and Death (Lu Chuan)
Devils on the Doorstep Wen)
Emperor and the Assassin (Kaige)
Flight of the Red Balloon (Hsiao-Hsien)
Hard-Boiled (Woo)
The Horse Thief (Zhuangzhuang)
Little Toys (Yu)
Not One Less (Yimou)
The Peach Girl (Wancang)
Raise the Red Lantern (Yimou)
Red Sorghum (Yimou)
Song at Midnight (Xu)
The Wedding Banquet (Lee)
Yellow Earth (Chen)
Tough to decide how exactly to present it. I tried to do in in order, but then scraped the idea. Thus, in alphabetical order:
A Brighter Summer Day
An Elephant Sitting Still
Devils on the Doorstep
The Goddess
Goodbye Dragon Inn
Happy Together
The Horse Thief
In the Mood For Love
The Puppetmaster
Raise the Red Lantern
Spring in a Small Town
Street Angel
Two Stage Sisters
Yellow Earth
Yi Yi
My list is in ranked order:
1. In the Mood for Love
2. Devils on the Doorstep
3. Life on a String
4. The Blue Kite
5. Spring in a Small Town
6. Raise the Red Lantern
7. Crows and Sparrows
8. Boat People
9. Ju Dou
10 City of Life and Death
11 A Brighter Summer Day
12 The Road Home
13 Postmen in the Mountains
14 Days of Being Wild
15 The King of Masks
And away we go.
1. A Brighter Summer Day (Edward Yang)
2. Yi Yi (Yang)
3. Springtime in a Small Town (Fei Mu)
4. In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-wai)
5. Centre Stage (Stanley Kwan)
The rest are listed randomly.
The Goddess (Wu Yonggang)
Peach Blossom Weeps Tears of Blood (Bu Wancang)
New Women (Cai Chusheng)
Goodbye, Dragon Inn (Tsai Ming-liang)
Have you read Nick Pinkerton’s book on this? Mr. Pinkerton is da Bomb.
An Elephant Sitting Still (Hu Bo)
The Puppetmaster (Hou Hsaio-hsien)
2046 (Wong Kar-wai)
Ash Is Purest White (Jia Zhangke)
The Assassin (Hou Hsaio-hsien)
Fist of Fury (Lo Wei). Bruce Lee, natch. “Peach Blossom Weeps Tears of Blood” includes some early groundbreaking martial arts fighting.
My List is in ranked order:
1) Happy Together
2) Goodbye Dragon Inn
3) The Life of Mine (1950)
4) A Chinese Ghost Story I
5) A Chinese Ghost Story 3
6) Enter the Dragon
7) A Chinese Ghost Story 2
8. ) The Wedding Banquet
9.) The River
10.) Suk Suk
11.) All About Love
12.) Flight of the Red Balloon
13) Tapei Story
14) The Peach Girl
15) Boat People