Favorite is Coming Home-the tragic story pierced my heart. Saw it with my husband; would like to see it again but will wait until I can see the separation scene without being crushed as he died last year. Many thanks for your video-essay-bio. Very well done tribute to a great director.
I love this, no one wants to talk about Chinese filmmakers. No one gives them any room and/ or space, to display their lively colours. Cheers my friend
Thanks for this overview, done with such care and good taste. I only knew a couple of his films but now will look for them, and will know how to appreciate them better, enjoying the colors, the symbolism, the magnificence of it all. But he does not need any of this to be great - No one Less is such a good movie. Thanks again for this video!
Thank you for this brilliant insight into Zhang Yimou's career. My Tai Chi teacher in Johannesburg first introduced me to his films Ju Dou and Raise the Red Lantern. But Hero sealed the deal for me as my favourite film from China.
Dude, thanks for making these videos. They're great. I loved some of Zhang's work in the past but haven't seen the newer stuff. I actually didn't even know it was him making these movies like Hero or the Great Wall. I need to watch them now because I loved Raise the Red Lantern and like I said To Live is amazing to me.
Great to watch !!....Grandmaster Zhang Yimou no words for him....had he only made Not One Less he d be a great artist.....I always tell folks watch Not One Less, then watch Hero....same director......glad I found this doc. Needed more references ....thx
this was great! zhang yimou is definitely one of the best directors out there, and with this video you proved that, so thank you! i would love to see more videos like this, would you make one about park chan-wook, along with yimou, he's my favorite. keep up the good work, thank you!
Would you believe, the first movie of Zhang Yimou I saw was "Happy Times" ... I hurt my back and was stuck in the middle of the living room with the TV stuck on CBC .. and they ran it as like 3am.
I can't believe I am seeing the Grand Masters of Asia finally get the exposure they deserve on the intl stage. In this day and age, one couldn't shake the feeling that Hollywood finally drowned out the Far East, especially with the recent drought of Fresh talent & content (Other than Mainland China's 6th gen & ROK). Are you perhaps planning to do a video essay on the Following Giants of Asian Cinema ? Kenji Mizoguchi Yasujirō Ozu Yoji Yamada Akira Kurosawa Takashi Miike Satoshi Kon Hayao Miyazaki Ang Lee Andrew Lau Fei Mu Zheng Junli John Woo Stephen Chow Jia Zhangke Hou Hsiao-Hsien Tsai Ming-liang Kim Jee-woon Park Chan-wook Bong Joon-ho
Thanks for your support! I actually just finished one, new one is coming out later today! Also really appreciate your suggestions, that is my plan - to continue produce video essays on the influential Asian cinema icons.
Hello Kevin! Very nice video! Zhang Yimou is one of my favorite Directors and I have almost finished re-watching all his movies in chronological order. The reason I write you, because have I trouble to collect any reliable information about his 2nd Feature Film 'Codename Cougar'. The movie is so far away from Zhang quality, that I doubt he has anything to do with it. He is often listed as co-director only. I would really like to know the production story of that movie, maybe you have any useful documentation on it? Of course I am also interested in your opinion! Thank you very much! Barna, from Hungary.
Hi Barna, Thanks for your support! As for Codename Cougar, it is a failure considered by not only the public but also Zhang himself. The film is before its time (Anti-terrorism didn't really exist back in 1989) and Zhang wants to direct a city-related film after village-related Red Sorghum. The film was completed within 27 days and Zhang was not fully prepared but because of investor's pressure he has to finish it - and as we know, it ended up a flop. I did not even watch the film myself, i mean pretty much all directors will have a couple really bad "failures" in his career, especially early on. Hope this helps!
You didn’t mention that two of his movies used mostly non actors. The remote school and the wife seeking Justice for her husband after being attacked by their Mayor. Those showed his talent for story telling. Yes he is a color master. But I think of him as the greatest story teller.
It might be worth pointing out that Zhang had to write a grovelling public apology after TO LIVE to the Chinese authorities. If he hadn’t, he might not have worked again. Since then, none of his works have had the political resonance of his early works: indeed, HERO almost seems to be an endorsement of Totalitarianism. Chen Kaige, on the other hand, had left China for Hong Kong before the 1997 handover, which is why he could make a film like FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE (1993) without fear of recrimination.
"Raise the Red Lanten", "To Live", "Coming Home", and "Flowers of War" are all personal favorites of mine. I also really adore "Hero" and "The Road Home". I do prefer his work overall that is more critical of China's past, but so long as his later films are not too propaganda-filled, I can usually enjoy them a lot.
![Why is Red Sorghum by Zhang Yimou a good film | A video essay [Eng Sub]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9-Pwi6BVSN8/mqdefault.jpg)
![Why is Red Sorghum by Zhang Yimou a good film | A video essay [Eng Sub]](/img/tr.png)
Which of ZYM's film do you like the best? What other influential Asian Film icons you'd like to know more about?
活着 "To live" or some other names similar
Not one less
To Live
I prefer his early films. "To Live" and
"The Story of Qiu Ju."
Yasujirō Ozu!!
One of the most talented director
To Live changed my life
Have you read the original novel? It’s gonna ruin you
Favorite is Coming Home-the tragic story pierced my heart. Saw it with my husband; would like to see it again but will wait until I can see the separation scene without being crushed as he died last year.
Many thanks for your video-essay-bio. Very well done tribute to a great director.
I love this, no one wants to talk about Chinese filmmakers. No one gives them any room and/ or space, to display their lively colours. Cheers my friend
Thanks for this overview, done with such care and good taste. I only knew a couple of his films but now will look for them, and will know how to appreciate them better, enjoying the colors, the symbolism, the magnificence of it all. But he does not need any of this to be great - No one Less is such a good movie. Thanks again for this video!
Thank you for this brilliant insight into Zhang Yimou's career. My Tai Chi teacher in Johannesburg first introduced me to his films Ju Dou and Raise the Red Lantern. But Hero sealed the deal for me as my favourite film from China.
Thanks for your support!
Dude, thanks for making these videos. They're great. I loved some of Zhang's work in the past but haven't seen the newer stuff. I actually didn't even know it was him making these movies like Hero or the Great Wall. I need to watch them now because I loved Raise the Red Lantern and like I said To Live is amazing to me.
My favourite Zhang Yimou's film is Love under the Howthorn Tree, then Not a Less One.
A really good overview. Thanks a lot for the effort you put into this :)
Thanks for support! That means a lot to me. Please share with whomever might be interested, and stay tuned for more videos .
Great to watch !!....Grandmaster Zhang Yimou no words for him....had he only made Not One Less he d be a great artist.....I always tell folks watch Not One Less, then watch Hero....same director......glad I found this doc. Needed more references ....thx
Thanks for the support!
This was excellent, many thanks
I remember his pre-Wuxia films. Raise the Red Lantern and To Live are wonderful.
that was amazing effort there in the video brother you made a good job :)
The sun of the Chinese cinematography
Glad you made a new video!
Thanks for the support!
this was great! zhang yimou is definitely one of the best directors out there, and with this video you proved that, so thank you! i would love to see more videos like this, would you make one about park chan-wook, along with yimou, he's my favorite. keep up the good work, thank you!
Thank you for your support! I'd agree Park Chan-wook is probably the same to Korea as ZYM to China, both top tier directors of their own countries.
Beautifull!!! Artistic!!! Amazing !!!
Would you believe, the first movie of Zhang Yimou I saw was "Happy Times" ... I hurt my back and was stuck in the middle of the living room with the TV stuck on CBC .. and they ran it as like 3am.
THIS ACTUALLY HELP ME A LOT TO DRAFTING MY RESEARCH, THANK YOU! ^^
That tune from Red sorghum keeps ringing in my head lol
his movie is amazing 😍😍👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I can't believe I am seeing the Grand Masters of Asia finally get the exposure they deserve on the intl stage.
In this day and age, one couldn't shake the feeling that Hollywood finally drowned out the Far East, especially
with the recent drought of Fresh talent & content (Other than Mainland China's 6th gen & ROK).
Are you perhaps planning to do a video essay on the Following Giants of Asian Cinema ?
Kenji Mizoguchi
Yasujirō Ozu
Yoji Yamada
Akira Kurosawa
Takashi Miike
Satoshi Kon
Hayao Miyazaki
Ang Lee
Andrew Lau
Fei Mu
Zheng Junli
John Woo
Stephen Chow
Jia Zhangke
Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Tsai Ming-liang
Kim Jee-woon
Park Chan-wook
Bong Joon-ho
Thanks for your support! I actually just finished one, new one is coming out later today! Also really appreciate your suggestions, that is my plan - to continue produce video essays on the influential Asian cinema icons.
Zhang Yimou is my favorit director
great video and great editing! Now i'm super curious about his films
Thank you for your support!
是啊我们就需要这样对中国电影，中国电影人，还有对自己，有一个如此积极的态度。
多谢支持!
PERFECTION!!!!!
Beautiful cinema, still my favorite ♥
This was really good. Maybe you can do an essay on Johnnie To. He's one of my favourite directors.
Thanks for your support! Yes, he is definitely on my list. Stay tuned!
I like his Olympic opening ceremony the most xD
Hello Kevin! Very nice video! Zhang Yimou is one of my favorite Directors and I have almost finished re-watching all his movies in chronological order. The reason I write you, because have I trouble to collect any reliable information about his 2nd Feature Film 'Codename Cougar'. The movie is so far away from Zhang quality, that I doubt he has anything to do with it. He is often listed as co-director only. I would really like to know the production story of that movie, maybe you have any useful documentation on it? Of course I am also interested in your opinion!
Thank you very much!
Barna,
from Hungary.
Hi Barna, Thanks for your support!
As for Codename Cougar, it is a failure considered by not only the public but also Zhang himself. The film is before its time (Anti-terrorism didn't really exist back in 1989) and Zhang wants to direct a city-related film after village-related Red Sorghum. The film was completed within 27 days and Zhang was not fully prepared but because of investor's pressure he has to finish it - and as we know, it ended up a flop. I did not even watch the film myself, i mean pretty much all directors will have a couple really bad "failures" in his career, especially early on. Hope this helps!
You didn’t mention that two of his movies used mostly non actors.
The remote school and the wife seeking Justice for her husband after being attacked by their Mayor. Those showed his talent for story telling. Yes he is a color master. But I think of him as the greatest story teller.
so well done !
It might be worth pointing out that Zhang had to write a grovelling public apology after TO LIVE to the Chinese authorities. If he hadn’t, he might not have worked again. Since then, none of his works have had the political resonance of his early works: indeed, HERO almost seems to be an endorsement of Totalitarianism. Chen Kaige, on the other hand, had left China for Hong Kong before the 1997 handover, which is why he could make a film like FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE (1993) without fear of recrimination.
Chen Kaige is a hard core red guard who abused his own father. He's a piece of sh1t
Excellent Thank You 🙏🏼
GLAD I SUBSCRIBED TO YOU
I want to find To Live. Don’t understand why it isn’t available to stream
ua-cam.com/video/wNTd0dydfE4/v-deo.html
❤
Hasta donde me trae Mari Macias
Great list. But incomplete without the Story of Qiu Jou. and The House of Flying Dragons
"Daggers".
"Raise the Red Lanten", "To Live", "Coming Home", and "Flowers of War" are all personal favorites of mine. I also really adore "Hero" and "The Road Home". I do prefer his work overall that is more critical of China's past, but so long as his later films are not too propaganda-filled, I can usually enjoy them a lot.
wasn't this the guy who broke the one child policy in China in 2014
ju dou and raise the red lantern was BANNED then china is like uhhh can you creative direct the bejing olympics?
can we have a video about Ang Lee next time?
Hi Ken, right on! Ang Lee is actually my next one, will be here very soon ;)!
Great job man! I'll wait for your next video then, even If it comes out 1 year later. lol.
Hahaha No! It won't be that long! will be here in a few weeks max ! Thanks for your support!
Ang Lee's video is out. Check it out ;)
Thank you for your hard work, boss.
How can you talk about Yimou and not mention "Shanghai Triad"?
不做陈凯歌的吗
不孝顺的红卫兵，不值得一提
兄弟你的第一个goal 就是要比我subscriber多 xDD
不容易啊!
Love Zhang Yimou but I hate Kung Fu movies and I absolutely cannot stand magical Kung Fu movies. To Live and Flowers of War are superb.
Keep up with the west. Competitor, i know why
Oh, please! Not in English!