Movie View Weekly ’s Ten Best Chinese Films of 2013

No.1 The Grandmaster

Director： Wong Kar-wai

Stars： Tony Leung， Zhang Ziyi， Song Hye Kyo

A martial arts circle of the Republic of China （1912-1949） is elevated to mythical status by Wong’s lens.

The movie lacks action-packed fighting scenes and the shots remain steady and calculated. In this way， Wong aims to enhance the ambience of the final martial arts circle of the Republic of China， which he considers ‘the golden era’ of the discipline. Although he received criticism for the loose plot， the director intended to demonstrate that the world is broken and fragmented.

No.2 Drug War

Director： Johnny To

Stars： Sun Honglei， Louis Koo， Huang Yi

Johnny To continues his sharply negative insights into life and the human condition： people’s hearts are crueler than drugs.

In April 2013， Johnny To took Drug War’s definitive ending to the Chinese mainland. Characterized by a smooth and breathtaking plot， the film is sated with To’s signature style hearkening to gangster films of Hong Kong. This film created a portrait of human cruelty often lacking in domestic movies.

No.3 No Man’s Land

Director： Ning Hao

Stars： Xu Zheng， Huang Bo， Yu Nan

A showcase of the deft skill of director Ning Hao.

The movie focuses on the dilemma of rules. People must comply with rules to effectively live in a society. But when rules are changed， everything becomes different. The dark and absurd plot of the film reflects the absurdity of society. Rules of a civilized society became total nonsense in a wasteland， where humans return to primitive survival instincts.

No.4 Journey to the West： Conquering the Demons

Director： Stephen Chow and Derek Kwok Stars： Wen Zhang， Hsu Chi， Huang Bo

The biggest Chinese blockbuster of 2013， the wildly entertaining movie is typical work of Stephen Chow.

Even decades after its prime， Chow’s brand of humor remains unparalleled. Comedian Chow rose as a cult figure for young people on the Chinese mainland in the 1990s， and as those same fans found greater purchasing power with maturity， Chow became a box office titan. Nostalgia sells in today’s Chinese theaters， and spectators returned to theaters over and over not for laughs anymore， but to lament lost youth.

No.5 Zombie

Director： Mak Juno

Stars： Chin Siu-ho， Kara Hui

Japanese-style horror prospers through nostalgia for Hong Kong zombies.

The recent rash of Western zombie movies caused even Chinese moviegoers to forget Hong Kong-style zombies， but they’re back in Mak Juno’s thriller. The movie is flavored with Shimizu’s horror style as well as that of American cult films， yet cherishes the memory of Hong Kong zombies and updates the genre.

No. 6 Stray Dogs

Director： Tsai Ming-liang

Stars： Lee Kang-sheng， Lu Yi-Ching

Tsai stubbornly sticks to lengthy shots to speak wordless truth.

Lasting 138 minutes， the movie is considered too long and messy due to so many drawn out shots. Similar scenes are frequently repeated， making the characters seem like ‘items’ of daily life. Accordingly， the characters’ feelings come off cold and impersonal. The protagonist cares for his two children carefully， but the kindness is always eroded by their surroundings.

No.7 Unbeatable

Director： Dante Lam

Stars： Nick Cheung， Eddie Peng， Mei Ting

The only thing you need to lead the optimal life is the ability to change.

Against the backdrop of a detached family relationship， the protagonist， a boxer， uses his fists in the ring to find himself， change himself and prove himself.

No.8 So Young

Director： Zhao Wei

Stars： Yang Zhishan， Mark Zhao， Han Geng

Nailing the rhythm of a nostalgic era and eliminating affected aesthetics.

From a feminine prospective， the movie follows four college roommates. With subtlety， actress-turned-director Zhao depicts the girls’confusion， impulses and hidden desires of youthful romance. Each character endures various experiences of maturity， which symbolize various social concepts. The plot and construction of characters not only focus on themes of nostalgia and regret， but also increase the expressive complexity of the film， an achievement that helped the film stand out from other movies with similar themes and reap major rewards from the box office.

No.9 American Dreams in China

Director： Peter Chan

Stars： Huang Xiaoming， Deng Chao， Tong Dawei

Exquisite portrayal of emotion.

Born in a small village， Cheng Dongqing， once a failure at the college entrance exam， eventually becomes chairman of a listed company. Meng Xiaojun， born to a wealthy， educated family and an elite in college， hits rock bottom after going abroad， surviving by feeding mice in a lab and washing dishes. Ultimately， Meng helps Cheng， once a diehard fan of Meng， to launch a company. The dramatic plot depicts the ups and downs of life’s journeys， similar to what ordinary people experience every day. Through others’ stories， the film inspired spectators to examine their own lives.

No.10 Fly with the Crane

Director： Li Ruijun

Stars： Ma Xinchun， Zhang Min

To ensure an ideal death， the protagonist tricks his grandson into burying him alive.

In his work， Li Ruijun frequently focuses on deep attachment to land and the tragic destiny of the cycle of life and death， to reverently examine the connection between people and land， public and individual， and individual and divinity. This movie hides the material world of the elderly in favor of focus on their spiritual world： specifically the value of burial over cremation.