1001 ASIAN MOVIES YOU HAVE TO WATCH
Monday, August 25, 2025
305. Yol (1982)
Country:Turkey
Directed by Yilmaz Guney and Serif Goren
Even if not without weaknesses, often existed because of the huge challenges that the creators faced during production, Yol is still a masterpiece as it captures, with a powerful, heartbreaking and accurate way, the depressing reality of Turkey during the Evren dictatorship of the early 80's when a military oppression and a suffocative state control were added to a violent patriarchal society that already was suffering from poverty, underdevelopment, low level of education,archaic local laws and behaviours,sexual starvation and lacking of any form of freedom. An all-time classic, an unforgetable landmark for world's sociopolitical cinema
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
304. Emotion (1966)
Country: Japan
Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi
Its something disturbingly silly, outdated, pretentious and amaterish in Obayashi's cinema that makes it often almost unwatchable. However,in his unique, messed up world, there are moments where he hits a rare poetical spot, when he captures and ridicules the abdurdity of the human existence with a way that is beyond words and is located in an unknown location. Emotion is one of the films that have more of these captivating special moments even if overall you would probably dislike it
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
303. Nomad (1982)
Country: Hong Kong
Directed by Patrick Tam
Goofy and of "low taste", also daring and sensual, but for sure unapologetic, Nomad blew some fresh air to the body of Hong Kong cinema in the early eighties. Watching the film today may hit many viewers also with nostalgia: the movie, more or less, illustrates what it means to be young and in love without worrying about anything else in the world. An obvious influence for the young Wong Kar-wai, mainly visually (the visuals of Nomad really stand out) but at many other levels too
Monday, March 24, 2025
302. Ghaysar (1969)
Country:Iran
Directed by Masud Kimiai
A young man takes revenge killing the ones responsible for the deaths of his brother and sister and Masud Kimiai gets a chance to take us to the baths, tea shops, slaughterhouses, cabarets of pro revolutionary Iran and to show us the possibly most daring and sexual scene of the history of Iranian cinema
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
301. Madhumati (1958)
Country: India
Directed by Bimal Roy
According to Indian cinema critics Madhumati is one of the most influential Indian films of all time: not only the theme of the movie but also its style gave inspiration to countless upcoming Indian directors. Watching the film almost 70 years later, apart of the usual Bollywood cringe at times, still you can appreciate the beautiful expressionist black and white photography and framing, the noir, goth and paranormal elements, the poetical side of a film that is made for the satisfaction of the most simple audience but still can communicate with a more sophisticated one
Monday, September 23, 2024
300. Death at an old mansion (1975)
Country: Japan
Directed by Yoichi Takabayashi
A stylish, with many intense, beautiful, well directed moments and an interesting plot,crime film, Death at an old mansion is one of the most notable movies of Takabayashi,a director who never fulfilled the initial high expectations but who rarelly directed boring and average movies either
Thursday, September 12, 2024
299. City after dark (1980)
Country:The Philippines
Directed by Ishmael Bernal
A legendary film, voted repeatedly as one of the very best Filipino movies ever made, City after dark or Manila by night, as is its alternative title, is a multi-narrative of people connected mostly each other by lies and exploitation, living a rather marginal life, fighting to escape from the poverty, in the ruthless nightlife of unseen, underground Manila. Prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers, junkies, abortions, crimes, gay sex, violence, everything that the Marcos regime of the era tried to hide under the carpet, are exposed here in a bitter drama that played a big part on the evolution of the Filipino cinema to adulthood
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)