Asia

Best Asian films

If you’re looking for the best Asian films, there’s plenty to choose from. Asia holds approximately 60% of the world’s population, so it’s no surprise the continent has a wealth of great films. The continent hosts one of the world’s largest (if not the largest) film industries in India’s Bollywood, the most famous animation studio outside the U.S. in Japan’s Studio Ghibli, as well as the second largest film market in the world by box office receipts in China (second only to the U.S.).

But that’s not all. The Iranian art-house cinema scene is still booming despite government bans. Southeast Asia holds two of the most famous torch-bearers of the transcendental film movement in Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Lav Diaz. Plus, there’s South Korean, Bong Joon-ho, whose Parasite became the first foreign language film to win the Best Picture. And we haven’t even mentioned the growing film presence of the countries in Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, and the Caucasus.

So scroll down to see some of the best Asian films. Or, if you know where you want to go, pick a country from the links below.

Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, East Timor, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon,Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

*We’re still looking for the best Asian films from countries without links. Send us your recommendations.

The Assassin – Live the Art of an Assassin in 8th Century China

The Assassin Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

You may have seen a lot of films without really paying attention to how they’re put together. But to get the most out of The Assassin you’ll need to become aware of the subtleties on camera. Everything is set up to celebrate the art of the assassin and it’s just beautiful!

Why Watch The Assassin?

It’s one of the most beautiful films of the 2010s!
To immerse yourself in 8th Century China
If you’re a fan of martial arts and want to see the art of an assassin
Because it Hou Hsiao-hsien won Best Director for this film at Cannes

The Breakdown

The Assassin is set in 8th century China when the Tang dynasty is in decline. It’s based on the story of Nie Yinniang written by Pei Xing, a writer from Tang dynasty era China. Sometimes knowing the origin material of the film isn’t that important, but knowing the story of Nie Yinniang will help you get the most out of watching The Assassin. Check out a short summary below!

Summary of Nie Yinniang

(Mostly based on info from the internet – for more in depth summary and background to The Assassin check out this article on Taipei Notes)

The Tang crown prince sends his tenth daughter Princess Jiacheng and her twin sister to a nunnery for safety (from the Anlushan rebellion). Princess Jiacheng returns home when it’s safe, but her sister stays on and leads an order of assassins.

Later on, Princess Jiacheng marries Tian Xu (who holds power in the Weibo district of China) to secure peace in the region. The Princess adopts Tian Ji-an and gives birth to Yinniang, who both grow up as childhood friends. When they’re both older, the Princess gives two jade disks to Tian Ji-an and Yinniang to symbolize their future marriage. However, their relationship is broken off when Tian Xu marries his son to the daughter of one of his strongest allies. Yinniang is then sent to the Taoist nunnery to live with Princess Jiacheng’s assassin twin sister. She later returns when her old childhood friend has taken over from his father on orders to assassinate him.

The Breakdown continued

The Assassin is not like your usual martial arts film. Firstly, it helps to have a bit of background (as written above) as Hsiao-hsien rarely delves into any exposition. Secondly, the whole film is a piece of subtle beauty geared to celebrate the art of the assassin. And before you stop reading because I’m sounding a bit pretentious, I’ll try and demonstrate why.

For most of the film, the only thing you’ll hear is nature, from birds singing to the wind blowing. Similarly, for the most part, the shots are mid-distance and still. Both these things create calmness as the sounds are natural and the pictures are still. Think of the ambience/tone it creates as a still lake.

The stillness creates an environment for the assassin to showcase her skills. She must do her job without disturbing the serenity of her environment, or using our analogy, without splashing into the lake. And of course, she does this well. Firstly, she sneaks around the house of Tian Ji-an without making any noise (you’ll always hear the same natural noises in the background). Secondly, the director rarely breaks from mid-distance shots. When he does for the action scenes, the assassin deals with her victims quickly to avoid creating a disturbance or ripple. She never sticks out. Yinniang and the director, showcase the art of the assassin.

Image result for the assassin film

Conclusion

I’m not sure how this film was overlooked by the Academy Awards after picking up the Best Director at Cannes. Perhaps, because many viewers come out a bit confused as the director chooses not to offer too much exposition.

If you take a moment to read up a bit of background before you watch this film (see above) and are up for delving deeper into a film than usual, by watching it more than once, this may well become one of your favorite films.

Under the Shadow

Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Under the Shadow is a horror film with intelligence. It layers context of the Iraq-Iran war and female oppression onto a potent horror narrative. Therefore it’s perfect if you want something more from the horror genre without skimping out on the scare tactics. Ever heard of the Djinn? You will have by the end of this film and wishing you hadn’t.

Why Watch Under the Shadow?

To see how horror can be done well outside of Hollywood and Japan
Know anything about the Iraq-Iran War? Learn something about it by watching this film!
Will be available on Netflix soon!
If you’re a mother with a kid and don’t want to sleep at night!

The Breakdown

Under the Shadow starts with a montage of pixelated footage of the Iraq-Iran war. Meanwhile, in front of an office window a woman pleads a university official to let her return to her studies. Her pleas are rejected because of her former political activity (the reason she was expelled a few years earlier). As they talk a missile crashes into a building in the distance. This is a time of conflict.

Whilst Under the Shadow is a horror film, it also carries a very important message in disguise. Shideh, our female protagonist, becomes a symbol for female oppression. She is not allowed to restart her studies because of her political activity, her husband does not trust her with their child, and she ‘generously’ gets let off of some lashings after she is caught outside without a hijab. Under the layers of the horror lie a more telling critique in the items that go missing: a doll, a book on medicine, and a fitness video. These three items represent the things Shideh (a symbol of women in Iran) cannot be or do. She cannot be a kid any more, she cannot study medicine, and she cannot workout.

Elsewhere, the camera-work is particularly impressive at adding to the tension. Around the time something fishy happens the camera starts to shake and wobble, disorientating the viewer. So when things start appearing, we can’t see very clearly, leaving more up for interpretation. My favourite scene happens half way through when Shideh wakes up from her sleep. As she sits up, the camera rotates 90 degrees to match the angle of her body sitting up. The movement is unnatural and off-putting, and leads to something even more unnatural and off-putting (as you will see ;)).

After being happy with how much Blair Witch scared me a few weeks ago, I was on a horror high. Luckily, Under the Shadow matches the potency of Blair Witch (even at 11am on a Sunday morning). Even more impressive, is that the film is clever – it carries a political message (something that most horror film’s don’t even try to convey). Therefore this one comes certified. It will also be coming to Netflix soon – so no excuses for missing out!

Burning – A Brooding, Mysterious Trail of Insecurity

Burning Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

Have you ever read a book by Haruki Murakami? If you have, and you enjoyed it – great, you’ll get to see his writing live. If you haven’t, no problem, you can start after this film. It’s the perfect mystery film.

From: South Korea, Asia
Watch: Trailer, Netflix, Amazon Rent, Amazon Buy
Next: Gone Girl, Tape, Vertigo

A Touch of Sin – The Erosion of Chinese Society

A Touch of Sin Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

A Touch of Sin is great. Anyone with a remote interest in contemporary China should watch this. It’s a politically charged painting of the erosion of Chinese society. Jia Zhangke weaves together four narratives from rural townships to life in the big cities. For a critique of society in contemporary China, this one is a must watch.

From: China, Asia
Watch: Trailer, Rent on Amazon, Buy on Amazon
Next: Have a Nice Day, Wild Tales, Amores Perros

The Look of Silence

Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

The Look of Silence continues a horrific examination of post-genocide Indonesia. Following on from The Act of Killing, The Look of Silence is an even more gut wrenching and unbelievable documentary. These death squad killers boast and laugh about the people they killed and are proud to be seen as heroes by the country and parts of the community. Is this really real!? Unfortunately it is, and it is something that we should no about instead of leaving it hidden in history.

Why Watch This Film?

You didn’t know there was a genocide in Indonesia
To learn how a genocide can happen (and still happen) from the people who committed it – all real footage and real people!
Propaganda is bad
It’s available on Netflix

The Breakdown

The film begins with a long take of an old man looking through some optician’s glasses. This shot is followed by another long take of some cocoons jumping and moving around on a table. Then we are shown another long take of a man starring at the camera thoughtfully. He is watching an interview with two men re-enacting what they did for the Indonesian death squads.

The subject matter is bleak and horrific throughout, but the director Joshua Oppenheimer fantastically guides us without intervention throughout. Instead of interviewing subjects directly about the murders they committed, Oppenheimer finds an Indonesian whose brother was murdered to do the questioning. As a result, he poses the victim against the perpetrator without any biased foreign perspective. The interviewer doesn’t show any hatred towards the death squad members. His questions aren’t particularly heavy or deep but are extremely effective when he gives his interviewees time to talk. His silence facilitates their candid and horrific responses.

The look of silence is the interviewers only punishment. The director emphasises the interviewees guiltiness by showing extended shots of their faces during and after their answers. In a similar way to the effect that the lingering shots give in Tokyo Story, the lingering shots give us time to think about what the interviewee has said and then to judge them. The combination of the interviewers long and sombre look at his guilty interviewees and the interviewees extended silence emphasises their guilt. This is how the director shows their guiltiness, without even saying a word.

Oppenheimer has the skill of getting people to talk without saying a thing. This is the power of the look of silence. The guilty are open about their crimes and open about the things they did, which makes it easy for us to judge them. One man said that because he had killed so many people he had to either drink human blood or go crazy. (the horrific irony). If we didn’t think he was guilty at that point, the interviewer then asks the same man another question about a different topic. The distracted interviewee ignores the question and says “it was salty and sweet.”