Locating Chinese Language Films
The following films are primarily in Mandarin Chinese. All films are listed with the English title first. Use the call numbers to locate the films in the Media Collection (2nd floor). You may check out Media Collection items for 4 weeks.
Online Videos
Mango Languages has three full-length movies you can watch within the database with simultaneous Mandarin and English subtitles. Click the Explore option and then Mango Premiere to access them. Requires Flash.
- Little Big Soldier = Da Bing Xiao Jiang: An old soldier kidnaps a young general of an enemy state and takes him on a long journey to collect the reward.
- Ocean Heaven = Hai Yang Tian Tang: Explores the subject of parental love and autism in kids.
- Kung-Fu Dunk = Gong Fu Guan Lan: Fang Shijie is found as a baby in the garbage and raised at a martial arts academy. With the help of a man, he gets into college and is promoted to the basketball championship as he searches for his real parents.
Video Titles
24 City = Er shi si cheng jiCall Number: MEDIA HN733.5 .T94 2010A documentary film on the state-owned Factory 420, also called the Chengdu Engine Group, which was founded in 1958 to produce aviation engines. Now abandoned, the factory is sold for millions to real estate developers to be transformed into a complex of luxury apartment blocks called 24 City. The film revolves around eight dramatic interviews that present three generations with ties to the factory: the first factory workers, more recent employees, and the children of former laborers.
2046 [In World of Wong Kar Wai]Call Number: MOVIES & TV WORLD OF WONGSeveral women enter a science fiction author's life over the course of a few years, after the author has lost the woman he considers his one true love.
Aftershock = Tangshan da di zhenCall Number: MOVIES & TV AFTERSHOCKThe epic story of a family separated as a result of the Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976.- As Tears Go By [In World of Wong Kar Wai]Call Number: MOVIES & TV WORLD OF WONGMid-level gangster Wah falls in love with his beautiful cousin, but must also continue to protect his volatile partner-in-crime and friend, Fly.
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress = Xiao cai fengCall Number: MOVIES & TV BALZAC ANDTwo youths sent for a Maoist "re-education" in the mountains fall in love with the village tailor's granddaughter.- Beijing Bicycle = Shi qi sui de dan cheCall Number: MOVIES & TV BEIJING BICYCLEA seventeen-year-old country boy working in Beijing as a courier has his bicycle stolen, and finds it with a schoolboy his age.
Beijing Taxi = Beijing chu zhuCall Number: MEDIA DS795.9.T16 B44 2010A feature-length documentary that vividly portrays the ancient capital of China undergoing a profound transformation. The intimate lives of three taxi drivers are seen through a humanistic lens as they navigate a quickly morphing city, confronting modern issues and changing values.
The Blue Kite = Lan feng zhengCall Number: MOVIES & TV BLUE KITETold from the perspective of a young boy, T'ieh-t'ou, this film traces the fate of a Beijing family and their neighbors through the political and social upheavals in 1950s and 1960s China.
A Brighter Summer Day = Gu ling jie shao nian sha ren shi jianCall Number: MOVIES & TV BRIGHTER SUMM.Set in the early sixties in Taiwan, it is based on the true story of a crime that rocked the nation. A film of both sprawling scope and tender intimacy, this novelistic, patiently observed epic centers on the gradual, inexorable fall of a young teenager.
Brotherhood of Blades = Xiu chun daoCall Number: MOVIES & TV BROTHERHOODThis kung fu thriller is set in the late Ming Dynasty. Three elite guards for the palace are involved in a power struggle with one of their own brothers.- Chungking Express [In World of Wong Kar Wai]Call Number: MOVIES & TV WORLD OF WONGTwo melancholy Hong Kong policemen fall in love: one with a mysterious female underworld figure, the other with a beautiful and ethereal server at a late-night restaurant he frequents.
City of Life and Death = Nanjing! Nanjing!Call Number: MOVIES & TV CITY OF LIFEDramatizes the Japanese siege of the Chinese capital of Nanking on December 9, 1937, which resulted in the death of 300,000 civilians.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon = Wo hu cang longCall Number: MOVIES & TV CROUCHING TIG.Set in 19th-century China, two master warriors are faced with their greatest challenge when the treasured Green Destiny sword is stolen.
Curse of the Golden Flower = Man cheng jin dai huang jin jiaCall Number: MOVIES & TV CURSE OF THEA tale of a royal family divided against itself builds to a mythic climax as lines are crossed, trust is betrayed, and family blood is spilled in the quest for redemption and revenge.- Days of Being Wild [In World of Wong Kar Wai]Call Number: MOVIES & TV WORLD OF WONGA man tries to find out who his real mother is after the woman who raised him tells him the truth.
Eat Drink Man Woman = Yin shi nan nüCall Number: MOVIES & TV EAT DRINK MANThe story of a master chef and his three adult daughters, all of whom are seeking love and happiness in different ways.
Empire of Silver = Bai yin di guoCall Number: MOVIES & TV EMPIRE OF SILVERThe fate of a banking empire and its most powerful family lies with one idealistic young man torn between the needs of the people, the duty to his family, and the undying love of a woman.- Fallen Angels [In World of Wong Kar Wai]Call Number: MOVIES & TV WORLD OF WONGThis Hong Kong-set crime drama follows the lives of a hitman, hoping to get out of the business, and his elusive female partner.
The Goddess = Shen nüCall Number: MOVIES & TV GODDESSA sad story of a woman, as a mother and a prostitute in Shanghai in earlier 1930s.- Happy Together [In World of Wong Kar Wai]Call Number: MOVIES & TV WORLD OF WONGA couple take a trip to Argentina but both men find their lives drifting apart in opposite directions.
Hero = Ying xiongCall Number: MOVIES & TV HEROWith supernatural skill and no fear a nameless soldier embarks on a mission of revenge against the fearsome army that massacred his people. Now, to achieve the justice he seeks, he must take on the empire's most ruthless assassins and reach the enemy he has sworn to defeat.- In the Mood for Love [In World of Wong Kar Wai]Call Number: MOVIES & TV WORLD OF WONGTwo neighbors, a woman and a man, form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.
Ju DouCall Number: MOVIES & TV JU DOUIn 1920s China, a young woman is forced into marriage and is then abused by her elderly husband. Her suffering attracts the sympathy of her husband's younger, kinder nephew, and the two begin a secret affair that could lead to tragic consequences.
King of Masks = Bian lianCall Number: MOVIES & TV KING OF MASKSDesperate for his art to survive, the King of Masks finds an apprentice in a destitute child purchased on the black market. When the child reveals an unexpected secret, their relationship is suddenly tested by both the old man's stubborn sense of tradition and the established customs of China.
The Last Supper = Wang de shengyanCall Number: MOVIES & TV LAST SUPPERTwo generals battle for supremacy in China at the end of the Qin dynasty.
Last Train Home = Gui tu lie cheCall Number: MEDIA HD5856.C6 G85 2011A couple embarks on a journey home for Chinese new year along with 130 million other migrant workers, to reunite with their children and struggle for a future. Their unseen story plays out as China soars towards being a world superpower.
Let the Bullets Fly = Rang zidan feiCall Number: MOVIES & TV LET THE BULLETSIn 1920s China, a bandit arrives in a remote provincial town posing as its new mayor, where he faces off against a tyrannical local nobleman.
Lucky GrandmaCall Number: MOVIES & TV LUCKY GRANDMASet in New York City's Chinatown, an ornery, chain-smoking Chinese grandma goes all in at the casino, landing herself on the wrong side of luck—and in the middle of a gang war.
Out of Phoenix Bridge = Hui dao feng huang qiaoCall Number: MEDIA HQ1767 .O9 2009A film that follows 4 women from the village of Phoenix Bridge, in Anhui Province, who have gone to Beijing to work as maids. The women, who talk directly to the camera while hanging out in the shack they live in, discuss the stresses they feel while being separated from their families, the pressures they feel to get married, and their desire to earn a living. Even with the long hours of hard work and miserable living conditions, the increased sense of personal freedom the women feel makes these the happiest years of their lives.
Postmen in the Mountains = Na shan na ren na gouCall Number: MOVIES & TV POSTMEN INA father prepares to hand his 112-mile mail route over to his son. At dawn, the two embark on the three-day round trip on foot. Traveling along the rugged landscape of wind-blown hills, craggy rocks, and winding rivers, the son learns not only about the isolated mountain to which they deliver mail but also about his own father.
Raise the Red Lantern = Da hong deng long gao gao guaCall Number: MOVIES & TV RAISE THE REDSet in 1920's China, 19-year-old Songlian has become Fourth Wife to the wealthy Chen. Yet she must share her husband with three existing wives. Each must wait until dusk for the arrival of a red lantern, which signifies with whome the master will sleep tonight. When Songlian discovers that the other wives cheat to win the red lantern, she decides to join the fight for Chen's attention.
The Road Home = Wo de fu qin mu qinCall Number: MOVIES & TV ROAD HOMEAs a son helps his mother arrange for the burial of his father in the traditional Chinese custom of his mother's village, the beautiful and touching story of his parent's courtship unfolds. His father was from the city and came to his mother's village to become the schoolmaster. In the days of arranged marriages, the son discovers that his parents marriage was the first marriage based on love.
Shadow = YingCall Number: MOVIES & TV SHADOWIn Pei, a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander faces peril both inside and outside the palace walls. But he has a secret weapon: a look-alike who can fool both Pei's enemies and the King himself.
Shower = Xi zaoCall Number: MOVIES & TV SHOWERA successful businessman is tricked into visiting his hometown by his mentally handicapped brother, and after staying a few days develops a different perspective on his father's old-fashioned bath house business.
Still Life = Sanxia haorenCall Number: MOVIES & TV STILL LIFEAfter a town is completely destroyed by a flood, the residents must try to rebuild their homes, the town, and their lives.
The Story of Qiu Ju = Qiu Ju da guan siCall Number: MOVIES & TV STORY OF QIUAn ordinary, courageous woman in a small village fights against the system in her quest for justice.
Take OutCall Number: MOVIES & TV TAKE OUTAn illegal Chinese immigrant falls behind on payments on an enormous smuggling debt. Ming Ding has only until the end of the day to come up with the money.
To Live = Huo zheCall Number: MOVIES & TV TO LIVEThe story of a prodigal son set against the backdrop of China in the tumultuous era of the 40s and beyond.
A Touch of Zen = Xia nüCall Number: MOVIES & TV TOUCH OF ZENA fugitive noblewoman seeks refuge in a remote, and allegedly haunted, village. The sanctuary she finds with a shy scholar and two aides in disguise is shattered when a nefarious swordsman uncovers her identity, pitting the four against legions of blade-wielding opponents.
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? = Ming tian ji de ai shang woCall Number: MOVIES & TV WILL YOU STILLIntroverted optometrist Weichung begins to question his marriage with his wife Feng, upon learning of her desire to have another baby. At his sister's engagement party, Weichung bumps into an old friend, Stephen, a wedding photographer who, though also married, is living the high life of a younger, single gay man. When Stephen teases Weichung for his newly straightlaced lifestyle, dormant emotions are awakened in Weichung, setting him off on a quest for true romance and desire.
Wooden Man's Bride = Wu kuiCall Number: MOVIES & TV WOODEN MAN'SThe story begins in the 1920's in the Chinese desert. When her bridegroom is killed, the bride is forced by tradition to marry a wooden effigy of the dead man. She secretly begins a forbidden, passionate affair with a young man, which sets off violence and revenge.
The World = ShijieCall Number: MOVIES & TV WORLDOn the outskirts of Beijing is an amusement park called The World. The staff, most who have come to work from rural areas, may be happy around the guests, but it's a different story behind the scenes. The park is seen through the eyes of the staff, along with the romances, dreams, and loneliness.
Yang Ban Xi: The 8 ModelworksCall Number: MEDIA PN2051 .Y36 2007The story of lives inextricably linked to the Yang Ban Xi, the propaganda spectacles which replaced traditional opera during the Cultural Revolution in China.- Yi YiCall Number: MOVIES & TV YI YIAn intimate look at the life of a middle-class family in Taipei, beginning with a wedding and ending with a funeral.
You and Me: A Peking OperaCall Number: MEDIA M1500.Z57 Y6 2016Based on the age-old tale from the Zuo legend "Lord Zheng vanquishes Duan in Yan"—a story about deceit and the power of filial love.
