17 Best Classic Movies for Learning Chinese [3 of 3]

Hey there, This is it. The final piece of our best recommendations of Chinese movies to learn from. 12. 一一 (Yi Yi) | "Yi Yi: A One and a Two" (if you don't see a picture, click "show external images") "Yi Yi" is a drama about a family in Taiwan who all face complex challenges in life. The film shows the challenges of each individual separately, but the children’s stories turn out to be the most captivating. The family lives a very modern lifestyle, and the characters are all very compelling. It is interesting to watch them speak to the grandmother, who is in a coma. The little boy in elementary school provides all the comic relief. The Mandarin Chinese that the cast speaks is very clear and very standard, and thus it is quite good for the ears of Chinese learners. The film is rather long with plenty of dialog, making it a ideal for intensive practice in listening and comprehension. 13. 大红灯笼高高挂 (Da hong deng long gao gao gua) | "Raise the Red Lantern" "Raise the Red Lantern" is yet another film by Zhang Yimou that has been banned in mainland China. The film shows a wealthy man’s household of four wives and their interactions, sometimes friendly, often jealous and conniving. The story is quite captivating, especially as the plot develops and the film comes to a very dramatic climax. The story is good for variety and depth for the Chinese learner. It is set in the 1920s, a time period which involved a great deal of cultural progression. This is significantly different than the setting of the Cultural Revolution which is so popular in Chinese cinema. The Chinese spoken is relatively easy to understand for learners, and the film is absorbing enough to want to pay close attention. 14. 饮食男女 (Yin shi nan nu) | "Eat Drink Man Woman" "Eat Drink Man Woman" is another film whose story is set in modern Taipei, China. This story shows a retired chef and his three daughters who all share one meal together each week. The story is about a change in traditional values, and the portrayal of the daughters’ individual lives and successes show this clearly. As a side plot, it highlights another theme that often runs through Chinese stories: food. There are many scenes that quite appetizingly highlight the retired chef preparing meals. Eating delicious food and sharing mealtimes together are very important aspects of Chinese culture that any Chinese learner should familiarize themselves with and appreciate. Like the other Taiwanese films mentioned, the Mandarin is quite good for Chinese learners to tune their ears to. 15. 秋菊打官司 (Qiu Ju da guan si) | "The Story of Qiu Ju" "The Story of Qiu Ju" stars Gong Li, who also was the main character in "Raise the Red Lantern" and "To Live." In this story, she plays a heartening role as a determined woman in pursuit of justice. The village chief kicks her husband in the groin during a dispute. even though she is pregnant, she travels to the city to pursue a case against the man. She appeals her way higher through the system, but the results seem frustrating at best. All she really wants is an apology, but the village chief is stubborn to do so. This film is great for learners because the language spoken is less like movie script lines and more like everyday people really speak. It will be awesome practice for more advanced learners. It also excellently shows an authentic image of China in the early 1990s through the employment of documentary-style shots of street scenes. 16. 变脸 (Bian Lian) | "The King of Masks" "The King of Masks" is a heartwarming story of a traveling entertainer who excels at his particular performance, a mask-changing show. The aging performer wants to pass his skills on, but he has no son or grandson. He succeeds in adopting a young boy, but it presents him with a unique challenge when he finds out the truth about the child. The relationship between the two has some rocky development, faces extreme situations and has a very dramatic climax. The glimpse of their life at home, aboard a houseboat, is fascinating. The scenes of street performances from long ago and street life are also very educational for Chinese learners. The conversations between the old man and the little girl are often amusing, and are quite easy to understand. 17. 向日葵 (Xiang ri ku) | "Sunflower" "Sunflower" is a post-Cultural Revolution story that shows the changes taking place during the last century in China. The father, who was "re-educated" during the Cultural Revolution, wants his son to follow his artist’s footsteps. This puts a strain on the family and the problems still linger ten years later when the boy, now a man, and his wife inform his parents of a big decision. Later, the father surprises everyone with a life-changing decision of his own. The story is told for the most part from the perspective of the boy during his youth. The film moves at a pace good for learners to keep up with and be able to focus on the conversations. There is also some narration and monologues for the Chinese learner to more easily follow all the thoughts and ideas projected by the main characters. And there you have it! These movies are a fantastic jumping-off point for all Chinese language learners, casual and serious learners alike. Once you find a subject, actor or director that you truly love, keep searching for more movies that capture these same elements. And One More Thing… If you like learning Chinese with movies, then you’ll love [FluentU](. [FluentU lets you learn real Chinese from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.]( It naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you’ll learn Chinese as it’s spoken in real life. FluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos—like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos. In fact, below you’ll even see the song "Let It Go" from the hit movie "Frozen": FluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions. You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you’d like to review to a vocab list. The powerful learning program turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning. The powerful learning program turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning. The best part is that FluentU always keeps track of your vocabulary. It suggests content and examples based on the words you’re learning. You’re delivered a 100% personalized experience. [Try it now with a 14-day free trial!]( [Get started with FluentU](  Copyright © 2021 Enux Education Limited, All rights reserved. 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