Zhang Yimou directed films

Along with Krzysztof Kieślowski, and a few others, Zhang Yimou had a profound effect on me in the 90s. It helped lead me into Film Studies (though I, sadly, didn't major in it).

Here I won't list all of this films, even though I have seen his co-directed Codename Cougar. And One Second has not yet been released. As a cinematographer, I loved collaborations of his with Chen Kaige (especially Yellow Earth).

For me, it's his early films that really rocked my world. Today I might choose Ju Dou.

Hero is the one that works the best for me of those I've seen (predictable taste, I know), but I also very very much like Curse of the Golden Flower in all of its melodramatic, Shakespearean glory. 

For US Netflix listings, try https://usa.newonnetflix.info/catalog

You might consider a free month Netflix trial at some time (if it's currently going on). I haven't found Netflix Canada good for Art House film or "quality", more serious international films. As soon as I got Netflix, I looked up Zhang Yimou, and they had maybe one of his more mainstream films at the time (Hero, or House of Flying Daggers). I did catch his "Coming Home" on Netflix. I caught Shanghai Triad, also still have in on VHS, Not One Less, and the Raod Home in the cinemas when they came to Vancouver.

Prog Sothoth wrote: Those 90's films are pretty mostly masterpieces and Gong Li is superb in them, but as much as I was ready to pick Raise the Red Lantern, I have to go with my heart and choose The Road Home. It's such a beautiful little film, and anyone who thinks Zhang Ziyi is a one-dimensional stoic actress would be shocked as to how sweet she is in it. Maybe it's my mood, in that this sort of nostalgic piece resonates with me so much.

The Road Home is beautiful, and Zhang Ziyi very much reminded me of a young Gong Li in that. When I saw it in the theatre, I did rather feel that Zhang Yimou was fetishising her a bit in his loving camera shots of her (similar to how he would shoot Gong Li before that).

Different again, but I absolutely loved the delightful Not One Less.

One I have yet to see and want to is A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop (noodles make me think of the Japanese film Tampopo). It's supposed to be a farcical film based on the Coen Bros. Blood Simple, and has poor reviews. Actually, when he has gone for broader comedy, it hasn't tended to work well for me (I quite enjoyed Happy Times but I barely remember it).