[glass]

i am disgusted how every movie with an asian in it is some kung-fu action type, is there any movie with asian actors that does not have any martial arts in it besides "joy luck club"

 

[Dean Roddey]

I'm not aware of a lot of english language ones of that sort, but there are plenty of asian films that feature normal people. Some of my favorites are "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman", "Vertical Ray of the Sun", "Farewell, My Concubine", "Raise the Red Lantern", "Shanghai Triad", "Temptress Moon", "Xui Xui : The Sent Down Girl", "Indochine", "The Scent of Green Papaya", "Chungking Express", and some others I'm blanking out on at the moment. But all of those are excellent films.

 

[MaxC]

Lucy Lui was in Chicago.


I enjoyed Anna and the King with Jodi Foster and Chow Yun-Fat. Does Pearl Harbor, The Final Countdown, other WWII movies, Fast and the Furious, and Shogun count even though they are action based...no Kung Fu?

 

[Dertah]

I think that this comment is based on misinformation. Just off the top of my head I can think of:


The Lover

Any of the 6 Star Trek movies

Signs

Indiana Jones - Temple of Doom

Bend it Like Beckham

Numerous James Bond (maybe a little marial arts)

The Corruptor

What Dreams May Come

Freaky Friday


And that doesn't even include "caricature" films like Sixteen Candles (Long Duk Dong) or World War II or Vietnam movies that by their very nature must incorporate Asians - I could spout a hundred of these without even thinking.

 

[dragonbud0]

Quiet American w/ Michael Caine

The Road Home - Zhang Ziyi

Tell Me Something - Korean's version of "Seven"

Wedding Banquet - Ang Lee about gay

Audition - Japanese, not for the sqeamish


lenny

 

[Josh Z]

No, not every American movie with Asian actors is about kung-fu fighting. There are also plenty of movies about Asian gangsters.

 

[FredProgGH]

Quote:

Originally posted by Josh Z No, not every American movie with Asian actors is about kung-fu fighting. There are also plenty of movies about Asian gangsters.

ROFLMAO


Hey, in the completely non-kung fu category I'll put in "Shower" from China- really a great little drama. Also, from Japan, "Tampopo"- there are, admittedly, kung fu sensibilities at work, but they are only utilized to make the perfect bowl of raman.


Also, would we consider Japanese samurai films a different category?

 

[mrhan]

Infernal Affairs - a tense drama with no martial arts. See it before Brad Pitt remakes it.

 

[Ein]

Pay Back


It's like name a Schwarzenegger movie, where he doesn't carry either a sword or a gun. There are at least two, name them.

 

[glass]

kindergarten cop, twins, jingle all the way, junior, pumping iron

 

[WXIII]

In the Mood for Love and Last Emperor both have plenty of Asian actors, though the former is an entirely Asian productin.

 

[Glenn Refling]

Although many movies can be named with Asian actors, Hollywood hasn't been kind in general. You can read a brief overview here and something more hopeful here.

 

[Poncho]

Wayne's World with the lovely Tia Carrere although she is only part Chinese. No, wait, it did have kung foo in it.

 

[gcbrowni]

AMC ran a Charlie Chan mystery over the weekend. I tuned in late and saw a panel discussion of Asian roles in Hollywood, hosted by George Takai. If you're interested then you might try to find it on AMC again.


Grov

 

[P8nter]

I don't remember seeing any kung -fu in Godzilla

 

[kevinp8192]

My favorites have already been listed (Raise the Red Lantern, The Lover, L'Indochine, and Tompopo), and I'd like to add "The Killing Fields". But if your search includes films with Asian-American actors, you should check out the recent film Better Luck Tomorrow . It's an outstanding film about rich suburban Asian-American kids living in Orange Country.


Definitely not your average Hollywood depiction (e.g. Asian-Americans as the nice computer geek sidekicks, etc). Instead these kids are rich, bored, brilliant, and violent. You may not agree with the film's portrayal, but I think it's brave to depict these kids against stereotype. I believe it comes out later this month on DVD.


KP