Zhang Ziyi Movies
An actress of almost eerie, otherworldly beauty and simmering intensity, Zhang Ziyi burst onto the international film scene with her role as the governor's daughter in Ang Lee's acclaimed martial arts adventure Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Stunningly convincing despite her lack of martial arts skills, Zhang's dramatic talents were equally impressive, and she was soon cast in such highly regarded films as Zhang Yimou's Hero and big-budget stateside efforts as Rush Hour 2. Born in Beijing to a working-class family that included her economist father, kindergarten teacher mother, and an older brother, Zhang found creative outlets early with dancing and gymnastics. At the age of 11, she was accepted into a secondary school affiliated with the acclaimed Beijing Dancing College. Though her skills earned Zhang numerous awards there, she soon became frustrated with the pressures of school and began seeking other creative outlets. At 15, she enrolled in Beijing's Central Drama Academy, where she finally seemed to find her niche. Fate sealed the deal when the aspiring actress auditioned for a role in a shampoo commercial directed by acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou, and after working with her, the veteran director thought her ideal for the lead in his upcoming movie The Road Home (2000). Cast as a young girl who falls in love with an older teacher, the film won international praise, in addition to numerous awards.If The Road Home had been her breakthrough, her next film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, brought her even more exposure and fame. With few martial arts skills, Zhang utilized her dancing to perfect the moves needed for the physically challenging role. Though the actress began learning English in hopes of breaking into the Hollywood scene, her first major role in the West, ironically, found her speaking her native Chinese (which was subtitled in English). Parts in such high-profile Chinese features as Zu Warriors and Musa (both 2001) followed, and in 2002, Zhang once again stepped before the camera for Zhang Yimou in the visually dazzling, historical martial arts drama Hero. In addition to earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, Zhang Ziyi was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards. In 2003, she took the lead for the political drama Purple Butterfly. Later that year, she accepted a supporting role in the popular action comedy sequel My Wife Is a Gangster 2. The actress appeared in no less than three films in 2004, including Wong Kar-Wai's romantic sci-fi drama 2046. In addition to her film work, Zhang has been the spokeswoman for numerous products, including Tag Heuer, Maybelline, and Visa. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2009
Inevitably recalling director Chen Kaige's 1993 masterpiece, the international smash Farewell, My Concubine, the sumptuous period epic Forever Enthralled (originally and more elegantly given the eponymous biographical title Mei Lanfang) dramatizes the life of Lanfang (Leon Lai), widely regarded as one of the most legendary opera performers in all of Chinese history. Though a male, Lanfang built his reputation on the basis of outstanding performances as female characters, and in fact, lived out his private life buckling under the weight of repressed emotions. Kaige structurally divides the epic into segments. The film commences with a 70-minute sequence that depicts Mei's reaction to a letter from his uncle, cautioning him against the dangers of an operatic career; in the years that follow, Mei recoils from social rules (wrought by his chosen profession) that severely restrict his actions. The narrative then moves forward in time by a decade, to a point where Mei has somehow managed to bound over the said limitations and establish himself as the single most popular opera star in all of China. Conflict lingers, however -- present in Mei's repeated on-stage duels with the performer Swallow 13 (an apocryphal character who represents a composite of several real-life figures), whose style is the polar opposite of his own. Kaige then moves ahead in time to explore Mei's efforts to juggle a second marriage to Fu Zhifang (Chen Hong) and his relationship with his manager, Oju Rubai (Sun Honglei), whose passion for Mei's on-stage craft (and, possibly, a desire for Mei himself) know no bounds. Sadly, a pitfall to Mei's familial security soon presents itself in the form of a young female admirer, Meng Xiaodong (Zhang Ziyi) with whom he lapses into a love affair. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leon Lai, Zhang Ziyi, (more)
Emotionally distanced form his two young sons following the untimely death of his devoted wife, a troubled detective investigates a series of murders that seem to be based on the Biblical prophecies concerning the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in a dark psychological thriller starring Dennis Quaid and Zhang Ziyi. Patrick Fugit, Clifton Collins Jr., Neil McDonough, and Peter Stormare co-star in a film by Spun director Jonas Åckerlund and Doom screenwriter Dave Callaham. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Quaid, Zhang Ziyi, (more)
The stars have aligned in an ominous sign, and as a legion of malevolent monsters descends upon New York City to wage war against humanity, the only thing that stands between humankind and certain destruction are four wisecracking turtles with a flair for martial arts and a hearty appetite for pizza. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's "heroes in a half-shell" return to defend the world against an interstellar threat that comes just once every 3,000 years in a computer-animated action comedy that marked the final film role of Japanese screen legend Mako -- here providing the voice of the eternally wise Master Splinter. Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar lends her voice to the role of the turtles' technical-services worker, April; Fantastic Four's Chris Evans assumes the role of hockey-loving crimefighter Casey Jones; Memoirs of a Geisha star Zhang Ziyi steps in as villainous Foot Ninjas leader Karai; and Star Trek: The Next Generation captain Patrick Stewart voices malevolent tech industrialist Max Winters -- a mortal man whose hunger for profit and power may spell doom for all humanity. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, (more)
- 2006
A World Without Thieves director Feng Xiaogang shifts his focus from modern-day con artists to tenth century intrigue with this tale of internal turmoil in the age of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms starring Zhang Ziyi, Daniel Wu, and Ge You. Her empire on the verge of a massive revolution as storms begin to brew both within the royal court as well as in the outlying kingdoms, the entrancing Empress Wan (Zhang) gazes upon her stepson, Prince Wu Luan (Wu), with the eyes of a forbidden lover rather than a caring mother. When the emperor dies an unexpected death and his younger brother Li (Ge) ascends to the throne, Empress Wan marries the newly appointed sovereign as a means of both protecting her beloved Wu Luan and cementing her position within the royal court. When assassins dispatched by Emperor Li fail in their attempt to silence Wu Luan and his majesty subsequently announces a lavish banquet, Empress Wan and Wu Luan realize that the time has finally come for them to take action against the murderous despot. The film demonstrates tremendous influence by Shakespearean plays, specifically Hamlet and Macbeth. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zhang Ziyi, Ge You, (more)
- 2006
Famed tenor Placido Domingo headlines this December 2006 stage production of Tan Dun's unique opera The First Emperor, mounted by Raise the Red Lantern director Zhang Yimou. Dun composed the score and conducts; he also co-authored the libretto with Ha Jin, adapting both historical records by Sima Qian and the screenplay The Legend of the Bloody Zheng by Lu Wei. This filmed outing bears an unusual footnote, as one in a series of early 21st century filmed operas released to mainstream theaters by New York's Metropolitan Opera in High Definition (HD) format. It contains not merely the said opera, but interviews with the various participants conducted by the late Beverly Sills, and extensive behind-the-scenes footage. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Plácido Domingo, Paul Groves, (more)
This film, based on the novel by Arthur Golden, unfolds from the perspective of Chiyo (Zhang Ziyi), a girl who, at the age of nine, is sold to a geisha house in Kyoto in the early 1930s. Here, she learns that becoming a geisha can be the single path to wealth and independence for a woman. The head geisha of her house, however, Hatsumomo (Gong Li), is bitterly jealous of Chiyo and abuses her at every opportunity. Eventually Chiyo is taken under the wing of Hatsumomo's rival, Mameha (Michelle Yeoh), by far the most famous and successful geisha in their district. Under Mameha's tutelage, Chiyo becomes Sayuri, the most legendary geisha in the nation, skilled in all areas, from conversation to dance, and sought after by seemingly every man alive...except for the one whom she has secretly longed for since she began her training, The Chairman (Ken Watanabe) -- a man who showed her kindness at a time when her view of the world had turned the most bleak. Now as World War II approaches, Japan stands at the brink of a new era and Sayuri must confront the possibility that history will leave all that she has worked for behind. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zhang Ziyi, Ken Watanabe, (more)
Veteran director Seijun Suzuki (Branded to Kill) takes a new direction with the colorful operetta-fairy tale, Princess Raccoon. When Azuchi Momoyama (Mikijiro Hira), the master of Grace Castle, is told by his soothsayer, Virgen the Old Maid (Saori Yuki) that his son, Amechiyo (Joe Odagiri), will soon usurp his place as "the fairest of them all," the king decides to banish the young man to Karasu Mountain, where the shape-shifting tanuki demons (raccoon-like canines native to Japan) live. Dropped at the mountain, Amechiyo is greeted by the beautiful Tanukihime (Zhang Ziyi), who speaks a strange language (Mandarin), and whom he soon learns is the ruler of Tanuki Palace. Amid colorful painted backdrops, lavish costumes, and eclectic musical numbers, the two fall into a forbidden and dangerous romance. After they frolic in the woods, Amechiyo is taken prisoner by tanuki, but Tanukihime's hand maidens, recognizing the princess' love for him, arrange for his escape. Azuchi is determined to end his son's life, however, and even Hagi (Hiroko Yakushimaru), Tanukihime's loyal henchwoman, is determined to separate the lovers, presumably to ensure the princess' safety. Princess Raccoon was shown at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival before having its North American Premiere at the 2005 New York Asian Film Festival, presented by Subway Cinema. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zhang Ziyi, Jô Odagiri, (more)
Chinese director Zhang Yimou fuses a martial arts action-drama with a tragic romance in this elegant period piece. In the year 859 A.D., as the Tang dynasty is beset by rebellion, Leo (Andy Lau) and Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) are a pair of lawmen who have been given the task of ferreting out the leaders of a revolutionary faction known as the Flying Daggers. Working on a tip that members of the group are working out of a brothel called the Peony Pavilion, Jin arrives there in disguise and is introduced to a beautiful blind dancer named Mei (Zhang Ziyi). After watching Mei's performance following several drinks, Jin drunkenly attempts to have his way with her, and Leo is forced to intervene. After gaining Mei's trust in a game of skill, Leo arrests her and informs her that she'll be tortured if she doesn't tell all she knows about the Flying Daggers. Jin responds by helping Mei break out of prison, but he has an ulterior motive -- by following her, Leo and Jin are certain she'll lead them to the Flying Daggers. However, as he helps the blind girl find her way back home, Jin finds himself falling in love with Mei, and isn't certain if he's willing to betray her again. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Ziyi, (more)
Hong Kong-based filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai moves back and forth in time as he reexamines and amplifies the themes from his film In the Mood for Love in this offbeat romantic drama. Opening in the year 2046, in which a man named Tak (Takuya Kimura) attempts to persuades wjw 1967 (Faye Wong) to travel back in time with him, the film soon shifts to the year 1966, in which Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), a struggling author, asks the woman he loves, Su Lizhen (Gong Li) to sail with him from Singapore to Hong Kong on Christmas Eve. She declines, and over the next three years, we return to Chow Mo-wan on December 24 as he finds himself with another woman each year -- lighthearted Lulu (Carina Lau) in 1967, eccentric hotel heiress Wang Jingwen (Faye Wong) in 1968, and Bai Ling (Zhang Ziyi), a high-class prostitute, in 1969. In time, Chow Mo-wan and Wang Jingwen become reacquainted, and a love affair blooms, but the fates are not on their side. 2046 had its world premiere at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. A re-edited version featuring an additional 4 minutes of footage, but minus sequences by martial arts coordinator Tung Wai) premiered in late 2004. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Gong Li, (more)
Directed by Lou Ye, Zi Hudie revolves around the underground faction of anti-Nipponese fighters in 1930s Shanghai, just prior to the onset of the Sino-Japanese war. It's only the beginning when Cynthia (Zhang Ziyi), a young Chinese woman, learns the news of her lover Itami's (Toru Nakamura) rapidly approaching return to the military. In a second and even more devastating blow, Cynthia's brother, a contributor to an anti-Japanese newspaper, is killed by a Japanese activist. Three years later, switchboard operator Tang Yiling (Li Bingbing) and Situ (Liu Ye), her fiancé, are introduced to Cynthia after inadvertently heading into a protest held by a resistance group code-named Purple Butterfly, of which Cynthia (who has since changed her name to Ding Hui) has become a part. Ultimately, a botched assassination attempt leaves Situ with a mysterious briefcase; now a suspect himself, Situ is arrested by none other than Itami, who, after reuniting with his old flame, has no idea of her role in a complicit plan to have his boss (Kin Ei) assassinated. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zhang Ziyi, Liu Ye, (more)
- 2003
South Korean filmmaker Jeong Heung-sun directs the blockbuster action sequel Jopok Manura 2: Dolaon Jeonseol (My Wife is a Gangster 2: The Legend Returns). This time around, gang boss Cha Eun-jin (Shin Eun-gyeong) is without her husband. She is stricken with amnesia following a big gang battle on top of a building. With no recollection of her past, she ends up delivering food for a small Seoul restaurant owned by middle-aged Yun Hae-cheol (Park Jun-gyu). Eun-jin may have forgotten her former identity, but she still remembers her supreme fighting skills. Eventually she has to fight her old enemy White Shark (Jang Sae-jin). My Wife Is a Gangster 2: The Legend Returns was screened at the Pusan Film Festival in 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shin Eun-gyeong, Park Jun-gyu, (more)
Hero is two-time Academy Award nominee Zhang Yimou's directorial attempt at exploring the concept of a Chinese hero. During the peak of their Warring States period, China was divided into seven kingdoms all fighting for supremacy. Most determined to dominate China was the kingdom of Qin, whose king (Chen Daoming) was wholly obsessed with becoming the first emperor of China. Though he was an assassination target for many, none of his would-be killers inspired as much fear as the legendary assassins Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), and Sky (Donnie Yen). In hopes of thwarting his death, the king has promised endless wealth and power to anyone who defeats his would-be murderers. No results come until ten years later, when a man called Nameless (Jet Li) brings the weapons of the three assassins to the Qin king's palace. Nameless claims to be an expert swordsman who had defeated Sky and destroyed the famed duo of Flying Snow and Broken Sword by using their love for one another against them. Once Nameless comes face to face with the king, however, it looks as if the situation is more complicated than he had thought. Also featured in Hero is actress Zhang Ziyi (The Road Home, Crouching Tiger, Hiden Dragon) as Broken Sword's devoted servant, Moon. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, (more)
Touted as the most expensive Korean film ever produced, Musa is a sweeping real-life epic about an official envoy from Koryo (ancient Korea) struggling to stay alive in war-torn China. The film is set in 1375 when the Yuan dynasty collapses after a 100-year reign against the insurgent Ming. As the Ming dynasty solidifies power pushing the remaining Yuan armies to the north and west, Koryo sends a delegation of diplomats to shore up their strained relations with the new government. Upon arrival the lead diplomat is thrown in jail and the rest are exiled to the dusty hinterland for spying. There, the party is ambushed by Yuan soldiers. The survivors are led by General Choi Jung and a bodyguard slave of another fallen general, Yeo-sol. After facing all sorts of adversities, the group make it to a remote country inn where they learn that the beautiful Ming princess Furong (played by Zhang Ziyi of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fame) has been kidnapped. When Yeo-sol gets abducted by the same band of Yuan thugs, Choi Jung resolves to free them both. Fleeing from the same Yuan army, the Koryo warriors with Furong in tow learn that the Yuan has burned all ferryboats in the Yellow River valley. When they happen upon a group of Ming refugees, Furong promises them supplies and safe passage home if they escort the refugees to the Mud Castle upriver. The castle, however, proves to be in ruins and the Yuan are closing in. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ahn Sung-kee, Jung Woo-Sung, (more)
Directed by Tsui Hark, The Legend of Zu is an adaptation of the 64-volume epic novel of the same name, and follows several warriors training in the mysterious Zu mountains. Somehow, the powers of the mountain are absorbed by the warriors and subsequently used to help combat the evil forces threatening the world's safety. When the mountains are invaded by a creature known only as the Blood Demon, the warriors must pool their skills in order to preserve humankind. The film features Louis Koo, Kelly Lin, Zhang Ziyi, Ekin Cheng, Sammo Hung, and Cecilia Cheung. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
A surprise box-office smash spawns this inevitably action-packed buddy comedy follow-up that reunites director Brett Ratner with stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Chan is Chief Inspector Lee of the Royal Hong Kong Police, who travels back to China with his American colleague, Los Angeles detective James Carter (Tucker). The men intend to take some vacation time but are quickly pulled into the case of two murdered U.S. customs agents, who were investigating an illegal counterfeiting scam involving Ricky Tan (John Lone), one of the most powerful Triad gangsters in Asia and an old enemy of Lee's. Lee and Carter are soon embroiled in a dangerous mystery that also involves a sexy secret-service agent (Roselyn Sanchez), a billionaire hotel owner (Alan King), a dangerous femme fatale (Zhang Ziyi) and a finale set in a lavish Las Vegas casino. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, (more)
- 2000
- PG13
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Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee took a break from making Western period dramas to fashion this wild and woolly martial arts spectacular featuring special effects and action sequences courtesy of the choreographer of The Matrix (1999), Yuen Woo Ping. In the early 19th century, martial arts master Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) is about to retire and enter a life of meditation, though he quietly longs to avenge the death of his master, who was killed by Jade Fox (Cheng Pei-pei). He gives his sword, a fabled 400-year-old weapon known as Green Destiny, to his friend, fellow martial arts wizard and secret love Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), so that she may deliver it to Sir Te (Sihung Lung). Upon arrival in Peking, Yu happens upon Jen (Zhang Ziyi), a vivacious, willful politician's daughter. That night, a mysterious masked thief swipes Green Destiny, with Yu in hot pursuit -- resulting in the first of several martial arts action set pieces during the film. Li arrives in Beijing and eventually discovers that Jen is not only the masked thief but is also in cahoots with the evil Jade. In spite of this, Li sees great talent in Jen as a fighter and offers to school her in the finer points of martial arts and selflessness, an offer that Jen promptly rebukes. This film was first screened to much acclaim at the 2000 Cannes, Toronto, and New York film festivals and became a favorite when Academy Awards nominations were announced in 2001: Tiger snagged ten nods and later secured four wins for Best Cinematography, Score, Art Direction, and Foreign Language Film. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, (more)
Following on the heels of director Zhang Yimou's Not One Less (1999), which won the top prize at the 1999 Venice Film Festival, comes this sensitively-wrought portrait of a young woman's unshakable love. The film opens in the present, shot in gritty black and white, as businessman Luo Yusheng (Sun Honglei) returns to his hometown in the rural Hebei province to attend the funeral of his father. When Luo suggests that the coffin should be brought home from the hospital on a tractor, his aging mother Zhao Di (Zhao Yuelin) rebuffs him, insisting that they conform to custom and have it carried home by local men. Later, as Luo recalls his parent's courtship, the film switches to color and travels back in time about 40 years. A young, beautiful Zhao Di (Zhang Ziyi) find herself falling for the village's handsome new teacher Luo Changyu (Zheng Hao). As the males in the village join together to build a school for the burg, Zhao Di helps the other women prepare food, waiting patiently to meet the strapping educator. Just as their romance begins, Luo is suddenly ordered to leave by the Communist authorities. As Luo packs up and leaves the village, Zhao Di races hither and thither carrying his favorite steamed dumplings, hoping to catch him before he departs. Though the odds of reunion seem slim, Zhao Di steadfastly holds vigil for her lover until miraculously, Luo returns under the cover of the night only to be once again ordered to the city where he has been commanded to stay. The pair are forced to wait another two years until they can be together. This film won the prestigious Silver Bear at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival and the World Cinema Audience Award at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival; the victories were all the more sweet for the director, as The Road Home was rejected outright from the 1999 Cannes Film Festival, prompting Zhang to angrily withdraw his Not One Less from competition. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zhang Ziyi
