Top 250 Movies Like Lady Wu: The First Empress

Diplomats, soldiers and other representatives of a dozen nations fend off the siege of the International Compound in Peking during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion. The disparate interests unite for survival despite competing factions, overwhelming odds, delayed relief and tacit support of the Boxers by the Empress of China and her generals.

This highly personal film essay demonstrates that Chinese cinema has dealt with questions of gender and sexuality more frankly and provocatively than any other national cinema. Yang ± Yin examines male bonding and phallic imagery in the swordplay and kung fu movies of the '60s and '70s; homosexuality; same-sex bonding and physical intimacy; the continuing emphasis on women's grievances in melodramas; and the phenomenon of Yam Kim-Fai, a Hong Kong actress who spent her life portraying men on and off the screen.

The action-packed and captivating tale of Dee Renjie's beginnings in the Imperial police force. His very first case, investigating reports of a sea monster terrorizing the town, reveals a sinister conspiracy of treachery and betrayal, leading to the highest reaches of the Imperial family.

Observations of three varied corners of China’s garment industry: workers in a large-scale production line factory; a designer who rallies against the mass-machine-production of clothes and has created the eponymous hand-made collection called ‘Useless’ (Wuyong) for Paris Fashion Week; and finally the simple life of increasingly out-of-work tailors in small town Fengdang.

Few of us have stopped to consider the lives of the workers who manufacture the objects that make up our daily lives. We use these objects without knowing anything about the Foxconn plants in which they are made, or even where these factories are located, let alone who works in them. One such worker was the young Chinese poet Xu Lizhi, who, at the age of 24, jumped out of a building not far from where he worked at the Foxconn factory in Shenzhen.

A cinematic feature documentary about China's foray into Africa told through the lives of Chinese adventurers & Zambian power brokers as they negotiate the tricky waters of this rapidly expanding and vital relationship.

The story of the rape of Nanking, one of the most tragic events in history. In 1937, the invading Japanese army murdered over 200,000 and raped tens of thousands of Chinese. In the midst of this horror, a small group of Western expatriates banded together to save 250,000. Nanking shows the tremendous impact individuals can make on the course of history.

English-language version of Ich und die Kaiserin. 'Germany, 1890. Duke falls in love with voice which is not that of empress, but of hairdresser.' (British Film Catalogue)

Documentary on mainland Chinese life. Directed, produced, written, and narrated by Shirley MacLaine, the film follows her First American Women’s Friendship Delegation to China. The delegation consisted of all women, including a four-woman film crew.

Based on the novel of the same name, the film follows three cosmopolitan women, an actress, a PR specialist and a gallery manager, all wrestling with the ups and downs of their romantic lives.

A woman inherits her father's fireworks factory, as he had no son. The business does well and everything works in an orderly fashion until one day, an itinerant painter is hired to decorate the doors and vases at the factory. The woman, forbidden to marry and thereby involve outsiders in the factory ownership, finds herself drawn to the headstrong painter. When they fall in love, the situation throws her entire life into disarray

A haunting, tragic love story about the aftermath of the American War in Vietnam, and the long-term effect it had on ordinary people's lives. Set in a border town between China and Vietnam, it is a universal story that could be about any war, in any country.

In 1937, Japan began their invasion of China by murdering over 300,000 people in the capital of Nanjing. The atrocities committed against women and their daughters are especially barbaric. One of them is Xiaoyun, a peasant girl who fights with the Chinese resistance group. On her way to freedom she must fight against Japanese soldiers, ninjas, a killer geisha, Nazis, and the evil General of the Japanese imperial army.

Takada, a Japanese fisherman has been estranged from his son for many years, but when the son is diagnosed with terminal cancer his daughter-in-law, Rie, summons him to the hospital. Through a series of obstacles and relationships, he is brought unexpectedly closer to both an understanding of himself and of his son.

The woman who will become Catherine the Great marries into the Russian royal family when she weds Grand Duke Peter, the nephew of Empress Elizabeth. Although the couple has moments of contentment, Peter's cruel and erratic behavior causes a rift between him and Catherine. Mere months after Peter succeeds his aunt as the ruler of Russia, a revolt is brewing, and Catherine is poised to ascend to the throne as the country's new empress.

Prompted by the death of his father and the grief of his mother, a man recalls the story of how they met in flashback.

In 1896, Ethiopia, an African nation, largely armed with spears and knives, defeats a well-equipped and organized Italian military bent on colonization.

In 1942, Henan Province was devastated by the most tragic famine in modern Chinese history, resulting in the deaths of at least three million men, women and children. Although the primary cause of the famine was a severe drought, it was exacerbated by locusts, windstorms, earthquakes, epidemic disease and the corruption of the ruling Kuomintang government.

Crown Prince Wu Luan is in love with Little Wan but left heartbroken when she marries his father, the emperor. The emperor's brother, Li, kills him and Wu Luan tries to avenge his father's death.

Army volunteers train for places in China's 1984 National Day parade, where they are expected to be a perfect marching unit.

In 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Imperial Japanese Army has just captured Nanjing, then-capital of the Republic of China. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a six week period wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed.

The film depicts Confucius's later life, as he traveled across a China divided by war and strife in an ultimately futile effort to teach various warlords and kings his particular philosophy.

A Chinese peasant is given the responsibility of protecting his village's special dairy cow during a particularly harsh winter in 1940.

During China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as his wife. She has borne him two sons and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.

The film is set in Beijing during the Cultural Revolution. It is told from the perspective of Ma Xiaojun nicknamed Monkey, a teenage boy. Monkey and his friends are free to roam the streets of Beijing day and night because the Cultural Revolution has caused their parents and most adults to be either busy or away. The story revolves around Monkey's dalliances with his roguish male friends and his subsequent angst-filled crush with Mi Lan.

Fugui and Jiazhen endure tumultuous events in China as their personal fortunes move from wealthy landownership to peasantry. Addicted to gambling, Fugui loses everything. In the years that follow he is pressed into both the nationalist and communist armies, while Jiazhen is forced into menial work.

Dee, the detective serving Chinese empress Wu Zetian, is called upon to investigate a series of strange events in Loyang, including the appearance of mysterious warriors wearing Chiyou ghost masks, foxes that speak human language and the pillar sculptures in the palace coming alive.

When the future empress Wu Zetian's two courtiers die in a mysterious fire, she gets Di Renjie, a former detective and rebel, released from prison to solve the mystery of the fire.

The Executive Empress explores the entrepreneurial lives of several Florida women, who have turned their unique passions into successful businesses.

The rigorous city life of China, while bustling and unforgiving, contains the everlasting memories of days past. Three stories told in three different cities, follow the loss of youth and the daunting realization of adulthood. Though reality may seem ever changing, unchangeable are the short-lived moments of one's childhood days. A plentiful bowl of noodles, the beauty of family and the trials of first love endure the inevitable flow of time, as three different characters explore the strength of bonds and the warmth of cherished memories. Within the disorder of the present world, witness these quaint stories recognize the comfort of the past, and attempt to revive the neglected flavors of youth.

During the 18th century, German noblewoman Sophia Frederica, who would later become Catherine the Great, travels to Moscow to marry the dimwitted Grand Duke Peter, the heir to the Russian throne. Their arranged marriage proves to be loveless, and Catherine takes many lovers, including the handsome Count Alexei, and bears a son. When the unstable Peter eventually ascends to the throne, Catherine plots to oust him from power.

A fragmentary landscape for a little train station in a suburban area and a bus stop in a mining town. A lonely soldier in his heavy coat, a tired old man, a bubbly young lady, a punk, a woman waiting in the street... From all those different people in these unfamiliar places, we can feel the exhaustion of every life.

A dramatic history of Puyi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic.

The story of a beautiful, single woman who runs a restaurant in inland China, delving into her battle to understand the rapid changes affecting society around her.

Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria clashes with his father, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, over implementing progressive policies for their country. Rudolf soon feels he is a man born at the wrong time in a country that doesn't realize the need for social reform. The Prince of Wales, later to become Britain's King Edward VII, provides comic relief. Rudolf finds refuge from a loveless marriage with Princess Stéphanie by taking a mistress, Baroness Maria Vetsera. Their untimely demise at Mayerling, the imperial family's hunting lodge, is cloaked in mystery.

After a series of assassinations in Nanking, a Japanese spy master gathers a group of suspects in a mansion, then a tense cat-and-mouse game erupts as the Chinese agent tries to keep his or her identity a secret.

Two students travel across rural China looking for some meaning to their lives.

Pirate hunter Captain Edward Reynolds and his blond first mate, Jules Steel, return where they are recruited by a shady governor general to find a darkly sinister Chinese empress pirate, named Xifing, and her group of Arab cutthroats, whom are trying to resurrect the late Victor Stagnetti, the world's most feared pirate, from the grave to bring on world domination. When Jules is captured and enslaved by the Xifing, Reynolds must rely on his sword-fighting ally, Olivia, to take on the supernatural forces at work surrounding the lethal Xifing.

Ding Hui is a member of Purple Butterfly, a powerful resistance group in Japanese occupied Shanghai. An unexpected encounter reunites her with Itami, an ex-lover and officer with a secret police unit tasked with dismantling Purple Butterfly.

Iconic actress Jean Yu returns to Japanese-occupied China to star in a play directed by her former lover. However, her undercover work for the Allies soon places her life in grave danger.

Beijing, 1902: an enterprising young portrait photographer named Liu Jinglun, keen on new technology, befriends a newly-arrived Englishman who's brought projector, camera, and Lumière-brothers' shorts to open the Shadow Magic theater. Liu's work with Wallace brings him conflict with tradition and his father's authority, complicated by his falling in love with Ling, daughter of Lord Tan, star of Beijing's traditional opera. Liu sees movies as his chance to become wealthy and worthy of Ling. When the Shadow Magic pair are invited to show the films to the Empress Dowager, things look good. But, is disaster in the script? And, can movies preserve tradition even as they bring change?

A man remembers his childhood memory of growing up with an annoying little sister in 1990s China. How would his life have been if things had gone differently?

The life and trials of You Tianming, a young suona apprentice who forms his own suona troupe at a time when the traditions of suona music are declining in Chinese society.

The films spans two decades as the story unfolds in a series of flashbacks that begin when Qiyue and Ansheng were just thirteen. The two became inseparable until they met a boy who ended up tearing their lives apart.

Xu Daqin, a retired Chinese factory worker, returns to the remote Yunnan province, where he hopes to reconcile himself with the life and opportunity he passed up in this place 40 years ago.

A stylish urban romance about the silent suffering of a modern Chinese couple.

A town in Fengjie county is gradually being demolished and flooded to make way for the Three Gorges Dam. A man and woman visit the town to locate their estranged spouses, and become witness to the societal changes.

Time Raiders is based on the online novel series Daomu Biji written by Xu Lei. It tells the story of explorers searching for the secrets of immortality in ancient tombs

The battle of Red Cliff continues and the alliance between Xu and East Wu is fracturing. With Cao Cao's massive forces on their doorstep, will the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu survive?

The story of corrupt, power-hungry, manipulative Grigori Rasputin's influence on members of the Russian Imperial family and others, and what resulted.

Year 1941, a roll of film is delivered to Shanghai and a Chinese spy named Gong An Ming (Liu Yun Long) must decide what he should do with the film, which turns out containing a great secret that could shock the whole world. He discovers the plan code named 'East Wind Rain' and passes the information to the American that their territory will soon be invaded by the Japanese. The code is aired during the weather report from Radio Tokyo on Dec 4, 1941. While in Shanghai An Ming meets with a singer cum pianist, Huan Yan (Fan Bing Bing) and falls in love with her, not realizing that she is also one of the spies. Soon An Ming realizes that his effort found no success and have been ignored due to some reason. And now by risking his own life he must also decide whether to make Huan Yan his lover or his enemy? Will the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor in the end? Which country is Huan Yan working as a spy for? Will An Ming get caught by his enemy?

This intimate and loving portrait of the legendary arbiter of fashion, art and culture illustrates the many stages of Vreeland's remarkable life. Born in Paris in 1903, she was to become New York's "Empress of Fashion" and a celebrated Vogue editor.

After a series of murders occur, two vampire hunters and some FBI agents hunt down the empress vampire who caused the mayhem.

Questions of race, identity and heritage are explored through the lives of young American women growing up as adoptees from China. These four distinct individuals reflect on their experiences as members of transracial families.

In 2040, a generation of Torontonians have grown up after the economic collapse of the west. The movie consists of episodes of a documentary series popular in mainland China about the bad jobs some white people have -- the plucky and resilient souls unlucky enough to be born into the slums of North America are both amusing and moving to the Chinese audience. Oscar is a digital janitor, and has to manually cover up logos for copyright reasons in the future's answer to Google StreetView maps. Gary and Karen assemble robot baby dolls for the children of the wealthy in Asia. Anton and Toph are spider silk collectors. Serina is human spam and makes a living by mentioning brands and products in casual conversation.

In the 13th century, Walter of Gurnie, a disinherited Saxon youth, is forced to flee England. With his friend, Tristram, he falls in with the army of the fierce but avuncular General Bayan, and journeys all the way to China, where both men become involved in intrigues in the court of Kublai Khan.

The story of a six year old boy from Phoenix, Arizona whose dreams of becoming a Kungfu master lead him to the birthplace of martial arts - the legendary Shaolin Temple in China. His father must now face a heartbreaking decision and follow his son to China leaving the mother behind in America... a choice few parents could ever imagine.

In the Lantern Festival, the people pray for the blessing of the Empress Wu Zetian, but a strange beast with a full body of fire appears. It is said that eating the flesh and blood of the unicorn can cure all diseases, so Wu Zetian orders the Secretary of the Da Lisi, Xue Xin, to find out the truth within seven days. When the young Dee comes to Chang'an to be promoted to the position of "Chancellor" of the Da Lisi, he learns of a strange case at the Shang Yuan Festival and that he needs to wait until the case is solved before he can report to the court. Dee, who had wanted to wait for his job to be solved, is intrigued by this strange case and becomes involved in it by mistake.

When all four of his children cancel their yearly visits, a widower travels to the far corners of the country to see them and discovers the hidden sides of their lives.

About young British journalist, George Hogg, who with the assistance of a courageous Australian nurse, saves a group of orphaned children during the Japanese occupation of China in 1937.

A remote village in southwest China is haunted by traces of its cultural past while its residents piece together their existence. Zhiziluo is a town barely clinging to life. Tucked away in a rugged corner of Yunnan Province, Lisu and Nu minority villagers squat in the abandoned halls of this remote former Community county seat. Divided into three parts, this epic documentary takes an intimate look at its varied cast of characters, bringing audiences face to face with people left behind by China's new economy. A father-son duo of elderly preachers argue over the future of their village church. Two young lovers face a break-up over harsh financial realities. A twelve year-old boy, abandoned by his family, scavenges the hillside to feed himself.

In 1937, eight hundred Chinese soldiers fight under siege from a warehouse in the middle of the Shanghai battlefield, completely surrounded by the Japanese army.

After the death of her father, a woman is forced to take over as empress and fight to save her kingdom.

In Empress Wu's reign, there are several bizarre deaths in the capital city of Chang'an. The rumors of the Martyrs Shrine's "Flying Goddess Mural" murder case are getting worse. Di Renjie is ordered to investigate the case. He cracks the mystery of the mural based on the characteristics of the Flower Sermon, which leads to the murderer, Li Luoyu. Soon after, Li Luoyu commits suicide. After multiple investigations, Di finally finds out the true murderer.

Louis Koo plays 009, or translated literally from its aural pronunciation, double-O Dog. He's one of 12 special Royal Bodyguards of a simpleton Emperor (Liu Yiwei) who named these 12 guards after the Chinese Zodiac, hence 9 translated to Dog. Unlike his peers, Dog is a scientist, and relies pretty much on his brains and fantastical gadgets to protect his Majesty from evil ninja assassins.

A film about the lives of Chinese businessmen in Russia.

Bear brothers Briar and Bramble set off on an adventure with their human friend Vick to Wild Land, an amusement park where humans can turn into animals using a gene-technology bracelet.

The story of some senior high school students in a Chinese village, their dreams, friendships and romances.

The life story of Chinese tennis champion Li Na.

Princess is destined to marry the Emperor, until her sister steps in.

Han Hsiang Li's lush epic re-creates the fascinating life and times of Tzu Hsi, the Manchu Qing dynasty empress who rose from the ranks of Emperor Xianfeng's many concubines to become the de facto ruler of China for nearly 50 years.

The Mad Empress is a 1939 American historical drama film depicting the 3-year reign of Maximilian I of Mexico and his struggles against Benito Juarez.

Confucius was one of history's most influential thinkers. He was a sage, philosopher and teacher who, with Socrates and Buddha, lived at an extraordinary time in the evolution of human civilization. This stunningly beautiful drama-documentary explores the life and times of Confucius, while reflecting on his influence on modern justice and morality. Today, Confucius is a window into China's rise.

Historical film based on the life of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history

A compelling biopic about Qi Gong, China’s most prestigious calligrapher and ink painter. This biopic follows the middle and later years of the life of Qi Gong (1912-2005), China’s most prestigious calligrapher and ink painter, whose dedication to teaching his art influenced many generations of artists. A lifelong yet unconcerned victim of forgery (‘they do it better than me’), Qi Gong suffered for his calling, particularly during the Cultural Revolution. Yet throughout his life he showed a tolerance and generosity of spirit that made him a beloved teacher and an icon for traditional Chinese Culture.

An old retired puppet master has his quiet life disrupted his 6-year-old American grandson, who barely speaks Chinese.

Cameron a womanizing executive gets more than he bargained for when he hires Karla as his personal assistant prior to his upcoming wedding.

It is about 3 men from different regions of China who head to Singapore to try to make some cash through various schemes. However, their lives change when they meet the woman of their dreams.

This first film by choreographer Pina Bausch reflects her method of working as developed with the Wuppertal Theatre of Dance during the 1973/74 season. The film does not tell a story, but is made up of various scenes put together as a collage with scenes set in different locations. The futility of human activity and the search for love make up the film's central theme set against the strains of a Silician funeral march. Filmed on location in Wuppertal, Germany, between October 1987 and April 1989.

A behind-the-scenes documentary about director Michelangelo Antonioni as he's shooting his segment of The Three Faces, a vehicle for Soraya, the former empress of Persia. Featuring interviews with Monica Vitti, Tonino Guerra and more.

Humble, unassuming Ma and timid Cao have been cast off by their families and forced into an arranged marriage. They have to combine their strength and build a home to survive. In the face of much adversity, an unexpected bond begins to blossom, as both Ma and Cao, uniting with Earth's cycles, create a haven for themselves in which they can thrive.

An empress commissions a painting of herself from a French outsider in hopes of stirring her husband's interest in this lavish period piece. The Lady in the Portrait is a period yarn evoking the unique rapport between a French missionary and the Manchurian Empress whose portrait he's ordered to paint.

A voyage in between a woman who tries to searching for the meaning of life and a man holding a book of poems on the longest river of Mainland China.

During the eighteenth century the Empress of Russia sends her lover to kidnap her rival for the throne.

Based on real life events, the film is set in January 1949 and focuses around a group of soldiers involved in the final stages of the Battle of Pingjin

In this propaganda film, a courageous group of Chinese children risk their lives to assist downed American pilots escape the ruthless Japanese oppressors.

There were three women lived with Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, during 1922 and 1924. Wan-jung, the Queen, ended up with being insane. Tan Yuling died. Wenxiu, a concubine, was eliminated from the Royal family. This is the story of the fate of three women, including the wife and cousin of who have a lesbian relationship

Fifty years of modern Chinese history (1900-1950), including wars, revolutions and corrupt politics, as seen through the life and times of a simple Beijing policeman and his family.

A glimpse into the lives of 4 Shanghai teenagers.

The Childlike Empress lies in limbo between life and death and the only hope for her kingdom lies in the ability of a young boy to transcend the boundaries of fantasy in this tale of myth and magic that is certain to capture the imagination. As young Bastian opens the pages of "The Neverending Story," he learns that the Childlike Princess is near death and Fantasia is in danger of falling prey to the Dark Princess Xayide. Soon falling through the written page and into a world beyond his wildest imagination, Bastian's alter ego Atreyu must enlist the help of his trusty sidekick Fly Girl and mischievous hucksters Rip Rowdy and Wexlerian if there is any hope of unlocking the mystery of the Southern Oracle and awakening the Childlike Empress to bring order back to Fantasia.

In Qing Dynasty, Chen Xiang and Liuli became maids and friends in the imperial palace. Liuli wanted to be famous whereas Chen Xiang just wanted to live a normal life. Liuli attempted to change her life by knowing the prince, even at the cost of betraying Chen Xiang.

The lives and loves of 5 young people of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang set in a musical that reflects the upsurge of disco and breakdancing in late 80s China.

Four teen groupies kidnap their music idol Shea, for fun only to find themselves at the mercy of a manipulative psychopath on a deadly mission to settle old scores.

A man in turmoil after a turning point in his life begins collecting antique china.

Can two completely different cultures truly connect? Can two people from completely different worlds find love? These are some of the questions raised in 'China Affair.' A Chinese movie filmed from a non-Chinese perspective, 'China Affair' is a complex narrative laced with barbed satire, which allows for a fresh perspective unseen in other movies that touch upon the cultural gap between America and China. At first glance, Director Zhang Ming is simply bringing cultural differences to life through the eyes of a foreigner named Lucas, but actually Zhang Ming's 'China Affair' is a story about difficult relationships that reflects on larger issues facing an increasingly intercultural world.

Four young people, one city. For love or ideal, with funny and faint bewilderment. An original improvisation in Chinese Cinema, a brand new rendering of city life.

The romantic comedy “Tuhao 520” or “Love Without Distance” is the newest film title that centers on the lives of China’s billionaires. The film attempts to dissect before the audience via creatively crafted scenes the meaning of "tuhao," which is a famous Chinese expression describing rich people who lack some grace and elegance.

A normal girl, Xiao Wen, decides to enter a singing competition in order to make money to save her mother's life. In the process, Xiao Mi discovers the meaning of life.

During the Wu Zhou period, a popular dancer in Luoyang was unjustly beheaded and turned into an evil spirit, killing a series of people. Dee, the first detective in exile, is pardoned by Empress Wu and appointed as an imperial envoy to investigate the case. However, on his way back to the city, he is unexpectedly assassinated and falls off a cliff. Two people then mistakenly get swapped and the fake Dee (played by Lv Zhaoyuan) is forced to investigate the case under the supervision of the Minister of State, while the real Dee, who is injured and lost his memories, returns to Luoyang by chance and quickly grasps the key evidence of the strange fragrance of the corpse with his investigative instincts. The real and fake Dee tacitly cooperate, using their respective advantages to keep approaching the truth, the real culprit behind the "female ghosts claiming life" finally reveal their true identity......

On the occasion of the birthday feast of Queen Wu Zetian, it was suddenly reported that the "red-eyed monster" was committing a chaotic case, and Wu Zetian ordered Di Renjie to supervise the case. Di Renjie and his apprentice Chen Jiangqiao came to Fangzhou to investigate the case, and chanced upon Shen Qingqing, who was also investigating the case. Through the investigation of the case, the trio gradually approached the truth behind the "red-eyed monster", which led to a series of serial incidents. In the process of dealing with this series of incidents, Di Renjie was upright, putting the common people of Li people first, and expressing a sense of responsibility and mission that "everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world", and finally successfully solved the mystery.