MONTE Pursue the Possibilities…
APRIL 2008
Hello there. This month’s issue is
From the founder
quite different, but I did not need
an introduction to tell you that.
My goal for April’s issue is to be
spontaneous, yet, creative. I have
been a long avid fan of Asian
cinema, especially, Japanese and
Chinese films. So, since this is the
year of the Beijing Olympics, I am
going to be an ambassador by
giving you of what I consider the
best of the best Chinese films.
Please, do not judge the book by
its cover, and what I mean by that
is, I find people who cannot sit
through two- hour film in Chinese,
I conclude by wishing you and
your family great health.
info@montepictures.com
www.montepictures.com
The greatest Chinese film ever made
Winner of four Academy Awards, tied with the most Oscar wins
for a foreign language film in the year 2000. Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon is the best Chinese film to-date, and it’s my third
favorite film of all time. The film was directed by Academy
Award winner Ang Lee, 2006, Best Director for Brokeback
Mountain. .
Although, I love historical films. But, I find that I become a film
critic when it comes to combing history and formalism together.
This film has all the qualities of what draws me into the love
story, the score, the performances, the photography, the settings,
the costumes, the writing, the direction and the martial arts.
What can I not say about this film? Honestly, nothing. The film
was made on a budget of $15 million dollars; you cannot
compare an Asian film to an American film because Spider-Man
3 holds the record for most expensive film of all time, $259
million.
Also, Crouching Tiger holds the record in the United States as
the highest- grossing foreign- language film. Here is a short
synopsis about the film: Set during the Qing Dynasty in China
(1778), two martial art masters hunt down the stolen ancient
sword, the green dynasty.
 Photographs copyrighted by GOOGLE, Inc

Newsletter copyrighted by MONTE

Hong
HongKong
Kong
 Winner of 9
Academy Awards
including, the
coveted Best Picture
of 1987.

Directed by
Bernardo Bertolucci

19,000 extras were

needed over the
course of the film.

The Last Emperor is an Academy Award- winning film biopic

about the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. Brilliantly
photographed and inspiring performances from a well
ensemble cast including: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole,
Rucheng Ying, and Victor Wong.

The film depicts the life of Puyi from the time of his succession
to the throne as a small boy to his imprisonment and political
captivity by the Chinese Communist authorities.
 Directed by
Zhang Yimou

Winner of The Golden

Rooster Awards, Chinese
Oscars, and the Golden
Lion award for Best
Picture at the 1999,
Venice Film Festival

Not One Less is a marvelous and an important film by acclaim

filmmaker Zhang Yimou. The film is creatively photographed
to be more of a documentary. Yimou uses brilliant direction by
blurring the boundaries of drama and life into his film, allowing
the camera to be invincible and feeling sadden for the characters.

The film is centered on a thirteen year-old substitute school

teacher, Wei Minzhi (played by the actress of the same name), who
is sent to a poverty Chinese countryside, who is placed in charge
after the previous teacher leaves for a month. She is informed to
not lose any students, and when one of the boys, Zhang Huike
(played by Zhang Huike) leaves in search for a job in Beijing, she is
sets off in looking for him and to bring him home.
 Co- winner of
the Palm D’Or
(Best Film) at
the 1993,
Cannes Film
Festival.

Directed by
Chen Kaige

Farewell My Concubine is a 1993 Chinese film. This film is

gorgeous and quite intriguing through a historical stand point.
Stunningly photographed of China’s beautiful landscape and
the wondrous colors of the film’s costumes. The film starts with
two strangely dressed people walking down a hallway.
Afterwards, the film flashbacks to the early 1920s, when the two
strangely dressed individuals are children at a school for the
acting at the Beijing Opera troupe.
Eventually, the two boys join together, companionship, the
young boy promises to take care of the other boy, during
emotional distraught and heavy obedience from the school
masters. The film pursues onward through the struggles of the
boys and seen on several occasion them escaping from
the facility. Thereafter, when the two boys finally graduate from
the acting school of Beijing Opera, they are hired to perform.
When one boy falls in love with a prostitute (Gong Li), the other
boy becomes jealous and outrage because of his affection
towards him.
 Directed by
Zhang Yimou

Academy Award
Nominee for 1991,
Best Foreign
Language film

“A breathtaking,
beautifully…
masterpiece film.”

- Javier Serrano

Raise The Red Lantern. Gorgeous… is the word to describe this

film. I got the chance to watch this film several months ago.
Afterwards, I suddenly fell in love with this film. The story is
captivating by historical views of cultural custom domination
in China. Also, the film is superbly performed by Gong Li,
voted as China’s beautiful actress of all time in 2007.

In 1920s China, Songlian (Gong Li) is a nineteen –year-old

college student. After the sudden death of her father, Songlian
agrees to marry a wealthy nobleman to support her family. She
is to be wife four at his estate, where daily life revolves around
an ancient family custom: the master raises a red lantern
outside the house of the wife whom his desires to spend the
night.
The Story of Qiu Ju