Zhang Yimou was in secondary school when the Cultural Revolution exploded in China in 1966. Since his father had served in the old guard, Zhang was sent immediately to the countryside to begin ten years of education (or hard labor) in the fields. While his hands churned the soil, his mind turned to d

Elegant, Epic, Hypnotic, Lyrical, Mainland chinese (the 5th generation), Political, Rebel

Fran'ois Truffaut's name is by now synonymous with the French New Wave. The movement's birth was heralded when Truffaut printed his official manifesto against "le cinema de papa" in the journal Cahiers du Cinema. "A Certain Tendency in French Cinema," appearing in 1954, rocked the French film world's

Epic, French new wave, Lyrical, Psychological, Sensual

Akira Kurosawa fits easily in the pantheon of preeminent directors of the century. His films have exerted unforeseen influences on post-WWII film. George Lucas used his 'Hidden Fortress' as a model for 'Star Wars"; Sergio Leone adapted his samurai tales to the spaghetti western; John Sturges transfor

Classical japanese, Epic, Psychological, Self-reflection, Violent

"A camera in your hand and an idea in your head" was how film critic-turned-filmmaker Glauber Rocha characterized the creative conditions under which Brazil's "Cinema Novo" (New Cinema) began. Rocha was the movement's guiding spirit, both in theory and in practice, as he and other filmmakers sought t

Cinema novo, Epic, Intense, Political, Social revolution, Violent