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Miniatures Adventure => Back of Beyond => Topic started by: Schweizer on July 15, 2009, 05:31:02 AM

Title: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Schweizer on July 15, 2009, 05:31:02 AM: I was curious if anyone had a list, or suggestions, for movies set in Warlord Era China (1916 to 1928), or that deal with Chinese people in that general period (i.e. a prohibition era film taking place in Chinatown my work).

Ones that spring to mind:

High Road to China
The General Died at Dawn
Lost Horizon
The Good, the Bad, the Weird
The Quest

Others that don't fit the period but DO fit the spirit are

Soldier of Fortune
55 Days in Peking
Blood Alley
Big Trouble in Little China

I've not seen Jet Li's Fearless yet, but I feel as though it might correspond. Suggestions of any martial arts films, especially those in which there is Occidental presence (but not confined to that) would be welcomed. So would TV shows!

I know that there have to be more than just these. Any ideas? I figured that, given the period and subject matter, this would be the best forum to post in, as opposed to Back of Beyond.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: cdr on July 15, 2009, 06:35:26 AM: The last emperor ?
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: traveller on July 15, 2009, 08:10:22 AM: "The Sand Peebles" from 1966
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Pentaro on July 15, 2009, 08:24:56 AM: "The Sand Pebbles", "Shanghai Express". Both are great!

Quote from: Schweizer on July 15, 2009, 05:31:02 AM
I've not seen Jet Li's Fearless yet, but I feel as though it might correspond. Suggestions of any martial arts films, especially those in which there is Occidental presence (but not confined to that) would be welcomed. So would TV shows!

"Fearless" has very cool fighting scenes, but isn't a very good film. "Once upon a time in China" (set earlier in the 19th C) is less serious and much better IMHO.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Phil Robinson on July 15, 2009, 09:26:02 AM: Not in period or very military, but a fine John Ford film none the less

7 Women (1966)

In a mission in China in 1935, Agatha Andrews is a rigid missionary beset by Mongolian bandits led by Warlord chief Tunga Khan. With her are her assistant Jane Argent, staff members Emma Clark, Miss Russell and Miss Binns, head of the British mission, Charles Pather, a teacher at the mission and his pregnant wife Florrie. When Dr. D.R. Cartwright arrives, she agrees to sacrifice herself to the Tunga Khan in exchange for his letting the ladies go free.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Auton on July 15, 2009, 10:12:00 AM: The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933) is another one that springs to mind

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bitter_Tea_of_General_Yen
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Bugsda on July 15, 2009, 11:00:45 AM: "The Left Hand Of God" with Humphrey Bogart, it's set in 1947 but looks good.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: BaronVonJ on July 15, 2009, 02:25:01 PM: Don't forget, "The Good, the Bad and Weird"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good,_the_Bad,_the_Weird
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Leapsnbounds on July 15, 2009, 03:19:56 PM: The Left Hand of God with Humphrey Bogart
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Schweizer on July 15, 2009, 05:13:33 PM: I've got Sand Pebbles, I don't know why I left that off.

I'll try Left Hand of God and Seven Women, both sound really interesting.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Oppiedog on July 16, 2009, 08:35:53 AM: Alright then ... time to quit lirking and get to posting ...

A few that have not been mentioned but are alot of fun to watch:

"Tell It To The Marines" (1926) Lon Chaney plays a tough U.S. Marine Gunney Sgt that helps hold of a band of Chinese bandits (lead by Warner Oland) after saving the required Mission civilians.

"West Of Shanghai" (1937) Boris Karloff (!!) plays a Chinese Warlord holding a group of Americans in the middle of the usual unrest. Worth just to watch Boris.

"Barricade" (1939) Warner Baxter helps to hold off the usual Chinese bandits from over running the local American mission.

Of the others, I've always enjoyed Bogart & Lee J Cobb in "The Left Hand of God".
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Bugsda on July 16, 2009, 10:06:25 AM: I'll have to search these out, especially the Boris Karloff one, he's my homeboy 8)
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Pentaro on July 16, 2009, 10:55:11 AM: This thread will keep me busy for at least a couple of sundays :)

At least one episode of Peter Lorre's excellent "Mr Moto" series was set in China.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Poliorketes on July 16, 2009, 12:00:40 PM: Farewell my Concubine
Bruce Lee, Fist of Fury
The Good Earth

Though neither works as background for a BoB-setting
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Shikari Sahib on July 16, 2009, 03:36:13 PM: there is one with Tom Selleck
the Italian title is
Gli Avventurieri ai confini del mondo,
but I don't know the original name.
Piero
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Plynkes on July 16, 2009, 03:38:26 PM: That one is called High Road to China in English, Piero.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Svennn on July 16, 2009, 03:43:57 PM: THe left hand of God is showing on Film 4 (UK) right now
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Shikari Sahib on July 16, 2009, 04:17:45 PM: Quote from: Plynkes on July 16, 2009, 03:38:26 PM
That one is called High Road to China in English, Piero.

Thanks ;)
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Schweizer on July 16, 2009, 10:27:10 PM: Quote from: Shikari Sahib on July 16, 2009, 03:36:13 PM
there is one with Tom Selleck
the Italian title is
Gli Avventurieri ai confini del mondo,
but I don't know the original name.
Piero

This one's High Road to China. I like it.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Poliorketes on July 17, 2009, 07:38:13 AM: There is another one, a rather unknown, obsvcure movie titled Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which starts in China. :D
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Doomhippie on July 17, 2009, 05:48:12 PM: I dimly recall some TV series, which I saw on German television in the 1970s. It was called "die gelbe Karavane" (which would be "The yellow caravan" in English though that is probably not the original name). All I remember is a scene where some kind of semitruck was hanging over the side of some cliff and people were trying to rescue the driver. But hey, that was 30some years ago...
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: cdr on July 18, 2009, 10:17:18 AM: Was that series not about a real French expedition (la croisiere Jaune) Something about driving Citroën Kegresse half tracks to China ?
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Doomhippie on July 18, 2009, 12:12:01 PM: Might have been. I was really young at that time and of course didn't pay attention to historic details.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Stecal on July 20, 2009, 05:36:50 AM: The Painted Veil (3rd remake in 2006 with Naomi Watts)

is based on the 1925 novel of the same title by W. Somerset Maugham.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: HerbyF on July 20, 2009, 06:07:49 AM: Most of the ones that I can think of have already been mentioned. But I have a couple of movies set in the late 1800s that make for a good game background or 3. They are "Once Apon A Time In China" I & II. More Boxer rebellion than Warlord-era but a lot of Chinese martial societies & stuff.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: FBadger on July 21, 2009, 12:48:44 AM: Being WW2 era it's not quite the right time period, but Magnificent Warriors (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094375/ (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094375/)) is set in Mongolia and I vaguely recall it having a Warlord-era China feel to it. It's definitely more of a martial arts movie than anything, but it's a fairly enjoyable romp. It's kind of like a female Indiana Jones movie with kung fu and the Japanese army attacking a Mongolian city.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: oirob on August 07, 2009, 12:08:02 PM: A bit earlier (1913) but funny and interesting:

"Peking Opera Blues"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090952/

"The Warlord"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069485/

"Clash of the Warlords" (Zhi feng da zhan)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0341669/

http://so.youku.com/search_video/q_%E7%9B%B4%E5%A5%89%E5%A4%A7%E6%88%98

"The first of August"

http://news.cultural-china.com/20090428111914.html

http://so.youku.com/search_video/q_%E5%85%AB%E6%9C%88%E4%B8%80%E6%97%A5

Cheers
Oirob
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: oirob on March 18, 2010, 01:14:07 PM: Gada Meilin (2002)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367765/

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/362055/2244154
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: ushistoryprof on March 18, 2010, 07:33:44 PM: "Keys of the Kingdom" made in 1944, has a battle with warlords in both the movie and the book.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Count Winsky on March 19, 2010, 06:07:10 PM: Not the subject area, but was there a movie made with a 1950's British Warship being attacked on a river in China?
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Overlord on March 19, 2010, 10:21:00 PM: Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051209/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Amethyst_(F116)
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: Count Winsky on March 20, 2010, 05:01:56 AM: Thank you so much for the info Overlord.
Title: Re: Movies set in Warlord-Era China?
Post by: oirob on March 25, 2010, 12:31:38 PM: List of war-films on Wikipedia (including Chinese Civil War):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_war_films_and_TV_specials

Cheers
Oirob