Because helping you get the most out of Beijing is what we are ALL ABOUT, we canvased our Chinese film-industry friends to come up with this list of essential movies about Beijing, to watch before you go. A little context goes a long way when you travel, especially in a place that can seem so inextricably ‘other’ as China. So put the popcorn in the microwave, plump those sofa cushions and enjoy!
Shower (1999)
Xizao 洗澡
This comedy drama unfolds in a family-run public bathhouse in Beijing, where an aging father and his mentally challenged son struggle to keep their business afloat (pun definitely intended).
Shot exclusively in the capital, Shower offers a charming insight into a slice of local culture few visitors get to experience. The motley bathhouse patrons spend all day engaged in traditional pursuits like cricket fighting and Chinese chess, and getting massages, shaves and old style pedicures.
Click here for the full movie (without subtitles, probably blocked outside China).
And a short trailer / clip on Youtube (blocked in China).
East Palace West Palace (1996)
Dong Gong Xi Gong 东宫西宫
One of the first films from the mainland with an explicitly homosexual theme, East Palace West Palace is a portrayal of gay life in Beijing in the 1990s. The film focuses on A-Lan, a gay writer attracted to a young Beijing policeman.
His life story, which he relays during police interrogation, reflects wider themes of repression in Chinese society at the time, and includes lots of shots of the parks beside the Forbidden City. Filmed in 1996, it was smuggled out to France for post-production, and previewed at Cannes.
Click here for the full movie, with English subtitles (it may be blocked outside of China).
And here it is with English subtitles on Youtube (blocked in China).
The Last Emperor (1987)
Famous as the first feature film authorised to be shot inside the Forbidden City, this is mandatory viewing for anyone planning a visit to the world’s largest palace complex. Depicting the troubled life of Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the ceremonial scenes show the pomp and routine of an Imperial world now vanished.
The film won nine Oscars including ‘Best Picture’, with a memorable performance by the late Peter O’Toole as Sir Reginald Fleming Johnston, the young emperor’s British tutor.
Click here for the mega length extended cut (over 3hrs!) on Youtube, blocked in China. Skip forward to 17 minutes to see the Forbidden City in all its glory.
My September (1990)
Wode Jiu Yue 我的九月
It’s the eve of the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing, and a group of school children are training to perform at the ceremony. This heartwarming tale from director Li Yi offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of folks living in Beijing’s hutongs.
The siren-like moan of circling flocks of pigeons, whistles attached to their ankles as they fly above the hutongs, provides an eerie soundtrack at tense moments. It’s a sound that can still be heard to this day.
Click here for the entire film online on Youtube. (Chinese only, but you can enjoy the visuals!)
Farewell My Concubine (1993)
Baiwang Bie Ji 霸王别姬
Spanning half of a century of the lives of two members of a Peking Opera troupe, this acclaimed film charts their rise against a backdrop of invading Japanese and the subsequent victory of the Communists in 1949.
The movie picked up the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1993, the only Chinese film to do so, helping elevate Chinese cinema to worldwide recognition.
Farewell My Concubine is also the name of an actual Peking Opera that becomes the lead characters’ mainstay in the movie, with its story and themes reflected in the actual events unfolding. If you plan to see any Peking Opera on your visit, this puts it in fascinating context.
Click here for the trailer on Youtube (blocked in China) with English subtitles.
Summer Palace (2006)
Yiheyuan 颐和园
Yu, a country girl, leaves her village to study in Beijing, where she discovers sexual freedom and political unrest. Partially set against the backdrop of the pro-democracy demonstrations in the late eighties, the film, directed by Lou Ye, is banned in China. Incidentally, Lou’s gritty urban love story Suzhou River is essential watching if you’re also travelling to Shanghai.
Click here for the trailer on Youtube (blocked in China), with English subtitles.
The Troubleshooters (1989)
Wan Zhu 顽主
Three men start a company in Beijing dedicated to solving problems in this comedy drama. Called upon to deal with love affairs on behalf of folks who are too occupied with their own careers, they offer their services as replacement “husbands” to be scolded by wives. All is going well until romantic strife, needy relatives and legal problems threaten to derail their success.
The film opens with some fantastic scenes of “booming” urban Beijing from the late 80s.
Click here for the full movie (probably won’t open outside China).
Special thanks to Xi Zhongzhong from Shashui Pictures for the recommendations!
About the author: Tom O’Malley is Propaganda Secretary at Bespoke Beijing. A lifestyle journalist, guidebook author, glutton and bon vivant, Tom is a tireless crusader for fine food, hospitality and tourist experiences in China’s capital.