Recent Noir Films from Asia

Brian Klingborg, author of the new Inspector Lu Fei mystery, Thief of Souls, stops by this week to provide us with his list of recent noir films from Asia.

What is noir? It’s legendarily hard to define but you know it when you see it:  Dark streets slick with rain. Seedy hotel rooms lit by a reddish neon glare. A wisp of smoke curling up from a cigarette in a shadowy corner. Desperate men and women with obscure motives and shifting loyalties.

In Asia, Japan was an early pioneer of noir cinema with post-WWII classics such as Stray Dog, The Bad Sleep Well and Tokyo Drifter. What do you get when you take a society unmoored from its traditional foundations, add a measure of war-induced shame, misery, and destruction, and infuse with a healthy dose of fatalism? A recipe for morally ambiguous tales of crime and punishment, double and triple crosses, compromised cops, and hardboiled gangsters.

In the 1980s, Hong Kong filmmakers found the nighttime urban landscape of their tiny but teeming island fertile ground for stories that drew heavily on notions such as loyalty, brotherhood, and rebellion popularized by the wuxia (knight errant) novels that had long been part of China’s popular literature. Some Hong Kong directors, such as Wong Kar Wai, created arthouse masterpieces that were more concerned with visual style and mood than plot. Others, like John Woo, converted extreme violence into poetic imagery and elevated gangsters into icons of righteous vengeance.

Korean filmmakers have traditionally been no slouch in the noir department either. Witness—if you have the stomach for them–blood-splattered pulp operas such as Oldboy and I Saw the Devil.

But the situation has traditionally been a bit more complicated in China, where the government is eager to present a wholesome view of life under one-party rule. Mainland filmmakers have often been forced to submit to heavy censorship or run the risk of having their work banned. Recently, however, some excellent noir films have begun to slip through the cracks.

Below, I present a few noir nuggets from across the region, most of which have recently made their way to a streaming site near you. Some of these films are low-key and contemplative, others are spectacularly kinetic, but all share a respect and affection for characters who exist on the outer margins of polite society.  

*Image courtesy of Chocolate Frog Films.

Metro Manila

(Philippines) 2013

A riveting crime thriller about a rice farmer, Oscar, who moves his family to Manila in search of a better standard of living and ends up embroiled in a plot to steal a security box full of money. The tension slowly rachets up, and you can’t help but root for Oscar as he desperately attempts to provide for his wife and children, regardless of personal cost.

 

*Image courtesy of Applause Entertainment.

Godspeed

(Taiwan), 2016

A darkly comic Taiwanese film about two down-their-luck men who find themselves on a road trip from hell.  Na Dow is a low-level drug courier tasked with making a delivery to the southern part of the island. Xu is a transplanted Hong Konger who drives Taiwan’s crappiest cab and, ignorant of Na Dow’s cargo and in desperate need of some business, offers to drive him. At times meandering and slow, and others tense and brutal, the story is enlivened by the oddball pairing of Na Dow and Xu and a cast of menacing supporting characters. This is a movie Bing Crosby and Bob Hope might have made as part of their famous Road To series–had they been Chinese ne’er-do-wells with a penchant for getting mixed up in drug-trafficking gang violence.

 

*Image courtesy of Nezha Bros. Pictures & Le-joy Animation Studio.

Have a Nice Day 

(China)  2017

An animated feature about a low-level gangster who steals a bag of cash from his boss to pay for his girlfriend’s plastic surgery. This instigates a series of violent maneuvers and double-crosses as a quirky set of morally deficient characters circle the money like sharks after a chunk of bloody tuna. Minimalist artwork and sound provide an uncluttered background to the proceedings, but despite the simple visual depiction, characters are fully rendered. In the process of telling an entertaining story, Have a Nice Day also does a credible job of portraying the dark side of China’s rapid development, including economic inequality, rampant corruption, and plain old greed.

 

*Image courtesy of 22 Hours Films.

Angels Wear White

(China) 2017

This one is a slow-moving downer about a teenager who witnesses a possible sexual assault and then finds herself caught between self-interest and the pursuit of justice. 15-year-old Mia belongs to that category of second-class Chinese citizen left in the dust by China’s economic miracle. Lacking the proper identity papers, she works illegally in a seedy seaside resort hotel. One night, a middle-aged man arrives with two young schoolgirls in tow and rents two rooms–only later to force himself into the girls’ room as Mia watches on the security camera. Given her vulnerable status, she is understandably reluctant to go to the cops. The narrative follows Mia, one of the young girls and a crusading female lawyer to a bitter but inevitable resolution, exploring along the way themes of corruption, sexual exploitation, economic and social inequality, victim-blaming, and toxic patriarchy.  

 

*Image courtesy of Huayi Brothers Media.

Ash is the Purest White

(China) 2018

This film got a lot of attention on the international scene, and rightly so. It’s beautifully shot and acted and has a lot to say about the shifting tides of Chinese society over the past 20 years. Fair warning, though–the slow pace and lugubrious nature can sometimes make it seem like you are watching those 20 years unfold in real-time.  While it centers on the relationship between a gangster and his moll, it’s not a crime film, or a romance for that matter–it’s more a mediation on the ephemeral nature of life. The moll in question, Qiao, is a tough, resourceful woman from a depressed mining town and a worthy partner in love and business to a local gangster named Bin. The death of Bin’s boss sets off a power struggle during which Qiao saves Bin’s life, but in the process, is arrested and sent to jail for several years. By the time she’s released, Bin has disappeared, as has the world she knows. She goes looking for both, but eventually arrives back at a place that, while but a pale shadow of her glory days, at least feels something akin to home.

 

Image courtesy of Green Ray Films & Maisong Entertainment Investment.

The Wild Goose Lake 

(China)  2019

This tale of a gangster on the run after shooting a police officer in Wuhan is at turns slow and pensive, then sumptuously violent. In keeping with arthouse conventions, there are plenty of halogen-lit night scenes punctuated by falling rain, cigarettes smoked, confusion regarding who’s doing what and why, and a woman who, even if she doesn’t fit the classical definition of a femme fatale, may in the end still prove fatal to our male lead. The setting makes the most of its grungy setting and cast of determined cops, petty criminals, pimps, prostitutes, and innocent working poor bystanders. The film has been lauded as China’s most self-assured and accomplished example of noir filmmaking to date, and it’s hard to argue with that assessment. Director Diao Yinan’s earlier work, Black Coal, Thin Ice, is also well worth checking out.


About Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborg:

Lu Fei is a graduate of China’s top police college but he’s been assigned to a sleepy backwater town in northern China, where almost nothing happens and the theft of a few chickens represents a major crime wave. That is until a young woman is found dead, her organs removed, and joss paper stuffed in her mouth. The CID in Beijing—headed by a rising political star—is on the case but in an increasingly authoritarian China, prosperity and political stability are far more important than solving the murder of an insignificant village girl. As such, the CID head is interested in pinning the crime on the first available suspect rather than wading into uncomfortable truths, leaving Lu Fei on his own.

As Lu digs deeper into the gruesome murder, he finds himself facing old enemies and creating new ones in the form of local Communist Party bosses and corrupt business interests. Despite these rising obstacles, Lu remains determined to find the real killer, especially after he links the murder to other unsolved homicides. But the closer he gets to the heart of the mystery, the more he puts himself and his loved ones in danger.

Learn More Or Order A Copy

Comments

  1. Куколды порно

    Greetings, I think your site may be having browser compatibility issues.

  2. Teen Porn

    Great info. Lucky me I recently found your website by accident

  3. elizabeth shipley

    I just finished the 2nd season of Stranger from Korea and it was excellent. Hopefully they will have a 2nd season.

  4. Kevin Elliotts

    These are fantastic! Thanks for sharing

  5. Jenifer Callmechat

    I love this atmosphere in Asian movies, nighttime urban landscapes, cigarettes smoked, confusion regarding “who’s doing what and why, and a woman who, even if she doesn’t fit the classical definition of a femme fatale, may in the end still prove fatal to our male lead”
    Fantastic! Already watching Manila!

  6. Toca Life World Mod

    Play simulation games on your phone completely for free

  7. igoal คาสิโน

    Your post is very informative for me about excellent article.

  8. บาคาร่าออนไลน์

    No. 1 บาคาร่าออนไลน์ , the most played baccarat website 2022, direct website baccarat website No minimum deposit and withdrawal web baccarat wallet This type of card game is considered a form of betting game that meets the needs of new gamblers very well. With the option of making a profit that is considered to have the opportunity to generate good income clearly each time.

  9. paris999

    The best of the web paris99 online casino We collect game camps in one ปารีส99 website. each game camp สล็อตparis99 and casinos are all selected from the world’s leading online casino camps. that is popular in Thailand And it doesn’t stop there. Which camp is called good? Called quality, reliable, we will combine them. It’s easy to play in just a few steps. เว็บปารีส99 is ready to serve you today. Hurry up, many bonuses are waiting for you.

  10. สมัคร sexy

    Thanks for sharing informative post we are providing. Keep writing.

  11. luckydays88

    Number 1 online casino, all levels of service are impressive. luckyday88 give away free credit 2022 online gambling website The best law in Thailand Casino game collection Play online casino games for real money via mobile phones. We have the services of the world’s leading casino bears. For members to choose to play, including SA Gaming, AE Sexy Game, AG Gaming, CQ9 Live Casino, MG Live Casino Online, สล็อต lucky88. There are special promotions to please new members. Just start applying for membership, follow the simple steps with luckyday168 now you can join in the fun lucky day slot , win bonuses and other interesting promotions. many more immediately

  12. mylucknursinghome

    ศูนย์ดูแลผู้ป่วย Focusing on holistic care, tailoring care according to needs as appropriate and ability for individual senior citizens which is taking care of the elderly รับดูแลผู้ป่วย during the recovery period and continuous care both physically and mind to have the best physical and mental health

  13. เว็บ123bet

    Thank you for the inspiring and insightful piece of writing. I found This post is quite helpful.

  14. luckyday888

    Lucky168 is a website that combines online gambling websites. Luckyday88 is the best legal in Thailand. Lucky 88 is a website that provides all kinds of betting services that provide fun and excitement such as football betting, casino slots, online lottery. And is part of the website เว็บลัคกี้ also with a signup system Deposit-withdrawal, no minimum, AUTO, convenient, fast, safe to support bettors 24 hours a day. New members Luckyday168 receive 100 free credits when making the first deposit.

  15. tarea

    I like all of the points you’ve made.

  16. Your article is very good. I read it and I like writing this. May you do more.

  17. รับเขียนบทความ

    Article writing is the process of creating written รับเขียนบทความ for various types of publications, such as magazines, newspapers, blogs, and websites. It involves researching a topic, organizing information, and communicating the information effectively to the target audience.

  18. เครดิตฟรี 123bet

    Auto deposit and withdrawal without notifying the slip Baccarat is easy to play and win real money. Win free credits every day Lots of promotions, lots of activities play wherever you are

  19. ไวอากร้า

    ไวอากร้า is a plant extract that helps to strengthen the body’s immune system. and reduces inflammation It also contains antioxidants that help prevent cancer and diabetes. The use of Thai Viagra also greatly reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke when we need to take care of our own health.

Comments are closed.