Of course it’s a subjective call — we all enjoy different things. But when it comes to movies, for me, Stephen Chow’s two most famous — Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle — are among the finest ever made. And why? Because they’re artistically beautiful? Certainly not. Their award-winning cinematography? Music? Costumes? Direction? Nah.
They’re great because they capture an essence — a story that is compelling and heroic — without being obvious.
This is the case in a lot of the Chinese arts. I recall attending opera in Beijing. Of course most of us may not think much of it. It’s certainly an acquired taste. But I found it absolutely beautiful. There is something about Chinese art that is transcendent, but you truly have to take a moment of meditation to appreciate what they’ve done. The West has its art and culture, but there are times — and quite often at that — that the Chinese puts them to shame. Even when it comes to something that seems by all appearances as being absolutely corny and low-budget. Even something like the work of Stephen Chow has centuries of art and philosophy behind it…
For a more serious look, I recommend an incredible movie — Farewell my Concubine.