Greatest scenes in Asian cinema

[QUOTE=Dragon Ma]Hero
The forest fight is a painting come to life, it's just magnificent to look at with that haunting female voice.

Indeed.

And although it's not so much poetry incarnate, the alley fight between Donnie Yen and Wu Jing in Sha Po Lang really stands out to me.

FRIEND: The stabbing at the end.
OLDBOY: One take scene of Oh Daesu fighting a room full of triads.

Azumi - Post Town Show Down

Saw what you want about the stars of this film, the final apocalyptic showdown is one of the most breathtaking action scenes ever staged, mixing the breathless madness of mad max with stunning samurai steel

Sword of Doom The Snow Assassination

Toshiro Mifune fends off two dozen attackers in the snow drenched city streets. A beautifully staged fight in perhaps one of the best samurai films ever made

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance - The End

Breathtakingly shot, brutally honest, and heart wrenchingly sad, with a killer sting of a joke at the end.

*Some Spoilers*

Hard Boiled: After Tony Leung's character guns down his boss and the other gang members, his face goes through ten different emotions in as many seconds.

Oldboy: The big revel. It plays out prefectly so that as the truth dawns on Oh Dae-su, it dawns on the viewer at the exact same time. One of the few times where while watching a movie, I had to get up and walking around the room, I was so blown away.

Infernal Affairs II: After being spurned by the woman he loves, Ming (Andy Lau in IA, Edison Cheung in IAII) proves that he is indeed a bastard.

My favs:

For A Better Tomorrow: Chow Yun Fat hiding guns in potted plants as he nears the room where his target awaits.

Dance of the Drunk Mantis: Simon Yuen (choreographer Yuen Wo Ping's father, who also directed) VS Wang Jan Lee. AKA: Sam the Seed (the Drunken Master) VS. Rubber Legs (the Drunken Mantis Master). AKA: A twenty minute fight that involves getting piss drunk before the other. One of the most memorable fight scenes ever.

Once Upon A Time in China 1/2: Wong Fei Hong (Jet Li) vs. Iron Robe Yim, aka, the Ladder Fight. For the sequel, Donnie Yen vs. Jet Li, the cloth-stick fight, also one of the most marvelous fight scenes ever.

Return of the Dragon: Bruce Lee vs Chuck Norris.

I'll add some that haven't been mentioned.
We talked about this a couple of days ago, and Samurai Mike'll be pissed at me for getting there first : Renji Ishibashi charging into the final battle, all dressed in white, in Roningai.
A bittersweet Life: the gun assembly scene.
Oldboy: "Dickshit. That's a new one, since the TV doesn't teach you swear words" and "Can 15 years of practice be put into reality? Yes, it can." Also, the 15 year montage is absolutely brilliant.

There's a great list someone made (with pics!) on what's some of the best fight scenes in HK movies, if anyone's interested.
Hyah! http://www.livejournal.com/users/escozg/7103.html

The whole church shoot out at the end of The Killer is just so kinetic and crazy but so very cool at the same time.

Hard Boiled: the super-long take with Tequila and Tony during the shootout.

Battle Royale: the lighthouse scene. It really stood out for me the first time I watched the movie because it seemed like how kids would probably really act in that situation.

What a great topic. I've largely run out of movies to rent on my own initiative, and this thread provides a lot of fodder for future rentals, as I haven't seen a lot of these films, though I plan to now. I don't have a lot to offer to this thread, but I would mention Chihiro's train ride to Swamp Bottom in Miyazaki's Spirited Away. That scene (with the help of Joe Hisaishi's eloquent piano and strings) transported me to a place I've never been in my adult life, but might have caught glimpses of as a child. That might be the most perfect two minutes of film I've ever seen.

I've never laughed harder (at least intentionally) during an "asian" film than I did at Andy Lau's ex-monk/stripper character teaching himself to ride a scooter during a car chase in Running On Karma. Endlessly hilarious. That has to be seen to be believed.

I also recently rented Seijun Suzuki's Branded to Kill (and I'll be watching his Youth of the Beast for the first time shortly after I finish this post, woo hoo!!). While I'm not sure that anything in that film qualiies as the best of asian cinema, the cooking-rice-smelling/rough-sex montage will not be fading from my memory before my death.

Speaking of one-shot sequences (someone mentioned Oldboy), that shootout at the beginning of Breaking News makes the bank-heist skirmish in Heat feel pretty darned pedestrian.

Who ever mentioned Tony Leung's performance after killing his boss in the warehouse in Hard Boiled, thanks for saving me the task. One of my favorite actors, and I just can't get enough of him. (When I saw him in Infernal Affairs, I didn't even realize it was him until the end of the movie!)

Ran-The siege on the emperor's palace. Servants committing suicide left and right, flaming arrows, a guard holding a severed arm (with an arrowed eye, no less), etc. Surreal stuff.

Green Snake: Green finds her sister's husband and experiences emotion for the first time

(follow-up) Ran: The king leaves the castle, a living ghost

A Chinese Ghost Story: "I'd rather be in love than in heaven."

Tarantino only wishes he could make a love scene as simultaneously gruesome and tender as the one in From Beijing with Love.

Jackie Chan vs. Ken Lo, Drunken Master II.

Sammo Hung vs. Lao Kar Keung, Pedicab Driver.

All the Jet Li fights in Fist of Legend, but especially the one with his teacher where they trade tips.

(seconded) Chihiro/Sen's train ride, Spirited Away

The only one I can think of that hasn't been mentioned is the final scene in Shaolin Soccer, where we're shown a world transformed by Chow's vision. It always makes me smile, and it's unbelievable to me that it's one of the many things the Weinstein demon spawn cut for the American release.

Absolutely check out From Beijing with Love and God of Cookery. The latter has a scene involving a juicy meatball that made me hurt myself laughing.

Sort of off topic, sorry

There's this one scene in a Miike movie (I don't even like the movie itself) that really sticks in my memory. Basically the two main bad guys are having a show-down at a ping pong table, and they decide to settle things between them with a peremptory game of pong. The first villain serves to the second, but not before pressing a hidden button with his foot (it's his evil lair, so he gets to) sending a giant whirring saw blade shooting out of the wall at the other baddie like something out of the last crusade. The other baddie bends backwards out of the way of the blade while simultaneously drawing a pistol, aiming it, and dispatching his opponent, while still returning the serve. It's one of the most economicals bits of business I've ever seen, and real throws into glaring relief how slack the rest of the film is.

Anyway, does anyone remember the name of that movie? I don't know if I'll ever watch that whole movie again, but that scene is worth the price of the rental alone.

City of Lost Souls, aka Hazard City

Avalon
The battle sequence at the beginning of the film.Beautiful.
Mamoru Oshii should do more live action films.

Lady Terminator
Best action film ever!
The whole film is just nonstop action funfest.

Flower of Flesh and Blood
The torture scene.

I was standing in the video store the other day, holding this in my hand. But I opted for some Korean stuff instead. Shit!

And I completely agree with Dragon Ma about the mall scene in The Mission. Great.

He's one of my favorite actors too. I got into Asian films mostly because of after seeing him as Broken Sword in 'Hero', I just had to see other movies he's in. I didn't want to overload the thread with Tony moments, so I just used the Hardboilded scene.

Ringu: The TV showdown! Still creeps me out.

Glad to be beaten Lee, awesome scene .

I only just found this thread so these are just some suggestions off the top of my head:

-Flying Snow and Broken Sword storming the Forbidden City in Hero.

-The throwing knife scene in Kung Fu Hustle.

-The duel in the field in Harakiri.

-The final moments of Samurai Rebellion.

-Horo (Renji Ishibashi), drenched in blood, slices down the last enemy and makes the head bad-guy shit his pants (presumably), in Roningai. Closely followed by Gennai (Yoshio Harada) stumbling off to battle with about 20 swords tucked into his belt.

-I was going to include a scene from Seven Samurai, but who can choose? The whole damn film.

-Seibei returns home at the end of The Twilight Samurai.

-The entire second half of Hard Boiled.

Kambei returns with a couple of rifles over his shoulder. "Killed two."

Twilight Samurai, but of course!!! What a great movie. You are truly worthy of the name Samurai Mike. This thread has single-handedly given me more rental prospects than any other thread ever. Thanks to all.

This might be too sappy a movie to pick but I love that scene in My Sassy Girl where the main character is explaining (to the man who is on a date with the girl the main character is in love with) all the things he needs to do to stay on her good side. I thought that was a very sweet scene that really had a lot of heart. The scene at the amusement park is golden as well.

And I know I do tend to go on and on and on about Johnny To, but Andy Lau's introduction in Fulltime Killer is pretty great (where he speaks in voiceover like he's putting out a personal ad right after we witness his excessive hitman stylings).

Then there's Tsui Hark's Time and Tide: the scene with Wu Bai and his nemesis rapelling down the apartment high-rises will engaging in small arms fire is breath-taking.

Finally, there's a scene in the Deadly Trio (or the other film in that series, I can't remember) where the ladies in question dynamite a cave filled with feral, pants-wetting children who are chained to the ground and can't escape. What a movie.

And a giant penis-head robot interrupting gay mayor-on-saxophone-playing-robot-sex scene in the crapper??? (Dead or Alive 3) I could just go on about this stuff all day.

As for Kurosawa, how about everything that happens after the funeral in Ikiru, when you think the movie's just about over. Hard to believe my favorite Kurosawa movie doesn't even have Mifune in it....

Great choice - but it's Kyuzo (the master swordsman) not Kambei (the leader) who says that. Just so you know

Dragon Ma, of course you'll forget stuff, there's so much to choose from! I'd also like to add the final showdown on the dunes from Lone Wolf and Cub: Babycart at the River Styx: great music, awesome action, and the sight of Ogami Itto standing on the windswept dune ("Here I come..") is so unbelievably cool.

Wong Kar-Wai has some absoultely stellar moments in his work, it's hard to whittle it down.

I'd choose the end of In the Mood For Love, when Maggie Cheung slips into Tony Leung's apartment and does some cleaning. Also, any scene with Zhang Zi-Yi in 2046.

I'd also like to throw in the final scene from End of Evangelion. "How disgusting".

-Wong Fei Hung (Jet Li) proving you don't need a gun to use a bullet effectively in Once Upon a Time in China.

-The mild-mannered doctor and his lovely assistant retrieve their wind-scattered papers in Iron Monkey.

-Musashi Miyamoto (Toshiro Mifune) scares some ruffians off with the aid of some chopsticks and a few flies in Samurai 3: Duel on Ganryu Island.

Hammerhead already mentioned God of Cookery, but I have to add that the "18 Brass Men of Shaolin" sequence gave me a rupture the first time I saw it.

That would be the first Heroic Trio, one of my all-time favorite Hong Kong films. Maggie Cheung made me feel funny in my special place in that movie.

Even better is the payoff at the end, when Folding Chair is revealed as a legitimate martial arts move...

I vividly remember the first time I saw Heroic Trio. When Maggie flew in on her motorcycle I stood straight up in the middle of the theatre and shouted "MY GOD SHE'S BEAUTIFUL!" I don't think she heard me though.

Another great moment: Maggie recognizing Eric Tsang's Mickey Mouse tattoo in Comrades, Almost a Love Story.

Never even heard of this movie, but will be renting it as soon as possible. Perhaps the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen in my life.

My favorite Zhang Yimou movie (despite Hero being one of the most stunningly gorgeous films I've ever seen) is actually Happy Times. The depths to which the protagonist goes to deceive the blind girl into thinking she has a job -- It's just done so very artfully, starting very small and just escalating into something sublimely absurd. What a beautiful movie. The part with VW bug is pretty great as well.

Oh, and thanks Nigel for the correction. I don't know why I wrote "Deadly" Trio.

Two of my all time favourite sequences, Nowhere in Hide in particular made me love that bee gees song.

Memories of Murder: The Final Murder aftermath, a stunning rain drenched scene where the more rational detective finally loses it.

Samurai Assassin: Mifune walking around with his executed fathers head skewered on the sword, trying to hawk it in a blood fueled daze

Tokyo Drifter: Tetsu throws his gun in the air, darts forwards, catches said gun and kills the bad guy with one shot

Survive Style 5+: Asano getting beaten up by his resurrected, and super powered wife

Gozu: "Most definetley a Yakuza Dog" *splat*

Thanks Mike for the correction on Seven Samurai.

Seconded: the chopsticks scene in Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island. Also, the look on Mifune's face during the final boat ride.

Tony Leung Ka Fai trying to get a better look at Chingmy Yau's tattoo in God of Gamblers II

The deadly traffic jam in Beyond Hypothermia

Must. Get. This. Movie!!

The first time I fell in love with Ms Cheung was her coming up those steps in slow motion in those great outfits in In The Mood For Love. Wong Kar Wai had the right idea with that film - keep the camera on Maggie!

On topic, another nomination: the restaurant brawl in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - hell, I'd give up my meal to be beaten up by Zhang Ziyi.

It does end with the loser sat on the roof, naked singing a jolly song before making herself an ad hoc set of clothes to greet the male lead.

I used to love everything Maggie does in that film, then I saw The Swordsman 2 and ever since I've focused on Brigitte Lin

And she can explode people too!!

Props to Dragon Ma for bringing this movie to my attention btw

BORN TO FIGHT - The last 30 minutes....football, rugby and athletics skills used to kick arse. Takeshi Kitano look alike beating the shit out of an armed man. Little girl beating the shit out of baddies, the computer game shooting sequence, the baddie exploding.... ie perfect action fix