Movies About Communism

From Kaige Chen, starring Leslie Cheung, Fengyi Zhang, Gong Li, You Ge
Rated R

Farewell My Concubine is a 1993 Chinese drama film directed by Kaige Chen. The story follows two men who were raised together in a Beijing opera school, and their lifelong friendship and love as they gradually become involved in the turbulent Chinese political landscape. The film follows the lives of two boys, Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou, from their childhood in the 1920s through to their old age in the 1970s and 1980s. Both boys become top Beijing opera stars, but their relationship is complicated by their love for the same woman, a Beijing opera singer. As China undergoes tumultuous political changes, Dieyi and Xiaolou are forced to confront their own divided loyalties and the consequences of their individual decisions. The film is both a exploration of the complex dynamics of male friendship and a portrait of a changing China.

From Andrei Tarkovsky, starring Margarita Terekhova, Filipp Yankovskiy, Ignat Daniltsev, Oleg Yankovskiy
Rated Not Rated

Mirror is an experimental art-house film by Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky. The film follows the story of a man's life, told through flashbacks and memories. It follows his struggles with love, family, and life in general, as well as his dream-like memories of his childhood. The film is heavily symbolic, with the use of mirrors and water as a central element. The film also features spoken monologues of the man's thoughts and musings. Mirror is considered a masterpiece of world cinema and has been praised for its lyrical and poetic quality.

From Sergei Eisenstein, starring Aleksandr Antonov, Vladimir Barskiy, Grigoriy Aleksandrov, Ivan Bobrov
Rated Not Rated

Battleship Potemkin is a classic Soviet silent film directed by Sergei Eisenstein and released in 1925. Set during the 1905 Russian Revolution, the film tells the story of a mutiny on board the battleship Potemkin and the subsequent uprising of the citizens of Odessa in response to the massacre of their fellow citizens by imperial troops. The film is notable for its use of montage and its revolutionary themes, depicting a powerful story of the triumph of the working classes over an oppressive and tyrannical government. Through a combination of archival footage, re-created scenes, and dramatic editing, the film powerfully captures the brutality of the massacre and the heroic struggles of the revolutionaries. The film ends with the famous Odessa Steps sequence, one of the most famous scenes in all of cinema.

From Yimou Zhang, starring Minzhi Wei, Huike Zhang, Zhenda Tian, Enman Gao
Rated G

Not One Less is a Chinese drama directed by Yimou Zhang that follows the story of a 13-year-old girl named Wei Minzhi. When the village's school teacher unexpectedly leaves for a month, the village chief assigns Wei the task of substitute teaching the class of 30 students. Despite having no prior experience, Wei takes on the challenge with enthusiasm. Unfortunately, her inexperience and lack of resources hinder her efforts to keep the students focused and engaged. When one of the students runs away to the big city, Wei embarks on a journey to find him and bring him back to the village before the teacher returns. Along the way, Wei learns to appreciate the value of education and the power of resilience.

From Yang Li, starring Yixiang Li, Baoqiang Wang, Shuangbao Wang, Jing Ai
Rated Unrated

Blind Shaft is a 2003 Chinese film directed by Yang Li. It is a crime-drama film that follows two con-artists in rural China. The two con-artists, Song and Tang, wander from one coal mine to another, convincing naive miners to hire them as their relatives. Once the miners trust them, the two swindle them out of their wages and then murder them in order to collect the life insurance money. When the two con-artists come across a 17-year-old boy, Lun, they decide to take him along with them and teach him their trade. However, Lun eventually grows a conscience and decides to turn them in. Blind Shaft is a gripping and poignant story about the corruption and darkness of the coal mining industry in rural China, and how a young man is caught in the middle of it.

From Corneliu Porumboiu, starring Mircea Andreescu, Teodor Corban, Ion Sapdaru, Mirela Cioaba
Rated Unrated

From Armando Iannucci, starring Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffrey Tambor, Andrea Riseborough
Rated R