Historical Dramas Club

Historical Movie Recs! How fun! All of the movies I've recommended have mature elements in them whether that be sexual or violent. Mostly massacres. So many massacres... 

Korea: 

• The Handmaiden - a movie that takes place during Japanese colonization of Korea directed by the king of plot twists, Park Chan Wook. 
• The King and the Clown - follows the infamous decline and overthrow of King Yeonsan, but does so from the perspective of clowns who would parody court politics and even influence the king's decisions. 
• A Taxi Driver - this story covers the Gwangju massacre, giving insight to this historical and incredibly influential part of Korea's history. A mix of wholesome and tragic storytelling will surely leave you feeling raw.
• 1987: When the Day Comes - another look at the Gwangju massacre with a bit more of a grungy approach than A Taxi Driver. 

China: 

• Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress - A majority of the story takes place during the Cultural Revolution, giving insight into rural life and the persecution of literature. It's a story of love and independence, and of the way storytelling can inspire.
• Farewell My Concubine - this is a fascinating look at the rapid rate of cultural change that occurred just before and during the Republic of China. A truly heartbreaking and horrifying tale full of heart and passion. 

Japan: 

• Taboo - an eerie tale of the shinsengumi during the end of the Edo period. One handsome top-rated warrior becomes surrounded by mysterious deaths as his fellow warriors vie for his attention.
• Lady  Snowblood - takes place during the Meiji era. A baby is born for the soul purpose of revenge, the legend of a demon in the shape of a woman. 
• Seven Samurai - an ultimate classic in B&W. A band of samurai come together to help a defenseless village in what seems like a suicide mission.

 fiflydramalover:

lol well now i feel like ive also over done it haha we both recommended The King and the Clown! Very nice ^_^ 

there are so many good movies out there! 

Hehe, I noticed that too!

And I love your Japanese titles - 7 Samurai and Lady Snowblood are my favourites as well :)

 fiflydramalover:

So good! oldies but goodies ^_^ 

Yay! Hi-five, my friend! :D

 xinya:

I added both of your blurns, since it think it can be nice to give multiple perspectives and it shows it's highly recommended. I think we probably do need to set a limit at 2-3 recommenders per movie so things don't get too long.

Ok, @xinya.

My apologies to all for going overboard :,)

 WandereR:

My apologies to all for going overboard :,)

I think you misunderstood. It's fine to recommend lots of movies. Thanks for all the recommendations! I'm saying that I don't think any individual movie should have more than 2-3 blurbs, because that would be too much to read.

 xinya:

I added the first one the to list and included links to the sequels, but someone might want to check that I got all of them or ordered them correctly, because I haven't actually watched the series.

I’ll do that since I’m a fan of the manga and anime as well :)

Edited: The movie sequence is all correct, but for those who actually wants to know how the mild mannered Kenshin lived as an assassin, before he became a wanderer, then I’ll suggest the sequence to be 

1. The Beginning
2. Rurouni Kenshin
3. Kyoto Inferno
4. Legend Ends
5. The Final

Thank you to everyone who has submitted recommendations! I think I've added everything that has been submitted thus far, but we can keep adding as long as there are more movies people want to share!

If you're interested, you can pursue the first 29 entries here: https://mydramalist.com/list/LAlEQbw1