Firstthird

I am a fan of costume dramas: British (e.g. Wolf Hall), Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and the occasional Scandinavian. I have a special interest in Chinese, since one of the areas I’m interested in is Classical Chinese Philosophy, so I enjoy seeing philosophy discussed in these dramas. Philosophy is discussed much more in Chinese dramas than any other I’m familiar with.

I also like the fact that a really good costume drama, even the fictional ones, give me an opportunity to learn history. I always research the era the drama is supposed to be set in, if it is based on historical fact. I have learned a lot that way. It is a very enjoyable way to learn.

I also teach a film class, and try to diversify the films I use as examples — so they aren’t just the same old British, French, and American films, with the occasional Akira Kurosawa film for variety. Mainland Chinese films need more exposure in the world. There are so many wonderful films that it is hard to have access to internationally, but I am very happy things seem to be getting better with access to streaming services.

Favorites include

China:

Sword, Snow, Stride

Under the Microscope

Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

Mysterious Lotus Casebook

Vendetta of An

A Dream of Splendor

The First Jasmine

Prisoner of Beauty

Flourished Peony

Dream Within a Dream

Black Dog (great to use for a film class)

In the Mood for Love (one of the best movies ever made)

Raise the Red Lantern (hard to watch, but a classic)

Farewell, My Concubine

South Korea:

Alchemy of Souls (first season)

The Haunted Palace

The East Palace

100 Days My Prince

Hansan: Rising Dragon

Kingdom

Knight Flower

Mr. Queen

My Country: the New Age

Tale of Arang

Parasite (Academy Award Winner)

Decision to Leave

Favorite Classical Chinese Philosophers:

Meng Ke (Mencius, 371-289 BCE): sophisticated moral psychology, a Confucian, and one often hears him quoted in Chinese dramas.

Mo De (Mozi, 470-391, BCE): probably the first person in the world to develop a systematic theory of ethics. His school of thought lost out to the Confucians eventually, so rarely figures into Chinese dramas, but occasionally there will be a reference. He was a fierce critic of Confucianism.

Zhuang Zhou (Zhuangzi, 4th century, BCE): brilliant, wrote one of the early works of Taoism and provided, as far as I know, the first version of the famous dream argument (in the West, this type of argument was made famous by Rene Descartes), often referenced in Chinese dramas.

Note that especially in the case of Mozi and Zhuangzi, it is unclear how much of the work attributed to them they personally wrote. Some was written by later commentators and followers.