Top 15 Gong Li Movies Ranked

There have been some truly incredible films with Gong Li over the years, as the Chinese-Singaporean actress is considered one of the best Chinese actors of all time. Starting her career while still in college, Gong Li was cast in the lead role in the 1987 film Red Sorghumwhich was the directorial debut of legendary Chinese director Zhang Yimou. After that, Gong Li frequently appeared in Yimou's films, working with the director eight different times.

Despite being one of China's most popular actors, Gong Li was hesitant to act in any Hollywood production, finally making his English-language debut with Memoirs of a Geisha in 2005. Just a year later, she was in Michael Mann's underrated film, Vice Miamiopposite Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. In 2020, she was in Disney's live-action remake of one of her best films, Mulan. Even with his foray into Hollywood, Gong Li continues to act mainly in Chinese-language films, with his last appearance being in the 2020 film Jump.

15

The Emperor and the Assassin (1998)

Gong Li as Lady Zhao

Gong Li stars as Lady Zhao in the 1998 film, The Emperor and the Assassin. The Chinese historical novel is mainly based on the assassination attempt on the King of Qin (Ying Zheng) in 227 BC. The film covers Ying Zheng's career, revolving around three main incidents, with the assassination attempt being one of the main focuses. It's a beautiful film that won the Grand Technical Prize at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.

Gong Li is mesmerizing in The Emperor and the Assassinimbuing Lady Zhao with a tender strength. As the emperor's concubine and sent on a dangerous mission, Lady Zhao must navigate the political landscape with grace and skill, and Gong Li does this incredibly well. Lady Zhao seems like a fully realized character, with a significant reason being Gong Li's performance.

14

Tempting Moon (1996)

Gong Li as Pang Ruyi

Launched in 1996, Tempting Moon was the second film starring Gong Li alongside Leslie Cheung, following Goodbye my concubine just three years earlier. This romantic drama revolves around a daughter taking over as head of the Pang clan after her father's death. When her brother-in-law returns to her estate after her father's death, the two begin a turbulent romance that affects those around them. The film was Official Selection at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.

Gong Li stars as Pang Ruyi, the film's main character whose father dies, and she is tasked with taking over. His performance is impressive from start to finish, and his chemistry with Lesli Cheung as Yu Zhongliang, his brother-in-law, is spectacularreally highlighting the confusing romance that begins to form between the two characters. Ruyi is a complex character and Gong Li nails her performance.

13

Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)

Gong Li as Phoenix Empress

Curse of the Golden Flower was released in 2006 and directed by Zhang Yimou, being yet another collaboration between the director and Gong Li. This Wuxia historical epic was the most expensive Chinese film ever made at the time, centering on the Tang dynasty emperor taking the princess as his wife from a neighboring province, and she bore him two sons. Secrets, betrayals, and power struggles highlight most of the film's conflict, with some incredible action sequences featured throughout the film.

After his foray into Hollywood, Curse of the Golden Flower it was the first Chinese-language film released after that. Once again, Gong Li is fascinating in the film as the Phoenix Empress. She is fantastic at playing these high-profile characters in historical dramas and epics, and her performance in Curse of the Golden Flower is another showcase for his incredible talent. In truth, she won the Best Actress award at the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards for her performance.

12

Shanghai Triad (1995)

Gong Li as Xiao Jinbao

Shanghai Triad was released in 1995 and was supposed to be the last collaboration between Gong Li and Zhang Yimou after they decided to part ways both professionally and romantically. It wasn't until Curse of the Golden Flower 11 years later the two would collaborate again. Shanghai Triad is a crime drama set in Shanghai in the 1930s. The film follows Tang Shuisheng over the course of seven days as he begins to understand the criminal underworld.

Gong Li gives another great performance as Xiao Jinbao, nightclub singer and lover of Triad Boss. Tang Shuisheng becomes infatuated with Gong Li's character throughout the film when he is assigned to serve her. Xiao Jinbao is a confusing character throughout the film, but Gong Li gives her a lot of depthmaking her a complex woman, caught up in the madness of the situation.

11

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

Gong Li as Hatsumomo

Launched in 2005, Memoirs of a Geisha it was the first Hollywood production in which Gong Li was cast. The film is based on the novel of the same name by author Arthur Golden. The story is about a young girl named Sayuri, who would become one of the most famous geisha in Kyoto. It was nominated for six Oscars, winning three of them for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design.

Gong Li plays Hatsumomo in the film, a geisha and the film's main antagonist. The casting of three non-Japanese actresses to play Japanese characters was controversial at the time, including Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi. Still, Gong Li is amazing as Hatsumomo, giving her an edge that makes her a great villain. Despite not speaking English fluently, Gong Li feels natural in Memoirs of a Geisha.

10

The Hand (2004)

Gong Li as Miss Hua

The hand is a slightly different entry in Gong Li's filmography as it was originally a segment of the anthology film Eros. The hand was directed by Hong Kong legend Wong Kar-wai, and ended up getting a solo release in 2020, 16 years after it was released. Eros. The independent release fleshed out the film, making it longer in the process. The hand revolves around a tailor's assistant who begins to fall in love with one of his clients.

Gong Li is amazing at The handperfectly matching Wong Kar-wai's sensibilities as a director. She plays Miss Hua, a sophisticated sex worker who seduces Zhang, the tailor's assistant, and the two begin to form a romantic relationship. Gong Li's sophistication is on full display in the film, making her character a majestic presence, showing moments of vulnerability as the story progresses.

9

Coming Home (2014)

Gong Li as Feng Wanyu

Launched in 2014, Returning home is one of the most recent films starring Gong Li, despite being released a decade ago. It is once again a collaboration between Gong Li and director Zhang Yimou and is based on the novel, The Criminal by Lu Yanshi by author Geling Yan. Returning home is a moving film about Lu Yanshi, a teacher who was arrested and sent to a labor camp during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Upon returning home, Lu Yanshi finds his family in disarray.

It's clear that Gong Li feels incredibly comfortable working with Zhang Yimou, as she delivers a very strong performance in Returning home as Feng Wanyu, Lu Yanshi's wife. She is an emotionally draining character and Gong Li navigates her trauma and complexity with gracegiving one of the film's most moving performances in the process.

8

The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)

Gong Li as Qiu Ju

Qiu Ju's story was an earlier film in Gong Li's career, but it was already the fourth collaboration with Zhang Yimou. Launched in 1992, Qiu Ju's storyas the name implies, it tells the story of the village's titular peasant woman who travels to a big city, dealing with bureaucrats in hopes of finding justice for her husband, who has been kicked in the groin by the village chief. This comedy-drama was a film festival hit, winning the coveted Golden Lion at the 1992 Venice Film Festival.

Given the task of playing Qiu Ju, the entire film rests on Gong Li's shoulders, and she takes on the burden with aplomb, delivering a killer performance as the title character. During his travels, Qiu Ju begins to discover the world around him while trying to navigate the complex Chinese legal system. It's an emotionally satisfying performance that continued to show how talented Gong Li was despite being at the beginning of her career.

7

Red Sorghum (1987)

Gong Li as Jiu'er

Red Sorghum is the film that began Gong Li's long and illustrious career. Released in 1987, it was his first role and also Zhang Yimou's debut film. Red Sorghum tells the story of a young woman who works in a sorghum liquor distillery. It was based on the first two parts of Mo Yan's novel of the same name. Not only is it Red Sorghum one of the most important films of Gong Li's career, but also one of the strongest.

Told from the point of view of the protagonist's grandson, Gong Li plays Jiu'er, or “My Grandma”, in Red Sorghum. Despite being his first film, it doesn't seem like it, as Gong Li's talent is already on display, and his ability to make his characters emotionally vulnerable but also strong in the face of adversity is inspiring. It's the perfect start to an incredible career.

6

Ju Dou (1990)

Gong Li as Ju Dou

Ju Dou tells the story of the titular young woman who is sold as a wife to Jinshan, a cruel and despicable dyer who abuses her at every turn. Eventually, Ju Dou begins a sexual relationship with Jinshan's adopted nephew, Yang Tianqing, whose affair becomes increasingly complicated as the film progresses. The 1990 film was the second collaboration between director Zhang Yimou and Gong Li. It was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1991 Academy Awards.

It's even more incredible that it was a performance early in Gong Li's career, as she commands every scene she's in.

Gong Li is simply outstanding in Ju Dou, showing a level of vulnerability that goes to the heart of what he does Ju Dou such an incredible film. It's even more incredible that it was an early career performance, as Gong Li commands every scene in which he appears. It's a wonderfully tender performance that stands alongside the best in his entire filmography.

5

Miami Vice (2006)

Gong Li as Isabella

Underrated at the time of release, Michael Mann's Vice Miami It has aged incredibly well. The 2006 remake of the iconic 1980s TV show tells the story of Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs, two detectives who go undercover to infiltrate a drug trafficking organization. Like Mann's Guarantee two years earlier, Vice Miami was shot with earlier digital cameras, creating a unique-looking film that helped pave the way for the future of digital cinema.

Gong Li plays Isabella, business partner and girlfriend of Jesús Montoya's Arcángel, the boss of the drug trafficking organization that Sonny and Rico are infiltrating. She begins a passionate love affair with Sonny, played by Colin Farrell, over the course of the film. Gong Li and Colin Farrell are electric together in Vice Miamiwith their chemistry acting as the heart of the film. It wouldn't work as well if Farrell and Gong Li weren't giving the performances of a lifetime.

4

2046 (2004)

Gong Li as Su Li-Zhen

Released in the same year as The handWong Kar-wai 2046 it was actually the first collaboration between the director and Gong Li. 2046 is the final film in Wong Kar-wai's “Love Trilogy”, which includes Days of being wild and the important With the desire to lovewith 2046 acting as a loose sequel to those films. It is undoubtedly Wong Kar-wai's most ambitious film, bringing together his entire filmography in surprising ways, across two different time periods.

Gong Li plays Su Li-zhen in 2046essentially a lookalike of Maggie Cheung's Su Li-zhen, who appeared in all three “Love Trilogy” films. Gong Li's Su Li-zhen is nicknamed “Black Spider” and is a professional gambler who becomes involved with Tony Leung's Chow Mo-wan, the film's main character. Gong Li's performance is perfect as the enigmatic Su Li-zhenacting as yet another possible romantic connection that Leung's character lets slip throughout the film.

3

Live (1994)

Gong Li as Xu Jiazhen

Zhang Yimou To live was the fifth collaboration between the director and Gong Li. Released in 1995, To live tells the story of the Xu family over four generations, from the Chinese Civil War in the late 1940s to the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. The film also generated controversy as it was officially banned in China due to its critical portrayal of policies and campaigns. This did not prevent the film from being acclaimed, as To live took home the Grand Prize at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.

Gong Li plays Jiazhen in To liveXu Fugui's wife, who angrily leaves him after he throws away all his possessions. Gong Li is amazing, channeling Jiazhen's hardworking strength and kindness throughout the film. Jiazhen's resilience in To Live is inspiring, thanks in large part to Gong Li's performance. It's one of her best performances in one of her best films.

2

Goodbye, My Concubine (1993)

Gong Li as Juxian

Launched in 1993, Fgoodbye my concubine is an epic Chinese-Hong Kong historical drama and one of the best Chinese films ever made. Goodbye my concubine tells the story of two longtime friends and their tumultuous relationship over the years with one of the friend's wives. Against the backdrop of 20th century China, Goodbye my concubine covers the early days of the Republic of China until the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution.

Gong Li plays Juxian, Duan Xiaolou's wife. Caught up in a love triangle between her, Xialolou and her friend, Cheng Dieyi, Gong Li is simply excellent at Goodbye my concubine. She's one of the best Chinese actresses to ever do it and her talent is on full display here with his intense chemistry with Leslie Cheung once again being one of the best parts of the film.

1

Raise the Red Lantern (1991)

Gong Li as Songlian

Raise the Red Lantern is simply one of the best Chinese films of all time and the best film in Gong Li's famous career. Released in 1991, Raise the Red Lantern was the third collaboration between Zhang Yimou and Gong Li, making it one of their first films. Set during the Warlord Era of the 1920s, the film tells the story of a young woman who becomes the fourth wife of a wealthy man and her struggles in her new role.

Gong Li star Raise the Red Lantern as Songlian, the young girl around whom the entire film revolves. Gong Li's subtle emotional depth informs his entire performance in the film, making Songlian one of the most subtle and complex characters she has ever played. She's stunning from start to finish, with her ability to become the focal point of whatever scene she's in, no matter what's going on around her. Raise the Red Lantern and Gong Li's best film and a milestone in Chinese cinema.