Even if a movie fan doesn’t know Ang Lee’s name, they’ve seen at least one of his movies. Probably even a few of them, since they tend to be more like cultural phenomenons than simple films. They don’t make a lot of top ten lists and they don’t usually include a lot of explosions. Ang Lee is the intrepid director who brought wire tricks, seafaring tigers, and gay cowboys to the silver screen, among many exotic locations and multi-dimensional characters.
Beyond the flash of Hollywood, Ang Lee’s films are more about romance, beauty, and breathtaking adventures than glitz and glamour. They might not break any box office records, but they’re some of the best cinema that modern movies have to offer. Movie fans that are especially drawn to details like sets, costuming, and filming locations will have a special appreciation for his work.
10 Taking Woodstock (2009) – 6.7
Ang Lee is a director that likes to tell stories about the past. Taking Woodstock is one of these fictions, but it has a grain of truth behind it. It’s the story of the small town that hosted this infamous festival, a narrative that often gets lost in the pop culture volcano that ensued. The main character, Elliot, is just a kid working at his parent’s hotel in the Catskills.
The story revolves around how he inadvertently sets plans in motion for the music festival to take place. Lee didn’t use any vintage camera footage in the movie, and how he recreates the look and feel of the time is deeply immersive.
9 Pushing Hands (1991) – 7.3
This is a charming take on the “fish out of water” story, with the protagonist Mr. Chu and his son Alex navigating the strange waters of family life. A former Tai Chi master, Chu moves to a small town in New York state to be with his son, his wife, and his family, who have already lived in the US for some time.
It’s Alex on which the story is focused, with his father being the catalyst that sets the film in motion. Each character has to find a way to bridge the divide between tradition and modern life.
8 The Ice Storm (1997) – 7.4
Viewers will recognize the influence that this movie had on other films like American Beauty and Donnie Darko, which covered some of the same bases. Despite the star-studded cast and stellar reviews, this was a movie in the late 1990s that didn’t involve black vinyl or wire tricks, so it didn’t get the attention it deserved.
One of the interesting twists is the time period. In an echo of his other films, Lee recreates the early ’70s, right down to the furniture and clothing. Like other movies of this genre, it starts with a typical suburban family with the usual issues. The wife is frustrated, the husband is a drunken liar, and the daughter can’t stand the sight of either of them. When the titular storm hits, it forces them to confront their personal problems.
7 Lust, Caution (2007) – 7.5
It was the era of the Japanese occupation, and resistance fighter Wang Jiazhi is willing to do almost anything to help her native China. Lust, Caustion is the story of how her last assignment as a spy began and ended.
Although the story itself is fictional, it is based in a place and time that was real, and such spy operations really did take place. Lust, Caution is as much about political intrigue as it is about personal desire and physical lust.
6 The Wedding Banquet (1993) – 7.6
This could be Ang Lee’s interpretation of that classic French play The Birdcage, which was also remade as an American movie. Some details are different, such as the gay character being the groom in this story instead of the in-laws, but the premise of playing “straight” for appearances remains.
It’s not just a commentary on the issues of family pressure and homophobia, but also the obsession many cultures have with lavish, expensive weddings, and the prestige that they symbolize. The movie is both happy and sad, sexy, and serious, and the costumes and sets are on point.
5 Sense & Sensibility (1995) – 7.6
Period dramas are Ang Lee’s jam, so it was only a matter of time before he got together with Jane Austen. The plot of Sense and Sensibility seems tedious, focusing on a family left destitute by awkward inheritance rules, and therefore without the means to find suitable matches for their three daughters. However, it’s not only a great cast that makes this movie compelling and beautiful to watch but also the great directing.
The film revolves around the romantic misadventures of Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret as they navigate the myriad of silly and archaic rules regarding courtship and marriage during this era in Victorian England. Who else other than Ang Lee could make 19th-century romantic comedy fun and interesting to watch?
4 Brokeback Mountain (2005) – 7.7
This is the movie that everyone knows was directed by Ang Lee and considering the sensitive subject matter, no other director could have handled it so well. Based on the book of the same name, Brokeback Mountain was a revolutionary movie in several ways, the most obvious being the realistic and sensitive portrayal of two star-crossed lovers who both happen to be men.
The plot follows their romance over a period of several years, as both struggle to maintain precarious marriages and live a lie to hide the relationship. It’s achingly beautiful and the pain their story conveys is universal.
3 Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) – 7.8
So many families enjoy a special feast on Sunday evening, and one of those families is central to the story of Eat Drink Man Woman. Most of Ang Lee’s movies are about exotic locations, but this one is unique in the sense that it takes place in Taipei, and Lee is originally from Taiwan.
Other quirks of this film include sensuous shots of food and table settings as opposed to sweeping countryside vistas and detailed character profiles, which Lee handles with the same skill and expertise as his other films.
2 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) – 7.8
Ang Lee isn’t known for blockbusters, but this is one of the rare exceptions. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon wasn’t the first martial arts movie released in North America, but this was the first one that also included a fantastical mystical drama about an enchanted sword and a legend of forbidden techniques. Though Wuxia films like this are common in Asia, the recognition it got in America was a major first.
This movie is a feast for the eyes that never quits. The interior of the historic buildings is exquisite, the countryside is lush and beautiful, and the acting is supported by a stellar cast. The fight between actors Michelle Yeoh and Ziyi Zhang near the end of the film is a stellar example of cinematic swordplay.
1 Life of Pi (2012) – 7.9
A famous book that became an equally popular film, Life of Pi is a story about strange bedfellows and the struggle not only for survival but also for sanity. What makes this story so compelling is the global connections as Pi’s story moves across the globe, which also gives director Lee a chance to take the breathtaking shots that make his movies so much fun to watch.
The special effects are exceptionally great, with the creation of fearsome tiger Richard Parker being a noted example. However, the effects were also a source of controversy, as the VFX studio Rhythm & Hues Studios accused Lee and producers of not fairly compensating them for their work. The studio filed for bankruptcy shortly after the film’s release.
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