Overview
A journey into the heart of China reveals secrets that transcend the ordinary.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- whimsical
- dreamy
- witty
- curious movie night
- arthouse adventure night
What critics said
Critics and viewers broadly regard the film as a delightful, eccentric, and unexpectedly profound blend of comedy, fantasy, and humanistic adventure.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Wada's jade-assessment mission brings commercial interests into conflict with the remote village's mysterious traditions and relationship to nature.
The salaryman and yakuza's mission shifts from comic criminal intrigue toward the extraordinary secret of human flight.
The Chinese village, its jade deposits, Shen, and the haunting song form the film's central mysterious environment.
Japanese corporate and yakuza figures confront a Chinese village whose language, song, and traditions destabilize their practical mission.
Films like The Bird People in China, and why
The Mission
shared whimsical fantasy adventure, remote setting, and gentle critique of capitalist intrusion into nature
Aguirre, the Wrath of God
shared eccentric travelers, surreal encounters, and dreamlike engagement with isolated communities
The City of Women
shared Fellini-esque magical realism, comic absurdity, and humanistic reflection on personal worldviews
Spirited Away
shared Japanese fantasy adventure, outsider protagonists, and lyrical encounters with a hidden world
Movie Details
- Director
- Takashi Miike
- Release Date
- 1998-06-10
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (92)
Cast
- Masahiro Motoki
- Renji Ishibashi
- Mako
- Li Li Wang
- Yūichi Minato
- Tomohiko Okuda
- Manzo Shinra
- Michiko Kichise
Common questions
- What is The Bird People in China about?
- A Japanese salaryman and his yakuza shadow discover that a jade appraisal in rural China conceals a sublime secret of human flight.
- What is The Bird People in China like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Bird People in China as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Bird People in China violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Bird People in China as mild.
- What did critics think of The Bird People in China?
- Critics and viewers broadly regard the film as a delightful, eccentric, and unexpectedly profound blend of comedy, fantasy, and humanistic adventure.
- Which films are like The Bird People in China?
- Films with a similar feel include The Mission, Aguirre, the Wrath of God, The City of Women, and Spirited Away.
- How long is The Bird People in China?
- The Bird People in China runs 118 minutes.
