Watch 8 Free Edward Yang Films Online With English Subtitles

Do want to know where to stream and watch free Edward Yang films online?

Yes, you do not need Netfix to view Edward Yang’s Yi Yi, Taipei Story, The Terrorizers, A Brighter Summer Day, Mahjong, A Confucian Confusion, In Our Time and That Day On The Beach.

You can watch all his eight movies stream online for free.

If you are a big fan of Taiwan New Wave Cinema movement of the 1980s, here are eight (8) Edward Yang movies online free, you might like to check them out.

Those of you who are not a film aficionado of New Taiwanese Cinema, forget about this article.

These Taiwanese artsy-fartsy movies are socially conscious films which depict stories of contemporary realistic, down-to-earth Taiwanese life.

free Edward Yang films online

The themes are usually centered around urbanization, the struggle against poverty, relationship problems and conflicts with political authority.

Many of you would label this kind of films as: “put-the-audience-to-sleep” movies.

They are notorious for their excruciatingly slow pace narrative as if in real life, time-dragging long camera shots, dull and flat camera framing and at times with minimum dialogues in mainly Mandarin and a sprinkle of Hokkien and Hakka dialects.

Among the famous film-makers of this New Taiwanese Cinema (台湾新浪潮电影) of between 1982–1990 include: Edward Yang (楊德昌), Chen Kuo-fu ( 陳國富),  Chan Hung-chih (詹宏志), Wu Nien-jen (吳念真) and Hou Hsiao-hsien ( 侯孝賢).

There is a documentary titled “Flowers of Taipei: Taiwan New Cinema” (光陰的故事-台灣新電影), which is a tribute from filmmakers and critics around the world to this Taiwan New Cinema movement in the 1980s.

flowers of taipei movies

When you watch this 109-minute you will understand why and how this crop of Taiwanese auteurs started this Taiwan New Cinema movement emerged and flourished.

You can watch “Flowers of Taipei: Taiwan New CinemaFREE online over at Asiancrush.

Note: AsianCrush is ONLY available across North America.

For those living outside America, then you need a paid or free VPN (virtual private network service) to enjoy this streaming service dedicated to Asian entertainment.

Read below to find out how to watch AsianCrush movies outside US.


Related:
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If you want to know more about the influential Taiwanese filmmaker Edward Yang, watch this video essay titled “Taiwan As A Window. The Cinema of Edward Yang” by Rafael Guilhem.

To watch this video, click on this: link

Free Edward Yang Films Online

The eight Edward Yang movies are:

In Our Time (Edward Yang’s segment titled “Expectation” (1982)
That Day, On The Beach (1983)
Taipei Story (1985)
The Terrorizers (1986)
A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
A Confucian Confusion (1994)
Mahjong (1996)
Yi Yi (2000)

You can watch all these eight Edward Yang free movies online with English subtitles right now.


In Our Time 光陰的故事 (1982)

in our time movie

This 1982 anthology film consists of four short films from four different directors, spanning from the 1950s to the 1980s.

They are Edward Yang, Yi Chang, Ko I-Chen and Tao Te-Chen.

The stories focus on the different stages of life between childhood and young adulthood.

The late Edward Yang’s story is the second segment titled “Expectation” (指 望) at 29:19.

The story is set in the 1960s. It is about a young girl in who becomes infatuated with an older man who is staying at her parents’ house, but falls into a love triangle.

To watch free In Our Time online, click on this: Link


That Day, On The Beach 海灘的 一天 (1983)

that day on the beach movie

This flick is about two friends who haven’t seen each other for thirteen years reunite in Taipei.

It stars Sylvia Chang Ai-chia and Terry Hu Yin-meng.

To watch free That Day On The Beach online, click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2


Taipei Story 青梅竹馬 (1985)

taipei story edward yang movie

The direct English translation of the film title is “green plums and a bamboo horse“.

This Chinese idiomatic title is taken from Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai‘s (李白) work “Ballad of Changgan” (李白 長干行).

It refers to a childhood sweetheart.


Related: If you want to know more about this legendary Chinese poet Li Bai (李白) also known as Li Po, read this free 2019 biography by Ha Jin.

The Banished Immortal Ha Jin

The Banished Immortal: A Life Of Li Bai
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2


This movie is the two childhood sweethearts are played by the famous director Hou Hsiao-hsien and the equally popular pop and folk singer Tsai Chin (ex-wife of Edward Yang).

It is about the growing estrangement between a washed-up baseball player and his childhood sweetheart.

To watch free Taipei Story online, click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4

tsai chin singer

By the way, if want to to listen to Tsai Chin’s elegantly rich vocal rendering her hit songs, click here.


The Terrorizers 恐怖份子 (1986)

Terrorizers edward yang free movie

It is a bleak mystery surrounding three couples crossing paths in an urban society.

A mainland doctor and his depressed novelist wife, a young woman and the tough petty criminal gang and a young photographer and his girlfriend.

To watch free The Terrorizers online, click on any of these:  Link 1, Link 2

Note: This free streaming movie is from YuYu TV. Just like AsianCrush, for those living outside US, you need to use a VPN service to watch, as explained above.


A Brighter Summer Day 牯嶺街少年殺人事件 (1991)

A Brighter Summer Day free Edward Yang movies

The Chinese title literally means “The Youth Killing Incident on Ku Ling Street“.

It is based on the true story of a crime, a conflict between two youth gangs in 1961.

This 237-minute Yang’s masterpiece covered various themes.

The 1960s Taiwanese anguished generation, the oppressive Taiwanese military state, the woes of refugees from the mainland, the bitter memories of wartime Japanese occupation, the terror of gang violence, and the encroachment of American popular culture.

To watch free A Brighter Summer Day online, click on any of these:  Link 1 , Link 2


A Confucian Confusion 獨立時代 (1994)

confucian confusion free movie

A 133-minute satirical comedy film about young city-dwellers and their work, loves and relationships set in Taipei.

To watch free a Confucius Confusion online, click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2


Mahjong 麻將 (1996)

Mahjong edward yang free movies

This Taiwanese comedy film “Mahjong” is about a search for a missing famed businessman, Winston Chen, who owns $100 million to Taipei’s triad.

To watch free Mahjong online, click on any of these: Link 1 , Link 2


Yi Yi ㄧ ㄧ (2000)

yi yi edward yang movie free online

Yi Yi film tile in Chinese literally is “One One“, which means one after another.

The film’s theme centers around the emotional struggles of an engineer and three generations of his middle-class Taiwanese family who reside in Taipei.

The Yi Yi cast:

Wu Nien-jen as NJ
Elaine Jin as Min-Min
Kelly Lee as Ting-Ting
Jonathan Chang as Yang-Yang
Issey Ogata as Mr. Ota
Chen Hsi-Sheng as A-Di
Su-Yun Ko as Sherry
Chang Yu Pang as Fatty

The late Edward Yang won the Best Director Award for this movie at 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

You can read Yi Yi review by the late Roger Ebert here.

To watch free Yi Yi free online, click on any of these: Link 1 ,Link 2, Link 3

I hope you enjoy watching all the free Edward Yang films online as recommended above.


Disclaimer: I do not host any of the movies here. They are copyrighted to their respective owners. All content cited is derived from their respective sources.