In recent years, with the help of movies like Hero, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Studio Ghibli animations Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle Asian cinema has really blasted into the mainstream.China has been at the fore-front of bringing top quality eastern cinema to a western audience.Chinese cinema has gone through several stages over the years and was enjoying a Golden Age during the 1940s producing classics such as The Spring River Flows East and Crows and Sparrows.The 1950s saw a drastic change as cinema was used as a mass form of propaganda with the Communist take-over. Hollywood movies were banned by the Communist Party of China who wanted, instead, to produce movies based on soldiers, workers and peasants.But during this time the Beijing Film Academy was opened and Chinese movies were receiving recognition in other parts of the world when Havoc in Heaven on Best Film at London's International Film Festival. Despite these restrictions movie viewers rose reaching an all time high in 1959.

But during the Cultural Revolution that followed cinema was to suffer greatly as tighter restrictions were put in place. Between 1967-72 film production came to an almost standstill.

However in the early seventies the film industry began to recover and flourish once more with domestic pictures surging in popularity.

With the eighties came the so called Fifth Generation bringing international success to the Chinese film industry producing movies such as King of Children in 1987 and Ju Dou in 1989.

During this time Chinese movies notched up three Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Film as well as the Palme d'Or for Farewell My Concubine in 1993 at the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Lion for The Story of Qiu Ju at Venice Film Festival the year before.

However since 2000 Chinese cinema has enjoyed constant success internationally.

Beginning this roll of success was Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Despite being criticised by Chinese cinema go-ers for selling out to accommodate an American audience it did well internationally highlighting the high quality movie making that was going on in Asia.

It was followed up by Hero starring Jet Li which spent two weeks at the top of the U.S. box office.

Martial art spectacular House of Flying Daggers and Curse of the Golden Flower has been released since, both met with high praise and box office success.

Not only has Chinese movies broke into the mainstream but a string of stars have also crossed over and appear in successful Hollywood movies.

Jet Li is perhaps the most famous making his Hollywood debut in 1998's Lethal Weapon 4 with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.

Following this his 2000 role Romeo Must Die it launched his career as a Hollywood leading man.

Since then he has starred in Cradle 2 The Grave, The One, Kiss the Dragon and most recently War as well as returning to his martial arts roots in his epic Fearless.

Like Li, Jackie Chan has also broke into the Hollywood mainstream his breakthrough role coming in 1995 with Rumble in the Bronx.

However, it was his 1998 role in Rush Hour, with Chris Tucker, that really made him a house hold name. The film went on to gross $130 million in the U.S. alone.

Since then he has reprised his Rush Hour role of Detective Inspector Lee twice, as well as teaming up with Owen Wilson twice for Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights.

Director Ang Lee is perhaps the most famous director to have enjoyed success in his native Asia as well as America.

Taiwan born Lee made his directorial debut in 1992 with Pushing Hands, which was successful with both the Taiwan critics and the cinema go-ers.

Only three years later the door to Hollywood opened when he directed the English classic Sense and Sensibility which went on to be nominated for seven Oscars.

Lee then went back to the Chinese martial arts drama to direct Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon which received critical acclaim and box office success internationally.

Crouching Tiger won the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award as well as Lee being nominated for Best Director.

More success came when he took on independent movie Brokeback Mountain which told of forbidden love between two Wyoming cowboys.

The film's subject matter was subject to much debate but despite this Brokeback Mountain was nominated for eight Oscars.

Ang Lee won Best Director on the night but lost our to Crash for Best Picture.

For his new picture Lust.Caution Lee was awarded the Golden Lion at this year's Venice Film Festival. It's the second time he has won this award in three years - he on in 2005 for Brokeback Mountain.

Lust Caution is released 4th January.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw

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