Zhang Yimou
Film director · 7 films (1995–2023)
Zhang Yimou is a director whose work here spans Shanghai Triad (1995) to Under The Light (2023), across drama and action. 4 of those films were photographed by Zhao Xiaoding. The work runs wide — 41% of frames across the 7 films indexed here, against 20% library-wide. All 319 frames from 7 films are indexed here, searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, colour and mood.
Zhang Yimou is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer. He is counted amongst the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, having made his directorial debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum.
Born 2 April 1950 · Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
Directing style
Zhang Yimou grounds his tense, action-driven dramas in eye-level camera angles, balancing medium shots and wide compositions with a slight preference for shallow depth of field. He favors naturalistic lighting setups dominated by daylight and practical sources, shifting between exterior and interior settings with a split focus on day and night scenes. Visually, his films lean into a cool, desaturated color grade defined by deep slate blues, muted grays, and earthy tones, punctuated by sharp accents of cyan and red.
Films directed by Zhang Yimou
About Zhang Yimou
When was Zhang Yimou born?
Zhang Yimou was born on 2 April 1950 in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
What films has Zhang Yimou directed?
FrameThrower holds stills from 7 of them: Shanghai Triad (1995), Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004), Curse of the Golden Flower (2006), Full River Red (2023), Under The Light (2023) and Raise The Red Lantern.
Search every frame of Zhang Yimou’s films
All 319 indexed frames from 7 films directed by Zhang Yimou — searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, mood or plain language.