Kitakyushu, Japan, 1951
Shigeru Umebayashi
Composer of Yumeji's Theme from In the Mood for Love and the music of House of Flying Daggers.
He was bassist and leader of the Japanese new wave band EX before starting in film in 1985. In the West he is best known for Yumeji's Theme, the waltz heard in Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love. With Wong he also scored most of 2046, and for Zhang Yimou he wrote House of Flying Daggers.
- Style
- Slow, melancholy string waltzes, and orchestra with Chinese instruments.
- Awards
- No major film awards: included for his very well-known work.
Discography
- And Then (1985) Spotify · Apple Music
- Zhou Yu's Train (2002) Spotify · Apple Music
- House of Flying Daggers (2004) Spotify
- Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) Spotify · Apple Music
- Fearless (2006) Spotify · Apple Music
- Trishna (2011) Spotify · Apple Music
- Come il vento (2014) Spotify · Apple Music
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016) Spotify · Apple Music
- The Rebel Princess (2021) Spotify
- In The Mirror (2025) Spotify · Apple Music
- The Dark Sea (2025) Spotify · Apple Music
"Spotify" and "Apple Music" open the album directly on each platform; if only Spotify appears, we have not yet been able to check that album on Apple Music. "Search Spotify" opens an album search for that title. If a link does not lead to the right album, write to [email protected]. "Album" marks the year of that album edition when it differs from the film's.
Awards counted up to the 2026 Academy Awards. Facts reviewed in October 2026.