Must-see foreign language films

[Skijumper]

Okay, here's the thing - the library where I work has decided to start a foreign-language video collection and I've been given the task of ordering about 500-800 titles to start us off.

Presently, I'm talking to my library patrons to see what they want, and browsing through my catalogues like crazy. I'm still open to suggestions - so if any of you have recommendations, I'd love to hear them. They don't have to be popular titles; maybe something obscure you saw and loved. Just give me the title and if possible, the director. I'll try to track it down from there.

[Why A Duck]

Great thread. Might I suggest...

My Life as a Dog - Wonderful Swedish coming of age story.

Pelle the Conqueror - another gem about a father and son who emigrate from Sweden to Denmark, with Max Von Sydow.

The Commissar - a Russian movie made during the 60's that was shelved for years. Not a joyride, but worth seeing. It concerns a female commissar during the Russian Civil War who winds up pregnant and staying with a Jewish family. She is torn between her duty as a revolutionary and as a mother.

Europa Europa - Harrowing fact-based story of a Jewish boy who masquerades as a German to evade capture and then is drafted into Hitler's army

And of course you can't go wrong with Das Boot, the original German version of course.

[RealityChuck]

Some basic choices:

Bergman: "Persona," "The Seventh Seal," "Smiles of a Summer Night," or "Shame."

Fellini: "8 1/2" "La Strada"

Bunuel: "El," "Discrete Charm of the Bourgeoisie"

Philippe de Broca : "King of Hearts"

Edouard Molinaro: "La Cage au Folles"

Yves Robert: "The Tall Blond Man With One Black Shoe"

Jacques Tati: "M. Hulot's Holiday," "Mon Oncle"

Daniel Vigne: "The Return of Martin Guerre"

Akira Kurosawa: "Ran," "Yojimbo," "Roshomon," "Seven Samauri"

Ang Lee: "The Wedding Banquet" "Eat Drink Man Woman" "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

Volker Schlöndorff: "The Tin Drum"

Wolfgang Peterson: "Das Boot"

Roman Polanski: "Repulsion"

Jean-Jacques Annaud: "Noirs et blancs en couleur" (the title, translated as "Black and White in Color" misses the pun -- "en couleur" means "angry").

[August West]

Well I don't know the fancy-shmancy director's name :D, but the Italian film Leolo was damn good, and funny too.

[August West]

The director was Jean-Claude Lauzon, which is a funny name for an Italian. (oops, it's French Canadian! I'm an idiot.)

[Legomancer]

I liked My Life As a Dog, Tampopo, and Cinema Paradiso.

[Gyrate]

Hmmm...I'm trying to think of films not previously mentioned...

Tampopo, the best of Juzo Itami's films (although the first A Taxing Woman movie was amusing too).

Diva, a French film about a bike courier obsessed with an opera singer.

Subway, an early Christopher Lambert flick.

Tout les Matins du Monde, featuring Gerard Depardieu and his son and a lot of really good viola da gamba music.

Life is Beautiful and Johnny Stechino, both starring Roberto Benigni.

Taxi, a French comic-action film. The sequel hit the theatres not all that long ago.

If you're planning on including more violent films, look at John Woo films such as The Killer and Hard Boiled, both starring Chow Yun Fat. And, of course, old Jackie Chan films like Legend of the Drunken Master.

When I was studying French in high school (way back when), we used to watch the Arsene Lupin (http://www.coolfrenchcomics.com/arsenelupin2.htm) films (AL being the name of the main character) about a master criminal who always outwitted the police. Actually, looking more closely at the website, we were probably watching the '70's TV show with Georges Descrieres in film form (with subtitles); but still worth watching -- family viewing, amusing, and easy to follow. I assume they're out on video.

I'm sure I'll think of more very soon.

[Tansu]

Central do Brasil / Central Station by Walter Salles, starring Fernanda Montenegro.

It's about an boy whose mother is run over by a tram and killed, and a lady who writes letters for illiterates, but never sends them. They travel across Brazil looking for the boy's father.

[Ukulele Ike]

Fritz Lang's
WOMAN IN THE MOON (1929)
M (1931)
THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE (1933)

Josef van Sternberg's
THE BLUE ANGEL (1930)

Werner Herzog's
AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD (1972)
THE ENIGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER (1974)
STROSZEK (1977)
FITZCARRALDO (1982)

Rainer Werner Fassbinder's
THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT (1972)
ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL (1974)
THE MARRIEAGE OF MARIA BRAUN (1979)

Wim Wenders's
THE AMERICAN FRIEND (1977)
WINGS OF DESIRE (1987)


...so I like German movies, okay?

[detop]

In addition to the preceding, I would add the following titles :

Jean Cocteau's La Belle et la Bête, Orphée

Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin, October, The Strike, Alexander Nevsky

F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu

Claude Jutras'Mon Oncle Antoine

Michel Brault's Les Ordres

Jean-Claude Lauzon's Un Zoo La Nuit

[Legomancer]

Oh hey I don't think anyone's said Metropolis.

[Colibri]

Besides the Akira Kurasawa's previously mentioned movies, Dersu Uzala.

Lina Wertmuller:
The Seduction of Mimi
Love and Anarchy
Swept Away (by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August)
Seven Beauties

[frock75]

OK I'm probably going to mess up on the titles, but a couple of french movies come to mind. One was "My New Partner" It think that was the translation. It was so long ago. Anyway, it was about a crooked cop with a heart, who gets a young sidekick and shows him his way of being a cop. I know I'm oversimplifying.

Another was part of a series."Red", "White" and "Blue". This one had Julie Delpi in it. I think it was "White"

Can't forget "la Femme Nikita"

"Il Postino", Italian flick. I loved that movie.

"Queen Margot" French?. Couldn't tell you the director. Only saw it once but I loved it.

[katiekilldare]

Run Lola Run is a breathtaking example of style over substance. It's German.

[detop]

Originally posted by frock75
OK I'm probably going to mess up on the titles, but a couple of french movies come to mind. One was "My New Partner" It think that was the translation. It was so long ago. Anyway, it was about a crooked cop with a heart, who gets a young sidekick and shows him his way of being a cop. I know I'm oversimplifying.

Original title, Les Ripoux

Another was part of a series."Red", "White" and "Blue". This one had Julie Delpi in it. I think it was "White"

Sorry, can't help you on that one

Can't forget "la Femme Nikita"

The original French title is simply Nikita.

"Queen Margot" French?. Couldn't tell you the director. Only saw it once but I loved it.

Don't remember the director either, but the original title is La Reine Margot.

You can also add the French biopic Molière.

[frock75]

Thanks detop.

Now that I know "Les Ripoux" I just might go out and find it. If I recall correctly Billy Joel borrowed the haunting whistle throughout the score, for one of his songs. Could be wrong on that one.

[Saitou]

Hirokazu Koreeda's "After life" (Wandafuru raifu)
Takeshi Kitano's "Kikujiro no natsu" & "Hana-bi"
Paul verhoeven's "Soldier of Orange"
George Sluizer's "Spoorloos" (the Vanishing)


all the Gendarme movies with Louis De Funès

[LC Strawhouse]

Here are some watchable foreign language films that haven't been mentioned yet:

Z by Costa-Gavras (great movie)
The Fourth Man by Paul Verhoeven
Vampyr, Joan of Arc and Day of Wrath by Carl Dreyer
Clouzot's The Wages of Fear
Betty Blue (French film)
Festen aka The Celebration (recent Danish film)
Show me Love aka F---ing Ammal (recent Swedish)
Bergman's The Virgin Spring
Polanski's Knife in the Water

A lot of people like Lars von Trier's stuff (The Kingdom, Zentropa) but I'm not one of them. People might also expect to see films by John Woo and Wong KarWai; basically anything they made is OK.

Of course, there are also a TON of famous exploitation/ horror films from Europe and Asia, but I'm assuming a library isn't interested in that stuff.

[Ukulele Ike]

Originally posted by Legomancer
Oh hey I don't think anyone's said Metropolis.

I skipped over the silent era, as I figured someone sponsoring a foreign-language program would be more interested in films with spoken dialogue.

Trust me, MOST of my favorite German flicks are silents.

[KarlGauss]

Jean De Florette (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0091288) by Claude Berri

Manon of the Spring (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0091480) also by Claude Berri

Wings of Desire (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0093191) by Wim Wender

Murmur of the Heart (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0067778) by Loius Malle

And almost anything by Lina Wertmuller

[Rayne Man]

A trilogy of Polish films "Ashes and Diamonds" "Kanal" and "Generation" . All three films are interlinked and deal with the German occupation of Poland.

[lel]

A few suggestions:

Como agua para chocolate (Like water for chocolate) - directed by Alfonso Arau.

And there's another one, which I've done multiple searches for and come up empty handed, but it's about Sephardic Jews who were forced to go to Mexico in the 1930s. It begins with them at the train station in Mexico, and it deals quite a bit with the girl, who is a Sephardic Jew, and her boyfriend, who is something else, and there's a big family fight at the end. Whatever the title or director may be, it's an excellent movie, very informative about the plight of Sephardic Jews in Mexico. The only version I'm familiar with is in Spanish; I'm not sure if it comes with English subtitles or dubbing anywhere or not.

I would offer more suggestions, but I don't remember any more titles.

[ShibbOleth]

Originally posted by katiekilldare
Run Lola Run is a breathtaking example of style over substance. It's German.

The original title is Lola Rennt.

A nice Fastbinder piece is The Marriage of Maria Braun, good example of new German Cinema, it is a analogy of Germany's post WWII "economic miracle". I just saw I am seconding Ukelele Ike, always a good idea.

For Chinese, there is a whole list of stuff, Red Sorghum, Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern, Farewell my Concubine, To Live, etc.

In French, from Louis Malle, Au revoir les enfants

[ashtayk]

let me in my $0.02 worth and plump for some movies from my hom country of India. For those film buffs out there, India produces more films each year than any other country in world.

That said, much of it simply trash, but of course, when there is so much of it being made, ther is bound to be some good stuff.

Films by Satyajit Ray are good to have (Pather Panchali, Apur Sansar), as are some of the newer films like Bandit Queen (lots of violence and based on a true story). I could go on and on..... but these would be good to start with.

[gallows fodder]

Riso Amaro (1948, Italian) directed by Giuseppe de Santis - starring Vittorio Gasman and Silvana Mangano (Miss Italy, I think, at one time); great film, about two thieves who hide out at a rice plantation....really neat exploration of good and evil in people. The title is a play on words: "amaro" means "bitter" and "riso" means both "rice" and "smile."

The Celebration, aka Festen (1998, Danish) directed by Thomas Winterberg - one of the "Dogme" films, filmed in its characteristic style; one of my favorite movies ever, about a family secret that's revealed at a reunion and the repercussions of the revelation.

La Strada (1954, Italian) directed by Federico Fellini - starring Anthony Quinn and Giulietta Massina (Fellini's wife); a beautiful film about a travelling circus clown and the strongman she takes up with. All the kids in my high school Italian classes loved this film and asked to see it more than once.

The Offical Story (1985, Argentinian) directed by Luis Puenzo -- about the political situation in 1970s Argentina, specifically the "disappeared" (people murdered by the government for being alleged rebels). IIRC, it won the 1985 Academy Award for best foreign film.

The City of Lost Children (1991, French) directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro -- surreal children's story that's not necessarily for children. If you haven't seen this, go get it.

[rowrrbazzle]

Bunuel's The Exterminating Angel and Belle du Jour.

Bergman's Cries and Whispers and The Magician.

[DSYoungEsq]

Did anyone mention the rather excellent Cyrano of just a few years ago, with Depardieu in the title role?

Also, a wonderful filming of the opera Tosca was done not too long ago, in which the filming was done at the actual locations in which the opera supposedly takes place, with Placido Domingo among others singing. The whole thing was done live, shown over two days originally on television, so that the last act actually takes place at dawn as scripted.

Of course, there are those today who would think any Shakespearean play done with the original language would be a foreign film. ;)

[ShibbOleth]

Just remembered that a lot of Iranian films lately have been touted as being very good, can anyone here recommend some? (I am just back in the country so am a bit behind in this regard)

And as long as I am at it, these have popped into my head, Ladri di biciclette, aka The Bicycle Thief.

[kasuo]

The Red Violin (1998) is a must-have.

[matt_mcl]

I would second The Red Violin and add Jésus de Montréal and Maelström, two wonderful Québécois films.

[Chas.E]

Blow-Up By Michelangelo Antonioni
Ikiru; Kagemusha; Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru by Akira Kurosawa
Tokyo Monogatari by Yasujiro Ozu
Le Locataire (The Tenant) by Roman Polansky

[xanadu]

Okay, everybody's got to go out and rent "The White Balloon." I don't usually like foreign films, but I absolutely loved this one. Also, another good movie is "The Dinner Game." It's a hilarious French movie about a group of friends who have a contest to see who can bring the biggest idiot to dinner that week. The only catch is that the "contestants" can't be told the real reason that they are attending the dinner.

[Chas.E]

Oops, I missed the foreign language thing, Blow-Up is in English. Sorry. Still, it's a damn good film.

[MrDibble]

I'd like to third(or is it fourth) Wings of Desire by
Wim Wenders, but would like to point out that it may also be available under the original title, De Himmel Ober Berlin
More votes here for Wenders, Fassbinder and Hertzog

[Kamino Neko]

Most of those I'd mention are there - The White Balloon (I'm amazed how much I liked that one), the Kurosawa and John Woo flicks, Cinema Paradiso...

I'd also reccomend The Stolen Children (I can't remember the Italian title.), and Il Monstro. (Can't remember the directors of either...)

Also, The Heroic Trio is a very well done example of the 'wire-fu' genre of Hong Kong action movies.

[maryliza]

Don't forget the Spanish! Anything by Pedro Almodovar, but especially Todos sobre mi madre.

Another great French movie that is a must-have is La vie rêvée des anges, directed by Eric Zonca.

A French comedy that is worth having is Dîner de cons, directed by Francis Veber.

The Red, White and Blue trilogy is by a Polish director named Krzysztof Kieslowski who has also directed the fabulous movie La double vie de Véronique and the Dekalog, a ten part movie that deals with the commandments. (That's an oversimplification, but I haven't seen it so I can't give more detail!)

The Bosnian director Emir Kusturica has really fabulous and funny movies that should be in any comprehensive library. Two of his better known titles are Black Cat, White Cat (or more accurately Crna maka, beli macor) and Underground. For anyone who hasn't seen these movies, you are missing out. They are excellent, bizarre, twisted and hilarious.

Finally, any movie by Ingmar Bergman, the Swedish director of films like The Seventh Seal and Fanny and Alexander.

Oooooh, you have such a cool job! I'm so jealous!

[Gyrate]

Is The White Balloon the children's film about a balloon floating around a city? If so, I'll definitely second that one.

DSYoungEsq mentioned Tosca above; apart from the fact that most opera vids are "foreign language", Bergman did an excellent film of Mozart's The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflo:te) that I would highly recommend.

On a sort-of recommend basis, I saw a German film on late-night television called Funny Games (I can't remember the German title) about two young men who torture a family just for the heck of it. It's not especially gory, but it's very well made: the suspense and emotional impact is intense and disturbing, and it's not what one might call a "happy" film (hence the "sort of" recommendation).

[Skijumper]

Originally posted by Ukulele Ike
Originally posted by Legomancer
Oh hey I don't think anyone's said Metropolis.

I skipped over the silent era, as I figured someone sponsoring a foreign-language program would be more interested in films with spoken dialogue.

Trust me, MOST of my favorite German flicks are silents.

Metropolis is already in our (small) collection of silents. I only remember a few - a range of Chaplins, Hitchcock's The Lodger, Murnau's vampire movie. I don't think management would mind developing that area so if you've got any suggestions for silents, Ukulele Ike (or anyone else), I'd like to hear them.

Thanks everyone, for your recommendations. By the way, Wenders and Kieslowski are personal faves so they were first on my list, even before I posted this thread.

[Gyrate]

Silent flicks? Apart from some of the standard ones like Keaton's The General, I'll put in a plug for The Passion of Joan of Arc (http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/greatmovies/passion_of_joan.html).

While I have yet to see it, due to unavailability at video stores, my friends (and Roger Ebert, as per the link) rave about it. I also have the soundtrack by Richard Einhorn, which is excellent (a recent addition to the 1928 film), so try and get a copy with the new music. I promise, it's better than the Moroderized version of Metropolis.

[TomH]

Originally posted by RealityChuck
Jean-Jacques Annaud: "Noirs et blancs en couleur" (the title, translated as "Black and White in Color" misses the pun -- "en couleur" means "angry").

I think you're thinking of en colère, which means "angry". En couleur just means "in colour".

Two other fantastic French films from the last year or two:

Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien (Harry, He's Here to Help)

Le Dîner de cons (No English title, AFAIK)

[Maeglin]

Some great suggestions, but I am surprised no one has mentioned the work of art that is Character (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/076781553X/qid=999615152/sr=2-10/ref=aps_sr_v_4_1/104-7466232-4613515), by first-time Dutch director Mike van Diem. One of my favorite movies of all time, in any language.

[tiny ham]

I just rented a movie (Russian) called Vor or The Thief. It ROCKED. I think it came out about four years ago?

Also Au Revoir Les Enfants was very good.

And let's not forget Almodovar's Tie Me Up Tie Me Down, for the more....advanced tastes. ;)

[Mersavets]

Anatomie, a recent horror movie from Germany starring the same actress from Run Lola, Run.

Let there be Light and Delicatessen are two French films that I can't believe Hollywood have not tried to improve yet.

Post, a Norwegian black comedy, was excellent I thought.

Man Bites Dog, another very black comedy, this time from Belgium. te

[Gyrate]

Originally posted by jr8
Silent flicks? Apart from some of the standard ones like Keaton's The General, I'll put in a plug for The Passion of Joan of Arc (http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/greatmovies/passion_of_joan.html).

While I have yet to see it, due to unavailability at video stores, my friends (and Roger Ebert, as per the link) rave about it. I also have the soundtrack by Richard Einhorn, which is excellent (a recent addition to the 1928 film), so try and get a copy with the new music. I promise, it's better than the Moroderized version of Metropolis.
Update: One of said friends informs me that Einhorn's music is usually performed live in conjunction with showings of the film, and thus may not be available on the tape itself. I stand corrected.

[Globe-trotter]

One of my all-time favourites is Jean Renoir's La grande illusion (1937), starring Jean Gabin, Erich Von Stroheim. Brilliant.

Ooh maryliza, I love Kusturica's stuff as well. Black cat, white cat had me in stitches. I also really enjoyed When father was away on business. Warning! Avoid Arizona Dream. It's crap.

[Floater]

I'm amazed no one has mentioned two of my all time highs (if you happen to have a somewhat black sense of humour):

Truffaut, François: Une belle fille comme moi (http://members.netscapeonline.co.uk/jameswtravers/nf_Une_belle_fille_comme_moi_rev.html)(aka Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me)

and

Scola, Ettore: Brutti, sporchi e cattivi (http://www.eonline.com/Facts/Movies/0,60,5049,00.html) (aka Ugly, Dirty and Bad/Ugly Dirty and Mean/Down and Dirty) (unfortunately I havn't been able to find a good description of it)

[xanadu]

I almost forgot "My Best Fiend, Klaus Kinski." Definitely one of the best movies I've ever seen.

[Gyrate]

Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" (Kakushi Toride no San Akunin), starring Toshiro Mifune. The film that reportedly spawned the characters of C3PO and R2D2.

Alain Resnais' "Hiroshima mon amour" -- a trifle dated, but still worth watching.

[China Guy]

You need some mandarin language films.

Zhang YiMou did many films with Gong Li. Red Sorgum is probably the best of the breed.
Chen Kaige has done many films including Yellow Earth.

My favorite may be Chen Kaige's King of the Children, which IMHO is the greatest indictment of an educational system ever put on film.

Many of my friends say that Zhang Yimou as the lead actor, was the only Asian guy they would ever want to jump the bones of.

[China Guy]

Originally posted by China Guy
Many of my friends say that Zhang Yimou as the lead actor, was the only Asian guy they would ever want to jump the bones of.
Sorry, meant to add in the Old Well was the flick. Zhang Yimou was quite the stud muffin.

Since we're dealing with revisionism here, Chen Kaige's Farewell to my Concubine is pretty awesome as well.

Also, the Black Cannon Incident (hei pai shi jian) (1986) is a pretty awesome indictment of bureaucracy. I did a google but can't find who filmed this. But he was one of the "new wave" Chinese along with Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.

[celestina]

1. "Thesis"
2. "Open Your Eyes"
(#1 and 2 are by Alejandro Amenabar)
3. "Tampopo"
4. "Blue" w/Juliette Binoche in it
5. "Taxing Woman"
6. "Taxing Woman Returns"
( #5 and 6 are Japanese films. I forget the director's name.)
7. "Ran" by Akira Kurosawa
8. "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"
9. "The Dinner Game"

This is all I can think of right now. Sorry if I'm repeating some.

[Skijumper]

Originally posted by China Guy
Many of my friends say that Zhang Yimou as the lead actor, was the only Asian guy they would ever want to jump the bones of.

Oh, but have they seen Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Takeshi Kaneshiro of 'Chungking Express' fame? They look pretty do-able. And the film's pretty good too.

Thanks for the tip, China Guy.

[Purd Werfect]

Originally posted by maryliza
The Bosnian director Emir Kusturica has really fabulous and funny movies that should be in any comprehensive library. Two of his better known titles are Black Cat, White Cat (or more accurately Crna maka, beli macor) and Underground. For anyone who hasn't seen these movies, you are missing out. They are excellent, bizarre, twisted and hilarious.


Yes! Underground is one of the finest movies I've ever had the privilege to watch. Black Cat, White Cat is also excellent. I also recommend Time Of The Gypsies by Kustarica. All of these films are perfect with stunning imagery and music, as well as compelling stories which give a perspective of Eastern European culture that most westerners usually don't get to see.

[QuanSu]

Just want to add to the list "La Jeté." I don't remember the director's name.

[5-HT]

I don't know the foreign language title, but in English this one is called A Pure Formality. It stars Roman Polanski and Gerard Depardieu. It was written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. It's a great film with a terrific twist at the end. highly recommended

[silent_rob]

QuanSu, the director's name is Chris Marker. La Jeté is indeed a very cool experimental French film.

Well, most of those that I thought of have already been named in the thread. However, I don't think I saw any of Giuseppe Tornatore's movies. Cinema Paradiso is wonderful, as are most (if not all) of his other films. And though it's in English, I've got to say that The Legend of 1900 is simply amazing (though it doesn't seem to be available everywhere, yet).

I was curious, though: which The Red Violin was being referred to, before? The Canadian film, though it is excellent, was in English.

[Patty O'Furniture]

I'm going to check in with the little known Nang-Nak, a tragic/romantic ghost story from Thailand. The translation of the title (Ghost Wife) somewhat gives the movie away, but the movie loses nothing because of it.

Here (http://www.mhvf.net/forum/asian/posts/108214160.html) is a review that I fully agree with, but it goes into detail from start to finish and therefore contains spoilers (scroll down all the way for the DVD cover art- no spoiler there).

Here is a snippet without spoilers:

Immediately I was drawn into the film's palpable atmosphere and gorgeous cinematography. The setting is a small tribal village along a river deep in the Thai wilderness - not exactly the typical setting for a ghost story. The lush greenery, wildlife, and an evocative soundtrack filled with natural sounds placed me firmly in the middle of the story. Director Nimibutr truly has a gifted eye for screen composition and camera movement, and I spied as many western filmmaking influences in his style as eastern.

<snip>

The story concerns a young couple living in a small shack on a river "somewhere" in Thailand (although nearly all
of the dialogue is translated into subtitles, locations and original Thai subtitles are annoyingly NOT translated in
this release). Just as implacable as the location is the time in which the story takes place. The dvd case
mentions that the story is based on a "true legend"(?), so I am assuming that the timeline for the film would have
taken place at least seventy or eighty years ago. For all I know, NANG-NAK may be set in modern-day Thailand. However, the lack of specific time and place add immensely to the timeless feel of the film. Mak, the husband, is called away at the very beginning to fight in some unexplained tribal war just as he learns that his wife, Nak, is with child. Already we are filled with a sense of dread - we know this not end well for one of them (and thanks to the spoiler-ridden title [NANG-NAK translation: GHOST-WIFE], we know who exactly who is ill-fated).

Expertly edited with very moving flashback images that help amplify the sense of tragedy as the film reaches its crescendo. Do not pass this movie up if you have the opportunity to watch it.

[xanadu]

I don't know if anyone's mentioned it yet, but "Madadayo", directed by Akira Kurosawa, was a really good movie. One of his best, in my opinion. Also, I hear that "Aguirre, The Wrath Of God" , directed by Werner Herzog is a good movie, also. He also directs the movie that I mentioned earlier - "My Best Fiend, Klaus Kinski." Here's a link (http://us.idmb.com/Title?0200849) for the review of that movie.

[xanadu]

Hey, that link didn't work, so try this link (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0200849) instead.
I really should proofread these things.

[Labdad]

Also by Clouzot, Diabolique. An incredible chiller! Don't waste your time on the Sharon Stone remake.

Just recently, La Fille sur le Pont (Girl on the Bridge), directed by Patrice Leconte. An absorbing film about love, luck and really sharp knives!

And from Iranian director Majid Majidi, Children of Heaven. A brother-sister film that will make you feel better than you've felt in a long time.

[straykat23]

The Children of Heaven, Iranian, 1997.

From an Iranian movie site:

"Its story told in a neorealistic style reminiscent of Jafar Panahi's THE WHITE BALLOON, this film provides a glimpse into the daily life of lower-class urban society in contemporary Iran."

http://www.nima3.com/IranMedia/Irfilm.html

It's simply beautiful....

[The Big Cheese]

La Vie rêvée des anges(1998), (Daydreams of Angels)

A French one, but I guess that's obvious...
I love Elodie Bouchez in this.

The Scent of the Green Papaya
Cyclo (both Vietnamese I think)

[Hello Again]

Ridicule. A french movie -- I don't know the director's name. Set in pre-revolution France. A minor, impoverished noble who needs money to drain a pestilential swamp tries to ascend into the Royal favor on wit alone.
Camille Claudel. Which is about one of Renoir's mistresses. Also a french movie.
Grave of the Fireflies. A rather serious and sad Japanese anime that takes place during WWII. Directed by Isao Takakata. (Roger Ebert says "it belongs on any list of the greatest war films ever made.")
Eat Drink Man Woman. A chinese movie I think about a widowed chef and his three daughters.
Mediterrano (not sure if that's the correct spelling.) A fun Italian romp about some WWII Italian soldiers stranded on a Greek island and forced to give up warring while they wait to be rescued. It won the Best Foreign film Oscar.
Kolya a funny/heartwarming Czech movie about a confirmed bacheor who takes in a little boy.

[Steve Schonwald]

I have really loved the films from Czechoslovakia! Now the Czech Republic. I recall that I saw "The Shop on Main Street" in 1968 (The "Czech Spring").

Several weeks ago I saw another called "The Worst of Times", or some such. It was about a young Jewish adult/teen who escapes from a concentration camp and returns to his home town in Bohemia. He has to hide, and is taken in by a gentile couple.

[Carpal Tunnel]

Originally posted by ShibbOleth
Just remembered that a lot of Iranian films lately have been touted as being very good, can anyone here recommend some?

Docharkheh Savar, aka Bicycleran, aka The Cyclist is an Iranian film directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf that should be a part of every library film collection.

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0092651

[waterj2]

[i]The Fires on the Plain[/b], by Kon Ichikawa is one of the most powerful anti-war films in any language. Also, a profound and unforgettable experience.

For those interested, I believe there is a retrospective of Ichikawa's films travelling around the US and Canada, but all I can find information on is the stops in Toronto and Boston, which have already finished. The other stops on the tour are:
Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley
La Cinémathèque québécoise, Montréal
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Cleveland Cinematheque, Cleveland
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
UCLA Film and Television Archive, Los Angeles
Pacific Cinematheque, Vancouver
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
College of Moving Images, Santa Fe
The Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago
Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus

[freckles]

I thought Girl on the Bridge was excellent. It is a french movie and starred Vanessa Paradis.

[Payne N. Diaz]

I haven't sen it in years, but one movie that tore me up when I first saw it was "Black Orpheus", set in Rio during Carnaval. I'm kind of surprised nobody has mentioned it yet.

[Floater]

Originally posted by Steve Schonwald
I have really loved the films from Czechoslovakia! Now the Czech Republic. I recall that I saw "The Shop on Main Street" in 1968 (The "Czech Spring").


Then you must have seen Postriziny (Cutting ut short) by Jiri Menzel.

Pure delight (http://www.afionline.org/fest/fest95/CALENDAR/desc2.html), as progress comes to a rural brewery in the 20s-manager Jir¡ Schmitzer's side-car motorcycle sometimes refuses to stop; his stentorian-voiced brother keeps extending his visit; and the brewery's board fusses over his accounts-but then it's time for a pork sausage feast cooked by his wife, Magda Vasaryov who gives a "gorgeous performance as a beauty delighting in her own bounteous sensuality"--Tom Milne. Adapted from Hrabal's memoir of his parents, this is "Menzel's best film"--David Shipman. Directed by Jir¡ Menzel. An absolute must-see!

[23skidoo]

Just to throw in some fun ones that I hadn't seen mentioned:

Cemetary Man: Rupert Everett stars in this Italian zombie movie about a groundskeeper who has to take his job bery seriously, as all the dead keep rising nightly from the grave sites. Very strange, and very funny.

Kikujiro: I just rented this one from Blockbuster. Japanese movie about a thug whose wife makes him take a neighborhood kid across country to see his mother. Basically a "road trip" type movie, but funny nonetheless.

[Michael Ellis]

Originally posted by jr8
Silent flicks? Apart from some of the standard ones like Keaton's The General, I'll put in a plug for The Passion of Joan of Arc (http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/greatmovies/passion_of_joan.html).



Battleship Potemkin

[Icarus]

Les Enfants du Paradis (Children of Paradise) - Marcel Carne

[Kaitlyn]

A few of my favorites:

Japanese:
Fireworks
Go, Go, Second Time Virgin
Ecstacy of the Angels
After Life
Maborosi
Female Convict Sorpion: Jailhouse 41
Woman in the Dunes
Perfect Blue
Grave of the Fireflies
Seven Samurai
The Samurai Trilogy
Roshomon
The Hidden Fortress
Kwaidan
Yojimbo and Sanjuro

Spanish:
All About My Mother
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down
Open Your Eyes
Thesis
Live Flesh
Twice Upon a Yesterday (mediocre, but it has Penelope Cruz)
Tango
Midaq Alley
Like Water for Chocolate
The Official Story
Woman on Top

German:
Fitzcarraldo
Run, Lola, Run
Das Boot
Funny Games

French:
La Femme Nikita
Ponette
The Bride Wore Black
Wild Reeds
Blue, White, Red
Small Change
Jean de Florrette and Manon of the Spring

Italian:
Malena
The Postman
Cinema Paradiso
Life is Beautiful
Mediterraneo
The Bicycle Thief (My Favorite Movie)

Chinese (I'm mixing Mandarin and Cantonese here):
Flowers of Shanghai
Not One Less
The Story of Qui Jou
Raise the Red Lantern
Red Sorghum
Ju Dou
Yi Yi
Xiu Xiu, The Sent Down Girl
The Emperor and The Assassin
In the Realm of the Senses
Centre Stage
Rouge
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

I could list dozens of Hong Kong action movies, but I'll limit myself to the best from each of the big stars.

Hong Kong Action

Chow Yun Fat:
The Killer
Hard Boiled
City on Fire
A Better Tomorrow 1 and 2 (but not 3)
Full Contact

Jackie Chan:
Drunken Master 2
Police Story series (1,2,3; #4 is called First Strike)
Wheels on Meals
Project A (1 and 2)
Armor of God (1 and 2)
Crime Story (one of the few serious actioners)

Jet Li:
Fist of Legend
Fong Sai Yuk
Tai Chi Master (with Michelle Yeoh)
Once Upon a Time in China series (the first 3)

Michelle Yeoh:
Wing Chun
The Heroic Trio
Yes, Madam!
Royal Warriors

[Gyrate]

So, Skijumper -- how's your list coming along? Still taking suggestions?

Also, are there any films your patrons have recommended that haven't been listed here? New suggestions are always welcome.

(And I can't believe I forgot Ridicule, one of the few foreign films I actually saw in a theatre rather than on video or TV. Highly recommended.)

[Skijumper]

Originally posted by jr8
So, Skijumper -- how's your list coming along? Still taking suggestions?

Yes, suggestions are still welcome! Thanks especially to Number Six for your extensive list.

I've already placed orders for most of the 'classics', award-winners etc.

Phew! This is turning out to be some project, but it's for the benefit of our local community, so it's worthwhile.

Thanks again jr8 and everyone who posted here. I really appreciate the help!

Just for the record, some of my personal must-see foreign language flicks (some may have been mentioned) -

Wings of Desire - Wim Wenders
The Three Colours Trilogy - Krystof Kieslowski
Double Life of Veronique - Krystof Kieslowski
Life Is Beautiful - Roberto Benigni
Seventh Seal - Ingmar Bergman
Life of a Comedian - a Swedish director whose name eludes me now
Babette's Feast - Gabriel Axel
Chungking Express - Wong Kar Wai
The Ring - Nakata Hideo
El Norte - Gregory Nava

[lieu]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by KarlGauss
Jean De Florette (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0091288) by [b]Claude Berri

Manon of the Spring (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0091480) also by Claude Berri

---------------------

I'm in complete agreement. These are excellent.

[Sublight]

Number Six got most of my Chinese picks, but I'd also like to recommend Farewell, My Concubine (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0106332), directed by Kaige Chen.

--sublight

[Rayne Man]

More Czech films:-
"Closely Obsevered Trains" and "The Firemans'Ball"

[LC Strawhouse]

Also, anything by Luchino Visconti (The Leopard, The Damned, etc.)

By the way, Number Six... since this is a public library he's taking recommendations for, I'd be hesitant to bring up stuff like Funny Games or In the Realm of the Senses. Those could lead to obscenity charges or something...

[aviddiva]

-Antonia's Line - Dutch, 1996? 1997? Foreign language academy award winner
-Delicatessan - French, very wacky
-City of Lost Children - French, by the makers of Delicatessan, beautiful and wacky. Be sure not to get the dubbed version.
-Love and Human Remains - French Canadian (Denys Arcand)
-Le Confessional - French Canadian (in French and English)
-Marquise - French, featuring the luminous Sophie Marceau
-Il Postino - Spanish
-anything by Zhang Yimou or Akira Kurosawa

[quarx]

Hi, first time poster. Just to put my 2 cents in:

1. Prisoner of the Mountains ( Russian )
2. Burnt by the Sun ( Russian )
3. Le Hans -- Hate ( French ) -- Come on, guys. How could you talk about French cinema and leave out "Le Hans"

[Kimstu]

The Vanishing (http://www.fearsmag.com/members/reviews/videodvd/vanishing/Vanishing.htm) (original French/Dutch version, not the 1993 American remake). Unbelievably intense, didn't get to sleep for hours that night.

Monsieur Hire (http://www.culturevulture.net/Movies/MonsieurHire.htm). I cried my eyes out, and I don't cry that easily at movies (at Titanic I just laughed).

[Kimstu]

Oh, and welcome to the SDMB, quarx!

[QuanSu]

[QUOTE]3. Le Hans -- Hate ( French ) -- Come on, guys. How could you talk about French cinema and leave out "Le Hans"


quarx Did you mean "La Haine" directed by Mathieu Kassovitz? It's a cool movie!

[Edwardina]

Originally posted by aviddiva
-Antonia's Line - Dutch, 1996? 1997? Foreign language academy award winner

Someone beat me to Antonia's Line. It was made in 1995, written and directed by Marleen Gorris. Great film!

[Johanna]

Satyajit Ray's Devi (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0053765) (Bengali, 1960)

Andrei Tarkovski's Solaris (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0069293) (Russian, 1972)

Devaraj Mohan's Rosappu Ravikkaikari (Tamil, 1979)

Ketan Mehta's Mirc Masala (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0089599) ("Spices") (Hindi, 1985)

Anh Hung Tran's Mui du du xanh (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0107617) ("The Scent of Green Papaya") (Vietnamese, 1993) One of the finest films ever made!!!!!!!

Alejandro Amenábar's Abre los ojos (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0125659) (Spanish, 1997)

[schplebordnik]

C.T. Dreyer:
Passion of Joan of Arc. Amazing, and despite what prior posters have said, its in my local Hollywood video store. However, Dreyer's best is Ordet. The ending is truly stunning. Vampyr also pretty good.

Luis Bunuel:
Always liked That Obscure Object of Desire. Exterminating Angel and Discreet Charm of the Burgoise in the same vein, but surrealism is a bit more obtusely amusing.

Jean Renoir:
Rules of the Game beats out Grand Illusion by a nose.

Beat Takeshi:
Hanabi. His other stuff is in a similar vein, but more jarringly and inexplicably violent.

F.W. Murnau:
Nosferatu. Neither the Herzog version or "Shadow of the Vampire" really do it justice. Max Schreck ("Max Shriek," auf Deutsch) really does inhabit the role, and the makeup (I hope it was makeup) really is amazing.

[Kaitlyn]

Originally posted by LC Strawhouse
Also, anything by Luchino Visconti (The Leopard, The Damned, etc.)

By the way, Number Six... since this is a public library he's taking recommendations for, I'd be hesitant to bring up stuff like Funny Games or In the Realm of the Senses. Those could lead to obscenity charges or something...

I see your point on In the Realm of the Senses, which some may consider to border on soft-core porn, though I would disagree. It is very erotic, but no more so than say Last Tango in Paris, and the the artistry with which it is made lifts it above most movies of its kind.

But Funny Games? I see no problem with it. True, it is a very disturbing movie, but there is actually very little on-screen violence. Hard Boiled, also on my list, has literally 1000 times as much violence, all of it on screen. This is actually the kind of movie I would want my local public library to stock.

[quarx]

Original quote from QuanSu

__________________________________________________
quarx Did you mean "La Haine" directed by Mathieu Kassovitz? It's a cool movie
_________________________________________________
(Haven't got all the controls down yet)

Oops ... Er, I mean, no, I meant "Le Hans", the story of the little German boy stranded in Paris.

Yes, I meant "La Haine." Sorry, it's been years since I've rented it, and my French is awful. Thanks, Quan, good catch.

[Danimal]

My foreign-language film experience is limited, and all the ones I might have mentioned already have been named. But there's no reason not to voice some agreement.

1. Das Boot
2. La Vita e Bella
3. The Return of Martin Guerre
4. To Live
5. le Violon Rouge

[LC Strawhouse]

Originally posted by Number Six
Originally posted by LC Strawhouse

By the way, Number Six... since this is a public library he's taking recommendations for, I'd be hesitant to bring up stuff like Funny Games or In the Realm of the Senses. Those could lead to obscenity charges or something...

I see your point on In the Realm of the Senses, which some may consider to border on soft-core porn, though I would disagree. It is very erotic, but no more so than say Last Tango in Paris, and the the artistry with which it is made lifts it above most movies of its kind.

But Funny Games? I see no problem with it. True, it is a very disturbing movie, but there is actually very little on-screen violence. Hard Boiled, also on my list, has literally 1000 times as much violence, all of it on screen. This is actually the kind of movie I would want my local public library to stock.

Well, there's a difference between "hardened" movie fans and the general public. You or I could discuss the movies in question dispassionately, but if somebody doesn't know what they're getting into, they could react very badly ("you mean the taxpayers paid for this?") That's not a risk I'd take if I was in the OP's place.

I'm just trying to point out that both those movies are right on the edge of the art/exploitation divide. As I said in my previous post, there are tons of gruesome foreign-made exploitation films like Cannibal Ferox or The Untold Story which (I'm sure you'd agree) would be really bizarre for a public library to carry. There's not that much difference between those and the two we're talking about. Sure, we could argue that they're not that bad and they have artistic merit, but they still could be seriously offensive to the general public.

PS - Another suggestion for the OP: Chabrol's Les Biches

[even sven]

By all means get I Am Cuba. I can't remember the director. but it is a Soviet-Cuban coproduction from the sixties. It is one of the most amazeing pieces of cinematography that I have ever seen. I doubt video could do it justice, but please, do try to get it.

[Kaitlyn]

Originally posted by LC Strawhouse
Originally posted by Number Six
Originally posted by LC Strawhouse

By the way, Number Six... since this is a public library he's taking recommendations for, I'd be hesitant to bring up stuff like Funny Games or In the Realm of the Senses. Those could lead to obscenity charges or something...

I see your point on In the Realm of the Senses, which some may consider to border on soft-core porn, though I would disagree. It is very erotic, but no more so than say Last Tango in Paris, and the the artistry with which it is made lifts it above most movies of its kind.

But Funny Games? I see no problem with it. True, it is a very disturbing movie, but there is actually very little on-screen violence. Hard Boiled, also on my list, has literally 1000 times as much violence, all of it on screen. This is actually the kind of movie I would want my local public library to stock.

Well, there's a difference between "hardened" movie fans and the general public. You or I could discuss the movies in question dispassionately, but if somebody doesn't know what they're getting into, they could react very badly ("you mean the taxpayers paid for this?") That's not a risk I'd take if I was in the OP's place.

I'm just trying to point out that both those movies are right on the edge of the art/exploitation divide. As I said in my previous post, there are tons of gruesome foreign-made exploitation films like Cannibal Ferox or The Untold Story which (I'm sure you'd agree) would be really bizarre for a public library to carry. There's not that much difference between those and the two we're talking about. Sure, we could argue that they're not that bad and they have artistic merit, but they still could be seriously offensive to the general public.

[/B]

I've just returned from my local public library. No movie that I listed would be inappropriate in comparison to those already in stock there.

Cannibal Ferox and The Untold Story are red herrings. Those would compare fairly to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Dawn of the Dead. It's hardly fair to compare a movie (Funny Games) that has only one graphic display of violence to cannibalistic splatterfests in which the graphic violence is the point. Funny Games is more disturbing than either of the movies you list (to me, anyway) because of the skill with which it is made. Viewers are shocked and saddened by what goes on because we have come to identify with the victims, and because the killers are believable. Identifying with the on-screen characters is a characteristic of quality filmmaking. A much better comparison would be to Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, which is available at my local library.

The library also had Last Tango in Paris, and Emmanuelle which are comperable to In the Realm of the Senses in sexual content.

[Swede Hollow]

I have to second Babette's Feast from Just Betzer / Isak Dinesen / Gabriel Axel. Excellent movie.

ps. I actually LIKED Giorgio Moroder's modern (1980's) soundtrack for Metropolis. A great movie with a stunning soundtrack (especially the "Blood from a Stone" song during the shift change). Though I think the movie would still be great without it.

[LC Strawhouse]

Originally posted by Number Six
I've just returned from my local public library. No movie that I listed would be inappropriate in comparison to those already in stock there.

Cannibal Ferox and The Untold Story are red herrings. Those would compare fairly to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Dawn of the Dead. It's hardly fair to compare a movie (Funny Games) that has only one graphic display of violence to cannibalistic splatterfests in which the graphic violence is the point. Funny Games is more disturbing than either of the movies you list (to me, anyway) because of the skill with which it is made. Viewers are shocked and saddened by what goes on because we have come to identify with the victims, and because the killers are believable. Identifying with the on-screen characters is a characteristic of quality filmmaking. A much better comparison would be to Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, which is available at my local library.

The library also had Last Tango in Paris, and Emmanuelle which are comperable to In the Realm of the Senses in sexual content. [/B]

Well, whether the movies are good/bad/disturbing according to you or me is irrelevant; the question is what Joe Average would think of them. And they are pretty harsh stuff, without any familiar-looking stars or locations (unlike Henry)... and Realm of Senses goes WAY beyond Emmanuelle or Last Tango. Unless the OP's in a college town or something, I might be wary of complaints.

[Kaitlyn]

Originally posted by LC Strawhouse


Well, whether the movies are good/bad/disturbing according to you or me is irrelevant; the question is what Joe Average would think of them. And they are pretty harsh stuff, without any familiar-looking stars or locations (unlike Henry)... and Realm of Senses goes WAY beyond Emmanuelle or Last Tango. Unless the OP's in a college town or something, I might be wary of complaints.

From the cover of Funny Games:
"Blood Curdling",
"horrific aftershocks",
"A cinematic tour-de-force of terror."

From the cover of In the Realm of the Senses:
"Spectacularly erotic"
"A Superior film about intense physical love."
"Unique in the cinematic expression of physical love."
Rated NC-17

Whether the stars and locations are familiar is irrelevant. I would fully expect any reasonable person to be horrified by what they see in Funny Games. It's a horror movie, an extraordinarily effective one, at that. It does exaclty what it advertises it will do.

Although, as I said before, I think In the Realm of the Senses is borderline, it is straightforward about being about obsessive sex. People who don't want to see erotic movies aren't going to borrow it. People who do like erotic movies and borrow this one are likely to be impressed by it's intensity and artistry. It delivers exactly what it promises.

There may be complaints. That is something to take into account. These movies are also very skillfully made, highly intense works of art. In both cases, I believe that the artistry far outweighs the potential offensivenes. Among the most frequently objected to books in public libraries are Huckleberry Finn, Catcher in the Rye and Go Ask Alice. They are each offensive to a lot of people, but no well-stocked library would be without them. Fear of complaints would be a poor reason for not having these books on the shelves. And, I would submit, no foreign film section would be well-stocked without "Funny Games" and "In the Realm of the Senses".

[Kaitlyn]

LCStrawhouse: After rereading my last couple of posts, I realize I may have come off a little arrogant. I apologize for the tone of my posts. Certainly, In the Realm of the Senses may be too intense for "Joe Average", and may elicit some complaints from such viewers. I also think that a public library needs to serve the needs and tastes of the connoisseur as well as the average consumer. But Skijumper did deserve a warning about the intensity of Realm.

I still see no problem at all with Funny Games. It's a well made horror movie, and the only objections likely to be made are from those who would object to horror movies in general.


I had been nervously awaiting results of my fiancee's physical, which will in part determine when she can come to the US and we can be married. After talking to her a few minutes ago (she passed!), I looked back a bit more calmly, and realized I was being an ass.

[Skijumper]

I think I should chime in and say something. First of all, thanks very much, Number Six and LCStrawhouse, for your views.

In the Realm of the Senses was one of the titles that was mentioned when we first decided to put together the new section. It was almost banned at a recent local film fest screening, but after some consideration and persuasion from the community, it was made the festival's closing film. It was in our news for quite a bit, so you can imagine where I am, EVERYONE'S heard about this movie and knows what it's about.

As to whether the library board will agree to stock it - as well as other titles I've submitted for approval - I won't know till the end of the year.

Again, I do appreciate your input, guys.

[LC Strawhouse]

Originally posted by Number Six
LCStrawhouse: After rereading my last couple of posts, I realize I may have come off a little arrogant. I apologize for the tone of my posts. Certainly, In the Realm of the Senses may be too intense for "Joe Average", and may elicit some complaints from such viewers. I also think that a public library needs to serve the needs and tastes of the connoisseur as well as the average consumer. But Skijumper did deserve a warning about the intensity of Realm.

I still see no problem at all with Funny Games. It's a well made horror movie, and the only objections likely to be made are from those who would object to horror movies in general.


I had been nervously awaiting results of my fiancee's physical, which will in part determine when she can come to the US and we can be married. After talking to her a few minutes ago (she passed!), I looked back a bit more calmly, and realized I was being an ass.


That's no problem, I didn't sense any arrogance at all (and congrats on your fiancee's result!) I guess I might also be too cynical about how people will react, especially when it's the government purchasing the stuff. I think it would be great if libraries could stock edgier movies, but I've only ever seen the "good stuff" at video rental stores, myself.

As for Funny Games... well, it has a very lingering point of view that you only find in European shock-horror films, and I think it could be offensive to some audiences. But I'm just saying this as a warning; if he feels it's OK to stock it, that's great!


PS - Thanks Skijumper!

[LC Strawhouse]

Originally posted by LC Strawhouse
if he feels it's OK to stock it, that's great!


I think I meant she - sorry, Skijumper...

[naughty wicked zoot]

i'm new here, but i haven't seen anyone list "Kingdom", by Lars von Trier, who did "dancer in the dark." "kingdom" is about a haunted hospital in denmark, and one of the creepiest movies i've seen in years.

also, don't overlook the italian horror greats mario bava and dario argento, two of my favorites. argento's "the bird with the crystal plumage" and "suspiria" are two of the best horror movies i've ever seen, and the cinematography is amazing!!

[naughty wicked zoot]

i'm new here, but thought i'd throw in my $.02 also.

i haven't seen anyone list "kingdom", by lars von trier, who also did "dancer in the dark". "kingdom" is about a haunted danish hospital, and is one of the creepiest movies i've seen in years. i'm told that one of the big three tv networks has arranged for it to be turned into a 10-episode mini-series, with stephen king scripting. cross your fingers.

also, look at the two great italian horror film makers, mario bava and dario argento. argento's "bird with the crystal plumage" and "suspiria" are great, and the cinematography is amazing!!

[naughty wicked zoot]

arrrgggh! sorry about double posting, my screen went to a "page not available" notice, and i thought the first post had been lost. sorry sorry sorry!!!:eek:

[mswas]

I read only the first page of this thread but I cannot believe that the Dutch film Karakter http://us.imdb.com/Title?0119448 and Hard Boiled were not mentioned.

Erek

[MovieMogul]

Some good choices, but I'm appalled 100 posts in nobody's mentioned...

From France
The Crime of Monsieur Lange, A Day in the Country, The Golden Coach, and French Cancan by Renoir
Contempt, Weekend, Breathless, My Life to Live, and Two or Three Things I Know About Her by Godard
My Night at Maud's, Chloe in the Afternoon, Claire's Knee, The Aviator's Wife, The Marquise of O…, An Autumn Tale, and Pauline at the Beach (yes I have a weakness for Eric Rohmer)
A Man Escaped, Pickpocket, L'Argent, Diary of a Country Priest and especially Au Hasard, Balthazar by Robert Bresson
La Ronde, The Earrings of Madame de... and Lola Montes by Max Ophuls
L'Atalante by Jean Vigo
Two English Girls by Truffaut
Playtime, Jacques Tati's best film
Eyes Without a Face by Georges Franju
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg by Jacques Demy
The Italian Straw Hat and Le Million by Rene Clair
Le Samourai and Les Enfants Terribles by Jean-Pierre Melville
Celine and Julie Go Boating and La Belle Noiseuse by Jacques Rivette
From Italy
Open City, Paisan, and Voyage to Italy by Rossellini
L'Avventura and L'Eclisse by Antonioni
La Dolce Vita, Nights of Cabiria, and Amarcord by Fellini
The Gospel According to St. Matthew by Pasolini
Salvatore Giuliano by Francesco Rosi
The Conformist by Bernardo Bertolucci
From Japan
I Was Born, But..., Late Spring, and An Autumn Afternoon by Ozu
Sisters of the Gion, Ugetsu Monogatari, and Sansho the Bailiff by Mizoguchi
Branded to Kill and Tokyo Drifter by Seijun Suzuki
From Russia
Man With a Movie Camera by Dziga Vertov
Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors by Sergei Paradzhanov
Andrei Rublev, Stalker, and The Sacrifice by Tarkovsky
From Spain
The brilliant The Spirit of the Beehive and The Quince Tree Sun by Victor Erice
Viridiana by Bunuel
What Have I Done to Deserve This? by Almodovar
Cria Cuervos by Carlos Saura
From Germany
Pandora's Box by Pabst, with Louise Brooks
Kings of the Road, Wenders' best film
From Iran
The Wind Will Carry Us by Abbas Kiarostami
A Moment of Innocence by Mohsen Makhmalbaf
From Poland
Man of Marble by Wajda
From India
Charulata and Mahanagar (The Big City) by Satyajit Ray
From Hong Kong
In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-Wai
From Greece
The Travelling Players and Landscape in the Mist by Theo Angelopoulos
From Mexico
Los Olvidados, also by Bunuel
From Algeria
Gillo Pontecorvo's remarkable The Battle of Algiers
From Finland
Ariel and Leningrad Cowboys Go America by Aki Kaurismaki
From Hungary
The Red and the White and The Round-Up by Miklos Jancso
From Turkey
Yol by Serif Goren and Yilmaz Guney