Great Unique Non-English Language Movies

Cafe Society
1

I only get three pleasures in life – music, comedy, and movies… I’ve seen many. But I notice a trend, that the ones I’ve been able to sit through have mostly been foreign, despite watching a majority of American movies (usually on Turner).

By unique, I’d really love great without weird. A unique script. I never needed a lot of movement, either.

“Paradise: Love” - a middle-aged single woman drops off her teenage daughter before going to Kenya for sex tourism. This is the one advantage of newer movies - taboo subjects, but it’s done well, despite a lot of nudity… I’ve traveled a lot all over the world, and know what it’s like to feel like a dollar sign, but it really looks at both sides. If you have seen it, I’d like to talk a little more about it… Margaret Thiesel was great in this, and I really felt for her character, which is what a great movie does. Getting lost in a movie, maybe even “falling in love” (temporarily) with a character on screen is great fun, but rare.

Thanks in advance!

2

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, but Das Boot made a huge impression on me. English-dubbed version? Great! German version? Great! Maybe some day I’ll be able to find the original German mini-series: that will undoubtedly be great, too!

Two things: It seemed like the movie was a labor of love for all involved and it was magnificent just for the craft of movie-making.

3

This movie has been on my list for years… A few times, the movie had already started. Once at the library, the quality was bad. Another time it was too long to fit in and my DVR was near full, but no excuses now.

I will try to see this soon. Thanks!

4

I can’t tell you which version to see first; the English-language version is so well dubbed you’d almost swear the entire cast had learned English.

Oh, slight caveat: I think there are at least two additional “cuts” beyond the original release. Haven’t seen them so can’t vouch for 'em. Enjoy!

5

I recommend Tampopo, which is about a noodle shop in Japan. It’s great.

6

The first great foreign language film that popped into my mind is Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. Brilliantly acted, beautifully photographed (in B&W), with a profound, yet relatively accessible script. A truly iconic film.

7

If you watch Amelie, you will feel happy and content about life.

8

I heartily second ‘Tampopo’.

9

One of my favorite non-English movies is Black Orpheus, weird and unique. However, the first time I saw it was with friends who didn’t like it because they felt there was too much movement and samba music.

10

Kung Fu Hustle is one of my favourites. It has plenty of movement, though.

11

I’ll add a third vote for Tampopo. And here are a couple of Korean movies I think are excellent:

Marathon, about an autistic boy who finds joy in running.

Glove, about a former pro baseball player who, instead of getting jailed for assault, is sent to coach a baseball team at a school for the Deaf.

The Crucible (also known as Silenced), based on the true story of faculty sexually molesting students at a school for the Deaf.

And, just for fun, a Chinese movie:

Under the Hawthorn Tree, which follows the life of a Chinese schoolgirl sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution.

13

Two French films:

Diva

Subway

Both are thrillers with wild plots that are impossible to describe briefly.

14

“Parasite”.

I have not seen it but I have heard great things about “Decision to Leave”.

Also, “Pan’s Labyrinth” is great (albeit unsettling). Fairy-tale (a dark one) so may or may not be your thing. Might be too weird.

If you want even more fantasy then the French film “La Cité des enfants perdus” (City of Lost Children) is great (also dark fantasy) but I think that is getting too far down the “weird” lane you don’t want.

If you want a good, old suspense/comedy “The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe” is fun. It was re-made as an American film called “The Man with One Red Shoe” with Tom Hanks. The original is better IMHO.

15

Recent movies that did not win an Academy Award
Cold War (lost to Roma)
Shoplifters (lost to Parasite)

And worth a look from this year (or late last year, but seen this year)
The Pink Cloud (Chilling)
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom*(Heartwarming)
Compartment No. 6 (Russian/Polish Rom-Com)
The Worst Person In The World (As are we all)
Petite Maman*(Aww…just Aww)
Anaïs In Love (Crazy)
Official Competition*(A hoot, especially if you love movies)
My Donkey, My Lover & I*(Crazier)
Alienoid (Just batshit crazy…and there’s a part 2 in the works!)
RRR* (Unbelievable, why aren’t all action movies like this?)
Decision to Leave*(Pure 40’s-50’s film noir set in the era of cellphones)
Triangle of Sadness (A wild ride with a pointed message on class and money)

*=Among peccavi’s favorite movies in 2022

16

Farewell My Concubine to see the turmoil of 20th century China as a backdrop.
Raise the Red Lantern is a gritty drama about an intelligent woman put in a position that is the antithesis of where she wants to be.
Shall We Dance was originally a Japanese movie. I believe Richard Gere made an American version a decade later, but the Japanese version is far superior as it plays against societal norms and is actually a cute, funny Rom-Com. Definitely a date movie.

17

Amok (1934) – Hothouse French melodrama set in the tropics about an illegal abortion performed by a dissolute doctor.

Rapt (1934) - French-German co-production directed by a Russian about two mountain towns and how the killing of a dog in one leads to a revenge kidnapping in the other.

Les Disparus de St. Agil (1938) - Disappearances and murder in a boy’s school lead a trio of students to team with gruff teacher Erich von Stroheim (excellent and unusually sympathetic) to uncover the culprit.

Beyond Oblivion (1956) - Well-mounted Argentinean prototype for Vertigo has rich widower trying to remake a whore into his angelic lookalike deceased wife.

Death in the Garden (1956) - Characters on the lam in an unforgiving jungle battle the elements and their own psyches in this little-known ultra-ironic Buñuel film.

Man on the Tracks (1957) - Polish drama of long-time, recently fired train engineer found dead on the tracks. Flashbacks reveal he was more than just a hardass with a Hitler moustache, but was it an accident, suicide or…?

The Graceful Brute (1962) - Shot almost entirely within one apartment, this is a Japanese black comedy about a family with a professed entitlement to scam. They meet their match in the title character played by gorgeous Ayako Wakao.

Le Septième Juré (1962) – In the French jury system, jurors can ask direct questions of those testifying. Twist: juror no. 7 is the actual killer.

The Sword of Doom (1966) - One of the greatest samurai films ever. Psychotic master swordsman Tatsuya Nakadai goes nuts after watching Toshiro Mifune in action. Incredible ending.

Perinbaba (1985) – (from IMDB) “A fairy-tale about an old lady (Giulietta Masina, dubbed) who takes care of snow and Jakub who does not fear death. It reflects the idea of people’s longing for happiness, love and understanding, their effort to overcome troubles and win over death. It criticizes greed and evil desires.” Low-budget, but inventive.

Kamikaze Girls (2004) – Japanese comedy (with misleading U.S. title) chronicling the unlikely team up of a would-be fashion designer obsessed with Rococo and a tough biker chick.

18

I just Googled that and there is a little Easter egg on the results page. No biggie but kinda fun. Never seen that before (I mean, one done like that…can’t tell if Google did that or that is something people can add to their search results now…but that is a hijack of this thread).

19

Get the subtitled one, NOT the dubbed one.

20

Recently I saw The Lunchbox on TV. I had seen it before but enjoyed it just as much second time around. It is a very quiet, unexpected meditation on connection. I guess it’s a romance.

21

Fourth for Tampopo, it was the first movie that came to my head when you said you loved movies and comedies, but I will comment that it is somewhat absurdist, if not weird. But unlike some comedies that just don’t quite work in other languages and cultures, it is an easy chuckle for Western audiences as well.

Just be prepared to be hungry when you’re done watching it!

I’ll also throw a second at Pan’s Labyrinth and City of Lost Children. Both of which I enjoy immensely, but as dark fantasies, you’ll have to evaluate them against your other preferences. I will say that some of my friends with less unusual tastes found them both unspeakably weird (but even they loved Tampopo).

Continuing the dark fantasy theme, I also enjoy Nightwatch but even with it’s weirdness, it’s closer in theme to modern western movies, so look it up first as well. Many of the visuals are stunning, combined with an epicly gray take on morality and the greater good.

Swerving back over to comedies, if you want something absurdly fun, but less actiony than Kung Fu Hustle (or if you’ve seen it already), I must mention Shaolin Soccer. But if anything, it’s more absurd/weird than KFH, although the spreading fire of DANCE must be seen to believed!