What are the best foreign (non-English OSL) films? (1 Viewer)

[Steve O]

Lew --
Thanks for the Farsi (Persian) recommendation. You had mentioned that you've seen a number of fine films from Iran recently. I've heard of a couple others that are available on DVD:
Nema-ye Nazdik (Close Up) - 1990
Bad ma ra khabad bord (The Wind Will Carry Us) - 1999
Have you seen these, and if so, do you have any comments regarding how they compare to Ta'm e Guilass (Taste of Cherry)?

 

[Steve O]

In case you haven't seen it yet, there's a site out there that indexes foreign films by country of origin and language! They provide lists sorted by most requested and highest rated. I've found the information very valuable.
It's not completely up-to-date, as there are a few newer movies that I couldn't find -- but it's still a great resource anyway. They also provide a link if any film is available on DVD through amazon.com. If you click the link, you can read even more reviews by home theater enthusiasts. Wherever you purchase your DVDs, this is a pretty good way to tell if the film is available on DVD at all (although a few of the more obscure titles can only be found at language-specific sites).
Anyway, here's the link:
ForeignFilms.com

 

[Tim Fleming]

Ok, I will add my 2 cents worth (a number of which are probably already listed) - note that these are not all necessarily available in Region 1:
France:
City of Lost Children, Amelie
Diva
Wages of Fear
India:
Lagaan
Asoka
Bandit Queen
Monsoon Wedding (mixture of Hindi(?) and English dialog)
China:
In the Mood For Love
Raise the Red Lantern
Beijing Bicycle
The Shower
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
Japan:
Seven Samurai, High and Low (Kurosawa, Akira)
Tampopo, The Funeral (Juzoh, Itami)
Woman in the Dunes
Shark Skin Man, Peach Hip Girl (Tarantino meets David Lynch)
Happiness of the Katikuris (off the wall zombi musical by Takashi Miike)
Spirited Away
Thailand:
Tears of the Black Tiger
regards, Tim...

 

[BarryS]

OSL: Spanish
Title: El Mariachi
Love it because: It's a kick-ass movie. Gripping and exciting on a very low budget.
Availability: Available as a 2fer with Desperado (on 1 DVD) which is great as it includes commentaries by director Robert Rodriguez (he of recent Spy Kids fame) and his 10-minute film school featurettes for both films.

Most of the other foreign films I could recommend have already been mentioned. I haven't seen as many foreign films as most of these guys but here are some good ones:

OSL: Bengali
Title: Pather Panchali
Love it because: Well, it's a beautiful work of art. Deeply moving and often resembling visual poetry.
Availability: No DVD that I'm aware of.

OSL: Dutch/French
Title: The Vanishing (Spoorloos)
Because: An intense psychological thriller. Far beyond the average kidnapping thriller.
Availability: It's available from Criterion.


Already mentioned:

Wild Strawberries
Belle De Jour
Run Lola Run
Amelie
The Seventh Seal
Rashomon
8 1/2
Amarcord

 

[Steve O]

Tim F. -
Is Monsoon Wedding among the best-ever Hindi films, or is it popular because it's targeted to a wider audience? I've heard a lot of people talk about it, but never really heard a critique by anyone who has seen many other Hindi films. What do you like about it and was it truly a movie with repeat viewing value?
Thanks!

 

[Tim Fleming]

Steve-O
Not having seen a great many Hindi films, I honestly am not qualified to say whether it is one of the best ever. I doubt that this is a typical Hindi film as director Mira Nair tends to work offshore (correct me if I am wrong), but rather I tend to think of it more as the Hindi equivalent to a film like Amelie. I liked so much about this film - storyline, characters and character development, music, dance, direction etc etc. So yes, I would say that for me this film does warrant many viewings - of course I can't say that it would be everyone's cup of chai.
One big plus in my book was that this film was a far cry from Salaam Bombay which depressed the hell out of me That is not to say that Monsoon Wedding doesn't have a slightly dark side to it.
regards, Tim...

 

[Garrett Lundy]

First things first..Just buy The Criterion Collection
Now that you have a decent collection of some of the best films from around the world we can discuss some non-criterion DVD's to buy (Yes, there is a very good reason the criterion company is held in high regard, the always present in OAR, and the CC is sometimes your only option for foriegn dvds in america).
Another note. There is no "Best" film in any language. But I will give you some of my personal favorites (that aren't CC for a lil' variety).
OSL:French
The Crimson Rivers (Les rivieres pourpoletes I believe).
The love child of Silence of the Lambs and Seven. Many people believe the ending is the only downfall of the film, but the rest of it makes-up for it. Contains cinematography that most films from any country couldn't hope to compare to.
Available in America? Yes
The City of lost children
I consider this a 'family film' for families with children who like Halloween a bit too much. "Strange" is a good word for this modern fairy-tale
Available in R1: Yup
OSL: Japanese
Anything by Akira Kurosawa
Japans "greatest" director, and possibly in the whole world. His techniques are used by every major director, his skill and style behind the camera are unparelled, and his films have been remade in several languages (some of the many, many times).
Available? So-so. The CC dvd's are alright if bare-bones (High & Low), to amazing examples of DVD-perfection (Rashomon, Red Beard). His non-CC'd films are of verying quality, and usually only available on R0 dvd's if at all.
OSL: German
Das Boot Stalingrad
Every WW2 war movie made since these two german films can hardly compare. In the case of Das Boot, there are no other good submarine movies. The horrors of war as told to you via Saving Private Ryan, we told over a decade earlier earlier (and some say more realistically) by Stalingrad. The downside: You'll probably never consider german soldiers as "faceless evil" villians again.
Available? Yes. BUT, Das Boot is a flipper DVD (its a long movie), and Stalingrad has no special features (Not even chapter stops!).
I'm sure there are more, But writing this takes way too long.

 

[Jon_Are]

Both of my choices have already been mentioned, but I will cite them anyway to offer further persuasion at their greatness.

OSL: French
Title: Jean de Florette / Manon of the Spring
I love these films because: They are gripping studies of human nature with outstanding performances. See them both, in order. You will fall in love with Emmanuelle Beart.
DVD availability: Yes, as previously described. (I saw them on VHS years ago).

OSL: Italian
Title: Cinema Paradiso
I love this film because: Very moving, very intimate film.
DVD availability: The new release, with previously unreleased footage, has been declared inferior to the original by some critics. I've only seen the first version.

Jon

 

[Thomas Agermose]

I don't believe anyone has mentioned these.

OSL: Hong-Kong
Title: Police Story
I love this film because: Jackie Chan at his best. I first saw this movie in the eighties and have seen it many times since then.
DVD availability: Yes (get the Region 2 DVD from HKL if you can).

OSL: Denmark
Title: Festen (AKA The Celebration)
I love this film because: Disturbing documentary like movie
DVD availability: Yes (Region 2)

OSL: France
Title: Les Ripoux (AKA Lec Cop AKA My new partner)
I love this film because: Great buddy movie which I taped from German TV many years ago. Even with german dubbing it was still a great movie. Sadly the tape is no more.
DVD availability: No (unfortunately)

 

[Jeff Adkins]

Quote:

There are a lot of love stories. However, Satya is a terrific film about organized crime in Bombay. I would also advise getting Devdas which comes out in about a week. It's one of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen. Also, Dil Se, Sholay, and Fiza.
Jeff

 

[Steve O]

Wow!!!!!! I bought the following as an "impulse buy" (i.e. no recommendations at all):
OSL: Farsi (Persian)
Title: Children of Heaven
I love this film because: Made me cry (happy tears) four times during the movie and three times afterward discussing it with my wife. I'll never look the same at my kids shoes again. Also, it featured great direction, storyline, and the best child acting I've ever seen.
DVD availability: YES!!!
This movie is simply great. It is a must buy, and in my top favorite movies of all time. Makes me want to see what other great films there are from Iran.

 

[Ken Stuart]

Steve -
Hindi films is one of my main film hobbies.
The universally recognized classic is Sholay, a 1970's film which stars the world's most popular actor of all time, Amitabh Bachachan. It is a Western along the lines of Clint Eastwood films, and is also substantially a remake or version of The Seven Samurai - which gives you an idea of why the latter film has already been mentioned several times in this thread, is usually on top ten lists, and has been remade a number of times (Magnificent Seven, Battle Beyond the Stars).
Probably the best of the more recent films is Dil Se, which combines a serious subject, stunning cinematography, and a great soundtrack. It stars the current top Indian actor, Shahrukh Khan.
The quintessential warm and goofy Indian musical is Hum Aapke Hain Koun. Other good titles in that genre are the aforementioned HDDCS, Kuch Kuch Kota Hai, and the recent blockbuster, Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham, which has the most big stars of any Hindi film (Amitabh, Shahrukh, heart throb Hrithik Roshan and some of the top leading ladies as well). The biggest strength of this genre of Hindi films is the dancing, which frankly is the best in any films, with the except of the old Astaire/Rogers films (and others of that period).
The film with the most world-wide acclaim is Lagaan, a period piece set in the 19th Century (IIRC) with a serious plot while still being a great musical as well. This was nominated in the most recent Oscars.
Finally, the most critically acclaimed recent film within the community of Indians outside of India is Dil Chahta Hai, which manages to combine the tradional Hindi film format that includes songs and dancing with a more Western style film about a college graduating class, ie something like a Cameron Crowe film.
Devdas should be on video the end of the month - I haven't seen it, but nevertheless plan to order it as soon as it is available at www.indiaweekly.com (I also use www.indiancdstore.com).
BTW, the Hindi Film equivalent of Home Theater Forum is www.zulm.net which is populated primrily by British South Asians.
Many USA cable systems have a channel that runs the weekly show "AVS" that is entirely about upcoming Hindi films (aka "Bollywood" films). www.avstv.com lists the channels.

Is Monsoon Wedding among the best-ever Hindi films, or is it popular because it's targeted to a wider audience?

I have not seen it yet (it's not out on DVD for another couple of weeks, and did not play locally), but having seen all the other Mira Nair films, I would say that her films are less Indian than the Bollywood films, in a similar way to how Jennifer Lopez's music is not particularly Latin. Nair often uses Indian subjects, but the filmmaking style is not particularly Indian. I would certainly say that it is targeted to a wider audience, especially given the trailer I did see.
The one film that is both entirely characteristic of Indian films and is very accessible to non-Indians at the same time, is definitely Lagaan. It is very well produced, directed, acted, danced, sung and photographed. If you can only see one Indian film, that would be the best choice. Expanding that to six films would be Lagaan, Sholay, Dil Se, Dil Chahta Hai, Hum Aapke Hain Koun, and Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham.
Asoka is an odd duck - it's sort of like Gladiator with singing and dancing - which might be too weird a combination for anyone not used to Bollywood films.
PS I also second Aguirre, Wrath of God by Werner Herzog, and Roger Ebert has it on his Top Ten list. Another Japanese classic is the Samurai Trilogy which is on 3 separte Criterion disks. Like the Star Wars Trilogy, the second film is the best, but it won't make sense unless you watch all three. Probably rental is the best way to go here, in case they are not to your personal taste.
Lastly, I didn't see any mention of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, generally recognized to be the best foreign film of the last few years.

 

[Ken Stuart]

-Y Tu Mamá Bien/And Your Mother Too (Mexico) (Not on DVD yet)

Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother Too) - Unrated Edition - to be released 22-Oct-02 (another film that did not play locally that I want to rent as soon as it is released on DVD)

 

[Steve O]

Jeff Adkins --
Thanks for the tip to cdstore.com.pk for the 2-disc deluxe anamorphic edition of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. I just bought it there, ... which was about the same price as the bare-bones edition at nehaflix.com. It looked like a nice movie for me and my wife to watch (who also is beginning to love foreign films), so I don't mind taking the chance. I'll let you know how I liked it -- it's my first Hindi film!
Ken Stuart --
I'm interested what you thought of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, since you are a professed Hindi film lover and didn't mention it in your response.
Garrett Lundy --
Thanks for the long list of recommendations. I was thinking about Stalingrad, but it received such mixed reviews on the Net (from "best war film ever" to "embarrassingly poorly acted action scenes"). Based on your recommendation, though, I think I'll check it out. Thanks a lot!
Please keep your recommendations coming -- among my overall DVD collection of about 150, I now own films in 15 different languages! I've only had a couple of duds, and those duds were not even close to being as bad as American-made duds. Most of the films have been about 4.5 stars (in my opinion), several have been 5.0 stars, and the very worst have never gone below 3.0 stars. Thanks again for the help!!!
:star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Steve, just remember that stars have nothing to do with the quality of a movie

For example, in my book, Krull is a 3 out of 4 star movie, while 2001: A Space Odyssey is .5/4 stars

 

[Ken Stuart]

Ken Stuart --
I'm interested what you thought of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, since you are a professed Hindi film lover and didn't mention it in your response.

It was there as "HDDCS" - although I dislike abbreviations, I sometimes use them - but only when the full version has been used previously (I hate those HTF threads entitled something like "ATOWOGB AND BWOWL have been released !")
It's a good film - personally I did not like it quite as much as some others do. It might be a good first Hindi film, since it is relatively representative overall, but on the other hand, a lot of it takes place outside India (in Italy IIRC), so it will not seem quite as foreign.
If you are buying (rather than renting), you should try to get the DEI version (see Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam Comparison

 

[Ken Stuart]

After writing the above, I just saw:

Thanks for the tip to cdstore.com.pk for the 2-disc deluxe anamorphic edition of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. I just bought it there, ... which was about the same price as the bare-bones edition at nehaflix.com.

Uh - the cdstore.com.pk page for HDDCS says "Video Sound", which means that it is the same 1-disk non-anamorphic non-OAR version sold by nehaflix.com for $5.98.

I think that Jeff was thrown off by the picture - which is of the cover of the DEI 2-disk version.

indiancdstore.com lists the DEI version for $14.99, but they are currently out of stock.

PS One plus point of HDDCS is one more opportunity to see Miss World Aishwarya Rai....

 

[Steve O]

Aaaaarrrrgh!!!! That's definitely false advertising if that's true!!! Here's the image, which clearly and forcefully (via animation) is advertising the two-disc DEI special edition:
Link Removed
I'll let you know what I receive when it comes in the mail. I'm hoping the "Video Sound" text was just an old reference, since at one time that was the only version available.
==================================
Jeff -- I agree (re: number of stars). Those are just my personal "stars out of 5," based on how much I like a film.

 

[James Nguyen]

well---I'm a lover of Asian cinema, so here's a few of my absolute favorites from Korea since Japan / HK are already fairly well covered...
==============================
Title: Shiri
OSL: Hangul (Korean)
I love this film because:
Nothing particularly original about this film in terms of plot arcs or premise, but as far as action films go, it's simply extremely well done. As with many excellent Korean films, Shiri isn't satisfied with a simple single category classification--more than just a simple action film, there's also a substantial amount of character development that takes place in order to set up a the romantic side story that increasingly becomes pivotal to the plot.
DVD availability:
Korean R0 Special edition, 2 discs, DTS track
http://www.dvdasian.com/cgi-bin/dvda...ml?id=Aj4WIub3
==============================
Title: Joint Security Area (JSA)
OSL: Hangul (Korean)
I love this film because:
Sets a new standard for Korean films in terms of technical excellence. First Korean film shot in Super 35. A slower paced drama that poignantly illustrates the impact that 50 years of division has wrought on the Korean peninsula using four border guards at the North/South border as the protagonists. The movie opens with a shooting at the border and operates on a "whodunnit" style investiation as conflicting stories intertwine to tell the eventual tragic truth.
DVD availability:
Korean R0 Special Edition, 2 Discs, DTS track
http://www.dvdasian.com/cgi-bin/dvdasian/12982.html
==============================
Title: My Sassy Girl (YuhpGiJuhGin KeuNyuh)
OSL: Hangul (Korean)
I love this film because:
A romantic comedy that succeeds in delivering a highly emotional story without falling into the many trappings of typical "chick flicks" or teen movies of Hollywood. Two amazing performances by Jun Ji Hyun and Cha Tae Hyun that is so dripping with charm that the audience can't help but fall in love with them and hope that things will end happily. Hillarious slapstick comedy that doesn't go over the top and overwhelm the film. Jun Ji Hyun's performance is absolutely incredible--her performance running the gamut from sweet and innocent, to fragile and vulnerable, to derranged and psychotic, to melancholy and remoreseful.
DVD availability:
Korean R3 Director's Edition
http://www.dvdasian.com/cgi-bin/dvdasian/12362.html

 

[Marty M]

My all-time favorite foreign language film, to English, is Z. It is a French film that is a depiction of the military turning back the liberal reforms in Greece in the mid-60s. This movie was released in 1969 and won the Academy Award for the best Foreign Language movie for that year.

The subject of this film seemed very close to the tense situation in the U.S. during this time between President Nixon and the military against the student protesters of the Viet Nam War. IMO, this movie still works as a great Political Thriller.