Last great Foreign Film you saw
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Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Imagine if they installed surveillance cameras in every nook and cranny of your house and tracked all your movements for 2 or 3 months. I think you'd be utterly shocked to discover how much of your life reduces into predictable behaviors and timed routines.
The first part of this film looks exactly like that, this Belgian woman's life has been reduced to it's essence, so much so, her chores and habits almost become ritualistic. Then in the second part of the film---she keeps her spending money in vase on the living room table---she drops some money inside and forgets to replace the cover: that one gesture creates at kind of mild dissonance and physic turmoil that throws off her entire life off-kilter. A dazzling character study.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Jeanne-dielman-23-quai-du-commerce-1080-bruxelles-original.jpeg
Imagine if they installed surveillance cameras in every nook and cranny of your house and tracked all your movements for 2 or 3 months. I think you'd be utterly shocked to discover how much of your life reduces into predictable behaviors and timed routines.
The first part of this film looks exactly like that, this Belgian woman's life has been reduced to it's essence, so much so, her chores and habits almost become ritualistic. Then in the second part of the film---she keeps her spending money in vase on the living room table---she drops some money inside and forgets to replace the cover: that one gesture creates at kind of mild dissonance and physic turmoil that throws off her entire life off-kilter. A dazzling character study.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Jeanne-dielman-23-quai-du-commerce-1080-bruxelles-original.jpeg
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My Faves:
Talk to Her
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
Matador
All About My Mother
... but I'd recommend more.
Talk to Her
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
Matador
All About My Mother
... but I'd recommend more.
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The Mirror (1975), the cinematography is pretty spectacular.
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I saw this Danish film a few days ago, called Submarino. It won a couple awards. Found it in the new release section at Blockbuster.
I don't know that I would want to see a film about the Nanking Massacre, if it's that graphic. What I read is disturbing enough. Most people aren't even aware of this sad chapter in history, because of cover-ups and downplaying of the events.
I don't know that I would want to see a film about the Nanking Massacre, if it's that graphic. What I read is disturbing enough. Most people aren't even aware of this sad chapter in history, because of cover-ups and downplaying of the events.
Last edited by Mountaineer; 03-02-12 at 09:49 PM.
I almost thought nobody around here has watched Sansho...
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I've fallen behind in this thread.
Queen Margot - Sprawling, entertaining French saga centering around the St. Bartholomew Day's Massacre and its aftermath. Fascinating film with an all-star cast, filled with sex, violence and court intrigue.
A Propos de Nice - Jean Vigo's first film is definitely my fave, seemingly inspired a bit by Clair's Entre'Acte (which I watched immediately after). This one is a heady combo of French travelogue, tricky editing and a form of dadaism. The opening scenes foreshadow the beginning of West Side Story. It's found on Criterion's The Complete Jean Vigo
Iron Monkey - Wonderfully funny and action-packed trifle, directed and choreographed by the man responsible for the fights in The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Several scenes seem to be homages to the Three Stooges!
Let the Right One In - I watched this again after seeing The Shining so I could accurately vote in our current tourneys. The highlight of this film for me is obviously the tenderness between the two young main characters. Sure, it's got some horror goods with some weird, disgusting scenes, but the heart of the movie is how two outsiders come together to basically form a loving family.
Every Man For Himself and God Against All - Herzog's "mature" version of a German historical response to Truffaut's similar The Wild Child, which is another factual film about a mysterious discovery of a feral human being. The film begins slowly but gets more involving as the strange "actor" Bruno S. gradually reveals Kasper Hauser's inner humanity. Herzog again uses the soundtrack to his advantage, but he was indeed lucky to find Bruno S., who gives a powerfully-innocent-and-honest performance.
Queen Margot - Sprawling, entertaining French saga centering around the St. Bartholomew Day's Massacre and its aftermath. Fascinating film with an all-star cast, filled with sex, violence and court intrigue.
A Propos de Nice - Jean Vigo's first film is definitely my fave, seemingly inspired a bit by Clair's Entre'Acte (which I watched immediately after). This one is a heady combo of French travelogue, tricky editing and a form of dadaism. The opening scenes foreshadow the beginning of West Side Story. It's found on Criterion's The Complete Jean Vigo
Iron Monkey - Wonderfully funny and action-packed trifle, directed and choreographed by the man responsible for the fights in The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Several scenes seem to be homages to the Three Stooges!
Let the Right One In - I watched this again after seeing The Shining so I could accurately vote in our current tourneys. The highlight of this film for me is obviously the tenderness between the two young main characters. Sure, it's got some horror goods with some weird, disgusting scenes, but the heart of the movie is how two outsiders come together to basically form a loving family.
Every Man For Himself and God Against All - Herzog's "mature" version of a German historical response to Truffaut's similar The Wild Child, which is another factual film about a mysterious discovery of a feral human being. The film begins slowly but gets more involving as the strange "actor" Bruno S. gradually reveals Kasper Hauser's inner humanity. Herzog again uses the soundtrack to his advantage, but he was indeed lucky to find Bruno S., who gives a powerfully-innocent-and-honest performance.
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My IMDb page
Last edited by mark f; 06-16-12 at 02:10 AM.
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"Alright, but you got those... them words up there to help follow the story along?"
"It's subtitled, yes."
"It's subtitled, yes."
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you just saw old boy!? About time. One of the best movies ever made imho.
Cast away on the moon. pretty good, maybe on teh good/great border.
13 assassins, i would put the film as great action samurai flick. Really an awesome retro kickback.
The skin I live in.
girl with the dragon tattoo.
Cast away on the moon. pretty good, maybe on teh good/great border.
13 assassins, i would put the film as great action samurai flick. Really an awesome retro kickback.
The skin I live in.
girl with the dragon tattoo.
Black Orpheus (Marcel Camus, 1959)
Intoxicating in its setting and music, Black Orpheus is a singular film in the history of Brazilian cinema. Directed by a Frenchman, a former art teacher, the movie looks almost like a documentary at times, but this realism is trumped by the overriding surrealism inherent in a version of the Orpheus/Eurydice tragedy set in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. The music and colors are breathtaking and Rio has never looked more exotic, yet the poor living conditions of the main characters are contrasted with the physical beauty surrounding them, adding levels of gritty social commentary to this alleged "fairy tale" which would later break through in such films as Pixote. Highly recommended to all serious filmgoers and to those who would enjoy a vacation to Rio during Carnival.
Intoxicating in its setting and music, Black Orpheus is a singular film in the history of Brazilian cinema. Directed by a Frenchman, a former art teacher, the movie looks almost like a documentary at times, but this realism is trumped by the overriding surrealism inherent in a version of the Orpheus/Eurydice tragedy set in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. The music and colors are breathtaking and Rio has never looked more exotic, yet the poor living conditions of the main characters are contrasted with the physical beauty surrounding them, adding levels of gritty social commentary to this alleged "fairy tale" which would later break through in such films as Pixote. Highly recommended to all serious filmgoers and to those who would enjoy a vacation to Rio during Carnival.
The Rules of the Game (1939)/The Grand Illusion (1938) (Both directed by Jean Renoir)
Renoir's two most highly-regarded flicks were made consecutively on the Eve of WWII. Both are must-sees but not exactly perfect. Considering that they're supposed to be nigh on perfect, it's understandable that it's difficult to reach that watermark. I mentioned elsewhere that the first film's satire seems to have worn out a bit, but I want to say that it's more than made up for by the fact that the straight comedy seems to shine brighter than ever today. I'm not saying that Renoir hits Marx Bros. territory, but I definitely laughed out loud at it more than I ever have. I fully expected The Grand Illusion to be the better film, but I was surprised at how jerky some of the editing was. I had forgotten that many significant events occur off-screen and that there are a lack of explanations to some which are shown. However, the honest respect shared between some of the officers is moving. Erich von Stroheim comes off as a gentleman, at least until he shows himself to be a racist and an elitist nobleman. In many ways, the latter film seems to skewer its satiric targets in a more modern manner, and I never really even considered The Grand Illusion a satire before.
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@ sarah f
I thought that yankeeboy was sarcastic when he said he enjoyed 'Climates'.
Here's another foreign movie quirk.
I thought that yankeeboy was sarcastic when he said he enjoyed 'Climates'.
Here's another foreign movie quirk.
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Two good ones I saw recently
Wild Strawberries & Diabolique
Wild Strawberries & Diabolique
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Yeah, there's no body mutilation in it
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The last great foreign language movie I saw was The Raid, I think it has fully reinvigorated the action genre, recent movies like Expendables and anything Statham is in could learn a lot. Also saw The Artist and was blown away by how much I liked it.
Movies I still have to see:
OldBoy
Ong Bak
Infernal Affairs (think it is a trilogy)
Movies I still have to see:
OldBoy
Ong Bak
Infernal Affairs (think it is a trilogy)
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And not sure if this would count as foreign since it was made by Clint Eastwood but i twas all in Japanese and that's Letters from Iwo Jima. Absolutely loved it, way better than the American side of the tale (can't even remember what that was called).
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