The MoFo Top 100 Foreign Language Film Countdown

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Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.



Welcome to the Movieforums Top 100 Foreign Language Films Countdown!

A list of the top movies in a language other than English, as voted for by movieforums members.

There were 74 ballots submitted in total, the majority of them the full 25.

The voters: Nope 1172, martyrofevil, Holden Pike, Tramuzgan, John W Constantine, ahwell, Steve Freeling, sawduck, Matt72582, Loner, Diehl40, Nidral, Harry Lime, Allaby, Miss Vicky, Guaporense, SpelingError, Thursday Next, Torgo, Kaplan, Phoenix74, John Dumbear, seanc, Skepsis93, Hey Fredrick, HashtagBrownies, GulfportDoc, PahaK, Mr Minio, Chypmunk, the samoan lawyer, Takoma11, mark f, re93animator, neiba, Thracian Dawg, crumbsroom, donniedarko, Thief, wositelec, Citizen Rules, Rockatansky, Taz, ElizabethOliver, MovieMad16, Jabs, Wyldesyde19, KeyserCorleone, Jinnistan, Fabulous, Okay, resopamenic, rauldc14, cricket, Siddon, rbrayer, John-Connor, edarsenal, jiraffejustin, ApexPredator, ScarletLion, Yoda, kgaard, Frightened Inmate No. 2, moongirl, intialen, gbgoodies, Iroquois, WBadger, Captain Spaulding, Aidanc, Nemanja, sarah f, gandalf26

753 different films were voted for. That’s a lot of films! There were a lot of really good films that didn’t quite make the top 100. So, in anticipation of the question, “how come X movie didn’t make it?”, the answer is simply because other movies got more points.

Please join in the discussion, but don’t share your full list until the end. Try to keep discussion respectful and on-topic, and no gongs.

Here we go!



Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
The List:

(101. Porco Rosso)

100. Paprika
99. Kiki's Delivery Service
98. The Return
97. Nights of Cabiria
96. Last Year at Marienbad
95. The Exterminating Angel
94. The Vanishing
93. Rome, Open City
92. The Skin I Live In
91. Raise the Red Lantern

90. Army of Shadows
89. Sonatine
88. The Conformist
87. Suspiria
86. The Mirror
85. Knife in the Water
84. Vampyr
83. Roma
82. Cache
81. Le Trou

80. Fitzcarraldo
79. Samurai Rebellion
78. Fireworks
77. My Neighbour Totoro
76. Rififi
75. Chungking Express
74. Battle Royale
73. Sundays & Cybele
72. Shoplifters
71. Contempt

70. Run Lola Run
69. Diabolique
68. Au Revoir les Enfants
67. Wages of Fear
66. The Virgin Spring
65. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
64. Red Desert
63. Night and Fog
62. The Hunt
61. Incendies

60. A Man Escaped
59. War and Peace
58. Children of Paradise
57. Memories of Murder
56. The Battle of Algiers
55. Z
54. Three Colours: Red
53. La Haine
52. Tokyo Story
51. The Celebration

50. Sansho the Bailiff
49. Three Colours: Blue
48. Close-Up
47. Pather Panchali
46. Princess Mononoke
45. Playtime
44. La Strada
43. Grave of the Fireflies
42. Yojimbo
41. High and Low

40. Let the Right One In
39. Fanny and Alexander
38. The Lives of Others
37. Harakiri
36. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
35. The 400 Blows
34. In the Mood For Love
33. Wild Strawberries
32. Wings of Desire
31. Metropolis

30. Le Samourai
29. Akira
28. The Cranes are Flying
27. La Dolce Vita
26. Late Spring
25. Das Boot
24. Ikiru
23. Andrei Rublev
22. Woman in the Dunes
21. Oldboy


20. Cinema Paradiso
19. Ran
18. Amelie
17. The Passion of Joan of Arc
16. Downfall
15. Aguirre: The Wrath of God
14. City of God
13. Rashomon
12. Solaris
11. M

10. Pan's Labyrinth
9. 8 1/2
8. Come and See
7. Stalker
6. Bicycle Thieves
5. Spirited Away
4. The Seventh Seal
3. Parasite
2. Persona

1. Seven Samurai

Now with links thanks to Miss Vicky!



Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
Just to note: I will be kicking this off today with the one-pointers, with the intention of starting the list proper tomorrow. Yoda has a few behind the scenes things to do still and is working very hard to make this list awesome, so there may be a slight delay. We appreciate your patience!

In the meantime, your predictions/faildictions:

What will the films at #100 and #99 be?

What will be the most recent film to appear on the list and how high will it get?

Which country will have the most films on the list?

Which director will appear the most times?

How many of the top 100 will be animated movies?



What will be the most recent film to appear on the list and how high will it get?
Parasite, 60ish.

Which country will have the most films on the list?
France

Which director will appear the most times?
tie: Kurosawa/Bergman

How many of the top 100 will be animated movies?
2



Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
What do you mean no gongs???
Way back in the 90s countdown there was a poster who complained and posted a gif of a gong every time a foreign film showed up.



What will the films at #100 and #99 be?
Viridiana and Umberto D. I'm just taking a wild guess here, btw.

What will be the most recent film to appear on the list and how high will it get?
Parasite. Probably around the middle of the list.

Which country will have the most films on the list?
France, I'd say.

Which director will appear the most times?
Kurosawa and Fellini.

How many of the top 100 will be animated movies?
At least 5.
__________________
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Faildictions (バージョン 1.0):
100. Viridiana (1961)
99. Ba wang bie ji [Farewell My Concubine] (1993)


Extracurricular faildictions (not covered by license):
Most recent film: Manbiki kazoku [Shoplifters] (2018)
- Position: 86
Most popular country: Japan
- count: 16
Most popular director: Akira Kurosawa
- count: 6
Number of animated movies: 5



Very excited for this! I can hardly wait

I wonder if any films from America made it that were filmed in a foreign language? I can think of at least one The Passion of the Christ.



We've gone on holiday by mistake
Which country will have the most films on the list?
Japan.
__________________



In the meantime, your predictions/faildictions:

What will the films at #100 and #99 be?

What will be the most recent film to appear on the list and how high will it get?

Which country will have the most films on the list?

Which director will appear the most times?

How many of the top 100 will be animated movies?
1. No idea

2. Parasite seems like a good choice

3. South Korea? Japan?

4. Kurosawa

5. Around 6 and 7 (A bunch of Ghibli, Akira, Grave of the Fireflies, Your Name?)



A system of cells interlinked
As I attempted to compile a list, it became very clear to me that I need to see more films made in other countries. I could barely recall a list of 25 that I had seen, let alone a best of. I ended up not submitting a list, instead planning on using this countdown as a jumping off point for more foreign film watching. I plan on participating as much as possible in the thread, or as much as my limited time lately will allow. Thanks to TN for running this thing!
__________________
“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” ― Thomas Sowell





As I attempted to compile a list, it became very clear to me that I need to see more films made in other countries. I could barely recall a list of 25 that I had seen, let alone a best of. I ended up not submitting a list, instead planning on using this countdown as a jumping off point for more foreign film watching. I plan on participating as much as possible in the thread, or as much as my limited time lately will allow. Thanks to TN for running this thing!



Alternative faildictions ( edition 1.0):


Foreigner Top 100

100: Two Different Worlds

99: Love On The Telephone

Whaddya mean I've not quite understood??



Alternative faildictions { edition 1.0):


Foreigner Top 100

100: Two Different Worlds

99: Love On The Telephone

Whaddya mean I've not quite understood??
I Want to Know What Love Is at #1 or the list fails.



2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
I'll be surprised if Japan doesn't dominate, but I think Italy, France and Russia will do well themselves. I can see about 20% going to Japan FTR.