The MoFo Top 100 Foreign Language Film Countdown

In the Mood for Love was my #11. I rewatched a bunch of WKW earlier this year so that might account for why both it and Chungking took such respectable places in my ballot, but that doesn't make them any less classic.

Wild Strawberries is very good, but I didn't vote for it.

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I'm very curious about the last 30-32 movies. I'm curious how many of them I heard about, which might be another another stat I might throw in tomorrow, or maybe at the end of this great countdown.

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1.
2.
3. The Lives of Others
4. In the Mood for Love
5.
6.
7. Au Revoir Les Enfants
8. Fanny and Alexander
9.
10.
11. Grave of the Fireflies
12.
13.
14. Nights of Cabiria
15.
16.
17.
18. The Wages of Fear
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24. La Haine
25.

Currently 8 of my list have made it so far. The quality of the list is still looking excellent and I can't wait to watch the ones I haven't seen. Also very interesting to see how dominant France and Japan have been until this point. Almost down to the final 30 now and the tension is being ratcheted up with each movie that is released. So many good foreign language films, fewer and fewer spots remaining each day. Which ones will make it? Only Thursday knows...

A surprise addition to my List; if you had told me I would have a Bergman on my list a year ago I would have been amused. BUT then I saw Wild Strawberries and it made it in at #24.




Movies Seen: 33 of 68 (48.53%)
3. Shoplifters (2018) #72
4. Rome, Open City (1945) #93
5. Rififi (1955) #76
6. Army of Shadows (1969) #90
8. Yojimbo (1961) #42
11. Harakiri (1962) #37
13. Samurai Rebellion (1967) #79
17. The 400 Blows (1959) #35
19. Paprika (2006) #100
21. High and Low (1963) #41
24. Wild Strawberries (1957) #33
25. In This Corner of the World (2016) One Pointer

Rectification List
1. Grave of the Fireflies Hotaru no haka (1988) #43

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Wild Strawberries is one of the most human films ever made and still only my 3rd favorite Bergman, #11 on my list



I hated In The Mood for Love when I saw it, but I was also a highsschool freshman for what it's worth

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I've said it before but I'm not a fan of Bergman films

I'm not saying they're bad, in fact I can see their greatness, BUT, they just don't speak to me. I've seen Wild Strawberries and zip.

In The Mood For Love just missed making my list. None the less I do hold it in high esteem, so congrats to all who voted for it


The ascetics of a relationship built on unconsummated love, wrapped in gorgeous haute couture du jour. The aesthetics of 1963 Hong Kong were in abundance! And Mrs. Chan was quite the fashion plate in all those high collared, form fitting dresses with the bold prints.

I'd give the movie 5 popcorn ratings just for the way she walked! Her hip swaying walk was part of the film's sub-context, and the cinematographer framed her in a way that we can see her curvy attributes from the mind set of Mr. Chow. That's not just wolf whistles for a hot babe, the film really presents her as a sexy, but not obvious... woman of taste and class, which thanks to that walk clues us in on how Mr. Chow sees her.

I loved the art production of the film, the sets were so intricate, so balanced. I'd say each room, each hallway and every scene is designed with feng shui. That is if I understood what feng shui is all about. At any rate I thought it looked really cool. From the first shot of Mrs Chan's room with the painting of the red apples on the wall and a bowl of red apples resting on the table below...I knew someone had taken great care to make visual art out of the story.

I liked the story and actors too, it's right up my alley. I liked the way most shots had a 'closed in' feeling. We never get broader shots of the building they live in, all we see is a narrow corridor and a few rooms. Even when we enter their rooms the director chooses to limit the information there by not showing us much. I liked that! Especially as it put the focus on the two people, as if they existed outside of the everyday world. That's focused directing.

Wild Strawberries was my number 10. There was no way I'd even like a movie where a grumbling old professor goes on a road trip which leads to him reminiscing and reevaluating his life. But somehow, Bergman put this together with such skill and artistry that I not only like it, I consider it one of the greatest films ever made. Beautiful, profound and touching. The simplicity and Victor Sjöström - who I've never seen in anything else, but adore nonetheless because he brings Dr. Borg to such vivid life. He's perfect for that role. Now I feel like watching it yet again.

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Films I've seen : 18
Films that have been on my radar : 6
Films I've never even heard of : 40
Films I've heard of : 4

Films from my list : 4

#43 - My #4 - Grave of the Fireflies - (1988) - Japan
#33 - My #10 - Wild Strawberries - (1957) - Sweden
#57 - My #21 - Memories of Murder - (2003) - South Korea
One pointer - My #25 - Audition - (1999) - Japan

I'm playing catch-up again, and there were a few movies that were rewatches and a few new watches in the last few movies posted, but only one movie of the last eight posted that made my list, (and one movie that I kind of regret not including on my list).

I watched Harakiri for a HoF a few years ago, and it was only okay for me because I didn't really connect with it due to cultural differences. I rewatched it for this countdown, and I liked it a little bit more, but not enough for it to make my list.

I had already seen The Umbrellas of Cherbourg a few years ago, and I loved it, and I also rewatched it for this countdown. I'm sure that it won't surprise anyone that it made my list, but it might surprise some people that it wasn't my top pick. It was #4 on my list.

I watched The 400 Blows for this countdown, and I liked it, but it didn't make my list.

In the Mood for Love is another movie that I watched for this countdown, and I liked it a lot. It was a strong contender for my list, but I just couldn't find room for it. This was one of the last few movies that I watched for this countdown, and it's a movie that might have made my list if I had watched it earlier, and I had more time to think about it before submitting my list. (This is the movie that I kind of regret not including on my list.)

Wild Strawberries is another movie that I rewatched for this countdown. I liked it after watching it for a HoF a few years ago, and I liked it after the rewatch, but it didn't make my list.

I tried watching Let the Right One In, but I only got about 10 or 15 minutes into it when I realized that it was a vampire movie, and it probably wasn't a movie that I would like, so I gave up and watched a different movie.

The main reason why I didn't watch Fanny and Alexander was because it's just too long, and I had a very long watchlist for this countdown, so I had to choose wisely when deciding which movies to watch.

I haven't heard of The Lives of Others.

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‘Style’ some people have it and appreciate it in art, some don’t.
In The Mood For Love is my #19.

Movies Seen: 32/68

My Ballot: 9/25
25. Mongol (1-pointer)
22. The Wages of Fear (#67)
21. Fireworks (#78)
19. In The Mood For Love (#34)
17. High and Low (#41)
7. Samurai Rebellion (#79)
6. The Battle of Algiers (#56)
5. War and Peace (#59)
2. La Haine (#53)

Faildictions:
32. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
31. Umberto D.

Predictions:
32. Pan’s Labyrinth
31. Ran

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-In the Mood for Love was my #15. It's just a sublime film full of beautiful shots of two actors just going at it. That rain, those dresses, that Christopher Doyle cinematography. Just amazing.

-Wild Strawberries is good but not my favourite Bergman. A little surprised to see it so high.

Both very good films but neither made my list (although they could have) - had Chungking for WKW and another for Bergman, trying to stick to one per director. I'm wondering about Yi Yi. I don't think it's going to make it. This was a very recent rewatch for me and I tell you I appreciated it so much more this time around. It could have made my list too. My Yang vote went to A Brighter Summer Day but it doesn't seem like that film will make it either. Is anything from Taiwan going to make it? I don't think so and that's unfortunate because they have some amazing films and I feel it would be a flaw in this excellent countdown list.

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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

You made me feel guilty. I do love both those Yang films. Neither are true favorites though.

Not seen The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (don't see that changing anytime soon) or In The Mood For Love at all. Watched about the first 15 minutes of Wild Strawberries but couldn't get into it.

I think I've only seen The 400 Blows once, but I thought it was fantastic. The whole thing just 'felt' right.

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I had The Virgin Spring pretty high, at no. 3. My fav Bergman by far (TVS is no. 1, the other one is no. 2). I loved everything about it but a special shout out to Max von Sydow and his great performance. He's come a long ways in my eyes since I first saw him in Strange Brew.

The only other film to show off my ballot recently is Yojimbo which I had at lucky no. 13. Like others have already said it's just a fun breeze to watch. Not my fav Kurosawa film but it may be my fav Mifune performance.

At this point I think getting 10-12 off my ballot would be surprising. Only seen 23 so far. I figured this list would be dominated by Italian cannibal movies and French soft core. Boy, was I off!

1. Yep
2. Yep
3. A Virgin Spring
4. Yep
5. Probably a solid no
6. I'm still thinking YES
7. Yep
8. Better luck playing pick up sticks with our butt cheeks than this making it.
9. No
10. Doubt it
11. Maybe
12. yeah, no
13. Yojimbo
14. I thought it would for sure, now not so sure
15. Rififi
16. Diabolique
17. Still think this will make it
18. Porco Rosso
19. Kinda leaning no
20. Still possible
21. Thought it would have shown up by now
22. 50-50 on this one, of course there's only a 1% chance of that
23. To quote Shep Proudfoot - nope
24. Dear god no!
25. No way in hell

Predictions today:

A Separation
La Dolce Vita

As for the likelihood of how many more of mine show up. . .

Movies Seen: 33 of 68 (48.53%)
1. Severely doubt it
2. Still possible
3. Shoplifters (2018) #72
4. Rome, Open City (1945) #93
5. Rififi (1955) #76
6. Army of Shadows (1969) #90
7. Definitely
8. Yojimbo (1961) #42
9. Quite possible
10. Not gonna happen
11. Harakiri (1962) #37
12. Definitely will
13. Samurai Rebellion (1967) #79
14. Definitely
15. Very possible
16. Sincerely doubt it but who knows
17. The 400 Blows (1959) #35
18. Hell no
19. Paprika (2006) #100
20. Hell yes
21. High and Low (1963) #41
22. Pretty d@mn good odds
23. No idea --
24. Wild Strawberries (1957) #33
25. In This Corner of the World (2016) One Pointer

Rectification List
1. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) #43


So, maybe 4 or 5, at least with another two or three possibilities. Possibly. Maybe.

Still need to see Yi Yi. Thought I would love Brighter but didnt.