The MoFo Top 100 Foreign Language Film Countdown

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Ikiru didn't make my ballot, but I like it quite a lot. I don't have a formal review of it per se, but here's what I wrote on it for the last countdown we did on this forum:

I've seen several of Kurosawa's films. I gave Ikiru a 7/10 and I prefer his other films, but I still like it quite a lot. I hated the opening 10 or 15 minutes which I'm convinced is the exact opposite of show, don't tell. However, I think the film shows subtlety in other places to make up for its weak takeoff. For example, I'm not sure how noble Kurosawa wants Mr. Watanabe to be. He's a person who spent most of his life being cold and distant and didn't decide to change until really late in his life when he was diagnosed with cancer. If it wasn't for that, he may have still been his old self for all we know. Plus, when it comes to the method he adopted when attempting to achieve redemption, it involved him getting in the face and acting rather creepy towards one of his female subordinates in a restaurant and, after a long absence from work, pushing for the design of a playground at his workplace in spite of his co-workers warning him he may intrude on other departments. Given this, it's clear he was achieving redemption in a reckless way. Also, much can be said about the second half. Naturally, this would be the segment where most of the sentimentality would come into play. By telling it mostly in flashbacks though and focusing on the ignoble behaviors of his co-workers, this prevented many scenes from being sentimental and it maintained the feel of what came beforehand (but of course, it could be argued that there still are some sentimental moments in that segment). While there certainly are places where the film feels really obvious, I also think there's a lot of subtlety in there as well.

As for Andrei Rublev, it was #7 on my ballot. Here's a pretty lengthy analysis I wrote on it a while ago.

Updated ballot:

1.
2. Late Spring (1949, Ozu) #26
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Andrei Rublev (1966, Tarkovsky) #23
8.
9.
10. Le Samouraï (1967, Melville) #30
11.
12. Sansho the Bailiff (1954, Mizoguchi) #50
13.
14.
15.
16. The Battle of Algiers (1966, Pontecorvo) #56
17.
18.
19. The Mirror (1975, Tarkovsky) #86
20.
21. Red Desert (1964, Antonioni) #64
22.
23. Vampyr (1932, Dreyer) #84
24.
25.
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Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
Ikiru is a Kurosawa I loved but perhaps didn't love enough. I owe it a rewatch.



Andrei Rublev is a masterpiece just like everything Tarkovsky did (sorry, mark) and a film by Andrei on Andrei, which is just one way to read it. Some art should be challenging and hard to understand. While such art readily gives you Beauty, you need some genuine effort to try to understand what it tries to say. It's American cinema producer's fault that they thought it's always necessary to spoon-feed viewers and always explain everything. Life is full of mystery so it's only natural cinema mirrors life. Besides I love films I don't understand. Not understanding adds to the pleasure (quoting Chris Marker).

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By the way, Ikiru might be my #1 movie of all-time and Tarkovsky might be my #1 director of all-time, so this set will be hard to beat as the best one-two punch we get.



I refuse to watch Andrei Rublev.
I haven't seen it but can I ask why?
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I haven't seen it but can I ask why?
Tarkovsky intentionally killed a horse in the film. If I recall the details correctly, the scene involves the horse being shot in the neck and then shoved down a flight of stairs. From what I've read, the horse was slated to be slaughtered anyway, but that does not excuse the cruelty for me.



Tarkovsky intentionally killed a horse in the film. If I recall the details correctly, the scene involves the horse being shot in the neck and then shoved down a flight of stairs. From what I've read, the horse was slated to be slaughtered anyway, but that does not excuse the cruelty for me.
Thanks for the info



All good people are asleep and dreaming.
Tarkovsky intentionally killed a horse in the film. If I recall the details correctly, the scene involves the horse being shot in the neck and then shoved down a flight of stairs. From what I've read, the horse was slated to be slaughtered anyway, but that does not excuse the cruelty for me.
The scene was unnecessary, but why interfere with Tarkovsky's artistic vision. It's the reason I don't own the movie.



I forgot the opening line.
I've seen a fair few Kurosawa films, but Ikiru is one of the last ones I haven't. I've been eager to see it for a while now, along with Dersu Uzala - this is prodding me along even more. Kurosawa has another 4 or 5 films that could figure yet - he must be the hot favourite to earn the most spots on this list. Fellini and Bergman are still in with a shot though.



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Excellent films, but I didn't vote for either. Definitely owe Andrei Rublev a revisit, at least.
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Two amazing films from two amazing directors. Again neither made my list. This is a great countdown just thinking of the number of times I've posted "neither made my list" and "both are masterpieces" or something like that.
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Ikiru is VERY high on my Watchlist. Have not seen the other and most likely won't.




Movies Seen: 41 of 78 (52.56%)
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. The Cranes are Flying (1957) #28
8. Yojimbo (1961) #42
9. Quite possible
10. Not gonna happen

11. Harakiri (1962) #37
12. Le Samouraï (1967) #30
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. La dolce vita (1960) #27
21. High and Low (1963) #41
22. Late Spring (1949) #26
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[/quote][/quote]
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174 points, 11 lists
22. Woman in the Dunes


Director

Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1964

Starring

Eiji Okada, Kyoko Kishida, Ginzo Sekiguchi, Koji Mitsui









174 points, 13 lists
21. Oldboy


Director

Park Chan-wook, 2003

Starring

Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung, Kim Byung-ok






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Another tie on points. This list is so close. I think some people doubted these films would appear, but here they are. Just the top 20 to go.

I liked Woman in the Dunes a lot but it wasn't on my list. Oldboy was my #18.



Woman in the Dunes is great, but it didn't make my list. It's the kind of film where I enjoyed thinking about it later more than actually watching it. However, I found its premise to be a thought provoking and deceptively simple adaptation of Sisyphus.

Oldboy is good, but not the kind of a film I'd think about including in a top 25 or even a top 100.

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