Knew Miyazaki was popular but I really underestimated how much so. Would have guessed he would have 2 or 3 in the 100 and that Spirited Away would be in the 20 range.
Probably would have thought Bicycle Thieves 25-30 or something like that. Think it really got a push from the halls lately. Which definitely happens with these lists.
Bicycle Thieves was a recommendation from my dad. I asked him what he thought the greatest movie ever made was. He'd often say he loved The Princess Bride, and a few times told me to check out Bicycle Thieves. He saw it in a film class in college or high school. I thought it got down to the dark and depressing nitty-gritty of poverty very well. Not so much as Pather Panchali but still very well. However, this was a harder-to-watch movie, so it did it's job. Not on my list, though.
Speaking of movies seen in school, coincidentally I saw the very next movie on the list in fifth grade, and I loved it to death ever since. I must've seen it twenty times already, and I'm deeply in love with the otherworldly magical charm and characterization therein. I've loved that about fantasy ever since I first saw The Pagemaster when I was seven. Spirited Away was my number 5 (just like on the list), and because of this movie I consider Miyazaki to potentially be a better filmmaker than Kurosawa.
1. Oldboy (21)
2. The Mirror (86)
4. 8 1/2 (9)
5. Spirited Away (5)
6. Metropolis (31)
7. Solaris (12)
12. Princess Mononoke (46)
13. Pather Panchali (47)
15. The Passion of Joan of Arc (15)
16. Ran (19)
17. La Dolce Vita (27)
19. Wild Strawberries (33)
20. Harakiri (37)
24. M (11)
Last edited by KeyserCorleone; 08-03-21 at 02:04 PM.
Bicycle Thieves didn't make my ballot, but it's really great. Here's what I wrote on it for the 25th Hall of Fame:
This was one of the few remaining well-known classic films which I hadn't seen before joining this HoF. I was a bit worried that it wouldn't live up to its reputation, but fortunately, it ended up blowing me away.
I noticed that some people here criticized how Antonio grows more and more unlikable as the film progresses, but I think that was actually the point of his character. Watching him slowly lose his humanity by acting forceful with the various people he encounters while the chances of him reclaiming his stolen bicycle kept diminishing was quite tragic. During his attempts to reclaim his stolen bicycle, he acts forceful with an elderly man, he rudely disrupts a church sermon, he slaps his son, and he acts forceful with a young boy and potentially causes him to have a seizure. I found the ending to be a powerful culmination to his arc as it showed how much the events of that day had changed him and lowered his morals.
The excellent twin performances from Lamberto Maggiorani (Antonio) and Enzo Staiola (Bruno) enhance the film's emotional core. Maggiorani is able to transmit so much of the desperation and hopelessness he experiences in the film through his facial expressions. Equally impressive is Staiola's performance. Despite being only 9 years old when this film was released and not having many lines, he reflects both the increasing desperation his father feels as the film progresses in addition to the direct and indirect pain his father causes him throughout the film onto his face. I found the final scene to be quite heartbreaking, in part due to the thematic implications of it and also due to the facial expressions from both actors.
While the emotional core to the film is compelling, this film is a lot more than just a story about a stolen bicycle. It's also a bleak portrait of the poverty which many Italians faced post-World War II. We see some immediate effects of this like crowds of people desperately trying to get jobs, people shoving past each other to get on buses, and people selling their personal possessions to get a job. The film also explores the various ways people coped with poverty, like resorting to thievery, falsely claiming they could see the future by becoming a fortune teller, or being a prostitute. Most of these effects weren't explored in much detail and were instead treated as backdrops to the main action, but they got under my skin regardless and made the film's scope both epic and intimate at the same time. In the chaotic, poverty stricken city shown in the film, Antonio's bicycle means everything to him and it's clear how vital it is that he reclaims it.
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I watched Spirited Away many years ago and don't remember it that well, but I remember liking it a lot. Very creative and visually inventive, with some great characterizations. I'll have to revisit it to see how I respond to it.
Spirited Away was the third highest placing foreign language movie in the recent Top 100 Refresh after Stalker and Seven Samurai.
I think it stands to reason also that there are people who may not have seen a lot of foreign language movies but a lot of the ones they have seen are Miyazaki.
Phew, turns out faildictions actually dodged another bullet with Bicycle Thieves (that's the second time this countdown) - a movie I didn't see in time for the deadline but finally got round to a cpl of weeks ago and whilst I found it a decent enough watch there's absolutely no chance it would have made my personal ballot anyway. Spirited Away on the other hand certainly did.
There won't be any more from my ballot showing up.
Faildictions ((バージョン 1.01): 10. Det sjunde inseglet [The Seventh Seal] (1957)
9. La Grande Illusion [The Grand Illusion] (1937)
8. Le jour se lève [Daybreak] (1939)
7. Ladri di biciclette [Bicycle Thieves] (1948)
6. Onibaba (1964)
5. Idi i smotri [Come And See] (1985)
4. Stalker (1979)
3. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi [Spirited Away] (2001)
2. 8½ (1963)
1. Shichinin no samurai [Seven Samurai] (1954)
6 left... I'm going to guess:
Bicycle Thief (10/10), The Seventh Seal (10/10), Seventh Samurai (10/10), Breathless (4/10), La Grande Illusion (10/10), Persona (9/10).... There are many that will be left out.
@Thursday_Next - I don't have a copy in my Sent Mail.. If you have time, could you please send me my list? I've looked everywhere.
48/95
-La Strada - 10/10
-The Battle of Algiers - 10/10
-Wild Strawberries - 10/10
-Rashomon - 10/10 - best movie on perception
-M - 9/10 - favorite thriller
-Le Trou - 9/10
-A Woman In The Dunes - 8.5/10
-The 400 Blows - 8.5/10
-Knife In The Water - 8.5/10
-A Man Escaped - 8/10
-Nights of Cabiria - 8/10
-Sundays & Cybele - 8/10
-Close-Up- 8/10 -
-Pather Panchali- 8/10
-Late Spring - 8/10
-Tokyo Story - 8/10
-Contempt - 8/10
-Wings of Desire - 8/10
-La Dolce Vita - 7.5/10
-Harakari - 7.5/10
-Red Desert - 7.5/10
-Le Cercle Rouge - 7.5/10
-Rome, Open City - 7.5/10
-Shoplifters - 7/10
-Léon Morin, Priest - 7/10
-Bob Le Flambeur - 7/10
-Rififi - 7/10
-The Virgin Spring -7/10
-Run Lola Run - 7/10
-City of God - 7/10 - saw this in 2005, good movie from Brazil.
-Le Samourai - 7/10
-The Conformist - 7/10
-The Celebration- 7/10
-The Lives of Others - 7/10
-Aguirre, The Wrath Of God - 7/10 it.
-Cinema Paradiso - 7/10
-Au Revoir les Enfants - 6.5/10
-Last Year At Marienbad - 6/10
-Roma - 6/10
-Z - 6/10
-8 1/2 - 5/10
I saw Bicycle Thieves earlier this year for one of the Personal Recommendations HoF and I loved it (here's my review). Maybe it's recency bias, but f**k it, I had it at #14.
As for Spirited Away, ehhh, I wasn't a fan. I'm very hit-and-miss as far as anime goes and this was no exception (here's my review). I remember that back at Corrie, @Takoma11 did offer some insight into some of my issues, which I really appreciated, so I'm not against revisiting it with another mindset. But for now? Meh...
My Summary:
Seen: 47/96
My list: 12/25
My List
1. Cinema Paradiso (#20)
2. Late Spring (#26)
3. Au Revoir les Enfants (#68)
4. Ran (#19)
5.
6.
7.
8.
9. Pan's Labyrinth (#10)
10. Tokyo Story (#52)
11. Harakiri (#37)
12. M (#11)
13.
14. Bicycle Thieves (#6)
15.
16. In the Mood for Love (#34)
17.
18. The Lives of Others (#38)
19.
20.
21.
22. Roma (#83)
23.
24.
25. The Lunchbox (One-Pointer)
Spirited Away was the third highest placing foreign language movie in the recent Top 100 Refresh after Stalker and Seven Samurai.
I think it stands to reason also that there are people who may not have seen a lot of foreign language movies but a lot of the ones they have seen are Miyazaki.
Also, Miyazaki is already regarded as the best animation director ever. So, there is not much competition going on in terms of animated films: I have watched lots of non-English language movies but Miyazaki`s movies stand apart from the rest in many ways.
Still, I am surprised by how high Spirited Away is placed compared to other Ghibli films like Princess Mononoke and Totoro.
Neither made my list, both could have, excellent films, repeated many times, fantastic countdown!
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I've seen Bicycle Thieves numerous times since I first saw it over 40 years ago at college, but it didn't make my list. It's an emotional ringer of a flick that may be almost as perfect a little film about almost as perfect a little story as any other. A man needs a bike to earn a living for his family after WWII, and after he retrieves it from the pawnshop, he loses it from a thief who needs it for whatever his own reasons. Of course, unless the man can find another bike, his job is now gone. De Sica was one of the founders of the neorealist movement although he always had more-commercial tendencies and came after the real Godfather, Luchino Visconti (Ossessione, La Terra Trema). This flick will always be seen as good, but I just cannot rate it too high because it's almost so simple that any one could make it. Sorry, but that's what makes me different (right or wrong) from many of you.
Spirited Away is toppish Miyazaki, a bizarre but surprisingly relatable fantasy that's massively popular. I considered it but not too long even if it's one of my fave animated films.
Underground, my #18, is a trippy three-hour Yugoslavian black comedy. Besides, it won the Foreign Tournament for Harry Lime. Aside from that it's flamboyantly-filmed, packed with thrills, music, and wow moments and is completely-unpredictable. All of Emir Kusturica's films fit that description. Here are some of the calm moments.
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, my #16, is Buñuel, so of course it contains surrealism, but you shouldn't let that dissuade you from watching it. I really think it's his best film and it's told in such a sharp, playful manner it should appeal to a broad audience. Basically, it contains his usual takes of social and religious satire, but these "typically-bourgeois" characters really do some surprising things which in hindsight and context make more sense than they usually do in the Buñuel Universe. Part of the fun is that all these characters fit well into the surrealistic vision of "Anything Goes", but they have an almost idiotic internal logic, so that makes the film both endlessly entertaining and subversive of both mainstream cinema and surrealism itself. Two of the recurring motifs which appeal to my sense of humor are that the characters repeatedly sit down to eat but are interrupted, and that at regular intervals during this wonderful, episodic film, they find themselves walking along an empty highway at a very brisk pace. These are just two of many things in the film which add to the its mystery and meaning. Needless to say, I've rewatched it many times and it's still surprising, funny and fresh every time.
Let me start off by saying that The Shop on Main Street, my #15, was made in 1965 in what was Czechoslovakia at the time. It's one of the most-bittersweet films ever made, and I find it to be one of those films where, after maybe 35 minutes in, you feel like you're eavesdropping on real life. It's about the Holocaust at the beginning of 1942, just after Germany occupied the country, so it's pretty specific, but even if it wasn't about something so profound, the honest sharing and caring of the main characters would still make this a great film. The crystalline black-and-white photography ranks with the greatest ever depicted in a film, and this too adds to the film's verisimilitude. Throw in the ominous music score, and things certainly seem to not be especially kosher in this seemingly-friendly town where all the "good people" go for strolls on Sundays after church while listening to the town's band playing lovely waltzes.
The film stars two actors whose performances are so perfect that, first of all, they don't seem to be acting at all, and second, they almost seem to be two different sides of the same person, even though they probably couldn't be any more different. Jozef Króner plays Tony, a poor carpenter (is this film really a Christian allegory?) who's informed one night by his fascist brother-in-law that he will become the "Aryan administrator" of a Jewish button shop owned by an elderly widow named Rosalie (Ida Kaminska, Oscar-nominated) who seems to have very little grip on reality, even though she always knows what day is the Sabbath, and she's well-aware that her husband died giving his life for his country during WWI. Tony is initially frustrated by Rosalie's "blindness" and "deafness", but he's quickly won over by her humanity and kindness. As things escalate in his village, and it becomes clear that all the Jews will be transported to concentration camps, Tony does all he can to protect Rosalie, even when it goes against his wife's feelings and those of that meddlesome brother-in-law who keeps lurking around the shop.
The film does begin slowly, but the pacing actually works to its benefit. It becomes clear that Tony is unhappily married and that he doesn't measure the worth of his life the same way as his wife or the other fascist Slovakians who are toeing the Nazi line for their own benefit. Then, Tony learns that Rosalie's shop is utterly worthless and that she's only able to live from the alms of the Jewish community, and this same community rallies around Tony because they feel he is "truly a good man" and wants him to look out for the old woman. All this leads to one of the most heartbreaking, yet uplifting, endings ever filmed. Give The Shop on Main Street a shot and see if it digs deeply into your heart, almost surreptitiously, until you have almost no control over yourself at the film's conclusion.
My List
1. War and Peace 2. Z 5. Downfall 6. Night and Fog 8. Pan's Labyrinth 13. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 15. The Shop on Main Street (Did Not Place) 16. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Did Not Place) 17. The Celebration [Festen] 18. Underground (Did Not Place) 19. My Father's Glory - make sure to watch My Mother's Castle since it's Part 2 of the same film (They Both Did Not Place) 20. The Marriage of Maria Braun (Did Not Place) 21. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg 22. Europa Europa - should have been Olivier, Olivier (They Both Did Not Place) 23. Love Exposure (Did Not Place) 24. Buffet Froid (Did Not Place) 25. Das Boot
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Bicycle Thieves - 10/10 ---- Vittorio De Sica is my favorite director ever.. The master of masterpieces. But this isn't even my favorite of his, and maybe not even my 2nd favorite. "Umberto D" and "Shoeshine" will not make the list, but never will "Sunflower", "The Roof", "A Brief Vacation", "Miracle in Milan", "Two Women" which are all amazing movies. I would skip his comedy movies, though.
So it's almost been 50 movies since my last update... might as well get to it again since we are nearing top five. As I said earlier, I do love me some foreign film, but I'm still kinda bad to get around watching them. Especially lately when I'm more busy and don't have have the right mindset for those type of films.
I will cover only the ones I have watched. All the unwatched ones, more are less, are already movies that I have stumbled upon before and want to watch at some point.
excuse the length
49. Three Colours: Blue
I like this one. Seen it twice. Don't love it, but there's something about the imagery and the sort of poetry in them combined with the storytelling that either makes me come back or makes me remember certain scenes; like the opening, the sugar cube or the rat.
46. Princess Mononoke
One of Miyazaki's most ambitious and also one of his best imo. He loves his stories and themes about nature, environment and the likes, and this one sure covers that. I'm impressed by its style and tone.
43. Grave of the Fireflies
Only seen this once and feel like I should revisit. I mean, it was good, but I wasn't as taken by it as almost everyone seems to be.
41. High and Low
Recently checked up on my Akira-watchings and realized I had seen only two. How embarrassing. Anyway, this is one of them and I loved it. Thought it was expertly made and truly a great film all around.
40. Let the Right One In
Excellent vampire flick. But with human heart and drama. And the scandinavian setting is perfect. Really enjoyed it.
39. Fanny and Alexander
Probably one of my favorite films. Well, I think I've only seen the long "tv cut", but that should be the preferred one anyway. It's just such a humongous film, even if it deals with stuff mostly on a grounded level. It's a family drama, basically, but the added fantasy elements from the kids point of view and the absolutely amazing sets and cinematography. It's such a grand film and I love to just disappear into the huge character gallery and literal "gallery" of the film. Amazing.
38. The Lives of Others
A modern foreign classic for a reason. Excellent story and idea executed well.
37. Harakiri
I admire and even adore the craft on display, but I'm not entirely captured by it as much as I wished. Excellently made, great story but I just don't engage with it as much as I hoped. Still... I like it.
36. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
A fun concept done well. I liked it, but not one of my fav musicals.
35. The 400 Blows
Great coming of age story. I enjoyed the film and it's unique perspective.
34. In the Mood For Love
Only just saw this recently (finally) and it was everything I hoped for. Amazing film, absolutely stunning to look at and disappear into.
32. Wings of Desire
I was sad to see this one didn't work for me. I didn't like it much. It was okay.
30. Le Samourai
One of my favorites. The mood and feel of this film is amazing. So particularly crafted. One of the few foreign films that had a huge impact on me.
29. Akira
Not the biggest fan of anime and this one I didn't like much.
28. The Cranes are Flying
Amazing. I love this one. The cinematography is character in itself. But it's not all show. It's truly used to tell the story and explain what's going on in the film as well as the character's mind. Stunning technical achievements in this one.
25. Das Boot
One of the best war movies ever made. You truly feel like being there with the crew. It's a great and tense experience.
23. Andrei Rublev
Tarkovsky is a huge challenge for me, but I love being challenged. And I liked this one. But as always I feel like I need a thousand watches to get everything I can out of his films...
21. Oldboy
One of the best revenge movies ever made. What a film.
20. Cinema Paradiso
Not many italian films work for me. They always feel too sugarcoated and this one was no different for me. But it's been ages since I've seen it. Didn't do much to me back then though.
18. Amelie
Truly one of those "sweet as candy worlds" of film. But I mean, it doesn't try to be something else and it very much goes for exactly what it achieves. But it's not quite my thing...
17. The Passion of Joan of Arc
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this. The groundbreaking work done here, for cinema, is extraordinary. I loved every single second of it and the lead performance by Maria Falconetti is one of the best I've ever seen.
16. Downfall
I difficult movie to make in several aspects, but they pulled it off well. Great performance by Bruno Ganz.
15. Aguirre: The Wrath of God
Would have been high on my list too. Great film, great feel, great atmosphere and that special "raw quality" that Werner Herzog films has. I love it.
14. City of God
An admirable piece of work. Both visually and story-wise it tries to do many things and mostly succeeds. Good film.
12. Solaris
Here we have another Tarkovsky and yet another film that had me as frustrated as ever. But only because this man knows exactly what buttons to press to intrigue me and make me very interested only not to tel me much if anything. And I hate it... and I love it... ****.
11. M
For its time, and well... in general... this is a great film. I loved it. Beautifully shot and very inviting crime mystery of sorts.
10. Pan's Labyrinth
Always admired this more than I loved it, but it certainly is a well crafted, well thought out piece of real world fantasy.
8. Come and See
Only saw this recently after trying for years. And while I respected it, I wasn't completely engaged until the last 20-40 minutes (can't remember exactly) where it kicked into overgear and I was stunned for the rest of the film. Especially that ending montage is one of the greatest things cinema has ever given us. So fair to say it deserves another watch or two.
7. Stalker
Probably my favorite Tarkovsky. For me, it has the right mix of human drama, social commentary, mystery and ambiguity. I was fascinated and lost in this film pretty much from beginning to end.
5. Spirited Away
Miyazaki's most popular, but not my fav. I'm not a huge fan of anime nor Miyazaki, but I certainly admire the craft and the creativity. His brain is a fantasy paradise. It truly looks and feels like dreams and nightmares put into movie form.
Already had six films from Italy on my ballot so I had to make some difficult cuts, Bicycle Thieves was one, it conveys real life and morality perfectly. Spirited Away is an animated favorite of mine, in my animated top ten for sure. Come and See was my #23 shout out cricket for recommending.
Movies Seen:54/94 My Ballot:15/25
25. Mongol (1-pointer)
23. Come and See (#8)
22. The Wages of Fear (#67)
21. Fireworks (#78)
19. In The Mood For Love (#34)
17. High and Low (#41)
13. Downfall (#16)
11. Le Samouraï (#30)
7. Samurai Rebellion (#79)
6. The Battle of Algiers (#56)
5. War and Peace (#59)
4. Das Boot (#25)
3. Cinema Paradiso (#20)
2. La Haine (#53)
1. City of God (#14)
While I'm thrilled to see an animated film in the top 5, I'll never understand the popularity of Spirited Away. I've seen it a couple of times and I respect it, but it just doesn't wow me. Not even close.
Spirited Away was my #12. I've obviously given the edge to Mononoke already, but there's no denying how much of a classic this is (even if it is arguably the most accessible entry point for Miyazaki/Ghibli).
Bicycle Thieves is excellent, of course, but I didn't vote for it.
Spirited Away was my #4. Awesome that it made the list.
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I'm having major computer issues right now, but I did have Pan's Labyrinth and Bicycle Thieves somewhere on my list. Pan's Labyrinth is an intense and clever blending of realism and fairy tale fantasy, and Bicycle Thieves never fails to emotionally capture me with its quiet story of desperation. Spirited Away is only one of a few anime films I've seen and is definitely my favorite, but didn't make my list. 8 1/2 I like but don't love, mainly because it didn't engage me very deeply the one time I saw it. I know I have one more film of mine to show up, maybe two.
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