Great foreign films.

[Tempest19]

We have many threads on here for American films, but what about foreign films? This is the place to go to read up on and suggest foreign films that you've seen that others may not know about.

KLASS (CLASS)

It's an Estonian film that takes a look at school shootings. It's a very dramatic and sad film and there's one particular scene in the film that is really really brutal (and I don't mean in that sense).

You can watch the movie (English subtitles) below:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=F6NB1DyZOgY

THE DAS EXPERIMENT

Ever hear of the Stanford Prison Experiments? People becomes prisoners and guards and they lose themselves in their roles.

The trailer can be watched at the provided link below:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wkazPqs46NE

 

[Octoberist]

I like "My Life to Live" an old French new wave movie by Jean Luc Godard.

 

[The Amazing Lee]

Amelie
La Haine
The Killer
Hardboiled
Talk to me
Taxi
City of God
Battle Royale

 

[Riven]

La Cité des Enfants Perdus (The City of the Lost Children)

Die Fetten Jahre Sind Vorbei (The Edukators)

El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth)

2046

C'est Arrivé Près de Chez Vous (Man Bites Dog)

Calvaire (The Ordeal)

Un Long Dimache de Fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement)

 

[fabman]

Mediterraneo and Life is Beautiful are probably the best 'modern' Italian films.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

C'est Arrivé Près de Chez Vous (Man Bites Dog)

Tha flick's sick man. It's pretty essential viewing. It threads the line of digusting and funny and flips over either side in....well, any scene.

 

[War Party]

Most of the stuff I would recommend would be Asian. I'll compile a list later.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

Most of the stuff I would recommend would be Asian. I'll compile a list later.

A time ago I've watched some Asian flick and try to get in to 'em. I've seen Hard Boiled and Exiled. HB I liked on my first viewing, and despised it on second viewing. Exiled was an enjoyable western/gangsterflick mash-up. But quite slow, and prententious in it's drama.

I'm curious to see your recommendations. Some other Asian flicks that are on my wishlist are Oldboy and Seven Samurai. The latter is such a universally hailed classic that I have to check it out. And I'm curious to see the former's twist.

 

[Liquid Snake]

Satyajit Ray's films Pathar Panchali etc
Kieslowski The dekalogue, Three colors trilogy, double life of veronique
Bergman, Fellini's films are essential.
A taste of cherry

 

[Odin's Lapdog]

i'd go as far as saying 85% of the world's best films come from outside the us

the average movie goer is completely limited if they don't have an indepdant cinema near them, such a shame...

 

[french joker]

C'est Arrivé Près de Chez Vous (Man Bites Dog)

this movie is pure geniust: :
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=9J4xZM4zKOI

 

[War Party]

Ok, here's my list. The descriptions are courtesy of amazon.com, because I'm terrible at writing a small description:

3-Iron
Mysterious drifter Tae-suk enters other peoples' lives as easily as he breaks into their unoccupied homes. Instead of stealing their riches, he repays his hosts' unknowing hospitality by fixing broken items, cleaning up, even doing their laundry. But when he sneaks into a sprawling mansion, he discovers a beautiful, lonely wife named Sun-hwa, trapped in a loveless marriage. Without saying a word, the pair begin an erotic game of cat-and-mouse, until her abusive husband returns home, unleashing a shocking burst of violence. Tae-suk defends Sun-hwa with the aid of her husband's golf club. The lovers run away together finding domestic bliss inhabiting strangers' homes. Later, when Tae-suk is framed for a murder, even prison walls can't keep them apart for good. (I like to note that the protagonist doesn't speak one word in this movie)

A Bittersweet Life
"A Bittersweet Life," starring Lee Byung-hun from "Everybody Has a Little Secret" and Shin Mina from "Madeleine," portrays the desperate and brutal revenge of Sun-woo (played by Lee) after he is expelled from his gang and comes close to being killed by his boss. Lee Byung-hun is a hitman who falls for the girlfriend of his boss in the stylishly violent "A Bittersweet Life." Conventional ideas of causation are put into doubt in director Kim Jee-woon's twist on film noire. "A Bittersweet Life (Talkomhan Insaeng)" is what Korean critics are describing as 'Action Noire.' In it, he tweaks the traditional Korean gangster story line, presenting a work with film noire undertones and stylish cinematography.

Chungking Express
Chungking Express tells two stories loosely connected by a Hong Kong snack bar. In one story, a cop who's been recently dumped by his girlfriend becomes obsessed with the expiration dates on cans of pineapple; he's constantly distracted as he tries to track down a drug dealer in a blond wig (played by Brigitte Lin, best known from Swordsman II and The Bride with White Hair). Meanwhile, another cop who's recently been dumped by his girlfriend (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, from John Woo's Hard-Boiled and A Bullet in the Head) mopes around his apartment, talking to his sponge and other domestic objects. He catches the eye of a shop girl (Hong Kong pop star Faye Wang) who secretly breaks in and cleans his apartment. If you're beginning to suspect that neither of these stories has a conventional plot, you're correct. What Chungking Express does have is loads of energy and a gorgeous visual style that never gets in the way of engaging with the charming characters. The movie was shot on the fly by hip director Wong Kar-Wai (Happy Together, Ashes of Time), using only available lighting and found locations. The movie's loose, improvisational feel is closer to Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless than any recent film--and that's high praise. Quirky, funny, and extremely engaging, Chungking Express manages to be experimental and completely accessible at the same time.

JSA:Joint Security Area
In the DMZ separating North and South Korea, two North Korean soldiers have been killed, supposedly by one South Korean soldier. But the 11 bullets found in the bodies, together with the 5 remaining bullets in the assassin's magazine clip, amount to 16 bullets for a gun that should normally hold 15 bullets. The investigating Swiss/Swedish team from the neutral countries overseeing the DMZ suspects that another, unknown party was involved - all of which points to some sort of cover up. The truth is much simpler and much more tragic.

Tae Guk Gi:The Brotherhood of War (My favorite war film)
In the powerful tradition of Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers comes this box-office hit from Korea.From the director of Shiri comes the epic tale of two brothers. Jin-tae, a shoemaker, has worked tirelessly to provide money for the younger Jin-seok to go to college. But each of their hopes and dreams are shattered when both are forced to join the army against their will. Torn away from home and family, Jin-tae vows to protect Jin-seok despite the dangers–and the cost. In the searing crucible of battle, fate intervenes, forcing their bonds of faith, love and trust to be tested time and again in this suspense-filled, action-packed war drama.


More recommendations coming.

 

[War Party]

The revenge trilogy:

Oldboy
Oh Dae-su is an ordinary Seoul businessman with a wife and little daughter who, after a drunken night on the town, is abducted and locked up in a strange, private prison. No one will tell him why hes there and who his jailer is and his fury builds to a single-minded focus of revenge. 15 years later, he is unexpectedly freed, given a new suit, a cell-phone and 5 days to discover the mysterious enemy who had him imprisoned. Seeking vengeance on all those involved, he soon finds that his enemys tortures are just beginning. (Shocking twist at the end)

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Unable to afford proper care for his sister dying from kidney failure, Ryu turns to the black market to sell his own organs only to end up cheated of his life savings. His girlfriend urges Ryu to kidnap the daughter of wealthy industrialist Dong-jin, who recently laid him off. Ryu agrees, but unforeseen tragedies turn an innocent con into a merciless quest for revenge. Bound by their personal losses and deep-seated anger, the two men are thrust into a spiral of destruction.

Lady Vengeance
The third stop in Chan-wook Park's breathless revenge trilogy, Lady Vengeance comes down slightly--just slightly--from the astonishing highs of middle segment Oldboy. Elegant and ultraviolent in equal measures, Lady Vengeance requires rapt attention from the opening moments, as Park unloads his set-up in a jumble of characters and flashbacks. At the center is a doll-faced ex-con named Geum-ja (Yeong-ae Lee), who just spent 13 years in the slammer for killing a little boy. There's much more to her case than the public knows, and Geum-ja has been carefully, quietly preparing for revenge against the man who put her in this situation. We watch those gears turning throughout the movie, but as Lady Vengeance nears its completion it broadens into an even bigger event than Geum-ja expected. Funny and horrifying, Lady Vengeance is as measured as Geum-ja's own preparations, and has a gorgeous sort of logic about it. As impressive as those machinations are to watch, the movie doesn't make as forceful an argument as Oldboy on just how revenge might be as punishing to the revenge-taker as for his target. Lee is a cool heroine, and Min-sik Choi, who did such heroically exhausting service in Oldboy, is here employed as the monster.

Infernal Affairs (The Departed is based off this film)
An award-winning crime thriller in the intense tradition of HEAT and RESERVOIR DOGS ... critics everywhere have hailed INFERNAL AFFAIRS for its gritty action and international superstars. Chan Wing Yan (Tony Leung -- HERO) is a hard-nosed veteran cop sent undercover to infiltrate the notorious Triad crime ring. An expert at bringing down violent syndicates, Chan thinks it's going to be a routine mission. What he's not prepared for is the discovery that the Triad's boss (Eric Tsang -- THE ACCIDENTAL SPY) has planted a mole (Andy Lau -- THE LEGEND OF DRUNKEN MASTER) in the police department ... and now Chan is being hunted down. In this battle of wills, only one cop can win!

Meatball Machine (For you gore fanatics)
Meatball Machine is a wild splatterific experimental sci-fi/horror roller coaster that will have your entire brain and body shaken and stirred. Capable of making biomechemical weapons out of human flesh alien parasites grotesquely invade the Earth turning their hosts into maniacal killers who seek and destroy each other to the bloody death! And yes it s also a human love story even though the budding romantics are infested with slimy tumor-like globules. Co-directors Junichi Yamamoto and Yudai Yamaguchi (Battlefield Baseball) pull out all the stops and don t let up until the final epic battle. It s a touching testament to young love blood and alien ooze that leaves you screaming for more!

 

[War Party]

Memories of Murder
Based on the true story of South Korea’s first serial killer. When women start turning up dead in a small town in S. Korea in 1986, two reluctantly-partnered cops resolve to bring him to justice. Without DNA testing or modern forensics, the investigators are forced to rely mainly on intuition and brute force. At times both touching and hilarious, MEMORIES OF MURDER is a riveting tale of a mysterious killer and the ceaseless pressure on those charged with stopping his rampage.

Moon Child
Japanese pop stars Gackt and HYDE star in this wild hybrid of futuristic science fiction, John Woo-style gun play, and Gothic vampire horror. MOON CHILD follows a group of childhood friends as they advance in a futuristic criminal underworld. Sho (Gackt) feels he is doomed to walk in his idol Kei's (HYDE) footsteps as a vampire with the gift of eternal life and the curse of blood thirst. Over time, their tight friendship becomes corrupted because of their rivalry and love for the same woman. Filmmaker Takahisa Zeze brings a stylized sting to the blood draining and hyper violent proceedings.

Save The Green Planet
A sensitive, blue collar sad sack hopped up on conspiracy theories and sci-fi is convinced that aliens have infiltrated human society and are planning to destroy the planet at the next lunar eclipse. He sets out to kidnap his boss to torture him until he confesses to his alien identity and stops the invasion. Of course, it’s hard to confess to something that’s just a delusion in a sick man’s mind.

The Taste of Tea
Meet the Harunos, a rather unconventional, but happy and loving family nonetheless. They live in a small town in the mountains just out of Tokyo where life is good and quiet - but that doesn't mean they don't have their own little problems.

As 8-year old Sachiko (Maya Banno) tries to get rid of a giant version of herself who seems to pop up everywhere, her older brother Hajime (Takahiro Sato), privately wrestles with his love-struck heart. Meanwhile, their mother Yoshiko (Satomi Tezuka) is working hard, coming out of retirement as an animator, as her husband and professional hypnotist Nobuo (Tomokazu Miura) watches on with slight apprehension. Yoshiko's brother, Ayano (Tadanobu Asano) is just visiting his hometown and staying with the family, but also has ashidden agenda; he needs to come to terms with a romance that ended years ago. Even Nobuo's brother and successful manga artist Todoroki has his problems. It's his birthday soon and he wants to give himself something special. And lastly there's Grandpa, the most bizarre and perhaps the most perceptive of all, who continues to search for a better way to live life to the full.

Audition
If you want the full sledgehammer-to-the-stomach effect of Audition, stop reading this review now. Just watch it and take the consequences. At first glance, Takashi Miike's jack in the box of a movie works like a romantic comedy: amiable widower Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) decides it's time to find a new wife, and a friend suggests holding a fake audition to find the right girl. It soon becomes clear that there is something wrong with Aoyama's choice. This is no ordinary Fatal Attraction-style thriller, however; Audition slowly and carefully builds into a wrenching exploration of both deep male fears and the stereotype of the cute, submissive Japanese woman. Audition is by no means an easy movie to watch--even hardcore horror fans may have trouble--but it will stay with you for a long, long time.

Youth of the Beast
When a mysterious stranger muscles into two rival yakuza gangs, Tokyo's underworld explodes with violence. Youth of the Beast was a breakthrough for director Seijun Suzuki, introducing the flamboyant colors, hallucinatory images, and striking compositions that would become his trademark. The Criterion Collection proudly presents the film that revitalized the yakuza genre and helped define the inimitable style of a legendary cinematic renegade.

And of course any film by Akira Kurosawa, Kinji Fukasaku, and a select few by Takashi Miike.

 

[Rac]

Le Cercle rouge (1970)
Europa (1991)
Posutoman burusu (1997)
Ondskan (2003)
Direktøren for det hele (2006)
Sheitan (2006)
À l'intérieur (2007)

 

[War Party]

These are some great martial arts films:

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
A pure old-school martial arts movie, beloved by aficionados, that also appeals to nonfans simply as a rousing action film. The often-imitated fact-based plot (see The Karate Kid) centers upon the rigorous training process undergone in the mid-19th century by the anti-Manchu Chinese patriot San Te (Gordon Liu). It's depicted as a grueling voyage into the unknown. Cast out of his home village when he stands up to the cruel warlord (Lo Lieh) who slaughtered his parents, the refugee seeks out the martial monks of the Shaolin Temple, who steer him through a torturous series of "chambers"--horrendous ordeals designed to build strength and agility--before he's even allowed to study boxing or swordfighting. Finally he defeats a rival by inventing a brand-new weapon, the three-section chain-linked staff. But innovation can be carried only so far; when San Te suggests opening a "36th chamber" in the temple that would teach Shaolin techniques to the populace at large (so that they can fight the nasty Manchus) he is drummed out of the corps. Naturally he returns to his home village, slaughters the baddies, and prepares to open China's first public Shaolin-style kung fu school. Many of the pupils San Te recruits in the final reel became legendary martial artists in their own right, the "Fathers of the Church" of the Chinese kung fu tradition. This is strong action entertainment with real historical resonance.
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Flash Point
The film takes place in pre-1997, before Hong Kong's handover to Mainland China. For years, Ma Jun (Donnie Yen), a serious crime detective sergeant has been working on a case involving a Triad of three Vietnamese brothers; Archer (Lui Leung-Wai), Tony (Collin Chou) and Tiger (Xing Yu). Ma has planted a mole, his partner Wilson (Louis Koo), to infiltrate the gang. Wilson has managed to gain the trio's trust and respect, but the two cops hardly get along. During a police sting operation gone wrong, Tony and Tiger discover Wilson's identity, with Archer being arrested by police. The two brothers vow to save their brother by destroying evidence and killing police officials and witnesses who are involved in the case.

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Killzone
In this good cop versue bad gangster action thriller, Dectective Chan (Simon Yam) relentlessly pursues the vidious crime boss Po (Sammo Hung) but eventually gives up in frustration and looks toward retirement. His replacement, Ma (Donnie Yen) is a principled committed cop who is skilled in martial arts and has a reputation for violence. The death of a cop who was planted undercover in Po's gang causes further unbalance between the sides as the cops seek justice for the loss of their brother.
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Police Story
Police Story breaks new ground with its breathtaking fights and incredible stunt sequences. Featuring a top-notch cast, which includes multi-award winning actresses Brigitte Lin & Maggie Cheung, director Chan combines a compelling storyline of an honest cop on the run from a false murder charge with dynamic visuals and full-blooded fight action which is electrified with emotional underscoring. In the case of this particular project the price of excellence was high, with many of Jackie's elite stunt team being seriously injured during the course of principal photography.
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The City of Violence
A group of old friends returns to their hometown for a friend s funeral. When two of them begin to investigate the suspicious circumstances of his death they uncover a shocking and deadly conspiracy.
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Iron Monkey
With sensational, nonstop martial arts excitment supplied by the acclaimed choreographer of THE MATRIX and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, IRON MONKEY is the spirited tale of a mysterious and mythical Chinese legend. In a desperate and unjust land, where government corruption rules the day, only one man -- known as the Iron Monkey -- has the courage to challenge the system and fight back. Under the shadow of night, in the silence before dawn, he fights to give hope to the poor and oppressed. Although no one knows his name or where he comes from, his heroism makes him a living legend to the people ... and a wanted man to the powers that be!
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[Victarion]

Pan's Labyrinth is the only foreign film I've seen, but I really enjoyed it. So I consider it a great foreign film.

 

[Pink Ranger]

English-language Canadian films often get overlooked in foreign film discussions, so I'll chip in a few here:

Lilies
Exotica
Black Robe

 

[DorkyFresh]

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is still my favorite foreign film.

 

[Victarion]

Is Casshern a foreign film?

 

[War Party]

Is Casshern a foreign film?

Yes

 

[Victarion]

Then I enjoyed that one as well.

 

[Space Moose]

Is Casshern a foreign film?

How the hell can you watch it and not know it's foreign?

 

[JaD]

The Wooden Camera from South Africa, about two young boys who come across a dead body on railroad tracks. They find a gun and a camera. One boy takes the camera, the other takes the gun, and each item changes them tremendously.

Raise the Red Lantern from China, about a number of very different wives of a wealthy man (whose face we never see) and the conflict and problems that soon arise through the tension between the women and their treatment.

2 really great films , TWC I had to finish watching as soon as it started.

 

[phillyboy]

Lady Snowblood
Gojira
Battle Royale