Official Foreign Film Discussion Thread! COMPLETE WITH LIST!

[Edward Brock]

err... Hitchcock?

 

[Movies205]

err... Hitchcock?

Love em I own 21 of his films but most of them I believe were made in america...

 

[Movies205]

Just watched 8 1/2 good stuff, I'll post a formal review later...

 

[Speedball]

Spirited Away
Hero
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Metropolis
Beauty and the Beast
Princess Mononoke
Run Lola Run
I haven't seen many, but the ones I have seen I really liked.

 

[Movies205]

8½
Directed by Federico Fellini
Rating: 8½/10

Another Fellini film in less than a week, holy smokes! Often cited as Fellini's masterpiece, 8½ is a poetic allegory for the confusion known as life, and all the wonderful characters that inhibit it. First off it should be known that 8½ is not your conventional film, while it share some qualities with La Dolce Vita such as themes and shot value, the structure and story telling of it, is quite different. La Dolce Vita is told in a more conventional style it's an archplot, it has a conflict and it plays out through the entire film with various conflicts till the climax at the end and it's solved. 8½ is an antiplot, there is a conflict on the surface(which will get in a minute) but the true conflict resides inside the main character. The best way to describe it is like this. It's as if when you start to inspect it, it's like a quilt that was made from random pieces of cloth found wherever, each piece however soaked in a vat of symbolism, but when you look at it as a whole at the end, it makes this beautiful quilt but more on that in a bit.

The plot of this film is about a film-maker, Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni), who is making a film that starts shooting in two weeks, the problem is he doesn't have a completed script and no one knows what it's about and are quite anxious. That is the surface but underneigth that is a scared man who's got tons of people relying on him to delievar something, he doesn't think he has and has gone on a quest for self-discovery and why his life has turned out the way it has, at least this what I got from it. That's the beauty of this film you have this plot and then you have these scenes interspliced through out the movie that show various memories and fantasies this film-maker has, which you then find out is what his script is about, and hence the reason he doesn't have an ending because he doesn't know what it's abour nor has it got an ending yet.

One thing I like in both the Fellini films I've seen is the superb acting, all the actors have wonderous qualities to them and great screen pressence especially the actor who plays the main character in both, Marcello Mastroianni. I like this actor because of his attention to sublties because he plays both characters which are distinctly different, with nuances that show off there uniqiness. Another thing I also like is the shot value in both, Fellini shoots his Italy with this wonderous and fearful childlike awe, that really comes out, I mean with his use of darkness. Alls his films are filmed in this kind of darkness with rays of light coming through. They both look very cool. I think the best example of the child-like fearful awe is the opening scene of this movie which is a man being trapped in a car, and filling with this disgusting gas and he manages to escape and floats away, then is pulled back down to earth by rope. It's very cool.

So why do I give it an 8½/10 if I find it so wonderous? Because a Fellini film, at least for me, is something that really works for you after you've seen it and probably on repeated viewings because you'll watch the film and you'll be looking at these random scenes(that turn out not to be so random) and be like what does this have to do with anything. Then at the end everything really becomes clear after you've given it all some thought. But again this is also why I love the film because this randomness only shows the point that life is a confusing mess and it's when it becomes not so confusing, that it becomes stale and in the process you become detached from life and those you love. So Fellini quickly becoming a favorite of mine If you asked me though which I liked better out of the two, I'd say La Dolce Vita because that character spoked to me more.

 

[Cyrusbales]

8 1/2 is fellini's best easily, masterpiece! On the list it has 'battleship potempkin' I think Strike is a better example of eisensteinds work personally, It's more poineering and generally more interesting. Overall though, it's a good list to work through

 

[Movies205]

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Directed by Robert Wiene
Rating: 8/10

The Cabiniet of Dr. Caligari is a German silent film made during a period known as German Expressionism. German Expressionism is the use of symbolism in it's visual style due to the fact it couldn't afford the lush sets and extravagence of Hollywood films of the time. None the less it was a very cool period for movies, I'm also a big fan of Nosferatu and I need to see Fritz Lang's Metropolis. There's two different versions out there, one is the original 72 minute cut and the shortened 51 minutes, the only difference I believe is that they cut down the time in between the title cards. I saw the original 72 minute cut of the film. The plot of the movie is about how a hypnotist comes to town to present his act in a local fair but this hypnotist is far more sinister than he let's on, and he leads a trail of death in his wake.

The biggest strength of the movie are it's visuals which are frightful to say the least. The doctor is one of the creepiest on screen villains I've ever seen, and the sets while articulate the weirdness and insanity of the movie. I like the choice of how they a completely different visual aesthetic for the first and last scene which make the point and resolution far more poignant. And finally I dig the ending because horror is far more poignant when it's left to the viewer to ponder an open ending asking some philosophical question because then it can hit close to home. All in all, people you should check this

 

[Movies205]

8 1/2 is fellini's best easily, masterpiece! On the list it has 'battleship potempkin' I think Strike is a better example of eisensteinds work personally, It's more poineering and generally more interesting. Overall though, it's a good list to work through

Battlship Potempkin is more iconic and all throughout history directors have copy the stair-way scene so many times most noteably in the Untouchables with the baby-carriage or in Brazil when there comign down the steps.

 

[Cyrusbales]

Battlship Potempkin is more iconic and all throughout history directors have copy the stair-way scene so many times most noteably in the Untouchables with the baby-carriage or in Brazil when there comign down the steps.

I do get that, but Strike was made before, so the techniques are fresher, also the film is better paced. (BTW do you hate me? lol)

 

[Movies205]

I do get that, but Strike was made before, so the techniques are fresher, also the film is better paced. (BTW do you hate me? lol)

No, I just get annoyed by the fact you make posts like "You people don't know what you're talking about because you haven't seen X, Y, and Z movies... BAH!!!" I think if you would just post your opinions without condescention, you could become a very noteable poster around here.

 

[Cyrusbales]

No, I just get annoyed by the fact you make posts like "You people don't know what you're talking about because you haven't seen X, Y, and Z movies... BAH!!!" I think if you would just post your opinions without condescention, you could become a very noteable poster around here.

Yer, I'm pretty sure people hate me cause I have different opinions from most, so I try to voice it louder. Also if I come across as a little pretencious, more people post coz it annoys them, so I get more discussion, lol

 

[Movies205]

Yer, I'm pretty sure people hate me cause I have different opinions from most, so I try to voice it louder. Also if I come across as a little pretencious, more people post coz it annoys them, so I get more discussion, lol

It has nothing to do with that... Hell I've argued about Batman Begins, Superman Returns, and tons of other movies, but let me post a lovely example:

'Us' refers to me and anyone else who is a true film goer! The 1+ films a day kinda people ! and diverse films too!

People aren't true film fans because they don't see 1 film a day? That's bull...

P.S. I manage to do that by the way, but only because I don't have a job outside the weekend so I just spend my days writing/watching movies/reading, and then having a social life but people who have jobs that's pretty impossible unless you sacrificed having a social life...

 

[Cyrusbales]

It has nothing to do with that... Hell I've argued about Batman Begins, Superman Returns, and tons of other movies, but let me post a lovely example:



People aren't true film fans because they don't see 1 film a day? That's bull...

P.S. I manage to do that by the way, but only because I don't have a job outside the weekend so I just spend my days writing/watching movies/reading, and then having a social life but people who have jobs that's pretty impossible unless you sacrificed having a social life...

Well the 1+ i agree is a bit pretencious, but the diverse films, i still stick by, most people barely watch films outside their own country, that really upsets me. I feel sorry for the millions who miss out on some of the best films ever made.

 

[Movies205]

Well the 1+ i agree is a bit pretencious, but the diverse films, i still stick by, most people barely watch films outside their own country, that really upsets me. I feel sorry for the millions who miss out on some of the best films ever made.

So be it those are people, people are free to watch what they like, how they like. Personally I try to watch a diverse amount of movies, so much so that I'm almost done with AFI Best 100 list and have moved on to foreign movies... Anyway on to the discussion at hand... So now what shall be the next foreign film I watch...

 

[Cyrusbales]

So be it those are people, people are free to watch what they like, how they like. Personally I try to watch a diverse amount of movies, so much so that I'm almost done with AFI Best 100 list and have moved on to foreign movies... Anyway on to the discussion at hand... So now what shall be the next foreign film I watch...

chunking express? It pretty much broke me into tears, Kar-Wai won has such a way with film, this(like his others) are unmissable!

 

[Movies205]

chunking express? It pretty much broke me into tears, Kar-Wai won has such a way with film, this(like his others) are unmissable!

I dug in the mood for love for it's subtly and beauty on film as well, so perhaps I'll check that out next...

 

[Cyrusbales]

I dug in the mood for love for it's subtly and beauty on film as well, so perhaps I'll check that out next...

when i saw in the mood for love, i was gonna to bed afterwards, but it was sooooo good i watched the sequel(2046) straight away, the two films back to back are divine!

Chunking express is also magical! All three of these films moved me greatly

 

[Hunter Rider]

Another good thread Moviesmost foreign movies ive watched are Asian.
I enjoyed Hero and Flying Daggers of the recent martial arts epics but one that is little known that i thought was also a beautiful and more viceral movie of the genre is Musa The Warrior-dispencing with the high wire stuff and using the more Gladiator style limb hacking brutality
There's a nice little love triangle in there that is all looks and no words using the classic Luke/Han/Liea mechanic
Zhany Ziyi is great in it

 

[Maxwinner]

My favorite foreign films are: Once Upon a Time in the West and Taxi Driver

Edit: im from sweden

 

[green]

96. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), Spain
directed by Pedro Almodovar

55. All About My Mother (1999), Spain
directed by Pedro Almodovar

64. Talk to Her (2001), Spain
directed by Pedro Almodovar


I love all of Almodovars films. The new ones are fantstic but personally I prefer his older work. Matador is excellent and Dark Habits is probably one of my all time favorite foreign films, how can you not love a movie about drug addicted, lesbian nuns.

 

[Shuley]

I saw City Of God and Brotherhood Of The Wolf,which were excellent. I'm not into forigen films that much since I'm not a fan of reading the screen.Maybe once i'm done watching everything I wanna see from the American movies,I'll switch over to the forgien stuff.

 

[Cyrusbales]

Generally foreign films are better, becuase, foreign spans hundreds of countries, whereas america is but one country.

 

[Movies205]

Generally foreign films are better, becuase, foreign spans hundreds of countries, whereas america is but one country.

This is a common misconception in my opinion in terms of taste, people think because the rest of the world is more cynical and has darker/more open types of stories, that it's better when it's just a different type. America on a whole produces so much film how in gods name could foreign generally better, since even if only 10-20% is good, it still quite a few films.

 

[deathshead2]

The last foreign film I watched was Hero I didn't get to watch all of it cus my friend was getting bored so i'll have to catch it another time. I saw battle royle on youtube fantastic movie still need to read the book. I need to finish Nigh****ch and im about to start watching OldBoy. And everyone should watch City of God FANTASTIC.

 

[Cyrusbales]

This is a common misconception in my opinion in terms of taste, people think because the rest of the world is more cynical and has darker/more open types of stories, that it's better when it's just a different type. America on a whole produces so much film how in gods name could foreign generally better, since even if only 10-20% is good, it still quite a few films.

Well america produces a lot of films, more 'good' films than most countries, however the large number of countries out there producing film, means that statistically, they produce more god films. Although Korea is a good contender with hollywood, as is the hong kong scene, spain is up there too atm. I've seen more decent foreign fils this year, than american films.