Recently I received an email from GITS reader Samir:
I just wanted to tell you about the Foreign films that are nominated for Oscars. I’ve seen only Ajami, A Prophet and The White Ribbon till now, and they’re GENIUS.This film Ajami is an invaluable education for any aspiring screenwriter. It’s written in nonlinear structure with interlocking characters, like Pulp Fiction. I really really recommend it for you to see sir. Real gripping stuff.
Same goes with the other two films. They’re awesome too, but my fave is Ajami now.
I just wanted to recommend watching these great foreign films to you and the other writers there. Diversity of culture enhances the understanding of filmmaking and screenwriting, I believe.
Here is the trailer for Ajami:
The winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film was The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos). Here’s that trailer:
Any other foreign films you would recommend, please do so in comments.
I love lots of foreign movies. I hate dubbing with a passion, it's either the original language or bust. I like to hear the rhythms and intonation of the other language, even if I don't understand it.
German:
"The Lives of Others"
"Bella Martha"
"Im Juli"
Dutch:
"Fighter"
Spanish:
"Pan's Labyrinth"
"The Orphanage"
"Belle Epoque"
Chinese:
"Once Upon a Time in China"
Korean:
"Kung Fu Hustle"
"Shaolin Soccer"
"C7J" (basically anything by Stephen Chow)
Oh, and "The Band's Visit" is also very good.
Oh jeez, don't get me started…
1. Breathless (Godard)
2. The 400 Blows (Truffaut)
3. Amarcord (Fellini)
4. The Silence (Godard)
5. Ikiru (Kurusawa)
6. Le Samourai (Melville)
7. Grand Illusion (Renoir)
8. Hard Boiled (Woo)
9. Chungking Express (Wong Kar-Wai)
10. Playtime (Tati)
And the list goes on.
Look, I know most folks gripe, "ewww, i have to read subtitles" but I tell ya', if you close yourself off to the wonders of international cinema, you're really closing yourself off from some of the best and most important stories ever put to film.
Oh and if you are a Netflix client, the wondrous folks over at the Criterion Collection have made about 50 or more titles available for instant streaming, everything from The Seven Samurai to Jules and Jim and everything in between.
It's a very dangerous thing.
It causes me lost sleep and dips in writing productivity!!!
I'm a huge fan of foreign films.
Some of my favorites are:
Good-bye Lenin (Germany)
Swimming Pool (France)
My Summer of Love (UK)
Bicycle Thief (Italy)
Il Posto (Italy)
Divorce Italian Style (Italy)
Y Tu Mama Tambien (Mexico)
Bad Education (Spain)
The Crimes of Padre Amaro (Mexico)
Love Songs (France)
The Dreamers (France/Italy)
Show Me Love(Sweden)
Let the Right One In (Sweden)
Mammoth (Sweden/Denmark)
I did see "A Prophet" and liked it a lot. nice and gritty, but the thing i liked the most was what was haunting him throughout, it was quite unique.
Of what everyone else posted i have to bump "Let The Right One In". It's what a real vampire kids movie should be like, so if you hate Twilight. You should like this one.
@JD Not worried about it, but Stephen Chow's movies are all Chinese. And all awesome I must add!
I just saw one today that I think would make for a great little Hollywood film – Mother (Madeo) by Bong Joon-Ho (The Host). The plot twists will surprise you and not in a contrived way.
There are a ton of more artsy foreign films that I love that I'm hesitant to recommend because I don't see Hollywood making them anytime soon. I guess Kurosawa's a safe bet, since his stuff has been remade so many times by Hollywood (Magnificent Seven, Speed, Star Wars, Ransom, etc).
@Jeff. We have some of the same taste in foreign films.I'll have to add Akira Kurosawa, to the growing list.
Since we were discussing remakes in a earlier post,looks like they're remaking "The Seven Samurai",~sigh~.
oh I forgot to pimp the incredible Korean writer/director Chan-wook Park. Amazingly stylish and suspenseful.
His famous Vengeance Trilogy…
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) – a deaf and dumb worker needs a kidney for his dying sister. He ends up kidnapping his ex-employers daughter to get the money, but when tragedy happens everything spirals into violence and revenge.
Oldboy (2003) – A man is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years, then released. As he strives to explain his imprisonment and get his revenge, he finds that his kidnapper still has plans for him.
Lady Vengeance (2005) – A woman is imprisoned for 13 years for a kidnap/murder she didn't commit. She tries to fix her life, but can't help but plot a revenge against the real killer.
*My favorite just because of the crazy ending.
I've seen a handful of his other movies all memorable, and all amazingly shot.
here are some great ones that taught me a lot
Read My Lips
The Beat That My Heart Skipped
Motorcycle Diaries
Y tu Mama Tambien
Amores Perros
The Lives of Others
Black Book
Volver
Gommorah
The Piano Teacher
Phew!!
Thanks Mr Scott for the post.
@JD Walters
Absolutely right. Dubbing destroys the movie. I'd make an exception for anime though.
@Peter Dwight
You rock man! Chan wook Park is a genius. Oldboy is my favorite foreign film ever. I read the manga. The film is way better.
Foreign Films are just a great education. Not in screenwriting only. But in the different aspects of humanity.
Love foreign…Sin Nombre is one of the most powerful movies I've ever seen (but very violent).
Summer Hours (Tom Hanks please don't remake this).
Ferragusto Dinner