Favorite foreign-language film?

[momophile]

I'm looking for a new foreign-language movie to play for my baby girl. All we have right now are 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon', 'Italian for Beginners', 'Amelie', and 'Eat Drink Man Woman'.

Help me think of some good ones.

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

1. Run Lola Run is one of my faves

not so much talking, but incredible camera work and editing

[jonnyblitz]

2. i love that movie....

MAAAAANNNNNNYYYY!! :thumbsup:

the guy's name in the movie is sorta like the abbreviation of your DU screenname.

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

3. its good fucking shit

:loveya:

and yes, yes it is

[Wetzelbill]

63. I was invited to the same party as Franke Potente

about 5 years ago. I didn't see her there. She may have been and I just missed her. Not sure. But damn, she is smokin' so I don't know how I could have. :)

[NMMNG]

95. That's exactly what I was going to say

Fabulous movie.

Franke Potente was also excellent in "The Princess and The Warrior" (which has nothing to do with princesses or warriors). She even does some singing in the soundtrack.

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

102. I beleive she sings on the Run Lola Run soundtrack too!

:hi:

[NMMNG]

116. Hmmm, I'll have to pick that up then

:thumbsup:

[Runcible Spoon]

115. mmmmmmmmm Benno Fürmann

HE'S SMOKIN'!
:loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya:

[txwhitedove]

121. Lordy, ....uh, he's almost in the room with me..

oh my...

[ghostsofgiants]

109. Really good film.

:thumbsup:

[AlCzervik]

4. foreign but no talking--The Triplets of Belleville.

[AtomicKitten]

87. great 'toon

[Burma Jones]

5. Like Water for Chocolate, Jean de Florette and it's companion

Manon of the Spring


or, going another way


Seven Samaurai, Ran, Yojimbo and Rashomon

[DixieBlue]

7. I love all the movies you named ...

Especially Seven Samaurai

[Burma Jones]

8. Welcome to DU.......

Good to have you here......

[DixieBlue]

6. Some other good ones ...

Raise the Red Lantern
My Life as a Dog
The Red Balloon (all though, I can't remember if there's dialouge in that movie or not)
Spirited Away
Jean de Florette
Hero (though not sure how suitable for baby girl)

[CBHagman]

47. No real dialogue at all.

I remember seeing The Red Balloon on CBS Children's Film Festival. Does anyone else remember that? Kukla, Fran, and Ollie were the hosts.

As for my favorite foreign film, I can't really decide. I guess my latest favorites would be Amelie and the Japanese version of Shall We Dance?

I would be hard-pressed to name my favorite cast member in Shall We Dance? The guy below is our hero.

[lizziegrace]

70. I loved the Red Balloon!

:)

[taterguy]

9. Das Boot

[michreject]

61. I watched that movie

and by the time it was over, I didn't realize that they were speaking German. It seemed so natural to read and watch at the same time. I didn't miss a thing.

My fav foreign flick. Two thumbs up.

[jonnyblitz]

10. Napola (german)

<snip>
Friedrich Weimer (Max Riemelt) is a young, diligent lad working in Berlin in 1942. Coming from a working class family, he longs for a better life for himself and his family. His luck turned for the better when one day, his passion for boxing brought him nearer to his goal. In a boxing bout, his astounding agility and fighting prowess caught the eye of a recruiting officer Heinrich Vogler (Devid Striesow) from Napola. Impressed by his abilities, Heinrich invited Friedrich to join the prestigious Napola in Allenstein (a city in North-East Poland) and the latter willingly obliged.

Friedrich met Albrecht Stein (Tom Schilling) in a chance encounter during his training and discovered that he is the son of a high-ranking German officer. Contrary to Friedrich’s ruggedness and grit, Albrecht comes across as weak and soft. It’s this characteristics of Albrecht that prompts Friedrich to be protective towards him. And it’s the deep friendship forged between them that ultimately makes Friedrich question his belief and change his life forever.
<snip>

http://www.moviexclusive.com/review/napola/napola.htm

[Radical Activist]

11. Z

One of the great political films of all time, imo, and very relevant to today even though its based in Greece a few decades ago.

[tjwmason]

12. Le Haine.

Examines alienation in the Paris suburbs - it was very prescient of the recent riots there.

[GumboYaYa]

13. Not new, but "The Bicycle Thief" is a great Italian movie.

I also like "The Tin Drum" a lot. "Manon of the Spring" and "Jean de Florette" are great movies, very entertaining . Also if you are a big fan of Gerard's stuff, "The Return of Martin Guerre" is really good.

[djeseru]

14. Amelie and the Triplets of Belleville.

:)


Edit for crappy spelling.

[Richardo]

20. Two of my faves

:bounce:

[bettyellen]

15. for a baby? i've known adult men who can't handle watching + subtitles

the old french beauty and the beast is gorgeous and easy to follow.

the old (French/ Russian) animations of vladimir starewicz are also beautiful.
my niece really likes children of paradise, which is also one of my faves, and a bit more grown up.

[anarch]

16. Trainspotting

[LynneSin]

28. That's definately foreign language!!

I was able to pick up so much more by putting the subtitles on because those scottish accents were way too thick for me to understand what they were saying

[GumboYaYa]

48. Great movie!!!

[Mutley]

119. I love Trainspotting

but would you consider it foreign-language? It's Scottish English, but English nonetheless.

[redqueen]

17. Ju Dou

Das Boot
Like Water for Chocolate
Raise the Red Lantern
Asoka
El Norte

etc etc etc

[Anarcho-Socialist]

18. The Battle for Algiers

Goodbye Lenin!
Amelie

[Wetzelbill]

86. have you ever watched the "Algiers" special edition dvd?

it's loaded with awesome extras. Like a panel with Richard Clarke and other terrorism experts etc. That's a film that might resonate a little bit today, huh? :)

[Anarcho-Socialist]

92. Actually, I haven't but that sounds really interesting

I agree about the film's contemporary relevancy. I wish the U.S.' leaders had watched 'Algiers' rather than Chuck Norris films in their plan for 'liberating' Iraq.

I'll have to look out for the special edition. Thanks for the tip. :)

[Wetzelbill]

93. it's well worth it

totally loaded with extras, this link lists the special features etc.

http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp?id=249


So are you trying to tell me that watching Chuck whip some ass in "Delta Force 2: The Columbian Connection" wasn't a great help regarding Iraq? For shame! :)

[Magrittes Pipe]

19. Utomlyonnye solntsem (Burnt by the Sun)

Au revoir les enfants

[Tikki]

21. A Brazilian film from the late 1990's.....

Tikki

[Swamp Rat]

98. If you liked that, you'll want to see my post #96

Oba! ;)

[Richardo]

22. Aside: "Eat Drink Man Woman" was the setup to one of Letterman's best...

"I think that's how Arnold asked Maria Shriver out for their first date." :rofl:

[Wetzelbill]

94. oh lord

that is good. :)

[Aristus]

23. "Das Boot".

Incredible war film. You don't have to feel guilty about finding the German sailors sympathetic; The professional German Navy men held the Nazis in contempt and the one character in the film who is an outspoken Nazi is ridiculed by the other crewmen.

I prefer it in the original German, but the English-language version boasts the best dubbing-job I've ever seen. It helps that Jurgen Prochnow, the lead actor, dubbed himself in English.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

107. My dear Aristus!

Absolutely! The BEST foriegn language film EVER! Heartbreakingly good...

Powerful film.....exceptional cinematography......

It was the first time that I didn't mind the subtitles.....didn't miss a thing......

:hi:


BTW, I'm missing your Shakespeare thread today....will be happy to see it tomorrow!

[dysfunctional press]

24. Baxter.

[Monk06]

25. Beauty and the Beast by Cocteau. Not the cartoon.

[dysfunctional press]

29. don't you mean: La Belle et la bête...?

nt

[Monk06]

37. I do indeed. The cinematography is gorgious same with script and acting.

[dysfunctional press]

26. pretty much anything by Almodóvar...

especially: "women on the verge of a nervous breakdown".

[unsavedtrash]

27. Babette's Feast n/t

[trackfan]

30. Le Grand Chemin

[puerco-bellies]

31. The Seven Samurai

Kurosawa's flim has it all, action, david vs goliath, romance, good vs evil, everything.

[begin_within]

32. "El Norte" (1983)

and still relevant today

[Wetzelbill]

64. oh yeah

just awesome.

The last shot gave me chills. It's like getting hit with a bat or something.

[bikebloke]

33. Rififi

Or the official title " Les Chez Hommes les Rififi". A great heist film.

Run Lola Run and Winter Sleepers, both by Tom Tykwer.

Amelie and A Very Long Engagement, both by Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Jean La Florette and Manon de Source

[IA_Seth]

34. I can't recall the name...WWII era...

Film about a father, his wife, and a daughter or son. Wow, I really can't remember much of it at all, but I really liked it and would love to see it again if only I could recall the name.

On edit: It would have to have been within the last 6 years..Italian film if I recall correctly? That really makes me want to call the girl I watched it with.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

97. Life Is Beautiful?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118799/

[Richardo]

35. "El Mariachi"

Robert Rodriguez' $6,000 debut. :thumbsup:

[HERVEPA]

36. Dersu Uzala

Dersu Uzala (1975)

Akira Kurosawa

"A Russian army explorer who is rescued in Siberia by a rugged Asiatic hunter renews his friendship with the woodsman years later when he returns at the head of a larger expedition. The hunter finds that all his nature lore is of no help when he accompanies the explorer back to civilisation".

Glorious scenery. Spare dialog. Wonderful

[Xipe Totec]

38. I Love that film!

Have it on DVD.

[HERVEPA]

39. Good Taste! (nt)

[Wetzelbill]

65. that's another one I was going to say

mine are already all taken. :)

Compare this film to Dances With Wolves. The juxaposition. It's very interesting. The dying frontier motif.

[lillilbigone]

40. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg nt

[high density]

57. Same here

Then again it's about the only foreign film I've ever seen. :yoiks:

[swag]

41. Lotsa good ones, that's fer dang sure.

La Dolce Vita is definitely a favorite, as are Rules of the Game, The Exterminating Angel, That Obscure Object of Desire, Woman in the Dunes.

[Silver Swan]

42. My favorite?

Le Roi de Coeur

[Starbucks Anarchist]

43. Seven Samurai, Ikiru, The 400 Blows.

Though the last two are depressing, and the first one is an action/adventure movie, but over three hours long.

[LouisianaLiberal]

54. Fellini's Amarcord

A beautiful, almost surreal, story of a boy in a small Italian town before the war, told as the memories of the adult Fellini. And you will be humming Nino Rota's score for a long time. Somewhat sentimental, wistful -traits which normally ruin a movie for me - but I don't mind them at all here.

[billyskank]

44. Jet Li's "The Legend, part II"

Also, "Taxi" is a lot of fun; not the Hollywood remake, the French version of a few years ago.

Also by Luc Besson, "Delicatessen" is a funny and charming film.

[Nikia]

45. Cinema Paridiso

[libpunkmom]

46. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and my SO's 7 Samurai

[saltpoint]

49. I second Nikia's recommendation -- CINEMA PARADISO.

Either that and/or CENTRAL STATION.

Two really fine films.

[cmkramer]

50. How about "La Strada"?

It's a Fellini film from the 1950's about a strong man (Anthony Quinn) who performs in a traveling act with his mistress -- a simple-minded young woman (Giuletta Masina) who plays a clown in the act. He treats her very badly but she tolerates it happily just for the chance to be near him until tragedy strikes.

[NewJeffCT]

51. Kung Fu Hustle

Hysterically funny and has some good sight gags for your daughter.

Hero
House of Flying Daggers
7 Samurai

[arwalden]

52. Das Experiment... or... Das Boot

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250258/

[fishwax]

53. life is beautiful

i don't think anyone has mentioned that one yet ...

[Mutley]

118. That's one of mine, too.

:thumbsup:

Makes me sob like a baby.

[JohnKleeb]

55. City of God

Great movie about Rio and the crime problems of there, based on a true story that too.

[bridgit]

73. good one...

[Joe Chi Minh]

56. A French film called 'Buffet Froid'. A hilarious subplot has a

psycho girl brandishing a dagger pursuing Gerard Depardieu, a bit like that mad ex-fiancee of one of the Blue Brothers. I think it was one of GD's wives, actually. Anyway, beautiful though she is, she certainly looked the part!

[riderinthestorm]

58. Y tu mama tambien

Motorcycle Diaries

I like a lot of the ones already mentioned but most of these (including my faves) aren't good for a baby!!??

[Wetzelbill]

84. oh yes, I own Y tu mama tambien

what a wonderful film. That's what filmmaking is all about.

[Ekirh]

59. The Seventh Seal

One of my fav movies period

Edit: I of course being the type of guy who doesn't completely read and therefore see the part of looking for one for your baby girl. In anycase . . . so I'll go with the recent Kung Fu Hustle and of course Shaolin Soccer ;).

[Wetzelbill]

83. it's a perfect film

one of the finest ever made. Gotta be a top five of all-time pick.

[peacefreak]

60. Antonia's Line

Tante Danielle
The Visitors

[nytemare]

62. "A Very Long Engagement"

Same director and and lead acress as Amelie, along with some supporting cast. This was a little darker then Amelie, though.

[AtomicKitten]

89. really lovely film

[CrownPrinceBandar]

66. Kolya....

Betty Blue (aka "37°2 le matin")
Red
Farewell My Concubine
Seven Samurai
Kurosawa's Dreams
City of Lost Children
Cronos (Guillermo del Toro)

There's more...

[Wetzelbill]

67. anything by Kurosawa

I especially love "Ran," "Ikiru," "Madadayo," "Sanjuro," "Yojimbo," "Dersu Uzala,"... damn, just all of them. :)


"The Seventh Seal" and "Persona" by Ingmar Bergman

"Musashi Miyamoto" by Hiroshi Inagaki (or actually any of the Samurai Trilogy. All are great.)

"Le Pact des Loups" (Brotherhood of the Wolf) by Christophe Gans.


"María Candelaria" by Emilio Fernández

"Amores Perros" by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

"Yi Yi" by Edward Lang

[elehhhhna]

68. Indochine.

Denuve, Vincent Perez, Vietnam ... bring kleenex.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

69. Mine is a documentary...

It's called Pripyat. It takes a look at the people who still live in the restricted zone near chernobyl. if I could find that on dvd, I'd be in heaven.
Duckie

[ncrainbowgrrl]

71. Ma Vie en Rose

Y tu Mama Tambien

Kolya

[bridgit]

72. Raise The Red Lantern & Throne of Blood...

http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp?id=190

[scoey1953]

74. Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Oh, yeah there have been great "Kung Fu" action films in the past, but there was something
special and beautiful about this film. It made a star of Ziyi Zhang. Michelle Yoeh was already known however she was incredible in this film ...as were the male leads..Chen Chang, Yun Fat Chow, and the music of Yo Yo Ma was awesome and it was some of the best fight scenes I had ever seen up til that time.

The ending was sad...and yet beautiful. This film inspired me to check out other asian films. It later got me deep into the different Asian cultures, and including Japanese films, Japanese History...anime and learning to speak Japanese.
(Favorite Japanese film???...KamiKaze Girls...I loved it.)

[Janice325]

75. I have at least 3 favorites:

Two by Francois Truffaut, "La Nuit Americaine" (aka "Day for Night") and "L'Argent de Poche" (aka "Small Change").
Also Phillipe de Broca's "Le Roi de Coeur" (aka "King of Hearts").
All three are wonderful, unique classics.
Thanks to Amber Waves upthread for reminding me about "Le Roi de Coeur," as I'd forgotten about that one, silly me!

[Spider Jerusalem]

76. One that hasn't been mentioned: 'Wings of Desire'

...which was remade in the US as 'City of Angels', with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan (the original is far superior).

Also: Stalingrad (one of the best war movies I've ever seen; right up there with Das Boot).

[aaronbees]

85. I second that on "Wings of Desire"...

a luminous film by Wim Wenders.

Some others: "Jules et Jim" and "8 1/2".

Someone mentioned "City of God" above, and that's an amazing film.

But the one I'd recommend above all others is "Red" (part of the "Three Colors" trilogy by Kieslowski).

[AccessGranted]

77. La Lectrice

Interesting movie.

[Random_Australian]

78. Run Lola Run

[Twillig]

79. Hard Boiled

that and "The Killer"

is this man not the quintessential "movie star?"

[KatyaR]

80. Un Coeur En Hiver, Chocolat, Raise The Red Lantern,

Monsieur Ibrahim
The Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Theodor Dreyer (a silent masterpiece)
Alphaville (such a weird film, but I love it)
Goodbye, Lenin!
Babette's Feast
My House in Umbria

There's more, but I can't think of many off the top of my head.

[jobycom]

81. Any Miyazaki film. Many have been overdubbed, but you can find them

with subtitles in Japanese, too. His animation is brilliant, an I find his stories some of the best directing in the world right now.

[TimeChaser]

114. If you get the DVDs, they have the Japanese language track

[jobycom]

123. I prefer the dubbing, but the OP seemed interested in subtitles.

The nuances I might miss by hearing it translated into English are overshadowed by being free to watch the entire picture without focusing on the subtitles. Plus, my kids love watching them. My seven year old can't really handle subtitles yet.

And Michael Keaton is hilarious as Porco Rosso!

[Generic Brad]

82. Tampopo

Best noodle eating movie ever.

[AtomicKitten]

88. Today? A Very Long Engagement.

I also adore Il Postino and, of course, Amelie.

[Wetzelbill]

90. oh.. I knew I'd be back, try "West Beirut" and "In The Mood For Love"

as well as "Journey Of Hope" and "The Road Home". All are just plain awesome.

West Beirut
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0157183/

In The Mood For Love (directed by Wong Kar Wai)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118694/

The Road Home
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235060/


Journey of Hope
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100470/

[meow2u3]

91. House of Flying Daggers

The special effects are amazing. The story line is based on actual Chinese history, but contains commie propaganda (the only thing that ruins the movie)

[Swamp Rat]

96. "Auto da Compadecida" - A hilarious Brazilian picaresque

Cinema Brasileira, based on an enchanting play by Ariano Suassuna:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0271383/
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_da_Compadecida



It is especially poignant for me because I lived North of where it was filmed (Taperoá, Pernambuco), and I have family from there (do Nordeste do Brasil). :)

"Eh Chico! Um cachorro bento?? É doido!"



... there are so many great foreign language films.... "Belle Epoch" ... "Il Postino" ... "The Pathfinder" (Sami: "Ofelaš;" Norwegian: "Veiviseren") ... ad infinitum

[Skittles]

99. Downfall

the last days of Hitler, in the bunker

[JVS]

100. Heißer Sommer!

[Tsiyu]

101. Cinema Paradiso is a family favorite

Recent ones I've seen:

Good chick flick is the Belgian Since Otar Left ( I cried me eyeballs out :cry: )

Who Killed Bambi Qui a Teu Bambi, drove me nuts, but I loved the movie anyway

On edit: Since Otar left was Belgian. I was thinking of Czech films because of Horem p a dem, a Czech film that is sort of like Crash and also a good one to see...

[Guava Jelly]

103. kung fu hustle

:)

[NewJeffCT]

112. good choice

The woman that plays the landlady stole the show, I thought.

[pink-o]

104. I Dare anyone...

To see Cinema Paradiso without a box of kleenex! Also, someone mentioned "King of Hearts" with Alan Bates and Genevive Bujod (sp) which is a bit of a cheat since a lot of it is in English. But nevermind, it's brilliant.

[TheMightyFavog]

105. Good-Bye, Lenin!

Great movie.

[adriennui]

106. garden of the finzi-continis

beautiful but very sad.

[ghostsofgiants]

108. Amores Perros and Y Tu Mama Tambien are both really great Mexican films.

Gozu is one of my favourite Japanese films.
A Tale of Two Sisters (Korean)
Irreversible (French)
The Devil's Backbone (Spanish)
City of Lost Children (French)
8½ is a classic Italian film.
City of God (Brazilian)

I dunno, I should be able to think of more but I'm drawing a blank right now.

[giant_robot]

110. I can't believe nobody's mentioned "Delicatessen" yet!

A classic! :thumbsup:

[nuxvomica]

111. "To Live", a great Chinese film with Gong Li

It follows the fortunes of a Chinese family from the 1940s to the 1970s. An awesome film. Others already mentioned I'd recommend are "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis", "Raise the Red Lantern", "Babette's Feast" and "Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring".

[MissMillie]

113. My life as a dog

just love that flick

[hotforteacher]

117. "Le Femme Nikita" and "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!"

...or for that matter, "La Mala Educacion". And let us not forget "Cyrano de Bergerac"!!!

ETA: "The Audition". That was some scary shit.

[Gormy Cuss]

120. The King Of Hearts

The original Three Men and a Baby (Trois hommes et un Couffin)and La Cage aux Folles are favorites too.

[bertha katzenengel]

122. "Europa, Europa" - but beware. It's extremely heavy.

It is my favorite but -- if by "baby girl" you mean a child, forget it.

It's about a Jewish boy whose bar mitzvah (sp?) is on the same day as Krystalnacht (sp?) . . .

:hi: