World cinema - my pick list

[Cypress]

Awesome thread! Great conversation and some great films to watch, too! Thank you for this!

Very kind of you to say that.

I have learned there is a world of good film out there!

A very good Swedish film

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Swedish)

 

[ralfy]

Very nice selections. Thanks!

Unfortunately, I'm only familiar with older films. My favorites include the ff.

Apu Trilogy

Dr. Strangelove

The Human Condition

Tokyo Story

Bicycle Thieves

Oro, Plata, Mata

A Passage to India

Aguirre: Wrath of God

Sundays and Cybele

Wages of Fear

400 Blows

The River

Babette's Feast

Alphaville

The Burmese Harp

Rashomon

Manila in the Claws of the Night

Come and See

 

[Cypress]

Very nice selections. Thanks!

Unfortunately, I'm only familiar with older films. My favorites include the ff.

Apu Trilogy

Dr. Strangelove

The Human Condition

Tokyo Story

Bicycle Thieves

Oro, Plata, Mata

A Passage to India

Aguirre: Wrath of God

Sundays and Cybele

Wages of Fear

400 Blows

The River

Babette's Feast

Alphaville

The Burmese Harp

Rashomon

Manila in the Claws of the Night

Come and See

I need to force myself to watch Bicycle Thieves, simply as an obligation to being a well rounded human being.

I never acquired a taste for classic Italian cinema. But I have always had the impression that the Italians, through their classic cinema, were able to capture something about the human condition in a way rarely ever seen in film history.

 

[Cypress]

I felt like I would not be a well-rounded person without seeing some Sergei Eisenstein and Akira Kurosawa - thus, adding these to my Kanopy watchlist

Battleship Potemkin
Odessa - 1905. Enraged with the deplorable conditions on board the armored cruiser Potemkin, the ship's loyal crew contemplates the unthinkable - mutiny. Seizing control of the Potemkin and raising the red flag of revolution, the sailors' revolt becomes the rallying point for a Russian populace ground under the boot heels of the Czar's Cossacks. When ruthless White Russian cavalry arrives to crush the rebellion on the sandstone Odessa Steps, the most famous and most quoted film sequence in cinema history is born.

Seven Samurai
One of the most thrilling movie epics of all time, SEVEN SAMURAI (Shichinin no samurai) tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour ride from Akira Kurosawa -- featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura -- seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action, into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope.

 

[christiefan915]

I can totally respect anyone's appreciation of quality French cinema, even if French films are to boring for me to hang with. I don't know what it is about the French, but they really seem to like that "slice of life" genre of film making. Naturally, I am no expert on French film so I might be stereotyping it.
I probably need to force myself to watch Kurosawa, if nothing else as my duty at attempting to be a well rounded human being.

I like most of the German films I have seen.
Russian films are hit or miss. There is an element of Russian mysticism that seems to find its way some of their film which might be great art, but does not really capture my attention.
I have seen a lot of British movies, and those tend to be right up my alley.

I recently have been watching more Korean and Chinese film - and a lot of it is pretty darn good!

I don't know if this is quality French cinema but I watched Repulsion by Polanski a few months ago, and it creeped me out.

 

[christiefan915]

Very kind of you to say that.

I have learned there is a world of good film out there!

I watched the Ken Branagh series Wallander set in Sweden and loved it. There's a Swedish version with another actor but I didn't watch that, not fond of subtitles.

 

[Cypress]

I watched the Ken Branagh series Wallander set in Sweden and loved it. There's a Swedish version with another actor but I didn't watch that, not fond of subtitles.

I totally get that subtitles are something a lot of people do not want to deal with.

They don't bother me, and I like the sound of other languages. It is not often I get to hear Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, Czech and it is kind of cool to hear them, at least to me. I also like some movies as a way to gain some linguistic skills by osmosis. Russian movies help me improve my Russian, and I am trying to up my game in French, so I have been watching some pretty good French Netflix shows!

 

[christiefan915]

I totally get that subtitles are something a lot of people do not want to deal with.

They don't bother me, and I like the sound of other languages. It is not often I get to hear Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, Czech and it is kind of cool to hear them, at least to me. I also like some movies as a way to gain some linguistic skills by osmosis. Russian movies help me improve my Russian, and I am trying to up my game in French, so I have been watching some pretty good French Netflix shows!

I seem to miss what's happening on the screen when reading subtitles. Maybe it's a learned skill!

 

[Cypress]

This was on my quarantine watchlist and it was bloody good

A satirical dark comedy about the historical events surrounding Stalin's death. Beria gets his well deserved comeuppance!

 

[anonymoose]

What an interesting thread, and civil comments as well. A rarity on JPP!

For some reason I can't "thank" you but I wholeheartedly agree.
I highly recommend the German movie Goodbye Lenin.

East Germany, the year 1989: A young man protests against the regime. His mother watches the police arresting him and suffers a heart attack and falls into a coma. Some months later, the DDR does not exist anymore and the mother awakes. Since she has to avoid every excitement, the son tries to set up the DDR again for her in their flat. But the world has changed a lot. Written by Benjamin Stello

And thanks to Cypress for the thread. I'll definitely make a point to watch most of these movies during this unprecedented time.

Recently watched Parasite, the S. Korean film that won the Oscar for best film. Pretty good black comedy but got effing weird at the end.

 

[anonymoose]

I totally get that subtitles are something a lot of people do not want to deal with.

They don't bother me, and I like the sound of other languages. It is not often I get to hear Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, Czech and it is kind of cool to hear them, at least to me. I also like some movies as a way to gain some linguistic skills by osmosis. Russian movies help me improve my Russian, and I am trying to up my game in French, so I have been watching some pretty good French Netflix shows!

I don't really need the subtitles when watching German films but occasionally I miss something and it's convenient to have.

But in languages in which I have no clue I don't really miss anything with subtitles. In fact I'd rather that than dubbed in English.

 

[Bill]

I am aware foreign films are not everyone's cup of tea - do not bother reading this thread if you are bored to tears with world cinema.

This thread contains my pick list

The King's Choice (Norwegian)

Based on the true story about the three dramatic days in April 1940 when the King of Norway was presented with an unimaginable ultimatum from the German armed forces: Surrender or die. After three days of desperately trying to evade the Germans, King Haakon makes his final decision. He refuses to capitulate, even if it may cost him, his family and many Norwegians their lives.

WOW, looks interesting.. Perfect for a history lover like you......

My X-gf's mom is Norwegian.. She was actually born in NJ to Norwegian parents but moved there when she was 4 & soon after the nazi's invaded........ She still hates Germans & will never forgive them.. But it wasn't all dark & scary from the eyes of a kid....

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

For some reason I can't "thank" you but I wholeheartedly agree.
I highly recommend the German movie Goodbye Lenin.

East Germany, the year 1989: A young man protests against the regime. His mother watches the police arresting him and suffers a heart attack and falls into a coma. Some months later, the DDR does not exist anymore and the mother awakes. Since she has to avoid every excitement, the son tries to set up the DDR again for her in their flat. But the world has changed a lot. Written by Benjamin Stello

And thanks to Cypress for the thread. I'll definitely make a point to watch most of these movies during this unprecedented time.

Recently watched Parasite, the S. Korean film that won the Oscar for best film. Pretty good black comedy but got effing weird at the end.

I think that happens when so much time goes by after the post you're trying to thank.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

I don't really need the subtitles when watching German films but occasionally I miss something and it's convenient to have.

But in languages in which I have no clue I don't really miss anything with subtitles. In fact I'd rather that than dubbed in English.

Heh, a few months ago we decided to watch all the Harry Potter movies again. Mr. Owl put on subtitles because neither of us could figure out at times WTF they were saying due to their Brit accents. Suddenly things made more sense! lol

 

[Cypress]

WOW, looks interesting.. Perfect for a history lover like you......

My X-gf's mom is Norwegian.. She was actually born in NJ to Norwegian parents but moved there when she was 4 & soon after the nazi's invaded........ She still hates Germans & will never forgive them.. But it wasn't all dark & scary from the eyes of a kid....

It is interesting to talk to people with those experiences

I give a lot of respect to nations that vigorously resisted the Nazi occupation, Norway, Poland, Russia/USSR.
.
The Vichy French really piss me off.

 

[Cypress]

I don't really need the subtitles when watching German films but occasionally I miss something and it's convenient to have.

But in languages in which I have no clue I don't really miss anything with subtitles. In fact I'd rather that than dubbed in English.

I watch subtitles even with American and British film.

Dubbing in English is lame. I do not think dubbing is even a common practice anymore- it degrades the experience and quality of the film

 

[anonymoose]

Dubbing in English is lame. I do not think dubbing is even a common practice anymore- it degrades the experience and quality of the film

When I lived in Germany the American films were dubbed in German. That was in the mid to late 1990's. Don't know if they still do that, but I agree it's lame.
And subtitles help to learn the language.
Most Germans I knew back then had very good English or wanted to improve their English . Very few didn't understand any.

 

[Cypress]

Just added to my quarantine foreign movie watchlist

Red Cliff

In ancient China, the emperor of the Han Dynasty allows General Cao Cao (Fengyi Zhang) to declare war against the rebellious southern provinces, with the intention of unifying the entire country. Cao's large army quickly advances, killing civilians and soldiers alike. To resist Cao, the southern warlords form an alliance led by Viceroy Zhou Yu (Tony Leung). Outnumbered, Zhou relies upon elaborate formations and unorthodox strategies to fight against Cao's overwhelming forces

 

[anonymoose]

Good thread Cypress

 

[Mott the Hoople]

Godzilla- Japan
Das Boot - German
The Host - Korean
Stalingrad - Russian
Pinay Pie- Philippines
Trolls - Swedish