Good Foreign Films that most Americans miss out on

I have been recently exposed to some really great foreign movies. I figured I'd share them with the forums here so that other can enjoy them.

My most recent viewing is, "The Shower" directed by Yang Zhang. It deals with feelings of a successful man returning to his less than perfect, humble beginnings on receiving news of the death of his father.

Most of you know the acclaimed director Akira Kurasawa. However, how many of you have seen his lesser known movie, "Redbeard"? The "Seven Samurai" is still my favorite but "Redbeard" is a magnificent film regarding a prima donna medical graduate being exposed to the rigors of am ancient Chinese clinic for the poor.

Please enjoy these movies and contribute some gems of your own!

Once again I have to recommend Das Experiment. Impressive and shocking.

If you liked the seven Samurai I recommend seeing RAN, sorry don''t recall the director but it''s sort of the Platoon of Samurai flicks :). Heaven and Earth also has some excellent moments.

I''ll second The Shower. Funny and sad and ultimately a very satisfying movie. I love the cricket fights.

I recommend seeing RAN, sorry don''t recall the director

Also Akira Kurosawa.

Didn''t the Seven Samurai win an Oscar?

No, but it was nominated for Art Direction - Black and White (lost to Somebody Up There Likes Me) and Costume Design - Black and White (lost to The Solid Gold Cadillac).

I can''t possibly recommend Robeto Benigni''s La vita è bella highly enough.

Well, for mexican movies I''d recommend Amores Perros (I think it was translated as Love is a Female Doggo )

I love the cricket fights.

I''ll second ""Life is Beautiful"".

I''ll second ""Ran"" and as long as we are at it you might as well include Kurosawa''s ""Yojimbo"", ""Hidden Fortress"", and ""Rashaman"". The former 2 have strong parallels with some famous modern movies (a spaghetti western and a space serial.)

I just saw the 1957 film ""The Cranes Are Flying"" last night. It was very good.

""Shaolin Soccer"" I forgot to mention last night. I very highly recommend that.

Thanks guys I will be sure to look into ""Amores Perros"" and ""Das Experiment""

That Y tu Mama Tambien''s got everything you''re looking for in a foreign film.

The Dish

It''s an Australian movie about Australia''s role in the first moon landing. It stars Sam Neil of Jurassic Park fame.

Brotherhood of the Wolf

Great French film about a strange rash of deaths in the countryside.

Well I love Hong Kong cinema so I will pipe in with The Killer, Hard Boiled, God of Gamblers, Tiger Cage 2, Iron Monkey, Drunken Master 2, Fist of Legend, Tai Chi, Drunken Tai Chi, and pretty much anything involving Yuen Wo Ping.

Also check out the french film, Brotherhood of the Wolf, it kicks mucho ass.

what JD said. Additionally try ""Lola Runs"".

"chrisg" wrote:

what JD said. Additionally try ""Lola Runs"".

Run Lola Run is pretty good, but I liked his other move the warrior on the princes a lot better, truly excellent but a little odd. If I start on my kng fu movie list I''m going to be typing for a long time :)...

I''d also reccommend most of Kurasawa''s work, a lot of it has been copied by Hollywood, Hence ""The Seven Samraui"" is not the movie''s actually title, which is ""The Magnificant Seven"", our western version was made becuase of his and put out first in the us, by a matter of months.

""Ran"" If I remeber right is his version of King Lear, also excellent.

As for Hong Kong Action I''d suggest ""The Art of Snake and Crane"", if you can actually find a copy of it.

As for Australian flicks I''d suggest ""The Interview"", which stars Mister Smith, from Matrix, Elrond/Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Very good suspense flick.

I recently saw Show Me Love (censored U.S. title), a Swedish film. Totally not the kind of movie I''d normally enjoy but for some reason it left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Thumbs up.

Tampopo

Just saw it last night. Its a very interesting film.

Where do you get all these foreign films? Would a Blockbuster or Hollywood video rent them out? That''s all we have around here.

BB or Holywood may have some of the more popular ones such as Run Lola Run, Brotherhood of the Wolf, and the Seven Samuri.

I dont rent them. I buy them mostly through amazon and net searches through IMDB.

I do hear that netflix to my surprise carries a good selection if you are set on renting.

It''s a great movie about Chinese culture and Mark Salzman''s training with Master Pan Quin Fu in Chinese Wushu. It''s not a typical ''martial arts movie'' but more about the interaction of culture. Well...that and one of the most amazing martial arts instructors in history....

Um what movie are you talking about Knightshade?

edit: Doh NM its in the post title.

Iron and Silk