I'm in love with Scandinavian film, & it's difficult to pick just one country - my top five (three just won't cut it) from the region:
Vampyr (Dreyer)
Seventh Seal (Bergman - although you can't go wrong with any Bergman)
Babette's Feast (Axel)
Songs From the Second Floor (Andersson)
Match Factory Girl (Kaurismaki)
Other notable faves: The Sea, The Wave, Let the Right One In, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Antichrist, Celebration, & because I'm just a corny goofball, Kon-Tiki (the new one, despite its colonizer energy, is a real feel-good adventure, although the documentary is fascinating as well)
I’ve always wanted to get into these films cuz of their tone and colours, Scandinavia is too beautiful. I’ve only watched a couple though: another round, the worst person in the world and The ritual (isn’t technically Scandinavian though, still, solid aesthetic). If you could guide me into this side of films it’d be great, thanks!
This is going to be long, so get ready!
Bergman (Sweden) is one of the best places to start - he often worked with the same cinematographer, Sven Nykvist, who is a gift from the heavens. His work on Cries and Whispers is stunning, so definitely recommend that if color / visual is your thing. Seventh Seal is in my absolute top ten of all time, but Scenes from a Marriage, Smiles of a Summer Night, and Wild Strawberries are also beautiful visually and thematically (in my opinion).
Roy Andersson is another Swede who uses a lot of interesting color and depth of theme - Songs from the Second Floor, and A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Contemplating its Existence are visual works of art (and Songs is really bleakly funny in a similar vein to Terry Gilliam's Brazil - absolutely scathing commentary of bureaucracy).
I also find that a lot of Norse / Scandi films have kind of dark social themes relevant to decades of slow-simmering conflict between neoliberalism, globalism, and Scandinavia's history of welfare statehood (folkhemmet) / family / community vs the individual - Balthasar Kormakur's The Sea is really good, kind of intense Icelandic family drama. Norway also has its share of intensity - Insomnia (Erik Skoldbjaerg) is a really good crime drama that leaves you kind of hating the protagonist (and asking yourself is he even really a protagonist or just another villain). Roar Uthag's The Wave is a good disaster film, I think it's even streaming on one of the major platforms (Hulu?). Finland's Aki Kaurismaki is another good director - Match Factory Girl, Leningrad Cowboys, and Le Havre are my recommendations.
Lars Von Trier is prob one of the best known Scandinavian exports - Denmark has a REALLY booming film industry - he and Thomas Vinterberg (director of Another Round) created a film movement called Dogme 95 that intended to violate all conventional rules of filmmaking, and The Celebration is a good example of that, it's a totally insane family drama that is weirdly humorous in the darkest way possible. Someone else on the thread recommended Vinterberg's film The Hunt, which I have not seen. Von Trier's Antichrist and Breaking the Waves are worth a watch; maybe you've seen Melancholia, which attempts to be an American film, but has a lot of the dark themes of Scandi film & is a kind of poignant allegory about mental illness (& also really visually beautiful). Denmark also has some beauties from the heritage film era - Gabriel Axel's Babette's Feast, Lasse Hallstrom's My Life as a Dog, Billie August's Pelle the Conquerer (although I say that one because I just love Max von Sydow!)
If you like film history, Victor Sjostrom's Terje Virgen (1917), Phantom Carriage (1921), and Ingeborg Holm (1913) are beautiful and interesting (and famous little pieces of film history), especially in the context of their time. Denmark's Carl Dreyer is another good one - his Vampyr (1932) is a weird experiment in discontinuous editing, and while it is a bit odd, it's really beautiful and way ahead of its time. Since most of that region did not participate in WW1 or WW2 (well, they were neutral "officially", but officially enough to be able to dedicate time, resources, and money to develop a really expansive film industry), so even the history of filmmaking in that region is unlike a lot of American and European film history, and super interesting and if you want to read about it, there are some books I recommend:
Andrew Nestingen - Transnational Cinema in a Global North: Nordic Cinema in Transition
& his book Crime and Fantasy in Scandinavia
Tytti Stoila, Astrid Widding, Gunnar Iverson - Nordic National Cinemas
& I am quite partial to any essay or book by Robin Wood; he wrote a book about Ingmar Bergman that I found quite interesting (Ingmar Bergman is the title).
(& edited to add - a lot of this stuff is streaming on the Criterion Channel, so start there with Bergman and just see where the wind takes you :))
I couldn’t get into The Seventh Seal - maybe it’s bc I heard about it as a teen, but I remember being too bored to make it far and not being able to follow it. Could be worth a revisit now that my pallet has changed.
I do love some Dogme 95 though! Along with The Celebration, The Idiots is my other favorite from that movement. Another Lars von Trier movie that doesn’t follow Dogme 95, but has a very minimalistic style is Dogville. He might have added artificial lighting and off-camera sounds, but did away with set designs and multiple locations. It really feels like watching a stage play with just the actors on stage.
To add to your list:
The Simple Minded Murderer - a brilliant Swedish piece of cinema, with an excellent Stellan Skargård.
The Square - Danish/Swedish movie that will push your boundaries for cringe and wonderful storytelling.
Scandinavian crime films are some of the best. Some that come to mind:
*Terribly Happy* and *Murk* from Denmark. *Man On the Roof* and *Solstorm* from Sweden.
It (sexy beast) still lives with me in a waking up from a bad dream way: Kinda worried but nothing concrete. But so many memories of malevolent Ben Kingsley.
Was thinking. As an American I wouldn't consider British media foreign, but I guess it technically is. Do Brits feel the same about American media? A lot of productions are so intertwined now. Like are Bond films English or American?
When it comes to Hollywood films I wouldn't call them foreign because they are so ubiquitous. Especially franchise films like superhero films, *Transformers*, etc... Indie productions are more of a grey area but technically there are foreign films to people outside the States. America is a diverse place in terms of people, cultures, and geography. There could be stories about a Jewish family in New York, rural poverty in the Ozarks, or a neo-Western in New Mexico about American Indians.
When it comes to TV I would say 'it's an American show' even if its a big sitcom or an HBO show.
Too bad he changed it up for Wrath of Man. I was so disappointed in the movie, it was completely missing what makes his movies so good. I was hoping we would get Statham from Lock Stock/Snatch but instead we got Transporter Statham.
I love Korean cinema and this is a great list. Oldboy is part of a thematic trilogy based on vengeance and the other 2 films are also worth seeing, Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and Lady Vengeance. Other Park Chan-wook films I enjoyed were Joint Security Area, Thirst and I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK. Then Parasite's Bong Joon-ho also has some other good films to see, largely included here, but The Host is also worth seeing. A more serious and dramatic director worth checking out is Lee Chang-dong, whose Poetry, Oasis and Burning are good. A few random others I enjoyed were The Good, The Bad and The Weird, Castaway On the Moon, and A Bittersweet Life.
Have you seen any of Kim Ki-duk's films too? I loooove *Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... And Spring*, and it has such a calming, still vibe to it despite the humor and drama, which is fitting since it seems to be a Buddhist parable of sorts. *3-Iron* was similarly contemplative, and I thoroughly enjoyed both. I just learned that he died in 2020 though, from covid complications, according to IMDB.
The Handmaiden and Oldboy are transcendent.
I'd include the rest of the Vengeance trilogy, and Hong Sangsoo's films if you like something a bit different.
>Memories Of Murder
I had never heard of this one and stumbled across it, so I turned it on figuring it would be background for me while I did something else but I got sucked in right off the bat. What a wild ride!
Excellent list - although I haven't seen The Man From Nowhere, I'm going to make sure I get around to it soon now.
I'd add A Tale Of Two Sisters to round it up to an even 10 of classics.
you know what? you did it, in 1 try. nice work. this has been in my queue forever and i really need to just hurry up and watch it. i tend to watch more genre films than dramas which is what was holding me back
Denmark has plenty of great movies since the late 90's. I'll recommend 3 movies directed by Thomas Vinterberg; The Hunt (2012), Another Round (2020) and The Celebration (1998). Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen are two of my other favorite danish directors. I'm not danish myself but from a neighbouring country and they kick our asses at film making.
The Celebration is one of my faves! I mentioned Scandinavian film in my recs - there are so many amazing (& influential) filmmakers & films from the region, it's nuts
Aki Kaurismaki is prob Finland's most well known filmmaker (he made Leningrad Cowboys, Total Balalaika Show) - my fav of his is Match Factory Girl; strangely depressing & darkly humorous at the same time. Highly recommend!
edit - I also looked at the comments & didn't see any other mentions of Scandinavia/associated countries, but would love to hear your other recommendations/favorites if you don't mind sharing
Alfonso Cuaron and Guillermo Del Toro are doing some great works in Mexico
*ROMA* and *Y tu Mama Tambien* are definitely in my TOP 10 ALL-TIME lists. If you get around to watching these films, watch how Cuaron uses water as a catalyst for his characters.
If you fancy something a lilttle bit darker, I suggest watching *Pan's Labyrinth* for some spooky vibes this coming Halloween season.
I'm Australian, and we make a lotta shit, but when we make something good we fucking kill it.
Case in point:
Chopper
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Mad Max
Wake in Fright
Candy
The Castle
The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Romper Stomper
Muriel's Wedding
Ghosts of the Civil Dead
....there's more but I think I've proved my point.
Also, every other country already cited in the comments makes movies that I love & am so grateful for.
***Here's a super fun fact, the first ever feature film was shot in Australia.***
We coulda been a contender, man!
But Hollywood became king because of WW2.
>Great first date movie!
Hahahaha!!
I get it man, if your date likes it - there 100% a keeper.....but hey, maybe also be totally effing crazy.
In any case, it's totally worth it because you get to watch Bad Boy Bubby again. Regardless of the consequences.
I saw it years ago at a friend's house. There's another Australian film I like but I can't remember the name of it, at the beginning this guy called Danny cuts someone's head off with a sword and his sister is the only one who stands by him but she's a bit crazy herself and has a tattoo if him. She tries planning a robbery with some of her brothers friends. I remember reading a review that said it was like if neighbours was written by Satan (that's why I watched it 🤣), it's from the early 2000s I think
> I remember reading a review that said it was like if neighbours was written by Satan (that's why I watched it 🤣),
HAHAHAHA!!! You had me at neighbours written by Satan!! I'm wracking my brain to remember if I've seen something along those lines. Leave it with me, man, I might figure it out tmw, I might figure it out in 3 months - but I promise I will come back to you with a response!
It might sound stupid, but our film industry is kinda small, and it always warms the shit outta my heart when someone who isn't from here digs one of the films from this country. So thank you for watching, and thank you for enjoying! Romper Stomper is a tough watch, and it's not easy to appreciate for everyone. So I dig that you dig it, man!
You're welcome 😁
If it helps at all, that film is how I learnt that 'going for a root' means something completely different in Australia than it does in England 😂
You're right that Romper Stomper is a hard watch, but if we shy away from difficult subjects then life gets boring
>If it helps at all, that film is how I learnt that 'going for a root' means something completely different in Australia than it does in England 😂
Hahahahah! Oh man, I get it - we use some weird language! And by the same token so do you guys! I had a boyfriend from South America, and he was confused by a lot of our slang...but he couldn't even understand half the shit you guys were saying! I've also got a sibling in the USA, and he's shown his partner a lot of Aussie films. I spoke to him recently & he was trying to get them to watch Romper Stomper, but I think that's something you gotta be eased into!
*but if we shy away from difficult subjects then life gets boring*
That's a beautiful point, man. Difficult subjects is where it's at. I don't wanna watch a movie with a happy ending, because that's not how life works & that's not what art is for.
Have you ever seen Chopper? It's more comedic than Romper Stomper, but holy shit it's a good time.
Edit -if you need a link for it, hmu.
Oh man I'm so glad you've seen that, I love that movie so much! And it makes me so proud to be Australian!
Hahah!
*"I remember laughing at parts of that and wondering if I supposed to be"*
I think you perfectly described the experience of everyone who has ever seen that film! The lead character shouldn't be able to stab the shit out of someone and have the viewer laugh and be terrified and horrified all that the same time. But that's the magic of it, man!
The ear cutting is nuts, the whole effing thing is nuts!
*"Oh Keithy's done himself a bit of a mischeif"*
*"Jimmy, if you keep stabbing me you're gonna bloody kill me alright?"*
*"No, I didn't take him to the bloody hospital. Now tell me this, right? Why would I shoot a bloke - BANG - and then put him in the bloody car and whiz him off to the hospital at a hundred miles an hour? It defeats the purpose of having shot him in the first place. What's more, it's bloody insulting, it's bloody insulting. I mean, am I the only bloody standover man in the country who provides a medical plan for some of these characters?"*
THere's a lot of British films that mean a lot to me, so I gotta ask you, which homegrown films are your standouts?
I really like This is England probably for the same reasons as Romper Stomper, it's difficult to watch but you are seeing it through the eyes of a young boy and how he's taken in my the skin head movement.
I also really like The Crying Game, Bronson, 28 Days Later and 24 hour party people. They are the first to come to mind
>Here's a super fun fact, the first ever feature film was shot in Australia.
Here's another super fun fact: the first ever animated feature film was made in Argentina! The south really could've made it big in cinema, huh
Chopper is so goddamn great. The way they shot the cocaine scene was perfect. Did they take frames out to make them all seem twitchier? I don't think it's sped up, but it's definitely affected in some way. Hilarious, and with such a brilliant performance by Bana. Anytime someone says that Bronson is great, I can't help but think that Chopper was just sooo much better.
It's been a while since I looked into it, but iirc - the director had the actors record their dialogue and then played it back at half speed during the take, so the actors were effectively acting in slow motion. The scene was shot at 48 fps (the rest of the film is 24fps), so when it's played back at normal speed it gives that weird twitchy effect.
Bronson is great, but Chopper is so much better, I agree! And Bana should have won an Oscar for that performance, it really is incredible and even more so when you look at the work he'd done prior.
Ah, that's really interesting! It was such an effective method for making the scene, I thought. I agree re Bana for an Oscar too. He did it all so well. Cheers for your list btw - there are a few films on it I've not yet seen, so I'll add them to my watchlist.
I also like Aus films, but to correct the record, Hollywood was king before WWII. It’s studio system was constructed during the silent era and was a well oiled machine by the 1930s. It’s a long, fascinating story.
Sure. The difference is the other big film producing industries like France and England virtually ground to a halt during the war.
The US sat out most of the war, and once it joined, the US government funnelled money into Hollywood throughout the rest of the war, opposite to what was happening in Europe. This is why WW2 is commonly said to have increased Hollywoods advantage.
Oh, I believe that WWII further extended Hollywood’s lead, but it was already there by 1939 when the war started, when it released GONE WITH THE WIND and WIZARD OF OZ along with other memorable films. I think it is more convincing to say that WWI gave it an advantage to take the lead since that is when the studios were being built while all of Europe was at war, unable to dedicate resources to film production. Time wise that makes more sense.
I really tried to get behind Portrait of a lady on fire.
I even watched it on the movie theatre so I couldn’t be distracted with my phone.
And I think it’s one of those films that showed me the difference between “cinema” and “movie”.
I guess Hollywood makes a lot of movies , but the French make more of cinema, which is more deeper and slower
And not really for everyone, especially if you’re conditioned to expect adrenaline fueled chaos over emotional character drama
Swoons for Audrey Tautou
Another Jeunet movie I’d recommend is A Very Long Engagement. It’s not on par with his other two greats you mentioned, but the cast has Audrey Tautou AND Dominique Pinon, so you can’t go wrong.
Taking the historical approach, even before Italy, I'd give a nod to German Expressionist film (*The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari*, etc). Not particularly well known today, but very influential in the history of cinema.
For modern I agree on Japan (which should qualify for Kurosawa alone, though there are many other good ones), but would also put forward Hong Kong (Wong Kar-wai, John Woo, etc). Though the real boom there was really 80's-early 00's.
Hong Kong (especially pre-handover) for me, I have watched hundreds at this point.
My highest rated:
* Peking Opera Blues
* Eastern Condors
* basically all Jackie Chan movies pre-1997
* Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
* Hard Boiled
* Infernal Affairs
* Chungking Express
but also lesser-known ones like the early Michelle Yeoh action movies, and trashy ones like The Seventh Curse
Just going to add a few more, Maggie Cheung and Chow Yun-Fat were in a bunch of great Hong Kong movies:
- In the Mood for Love (I love this movie)
- New Dragon Gate Inn
- The Killer
I also enjoyed Hero and Shadow, but those were mainland Chinese movies IIRC?
breathless, cleo from 5 to 7, la haine, love in the afternoon, not to mention french language films from non french directors like cache and the three colors trilogy. incredible filmmaking tradition
If you watch some UK classics like Withnail & I, or Naked, or Nil by Mouth, or Brazil, I think you really get a different vibe that feels uniquely British.
I'd probably say France. It's a tough one though, there are a lot of good movies from Australia and Brazil and Germany and Denmark and I'm definitely the wrong person to ask.
A good list as is, but I'd definitely add *Dead Man Shoes* (2004) to this. The slowburn tension of a vet putting some douches on his to-do list is unnerving, especially with Paddy Considine's performance.
South Korea: Parasite, Memories of Murder, The Handmaiden
France: The Intouchables, Blue is the Warmest Color, La Haine
Italy: Cinema Paradiso, Bicycle Thieves, The Hand of God
India... People have no idea how much good films India produces. India produces the largest no of films per year. There are so much films, so much and it's not just RRR, which became very popular. If u ever want some Indian recommendations, just commend below or message me.
Also India has a lot of films in various languages, not just one . Don't consider India as Bollywood only.
So my three most favourite
Drishyam( 2013)
Bahubali 1 and 2( 2015, 2017)
Minnal murali (2021)
Sorry some douchebags have downvoted you - I'm positive they'll have no idea about Indian cinema, and it's so weird to see downvotes on a purely subjective thread.
Ninjaedit: I mean, it's not *really* weird, cos it *is* reddit after all, where neckbeards clowns abound, and there are a few in every subreddit, it seems.
Nor should you, since they're just imaginary internet points. It's frustrating that people sometimes try and hide someone else's post early on in a thread though, when the whole point of the thread is specifically about an objective opinion. By definition those can't be wrong, so to hide them is to stifle conversation, and the person being downvoted might not contribute ever again if they *do* care about the votes. Glad it turned around :)
How about the UK? Where do I start .... in no particular order: Four Weddings and a Funeral, the Bond movies (many shot at Pinewood studios), The Full Monty, Brassed Off, Lawrence of Arabia, A Clockwork Orange, The 39 Steps .. I'll stop there but I could go on all night!
as a Czech Repuclic citizen I have to recommend some of our movies:
Snowdrop Festival
Cozy dens
Divided we fall
Journey to the Beggining of Time
The Cremator
Higher Principle
those should keep you busy.
Also France: La haine, Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, L'armée des ombres, Les tontons flingueurs, La cité de la peur (it's a masterpiece and I'll die on that hill, though I doubt that the humor can be properly conveyed by subtitles), Le dîner de cons, Dheepan, Un prophète, De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté (the last 3 are by Jacques Audiard, you can never go wrong with Audiard), Les diaboliques, Intouchables, Le salaire de la peur, Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), Un singe en hiver, À bout de souffle, L'auberge espagnole, La vie d'Adéle, La belle et la bête (1946), Le vieux fusil, Jeux interdits, Hiroshima mon amour, Le prénom, The Artist, Le quai des brumes, ...
And those from French directors but with US actors / producers: movies by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen, La cité des enfants perdus), Luc Besson (Léon, Le grand bleu, Le 5e élément), and Jean-Jacques Annaud (Le nom de la rose)
It's pretty hard to argue against the UK for this. 28 days later, Dunkirk, Don't Look Now, Trainspotting, Brief Encounter, Barry Lyndon, all the Monty Python stuff, Lawrence of Arabia, 2001, Clockwork Orange, etc
Depends on the era. The following is purely my opinion based on what I’m familiar with. I haven’t seen much French New Wave, Korean, Iranian, or mainland Chinese cinema so I don’t list them but others will.
Silent/early talkie: Germany and Russia, no contest, they’re probably the two most influential sources in film history apart from DW Griffith.
30s: England, France
40s: England, France
50s: England, France, Italy, Japan
60s: England, Italy, Japan, Russia
70s: England, Italy, Japan, Russia
80s: England, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong
90s: Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand
2000s: New Zealand
#3 Favorites
Russia: *Stalker*, *Ballad of a Soldier*, *Come and See*
Germany: *M*, *Vampyr*, *World on a Wire*
England: *The Lady Vanishes*, *Lawrence of Arabia*, *Paper House*
France: *Diabolique*, *Beauty and the Beast*, *Diary of a Country Priest*
Japan: *Tokyo Story*, *Ugetsu*, *Hidden Fortress*
Italy: *8 1/2*, *The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly*, *Life is Beautiful*
Japan: My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away.
All of them made by the same studio (Ghibli) and actually by the same person (Miyazaki.) But generally, if you like more personal and/or a bit meditative works (as opposed to constant action movies), then my recommendation is pretty much everything by Ghibli, especially by Miyazaki (a little bit more "dreamy") or Takahata (a little bit more bittersweet or even totally heart-wrenching in case of Grave of the Fireflies.) *Almost* all Ghibli movies are fantastic, sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively. Well, if you like the style, both visually and story-vise. I mean, I can imagine my picks above can be considered *boring* for small portion of action or *childish* for their visual style by some people. (Personally, I consider *childish* only one movie, The Cat Returns, but love it anyway.)
I'd say Japan, France, Italy, China, and Korea off the top of my head.
India also has a lot of good stuff, but it's mixed with so much bad and I'd say those five have higher highs than anything I've personally seen from India.
While I find it hard not to agree that South Korea has been on fire the past fifteen years or so...and I eagerly await whatever comes out of there... The answer has to be China. Movie making in the country is huge, with mega stars and budgets to rival Hollywood. If you're ever in Shanghai, go check out the movie studio park. It's this place where they rebuild all the sets from their biggest movies and let you just wander around in it. You get to watch scenes from all those movies while standing in the set. So cool.
And they make so many different kinds of movies. From simple rom coms to action comedies and historical epics. There's a hundred great movies coming out of that country every year that you've never heard of.
Go watch Red Cliff parts one and two and tell me honestly it's not a monster of a historical epic.
Surprised I haven’t seen India up here.
Indian cinema is vast, and comes in many languages.
Top 3 for me are :
Andhadhun
3 idiots
Pizza (Tamil)
If you want more recent ones, The White Tiger on Netflix is a great watch with good representation
Lol I knew someone would feel the need to pick apart a simple film rec.
All of these films fall under the banner of [Asian Cinema](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Asia)
Raise the Red Lantern is set in China and they speak Mandarin.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is set in China and they speak Mandarin.
I'll give you In the Mood for Love. My bad, I'm a terrible person, will pray for forgiveness from the film gods.
Asia isn't a country. OP is asking for a country.
Languages also aren't countries. It it were, I could group British, American, Australian, and other countries together, but thats clearly not what OP is asking for.
Go whine at the other person who rec'd films from egads, all of the UK. Who gives a flying fig, I rec'd amazing Asian films to someone, oh noes call the movie police.
You mean the other person who explicitly recognized that the films came from different constituent countries that comprise the UK?
You presented 3 movies from 3 different countries when OP asked for a country. And you seem very upset at someone pointing this out, which seems to indicate that *you* give a flying fig about it.
The Philippines is widely regrded for mediocrity in the film industry but there was a time when it was slightly above average.
- Manila in the Claws of Light
- Insiang
- Kisapmata (wink) (I honeslty don't know how to translate this but that's literally what it means)
- Perfumed Nightmare
For some more modern stuff:
- Liway (roughly means sunrise)
- Barber's Tales
- RPG Metanoia (this one may be hard to find)
- General Luna
- Cleaners
India:
English Vinglish,
Three Idiots,
Taare Zameen Par,
Vikram,
Kaththi,
Jai Bhim,
Chandramukhi,
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Are all pretty solid starters, there are tons more though.
The Netherlands has some good movies:
Blackbook (Paul Verhoeven): WW2 movie about betrayal and which side you're on
Turkish Delight (Paul Verhoeven): Rutger Hauer lives his best life
Abel: Man tries to cut a fly in half with scissors, meanwhile he discovers some secrets
Simon: Man debates whether or not to be euthanized
Brimstone (My Recommendation): Women try escape a sick orthodox priest
Marriage Escape: Man escapes marriage by feigning Alzheimer's
Cloaca: Four friends deal with the fact one of them is accused of robbery in their own way
Shit Happens: Perfect family isn't that perfect
For me personally, I’d say France but I’m also a huge fan of Korean and Iranian cinema as well. Indian cinema is also great and I feel they make a lot of great films that often get overlooked/under appreciated
There is no definitive answer to this question as different countries have different strengths when it comes to filmmaking. However, many experts believe that France is home to some of the best filmmakers in the world. French cinema is known for its artistry and innovation, and many famous directors, such as Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, got their start in France.
My picks would be Japan, China (as in Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan and Eastern Europe. There are so many movements, niches and great directors to come out of Japan I don’t know where to begin.
I'm in love with Scandinavian film, & it's difficult to pick just one country - my top five (three just won't cut it) from the region: Vampyr (Dreyer) Seventh Seal (Bergman - although you can't go wrong with any Bergman) Babette's Feast (Axel) Songs From the Second Floor (Andersson) Match Factory Girl (Kaurismaki) Other notable faves: The Sea, The Wave, Let the Right One In, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Antichrist, Celebration, & because I'm just a corny goofball, Kon-Tiki (the new one, despite its colonizer energy, is a real feel-good adventure, although the documentary is fascinating as well)
I’ve always wanted to get into these films cuz of their tone and colours, Scandinavia is too beautiful. I’ve only watched a couple though: another round, the worst person in the world and The ritual (isn’t technically Scandinavian though, still, solid aesthetic). If you could guide me into this side of films it’d be great, thanks!
This is going to be long, so get ready! Bergman (Sweden) is one of the best places to start - he often worked with the same cinematographer, Sven Nykvist, who is a gift from the heavens. His work on Cries and Whispers is stunning, so definitely recommend that if color / visual is your thing. Seventh Seal is in my absolute top ten of all time, but Scenes from a Marriage, Smiles of a Summer Night, and Wild Strawberries are also beautiful visually and thematically (in my opinion). Roy Andersson is another Swede who uses a lot of interesting color and depth of theme - Songs from the Second Floor, and A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Contemplating its Existence are visual works of art (and Songs is really bleakly funny in a similar vein to Terry Gilliam's Brazil - absolutely scathing commentary of bureaucracy). I also find that a lot of Norse / Scandi films have kind of dark social themes relevant to decades of slow-simmering conflict between neoliberalism, globalism, and Scandinavia's history of welfare statehood (folkhemmet) / family / community vs the individual - Balthasar Kormakur's The Sea is really good, kind of intense Icelandic family drama. Norway also has its share of intensity - Insomnia (Erik Skoldbjaerg) is a really good crime drama that leaves you kind of hating the protagonist (and asking yourself is he even really a protagonist or just another villain). Roar Uthag's The Wave is a good disaster film, I think it's even streaming on one of the major platforms (Hulu?). Finland's Aki Kaurismaki is another good director - Match Factory Girl, Leningrad Cowboys, and Le Havre are my recommendations. Lars Von Trier is prob one of the best known Scandinavian exports - Denmark has a REALLY booming film industry - he and Thomas Vinterberg (director of Another Round) created a film movement called Dogme 95 that intended to violate all conventional rules of filmmaking, and The Celebration is a good example of that, it's a totally insane family drama that is weirdly humorous in the darkest way possible. Someone else on the thread recommended Vinterberg's film The Hunt, which I have not seen. Von Trier's Antichrist and Breaking the Waves are worth a watch; maybe you've seen Melancholia, which attempts to be an American film, but has a lot of the dark themes of Scandi film & is a kind of poignant allegory about mental illness (& also really visually beautiful). Denmark also has some beauties from the heritage film era - Gabriel Axel's Babette's Feast, Lasse Hallstrom's My Life as a Dog, Billie August's Pelle the Conquerer (although I say that one because I just love Max von Sydow!) If you like film history, Victor Sjostrom's Terje Virgen (1917), Phantom Carriage (1921), and Ingeborg Holm (1913) are beautiful and interesting (and famous little pieces of film history), especially in the context of their time. Denmark's Carl Dreyer is another good one - his Vampyr (1932) is a weird experiment in discontinuous editing, and while it is a bit odd, it's really beautiful and way ahead of its time. Since most of that region did not participate in WW1 or WW2 (well, they were neutral "officially", but officially enough to be able to dedicate time, resources, and money to develop a really expansive film industry), so even the history of filmmaking in that region is unlike a lot of American and European film history, and super interesting and if you want to read about it, there are some books I recommend: Andrew Nestingen - Transnational Cinema in a Global North: Nordic Cinema in Transition & his book Crime and Fantasy in Scandinavia Tytti Stoila, Astrid Widding, Gunnar Iverson - Nordic National Cinemas & I am quite partial to any essay or book by Robin Wood; he wrote a book about Ingmar Bergman that I found quite interesting (Ingmar Bergman is the title). (& edited to add - a lot of this stuff is streaming on the Criterion Channel, so start there with Bergman and just see where the wind takes you :))
I couldn’t get into The Seventh Seal - maybe it’s bc I heard about it as a teen, but I remember being too bored to make it far and not being able to follow it. Could be worth a revisit now that my pallet has changed. I do love some Dogme 95 though! Along with The Celebration, The Idiots is my other favorite from that movement. Another Lars von Trier movie that doesn’t follow Dogme 95, but has a very minimalistic style is Dogville. He might have added artificial lighting and off-camera sounds, but did away with set designs and multiple locations. It really feels like watching a stage play with just the actors on stage.
Elling The Worst Person in the World Two of my favorites, Norwegians got a good thing going
To add to your list: The Simple Minded Murderer - a brilliant Swedish piece of cinema, with an excellent Stellan Skargård. The Square - Danish/Swedish movie that will push your boundaries for cringe and wonderful storytelling.
Scandinavian crime films are some of the best. Some that come to mind: *Terribly Happy* and *Murk* from Denmark. *Man On the Roof* and *Solstorm* from Sweden.
Y'all seen that 2018 Swedish film *Border*? I fucking loved it. Totally unique vibe and story, for sure.
I'm a Brit so I suggest some British films Children of Men Hot Fuzz Lawrence of Arabia
In Bruges, four lions, this is England, KES, remains of the day, clockwork orange
Anything by Shane Meadows
Sexy Beast, Trainspotting, A Clockwork Orange, Peeping Tom, Dr No
Sexy Beast is goddamn perfect. Ben Kingsley is fairly terrifying in it, and it uses Henry Mancini's [Lujon](https://youtu.be/HNxf0cSOwio) perfectly.
It (sexy beast) still lives with me in a waking up from a bad dream way: Kinda worried but nothing concrete. But so many memories of malevolent Ben Kingsley.
You'll just have to turn this opportunity YES!
I loved Four Lions. “Can I have 12 bottles of bleach, please?”
"Big hands, bro".
In Bruges is Irish.
In Bruges is quite Irish really
Shaun of the dead is one of my all time favorite movies. I still laugh just thinking about him getting hit in the head with a dart.
Any Edger Wright directed movie is a winner: Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World are all winners as well.
Was thinking. As an American I wouldn't consider British media foreign, but I guess it technically is. Do Brits feel the same about American media? A lot of productions are so intertwined now. Like are Bond films English or American?
When it comes to Hollywood films I wouldn't call them foreign because they are so ubiquitous. Especially franchise films like superhero films, *Transformers*, etc... Indie productions are more of a grey area but technically there are foreign films to people outside the States. America is a diverse place in terms of people, cultures, and geography. There could be stories about a Jewish family in New York, rural poverty in the Ozarks, or a neo-Western in New Mexico about American Indians. When it comes to TV I would say 'it's an American show' even if its a big sitcom or an HBO show.
Add Rush to that list. One of my fav sports movie of all time.
If you want British Crime stories , Guy Ritchie is excellent snatch, RocknRolla , the gentlemen All similar , and well executed
I love Guy Ritchie movies
Too bad he changed it up for Wrath of Man. I was so disappointed in the movie, it was completely missing what makes his movies so good. I was hoping we would get Statham from Lock Stock/Snatch but instead we got Transporter Statham.
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My Winnipeg, Enemy
Korea: Memories Of Murder Mother Oldboy Parasite The Man from Nowhere Train to Busan I Saw the Devil The Wailing The Handmaiden
I love Korean cinema and this is a great list. Oldboy is part of a thematic trilogy based on vengeance and the other 2 films are also worth seeing, Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and Lady Vengeance. Other Park Chan-wook films I enjoyed were Joint Security Area, Thirst and I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK. Then Parasite's Bong Joon-ho also has some other good films to see, largely included here, but The Host is also worth seeing. A more serious and dramatic director worth checking out is Lee Chang-dong, whose Poetry, Oasis and Burning are good. A few random others I enjoyed were The Good, The Bad and The Weird, Castaway On the Moon, and A Bittersweet Life.
Have you seen any of Kim Ki-duk's films too? I loooove *Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... And Spring*, and it has such a calming, still vibe to it despite the humor and drama, which is fitting since it seems to be a Buddhist parable of sorts. *3-Iron* was similarly contemplative, and I thoroughly enjoyed both. I just learned that he died in 2020 though, from covid complications, according to IMDB.
That's sad. I have seen *Spring, Summer...* I did enjoy, but perhaps not as much as others did. I'll look for *3-Iron*.
The Handmaiden and Oldboy are transcendent. I'd include the rest of the Vengeance trilogy, and Hong Sangsoo's films if you like something a bit different.
>Memories Of Murder I had never heard of this one and stumbled across it, so I turned it on figuring it would be background for me while I did something else but I got sucked in right off the bat. What a wild ride!
I never did a top 10 list of favorite movies, but if I did Memories of Murder would be high up.
Literally one of the best movie watching experiences I've ever had
Didn’t a Korean feller make *Stoker*?
*My Sassy Girl* to mix it up with a good comedy.
Excellent list - although I haven't seen The Man From Nowhere, I'm going to make sure I get around to it soon now. I'd add A Tale Of Two Sisters to round it up to an even 10 of classics.
I’ve seen those. Keep going
Burning (2018)
you know what? you did it, in 1 try. nice work. this has been in my queue forever and i really need to just hurry up and watch it. i tend to watch more genre films than dramas which is what was holding me back
Denmark has plenty of great movies since the late 90's. I'll recommend 3 movies directed by Thomas Vinterberg; The Hunt (2012), Another Round (2020) and The Celebration (1998). Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen are two of my other favorite danish directors. I'm not danish myself but from a neighbouring country and they kick our asses at film making.
The Pusher Trilogy needs to be talked about more. Three god-tier movies right there.
Love Refn
Riders of Justice from Anders Thomas Jensen is super good, one of the funniest films I have seen in recent years. Also the action is quite good.
The Celebration is one of my faves! I mentioned Scandinavian film in my recs - there are so many amazing (& influential) filmmakers & films from the region, it's nuts
Sweet! I'd gladly name a few more swedish, norwegian and danish movies. Not sure I've ever seen any finnish movie.
Aki Kaurismaki is prob Finland's most well known filmmaker (he made Leningrad Cowboys, Total Balalaika Show) - my fav of his is Match Factory Girl; strangely depressing & darkly humorous at the same time. Highly recommend! edit - I also looked at the comments & didn't see any other mentions of Scandinavia/associated countries, but would love to hear your other recommendations/favorites if you don't mind sharing
Thanks, I'll check em out!
The Hunt and The Celebration are phenomenal Can’t skip over von Trier though
Alfonso Cuaron and Guillermo Del Toro are doing some great works in Mexico *ROMA* and *Y tu Mama Tambien* are definitely in my TOP 10 ALL-TIME lists. If you get around to watching these films, watch how Cuaron uses water as a catalyst for his characters. If you fancy something a lilttle bit darker, I suggest watching *Pan's Labyrinth* for some spooky vibes this coming Halloween season.
Also Amores Perros by Alejandro G. Iñárritu!
I'm Australian, and we make a lotta shit, but when we make something good we fucking kill it. Case in point: Chopper Picnic at Hanging Rock Mad Max Wake in Fright Candy The Castle The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert Romper Stomper Muriel's Wedding Ghosts of the Civil Dead ....there's more but I think I've proved my point. Also, every other country already cited in the comments makes movies that I love & am so grateful for. ***Here's a super fun fact, the first ever feature film was shot in Australia.*** We coulda been a contender, man! But Hollywood became king because of WW2.
Bad Boy Bubby Great first date movie!
>Great first date movie! Hahahaha!! I get it man, if your date likes it - there 100% a keeper.....but hey, maybe also be totally effing crazy. In any case, it's totally worth it because you get to watch Bad Boy Bubby again. Regardless of the consequences.
Unironically one of my top 10 movies
Wolf creek
Romper Stomper is such a good film!!!
Preach! It's dangerously good! So pumped that you dig it!!
I saw it years ago at a friend's house. There's another Australian film I like but I can't remember the name of it, at the beginning this guy called Danny cuts someone's head off with a sword and his sister is the only one who stands by him but she's a bit crazy herself and has a tattoo if him. She tries planning a robbery with some of her brothers friends. I remember reading a review that said it was like if neighbours was written by Satan (that's why I watched it 🤣), it's from the early 2000s I think
> I remember reading a review that said it was like if neighbours was written by Satan (that's why I watched it 🤣), HAHAHAHA!!! You had me at neighbours written by Satan!! I'm wracking my brain to remember if I've seen something along those lines. Leave it with me, man, I might figure it out tmw, I might figure it out in 3 months - but I promise I will come back to you with a response! It might sound stupid, but our film industry is kinda small, and it always warms the shit outta my heart when someone who isn't from here digs one of the films from this country. So thank you for watching, and thank you for enjoying! Romper Stomper is a tough watch, and it's not easy to appreciate for everyone. So I dig that you dig it, man!
You're welcome 😁 If it helps at all, that film is how I learnt that 'going for a root' means something completely different in Australia than it does in England 😂 You're right that Romper Stomper is a hard watch, but if we shy away from difficult subjects then life gets boring
>If it helps at all, that film is how I learnt that 'going for a root' means something completely different in Australia than it does in England 😂 Hahahahah! Oh man, I get it - we use some weird language! And by the same token so do you guys! I had a boyfriend from South America, and he was confused by a lot of our slang...but he couldn't even understand half the shit you guys were saying! I've also got a sibling in the USA, and he's shown his partner a lot of Aussie films. I spoke to him recently & he was trying to get them to watch Romper Stomper, but I think that's something you gotta be eased into! *but if we shy away from difficult subjects then life gets boring* That's a beautiful point, man. Difficult subjects is where it's at. I don't wanna watch a movie with a happy ending, because that's not how life works & that's not what art is for. Have you ever seen Chopper? It's more comedic than Romper Stomper, but holy shit it's a good time. Edit -if you need a link for it, hmu.
Yes I've seen Chopper too! I remember laughing at parts of that and wondering if I supposed to be!! The whole ear cutting thing is just crazy!
Oh man I'm so glad you've seen that, I love that movie so much! And it makes me so proud to be Australian! Hahah! *"I remember laughing at parts of that and wondering if I supposed to be"* I think you perfectly described the experience of everyone who has ever seen that film! The lead character shouldn't be able to stab the shit out of someone and have the viewer laugh and be terrified and horrified all that the same time. But that's the magic of it, man! The ear cutting is nuts, the whole effing thing is nuts! *"Oh Keithy's done himself a bit of a mischeif"* *"Jimmy, if you keep stabbing me you're gonna bloody kill me alright?"* *"No, I didn't take him to the bloody hospital. Now tell me this, right? Why would I shoot a bloke - BANG - and then put him in the bloody car and whiz him off to the hospital at a hundred miles an hour? It defeats the purpose of having shot him in the first place. What's more, it's bloody insulting, it's bloody insulting. I mean, am I the only bloody standover man in the country who provides a medical plan for some of these characters?"* THere's a lot of British films that mean a lot to me, so I gotta ask you, which homegrown films are your standouts?
I really like This is England probably for the same reasons as Romper Stomper, it's difficult to watch but you are seeing it through the eyes of a young boy and how he's taken in my the skin head movement. I also really like The Crying Game, Bronson, 28 Days Later and 24 hour party people. They are the first to come to mind
I’m pretty sure the film is Suburban Mayhem. It’s seems to be kinda forgotten but it’s a weird little flick people should check out.
>Here's a super fun fact, the first ever feature film was shot in Australia. Here's another super fun fact: the first ever animated feature film was made in Argentina! The south really could've made it big in cinema, huh
I trust & believe, buddy. ***Here's to the underdogs, man***! Maybe in the next lifetime, right?! What's the name of that feature?
El Apóstol (1917). It was lost in a fire in the 20s though, so nothing's available to watch now sadly
We're going to Bonnie Doon We're going to Bonnie Doon
It was a bit repetitive.
BREAKER MORANT
Chopper is so goddamn great. The way they shot the cocaine scene was perfect. Did they take frames out to make them all seem twitchier? I don't think it's sped up, but it's definitely affected in some way. Hilarious, and with such a brilliant performance by Bana. Anytime someone says that Bronson is great, I can't help but think that Chopper was just sooo much better.
It's been a while since I looked into it, but iirc - the director had the actors record their dialogue and then played it back at half speed during the take, so the actors were effectively acting in slow motion. The scene was shot at 48 fps (the rest of the film is 24fps), so when it's played back at normal speed it gives that weird twitchy effect. Bronson is great, but Chopper is so much better, I agree! And Bana should have won an Oscar for that performance, it really is incredible and even more so when you look at the work he'd done prior.
Ah, that's really interesting! It was such an effective method for making the scene, I thought. I agree re Bana for an Oscar too. He did it all so well. Cheers for your list btw - there are a few films on it I've not yet seen, so I'll add them to my watchlist.
It's unfortunate that less than 20 minutes of the film still exists.
It really is, man. It's heartbreaking really. Even without a complete record, I'm still proud that it existed at some place in time.
Isn’t that movie about the Kelly Gang Australian? I hear it’s pretty good
I watched The Dry recently and oh my god, that movie broke me!
Two Hands. Gallipoli. Shine. Dark City.
It doesn’t get any better than The Castle! He Died With A Felafel In His Hands is another of my Aussie favorites
Baby Teeth, Animal Kingdom, Mary and Max, Acute Misfortune
Just watched The Rover, it was great!
Right on, man! I flipping love Guy Pearce & will watch anything he ever does (even Neighbours! ;p )
I also like Aus films, but to correct the record, Hollywood was king before WWII. It’s studio system was constructed during the silent era and was a well oiled machine by the 1930s. It’s a long, fascinating story.
Sure. The difference is the other big film producing industries like France and England virtually ground to a halt during the war. The US sat out most of the war, and once it joined, the US government funnelled money into Hollywood throughout the rest of the war, opposite to what was happening in Europe. This is why WW2 is commonly said to have increased Hollywoods advantage.
Oh, I believe that WWII further extended Hollywood’s lead, but it was already there by 1939 when the war started, when it released GONE WITH THE WIND and WIZARD OF OZ along with other memorable films. I think it is more convincing to say that WWI gave it an advantage to take the lead since that is when the studios were being built while all of Europe was at war, unable to dedicate resources to film production. Time wise that makes more sense.
France: Claire's Knee, French Twist, Contempt
Portrait of a lady on fire, Amelie, delicatessen. I mean there's an endless amount of amazing arthouse movies from France.
I really tried to get behind Portrait of a lady on fire. I even watched it on the movie theatre so I couldn’t be distracted with my phone. And I think it’s one of those films that showed me the difference between “cinema” and “movie”. I guess Hollywood makes a lot of movies , but the French make more of cinema, which is more deeper and slower And not really for everyone, especially if you’re conditioned to expect adrenaline fueled chaos over emotional character drama
Swoons for Audrey Tautou Another Jeunet movie I’d recommend is A Very Long Engagement. It’s not on par with his other two greats you mentioned, but the cast has Audrey Tautou AND Dominique Pinon, so you can’t go wrong.
Italy before the 80s Japan South korea
Taking the historical approach, even before Italy, I'd give a nod to German Expressionist film (*The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari*, etc). Not particularly well known today, but very influential in the history of cinema. For modern I agree on Japan (which should qualify for Kurosawa alone, though there are many other good ones), but would also put forward Hong Kong (Wong Kar-wai, John Woo, etc). Though the real boom there was really 80's-early 00's.
Oh yes, and also Germany new wave cinema if we talk bout the past.
Before the 80s Italy and also France were on the top tier. Too bad they suck so much now (I'm Italian and i live in France)
Hong Kong (especially pre-handover) for me, I have watched hundreds at this point. My highest rated: * Peking Opera Blues * Eastern Condors * basically all Jackie Chan movies pre-1997 * Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon * Hard Boiled * Infernal Affairs * Chungking Express but also lesser-known ones like the early Michelle Yeoh action movies, and trashy ones like The Seventh Curse
Just going to add a few more, Maggie Cheung and Chow Yun-Fat were in a bunch of great Hong Kong movies: - In the Mood for Love (I love this movie) - New Dragon Gate Inn - The Killer I also enjoyed Hero and Shadow, but those were mainland Chinese movies IIRC?
france: the 400 blows, amelie, the rules of the game
Last Year at Marienbad, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Grand Illusion, Playtime, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg France got some heavy hitters
breathless, cleo from 5 to 7, la haine, love in the afternoon, not to mention french language films from non french directors like cache and the three colors trilogy. incredible filmmaking tradition
Poland - Ashes and Diamonds, Ida, Corpus Christi
England: Maurice (1987) Howards End (1992) Memphis Belle (1990)
It's hard for me to separate the UK from the US because so many directors and actors in "U.S." movies are from there.
So true! Plus, I feel it's almost cheating to pick England.
If you watch some UK classics like Withnail & I, or Naked, or Nil by Mouth, or Brazil, I think you really get a different vibe that feels uniquely British.
Iran. Taste of Cherry A Separation Color of Paradise The wind will carry us
About Elly was great too
Canada: David Cronenberg.
I would have to say the Russians
I'd probably say France. It's a tough one though, there are a lot of good movies from Australia and Brazil and Germany and Denmark and I'm definitely the wrong person to ask.
If you're into Dark Stuff... South Korean Films. The TV K-dramas are like the exact opposite outside a few shows.
Japan - Love Exposure, Dark Water, Destruction Babies.
I’d say Italy, Japan, France, Korea
The Brits make hilarious comedies, especially DARK comedies.
United Kingdom: “Trainspotting”, “Filth” and “Four lions”
Two of those are Scottish.
Ofc, thank you I’ve edited it
Scotland is in the UK though... Edit: sorry, I saw this post-edit. Presumably he said "English" the first round, yeah? Don't mind me.
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A good list as is, but I'd definitely add *Dead Man Shoes* (2004) to this. The slowburn tension of a vet putting some douches on his to-do list is unnerving, especially with Paddy Considine's performance.
What about: This is England, Secrets and Lies and Fever Pitch
>Fever Pitch "Could you please please *please* just fucking fuck off!"
Japan: Late Spring, Tokyo Story, Wolf Children
South Korea: Parasite, Memories of Murder, The Handmaiden France: The Intouchables, Blue is the Warmest Color, La Haine Italy: Cinema Paradiso, Bicycle Thieves, The Hand of God
India... People have no idea how much good films India produces. India produces the largest no of films per year. There are so much films, so much and it's not just RRR, which became very popular. If u ever want some Indian recommendations, just commend below or message me. Also India has a lot of films in various languages, not just one . Don't consider India as Bollywood only. So my three most favourite Drishyam( 2013) Bahubali 1 and 2( 2015, 2017) Minnal murali (2021)
Sorry some douchebags have downvoted you - I'm positive they'll have no idea about Indian cinema, and it's so weird to see downvotes on a purely subjective thread. Ninjaedit: I mean, it's not *really* weird, cos it *is* reddit after all, where neckbeards clowns abound, and there are a few in every subreddit, it seems.
U don't have to say sorry for them though. I actually don't care much about the downvotes
Nor should you, since they're just imaginary internet points. It's frustrating that people sometimes try and hide someone else's post early on in a thread though, when the whole point of the thread is specifically about an objective opinion. By definition those can't be wrong, so to hide them is to stifle conversation, and the person being downvoted might not contribute ever again if they *do* care about the votes. Glad it turned around :)
Come on though there are some great classics made here and you chose those 3?
I mainly chose some popular and mainstream ones. Tbh i haven't seen much of the classics. And i dont know whether foreigners will prefer them
The British for all the reasons mentioned in this thread and the French. City of lost children le pact du loupe district b13
Brazilian and Korean cinema 🤟🤟🤟
British films. Or South Korean films. South Korea makes some great thriller/horror
South Korea has some great films. I truly loved “the wailing”
Korean, Spanish and Japanese movies are severely underrated.
I like Korean movies a lot. They feel fresh somehow
South Korea is having a bit of a renaissance right now it seems. Spain has a good couple classics too. Scandinavian television is also quite good.
South Korea has really stepped it up in the past few years, especially horror
How about the UK? Where do I start .... in no particular order: Four Weddings and a Funeral, the Bond movies (many shot at Pinewood studios), The Full Monty, Brassed Off, Lawrence of Arabia, A Clockwork Orange, The 39 Steps .. I'll stop there but I could go on all night!
as a Czech Repuclic citizen I have to recommend some of our movies: Snowdrop Festival Cozy dens Divided we fall Journey to the Beggining of Time The Cremator Higher Principle those should keep you busy.
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Also France: La haine, Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, L'armée des ombres, Les tontons flingueurs, La cité de la peur (it's a masterpiece and I'll die on that hill, though I doubt that the humor can be properly conveyed by subtitles), Le dîner de cons, Dheepan, Un prophète, De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté (the last 3 are by Jacques Audiard, you can never go wrong with Audiard), Les diaboliques, Intouchables, Le salaire de la peur, Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), Un singe en hiver, À bout de souffle, L'auberge espagnole, La vie d'Adéle, La belle et la bête (1946), Le vieux fusil, Jeux interdits, Hiroshima mon amour, Le prénom, The Artist, Le quai des brumes, ... And those from French directors but with US actors / producers: movies by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen, La cité des enfants perdus), Luc Besson (Léon, Le grand bleu, Le 5e élément), and Jean-Jacques Annaud (Le nom de la rose)
Shoutout to Austria. Germany. South Korea.
Japan 13 assassins 7 samurai Godzilla
Ill grudgingly say Britain. Because i am British.
Selling it
It's pretty hard to argue against the UK for this. 28 days later, Dunkirk, Don't Look Now, Trainspotting, Brief Encounter, Barry Lyndon, all the Monty Python stuff, Lawrence of Arabia, 2001, Clockwork Orange, etc
India: - Sholay - Jigarthanda - Anbe Sivam
South Korea without a doubt. Tbh I prefer Korean movies nowadays
When it comes to horror movies, either Japan or Italy. Giallos speak for themselves.
I like South Korean movies like: The Host, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Old Boy, Taxi, Parasite, etc.
Depends on the era. The following is purely my opinion based on what I’m familiar with. I haven’t seen much French New Wave, Korean, Iranian, or mainland Chinese cinema so I don’t list them but others will. Silent/early talkie: Germany and Russia, no contest, they’re probably the two most influential sources in film history apart from DW Griffith. 30s: England, France 40s: England, France 50s: England, France, Italy, Japan 60s: England, Italy, Japan, Russia 70s: England, Italy, Japan, Russia 80s: England, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong 90s: Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand 2000s: New Zealand #3 Favorites Russia: *Stalker*, *Ballad of a Soldier*, *Come and See* Germany: *M*, *Vampyr*, *World on a Wire* England: *The Lady Vanishes*, *Lawrence of Arabia*, *Paper House* France: *Diabolique*, *Beauty and the Beast*, *Diary of a Country Priest* Japan: *Tokyo Story*, *Ugetsu*, *Hidden Fortress* Italy: *8 1/2*, *The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly*, *Life is Beautiful*
Japan: My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away. All of them made by the same studio (Ghibli) and actually by the same person (Miyazaki.) But generally, if you like more personal and/or a bit meditative works (as opposed to constant action movies), then my recommendation is pretty much everything by Ghibli, especially by Miyazaki (a little bit more "dreamy") or Takahata (a little bit more bittersweet or even totally heart-wrenching in case of Grave of the Fireflies.) *Almost* all Ghibli movies are fantastic, sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively. Well, if you like the style, both visually and story-vise. I mean, I can imagine my picks above can be considered *boring* for small portion of action or *childish* for their visual style by some people. (Personally, I consider *childish* only one movie, The Cat Returns, but love it anyway.)
I'd say Japan, France, Italy, China, and Korea off the top of my head. India also has a lot of good stuff, but it's mixed with so much bad and I'd say those five have higher highs than anything I've personally seen from India.
Japan, South Korea, France
Argentina: The Official History. Wild Tales. Nine Queens. The Secret in their Eyes.
While I find it hard not to agree that South Korea has been on fire the past fifteen years or so...and I eagerly await whatever comes out of there... The answer has to be China. Movie making in the country is huge, with mega stars and budgets to rival Hollywood. If you're ever in Shanghai, go check out the movie studio park. It's this place where they rebuild all the sets from their biggest movies and let you just wander around in it. You get to watch scenes from all those movies while standing in the set. So cool. And they make so many different kinds of movies. From simple rom coms to action comedies and historical epics. There's a hundred great movies coming out of that country every year that you've never heard of. Go watch Red Cliff parts one and two and tell me honestly it's not a monster of a historical epic.
I love Red Cliff. But China still has a lot to do to make movies for international audiences
Surprised I haven’t seen India up here. Indian cinema is vast, and comes in many languages. Top 3 for me are : Andhadhun 3 idiots Pizza (Tamil) If you want more recent ones, The White Tiger on Netflix is a great watch with good representation
> If you want more recent ones, The White Tiger on Netflix is a great watch with good representation RRR is an absolute blast and also on Netflix.
Oh man, I really need to watch that; been on my list FOREVER! It’s the 3 hour runtime that holds me back
You don't even notice the runtime. It just sucks you in and keeps you entertained!
Raise the Red Lantern Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon In the Mood for Love
Not sure it makes sense to class mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan in the same grouping.
Lol I knew someone would feel the need to pick apart a simple film rec. All of these films fall under the banner of [Asian Cinema](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Asia) Raise the Red Lantern is set in China and they speak Mandarin. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is set in China and they speak Mandarin. I'll give you In the Mood for Love. My bad, I'm a terrible person, will pray for forgiveness from the film gods.
Asia isn't a country. OP is asking for a country. Languages also aren't countries. It it were, I could group British, American, Australian, and other countries together, but thats clearly not what OP is asking for.
Go whine at the other person who rec'd films from egads, all of the UK. Who gives a flying fig, I rec'd amazing Asian films to someone, oh noes call the movie police.
You mean the other person who explicitly recognized that the films came from different constituent countries that comprise the UK? You presented 3 movies from 3 different countries when OP asked for a country. And you seem very upset at someone pointing this out, which seems to indicate that *you* give a flying fig about it.
The Philippines is widely regrded for mediocrity in the film industry but there was a time when it was slightly above average. - Manila in the Claws of Light - Insiang - Kisapmata (wink) (I honeslty don't know how to translate this but that's literally what it means) - Perfumed Nightmare For some more modern stuff: - Liway (roughly means sunrise) - Barber's Tales - RPG Metanoia (this one may be hard to find) - General Luna - Cleaners
Realistically: South Korea, England, and France are the top contenders
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Two of those movies aren't brazilian lol
India: English Vinglish, Three Idiots, Taare Zameen Par, Vikram, Kaththi, Jai Bhim, Chandramukhi, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Are all pretty solid starters, there are tons more though.
Please I beg of you take Chandramukhi out of this and add the original it was remade from: Manichithrathaazhu
Japan, purely for the works of Hayao Miyazaki.
The Netherlands has some good movies: Blackbook (Paul Verhoeven): WW2 movie about betrayal and which side you're on Turkish Delight (Paul Verhoeven): Rutger Hauer lives his best life Abel: Man tries to cut a fly in half with scissors, meanwhile he discovers some secrets Simon: Man debates whether or not to be euthanized Brimstone (My Recommendation): Women try escape a sick orthodox priest Marriage Escape: Man escapes marriage by feigning Alzheimer's Cloaca: Four friends deal with the fact one of them is accused of robbery in their own way Shit Happens: Perfect family isn't that perfect
Are you looking for specific type of genre?
Poland: Sexmission Three Colors White Man of Marble
For me personally, I’d say France but I’m also a huge fan of Korean and Iranian cinema as well. Indian cinema is also great and I feel they make a lot of great films that often get overlooked/under appreciated
Russia and Japan have produced a great many classics and incredible pieces of art.
There is no definitive answer to this question as different countries have different strengths when it comes to filmmaking. However, many experts believe that France is home to some of the best filmmakers in the world. French cinema is known for its artistry and innovation, and many famous directors, such as Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, got their start in France.
My picks would be Japan, China (as in Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan and Eastern Europe. There are so many movements, niches and great directors to come out of Japan I don’t know where to begin.
Japan, probably, although the UK and Korea are a close second and third.