Great Foreign Films

photo: Wong Kar-Wai's Fallen Angels

This is primarily intended to be foreign languages other than English, though some of these are mixed languages, such as Babel, and may include some English. I also listed Mira Nair's The Namesake because, even though in English, it's a film made by an Indian director about Bengali Indians living in the U.S. I also included Whale Rider from New Zealand, which is mostly in English, but since it's about the Maori culture I consider it an important foreign film about an ethnic minority trying to maintain cultural identity in a modern world.

Great Foreign Films
Currently 162 listed, with links to our reviews.

13 Tzameti (2006) France, bw
The 400 Blows (1959) France, bw
8 ½ (1963) Italy, bw
A Prophet (2009) France
A Wednesday (2008) India
After the Wedding (2006) Denmark [photo rt]
Aguirre, The Wrath of God (1972) Germany
All About My Mother (1999) Spain
Amarcord (1974) Italy
Ashes of Time Redux (1994) China
Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) France, bw
Babel (2006) Mexico
Ballad of a Soldier (1959) Russia, bw
Band of Outsiders (1964) France, bw
The Barbarian Invasions (2003) Canada, tv
Battle of Algiers (1965) France, bw
The Battleship Potemkin (1925) bw
The Beautiful Country (2004) Norway
The Best of Youth (2003) Italy
Beyond Silence (1996) Germany
Big Deal on Madonna St (1959) Italy, bw
Blood of My Blood (2007) Mexico
Bride and Prejudice (2004) India
Butterfly (1999) Spain
Carmen (1983) Spain
Casque d’or (1952) France, bw
Central Station (1998) Brazil
Chaos (2001) France
Chocolat (2000) France
The Chorus (2004) France
Chungking Express (1994) Hong Kong
Cinema Paradiso (1988) Italy
City of God (2002) Brazil
Closely Watched Trains (1966) Czechoslovakia, bw
Come and See (1985) Russia
The Conformist (1970) Italy
The Counterfeiters (2007) Austria
The Cranes Are Flying (1957) Russia
Crazed Fruit (1956) Japan, bw
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) China
The Cuckoo (2002) Russia
Das Boot (The Boat) (1981) Germany
Days of Glory (2006) Algeria
Devils On the Doorstep (2000), China, bw
Diva (1981) France
Downfall (2004) Germany
Earth (1998) India-Canada
The Earrings of Madame De.. (1953) France, bw
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) China
El Alamein (2002) Italy
El Mariachi (1992) Mexico
Elevator to the Gallows (1958) France, bw
The Emperor and the Assassin (1998) China
Era Notte a Roma (1960) Italy, bw
Fallen Angels (1995) China
Farewell My Concubine (1993) China
Fateless (2005) Hungary-France-UK, bw
Fire (1995) India
Fitzcarraldo (1982) Germany [photo rt: Werner Herzog actually moved a steamship over jungle land like his character played by Klaus Kinski] Burden of Dreams is a documentary about the making of this film.
Floating Weeds (1959), Japan
Gadjo Dilo (1998) Romania
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970) Italy
Gloomy Sunday (1999)Germany
Good Bye, Lenin! (2003) Germany
The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964) Italy, bw
Grand Illusion (1937) France, bw
Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Japan
The Harmonists (1997) Germany
Heavenly Creatures (1994) New Zealand
Hero (2002) China
Himalaya (1999) Nepal
House of Flying Daggers (2004) China
I Am Cuba (1964) Cuba-Russia, bw
I Served the King of England (2006) Czech Rep.
Il Postino (1995), Italy
Il Posto (1961) Italy, bw
In the Mood for Love (2001) Hong Kong
The Italian (2005) Russia
Ivan's Childhood (1962) Russia, bw
Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring (1986) France
Jodhaa Akbar (2007) India
Kapó (1959) Italy, bw
Kinamind (2005) Denmark
Kolya (1996) Czech Republic
L'america (1994) Italy
L'avventura (1960) Italy, bw
La Dolce Vita (1960) Italy, bw
La Femme Nikita (1990) France
La Haine (2005) France, bw
Landscape in the Mist (1988) Greece
Lebanon (2009) Israel
The Lives of Others (2007) Germany [photo rt]
Lust, Caution (2007) China
Malena (2000) Italy
Man With the Movie Camera (1928) USSR, bw/silent
Mephisto (1981) Hungary
Metropolis (1927) Germany, bw-silent
Micmacs (2009) France
Mongol (2007) Russia
Monsoon Wedding (2000) India
Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002) India
The Namesake (2006) India-US (in English)
Nelly and Mr. Arnaud (1995), France
Nine Queens (2000) Argentina
No Man’s Land (2001) Bosnia
Not One Less (1999) China
Nowhere in Africa (2002) Germany
Olympia (1938) Germany, bw
Perfume (2006) Germany
Prisoner of the Mountains (1996) Russia
The Promise (2005) China
Purple Noon (1961) France
Quinceañera (2006) (in Spanish)
Rashomon (1954) Japan, bw
Red Cliff (2008) China
Return of Martin Guerre (1982) France
Ridicule, France [not yet reviewed] - a terrific film about having to endure social ridicule in the upper echelons of French society at court in order to gain political favors, in this case having irrigation put in to benefit farmers in southern France. One of the more curious and interesting films I've seen..
Rififi (1955) France, bw
The Road Home (1999) China
Rocco and his Brothers (1964) Italy, bw
Run Lola Run (1998) Germany
Salaam Bombay! (1988) India
Samurai 1: Musashi Miyamoto (1954) Japan
The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) Argentina
The Seven Samurai (1957) Japan, bw
Shall We Dance? (1995) Japan
The Shop on Main St. (1965) Czechoslavakia, bw
Sleepwalking Through the Mekong (2009) (US, filmed in Cambodia)
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.. and Spring (2003) Korea
The Story of the Weeping Camel (2003) Germany
Stray Dog (1949) Japan, bw [not yet reviewed] - engrossing police investigation of a rookie detective's gun being stolen on a crowded bus in postwar Tokyo, then being used in crimes after being sold on the black market
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) Germany, bw
Three Monkeys (2008), Turkey [not yet reviewed] - Nuri Bilge Ceylan's interesting and beautifully shot film (like all of his) about a man who takes the rap for another's hit and run for a nice payment. Winner of 3 awards for best director (for this), including Cannes. I also like his film Climates
Throne of Blood (2008) Japan, bw
To Live (1994) China
Together (2002) China
Tokyo Story (1953) Japan, bw
Touch the Sound (2004) Germany
The Triplets of Belleville (2003) France-Belgium-Can.-UK
Triumph of the Will (1935) Germany, bw
The Tunnel (2001) Germany
Turtles Can Fly (2004) Iran-Iraq
The Twilight Samurai (2002) Japan
The Two of Us (1967) France, bw
Ugetsu (1953) Japan, bw [photo rt]
Umberto D (1952) Italy, bw
Under the Sun (1998), Sweden
Vantage Point (2008)
Vatel (2000) France
Veer-Zaara (2004) India
Viridiana (1961) Italy, bw
The Wages of Fear (1953) France, bw
War and Peace (1968) Russia
War Photographer (2001) Switzerland
Warriors (Guerreros, 2007) Spain
Water (2005) India-Canada
Whale Rider (2003) New Zealand
The White Ribbon (2009) Germany
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) Spain
Women Without Men (2009) Iran
Zelary (2003) Czech Republic
Zhou Yu's Train (2004) China

photo: Vittorio De Sica's Umberto D.

A Note about Kurosawa: I like his early b&w films, especially Stray Dog, Rashomon, and The Seven Samurai, but find his 'Shakespearean' epics to be overwrought and boring. These include Throne of Blood, Ran, and Kagemusha. Of these three, I remember liking the cinematography of Ran, but also wishing the movie would just get over, which is not the earmark of an engrossing or captivating film, nor one you would rewatch.