Okay, so I've always considered myself to have a pretty firm grasp on classic American cinema, but something I've always felt I was lacking in was my knowledge and experience with classic foreign cinema. So, with my shiny new Netflix account, I want to stock pile foreign classics I feel like I should see. I'm starting with two obvious filmmakers and their filmography, Fellini and Kurosawa. So, knowing that I've never seen any of their films, which ones are absolute must sees? I'll update this thread everytime I move on to a new filmmaker. I'll include my thoughts on the films I've seen, and I'll also be looking for suggestions. So, yeah... help a brotha' out!

8 1/2: ?

Next up: La Dolce Vita

You need more than just that kinda help.

True, but beside the point.

No, that IS the point, punk.

Why are you worrying about this kind of "help" when there's much more important stuff to deal with? Are you just, like, apathetic?

But, yeah, if you want to know everything there is to know about film, why don't you start with early, silent films? Fellini and Kurosawa weren't until we had color in the US, no? So, obviously, there's some big US influence on their work (I'd guess).

I've seen a lot of silent film. Like, a lot.

The biggest blank spot I have in my film history is 50s-70s foreign film.

Go Swedish.


Actually, if you check out last years foreign film festival threads, the hosts packed information about their respective countries into them. Give them a glance over.

Keep us updated!

Fellini I can't really help you out with him, I don't like his style. Two of his big ones are 8 1/2 and La Dolce Vita.

Some of the best Kurosawa:

Yojimbo Do you like A Fistful of Dollars? Good. That film is a virtual remake of Yojimbo, although with some key thematic differences.

The Seven Samurai Do you like The Maginificent Seven? That's a remake of a Kurosawa film as well. Kurosawa's is WAY better than the western though, the character studies and the battles are excellent

The Hidden Fortress Do you like Star Wars? Are you noticing a theme? No, SW is not a remake but it borrows a number of elements from this one.

Rashomon This is a fascinating film about a rape and murder told from four different points of view. Its a fascinating examination of the way perception and prejudice influence "reality". Oh, and surprise, this was remade as The Outrage

Ran and Kagemusha A pair of excellently filmed Samurai epics

Ikiru Tired of Samurai? This one is about an aging bureaucrat who is dying of cancer. An excellent character study.

For your next, I agree with Dolcevita - go Swedish, or more specifically, go Bergman.

Makeshift. Knowing your tastes a little bit, if you watch a Fellini you must watch Nights of Cabiria. I've been trying to get Lennier and Chris to watch it too. I think all three of you would love it. But as deathhawk said, La Dolce Vita (teehee) and 8 1/2 are probably his most well known.

Nights of Cabria is the only Fellini film I have seen, its excellent.

I should receive my first group of three in a couple of days now. Here is how my queue is broken up. Any suggestions for titles to add/remove would be welcome...

Fellini
01. Nights of Cabiria
02. 8 1/2
03. La Dolce Vita

Fellini/Kurosawa
04. Amarcord
05. La Strada
06. Seven Samurai

Kurosawa
07. Rashomon
08. Ran
09. Kagemusha

Kurosawa/Bergman
10. Throne of Blood
11. Yojimbo
12. The Seventh Seal

Bergman
13. The Virgin Spring
14. Hour of the Wolf
15. Scenes from a Marriage (Theatrical)

Bergman
16. Wild Strawberries
17. Cries and Whispers
18. Through a Glass Darkly

Bergman
19. Winter Light
20. The Silence

Add Persona as a final Bergman (i.e. #21). I personally think its one of his three best. Your other Bergman selections would be hard to argue against though.

add fanny and alexander to your bergman selection, its a sublime film. both the three hour theatrical version and the 300 minute directors cut are great. oh and have fun watching cries and whispers, that may be the most depressing and wrenching film i have ever seen. makes requiem for a dream look like seventh heaven.

I added both Persona (#21) and Fanny and Alexander (#22).

Hmmm. Excellent picks (even the ones I haven't seen I can deduce as a good pick from others' high praise). Are you looking for additional directors as well? Or just focusing on these. I would stongly encourage you to look at some of Lina Wermuller's work, for better or worse. She was the the biggest international female director in America until Jane Campion. And probably still the biggest female import using non-Anglo language. She was huge here. bigger than she ever was in Italy, and very controversial (Swept Away was, anyways). But if you had to see one film of hers please please please see Seven Beauties. I can't speak about this enough, and your appreciation of film will go rewarded right off the bat with the strongest montage minutes and voice-over I've ever seen. You'll hate the lead Pasquelino, but you'll love that he represents human passion over cold, mechanized warfare.

Don't forget Antonioni and Passolini. See L'Avventura and Blow-Up from the former, and definately The Gospel According to St. Matthew from the latter.

Moving away from Italy, I'd tell you the Brazilian/French production by Camus you should see is Black Orpheus. I encouraged you to check it out once when we were contemplating a horror night selection. Its not too bloody, but it has great tone and beautiful imagery throughout.

If you want to go a little newer, check out Emir Kusturica. He's most well known for his "Underground," but I didn't like it nearly as much as Black Cat, White Cat which I've been trying to get Snrub to watch for ages (should tell you a little bit about the style). Its the greatest, most romantic, romcom ever. You can't help but smile when its over.

Galia...

Yeah, I'm definitely looking for more directors. I added the Wertmuller films you suggested (Swept Away, Love & Anarchy, and Seven Beauties), as well as Blow-Up and L'Avventura from Antonioni.

I looked at Passolini, but the only copy of The Gospel According to St. Matthew (which sounds great, BTW) they had was apparently badly dubbed in english.

I couldn't find Black Cat, White Cat (it must not be on DVD), but I did add Underground.

Some other directors I've added...

Catherine Breillat (Romance and Anatomy of Hell)
Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless, Weekend, A Woman Is a Woman, My Life to Live, Le Petit Soldat, Contempt, Band of Outsiders, and Alphaville)
Kar Wai Wong (In the Mood for Love and Chungking Express)
François Truffaut (The 400 Blows, Jules and Jim, and Shoot the Piano Player)

Any other suggestions?

Weird about Kustirica. I'm pretty sure 1997 was DVDland. I know I've seen it in DVD. Did you search by director's name rather than title? Hmmmmmm. I should warn you I got 2 hours and 15 minutes into Underground and still didn't bother watching the last 25 minutes. It didn't go over that well with me. But its by far his most well-known. So its still a good introduction.

Watch anything by Sembene you can get your hands on. Right now Moolaade still hasn't bloody hit DVD two years after its theatre run, but Semebene is considered one of the "fathers"of African cinema. He's also written about in every femenist textbook on cinema I have peaked at. He's great. I love his books and movies. If Moolaade is out, its a must. Second up I'd suggest his Mandabi, which I know is available on DVD, and after that his shorter early films Barom Sarat and Black Girl (they come on the same DVD). Faat Kine is a meh...his weakest movie imo, and I don't think its been converted to DVD yet either.

Also, Pontecorvo's Battle of Algiers. Its not the blind love so many give it, but its certainly one of the most interesting and controversial movies that other people have actually seen and can discuss with you if you are interested.

Get some Gong Li flicks in there if you haven't seen them, heh. Its pretty much two directors, Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.

And De Sica, how could I forget. My favorite, Yesterday. Today, and Tomorrow, and Miracle in Milan. Bicycle Thief is up there, again not my favorite but certainly far and away his most well known. If you want to do Cuba, there's always Alea and Memories of Underdevelopment (his most famous and the jump start of new Cuban film industry) and Guantanamera, and one everyone except me liked, Strawberry and Chocolate.

Hope this is helping. Can't wait until i start hearing the reports. Maybe I'll grab a few off your list I haven't seen and try to watch them too.

A bout de souffle and Ladri di biciclette.

Fin

Galia...

Thank you so much. I've got my queue jacked up to around 70 now, so I should be good for awhile. I added most of the suggestions you made. Yeah, that'd be cool if you could watch some, too. I should have the first couple of reviews up on Friday or Saturday night, depending on how quick Netflix moves.

They're both on there.

Duh.

breillats movies are crap imo. no ideas, no filmmaking talent, no budget. just "controversial" crap.

I have to admit, the only reason I'm interested is because I've heard uber-porn star Rocco actually gives great performances in both.

he is quite hilarious in "romance", a few minutes after they first meet he begs our heroine for a blowjob in his car.

makeshift.

Tarkovsky

I recommend Andrei Rubliev, Stalker, The Mirror. My favorite live action film of all time is Solaris but it's not considered one of his best.

The Hidden Fortress is pretty important for Kurosawa.

Added.