10 Foreign Films for People Who Hate Foreign Films.
May 1st 2008 05:05
It’s frustrating when you see an absolutely awesome foreign language film that no one will see by simple virtue of the fact it has subtitles. There seems to be a perception amongst mainstream audiences that foreign films are all arty, boring, navel-gazing pieces of self-indulgence that they won’t be able to relate to.
This is true in some instances, but there are also a whole slew of foreign films that can go toe to toe with any Hollywood blockbuster or genre film and come out on top. These are the films that even ADD Tim would love, if only he dragged himself away from the X-Box for long enough.
So, in that light, here is my list of the 10 most arse-kickingest movies with subtitles for people who hate films with subtitles…
Pan’s Labyrinth (Spanish) This is Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece. Pan’s Labyrinth is a shattering adult fairy tale about a young girl who, with the help of a mysterious faun, seeks to escape the horrors of the Spanish Civil War and her villainous stepfather. This one is a hard sell for many. A lot of people don’t know how to deal with a fairy tale scenario that is so grim and violent. Pan’s Labyrinth is an incredibly layered and nuanced film that will reward and haunt you long after the credits roll. And the wordless lullaby that forms the basis of the score was stuck in my head for months.
Kung Fu Hustle (Chinese) – Stephen Chow’s film is like a live action Looney Tunes cartoon. It is pure entertainment from start to finish and had me in stitches of laughter all the way through. It also has some incredibly inventive and visually spectacular fight sequences that, while having some pretty obvious CGI work, are still very fun to watch.
City of God (Brazilian) – Set in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, this one plays something like a Brazilian version of Goodfellas. Based on true events, the film chronicles the life of a young boy named Buscape, whose love and talent for photography offers him the opportunity to escape the cycle of violence and crime that engulf the slums that he calls home. The film is populated with a colourful cast of characters, including one particularly vicious psychopath named Li’l Ze. This is a gripping tale that takes you deep inside a world that you can only imagine.
The Devil’s Backbone (Spanish) – Another brilliant film from Guillermo del Toro and something of a thematic companion piece to Pan’s Labyrinth. This is a ghost story set in an orphanage during the Spanish Civil war. It is scary, gripping and utterly unique.
Brotherhood of the Wolf (French) - A French martial arts/horror film? Say no more. Starring Vincent Cassel, Mark Dacascos and my dream woman, Monica Bellucci, this is a visually stunning film. It’s almost like director Christophe Gans took Hound of the Baskerville and threw in some Matrix-style fight choreography. Surprisingly, it works very, very well.
Infernal Affairs (Hong Kong) – Remade in America by Martin Scorsese as The Departed, the original is just as good, if not better, than it’s Hollywood counterpart. The intertwining story of a crook working undercover in the police and a cop working undercover in the mafia is a brilliant concept that is exceptionally realised.
Oldboy (Korean) – This is one of my all-time favourite films, and put director Park Chan-Wook instantly onto my watch list. It is the ultimate revenge movie – it’s brutal, disturbing and it has a shock ending that comes like a kick to the guts. It is the story of Dae Su… a man who, for no apparent reason, is abducted off the street and locked in a prison cell by an unknown tormentor. After 15 years, he is suddenly released and sets out to discover who has done this to him and why. The film strips the concept of revenge to the bone and asks the question, what is more important: truth or vengeance? It is a stunning piece of work that is unlike any other film I’ve seen.
Amelie (French) – If Oldboy epitomises darkness and vengeance, then Amelie is the exact opposite – a charming and light story without an ounce of cynicism to it. It’s hard not to be totally enamoured of Audrey Tatou in the title roll of this film – an elfin beauty who commits acts of kindness on unsuspecting strangers. This is a feel good film that leaves you feeling like the world really is a wonderful place.
The Host (Korean) – horror/comedy from director Bong Joon-Ho, this monster movie took me by complete surprise by how funny it is. I’d rate it as the funniest horror/comedy since Shaun of the Dead. The monster is bloody cool too.
Night Watch (Russian) – Okay, so the plot is damn near impregnable, but the visuals are great and the set pieces are creative, which at least makes it very good eye candy. Try and seek out the version in which the subtitles are creatively integrated into the film – it is the best use of subtitles I’ve ever seen.
Other foreign films worth your time include: Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Brotherhood of War, Bangkok Dangerous, Memories of Murder, A Very Long Engagement, The Eye, Haute Tension, and I’m Not Scared.
This is true in some instances, but there are also a whole slew of foreign films that can go toe to toe with any Hollywood blockbuster or genre film and come out on top. These are the films that even ADD Tim would love, if only he dragged himself away from the X-Box for long enough.
So, in that light, here is my list of the 10 most arse-kickingest movies with subtitles for people who hate films with subtitles…
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan’s Labyrinth (Spanish) This is Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece. Pan’s Labyrinth is a shattering adult fairy tale about a young girl who, with the help of a mysterious faun, seeks to escape the horrors of the Spanish Civil War and her villainous stepfather. This one is a hard sell for many. A lot of people don’t know how to deal with a fairy tale scenario that is so grim and violent. Pan’s Labyrinth is an incredibly layered and nuanced film that will reward and haunt you long after the credits roll. And the wordless lullaby that forms the basis of the score was stuck in my head for months.
Kung Fu Hustle (Chinese) – Stephen Chow’s film is like a live action Looney Tunes cartoon. It is pure entertainment from start to finish and had me in stitches of laughter all the way through. It also has some incredibly inventive and visually spectacular fight sequences that, while having some pretty obvious CGI work, are still very fun to watch.
City of God (Brazilian) – Set in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, this one plays something like a Brazilian version of Goodfellas. Based on true events, the film chronicles the life of a young boy named Buscape, whose love and talent for photography offers him the opportunity to escape the cycle of violence and crime that engulf the slums that he calls home. The film is populated with a colourful cast of characters, including one particularly vicious psychopath named Li’l Ze. This is a gripping tale that takes you deep inside a world that you can only imagine.
The Devil’s Backbone (Spanish) – Another brilliant film from Guillermo del Toro and something of a thematic companion piece to Pan’s Labyrinth. This is a ghost story set in an orphanage during the Spanish Civil war. It is scary, gripping and utterly unique.
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Brotherhood of the Wolf (French) - A French martial arts/horror film? Say no more. Starring Vincent Cassel, Mark Dacascos and my dream woman, Monica Bellucci, this is a visually stunning film. It’s almost like director Christophe Gans took Hound of the Baskerville and threw in some Matrix-style fight choreography. Surprisingly, it works very, very well.
Infernal Affairs (Hong Kong) – Remade in America by Martin Scorsese as The Departed, the original is just as good, if not better, than it’s Hollywood counterpart. The intertwining story of a crook working undercover in the police and a cop working undercover in the mafia is a brilliant concept that is exceptionally realised.
Oldboy
Oldboy (Korean) – This is one of my all-time favourite films, and put director Park Chan-Wook instantly onto my watch list. It is the ultimate revenge movie – it’s brutal, disturbing and it has a shock ending that comes like a kick to the guts. It is the story of Dae Su… a man who, for no apparent reason, is abducted off the street and locked in a prison cell by an unknown tormentor. After 15 years, he is suddenly released and sets out to discover who has done this to him and why. The film strips the concept of revenge to the bone and asks the question, what is more important: truth or vengeance? It is a stunning piece of work that is unlike any other film I’ve seen.
Amelie (French) – If Oldboy epitomises darkness and vengeance, then Amelie is the exact opposite – a charming and light story without an ounce of cynicism to it. It’s hard not to be totally enamoured of Audrey Tatou in the title roll of this film – an elfin beauty who commits acts of kindness on unsuspecting strangers. This is a feel good film that leaves you feeling like the world really is a wonderful place.
The Host
The Host (Korean) – horror/comedy from director Bong Joon-Ho, this monster movie took me by complete surprise by how funny it is. I’d rate it as the funniest horror/comedy since Shaun of the Dead. The monster is bloody cool too.
Night Watch (Russian) – Okay, so the plot is damn near impregnable, but the visuals are great and the set pieces are creative, which at least makes it very good eye candy. Try and seek out the version in which the subtitles are creatively integrated into the film – it is the best use of subtitles I’ve ever seen.
Other foreign films worth your time include: Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Brotherhood of War, Bangkok Dangerous, Memories of Murder, A Very Long Engagement, The Eye, Haute Tension, and I’m Not Scared.
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Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
I couldn't stand the ludicrous excesses of The Brothehood of the Wolf however - and yet I seem to be in the minority with this one!
I've got Pan's Labyrinth sitting here to watch but haven't got around to it yet which is shameful!
I also love too many other modern French films to name, including The Dreamlife of Angels, Time Out, La Ceremonie and Read My Lips....................
Comment by Brad Gaylard
Mens Zen
I'm off to see The Orphanage tonight, and will post a review tomorrow.
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
BrotherHood of the Wold was good too.
Pan over rated I thought.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Sometime back I did an A - Z of my favourite foreign films, a ot of which had the American sensibilities rampant in the 10 you listed. i dig most of the ones you short listed.
In the spirit of sharing, Here they are, not all my absolute faves, just one for each letter of the alphabet.
Aguirre of God
Battle of Algiers
City of Lost Children
Day of the Beast
Experiment Das
Funny Games
Godzilla (1952)
Hana-Bi
Insomnia
Jesus of Montreal
Killer, The
La Femme Nikitta
M (Fritz Lang)
Nosferatau
Old Boy
Police Story
Quest For Fire
Rififi
Samourai, Le
Tenant, The
Umberto D
Vanishing, The
Wages of Fear
X – (Can’t think of one)
Yojimbo
Z (Costa-Gavras)
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Have to see Brotherhood of the Wolf - I adore Monica too, and started to really like her husband after previously being turned off by him, after I saw Irreversible.
Infernal Affairs, Amelie, I'm Not Scared... all great movies. One of my other favourite foreign films is Sex and Lucia.
Great post.
Michaelie
Comment by Toby
Nor sure about Brotherhood of the Wolf. I switched off half way through. The rest are pretty much spot on given the theme. Liked Delicatessen more than Amelie but agree it is more accessible. Audrey Tatou is v cute to boot.
Pan's Labyrinth would feature in my all time top 5 best movie list.
The Spanish Apartment is also pretty accessible as is Monsoon Wedding for those who like an Indian theme.
Comment by Cheryl J
Funny Videos
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As Toby mentioned, The Spanish Apartment is a very accessible film, I thoroughly enjoyed it as did a friend who dislikes subtitled movies - possibly because there are a number of languages spoken including English.
Comment by Irene
Women In Cinema
Grammar Matters
I'm glad The Host made it on this list. Love that movie (but it seems to be pretty unknown)! I actually never saw Amelie (shame on me, I know...).
I agree with most of the choices here: they're not too obscure or "old", so people who usually avoid foreign movies would probably like them. It helps that they're mostly 'genre' movies too.
Comment by D. Armenta
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Old but timeless.
Great post, thank you.
Comment by Louella Suque
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Comment by James Rickard
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Comment by Brad Gaylard
Mens Zen
I kinda intentionally avoided wuxia stuff like Hero (or, House of Flying Daggers, which I prefer)... as I figured people with an aversion to foreign films might make that association with martial arts cinema. Heck... you could do a whole other list of awesome martial arts and wuxia films for the uninitiated (hmmmm).
Armenta... no Kurosawa mainly because I was shooting for more modern genre-type films. Besides, Kurosawa doesn't need to be talked up by a hack like me - his name alone is a legend unto itself.
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Comment by What's Your Story?
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Comment by Thoraiya Dyer
Demented World
So glad to see Pan's Labyrinth, Amelie and Infernal Affairs up there, though I have been frustrated trying to show Infernal Affairs to non-converts because they can't tell the Hong Kong actors apart
Easier to convert them with dubbed, quality anime such as Grave of the Fireflies.
And Armenta, I, too, was sad not to see The Seven Samurai on the list, but it is a very long movie, and the non-subtitle-readers often have a whine about that, too!
Comment by AmyHuang
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Comment by Wayne F
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One movie you guys should watch is Amores Perros (Love's A Bitch). It's a very good Mexican movie that looks at the lives of three people that are all linked to a car accident. Dog lovers be advised, this is not a movie for you. Great film and worth a watch.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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i enjoyed your list, i really should attempt a few more foreign films, it seems like ive missed out on quite a few good ones!
Comment by What's Your Story?
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Comment by yoda76
The Tube Blog
For Italian film, also "Il Postino" (The Postman) and "Cinema Paradiso", both genuinely moving and beautiful films.
Comment by Geoff Egan
Cinema XYZ
Noise Fanatic
And I'm really keen to watch the Night Watch, I read the book just recently, which was excellent and I'd recomend to everyone, so I really want to see this movie.
Comment by May
Music Dime
When I first saw Infernal Affairs, my first thought was "HK is capable of producing a movie like this??" I've grown up watching their movies, and most of them are light hearted fun (or maybe it was just my mum never let me watch the grittier ones...) Funny though, even though i understand cantonese, i watch the subtitles anyway...Love Stephen Chow...Kung Fu Hustle not my favourite of his though
Loved Amelie! .... would watch Pan's Labriynth if only i wasn't scared of scary or horror movies...so there goes The Host (but while we're on the subject of Korean movies, I love Il Mare...way better than The Lakehouse...but it is a chick flick though...)
Comment by D. Armenta
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