"Foreign" Movies

[Barcik]

First, if it isn't obvious, "foreign" means Non-American (and to some degree British).

I have just seen Vidocq, a French thriller starring Gérard Depardieu. Vidocq boasts a decent plot with a nice twist in the end, but that is not what makes this movie a very interesting piece of cinema. What is really special here is the directing.
Firstly, the pace of the movie is so fast that it is hard for the viewer to properly analyze the current scene. There is almost no prologue, you are thrown into action immediately.
Secondly, the camera work is amazing. It consists of larger-than-life close-ups of that characters faces (and sometimes, parts of faces), and constant sharp camera movement. The former (extreme close-ups) creates a very special presentation of the characters, almost cartoon like. The latter creates a feeling of being inside the action and adds to the entertainment factor. Another thing to notice is that the color wasn't the popular technicolor, but duboicolor. All of these techniques are rarely seen in American cinema, surely not as exessively as in this movie.
Such things are what makes European (mostly) cinema, generally, more interesting in my eyes than American. I am not saying that I am a big enthusiast of European cinema, or that I watch more European movies than American. I am saying that had I an American and an European movie, the latter would be the one from which I would expect something special. Movies such as Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain or La Vita e Bella often offer a fresh and much-needed break from the uniform Hollywood style.
Is the American audience so simple? Can it not accept the European style? Or is the audience ready, but the studios aren't willing to take the risk? I'd like to see your thoughts on the topic.

[Privateer Puddin']

"foreign" means Non-American (and to some degree British).

Since when?

I thought it meant : Located away from one's native country.

:/

[Barcik]

Well, as it is the Academy term, I borrowed it here.

[Evil]

Us americans have some things that we think make up a good moive...

Action
Sex
Comedy
A hot babe
Cool gizmos

If you've got those, you have an awsome movie. Thats why we love James Bond so much...

[DGMacphee]

I like Italian cinema.

Cinema Paradiso is one of my favs.

I also like Japanese cinema, especially Kurosawa, buteveryone loves him.

Godard is always a mindfuck!

BTW, would you describe "foreign" films as more "non-English language"?

[bspeersismyfather]

Does anyone else have this problem?  Here, in many Canadian video rental places owned by American companies, Canadian movies are listed under 'foreign' (unless they're really hollywoodie).

Well?  HUH???

And "foreign" films make people think.  The industry doesn't like that.

[Harvester]

Hehe, most of his life Stanley Kubrick made "foreign" movies  

Anyway, here are some recommendations:

The man without past (Finland)
Tito and me (Yugoslavia)
Who's that singing over there? (Yugoslavia, this one's a true classic)
Brotherhood of the wolf (France)
Hard-Boiled (Hong Kong, John Woo's best film and the best action film EVER)
The postman (Italy)
The monster (Italy, by Roberto Benigni)
etc.

[Barcik]

BTW, would you describe "foreign" films as more "non-English language"?

Not exactly. Many British films still vary from the common Hollywood line of production. Monty Python, The Full Monty, Snatch are all examples of this.

[Goldmund]

I never watch American (Hollywood?) movies anymore, apart from the loudest productions.

I find them terribly boring, I can always foresee the ending, dialogues are terribly similar, character types are almost identical.

Besides, I found that Poles are fed American culture since birth, they know what is Halloween and what is a Thanksgiving Turkey, whereas they are completely ignorant to the (more interesting in my opinion) culture of their neighbours - Russians or Germans.

So, it's a part of my private...

KULTURKAMPF!!!

[Barcik]

Goldmund, are you familiar with Russian cinema?

[Goldmund]

Do you mean Soviet or the new Russian cinema?
Of course, I've seen plenty of Soviet movies, more or less filled with propaganda. There were lots of them on TV when I was a kid (obviously...)
Only yesterday I've seen a great movie by Andrey Tarkovsky about Rublov - b&w, still very captivating.
"Letjat zhuravli", by Kalatozov, is a very moving war-film, and also heavily experimental, much like Tarkovksy's Rublov.

I like to watch an "ordinary people's dramas" kind of movies from the Soviet Era, apart from stronger censorship, they're quite similar to Czech ones (still, Czech are masters of this genre).

And of course, I know lots of Russian children's movies and fables - this is also thanks to our history

I rarely have a chance to see a movie from new Russia, I've seen just 3 or 5. All of them are strongly connected with crime, prostitution, mafia, illegal weapons trade - much like new Polish cinema, I'm afraid, very dark, very social. I guess those are the most pressing subjects, but I miss the Russian humour I got to know from the Soviet literature and cinema.