Favorite Foreign Film

[Kane]

What is your favorite foreign (non-American) film?

Mine would have to be the Chinese movie Hero, directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Jet Li. Great action, story, sound, picture, ect. One of the best weapon-oriented martial arts movie I have ever seen.

 

[MA-Caver]

Probably anything that is made by Akira Kurosawa (Japanese).
High and Low, Ran, Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Hidden Fortress (rumored to be the base story of Star Wars) and so forth.
After that then the Italian "spagetti-westerns" trilogy made by Sergio Leone starring Clint Eastwood.
Recent offerings from the Chinesel; "Hero", Crouching Tiger-Hidden Dragon" are likewise among my favs. And lets not forget Bruce Lee's past contributions.

But then you're asking for absolute favorites. There are so many "non-American" films that are so well done.


Oh, and "Shawn of the Dead" is up among the ranks as well.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

does cyrano de bergerac count? the gerard depardeau version.

for the life of me, i don't know if it was actually done in france, or done in america by insufferably self-important yanks.

either way, i love that movie.

 

[Hand Sword]

I like all of the Zatoichi Films!

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Probably anything that is made by Akira Kurosawa (Japanese).
High and Low, Ran, Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Hidden Fortress (rumored to be the base story of Star Wars) and so forth.
After that then the Italian "spagetti-westerns" trilogy made by Sergio Leone starring Clint Eastwood.
Recent offerings from the Chinesel; "Hero", Crouching Tiger-Hidden Dragon" are likewise among my favs. And lets not forget Bruce Lee's past contributions.

Ditto! I love those movies. Another personal favourite of mine is the Yugoslavian "Hey Babu Riba", a coming of age story of a group of teens in Tito's Belgrade.

 

[Hand Sword]

Absolutely! The Kurosawa films are right up there with me. I loved them as a kid, and still watch them on Samurai Saturdays, on the IFC.