It's pretty much assumed that the primary focus of this site is on classic Hollywood films. That tends to be my own personal bias, as well. However, it would be unfair to ignore all the great classic films made in countries where English is not the official language, as well as the actors, actresses, and directors associated with those films. This site already has quite a few links to Web sites dealing with those films and people, but they're scattered through several different categories. So as of now, we have a category in the Net Links Library, called Foreign-Language Films.
I don't particularly care for the term "foreign." It denotes "stranger" and "other." But I guess if it's good enough for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Oscars ("Foreign Language Film"), we're stuck with it until something better comes along.
Just for the sake of clarity, this category does not include British or Canadian films and people, even though Brits and Canadians are definitely not citizens of the United States (Canadians ARE North Americans, of course). It's strictly for films made in a language other than English, for actors and actresses born outside the U.S. and for whom English is a second language, if they speak it at all, and for directors whose films were made primarily in languages other than English. (Foreign-born directors who worked primarily in early Hollywood, like Lubitsch and Lewton, are not included.) We're talking films that require either dubbing (yuck) or subtitles.
There's was a discussion thread on the Classic Movies Forum, asking people to list their favorite foreign films. Here some of the top choices, plus other key films by the top foreign directors, with links to the Internet Movie Database. They should all be on your viewing list, and of course this is merely a sampler. There are hundreds of wonderful films in this category, and if I've left out your favorite, you have my apologies!
Amarcord (1974) - Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film about life in the 30s in Italy is his most popular films. There are many others, including La Dolce Vita (1960) and 8 1/2 (1963).
The Bicycle Thief (1948) - The masterpiece of Italian Neo-Realism by Vittorio de Sica, who also directed Two Women (1961), with one of Sophia Loren's greatest performances.
Cinema Paradiso - Though made in 1988, which is a little too recent to be considered a "classic" based on our working definition (20 years old or more), this is such a wonderful film by Giuseppe Tornatore that I'm breaking the rule and including it.
Diabolique (1954) - A French suspense film by Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Simone Signoret.
Diva (1981) - Italian suspense film involving a mixup between a blackmail tape and an illegal opera recording.
Fanny And Alexander (1982) - Ingmar Bergman's semi-autobiographical masterpiece, and probably the most palatable to American tastes. Other great Bergman films, which can be an acquired taste, include Cries and Whispers (1972), The Silence (1963), and Persona (1966).
Godzilla (1954) - Not the pinnacle of Japanese filmmaking, but entertaining, nevertheless! The first of many.
The King of Hearts (1966) - A wonderful film, in a combination of English, German, and French, by Phillippe De Broca.
L'Aventura (1960) - The first segment of Michelango Antonioni's trilogy examining spiritual and moral decay. The other two films in the trilogy are The Night (1960) and The Eclipse (1962).
The Leopard (1963) - Italian director Luchino Visconti's spectacular film set in 1860 stars Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale. Other great Visconti films include Rocco and His Brothers (1960) and Boccaccio '70 (1962).
A Man And A Woman (1966) - This romantic Claude Lelouche film was a cult hit in the 60s.
Seven Samurai (1954) - Great Akira Kurosawa film remade in the U.S. as The Magnificent Seven. Included among the many excellent Kurosawa films are Ikiru (1952), Yojinbo (1961), and Kagemusha (1980).
Z (1969) and State of Seige (1973) - Powerful political films by Costa-Gavras.
Now on to the Web sites. There are four categories here: Directors, Actors & Actresses, Individual Films, and General Sites. Some of these sites are not available in an English version; if so, that will be noted. Please keep in mind that I can only list sites that I'm aware of, so if I've left out any that you know of, please don't hesitate to send me an email and I'll correct the error.
Directors
Akira Kurosawa Database The English version of the site dedicated to the Japanese film director has a filmography, biography, and links list, plus a wonderful collection of Japanese posters and stills.
The Epic Images of Kurosawa Stu Kobak of Films on Disc examines four great epic films from the legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa.
Actors & Actresses
Women of Italian Films A tribute to Italian silent film actresses, a new section of David Pearson's excellent Silent Ladies site, with extensive contributions from Marco Gaetani, of Tuscany, Italy.
Marcello Mastroianni
A tribute to the great Italian actor, in three languages, including English, after a fashion!
The Max Von Sydow Homepage Jens Wall's simple site contains news, a brief bio, and links to Von Sydow information. Not updated recently.
Individual Films
Angelique Despite the worldwide popularity of the Angelique books, the movies were never released in English. Here's where you can learn more about them from a serious fan.
Barry's Temple of Godzilla Get stomped at Barry's Temple of Godzilla, and find out all about the latest Godzilla movie, plus a lot more.
The German-Hollywood Connection Here's everything and anything related to the considerable German involvement with Hollywood, from Metropolis to Independence Day. Based around Hyde Flippo's book, The German Way.
Truth-in-Cinema Quest A multi-media site with a variety of interesting articles and viewpoints regarding specific directors and the art of film in general, with a very strong international flavor (in English, however).
