101 I Watch With Subtitles

A young Russian lad dreams of leaving his mother and younger siblings behind to join the Partisan army and "kill Germans". But later, when his military unit pulls out and orders him to stay and guard the camp, he finds himself alone behind enemy lines in the midst of a Nazi blitzkrieg.

I don't recall ever seeing a more powerful anti-war film. The transformation of Florya (Aleksei Kravchenko) from an innocent boy into a battle-hardened soldier is something that must be witnessed in order to be fully appreciated.

Pandora's Box is a landmark film and an eye-opening experience for anyone who still thinks silent pictures are simplistic and benign.

Louise Brooks' "Lulu" is iconic in every sense of the word. From her graceful form to her soft focus closeups to the way she approached and embraced the character, Brooks is as close to pure graphic stylization as anything I've ever witnessed. She's utterly desirable and yet completely unobtainable. Her personification of femininity might have represented new-found freedom for women of that era but, as a man, I found her to be joyously frustrating.

As a child of the 60's, I grew up knowing Peter Lorre as a spooky looking character actor with supporting roles in old classics like The Maltese Falcon and Arsenic and Old Lace. Although I enjoyed his performances I never fully appreciated his talent until I saw this 1931 Fritz Lang masterpiece. In it, Lorre plays a psychotic child murderer stalking a German city. Lorre's approach to the character is unusual in the sense that he himself is tormented by the unspeakable acts he commits. There is a tangible emanation of right and wrong, of good versus evil, that Lorre projects. I found myself fascinatingly disgusted (or disgustingly fascinated) by my empathy for his character.

Peter Lorre - M

There are a handful of examples of so-called "character actors" who have had that one shining moment in a lead role and then, strangely, returned to bit parts and supporting performances. For Ray Milland it was The Lost Weekend, for Ernest Borgnine it was Marty, and for Peter Lorre it was most definitely M.

I'm sure I'll incur the wrath of hard-core Fellini fans for saying this but, here goes, La Strada is my all-time favorite Federico Fellini film. (Yes, it's true - I like it even more than I like 8 1/2).

Even though Anthony Quinn and Richard Basehart are fantastic in this film, every scene is stolen by the incredible Giulietta Masina. She's naive, sexy, comic and tragic all at the same time. Her dialog is limited and yet she says so much with her expressions and gestures.

Giulietta Masina- La Strada

Masina's persona is a little Debbie Reynolds, a little Shirley MacLaine, and a touch of Charlie Chaplin. She's completely loveable and absolutely perfect for this role.

Kurosawa's compelling "samurai" adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. This isn't just a typical retelling of the story or a film version of the stage play, this is much more of a character study with surprising depth and motivation. An epic film, in every sense of the word.

Fellini puts the loveable Giulietta Masina through yet another tragic set of circumstances. Here she's a prostitute who dreams of finding her one true love, even though her heart is repeatedly broken by a series of men with ill intentions. Masina's irrepressible impish charm compels you to root for her, but her characters always seemed destined for disappointment. Come on Federico, give the gal a break! (Where the hell is Frank Capra when you need him? lol)

Massimo Girotti is the handsome young drifter who falls for the beautiful wife (Clara Calamai) of a roadside restauranteur. Through a progression of lust, adultery, envy and obsession we witness the spiraling decline of morality and the untimely death of one unsuspecting husband.

Viewed with an 'American eye', Ossessione seems a bit long-winded and meandering but Visconti's telling is nothing short of remarkable. The director's command of light and camera angles enables him to set a dark mood that is as much a tangible presence as any of the film's characters. A tragic tale masterfully told.

Heart-wrenching tale of two Japanese war orphans struggling to survive. I was deeply moved by the story and yet, still awestruck by the sheer beauty of the animation art. Highly recommended!

Notorious for once being banned in both Oklahoma City and Ontario, The Tin Drum chronicles one little boy's bizarre response to the bizarre world in which he resides.

Oskar is a German child who's father might be his mother's husband or might be his uncle Jan, who is actually his mother's cousin. At the age of three Oskar is so disenchanted with adults and their immoral behavior that he decides to stop growing. I can only assume that the scene in which Oskar, who is chronologically 16 but looks 3, played by an actor who was actually 11, has sex with a girl who is 16, played by an actress who was actually 21, is what sparked the controversy(?). Later, that same girl gives birth to a baby boy who might be Oskar's son or might be his brother. All this comes after Oskar is forced to drink toad soup that other kids have peed in. The whole plot is about as twisted as a Texas family tree. Can you believe that someone wanted to ban this stuff!?

Standard tale of vengeance told in a VERY non-standard way. The film begins with an ending and ends with a beginning. As a result, you're confronted with the brutality of revenge before you've experienced the motive behind it.

Irreversible is an ingenious bit of film-making that manages to be both cerebral and, at times, unrelentingly violent. A fantastic film that I never, never, never want to see again.

I can't help but wonder if this was not the most popular "date movie" of 1946 (and by "date movie" I mean CHICK FLICK). In spite of it's overtly sappy nature and stylish melodramatics, La Belle et la Bête is sheer poetry captured on film. The haunting effects of Bête's animated castle furnishings are alone worth the price of admission (or DVD rental). Visually, the entire picture is stunning, simply a beautiful work of art.

*NOTE: Did anyone else notice a similarity between the beast's make-up and Burt Lahr's cowardly lion? I kept expecting that, at any moment, he'd break out in song with the lyrics to "If I were King of the Forest".

In order to wage war, in order for human beings to kill other human beings on a massive scale, there must be some rationalization. Historically, we, as warriors, create in our minds a caricature of those we call our enemies. It's a phenomenon that's universal and cross-cultural. We see those who oppose us as less than human, as men who don't laugh, men who don't shed tears, men who are essentially evil. In this manner they become non-people. In this manner we need not have sympathy or guilt when we destroy them. The Burmese Harp, a product of post-war Japan released in 1956, breaks down this wall of propaganda and reminds us of the toll that war takes on the souls of men.

Its been called an "anti-war" film but I'm not so sure that was foremost in the minds of those who brought this story to the screen. It seems, in retrospect, to be more of a soldier's portrait that has been stripped of its patriotic facade. Whatever their intent, the film makers have given us an under-rated gem that should not be missed.

I enjoyed the American remake [The Ring], this one is even better.

Powerful, gruesome documentary footage of Nazi concentration camps. A hard but necessary watch, should be required viewing for students the world over.

In the last 10 or 15 years Japan has managed to take the horror genre by storm. Here, with Takashi Miike's Audition (Ôdishon), they've even elevated 'gore' to an art form. It's hard for some, especially ME, to think of severed tongues and ears and fingers as 'art', but when it's used to advance a story, not just for shock and awe, it becomes another color on the artist's pallet..

For the first hour or so Miike leads you along a storyline that would fit into any serious drama or romantic comedy. You may even forget that you're watching a horror film. And then - zap!

Personally, movies of this sub-genre aren't usually my cup of tea but, then again, this is no Hostel or Wolf Creek. When the blood letting began I was 'this close' to turning the thing off. If you're like me all I can say, without spoiling the film for you, is stick with it. The horrific sequences are powerful, yes, but a relatively small part of the film and the pay-off at the end is worth the wait.

If they're crafted with any sort of honesty and realism, a war movie cannot help but be 'anti-war'. Tae Guk Gi is one of those films. It's hard-hitting, emotional and superbly orchestrated though, at times, director Je-gyu Kang tries a little too hard to tug on the heartstrings. Still, it's a touching tribute to those who fought and died in the Korean War.

I put off watching this one for years and now, of course, I wonder why. What a funny, sometimes raunchy, sometimes inspiring Mexican road trip set against a backdrop of poverty and despair. Y Tu Mama Tambien is a sex-charged coming of age movie while, almost in subtext, lending itself as an expose' on the expansive gap between the haves and the have-nots in modern Mexico.

Wicked cool! But don't just take my word for it, read what my Flixster friends are saying:

"Near perfect Swedish film..." -thefog1331

"...one of the most intelligent modern-day vampire movies since George A. Romero's Martin." -harrycaul

"...it is captivating and, in a sense, heartbreaking." -xoxcuddlecorexox

"Creepy, dark and very engaging." -jeg0u812

"...a well done and subtle film." -Stinger839

"...a terrifying tale of forbidden love that is fleshed out superbly." -paultheitie

"the 'other' vampire love story. austere, sad and sweet..." -rubystevens

"The dark atmosphere is great, so are the performances..." -John2223

"It lived up to my high expectations." -johannasince1985

A grieving single mom leaves Madrid to search for her late son's transvestite father.

Fascinating blend of diverse dramatic elements into a cohesive and interesting story. An odd premise for a major motion picture but one that works perfectly.

Do you ever get the feeling that you'd like to dip Penelope Cruz in a vat of honey and lick her completely clean? My luck, I'd start at her toes and be in a diabetic coma before I got past her kneecaps. (he he he)

Oh yes, almost forgot, Volver is a fantastic film.

Fascinating tale of two lovers who become so obsessed with each other that it eventually consumes them. I lost count as to how many times this couple had sex but it was a LOT. If there ever was a film that could have benefited from a little 'product placement' of Viagra, this would be that film.

I know that Sjöman's film was banned in some countries and even seized by the U.S. Customs Dept. when they first tried to exhibit it in America, but I found it surprisingly mild in comparison to other so-called "controversial" films like Baise-Moi or The Brown Bunny. Yes, there is sex but it's "movie sex", simulated and benign by today's standards. I suspect that the film's strong socialist slant and it's anti-war propaganda are the real reasons that it caused such a stir in '67. All that aside, it's an interesting piece of work, a film-within-a-film, that is simultaneously allegorical and self-effacing.

This is a film that could not have been made in Hollywood. The social restraints (not to mention the legal ones) would not have permitted it, at least not in its present form. Fat Girl is quite frank and matter-of-fact in the depiction of adolescents in sexual situations. This adds to the impact of the picture but undoubtedly limits its accessibility to American audiences. Its not mainstream cinema, it was never intended to be, but I, for one, found its honesty refreshing.

...plus, if the ending doesn't give you one of those jaw-dropping, did-I-just-see-what-I-thought-I-saw moments then you're not paying attention.

Usually I am completely taken in by films with naked women and lots of sex, but with Catherine Breillat's Romance - not so much. The title is completely misleading. There's actually very little romance to be found. Instead, we are witness to a woman's spiraling decline into self-degradation as she chisels away the last remnants of her self-respect through an endless parade of carnal encounters.

The problem here isn't with the direction or the performances, it's the shallowness of the material. There's no balance. There's not a single likeable character in the lot. It's difficult to care about characters you don't like and this screenplay never gives us a reason to like any of them. Maybe that's exactly what Breillat wants, she wants to populate her work with distasteful beings that you can't identify with or relate to. If so then I have to believe that her target audiences are serial killers and sadomasochistic sociopaths. This film is dark, pessimistic and depressing, anything but romantic.

Wonderful film that's at once inspiring and heart wrenching.

Fantastically exhausting to watch. Said by some to be anti-American in spirit but I, as an American, didn't find it the least bit offensive.

I'm in awe of the amount of time and effort that it must have taken to make this film possible. It is man against nature on the grandest of scales. A contrast of lace and mud. Fitzcarraldo is a study of the line between modern society and the last outposts of frontier. The story of a man who dreams of bringing opera to the jungles of South America. I'm not sure if I understand director Werner Herzog's motivation but I certainly admire his stamina.

Dark, vexing & pessimistic. Vittorio De Sica's masterpiece is anything but uplifting. It's one of those rare films that simultaneously fascinate and dishearten. I loved it but, at the same time, it made me want to slit my wrists.

Director Polansk's films are always laced with not-so-subtle sexual overtones and Repulsion is certainly no exception. Catherine Deneuve is wonderful as the paranoid manicurist who slowly descends into complete madness.

If it is true that Hitchcock's Psycho would have been less effective if it had been filmed in color then the opposite could be said for Dario Argento's Suspiria. It is the abnormally bright hues, especially the reds, that help give the entire picture a surreal sort of feel and atmosphere.

Released in 1977, it has lost some of its initial shock value. In fact, modern "gore-mongers" who enjoy graphic offerings like Saw and Hostel will no doubt find the violence soft-core and perhaps even a little comical. Still, Suspiria is an important, if not timeless, genre classic.

Now two years after it's initial release, a rewatch does nothing to lessen my admiration and respect for this film. Inspired by actual events, Letters from Iwo Jima is an emotionally powerful epic from a unique perspective.

I spent 8 years of my life in the U.S. Navy. Six of those years I was on active duty making FBM submarine patrols in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. If there is a grittier, more realistic submarine movie out there I've never seen it. Cinematically speaking, this is about as close as you'll ever get to knowing what the submarine service is really like (unless, of course, you enlist).

*Note: Skip this one if you're claustrophobic.

Touching and delightful!

Two middle-aged, mentally challenged men team up to live as roommates in urban Oslo. Somehow , their odd, symbiotic relationship allows them to cope with the day-to-day challenges of independent living. Even though their methods might be peculiar, the results are frequently hilarious and sometimes inspirational.

Thank you Norway for this wonderful gem of a film.

Vintage 1955 French film noir that's reminiscent of The Asphalt Jungle (1950). Jean Servais brings a certain ambiance to the lead role that's part George Raft and part Humphrey Bogart with just a little Joe Pesci thrown in for good measure. Good stuff. Very, very good stuff.

I was absolutely engrossed in this story from beginning to end. The only knock on this film is that it most likely put a dent in Brazil's tourist trade. Simply outstanding cinema.

Powerfully dramatic. An important and significant film, not only because it's a true story that needed to be told but also because it was told by Germans. If this had been a Hollywood production with Hollywood stars it would not have had the impact that it has had.

How does one describe El Topo, the original midnight movie? It's bizarre, it's over the top, it's as if Quentin Tarantino directed a Sergio Leone western.

Maybe I was sucked in by all the hype, but I just wasn't impressed. I wanted to to like this one a lot more than I did. Maybe I'm just not as much of a movie snob as I thought, or perhaps my pallet needed to be cleansed after a steady diet of old Hollywood war movies and classic westerns? Whatever the reason, I found À bout de souffle to be good but not great.

A good film but the plot never gains momentum, it just creeps along. If you have attention deficit disorder you're going to have a hard time making it through the entire movie.

Graphically hardcore. The story of two young women who go on a cross-country crime spree. Makes Thelma and Louise look like a lighthearted Disney movie.

If you can get past the fact that the hero is a pile of dog feces, this isn't that bad.

1962 "shockumentary" that's lost a little of it's pop over the years but still stands up as bizarre entertainment. The intent was to attract western audiences with an odd mix of unusual customs, cuisine, and curios. There's a woman suckling a piglet, a tribe that worships airplanes, people eating dogs, people eating snakes, sea turtles dying of radiation exposure, fishermen torturing sharks, the list goes on and on. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to make a film like this today (thanks to political correctness and PETA). How ironic that this film about oddities has become an oddity itself.

What happens when a cult of satanic, devil-worshiping, excommunicated knights find themselves dangling at the business end of a rope while crows peck out their eyes? They return as disabled zombies, of course.

Horror movie survival has always been a topic of interest among fans. Here, in Tombs of the Blind Dead (aka The Blind Dead) the key to not being eaten alive is pretty simple, DON'T SCREAM. If you don't make a noise it's rather difficult for an eyeless flesh-eating skeleton to find you. Oh, there's also the possibility that they can hone in on your loudly pounding heart, but when you're dealing with the hungry undead, why take chances?

If you're a parent with young, impressionable children at home this might be the answer to your prayers. Just sit them down in front of the TV and pop this in the DVD player. Then, tell them that this is what happens to people who won't BE QUIET when they're told to. From that point on all you have to say is, "there are blind dead in the closet" and you'll never hear a peep out of them at bedtime. Who's to say that peaceful nights for you now isn't worth a lifetime of therapy for them later?

Picture this: 1920-something China. A rich man has four wives. Each wife has her own house. Each house is connected by a common courtyard. Every night the four wives stand by their door to see which house will get the red lantern. The house with the red lantern gets to 'host' the husband for the night. The wife with the red lantern also gets to decide what's for dinner and has general control of the combined households. You'd think that would be enough to pit four women against each other, right? Well it does, but there's one more thing that the lantern bearer gets... a foot massage! Throw four women together in vicious competition for a foot massage and you've got the makings of top-notch drama. Five stars.

Well written, fantastically constructed film that, no doubt, is destined to be poorly imitated by some profit-driven Hollywood studio in the very near future.

Min-sik Choi - Oldboy

I had heard that Oldboy was violent and gory. I suppose that is true, but it's relative to your point of reference. Yes it has violence, but most of it is so over-the-top that it is actually comic. Yes it has gore, but, much like Hitchcock's Psycho, good editing tricks you into 'seeing' more than you actually do. Plus, like I've said many times before, I don't mind a little blood and guts if it advances the story and isn't just for shock value. This is smart horror done right.

Violent, disturbing and true. A hardcore docu-drama that doesn't pull any punches.

How cool!!! If I weren't so awesomely masculine I'd be tempted to say "enchantingly delightful', but of course I AM awesomely masculine so I just say "how cool!"

One of the better "kids love horses, horses love kids" movies (i.e. My Friend Flicka, National Velvet, The Black Stallion, etc.)

A tragic love story set against the colorful backdrop of a Chinese dye mill. The fantastic cinematography makes Ju Dou a treat for the eyes even though the story is often heartbreaking and sad. Highly recommended!

Krzysztof Kieslowski's masterful statement on French society and one woman's struggle to come to terms with the loss of her husband and child. Juliette Binoche gives a mesmerizing performance as a character who, through the process of grief, reconciles her life. Five stars (because Flixster won't let me give it six).

While it's true that Kieslowski's Three Colors: White is a dark comedy, don't expect an abundance of belly laughs. The humor here is much more cerebral and subtle. This is a film that is clever, dramatic, romantic, and funny (in that order).

Definitely the most abstract and non-linear of Kieslowski's trilogy. If Blue moved you to tears and White made you chuckle, Red will inspire you to ponder and reflect..

Kieslowski's artful and unusual expression of despair.

Fanny and Aleander has:

A nursemaid with cleavage
A pillow fight
An uncle who farts out candles
Randy old men
Promiscuous young ladies
A Christmas party
A death
A ghost
A wicked stepfather
An enormous aunt
Bars on the windows
A clever escape
Another death
Another ghost
Puppets
An androgynous, psychic brother
Laughter
Love
And an intermission

Five stars for content, minus one half star for its THREE HOUR running time (watch from a VERY comfortable chair!)

The 'look' of Bertolucci's Conformist is stunning. The locations, the lighting, the overall cinematography - just beautiful. Having given that quarter, I have to say that this wouldn't rank among my top 100 films. Much like the hitman's limp commitment to his cause, I found myself disconnected and indifferent to his circumstance. After all, what does he really accomplish? And why should I care?

Look, this is a milestone film and I applaud Bertolucci for it's inception and presentation, but I still feel that he has at least two films that outshine this one. Simply a good motion picture that's a tad over-rated.

A naive factory worker falls for a traveling piano player after a one night stand, only to have her heart broken when she travels to Prague and discovers that the loser still lives with his parents.

Years before Milos Forman directed one of the best films ever made, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest he directed this little gem. Lásky Jedné Plavovlásky may be set in Czechoslovakia but it has universal appeal. Most of us can relate to the powerful attraction of a first love, or the oppression of an overbearing mother, or the heartache of finding out that someone you love doesn't love you back.

Not Forman's best work, but still pertinent and charming.

In spite of it's suggestive title and the reputation of it's director, Guillermo del Toro, El Espinazo del Diablo is not really a horror film (in the strictest sense). The mysterious spirit that haunts the halls of the Santa Lucia School is much more fascinating than he is fearsome, making the film itself much more terrific than it is terrifying.

Director Milos Forman's last film endeavor in his native Czechoslovakia is a comedy ripe with covert political satire, so much so that it almost cost him 10 years in a socialist prison.

A small town fire brigade is throwing a party to honor their retiring commissioner, complete with a dance, a prize lottery and a beauty contest. Murphy's Law applies and all that can go wrong does.

Whether it's intentional or not, Forman's film has a lot to say about the fallacy of social control committees and bureaus when they run counter to common sense and human nature. The Fireman's Ball is as courageous as it is funny. Four Stars.

I don't remember who recommended this movie to me but, whoever you are, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. :)

A beautiful Colombian teenager discovers that 'easy money' isn't always so easy when she gets lured into the harsh, dangerous world of drug trafficking.

In order for a so-called 'message film' to work there has to be at least one character that an audience can really care about, Maria Full of Grace has an abundance of them. A talented cast and no-nonsense scripting elevate this somewhat predictable storyline to something meaningful and moving. Four Stars.

Episodic horror done right. Three tales of terror that will surely induce either the willies, the creeps or the eebie-jeebies, depending on your personal tastes. For me, there was one specific scene that made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up - just don't ask me which scene it was until you've seen Three...Extremes for yourself.

For about the first twenty minutes or so I was pretty sure I wasn't going to like this film at all, that's when it seems to find it's sense of direction and takes off in a big way. I'm not enamored with Tsotsi but it has substance and, eventually, heart.

Director Rene Clement wanted to cast an eight or nine year old girl for the part of Paulette because he thought that anyone younger wouldn't be able to remember the lines or follow his direction. Thank God for Clement's insistent wife who recognized the talents of five year old Brigitte Fossey and ultimately managed to convince her husband to give the girl a second look. Let's face facts here, no matter how great the script or the director or the cinematography, if the kid isn't believable the film just doesn't work. Bravo Mrs. Clement and Bravo Brigitte!

Not that there was ever any doubt, but Kurosawa doesn't necessarily need all the trappings of an epic period piece in order to tell a good story. Here we have a crime drama set in post-war Japan that's as engrossing and entertaining as they come. Compared to films like Seven Samurai, Ran or Throne of Blood, Stray Dog is almost 'contemporary' but it's smaller scale doesn't seem to lessen it's impact. American viewers might find the pace a little slower than they're accustomed to but Akira wasn't out to make a fast film, just a really good one.