Make me a film snob
January 31, 2010 10:56 AM Subscribe
I've recently gotten excited about Film with a capital "F", what should I watch?
In the last few months I've gotten really interested in films. I've been reading screenplays and working my way through the French New Wave directors. I'm already a fan of Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Herzog and Les Blank.
What other seminal, important, wonderful movies should I watch? What accessible books should I read about film?
I'm extra interested in non-European films and know next to nothing about African and Asian film history. Lady directors are of special interest as well. (I'm limited somewhat by what's available in the local library systems, but I'll try to find a way to watch whatever is worth watching.)
In the last few months I've gotten really interested in films. I've been reading screenplays and working my way through the French New Wave directors. I'm already a fan of Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Herzog and Les Blank.
What other seminal, important, wonderful movies should I watch? What accessible books should I read about film?
I'm extra interested in non-European films and know next to nothing about African and Asian film history. Lady directors are of special interest as well. (I'm limited somewhat by what's available in the local library systems, but I'll try to find a way to watch whatever is worth watching.)
Best answer: Start here. Any director with one or more films in the Criterion Collection usually has something to say.
Another interesting list is TIFF's best films of the 00s. It contains many Asian films and a few by female directors.
Masters of Cinema also has an excellent catalog and are considered the European equiv to Criterion.
As to books... if you could be more specific that would help. Are you looking for an overview of film history or film theory? Or are you wondering how they're made or why they're made the way they are?
You mention non-European and Africa and Asia... does that mean you're not interested in American film history/filmmakers? Or other countries?
The French New Wave was influenced by early USA filmmakers, just FYI.
You might want to check out Andrew Sarris' Auteur Theory--and Pauline Kael's rebuttal of it. The Schreieber theory is worth reading as well, though I don't think it'll get a foothold (though I prefer it, being a writer). Ignore the negative Amazon reviews. Having read the book, it's clear that they didn't and are writing it based on the blurb.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 11:10 AM on January 31, 2010 [4 favorites]
Another interesting list is TIFF's best films of the 00s. It contains many Asian films and a few by female directors.
Masters of Cinema also has an excellent catalog and are considered the European equiv to Criterion.
As to books... if you could be more specific that would help. Are you looking for an overview of film history or film theory? Or are you wondering how they're made or why they're made the way they are?
You mention non-European and Africa and Asia... does that mean you're not interested in American film history/filmmakers? Or other countries?
The French New Wave was influenced by early USA filmmakers, just FYI.
You might want to check out Andrew Sarris' Auteur Theory--and Pauline Kael's rebuttal of it. The Schreieber theory is worth reading as well, though I don't think it'll get a foothold (though I prefer it, being a writer). Ignore the negative Amazon reviews. Having read the book, it's clear that they didn't and are writing it based on the blurb.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 11:10 AM on January 31, 2010 [4 favorites]
I'm a fan of just about every movie made by (with very few exceptions):
Lars von Trier
Cohen Bros.
Jim Jarmusch
You say you're working through French New Wave, so I'm sure you've gotten to Truffaut and the 400 Blows series, right? If not, it's awesome (and cool that the same actor plays essentially the same character throughout.
I'm not schooled in Film, but I likes what I likes.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:11 AM on January 31, 2010
Lars von Trier
Cohen Bros.
Jim Jarmusch
You say you're working through French New Wave, so I'm sure you've gotten to Truffaut and the 400 Blows series, right? If not, it's awesome (and cool that the same actor plays essentially the same character throughout.
I'm not schooled in Film, but I likes what I likes.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:11 AM on January 31, 2010
KUROSAWA KUROSAWA KUROSAWA.
I cannot say it enough: Akira Kurosawa! Start with his work from the 1950s -- first stop Seven Samurai and Rashomon, then Ikiru and Throne of Blood.
posted by scody at 11:19 AM on January 31, 2010 [8 favorites]
I cannot say it enough: Akira Kurosawa! Start with his work from the 1950s -- first stop Seven Samurai and Rashomon, then Ikiru and Throne of Blood.
posted by scody at 11:19 AM on January 31, 2010 [8 favorites]
Oh, and I also really was blown away by Krzysztof Kieślowski when I was first getting serious about film. The Three Colors trilogy (Blue, White, Red) and The Decalogue are jaw-dropping.
posted by scody at 11:26 AM on January 31, 2010 [9 favorites]
posted by scody at 11:26 AM on January 31, 2010 [9 favorites]
Iranian: Abbas Kiarostami
Indian: Satyajit Ray
Japanese: Akira Kurosawa (most famous for Rashomon and Seven Samurai)
Italian: Fellini, Antonioni
* Martin Scorsese made an interesting documentary about his love of Italian film that would be a good introduction for you
posted by sallybrown at 11:27 AM on January 31, 2010
Indian: Satyajit Ray
Japanese: Akira Kurosawa (most famous for Rashomon and Seven Samurai)
Italian: Fellini, Antonioni
* Martin Scorsese made an interesting documentary about his love of Italian film that would be a good introduction for you
posted by sallybrown at 11:27 AM on January 31, 2010
Best answer: More Kurosawa! Besides the classics, don't miss Yoijimbo (with an over the top Mifune), Dodeskaden for his 'realistic' vein. Besides Kurosawa, look for movies by Yazujiro Ozu and Kon Ichikawa (if only The Burmese Harp).
If you like Herzog, you'll probably like Andrzej Tarkowsky; my favourites are from the 60's and 70's: Ivan's Childhood, Andrej Rublev and Solaris, towards the end of his career he was (even) more cerebral, but Stalker and Nostalghia are great views.
re: female directors, I recently saw Krylya (Wings) by russian director Larisa Shepitko, and it was fantastic.
posted by _dario at 11:37 AM on January 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you like Herzog, you'll probably like Andrzej Tarkowsky; my favourites are from the 60's and 70's: Ivan's Childhood, Andrej Rublev and Solaris, towards the end of his career he was (even) more cerebral, but Stalker and Nostalghia are great views.
re: female directors, I recently saw Krylya (Wings) by russian director Larisa Shepitko, and it was fantastic.
posted by _dario at 11:37 AM on January 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Martin Scorsese made an interesting documentary
It's called "My Voyage to Italy".
Other films about filmmaking you might enjoy:
Visions of Light (about cinematography and cinematographers)
Easy Riders and Raging Bulls (about American film in the 60s/70s and the breakdown of the Studio System)
A Decade Under the Influence (same topic as above and a better picture, imo)
Overnight
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 11:41 AM on January 31, 2010
It's called "My Voyage to Italy".
Other films about filmmaking you might enjoy:
Visions of Light (about cinematography and cinematographers)
Easy Riders and Raging Bulls (about American film in the 60s/70s and the breakdown of the Studio System)
A Decade Under the Influence (same topic as above and a better picture, imo)
Overnight
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 11:41 AM on January 31, 2010
You might not be able to get it at the library but do whatever it takes to see Barbara Loden's Wanda. (Spoilers, sort of, in the link).
posted by generalist at 11:46 AM on January 31, 2010
posted by generalist at 11:46 AM on January 31, 2010
German Expressionism is worth investigating.
posted by tigrefacile at 11:50 AM on January 31, 2010
posted by tigrefacile at 11:50 AM on January 31, 2010
Best answer: The Cutting Edge is a great documentary about film editing. As of this moment, some excerpts are available on YouTube. Part One. Part Two. Part Three (cuts off abruptly). You can also get a few tidbits of that Visions of Light documentary on YouTube, such as this 3 minute excerpt.
posted by maudlin at 12:15 PM on January 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by maudlin at 12:15 PM on January 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My favorite directors of all time, a few repeats already mentioned (but certainly worth repeating):
Yasujiro Ozu (nearly anything you can find is bound to be wonderful): Tokyo Story is what he's most known for.
Jean Renoir: Rules of the Game, Grande Illusion, A Day in the Country, Boudu Saved from Drowning
Satyajit Ray: The Apu Trilogy (though the best is the World of Apu), Days and Nights in the Forest
Ingmar Bergman: Seventh Seal, Scenes from a Marriage, Persona, Wild Strawberries
John Cassavetes: Faces, Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Shadows, A Woman Under the Influence, Husbands
Roberto Rossellini: Rome Open City
Vittorio DeSica: The Bicycle Thief
Abbas Kiarostami: CloseUp, Where Is My Friend's House, Through the Olive Trees, The Wind Will Carry Us
Mike Leigh (if you haven't seen his work prior to Naked, you MUST. His television work far outshines his theater releases): Life Is Sweet, Nuts In May, Grownups, Bleak Moments
Andrei Tarkovsky: Stalker, Andrei Rublev
Maysles Brothers: Grey Gardens
Fred Wiseman: High School
This is what comes first to mind. I'm forgetting some incredible filmmakers, for sure.
posted by smersh at 12:20 PM on January 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
Yasujiro Ozu (nearly anything you can find is bound to be wonderful): Tokyo Story is what he's most known for.
Jean Renoir: Rules of the Game, Grande Illusion, A Day in the Country, Boudu Saved from Drowning
Satyajit Ray: The Apu Trilogy (though the best is the World of Apu), Days and Nights in the Forest
Ingmar Bergman: Seventh Seal, Scenes from a Marriage, Persona, Wild Strawberries
John Cassavetes: Faces, Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Shadows, A Woman Under the Influence, Husbands
Roberto Rossellini: Rome Open City
Vittorio DeSica: The Bicycle Thief
Abbas Kiarostami: CloseUp, Where Is My Friend's House, Through the Olive Trees, The Wind Will Carry Us
Mike Leigh (if you haven't seen his work prior to Naked, you MUST. His television work far outshines his theater releases): Life Is Sweet, Nuts In May, Grownups, Bleak Moments
Andrei Tarkovsky: Stalker, Andrei Rublev
Maysles Brothers: Grey Gardens
Fred Wiseman: High School
This is what comes first to mind. I'm forgetting some incredible filmmakers, for sure.
posted by smersh at 12:20 PM on January 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
Best answer: oh, dear, this is too broad of a question isn't it..
Places I look for information: the Village Voice archives of film reviews, Film Comment magazine, Slant Magazine film section, The Auteurs website (where someone has posted a list of essential African cinema, some of which are available to view online - that site itself hosts a few films, and then some are on Youtube and linked there). Xala by Ousmane Sembène is classic IMHO and very funny.
women directors who have directed films I have seen and liked: Chantal Ackerman, Agnes Varda, Claire Denis, Mary Harron, Lynne Ramsay, Sofia Coppola, Catherine Breillat.
posted by citron at 12:25 PM on January 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Places I look for information: the Village Voice archives of film reviews, Film Comment magazine, Slant Magazine film section, The Auteurs website (where someone has posted a list of essential African cinema, some of which are available to view online - that site itself hosts a few films, and then some are on Youtube and linked there). Xala by Ousmane Sembène is classic IMHO and very funny.
women directors who have directed films I have seen and liked: Chantal Ackerman, Agnes Varda, Claire Denis, Mary Harron, Lynne Ramsay, Sofia Coppola, Catherine Breillat.
posted by citron at 12:25 PM on January 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Lady directors worth mentioning:
Su Friedrich: makes the best damned short experimental films. Sink or Swim, Hide & Seek.
Barbara Loden: Wanda (mentioned earlier by someone. Hard to find, but a fantastic film nonetheless)
Elaine May: Mikey and Nicky, The Heartbreak Kid (the original one)
Shirley Clarke: Portrait of Jason
An African-American director that is great is Charles Burnett: Killer of Sheep, To Sleep with Anger
posted by smersh at 12:25 PM on January 31, 2010
Su Friedrich: makes the best damned short experimental films. Sink or Swim, Hide & Seek.
Barbara Loden: Wanda (mentioned earlier by someone. Hard to find, but a fantastic film nonetheless)
Elaine May: Mikey and Nicky, The Heartbreak Kid (the original one)
Shirley Clarke: Portrait of Jason
An African-American director that is great is Charles Burnett: Killer of Sheep, To Sleep with Anger
posted by smersh at 12:25 PM on January 31, 2010
Herzog
-My Best Fiend, Klaus Kinski
-Fitzcarraldo
-Encounters at the End of the World
Kubrick
-2001
-Full Metal Jacket
-Clockwork Orange
-Lolita
Fellini
-Nights of Caberia
-8 1/2
posted by tessalations999 at 12:27 PM on January 31, 2010
-My Best Fiend, Klaus Kinski
-Fitzcarraldo
-Encounters at the End of the World
Kubrick
-2001
-Full Metal Jacket
-Clockwork Orange
-Lolita
Fellini
-Nights of Caberia
-8 1/2
posted by tessalations999 at 12:27 PM on January 31, 2010
Chantal Akerman is another female director: Window Shopping (the best musical I've ever seen)
posted by smersh at 12:27 PM on January 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by smersh at 12:27 PM on January 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
For a diverse list and writing both about movies and the industry, there's Roger Ebert's Great Movies series.
posted by asuprenant at 12:51 PM on January 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by asuprenant at 12:51 PM on January 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: In a general sense.. maybe looking at some of the weirder French New Wave has you doing this already.. it helped me to think on filmmaking as something like a language, with directors developing their own styles, and common vocabulary developing throughout the history of cinema. So if you go back and watch something by Eisenstein, for instance, it isn't hard to just watch the film for the story, today, because we're used to certain innovations he made, but it also teaches you something if you think about what shots he chose and how he put them together because back then it was probably quite striking and different. And if you watch Citizen Kane, today it's easy to simply watch and appreciate, because so many others have learned from his style, but at the time, it must have seemed very innovative and probably a little weird!
One really cool and weird film I recommend is Cat People by Tourneur (there was an 80's remake which was apparently rather dire..). The story is a little perverse, and what's also fascinating is that so much depends on what is not shown - budget limitations that didn't let them create a lot of horror effects meant the director had to work with atmosphere, dramatic tension, offscreen space.
posted by citron at 12:56 PM on January 31, 2010
One really cool and weird film I recommend is Cat People by Tourneur (there was an 80's remake which was apparently rather dire..). The story is a little perverse, and what's also fascinating is that so much depends on what is not shown - budget limitations that didn't let them create a lot of horror effects meant the director had to work with atmosphere, dramatic tension, offscreen space.
posted by citron at 12:56 PM on January 31, 2010
Best answer: You should read Film Art, by Bordwell and Thompson. It is the de rigeur film textbook for many a college course, and with very good reason. An understanding of the basics of, well, film art will definitely deepen your appreciation of all movies, be they from Hollywood or Nowheresville.
You should also check out Hitchcock Truffaut, which is a monumental book featuring nothing more or less than François Truffaut interviewing Alfred Hitchcock about his entire career. I remember buying this book on the same day, and this was entirely by coincidence, as a marathon of Hitchcock's work on TCM. Even if your interest in Hitchcock is marginal at the moment, this book may pique your interest and help explain why he's considered such a massive figure in film.
Finally, as far as books of film criticism go, I recommend reading heaping helpings of both Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael. Ebert's stuff is archived online, and both his regular reviews and his Great Movies articles contain some very sharp insights. Don't be fooled by his mainstream appeal - he really is one of the best film writers alive. As for Kael, she was a genius, whether you agree with her individual reviews or not. She was not only a wonderful writer, but also a passionate defender of revolutionary movies.
Now, as far as other movies to check out...
For one, since you're going through the French New Wave, I think this might be a great time for you to check out, of all people, Brian De Palma. His movies make a lot more sense when you see that, on his good days, he's basically stitching together Hitchcock with Godard. Sisters, Raising Cain, and Femme Fatale help show off this master of the too-goofy-for-art, too-weird-for-commerce.
I may or may not have diminished my credibility by recommending Raising Cain with a straight face, so let's move on to some other directors you should check out.
First off, pretty much anything in the Criterion Collection is there for a reason, so if in doubt, just go through their entire catalog and see what piques your interest. Kurosawa, Ray, and Fellini are mentioned above for very good reasons.
I also echo the thoughts on Kieslowski and Tarkovsky.
Since you like Werner Herzog, you may also want to check out other directors in the German New Wave, such as Fassbinder and Schlondörff. I especially recommend The Tin Drum, as far as Schlondörff is concerned.
Further, your interest in French New Wave also makes me wonder if you might not be interested in a very strange little Belgian movie called Toto the Hero. It's obscure, but fantastic and touching. Directed by a former circus clown.
Your interest in French movies and female directors also brings to mind the work of Catherine Breillat, who makes prickly, disturbing films. Her The Last Mistress is probably her most accessible movie, and it's also very, very good - and funny.
Another strong female director is the American Nicole Holofcener, whose Lovely & Amazing uses Catherine Keener to great effect.
I also recommend two other great movies directed by women, Mary Harron's hilariously satirical American Psycho and Julia Taymor's totally insane Titus. The former, Ms. Harron, has also directed some great television, including Six Feet Under, Oz, and Big Love.
Ingmar Bergman is one of those directors people avoid for fear that he's too boring or heavy, but I think that's all a load of balderdash. His subject matter may be heavy, but he's known as a master for a reason: his movies are very, very watchable. Wild Strawberries is a great introduction to his work, with Winter Light as a good second.
Aki Kaurismäki is an underrated Finnish director who makes bittersweet, dowdy, deadpan, humanist comedies, frequently about much-benighted proles. As a fun bonus, they tend not to be over 80 minutes long. His movies Ariel and The Man Without A Past are terrific.
On the other side of the energy scale, you should investigate the Polish director Andrzej Żuławski, whose 1981 film Possession is the world's most demonic and surreal breakup movie ever made. I also recommend his psychotronic adaptation of The Idiot, which is entitled L'Amour Braque.
Another fine European director is the Serbian Emir Kusturica, whose Arizona Dream - with Johnny Depp and Jerry Lewis! - is a hidden treasure.
Elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia, the Macedonian director Milcho Manchevski, whose Before The Rain is yet another hidden treasure.
Another historical era in film you should explore is German Expressionism. Fritz Lang is the go-to man for this, especially for his masterpiece M, but there were others. German Expressionism dovetails nicely into studies of film noir and Orson Welles' career.
One last thought: another great female director was Leni Riefenstahl, who also happened to be one of the most notorious Nazi propagandists in the Third Reich. Her interesting life is depicted in the documentary The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl.
posted by Sticherbeast at 1:11 PM on January 31, 2010 [7 favorites]
You should also check out Hitchcock Truffaut, which is a monumental book featuring nothing more or less than François Truffaut interviewing Alfred Hitchcock about his entire career. I remember buying this book on the same day, and this was entirely by coincidence, as a marathon of Hitchcock's work on TCM. Even if your interest in Hitchcock is marginal at the moment, this book may pique your interest and help explain why he's considered such a massive figure in film.
Finally, as far as books of film criticism go, I recommend reading heaping helpings of both Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael. Ebert's stuff is archived online, and both his regular reviews and his Great Movies articles contain some very sharp insights. Don't be fooled by his mainstream appeal - he really is one of the best film writers alive. As for Kael, she was a genius, whether you agree with her individual reviews or not. She was not only a wonderful writer, but also a passionate defender of revolutionary movies.
Now, as far as other movies to check out...
For one, since you're going through the French New Wave, I think this might be a great time for you to check out, of all people, Brian De Palma. His movies make a lot more sense when you see that, on his good days, he's basically stitching together Hitchcock with Godard. Sisters, Raising Cain, and Femme Fatale help show off this master of the too-goofy-for-art, too-weird-for-commerce.
I may or may not have diminished my credibility by recommending Raising Cain with a straight face, so let's move on to some other directors you should check out.
First off, pretty much anything in the Criterion Collection is there for a reason, so if in doubt, just go through their entire catalog and see what piques your interest. Kurosawa, Ray, and Fellini are mentioned above for very good reasons.
I also echo the thoughts on Kieslowski and Tarkovsky.
Since you like Werner Herzog, you may also want to check out other directors in the German New Wave, such as Fassbinder and Schlondörff. I especially recommend The Tin Drum, as far as Schlondörff is concerned.
Further, your interest in French New Wave also makes me wonder if you might not be interested in a very strange little Belgian movie called Toto the Hero. It's obscure, but fantastic and touching. Directed by a former circus clown.
Your interest in French movies and female directors also brings to mind the work of Catherine Breillat, who makes prickly, disturbing films. Her The Last Mistress is probably her most accessible movie, and it's also very, very good - and funny.
Another strong female director is the American Nicole Holofcener, whose Lovely & Amazing uses Catherine Keener to great effect.
I also recommend two other great movies directed by women, Mary Harron's hilariously satirical American Psycho and Julia Taymor's totally insane Titus. The former, Ms. Harron, has also directed some great television, including Six Feet Under, Oz, and Big Love.
Ingmar Bergman is one of those directors people avoid for fear that he's too boring or heavy, but I think that's all a load of balderdash. His subject matter may be heavy, but he's known as a master for a reason: his movies are very, very watchable. Wild Strawberries is a great introduction to his work, with Winter Light as a good second.
Aki Kaurismäki is an underrated Finnish director who makes bittersweet, dowdy, deadpan, humanist comedies, frequently about much-benighted proles. As a fun bonus, they tend not to be over 80 minutes long. His movies Ariel and The Man Without A Past are terrific.
On the other side of the energy scale, you should investigate the Polish director Andrzej Żuławski, whose 1981 film Possession is the world's most demonic and surreal breakup movie ever made. I also recommend his psychotronic adaptation of The Idiot, which is entitled L'Amour Braque.
Another fine European director is the Serbian Emir Kusturica, whose Arizona Dream - with Johnny Depp and Jerry Lewis! - is a hidden treasure.
Elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia, the Macedonian director Milcho Manchevski, whose Before The Rain is yet another hidden treasure.
Another historical era in film you should explore is German Expressionism. Fritz Lang is the go-to man for this, especially for his masterpiece M, but there were others. German Expressionism dovetails nicely into studies of film noir and Orson Welles' career.
One last thought: another great female director was Leni Riefenstahl, who also happened to be one of the most notorious Nazi propagandists in the Third Reich. Her interesting life is depicted in the documentary The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl.
posted by Sticherbeast at 1:11 PM on January 31, 2010 [7 favorites]
Lynne Ramsay
Oh, this. She's great. Her movie Morvern Callar is one of my all-time favorites.
posted by Sticherbeast at 1:12 PM on January 31, 2010
Oh, this. She's great. Her movie Morvern Callar is one of my all-time favorites.
posted by Sticherbeast at 1:12 PM on January 31, 2010
Read Hitchcock-Truffaut and watch Hitchcock films. You'll gain an understanding of the Cinematic, and learn the differences between Film and Theater.
posted by Gungho at 1:15 PM on January 31, 2010
posted by Gungho at 1:15 PM on January 31, 2010
Tangentially related: since the Criterion Collection was suggested, you need to check out the Criterion Contraption blog.
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:40 PM on January 31, 2010
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:40 PM on January 31, 2010
Breaker Morant
If...
Park Chan-Wook's Vengeance Trilogy will equally disturb and entertain you, especially Old Boy
Breaking Away
Running on Empty
Dark City
Those are some of my random favourites off the top of my head.
posted by fso at 3:22 PM on January 31, 2010
If...
Park Chan-Wook's Vengeance Trilogy will equally disturb and entertain you, especially Old Boy
Breaking Away
Running on Empty
Dark City
Those are some of my random favourites off the top of my head.
posted by fso at 3:22 PM on January 31, 2010
There are many very good suggestions up thread.
May I also suggest reading the film criticism journal Cineaction. It was founded by the late Robin Wood. They definitely have their own 'take' on their subjects, but their writing is accessible and their thinking is thought-provoking.
Full disclosure: I took the American Cinema course taught by Cineaction's Contributing Editor Richard Lippe.
Also, if you like Werner Herzog, you might want to take a look at Paul Verhoeven. His early films before Starship Troopers are interesting "high art on a low budget" work. The Fourth Man is my favourite.
Don't forget Metropolis by Fritz Lang! It is one of the earliest science fiction films, and contributed some very compelling images to the film vocabulary. (The story of how the film got made is every bit as interesting as the film itself.)
Patricia Rozema is an interesting female director. Her best-know film is Mansfield Park, but if you can find a copy of When Night is Falling, the Iron Dance alone is worth the price of admission.
Finally, there was a Australian New Wave of filmmaking lasting from the early 1970s to the late 1980's. Peter Weir is my favourite director, but his contemporaries did a lot of great work.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 3:24 PM on January 31, 2010
May I also suggest reading the film criticism journal Cineaction. It was founded by the late Robin Wood. They definitely have their own 'take' on their subjects, but their writing is accessible and their thinking is thought-provoking.
Full disclosure: I took the American Cinema course taught by Cineaction's Contributing Editor Richard Lippe.
Also, if you like Werner Herzog, you might want to take a look at Paul Verhoeven. His early films before Starship Troopers are interesting "high art on a low budget" work. The Fourth Man is my favourite.
Don't forget Metropolis by Fritz Lang! It is one of the earliest science fiction films, and contributed some very compelling images to the film vocabulary. (The story of how the film got made is every bit as interesting as the film itself.)
Patricia Rozema is an interesting female director. Her best-know film is Mansfield Park, but if you can find a copy of When Night is Falling, the Iron Dance alone is worth the price of admission.
Finally, there was a Australian New Wave of filmmaking lasting from the early 1970s to the late 1980's. Peter Weir is my favourite director, but his contemporaries did a lot of great work.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 3:24 PM on January 31, 2010
I won't begin to tell you what movies to see (with the exceptions of movies about movies), but if you are looking for things to read and watch that might result in a list of movies to see, do the following:
Read Pauline Kael, and especially get a copy of 5001 Nights At The Movies. I don't always agree with her, but it's my go-to reference for stuff made before 1980 or so, and it has the bonus of being very entertaining to read.
Watch Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession and A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (any maybe even You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
also:
-don't be a snob. snobs are lame. watch a lot of stuff and be completely prepared to love everything you see, whether it's Bela Tarr or a Todd Phillips studio comedy.
-GO to the movies. People will only continue to make good movies if people pay to see them, and venerating the old masters (especially the ones who aren't making movies anymore) has the unintended consequence of fossilizing the medium.
posted by kid_dynamite at 5:22 PM on January 31, 2010
Read Pauline Kael, and especially get a copy of 5001 Nights At The Movies. I don't always agree with her, but it's my go-to reference for stuff made before 1980 or so, and it has the bonus of being very entertaining to read.
Watch Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession and A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (any maybe even You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
also:
-don't be a snob. snobs are lame. watch a lot of stuff and be completely prepared to love everything you see, whether it's Bela Tarr or a Todd Phillips studio comedy.
-GO to the movies. People will only continue to make good movies if people pay to see them, and venerating the old masters (especially the ones who aren't making movies anymore) has the unintended consequence of fossilizing the medium.
posted by kid_dynamite at 5:22 PM on January 31, 2010
Best answer: Dreyer--The Passion of Joan of Arc, Ordet, Vampyr, Day of Wrath, Gertrud
Ozu--esp. Late Spring, Tokyo Story, and Floating Weeds
Fassbinder--the BRD Trilogy (Lola, Veronika Voss, The Marriage of Maria Braun--the latter two are my faves), The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, Berlin Alexanderplatz if you uh, have that kind of time
Cassavetes--A Woman Under the Influence, Faces, Shadows, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Husbands, Love Streams
Rohmer, who just died--The Six Moral Tales is a great place to start.
Akerman--Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Clouzot--Les Diaboliques and hell, everything else if you're me
Breillat, but YMMV...personally, I love her
Lang--M, Metropolis, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
Wong Kar-wai--In the Mood For Love, Chungking Express
if you haven't already, Welles beyond Citizen Kane--F for Fake, Touch of Evil, The Third Man, etc.
Bergman--The Seventh Seal, Persona, maybe Wild Strawberries. If you like the feel of Wild Strawberries you might like Mai Zetterling's Loving Couples, but it's kind of iffy.
Kieslowski--The Decalogue, the Three Colors trilogy (Blue, Red, White)
Malle--Au Revoir les Enfants, My Dinner with Andre, Pretty Baby
Renoir--The Rules of the Game
Melville--La Samourai
Cocteau--the Orphic Trilogy
Teshigahara--his adaptation of Woman in the Dunes, The Face of Another
Wenders--Wings of Desire, Paris Texas
Altman--Three Women, Nashville, McCabe and Mrs. Miller
Malick--Days of Heaven, Badlands
Hartley--Henry Fool, Trust, Simple Men, The Unbelievable Truth
Tarkovsky--Andrei Rublev, The Mirror, Solaris
The Burmese Harp, Ugetsu, Hiroshima Mon Amour
La Dolce Vita (one nearest and dearest to me personally), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her, Contempt, Blow-Up, L'eclisse, L'aventuura, That Obscure Object of Desire
La Jetee/Sans Soleil, Baraka, the Qaatsi series
Russian Ark, L'ecole, I'm Not Scared, Let the Right One In
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, City Lights, The Red Shoes
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Shop Around the Corner, Ninotchka, The Misfits
posted by ifjuly at 6:01 PM on January 31, 2010
Ozu--esp. Late Spring, Tokyo Story, and Floating Weeds
Fassbinder--the BRD Trilogy (Lola, Veronika Voss, The Marriage of Maria Braun--the latter two are my faves), The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, Berlin Alexanderplatz if you uh, have that kind of time
Cassavetes--A Woman Under the Influence, Faces, Shadows, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Husbands, Love Streams
Rohmer, who just died--The Six Moral Tales is a great place to start.
Akerman--Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Clouzot--Les Diaboliques and hell, everything else if you're me
Breillat, but YMMV...personally, I love her
Lang--M, Metropolis, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
Wong Kar-wai--In the Mood For Love, Chungking Express
if you haven't already, Welles beyond Citizen Kane--F for Fake, Touch of Evil, The Third Man, etc.
Bergman--The Seventh Seal, Persona, maybe Wild Strawberries. If you like the feel of Wild Strawberries you might like Mai Zetterling's Loving Couples, but it's kind of iffy.
Kieslowski--The Decalogue, the Three Colors trilogy (Blue, Red, White)
Malle--Au Revoir les Enfants, My Dinner with Andre, Pretty Baby
Renoir--The Rules of the Game
Melville--La Samourai
Cocteau--the Orphic Trilogy
Teshigahara--his adaptation of Woman in the Dunes, The Face of Another
Wenders--Wings of Desire, Paris Texas
Altman--Three Women, Nashville, McCabe and Mrs. Miller
Malick--Days of Heaven, Badlands
Hartley--Henry Fool, Trust, Simple Men, The Unbelievable Truth
Tarkovsky--Andrei Rublev, The Mirror, Solaris
The Burmese Harp, Ugetsu, Hiroshima Mon Amour
La Dolce Vita (one nearest and dearest to me personally), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her, Contempt, Blow-Up, L'eclisse, L'aventuura, That Obscure Object of Desire
La Jetee/Sans Soleil, Baraka, the Qaatsi series
Russian Ark, L'ecole, I'm Not Scared, Let the Right One In
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, City Lights, The Red Shoes
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Shop Around the Corner, Ninotchka, The Misfits
posted by ifjuly at 6:01 PM on January 31, 2010
As for film books, I like Ebert's writings on good movies, and there's a great Donald Ritchie book on Ozu, and Paul Schrader (who did Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters) wrote a book called Transcendental Style in Film about Dreyer and Ozu, IIRC.
posted by ifjuly at 6:02 PM on January 31, 2010
posted by ifjuly at 6:02 PM on January 31, 2010
Oh, and I forgot Bresson, maybe because he doesn't do quite as much for me as he seems to for others.
posted by ifjuly at 6:03 PM on January 31, 2010
posted by ifjuly at 6:03 PM on January 31, 2010
You've gotten a lot of great recommendations already and I won't repeat them, but one of my favorite capitol-F films from the last few years was "The Lives of Others." Ebert did a nice review - his website is down at the moment but google tells me this is the address for when it goes back up.
posted by Rinku at 6:23 PM on January 31, 2010
posted by Rinku at 6:23 PM on January 31, 2010
Response by poster: What a great bunch of suggestions. I felt a little arbitrary marking best answers - mostly I gave them to the comments that had the most suggestions. Anyhow, this should keep me busy for some time. I'll try to report back after I've watched a chunk of these. (And of course any other suggestions still welcome).
posted by serazin at 6:51 PM on January 31, 2010
posted by serazin at 6:51 PM on January 31, 2010
I went and had supper and thought of a few more as I ate:
I can't believe I forgot Todd Haynes' Safe. It's a top 5 movie for me; I hate how underrated it is (Criterion, please release it!). Poison is pretty good too.
Maya Deren's experimental films
The Gleaners and I, maybe
That guy who did George Washington and All the Real Girls, Paul something? It's not really my kind of thing exactly, but I do realize he's doing something in cinema that's underdeveloped and much needed. And you like Mike Leigh so maybe...
Speaking of, here are two loosely based on your Mike Leigh mention:
Withnail and I
Grey Gardens
And in the old school category I touched on briefly, I forgot Pandora's Box.
posted by ifjuly at 7:17 PM on January 31, 2010
I can't believe I forgot Todd Haynes' Safe. It's a top 5 movie for me; I hate how underrated it is (Criterion, please release it!). Poison is pretty good too.
Maya Deren's experimental films
The Gleaners and I, maybe
That guy who did George Washington and All the Real Girls, Paul something? It's not really my kind of thing exactly, but I do realize he's doing something in cinema that's underdeveloped and much needed. And you like Mike Leigh so maybe...
Speaking of, here are two loosely based on your Mike Leigh mention:
Withnail and I
Grey Gardens
And in the old school category I touched on briefly, I forgot Pandora's Box.
posted by ifjuly at 7:17 PM on January 31, 2010
Wow, lots of good suggestions here. You will probably be busy for a while, but I wanted to recommend one more movie:
Since you mentioned African film AND you mentioned you are interested in French New Wave, I think you'd be interested in Moolaadé. Its director, Ousmane Sembene, was one of the first African directors to be recognized internationally. Sembene was from Senegal, but Moolaadé is set in Burkina Faso. It is about a woman who provides refuge to the girls in her village who are trying to escape ritual clitorodectomies. Even though it sounds very very grim, it is ultimately quite uplifting. It's really well-done and I highly recommend it if you are interested in watching more African film.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:23 PM on January 31, 2010
Since you mentioned African film AND you mentioned you are interested in French New Wave, I think you'd be interested in Moolaadé. Its director, Ousmane Sembene, was one of the first African directors to be recognized internationally. Sembene was from Senegal, but Moolaadé is set in Burkina Faso. It is about a woman who provides refuge to the girls in her village who are trying to escape ritual clitorodectomies. Even though it sounds very very grim, it is ultimately quite uplifting. It's really well-done and I highly recommend it if you are interested in watching more African film.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:23 PM on January 31, 2010
(Oops, I forgot to explain the French New Wave connection. Apparently Sembene was influenced by French New Wave filmmakers.)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:25 PM on January 31, 2010
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:25 PM on January 31, 2010
ifjuly is talking about David Gordon Green, in case someone's curious. He's directed George Washington, All The Real Girls, Undertow, and Snow Angels, the first of which is on Criterion.
All are wonderful films, IMO.
posted by reductiondesign at 9:29 PM on January 31, 2010
All are wonderful films, IMO.
posted by reductiondesign at 9:29 PM on January 31, 2010
Peter Greenaway. I can't recommend him strongly enough. I'd say start with The Draughtsman's Contract or The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, which I would describe as his most accessible films, and if you dig him start mixing in his early avant-garde shorts (my favorite, A Walk Through H, can be seen here on Ubuweb) with the other films in his oeuvre. Also check out interviews with him: as one professor pointed out to me when I was an undergrad, he's very good at articulating the theoretical and thematic drives that animate his work.
Since you're enjoying the French New Wave right now, I will also relate that I thought Jean-Luc Godard was the last word in cinema... until I discovered Peter Greenaway. And finally I will plug The Falls as my favorite Greenaway film.
posted by jrb223 at 9:58 PM on January 31, 2010
Since you're enjoying the French New Wave right now, I will also relate that I thought Jean-Luc Godard was the last word in cinema... until I discovered Peter Greenaway. And finally I will plug The Falls as my favorite Greenaway film.
posted by jrb223 at 9:58 PM on January 31, 2010
reductiondesign, you left out Pineapple Express, but that's probably because it's not that wonderful.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 6:41 AM on February 1, 2010
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 6:41 AM on February 1, 2010
reductiondesign, you left out Pineapple Express,
true
but that's probably because it's not that wonderful.
false
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:38 AM on February 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
true
but that's probably because it's not that wonderful.
false
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:38 AM on February 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
I second the recommendation to try to avoid the snobbishness while revelling in capital F film. Here are some great modern directors who make films that are certainly worth seeing:
Luc Besson
Terry Gilliam
Park Chan-wook
The Coen Brothers
Danny Boyle
posted by haveanicesummer at 9:33 AM on February 1, 2010
Luc Besson
Terry Gilliam
Park Chan-wook
The Coen Brothers
Danny Boyle
posted by haveanicesummer at 9:33 AM on February 1, 2010
Great suggestions above!
Women directors I have enjoyed: Sally Potter - especially Orlando; Jane Campion and Lina Wertmüller
posted by Surfurrus at 3:52 PM on February 1, 2010
Women directors I have enjoyed: Sally Potter - especially Orlando; Jane Campion and Lina Wertmüller
posted by Surfurrus at 3:52 PM on February 1, 2010
Some of my favourites from Asia and Africa:
India: Omkara
Japan
Seven Samuri
Man, Woman, and the Wall
South Africa: Tsotsi
Other
Argentina: The Motorcycle Diaries
Brazil: City of God
Brazil: Central Station
Colombia: Maria Full of Grace
France: Amelie
France: Au Revoir Les Enfants (Translation: Goodbye, Children)
Germany: Downfall
Germany: The Experiment
Germany: The Lives of Others
Spanish: The Orphanage
Russia: Mongol
That should get you started...
posted by 1awesomeguy at 9:01 PM on February 1, 2010
India: Omkara
Japan
Seven Samuri
Man, Woman, and the Wall
South Africa: Tsotsi
Other
Argentina: The Motorcycle Diaries
Brazil: City of God
Brazil: Central Station
Colombia: Maria Full of Grace
France: Amelie
France: Au Revoir Les Enfants (Translation: Goodbye, Children)
Germany: Downfall
Germany: The Experiment
Germany: The Lives of Others
Spanish: The Orphanage
Russia: Mongol
That should get you started...
posted by 1awesomeguy at 9:01 PM on February 1, 2010
theyshootpictures should give you a place to start. Also, 1001 movies to see before you die is a good list, if you can get past the cheesy title.
posted by soonertbone at 7:57 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by soonertbone at 7:57 PM on February 10, 2010
Response by poster: So I've been watching at least a couple movies a week since I posted this, and I thought I'd update on some of my "findings":
Chaplin: In part because of the suggestion here to watch some American films, I've been watching Charlie Chaplin (I know he was English, but he was so Hollywood). I realized I may never have actually sat through a whole Chaplin movie before, and they're wonderful! (I'm sure you're saying, "duh!", but it was a cool discovery for me.) I watch him with my kid and we are both laughing through the whole thing.
Godard: I started watching these before I posted this and I still can't stop. I alternate between loving him and hating him. His movies seem wierdly formulaic where every story involves a tough-guy philosopher pontificating to a hot but sullen babe before or after he kills someone/get's killed.
Malle: I don't think he was suggested in this thread but I was lead to him by one of the links here (I forget witch?) I obsessed on him and watched 10 of his movies over a couple weeks. His documentaries are beautiful, funny, gentle, non-judgmental. Of his features my favorites were Elevator to the Gallows and Au Revoir Les Enfants. Watching all those Louis Malle movies made me realize that every good director is going to have some pretty dumb movies, if she or he keeps making movies for long enough.
Ozu: I've seen three and have one more out from the library. Really fantastic, and I'm not sure I would have discovered him without the recommendations here. Along with the obvious technical mastery and fresh storytelling, I'm struck by how feminist his movies are.
Ray: Unfortunately has been quite hard to find. I think the DVDs are out of print? I did read his collection of essays Our Films, Their Films which really got me thinking differently - both more critically and with more appreciation - about what I'm watching. Also found he published a collection of his adventure/fantasy stories for kids, The Unicorn Expedition, which I enjoyed reading chunks of to my seven year old.
Random selection of other movies I've liked in the last month: Jiří Menzel's Closely Watched Trains, Rossellini's Open City, Bonnie and Clyde.
Next I'm going to try to tackle some more contemporary films, and hopefully start digging into some of these women directors mentioned in this thread. Also going to read the Truffaut/Hitchcock book as soon as I finish what I'm reading now.
Anyhow, thanks again! This thread is sure to keep me occupied for the rest of the year!
posted by serazin at 11:15 PM on March 13, 2010
Chaplin: In part because of the suggestion here to watch some American films, I've been watching Charlie Chaplin (I know he was English, but he was so Hollywood). I realized I may never have actually sat through a whole Chaplin movie before, and they're wonderful! (I'm sure you're saying, "duh!", but it was a cool discovery for me.) I watch him with my kid and we are both laughing through the whole thing.
Godard: I started watching these before I posted this and I still can't stop. I alternate between loving him and hating him. His movies seem wierdly formulaic where every story involves a tough-guy philosopher pontificating to a hot but sullen babe before or after he kills someone/get's killed.
Malle: I don't think he was suggested in this thread but I was lead to him by one of the links here (I forget witch?) I obsessed on him and watched 10 of his movies over a couple weeks. His documentaries are beautiful, funny, gentle, non-judgmental. Of his features my favorites were Elevator to the Gallows and Au Revoir Les Enfants. Watching all those Louis Malle movies made me realize that every good director is going to have some pretty dumb movies, if she or he keeps making movies for long enough.
Ozu: I've seen three and have one more out from the library. Really fantastic, and I'm not sure I would have discovered him without the recommendations here. Along with the obvious technical mastery and fresh storytelling, I'm struck by how feminist his movies are.
Ray: Unfortunately has been quite hard to find. I think the DVDs are out of print? I did read his collection of essays Our Films, Their Films which really got me thinking differently - both more critically and with more appreciation - about what I'm watching. Also found he published a collection of his adventure/fantasy stories for kids, The Unicorn Expedition, which I enjoyed reading chunks of to my seven year old.
Random selection of other movies I've liked in the last month: Jiří Menzel's Closely Watched Trains, Rossellini's Open City, Bonnie and Clyde.
Next I'm going to try to tackle some more contemporary films, and hopefully start digging into some of these women directors mentioned in this thread. Also going to read the Truffaut/Hitchcock book as soon as I finish what I'm reading now.
Anyhow, thanks again! This thread is sure to keep me occupied for the rest of the year!
posted by serazin at 11:15 PM on March 13, 2010
« Older What should I know before I get new windows? | Should I buy an Ipod Touch or wait for the Ipad Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mjg123 at 11:09 AM on January 31, 2010