Category: Non-English Film

Posted on 2022-03-06 | No Comments |

The Battle of Algiers (1966)

Told in newsreel-style, this film reconstructs events undertaken by Algerian rebels during the Algerian War of Independence, focusing on the experiences of Ali La Pointe during that time period. It doesn’t shirk from presenting a forthright account of the atrocities committed by both sides, from the outright terrorism of the revolutionaries to the war crimes by the French. It’s a up close, bitter and honest portrayal of war, particularly as it rages within a city.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director; Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen; Best Foreign Language Film

Posted on 2022-02-28 | No Comments |

Censored Voices (2015)

Days after the end of the 1967 Six Day War, a pair of kibbutzniks travelled to other kibbutzim and recorded testimonials from soldiers who were returning from battle. These conversations were heavily censored by the Israeli army until this film was produced. The audio from the interviews is paired with archival footage and current mostly nonverbal reactions from the men who provided the interviews. Almost universally the men agree with the common narrative that it was a just war, but that is juxtaposed with the feelings they have regarding the actual fighting of the war and especially the aftermath. I try to keep a mostly neutral view with regards to conflicts in the Middle East as I have never been there and have little knowledge of the history, but I can understand why the Army tried to suppress this material as it offers an unflattering version of events and questions some of the legends that spurned from that war.

Posted on 2022-02-28 | No Comments |

Tokyo Chorus (1931)

In this silent Yasujirō Ozu film, married father of three Tokihiko Okada is an insurance salesman who loses his job in solidarity with a fired older co-worker. During a Depression era, his family tries to scrap by as he struggles to find a new job. Helpful surprises soon find him by way of a chance encounter with his former teacher Tatsuo Saitō. It’s very much a slice of life family drama which Ozu became so adept at, sadly made a bit difficult to watch through a subpar copy.

Posted on 2022-02-26 | No Comments |

Bob le Flambeur (1956)

In the Montmartre district of Paris, Roger Duchesne’s Bob is a former bank robber, currently living on his gambling winnings which have been dwindling due to a streak of bad luck. Receiving some insider information regarding a casino, he and a safecracking friend formulate a plan to rob their safe at the height of the season. Consider his recent misfortune, it seems like it’d be a bad time to plan a criminal enterprise and it does seem like the universe is against him in the endeavor, but Bob is dedicated to his gambling ways and never loses his cool.

Posted on 2022-02-21 | No Comments |

The Hunt (2012)

Teacher Mads Mikkelsen has been having a tough time recently: the school he worked at closed and the best job he found was as a kindergarten assistant, his ex-wife does not want to share custody of their son, he’s lonely and alone. Things begin to look up for him on all of those fronts until his best friend’s young daughter develops a crush on him and makes a statement that is heavily misconstrued. The adults around him infuriatingly act without thought or deliberation in reaction to what they think of this information. I know some people who can’t watch cringe comedy. For me, a film like this is just as difficult. It’s literally suffocating for me as things collapse all around Mads and he is powerless to stop it.

Oscar Nomination: Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Posted on 2022-02-12 | No Comments |

Que Viva Mexico! (1979)

After attempts to work in the US film industry fell through, Sergei Eisenstein traveled to Mexico in hopes of making a film about its culture and history. Though not completed in his lifetime, this is a version of the footage, edited by longtime collaborator Grigori Aleksandrov, that attempts to faithfully create Eisenstein’s vision. Silent footage interspersed with narration and exposition, it’s an episodic journey into Mexico’s history from the Mayan civilization to the Mexican Revolution that serves as an interesting artifact of Mexico at the time and also the vision of Eisenstein.

Posted on 2022-02-11 | No Comments |

Theeb (2014)

In the Ottoman Empire during days of World War I, a young Bedouin boy surreptitiously follows his older brother who is guiding a British officer to a railway. The group is ambushed by raiders and Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat’s titular Theeb is forced to grow up quickly. It’s an interesting context for a coming-of-age story. For a mostly amateur cast, the acting is quite good and believable. The desert setting is beautifully presented in all its dangerously arid glory.

Oscar Nomination: Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Posted on 2022-02-08 | No Comments |

Macario (1960)

The title character is a poor Mexican husband and father whose greatest wish is to just once eat a turkey by himself. As he prepares to eat the turkey his kindly wife has stolen for him, he is visited by three visitors (the Devil, God, and Death) who try to tempt him into sharing his meal with them. The deal he makes completely changes the circumstances of his life for better or worse. It’s a simple tale about a simple desire that is much more than that. The film has much to say regarding the interactions between the rich and the poor and the desire to rise from one category to the next while also not shying away from bringing the religion into the conversation.

Oscar Nomination: Best Foreign Language Film

Posted on 2022-02-05 | No Comments |

After the Wedding (2006)

The manager of an Indian orphanage and school, Mads Mikkelsen, is summoned to Copenhagen to meet with a potential investor, Rolf Lassgård, who has indicated he is willing to grant a large donation to the orphanage. After an unusual meeting with Rolf, Mads is invited Rolf’s daughter’s wedding the next day where family secrets are revealed. The twists the story takes aren’t very surprising, but it is well done especially the interactions between Rolf and Mads. I realized that I had seen the preview for the American remake many times. Despite the cast, I hadn’t been interested and reading the differences that were made, it makes me not want to watch it even more. I’d just stick to watching this one again.

Oscar Nomination: Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Posted on 2022-01-31 | No Comments |

The Truffle Hunters (2020)

In Northern Italy, a group of aging men and their faithful dogs search out one of the rarest delicacies in the world, the white Alba truffle. This documentary follows a handful of these men, chronicling their experiences as hunters from the one who overcomes his wife’s disapproval by sneaking out late at night to another who has gotten so disgusted by the ruthless methods of outside infiltrators, which include killing, that he has given up the search. The cinematography is gorgeous in the film making me crave a trip to Italy. The stars of the film are the various dogs, particularly adorable Birba, who do all the work and serve as dedicated companions to the hunters.