Box office income for foreign langue films in America have declined by 61% in the last seven years. The reasons I hear most often for not wanting to watch foreign films are usually an unwillingness to read subtitles, a reluctance to attempt to understand another's culture, or a sense of superiority about American movies. I understand, foreign movies aren't comfortable at first, but once you give them a chance you quickly realize that they aren't that different than the movies you're used to. Movies are a tremendously powerful form of cultural expression and understanding, and staying contained to American movies is to shelter yourself from the larger world around you. The reason film is such an influential medium is because it is able to convey ideas through the unspoken language of images. Everyone in the 21st century understands the language of movies and that is what allows us to understand and bridges the gap.
Here are 5 great foriegn movies currently on Netflix that will broaden your worldview:
1.) "Amelie" (French)
"Amelie" is about an imaginative girl who tries to help everyone around her while grappling with her own loneliness. The movie is quirky and hilarious. I challenge you to not like this movie.
2.) "Oldboy" (South Korean)
Is about a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years inside a room only to be released and have to find his captor in five days. The acting, cinematography, and plot are amazing and will keep you at the edge of your seat throughout the film. You might recognize the title from the American remake that was deemed a complete failure in comparison to the original.
3.) "Taxi" (Iran)
Not only is "Taxi" funny and touching film, but speaks volumes about the culture and political climate in modern day Iran. The film itself had to be smuggled out of the country and the government has issued a ban on the director from making films, and has threatened him with a lengthy jail sentence for it’s creation.
4.) "Cinema Paradiso" (Italian)
The story centers around the friendship between a blind film projectionist and a young boy who becomes his assistant. "Cinema Paradiso" is an incredibly touching film about love of the movies.
5.) "City of God" (Brazilian)
"CIty of God," is a brutal and thrilling film about a group of kids who grow up to join the slum gangs of Rio De Janeiro. "CIty of God" was ranked third in Film4's "50 Films to See Before You Die", and ranked No.7 in Empire magazine's "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema" in 2010.
I hope you check out these films, broaden your horizon, and empathize with someone from a world other than your own.
