Today it seems as if we are constantly multi-tasking. We talk to friends on the phone while we’re answering emails or we’re doing homework while we eat dinner. Watching movies is one of my favorite things to do and lately I find myself simultaneously scrolling the Internet through the entire film. I am missing out on the movie experience I love so much! Sometimes, it is best to just slow down and take it one thing at a time. That’s why, as an avid movie-watcher, I have looked to foreign films. Because it is in a different language, it is necessary that you read the subtitles and focus your entire attention on the film. Additionally, whether it is in the content or in the actual filmmaking, I find that foreign films offer a different perspective. They generally offer something we’re not used to seeing, something new. So to conclude this little spiel, I’ve made a very short list of some of my favorite foreign films.
1. Pan’s Labyrinth, 2006
The original Spanish title of this work is “El laberinto del fauno” and it was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. This is definitely a must-see in the foreign film genre. Taking place in Fascist Spain in 1944, the film interweaves a mythical world with the real world. It centers on Ofelia, a young girl who is sent with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a cruel captain of the Spanish army. During the night, she is taken to meet a faun in the center of an abandoned labyrinth. The faun tells her she is a princess, but must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. Pan’s Labyrinth magically brings together the chilling horrors of fantasy and reality.
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, 2007
The original French title is “Le scaphandre et le papillon” and is directed by Julian Schnabel. The film is a biographical drama film based on Jean-Dominique Bauby’s memoir of the same name. Bauby was the editor of the French fashion magazine, Elle, and he had a massive stroke at the age of 43. He was left with a condition known as locked-in syndrome, where he is paralyzed from the neck down. With only his left eye able to function, he could only communicate by blinking his left eyelid. This film has some of the most beautiful cinematography and camera work I’ve ever seen. It is truly moving and unique.
3. Amélie, 2001
The original French title is “Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain” and is directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. It is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. It tells the story of Amélie, a shy waitress, who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better. As she consumes herself with these helpful escapades, she struggles with her own isolation. She realizes that she is disregarding her own life and damaging her quest for love. Amélie is an enchanting and beautiful must-see film. It is actually the highest-grossing French film in the United States today.
My honorable mentions: Caché, 2005, City of God, 2002, Volver, 2007, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, 2009