The Foreign Correspondant...

I've decided to write up a list of 10 Foreign films that should be on everyones must-see list, but tried to stay away from the obvious choices. I'll also try and pick a different country for each selection, and they are:

10. Luis Bunuel's THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE (1977) - I love the description I read for this film: a dizzying game of sexual politics punctuated by a terror that harkens back to Bunuel's brilliant surrealistic beginnings. What's interesting here (not sure how many other films have done this or tried to do this), but the lead female character changes back and forth between different lead actresses throughout the film representing different characteristics of the female persona. France

9. Sergei Eisenstein's IVAN THE TERRIBLE PARTS I and II (1946) - gutsy film that dares to bash the Stalinist politics right under the governments noses in sub verse and complex filmmaking, but yet at the same time it's pretty obvious too. It's no wonder the film was banned for well over a decade. Russia

8. Seijun Sezuki's YOUTH OF THE BEAST (1963) - if you thought Scorsese was a good gangster-genre filmmaker, think again. Sezuki made several great ones including this one and it's flat out brilliant in just about every way imaginable, plus a glorious color palette that will have you drooling. Japan

7. Kadar and Klos' THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET (1965) - perhaps one of the most surprisingly tragic if all films that only echoes the oppression felt during the time in Czechoslovakia. The camera work and editing is first rate and way ahead of it's time. Czech

6. John Schlesingers' BILLY LIAR (1963) - I just love this film and it's one of the most beautifully shot scope films in B&W, plus it's a dark comedy too, making that even a more rare occurance, but this film is a real hoot! Britain

5. I AM CUBA (1964) - brilliant b&w photography and hand-held camera shots with long takes set this film apart as one of a kind, but the beauty of this stylistic film only help narrate the 4 vignettes that help to explain the situation of a devastated and unreformed Cuba. Cuba

4. Ingmar Bergman's THE SILENCE (1963) - this gorgeous film is often grouped together with 2 other films to complete the trilogy: WINTER LIGHT and THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY, but this film stands out amongst the bunch as one of the most beautifully shot films ever with some ingenious camera work by long-time collaborated Sven Nykvist and this film easily helped influence Stanley Kubrick 17 years later with THE SHINING. Interesting how even the titles are nearly the same too. Sweden

3. Wong Kar-wai's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000) - is perhaps one of the most gorgeous films shot in the past 10 years and just dazzles in beauty that it's hard to not keep recommending this film. Hong Kong

2. Peter Weir's PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (1975) - odd and haunting this strange story about a bunch of schoolgirls who go missing at the mysterious rocks quickly turns into a suspenseful adventure that is hard to forget about and the music and sound truly make this a unique experience. Australia

1. Pasolini's THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW (1963) - interesting Italian portrayal of the last days of Christ and certainly one of the better interpretations on celluloid. Italy