Top Ranked Films from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan

[2011 Update]

© William L. Sinclair



China had just 6 films crack the top 1000, Hong Kong 8, and Taiwan 6 on our Top Ranked Films, 2011 Edition, based on all film polls. I extended the lists further to include more titles, 30 in all, and I have them separate first, then all together, the top 30 in all off the polls. I then include my own favorite 30, with 12 new unranked titles that include directors Zhang Yimou, Ang Lee, John Woo, and Chien Kaige.

Just one of many magical scenes in Hero

China (or Chinese directors)



1. Hero (2002) Yimou, Zhang #591 China - top-grossing film in Chinese history, exciting action and a terrific screenplay with a winding plot about assassins after the King of Q'in.

2. Farewell, My Concubine (1993) Chen Kaige #614 Hong Kong-China

3. House of Flying Daggers (2004) Yimou, Zhang #724 China

4. Spring in a Small Town (1948) Fei, Mu #909 China

5. Last Train Home (2009) Fan, Lixie #918 Can-China-UK

6. Flight of the Red Balloon, The (2007) Hou, Hsiao-hsien #922 China

7. Up the Yangtze (2007) Chang, Yung #1015 China

8. Springtime in a Small Town (2002) Tian, Zhuangzhuang #1076 China

9. Yellow Earth (1984) Kaige, Chen #1214 China

10. Red Sorghum (1987) Yimou, Zhang #1333 China

11. Ju Dou (1990) Yimou, Zhang #1402 China

12. King of the Children (1987) Kaige, Chen #1818 China







Hong Kong



1. In the Mood for Love (2001) Wong Kar-Wai #167 Hong Kong-France [photo rt]

2. Chungking Express (1994) Wong Kar-Wai #363 Hong Kong

3. Raise the Red Lantern (1991) Zhang Yimou #386 Hong Kong

4. Days of Being Wild (1990) Wong Kar-Wai #466 Hong Kong

5. Infernal Affairs (2002) Lau (Wai-keung), Mak (Alan) #662 Hong Kong

6. Killer, The (1989) Woo, John #670 Hong Kong

7. 2046 (2004) Wong Kar-Wai #790 Hong Kong

8. Happy Together (1997) Wong Kar-Wai #824 Hong Kong

9. Fallen Angels (1995) Wong Kar-Wai #1096 Hong Kong





Taiwan (alone or multinational)



1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Lee, Ang #245 China-Taiwan-US [photo rt]

2. Yi yi (2000) Yang, Edward #249 Taiwan-Japan

3. Time to Live and the Time to Die, The (1985) Hou, Hsiao-Hsien #657 Taiwan

4. City of Sadness, A (1989) Hou, Hsiao-Hsien #672 Taiwan

5. Touch of Zen, A (1971) Hu, King #881 Taiwan

6. Brighter Summer Day, A (1991) Yang, Edward #937 Taiwan

7. Puppetmaster, The (1993) Hou, Hsiao-Hsien #1149 Taiwan

8. Flowers of Shanghai (1998) Hou, Hsiao-Hsien #1292 Taiwan

9. Vive L'Amour (1994) Tsai Ming-Liang #1573 Taiwan



All Lists Above Merged



1. In the Mood for Love (2001) Wong Kar-Wai #167 Hong Kong-France

2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Lee, Ang #245 China-Taiwan-US

3. Yi yi (2000) Yang, Edward #249 Taiwan-Japan

4. Chungking Express (1994) Wong Kar-Wai #363 Hong Kong

5. Raise the Red Lantern (1991) Zhang Yimou #386 Hong Kong

6. Days of Being Wild (1990) Wong Kar-Wai #466 Hong Kong

7. Hero (2002) Yimou, Zhang #591 China

8. Farewell, My Concubine (1993) Chen Kaige #614 Hong Kong-China

9. Time to Live and the Time to Die, The (1985) Hou, Hsiao-Hsien #657 Taiwan

10. Infernal Affairs (2002) Lau (Wai-keung), Mak (Alan) #662 Hong Kong

11. Killer, The (1989) Woo, John #670 Hong Kong

12. City of Sadness, A (1989) Hou, Hsiao-Hsien #672 Taiwan

13. House of Flying Daggers (2004) Yimou, Zhang #724 China

14. 2046 (2004) Wong Kar-Wai #790 Hong Kong

15. Happy Together (1997) Wong Kar-Wai #824 Hong Kong

16. Touch of Zen, A (1971) Hu, King #881 Taiwan

17. Spring in a Small Town (1948) Fei, Mu #909 China

18. Last Train Home (2009) Fan, Lixie #918 Can-China-UK

19. Flight of the Red Balloon, The (2007) Hou, Hsiao-hsien #922 China

20. Brighter Summer Day, A (1991) Yang, Edward #937 Taiwan

21. Up the Yangtze (2007) Chang, Yung #1015 China

22. Springtime in a Small Town (2002) Tian, Zhuangzhuang #1076 China

23. Fallen Angels (1995) Wong Kar-Wai #1096 Hong Kong

24. Puppetmaster, The (1993) Hou, Hsiao-Hsien #1149 Taiwan

25. Yellow Earth (1984) Kaige, Chen #1214 China

26. Flowers of Shanghai (1998) Hou, Hsiao-Hsien #1292 Taiwan

27. Red Sorghum (1987) Yimou, Zhang #1333 China

28. Ju Dou (1990) Yimou, Zhang #1402 China

29. Vive L'Amour (1994) Tsai Ming-Liang #1573 Taiwan

30. King of the Children (1987) Kaige, Chen #1818 China

Ziyi Zhang amid posters for The Road Home

in the clothes she wore in the film

My Favorites (30)

Click links for our reviews at 1000 Dvds to See

* = unranked

1. Hero (2002) Yimou, Zhang #591 China

2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Lee, Ang #245 China-Taiwan-US

3. To Live (1994) Yimou, Zhang * China

4. Chungking Express (1994) Wong Kar-Wai #363 Hong Kong

5. In the Mood for Love (2001) Wong Kar-Wai #167 Hong Kong-France

6. Together (2002) Kaige, Chen * China

7. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) Lee, Ang * Taiwan

8. Devils On the Doorstep (2000) Wiang, Jen * China

9. The Road Home (1999) Yimou, Zhang * China - the audience award at Sundance

10. Fallen Angels (1995)Wong Kar-Wai #1096 Hong Kong

11. Farewell My Concubine (1993) Kaige, Chen #614 Hong Kong-China

12. Red Cliff (2008) Woo, John * China

13. House of Flying Daggers (2004) Yimou, Zhang #724 China

14. Raise the Red Lantern (1991)Yimou, Zhang #386 Hong Kong

15. King of Masks (1997) Lian, Bian * China-Hong Kong

16. The Emperor and the Assassin (1998) Kaige, Chen * China

17. Flowers of Shanghai (1998) Hou, Hsiao-Hsien #1292 Taiwan

18. Ashes of Time Redux (1994) Wong Kar-Wai * Hong Kong

19. The Kite Runner (2007) Forster, Marc * US-China

20. Not One Less (1999) Yimou, Zhang * China

21. Zhou Yu's Train (2004) Sun, Zhou * China

22. Spring in a Small Town (1948) Fei, Mu #909 China

23. Three Times (2005) Hou, Hsiao-hsien * Taiwan

24. Killer, The (1989) Woo, John #670 Hong Kong

25. 2046 (2004) Wong Kar-Wai #790 Hong Kong

26. The Promise (2005) Kaige, Chen * China

27. Days of Being Wild (1990) Wong Kar-Wai #466 Hong Kong

28. Lust, Caution (2007) * China

29. Ju Dou (1990) Yimou, Zhang #1402 China

30. Yi yi (2000) Yang, Edward #249 Taiwan-Japan





These are all worth seeing, Zhang Yimou and Wong Kar-Wai are among my favorite all-time directors, and Ang Lee never made a bad film in the east or west.  Two of Kar-Wai's best films were meant as one long film: Chungking Express, followed by Fallen Angels - together they inspired Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Yimou's films got him the job of planning the ceremonies at the Beijing summer Olympics, which were mind-boggling.





The Hong Kong Film Awards

[complete list of best picture winners]



2009 - Ip Man (2008)

2008 - The Warlords (2007)

2007 - After This Our Exile (2006)

2006 - Election (2005)

2005 - Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

2004 - Running on Karma (2003)

2003 - Infernal Affairs (2002)

2002 - Shaolin Soccer (2001)

2001 - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

2000 - Ordinary Heroes (1998)

1999 - Beast Cops (1998)

1998 - Made in Hong Kong (1997)

1997 - Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996)

1996 - Summer Snow (1994)

1995 - Chungking Express (1994)

1994 - C'est la vie, mon chéri (1994)

1993 - Cageman (1992)

1992 - To Be Number One (1991)

1991 - Days of Being Wild (1991)

1990 - Beyond the Sunset (1989)

1989 - Rouge (1987)

1988 - An Autumn's Tale (1987)

1987 - A Better Tomorrow (1986)

1986 - Police Story (1985)

1985 - Homecoming (1984)

1984 - Banbianren (1983)

1983 - Boat People (1982)

1982 - Father and Son (1981)

Top Ranked Films from Japan

© William L. Sinclair

The top ranked films from Japan, based on our survey of internet polls. A total of 38 made the top 1000, up from 34 in 2009.

1. Seven Samurai, The [Kurosawa, Akira; 1954] #7 [photo top]

2. Rashomon (1950) Kurosawa, Akira #29 Japan

3. Ran (1985) Kurosawa, Akira #39 Japan-France

4. Tokyo Story (1953) Ozu, Yasujiro #76 Japan

5. Spirited Away (2001) Miyazaki, Hayao #78 Japan

6. Ugetsu (1953) Mizoguchi, Kenji #85 Japan

7. Ikiru (1952) Kurosawa, Akira #101 Japan

8. Yojimbo (1961) Kurosawa, Akira #163 Japan

9. Hotaru no Hakaa (Grave/Fireflies, 1988) Takahata, Isao #228 Japan

10. Sansho the Bailiff (1954) Mizoguchi, Kenji #240 Japan

11. Throne of Blood (1957) Kurosawa, Akira #244 Japan

12. Howl's Moving Castle (2004) Miyazaki, Hayao #352 Japan

13. Mononoke-hime (1997) - anime Miyazaki, Hayao #355 Japan

14. I Was Born, But… (1932) Ozu, Yasujiro #370 Japan

15. My Neighbour Totoro (1988) Miyazaki, Hayao #382 Japan

16. Princess Yang Kwei Fei (Yokihi, 1955) Mizoguchi, Kenji #415 Japan-Hong Kong

17. High and Low (1963) Kurosawa, Akira #450 Japan

18. Late Spring (1949) Ozu, Yasujiro #454 Japan

19. Ponyo (anime, 2008) Miyazaki, Hayao #569 Japan

20. In the Realm of the Senses (1976) Oshima, Nagisa #583 France-Japan

21. Nobody Knows (2004) Kore-eda, Hirokazu #608 Japan

22. Story of the Late Chrysanthemums, The (1939) Mizoguchi, Kenji #618 Japan

23. Life of Oharu, The (1952) Mizoguchi, Kenji #636 Japan

24. Woman in the Dunes (1964) Teshigahara, Hiroshi #637 Japan

25. Floating Clouds (1955) Naruse, Mikio #638 Japan

26. Dersu Uzala (1975) Kurosawa, Akira #647 Japan-Russia

27. Castle in the Sky (1986) Miyazaki, Hayao #668 Japan

28. Kagemusha (1980) Kurosawa, Akira #682 Japan

29. Still Walking (2008) Koreeda, Hirokazu #707 Japan

30. Autumn Afternoon, An (1962) Ozu, Yasujiro #767 Japan

31. An Actor's Revenge (1963) Ichikawa, Kon #786 Japan

32. Hidden Fortress, The (1958) Kurosawa, Akira #789 Japan

33. 13 Assassins (2010) Miike, Takashi #852 Japan

34. Harakiri (1962) Kobayashi, Masaki #867 Japan

35. Children of Hiroshima (1952) Shindô, Kaneto #891 Japan

36. Akira (anime, 1988) Ôtomo, Katsuhiro #907 Japan

37. Red Beard (1965) Kurosawa, Akira #963 Japan

38. Black Rain (1989) Imamura, Shohei #990 Japan

Masahiro Motoki in Departures

My Favorites



1. Seven Samurai, The (1954) Kurosawa, Akira #2 Japan

2. Departures (2008) Takita, Yôjirô * Japan

3. Shall We Dance? (1995) Suo, Masayuki * Japan

4. The Twilight Samurai (2002) Yamada, Yôji * Japan

5. Ugetsu (1953) Mizoguchi, Kenji #85 Japan

6. Stray Dog (1949) Kurosawa, Akira #1899 Japan

7. Crazed Fruit (1956) Nakahira, Kô * Japan

8. High and Low (1963) Kurosawa, Akira #450 Japan

9. Dersu Uzala (1975) Kurosawa, Akira #647 Japan-Russia

10. Rashomon (1950) Kurosawa, Akira #29 Japan

11. Hotaru no Hakaa (Grave/Fireflies, 1988) Takahata, Isao #228 Japan

12. The Bird People in China (1998) Miike, Takashi * Japan

13. Ikiru (1952) Kurosawa, Akira #101 Japan

14. Yojimbo (1961) Kurosawa, Akira #163 Japan

15. Samurai 1: Musashi Miyamoto (1954) Inagaki, Hiroshi * Japan

16. Tokyo Story (1953) Ozu, Yasujiro #76 Japan

17. Ran (1985) Kurosawa, Akira #39 Japan-France

18. Burmese Harp (1956) Ichikawa, Kon #1525 Japan

19. Harakiri (1962) Kobayashi, Masaki #867 Japan

20. Hidden Fortress, The (1958) Kurosawa, Akira #789 Japan

21. Floating Weeds (1959) Ozu, Yasujiro #1435 Japan

22. Woman in the Dunes (1964) Teshigahara, Hiroshi #637 Japan

23. Throne of Blood (1957) Kurosawa, Akira #244 Japan

24. Sansho the Bailiff (1954) Mizoguchi, Kenji #240 Japan

25. Godzilla (1954) Honda, Ishirô #1599 Japan

26. Kagemusha (1980) Kurosawa, Akira #682 Japan



These are an acquired taste but nearly everyone agrees that The Seven Samurai is one of the all-time classics of both black and white cinematography, and action-adventure captured dramatically on film, making viewers feel part of the action. The original title in Japan: The Magnificent Seven! When the U.S. western based on this came out, Kurosawa's film title was changed in the west to avoid confusion.



Ugetsu is one of the more haunting stories put on film, suffice to say that there are surprising plot twists that no one can see coming.



Departures won 33 awards overall. Shall We Dance? won 52 awards out of 55 nominations.

Top Ranked Films from Germany

[2011 update]

© William L. Sinclair

This continues our top ranked films on all film polls, 2011 edition, by individual countries. The first list here is just Germany, and we merged West Germany into these; 29 total in the top 1000, down from 35. The second list is just the multi-country productions that included Germany, with 27 in the top 1000, down from 38. The last list is my own personal favorite 30 German films, and I stuck with German directors only.





Germany and West Germany

1. Metropolis (1927) Lang, Fritz #7 [production still above]

2. M (1931) Lang, Fritz #16

3. Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972) Herzog, Werner #83

4. Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) Murnau, F.W. #112

5. Lives of Others, The (2006) von Donnersmarck, Florian Henckel #134

6. Blue Angel, The (1930) von Sternberg, Josef #196

7. Das Boot (1981) Peterson, Wolfgang #233

8. Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) Fassbinder, Rainer Werner #279

9. Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The (1919) Wiene, Robert #292

10. Downfall (2004) Hirschbiegel, Oliver #328

11. Vampyr (1932) Dreyer, Carl #349

12. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1971) Fassbinder, Rainer Werner #409

13. Fitzcarraldo (1982) Herzog, Werner #425

14. Marriage of Maria Braun, The (1979) Fassbinder, Rainer Werner #481

15. Last Laugh (1924) Murnau, F.W. #508

16. White Ribbon, The (2009) Haneke, Michael #522

17. Grizzly Man (2005) Herzog, Werner #541

18. Enigma of Kaspar Hauser, The (1974) Herzog, Werner #555

19. Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, The (1972) Fassbinder, Rainer Werner #602

20. Triumph of the Will (1935) Riefenstahl, Leni #615

21. Faust (1926) Murnau, F.W. #619

22. Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler (1922) Lang, Fritz #641

23. Kings of the Road (1976) Wenders, Wim #643

24. Olympia (1938) Riefenstahl, Leni #701

25. Alice in the Cities (1974) Wenders, Wim #704

26. In a Year with 13 Moons (1978) Fassbinder, Rainer Werner #710

27. Tin Drum, The (1979) Schlöndorff, Volker #903

28. Fox and His Friends (1975) Fassbinder, Rainer Werner #958

29. Run Lola Run (1998) Tykwer, Tom #1001

30. Tiger of Eschnapur, The (1959) Lang, Fritz #1016



Lang, Murnau, Herzog - these are not only deservedly at the top of this list but are also among my favorite directors. Each seemed to make his films into works of art.



Fitzcarraldo remains a favorite 'obsession on film', a grand adventure as crazy as its director. Les Blank's documentary Burden of Dreams chronicles the making of the film and Herzog's own obsession. I was also riveted by The Lives of Others, and Das Boot.



Even today, the filmmaking artistry of Leni Reifenstahl is undeniable; she undoubtably gets moved down the list because it's all Third Reich propaganda, but those interested in creative camera work and direction should definitely see these, at least Olympia, which documented the 1936 Olympics.



Multi-Country with Germany

1. Conformist, The (1970) Bertolucci, Bernardo #45 Italy-France-Germany

2. Pianist, The (2002) Polanski, Roman #142 France-Gy-UK-Poland

3. City of God (2002) Meirelles, Fernando #121 Brazil-Germany-France

4. Wings of Desire (1987) Wenders, Wim #165 Germany-France

5. Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The (1964) Demy, Jacques #187 France-Germany

6. Fight Club (1999) Fincher, David #201 US-Germany

7. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003) Ki-duk Kim #351 South Korea-Gy

8. Dead Man (1995) Jarmusch, Jim #424 US-Germany

9. Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) Tarr, Bela & Hranitzky, Agnes #504 Hung-It-Gy-France

10. 1900 (1976) Bertolucci, Bernardo #505 France-Germany-Italy

11. V for Vendetta (2005) McTeigue, James #507 US-UK-Germany

12. Hidden (Caché, 2005) Haneke, Michael #534 Germany-Fr-Aus-Ity

13. Sátántangó (1994) Tarr, Béla #542 Hungary-Germany-Switzerland

14. Germany, Year Zero (1947) Rossellini, Roberto #580 Italy-West Germany

15. Underground (1995) Kusturica, Emir #633 France-Germany-Hungary

16. Edge of Heaven, The (2007) Akin, Fatih #783 Germany-Turkey-Italy

17. Film Unfinished, A (2010) Hersonski, Yael #805 Germany-Israel

18. Fateless (2005) Koltai, Lajos #844 Hungary-GY

19. Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) Herzog, Werner #880 Can-US-Fr-UK-Gy

20. Dogville (2003) von Trier, Lars #897 Den-Swe-UK-Fr-Gy

21. Antonio das Mortes (1969) Rocha, Glauber #904 Brazil-Fr-Gy

22. Our Daily Bread (2005) Geyrhalter, Nikolaus #905 Germany-Austria

23. Sweet Sixteen (2002) Loach, Ken #912 UK-Gy-Spain

24. Dancer in the Dark (2000) von Trier, Lars #917 Sp-Arg-Gy-UK-Neth-Fr-Swe

25. Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition, The (2000) Butler, George #935 Sw-UK-Gy-US

26. Nostalgia for the Light (2010) Guzmán, Patricio #936 France-Gy-Chile

27. Paragraph 175 (2000) Epstein, Rob & Friedman, Jeffrey #986 UK-US-Germany



The Conformist remains one of my favorite films from any era. For me, Bertolucci's finest, and the influence on Coppola is obvious as this seems to have inspired the Godfather films. However, this is almost a total Italian film so I've placed it in my list of Italian favorites and removed it from here.





City of God is a modern masterpiece, a literal war in the streets of what's considered the worst slums in our hemisphere; this is my favorite Brazilian film, but it's not really a German film. Same with Fight Club, which I liked a lot.

My Favorites

* = unranked - 10 titles added, Doc = documentary

 [AA]  = academy award for best foreign language film 

click links for our review



1. Run Lola Run (1998) Tykwer, Tom #1001 [Our Review]

2. Lives of Others, The (2006) von Donnersmarck, Florian Henckel #134 [AA] [photo above]

3. Good Bye Lenin (2003) Becker, Wolfgang *

4. Das Boot (1981) Peterson, Wolfgang #233

5. Fitzcarraldo (1982) Herzog, Werner #425

6. Triumph of the Will (1935) Riefenstahl, Leni #615 (Doc.)

7. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006) Tykwer, Tom *

8. Downfall (2004) Hirschbiegel, Oliver #328

9. Metropolis (1927) Lang, Fritz #7

10. Fateless (2005) Koltai, Lajos #844 Hungary-GY

11. Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972) Herzog, Werner #83

12. Nowhere in Africa (2002) Link, Caroline * [AA]

13. M (1931) Lang, Fritz #16

14. Olympia (1938) Riefenstahl, Leni #701 (Doc.)

15. Beyond Silence (1996) Link, Caroline *

16. The Story of the Weeping Camel (2003) Byambasuren Davaa & Luigi Falorni * Germany-Mongolia (Doc.)

17. Wings of Desire (1987) Wenders, Wim #165 Germany-France

18. White Ribbon, The (2009) Haneke, Michael #522

19. The Harmonists (1999) Vilsmaier, Joseph *

20. The Tunnel (2001) Richter, Roland Suso *

21. Gloomy Sunday (1999) Schübel, Rolf *

22. Blue Angel, The (1930) von Sternberg, Josef #196

23. Last Laugh (1924) Murnau, F.W. #508

24. Touch the Sound (2004) Riedelsheimer, Thomas * (Doc.)

25. Marriage of Maria Braun, The (1979) Fassbinder, Rainer Werner #481

26. Cobra Verde (1987) Herzog, Werner *

27. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1971) Fassbinder, Rainer Werner #409

28. Tin Drum, The (1979) Schlöndorff, Volker #903

29. In a Year with 13 Moons (1978) Fassbinder, Rainer Werner #710

30. Hidden (Caché, 2005) Haneke, Michael #534 Germany-Fr-Aus-Ity



Tom Tykwer is so creative, he's my favorite modern German director, while Herzog, Lang, and Murnau are the all-time masters here. Run, Lola, Run starts with a phone call, and Lola's boyfriend has lost some money - if she can't get to him in 20 minutes, he's a dead dude.. so the race is on, and never lets up..

Top Ranked Films from France

© William L. Sinclair

All French films listed, including multinational (joint country) projects. 135 total films mentioned in the top 1000 ranked films, 2011 edition. Just French productions alone alone had 87 (down from 94). These are the highest totals after the U.S.  Rules of the Game was #1 last time.

Renee Maria Falconetti turned in the best silent performance

of all time in Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc

France Only

88 Titles, most of any non-U.S. country



1. Passion of Joan of Arc, The (1928) Dreyer, Carl Theodor #34

2. 400 Blows, The (1959) Truffaut, François #37

3. Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) Bresson, Robert #50

4. Rules of the Game, The (1939) Renoir, Jean #63

5. Jules et Jim (1961) Truffaut, François #73

6. L'Atalante (1934) Vigo, Jean #88

7. Shoah (1985) Lanzmann, Claude #98

8. Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, The (1972) Buñuel, Luis #99

9. Pickpocket (1959) Bresson, Robert #146

10. Breathless (1959) Godard, Jean-Luc #159

11. My Life to Live (Vivre sa vie) (1963) Godard, Jean-Luc #171

12. Man Escaped, A (1956) Bresson, Robert #188

13. Grande Illusion, La (1937) Renoir, Jean #197

14. Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974) Rivette, Jacques #202

15. Playtime (1967) Tati, Jacques #211

16. Diaboliques, Les (1955) Clouzot, Henri-Georges #214

17. Un Chien Andalou (1929) Short Buñuel, Luis #216

18. Ratatouille (2007) Bird, Brad & Pinkava, Jan #217

19. Belle et la bête, La (Beauty/Beast, 1946) Cocteau, Jean #241

20. Amélie (Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain,2001) Jeunet, Jean-Pierre #243

21. Mon oncle (1958) Tati, Jacques #251

22. L'Âge d'or (1930) Buñuel, Luis #263

23. Band of Outsiders (Bande à part, 1964) Godard, Jean-Luc #268

24. Le Samouraï (1967) Melville, Jean-Pierre #299

25. Les Enfants du paradis (1945) Carné, Marcel #305

26. Diary of a Country Priest (1950) Bresson, Robert #312

27. Léon (The Professional, 1994) Besson, Luc #314

28. Day for Night (1973) Truffaut, François #334

29. Two or Three Things I Know About Her (1966) Godard, Jean-Luc #341

30. Napoléon (1927) Gance, Abel #354

31. Le Cercle Rouge (1970) Melville, Jean-Pierre #378

32. Forbidden Games (1951) Clément, René #383

33. Pépé le Moko (1937) Duvivier, Julien #384

34. Les Vampires (1915-16) Feuillade, Louis #391

35. Rise to Power of Louis XIV, The (1966) Rossellini, Roberto #399

36. Night and Fog (1955) Resnais, Alain #414

37. Shoot the Piano Player (1960) Truffaut, François #428

38. Lola Montès (1955) Ophüls, Max #432

39. Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) Ophüls, Max #433

40. Orpheus (1950) Cocteau, Jean #440

41. Sans soleil (1963) Marker, Chris #445

42. Le Million (1931) Clair, René #448

43. Prophet, A (2009) Audiard, Jacques #449

44. Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953) Tati, Jacques #459

45. Le Voyage dans la lune (Trip to the Moon, 1902) Méliès, Georges #462

46. Beau Travail (1998) Denis, Claire #468

47. Rififi (55) Dassin, Jules #474

48. Mother and the Whore, The (1973) Eustache, Jean #496

49. Mouchette (1966) Bresson, Robert #497

50. À nous la liberté (1931) Clair, René #528

51. Alphaville (1965) Godard, Jean-Luc #545

52. Le Jour se lève (1939) Carné, Marcel #562

53. Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) Varda, Agnès #599

54. Class, The (2008) Cantet, Laurent #620

55. Crime of Monsieur Lange, The (1936) Renoir, Jean #621

56. My Night at Maud's (1969) Rohmer, Eric #650

57. 35 Shots of Rum (2008) Denis, Claire #655

58. L'Enfant (The Child, 2005) Dardenne, Jean-Pierre & Luc #661

59. Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932) Renoir, Jean #676

60. United 93 (2006) Greengrass, Paul #685-UK-US

61. Carlos (2010) Assayas , Olivier #689

62. Claire's Knee (1970) Rohmer, Eric #712

63. Casque d'or (1952) Becker, Jacques #713

64. Son, The (Le Fils, 2002) Dardenne, Jean-Pierre & Luc #732

65. Plaisir, Le (1951) Ophüls, Max #745

66. La Commune (Paris, 1871) (2000) Watkins, Peter #754

67. Blood of a Poet, The (1930) Cocteau, Jean #778

68. Quai des Orfèvres (1947) Clouzot, Henri-Georges #788

69. Piccadilly (1929) Dupont, Ewald André #792

70. Le Boucher (1970) Chabrol, Claude #802

71. Young Girls of Rochefort, The (1967) Demy, Jacques #806

72. Time Out (2001) Cantet, Laurent #807

73. French Cancan (1954) Renoir, Jean #819

74. Phantom of Liberty, The (1974) Buñuel, Luis #828

75. India Song (1975) Duras, Marguerite #851

76. To Be and to Have (2002) Philibert, Nicolas #868

77. Au Revoir, Les Enfants (1987) Malle, Louis #873

78. Of Gods and Men (2010) Beauvois, Xavier #883

79. Beaches of Agnès, The (2008) Varda, Agnès #885

80. Under the Sand (2000) Ozon, Francois #894

81. Christmas Tale, A (2008) Desplechin, Arnaud #898

82. Wild Child, The (1970) Truffaut, François #906

83. Bob le flambeur (1956) Melville, Jean-Pierre #910

84. La Chienne (1931) Renoir, Jean #913

85. Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne (1945) Bresson, Robert #950

86. Touchez Pas A Grisbi (1954) Becker, Jacques #978

87. Summer Hours (2008) Assayas, Olivier #991

88. Big Risk, The (1960) Sautet, Claude #1005

89. Murmur of the Heart (1971) Malle, Louis #1011

90. Van Gogh (1991) Pialat, Maurice #1055

91. La Haine (95) Kassovitz, Mathieu #1067

92. Vagabond (San toit ni loi, 1985) Varda, Agnès #1083

93. Mademoiselle Chambon (2009) Brizé, Stéphane #1125

94. Mon oncle d'Amérique (1980) Resnais, Alain #1146

95. La Ronde (1950) Ophüls, Max #1166

96. Delicatessen (91) Jeunet & Marc Caro #1168

97. Under the Roofs of Paris (1930) Clair, René #1195

98. Two English Girls (1971) Truffaut, François #1206

99. Amants du Pont-Neuf, Les (1991) Carax, Lèos #1207

100. Sur mes lèvres (Read My Lips, 01) Audiard, Jacques #1223

101. Lacombe, Lucien (1974) Malle, Louis #1265

102. Sugar Cane Alley (Rue case negres, 1983) Palcy, Euzhan #1288

103. Woman Next Door, The (1981) Truffaut, François #1303

104. A Woman is a Woman (61, Godard) Godard, Jean-Luc #1349

105. Port of Shadows (1938) Carné, Marcel #1361

106. Une Femme est une femme (1961) Godard, Jean-Luc #1384

107. La Collectionneuse (1967) Rohmer, Eric #1396

108. Carnival in Flanders (1935) Feyder, Jacques #1420

109. Out 1: Spectre (1974) Rivette, Jacques #1434

110. La Bête Humaine (1938) Renoir, Jean #1446

111. Un Coeur en hiver (1992) Sautet, Claude #1452

112. Cul-de-sac Polanski, Roman #1475

113. Les Enfants terribles Melville, Jean-Pierre #1489



Multinational Films (47 ranked)



1. Contempt (1963) Godard, Jean-Luc #89 France-Italy

2. Mulholland Dr. (2001) Lynch, David #122 France-US

3. Pierrot le fou (1965) Godard, Jean-Luc #124 France-Italy

4. Masculine-Feminine (1966) Godard, Jean-Luc #126 France-Sweden

5. Earrings of Madame de..., The (1953) Ophuls, Max #136 France-Italy

6. Pianist, The (2002) Polanski, Roman #142 France-Gy-UK-Poland

7. Wages of Fear, The (1952) Clouzot, Henri-Georges #168 France-Italy

8. Gospel According to St. Matthew, The (1964) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #176 France-Italy

9. Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The (1964) Demy, Jacques #187 France-Germany

10. Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The (2008) Schnabel, Julian #194 France-US

11. Last Year at Marienbad (1961) Resnais, Alain #213 France-Italy

12. Belle de jour (1967) Buñuel, Luis #219 France-Italy

13. Eyes Without a Face (1959) Franju, Georges #229 France-Italy

14. Hiroshima mon amour (1959) Resnais, Alain #246 France-Japan

15. Last Tango in Paris (1973) Bertolucci, Bernardo #262 France-Italy

16. Three Colours: Red (1994) Kieslowski, Krszystof #275 France-Switzerland-Poland

17. Army of Shadows (1969) Melville, Jean-Pierre #277 France-Italy

18. L'Eclisse (1962) Antonioni, Michelangelo #286 France-Italy

19. That Obscure Object of Desire (1977) Buñuel, Luis #293 France-Spain

20. Week-End (1967) Godard, Jean-Luc #304 France-Italy

21. Double Life of Veronique, The (1991) Kieslowski, Krszystof #344 France-Poland-Norway

22. La Notte (1961) Antonioni, Michelangelo #357 France-Italy

23. Red Desert (1964) Antonioni, Michelangelo #408 France-Italy

24. Three Colours: Blue (1993) Kieslowski, Krszystof #421 France-Poland-Switzerland

25. Persepolis (2007) Paronnaud, Vincent & Satrapi, Marjane #438 France-US

26. Tristana (1970) Buñuel, Luis #444 France-Spain

27. F for Fake (1973) Welles, Orson #471 France-Iran-West Germany

28. Sacrifice, The (1986) Tarkovsky, Andrei #472 France-Sweden

29. 1900 (1976) Bertolucci, Bernardo #505 France-Germany-Italy

30. Lola (1961) Demy, Jacques #540 France-Italy

31. In the Realm of the Senses (1976) Oshima, Nagisa #583 France-Japan

32. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964) Parajanov, Sergei #592 France-Iran

33. Argent, L' (1983) Bresson, Robert #593 France-Switz

34. River, The (1951) Renoir, Jean #611 France-India-US

35. Underground (1995) Kusturica, Emir #633 France-Germany-Hungary

36. Atlantic City (1980) Malle, Louis #642 Canada-France

37. Providence (1977) Resnais, Alain #718 France-Switz

38. Triplets of Belleville, The (2003) Chomet, Sylvain #736 France-Belg-Can-UK

39. Muriel ou Le Temps d'un Retour (1963) Resnais, Alain #817 France-Italy

40. Lancelot du Lac (1974) Bresson, Robert #831 France-Italy

41. Three Colours: White (1994) Kieslowski, Krszystof #845 France-Poland

42. Je rentre à la maison (I'm Going Home, 2001) de Oliveira, Manoel #879 France-Portugal

43. Certified Copy (2010) Kiarostami, Abbas #908 France-Italy-Belgium

44. Nostalgia for the Light (2010) Guzmán, Patricio #936 France-Gy-Chile

45. Passion (1982) Godard, Jean-Luc #952 France-Switzerland

46. La Belle Noiseuse (1991) Rivette, Jacques #967 France-Switz

47. Sauve qui peut (la vie) (1980) Godard, Jean-Luc #977 France-Switzerland

48. Since Otar Left (2003) Bertucelli, Julie #997 France-Belgium

49. Seraphine (2008) Provost, Martin #1020 France-Belgium

50. Ludwig (1972) Visconti, Luchino #1027 France-Germany-Italy

51. Tenant, The (1976) Polanski, Roman #1042 France-US

52. Z (1969) Costa-Gavras, Constantin #1080 France-Algeria

53. Trial, The (62) Welles, Orson #1092 France-Gy-Yugo-Italy

54. Winged Migration (2001) Perrin, Cluzaud, & Debats #1191 France-Ity-Gy-Spn-Switz

55. Arabian Nights (1974) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #1231 France-Italy



Some of the above don't seem very French (Pasolini, Kurosawa) - that's what makes country lists difficult.



All French Titles Merged (135 ranked)



1. Passion of Joan of Arc, The (1928) Dreyer, Carl Theodor #34 France

2. 400 Blows, The (1959) Truffaut, François #37 France

3. Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) Bresson, Robert #50 France

4. Rules of the Game, The (1939) Renoir, Jean #63 France

5. Jules et Jim (1961) Truffaut, François #73 France

6. L'Atalante (1934) Vigo, Jean #88 France

7. Contempt (1963) Godard, Jean-Luc #89 France-Italy

8. Shoah (1985) Lanzmann, Claude #98 France

9. Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, The (1972) Buñuel, Luis #99 France

10. Mulholland Dr. (2001) Lynch, David #122 France-US

11. Pierrot le fou (1965) Godard, Jean-Luc #124 France-Italy

12. Masculine-Feminine (1966) Godard, Jean-Luc #126 France-Sweden

13. Earrings of Madame de..., The (1953) Ophuls, Max #136 France-Italy

14. Pianist, The (2002) Polanski, Roman #142 France-Gy-UK-Poland

15. Pickpocket (1959) Bresson, Robert #146 France

16. Breathless (1959) Godard, Jean-Luc #159 France

17. Wages of Fear, The (1952) Clouzot, Henri-Georges #168 France-Italy

18. My Life to Live (Vivre sa vie) (1963) Godard, Jean-Luc #171 France

19. Gospel According to St. Matthew, The (1964) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #176 France-Italy

20. Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The (1964) Demy, Jacques #187 France-Germany

21. Man Escaped, A (1956) Bresson, Robert #188 France

22. Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The (2008) Schnabel, Julian #194 France-US

23. Grande Illusion, La (1937) Renoir, Jean #197 France

24. Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974) Rivette, Jacques #202 France

25. Playtime (1967) Tati, Jacques #211 France

26. Last Year at Marienbad (1961) Resnais, Alain #213 France-Italy

27. Diaboliques, Les (1955) Clouzot, Henri-Georges #214 France

28. Un Chien Andalou (1929) Short Buñuel, Luis #216 France

29. Ratatouille (2007) Bird, Brad & Pinkava, Jan #217 France

30. Belle de jour (1967) Buñuel, Luis #219 France-Italy

31. Eyes Without a Face (1959) Franju, Georges #229 France-Italy

32. Belle et la bête, La (Beauty/Beast, 1946) Cocteau, Jean #241 France

33. Amélie (Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain,2001) Jeunet, Jean-Pierre #243 France

34. Hiroshima mon amour (1959) Resnais, Alain #246 France-Japan

35. Mon oncle (1958) Tati, Jacques #251 France

36. Last Tango in Paris (1973) Bertolucci, Bernardo #262 France-Italy

37. L'Âge d'or (1930) Buñuel, Luis #263 France

38. Band of Outsiders (Bande à part, 1964) Godard, Jean-Luc #268 France

39. Three Colours: Red (1994) Kieslowski, Krszystof #275 France-Switzerland-Poland

40. Army of Shadows (1969) Melville, Jean-Pierre #277 France-Italy

41. L'Eclisse (1962) Antonioni, Michelangelo #286 France-Italy

42. That Obscure Object of Desire (1977) Buñuel, Luis #293 France-Spain

43. Le Samouraï (1967) Melville, Jean-Pierre #299 France

44. Week-End (1967) Godard, Jean-Luc #304 France-Italy

45. Les Enfants du paradis (1945) Carné, Marcel #305 France

46. Diary of a Country Priest (1950) Bresson, Robert #312 France

47. Léon (The Professional, 1994) Besson, Luc #314 France

48. Day for Night (1973) Truffaut, François #334 France

49. Two or Three Things I Know About Her (1966) Godard, Jean-Luc #341 France

50. Double Life of Veronique, The (1991) Kieslowski, Krszystof #344 France-Poland-Norway

51. Napoléon (1927) Gance, Abel #354 France

52. La Notte (1961) Antonioni, Michelangelo #357 France-Italy

53. Le Cercle Rouge (1970) Melville, Jean-Pierre #378 France

54. Forbidden Games (1951) Clément, René #383 France

55. Pépé le Moko (1937) Duvivier, Julien #384 France

56. Les Vampires (1915-16) Feuillade, Louis #391 France

57. Rise to Power of Louis XIV, The (1966) Rossellini, Roberto #399 France

58. Red Desert (1964) Antonioni, Michelangelo #408 France-Italy

59. Night and Fog (1955) Resnais, Alain #414 France

60. Three Colours: Blue (1993) Kieslowski, Krszystof #421 France-Poland-Switzerland

61. Shoot the Piano Player (1960) Truffaut, François #428 France

62. Lola Montès (1955) Ophüls, Max #432 France

63. Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) Ophüls, Max #433 France

64. Persepolis (2007) Paronnaud, Vincent & Satrapi, Marjane #438 France-US

65. Orpheus (1950) Cocteau, Jean #440 France

66. Tristana (1970) Buñuel, Luis #444 France-Spain

67. Sans soleil (1963) Marker, Chris #445 France

68. Le Million (1931) Clair, René #448 France

69. Prophet, A (2009) Audiard, Jacques #449 France

70. Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953) Tati, Jacques #459 France

71. Le Voyage dans la lune (Trip to the Moon, 1902) Méliès, Georges #462 France

72. Beau Travail (1998) Denis, Claire #468 France

73. F for Fake (1973) Welles, Orson #471 France-Iran-West Germany

74. Sacrifice, The (1986) Tarkovsky, Andrei #472 France-Sweden

75. Rififi (55) Dassin, Jules #474 France

76. Mother and the Whore, The (1973) Eustache, Jean #496 France

77. Mouchette (1966) Bresson, Robert #497 France

78. 1900 (1976) Bertolucci, Bernardo #505 France-Germany-Italy

79. À nous la liberté (1931) Clair, René #528 France

80. Lola (1961) Demy, Jacques #540 France-Italy

81. Alphaville (1965) Godard, Jean-Luc #545 France

82. Le Jour se lève (1939) Carné, Marcel #562 France

83. In the Realm of the Senses (1976) Oshima, Nagisa #583 France-Japan

84. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964) Parajanov, Sergei #592 France-Iran

85. Argent, L' (1983) Bresson, Robert #593 France-Switz

86. Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) Varda, Agnès #599 France

87. River, The (1951) Renoir, Jean #611 France-India-US

88. Class, The (2008) Cantet, Laurent #620 France

89. Crime of Monsieur Lange, The (1936) Renoir, Jean #621 France

90. Underground (1995) Kusturica, Emir #633 France-Germany-Hungary

91. Atlantic City (1980) Malle, Louis #642 Canada-France

92. My Night at Maud's (1969) Rohmer, Eric #650 France

93. 35 Shots of Rum (2008) Denis, Claire #655 France

94. L'Enfant (The Child, 2005) Dardenne, Jean-Pierre & Luc #661 France

95. Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932) Renoir, Jean #676 France

96. United 93 (2006) Greengrass, Paul #685 France-UK-US

97. Carlos (2010) Assayas , Olivier #689 France

98. Claire's Knee (1970) Rohmer, Eric #712 France

99. Casque d'or (1952) Becker, Jacques #713 France

100. Providence (1977) Resnais, Alain #718 France-Switz

101. Son, The (Le Fils, 2002) Dardenne, Jean-Pierre & Luc #732 France

102. Triplets of Belleville, The (2003) Chomet, Sylvain #736 France-Belg-Can-UK

103. Plaisir, Le (1951) Ophüls, Max #745 France

104. La Commune (Paris, 1871) (2000) Watkins, Peter #754 France

105. Blood of a Poet, The (1930) Cocteau, Jean #778 France

106. Quai des Orfèvres (1947) Clouzot, Henri-Georges #788 France

107. Piccadilly (1929) Dupont, Ewald André #792 France

108. Le Boucher (1970) Chabrol, Claude #802 France

109. Young Girls of Rochefort, The (1967) Demy, Jacques #806 France

110. Time Out (2001) Cantet, Laurent #807 France

111. Muriel ou Le Temps d'un Retour (1963) Resnais, Alain #817 France-Italy

112. French Cancan (1954) Renoir, Jean #819 France

113. Phantom of Liberty, The (1974) Buñuel, Luis #828 France

114. Lancelot du Lac (1974) Bresson, Robert #831 France-Italy

115. Three Colours: White (1994) Kieslowski, Krszystof #845 France-Poland

116. India Song (1975) Duras, Marguerite #851 France

117. To Be and to Have (2002) Philibert, Nicolas #868 France

118. Au Revoir, Les Enfants (1987) Malle, Louis #873 France

119. Je rentre à la maison (I'm Going Home, 2001) de Oliveira, Manoel #879 France-Portugal

120. Of Gods and Men (2010) Beauvois, Xavier #883 France

121. Beaches of Agnès, The (2008) Varda, Agnès #885 France

122. Under the Sand (2000) Ozon, Francois #894 France

123. Christmas Tale, A (2008) Desplechin, Arnaud #898 France

124. Wild Child, The (1970) Truffaut, François #906 France

125. Certified Copy (2010) Kiarostami, Abbas #908 France-Italy-Belgium

126. Bob le flambeur (1956) Melville, Jean-Pierre #910 France

127. La Chienne (1931) Renoir, Jean #913 France

128. Nostalgia for the Light (2010) Guzmán, Patricio #936 France-Gy-Chile

129. Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne (1945) Bresson, Robert #950 France

130. Passion (1982) Godard, Jean-Luc #952 France-Switzerland

131. La Belle Noiseuse (1991) Rivette, Jacques #967 France-Switz

132. Sauve qui peut (la vie) (1980) Godard, Jean-Luc #977 France-Switzerland

133. Touchez Pas A Grisbi (1954) Becker, Jacques #978 France

134. Summer Hours (2008) Assayas, Olivier #991 France

135. Since Otar Left (2003) Bertucelli, Julie #997 France-Belgium

Winged Migration was shot at over 200 locations

worldwide over six years, following migrating birds

My Favorites (* = unranked)



1. Winged Migration (2001) Perrin, Cluzaud, & Debats #1191 France-Ity-Gy-Spn-Switz

2. Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring (1986) Berri, Claude * France

3. 400 Blows, The (1959) Truffaut, François #37 France

4. Chaos (2001) Serreau, Coline * France

5. A Very Long Engagement (2002) Jeunet, Jean-Pierre * France

6. La Femme Nikita (1990) Besson, Luc * France

7. Micmacs (2009) Jeunet, Jean-Pierre * France

8. Diva (1981) Beineix, Jean-Jacques * France

9. Innocence (2004) Hadzihalilovic, Lucile * France

10. Chorus, The (2004) Barratier, Christophe * France

11. United 93 (2006) Greengrass, Paul #685 France-UK-US

12. Ridicule (1996) Leconte, Patrice * France

13. Atlantic City (1980) Malle, Louis #642 Canada-France

14. The Two of Us (1967) Berri, Claude * France

15. Grande Illusion, La (1937) Renoir, Jean #197 France

16. Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) Bresson, Robert #50 France

17. Léon (The Professional, 1994) Besson, Luc #314 France

18. Triplets of Belleville, The (2003) Chomet, Sylvain #736 France-Belg-Can-UK

19. Elevator to the Gallows (1958) Malle, Louis #1593 France

20. Earrings of Madame de..., The (1953) Ophuls, Max #136 France-Italy

21. Plaisir, Le (1951) Ophüls, Max #745 France

22. 13 Tzameti (2006) Babluani, Géla * France

23. Rififi (1955) Dassin, Jules #474 France

24. Band of Outsiders (Bande à part, 1964) Godard, Jean-Luc #268 France

25. Vatel (2000) Joffé, Roland * France-UK-Belgium

26. Return of Martin Guerre, The (1982) Vigne, Daniel * France

27. Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, The (1972) Buñuel, Luis #99 France

28. Wages of Fear, The (1952) Clouzot, Henri-Georges #168 France-Italy

29. Day for Night (1973) Truffaut, François #334 France-Italy

30. Carlos (2010) Assayas , Olivier #689 France

31. Prophet, A (2009) Audiard, Jacques #449 France

32. Army of Shadows (1969) Melville, Jean-Pierre #277 France-Italy

33. Jules et Jim (1961) Truffaut, François #73 France

34. Shoah (1985) Lanzmann, Claude #98 France

35. Diaboliques, Les (1955) Clouzot, Henri-Georges #214 France

36. Pianist, The (2002) Polanski, Roman #142 France-Gy-UK-Poland

37. Shoot the Piano Player (1960) Truffaut, François #428 France

38. Man Escaped, A (1956) Bresson, Robert #188 France

39. Under the Sand (2000) Ozon, Francois #894 France-Japan

40. Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) Varda, Agnès #599 France

41. La Ronde (1950) Ophüls, Max #1166 France

42. Rules of the Game, The (1939) Renoir, Jean #63 France

43. Passion of Joan of Arc, The (1928) Dreyer, Carl Theodor #34 France

44. Chocolat (2000) Hallström, Lasse * UK-US

45. Lacombe, Lucien (1974) Malle, Louis #1265 France

46. Belle de jour (1967) Buñuel, Luis #219 France-Italy

47. Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud (1995) Sautet, Claude * France-Italy-Germany

48. The Raven (1945) Clouzot, Henri-Georges * France

49. Breathless (1959) Godard, Jean-Luc #159 France

50. La Vie en Rose (2007) Dahan, Olivier * France-UK-CzechRep



Some of the multinational films I purposely left off my list since they seem more like other nations (like Antonioni and Bertolucci) than French films.



Many that I left off of my list I simply haven’t seen, such as L’atalante, Pickpocket, My Life to Live, Celine and Julie Go Boating, L'Âge d'or, Le Cercle Rouge. Some others I have seen and just didn’t like a lot (Children of Paradise I found tedious and cliché ridden – I mean, do people HAVE to sing La Marseilles in every French film? This one also had the clichés of mimes, Pierrots, cognac, and mistresses; you name it, if it’s French, they put it in this film. So where the heck was Chevalier singing?)





How in the world is Jean de Florette unranked? For me, and many others I’ve talked to, this is France’s best epic, a multi-generational story about land, water, and justice in life. One novel filmed as two films, four hours total, released simultaneously as a double feature so people could see both parts in one sitting or return for the second half, Manon of the Spring (aka Manon des Sources). Claude Berri also directed the wonderful and uplifting story The Two Of Us (aka, The Old Man and the Boy, also unranked), about a Jewish child sent from Paris to live with an elderly couple in the country during WW2.



I found Children of Paradise (#20) painstaking to sit through; and La Jetee is not even a film, its 15 minutes of still photos with a narrator - it has no "moving pictures".



The 400 Blows is terrific, shot at 25 by Truffaut, a movie critic, for his first feature film. Much of it was improvised, most was overdubbed later by the actors so he could shoot in the streets without bulky sound equipment.



Louis Malle's first fim, Elevator To the Gallows, belongs on this list. It's only ranked 1593rd overall.



At one point, I was gonna say that you could tell a French film because (a) someone will either dress up like a woman or two guys will dance together (b) someone will sing something French, either Freres Jacques or La Marseillaise (c) someone will do mime or Pierrot the clown with the frilly collar (d) someone will drink cognac or champagne, or both. I believe ALL of these are in the classic La Grande Illusion (well, not Pierrot), which is a masterpiece anyway; all are in Children of Paradise (which I don't like). Thankfully, I saw enough French gangster films that the stereotype was finally broken. But I still don't get their spelling - if all those letters are silent, then why use 'em? Rendezvous that..

Top Ranked Films from Italy

[2011 Update, film polls through June 2011 included]

© William L. Sinclair



This begins our series of posts of the top ranked films on the internet by individual nations. I think Italy is my favorite nation for foreign language films, followed by France, Japan, China-Hong Kong-Taiwan, and Russia.



The U.S. easily has the most listed, with 502 in the top 1000, an increase from 482 in 2009. France is second with 87 (but 135 if you include joint efforts). The UK is next with 112.



Many international films present a unique problem: they are sometimes made by several countries together, so separating the true country of origin may be difficult. This time I've usually gone with the director's main country of origin - a Melville film was France-Italy produced, I'm putting it into the French films post, not the Italian one here.



In this case, we are listing the films from Italy alone first, 33 in the top 1000, then a second list that includes all Italian joint efforts with other nations (36 more), then a merged list of all those 69. I listed my favorite 40 Italian films after that, which includes some unranked ones, like De Sica's Garden of the Finzi-Continis, Tornatore's The Legend of 1900, and Malena. Those on my list with links connect to our reviews at 1000 Dvds to See



Photo is actor-director Vittorio De Sica, who said "I lost all my money on these films; but I did them so I would have Umberto D and Bicycle Thief.."





Italy (Italian only productions in the top 1000)



1. Bicycle Thief, The (1949) De Sica, Vittorio #21 Italy

2. 8½ (1963) Fellini, Federico #40 Italy

3. La Dolce Vita (1960) Fellini, Federico #74 Italy

4. Umberto D (1952) De Sica, Vittorio #80 Italy [photo rt]

5. La Strada (1954) Fellini, Federico #114 Italy

6. Leopard, The (1963) Visconti, Luchino #151 Italy

7. Passenger, The (1975) Antonioni, Michelangelo #250 Italy

8. Amarcord (1973) Fellini, Federico #254 Italy

9. Paisan (1946) Rossellini, Roberto #280 Italy

10. Rome, Open City (1945) Rossellini, Roberto #291 Italy

11. Suspiria (1977) Argento, Dario #329 Italy

12. I Vitelloni (1953) Fellini, Federico #348 Italy

13. Life is Beautiful (1997) Begnini, Roberto #446 Italy

14. Juliet of the Spirits (1965) Fellini, Federico #479 Italy

15. Senso (1954) Visconti, Luchino #488 Italy

16. Death in Venice (1971) Visconti, Luchino #517 Italy

17. Voyage in Italy (1953) Rossellini, Roberto #533 Italy

18. Tree of Wooden Clogs, The (1978) Olmi, Ermanno #550 Italy

19. Miracle in Milan (1951) De Sica, Vittorio #631 Italy

20. Salvatore Giuliano (1961) Rosi, Francesco #646 Italy

21. Teorema (1968) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #680 Italy

22. Accattone (1961) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #695 Italy

23. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) Petri, Elio #738 Italy

24. Fellini Satyricon (1969) Fellini, Federico #744 Italy

25. Best of Youth, The (2003) Giordana, Marco Tullio #766 Italy

26. La Terra trema (1948) Visconti, Luchino #794 Italy

27. Mafioso (bw, 1962) Lattuada, Alberto #812 Italy

28. Gomorra (2008) Garrone, Matteo #830 Italy

29. Europa '51 (1952) Rossellini, Roberto #842 Italy

30. Fellini's Casanova (1976) Fellini, Federico #843 Italy

31. Ossessione (1943) Visconti, Luchino #940 Italy

32. Intruder, The (L'innocent, 1976) Visconti, Luchino #968 Italy

33. Spider's Stratagem, The (1970) Bertolucci, Bernardo #994 Italy





Italy Plus (multi-country films only)



1. Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, The (1966) Leone, Sergio #36 Italy-Spain

2. Conformist, The (1970) Bertolucci, Bernardo #45 Italy-France-Germany

3. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Leone, Sergio #52 Italy-US

4. Battle of Algiers, The (1966) Pontecorvo, Gillo #60 Italy-Algiers

5. Contempt (1963) Godard, Jean-Luc #89 France-Italy

6. Cinema Paradiso (1988) Tornatore, Giuseppe #118 Italy-France

7. Pierrot le fou (1965) Godard, Jean-Luc #124 France-Italy

8. Earrings of Madame de..., The (1953) Ophuls, Max #136 France-Italy

9. Wages of Fear, The (1952) Clouzot, Henri-Georges #168 France-Italy

10. Nights of Cabiria (1957) Fellini, Federico #172 Italy-France

11. Gospel According to St. Matthew, The (1964) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #176 France-Italy

12. L'Avventura (1960) Antonioni, Michelangelo #183 Italy-France

13. Last Year at Marienbad (1961) Resnais, Alain #213 France-Italy

14. Belle de jour (1967) Buñuel, Luis #219 France-Italy

15. Rocco and His Brothers (1964) Visconti, Luchino #223 Italy-France

16. Eyes Without a Face (1959) Franju, Georges #229 France-Italy

17. Last Tango in Paris (1973) Bertolucci, Bernardo #262 France-Italy

18. Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #272 Italy-France

19. Army of Shadows (1969) Melville, Jean-Pierre #277 France-Italy

20. L'Eclisse (1962) Antonioni, Michelangelo #286 France-Italy

21. Week-End (1967) Godard, Jean-Luc #304 France-Italy

22. Golden Coach, The (1952) Renoir, Jean #345 Italy-France

23. La Notte (1961) Antonioni, Michelangelo #357 France-Italy

24. Red Desert (1964) Antonioni, Michelangelo #408 France-Italy

25. 1900 (1976) Bertolucci, Bernardo #505 France-Germany-Italy

26. For a Few Dollars More (1965) Leone, Sergio #509 Italy-Spain

27. Lola (1961) Demy, Jacques #540 France-Italy

28. Nostalghia (1983) Tarkovsky, Andrei #577 Italy-USSR

29. Germany, Year Zero (1947) Rossellini, Roberto #580 Italy-West Germany

30. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) Charles, Larry #773 France-Italy

31. Muriel ou Le Temps d'un Retour (1963) Resnais, Alain #817 France-Italy

32. Lancelot du Lac (1974) Bresson, Robert #831 France-Italy

33. Last Emperor, The (1987) Bertolucci, Bernardo #901 UK-Italy-China-France

34. Certified Copy (2010) Kiarostami, Abbas #908 France-Italy-Belgium

35. Vincere (2009) Bellocchio, Marco #951 Italy-France

36. Damned, The (1969) Visconti, Luchino #992 Italy-West Germany

Merged, all Italian films 



1. Bicycle Thief, The (1949) De Sica, Vittorio #21 Italy [photo above]

2. Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, The (1966) Leone, Sergio #36 Italy-Spain

3. 8½ (1963) Fellini, Federico #40 Italy

4. Conformist, The (1970) Bertolucci, Bernardo #45 Italy-France-Germany

5. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Leone, Sergio #52 Italy-US

6. Battle of Algiers, The (1966) Pontecorvo, Gillo #60 Italy-Algiers

7. La Dolce Vita (1960) Fellini, Federico #74 Italy

8. Umberto D (1952) De Sica, Vittorio #80 Italy

9. Contempt (1963) Godard, Jean-Luc #89 France-Italy

10. La Strada (1954) Fellini, Federico #114 Italy



11. Cinema Paradiso (1988) Tornatore, Giuseppe #118 Italy-France

12. Pierrot le fou (1965) Godard, Jean-Luc #124 France-Italy

13. Earrings of Madame de..., The (1953) Ophuls, Max #136 France-Italy

14. Leopard, The (1963) Visconti, Luchino #151 Italy

15. Wages of Fear, The (1952) Clouzot, Henri-Georges #168 France-Italy

16. Nights of Cabiria (1957) Fellini, Federico #172 Italy-France

17. Gospel According to St. Matthew, The (1964) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #176 France-Italy

18. L'Avventura (1960) Antonioni, Michelangelo #183 Italy-France

19. Last Year at Marienbad (1961) Resnais, Alain #213 France-Italy

20. Belle de jour (1967) Buñuel, Luis #219 France-Italy

21. Rocco and His Brothers (1964) Visconti, Luchino #223 Italy-France

22. Eyes Without a Face (1959) Franju, Georges #229 France-Italy

23. Passenger, The (1975) Antonioni, Michelangelo #250 Italy

24. Amarcord (1973) Fellini, Federico #254 Italy

25. Last Tango in Paris (1973) Bertolucci, Bernardo #262 France-Italy

26. Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #272 Italy-France

27. Army of Shadows (1969) Melville, Jean-Pierre #277 France-Italy

28. Paisan (1946) Rossellini, Roberto #280 Italy

29. L'Eclisse (1962) Antonioni, Michelangelo #286 France-Italy

30. Rome, Open City (1945) Rossellini, Roberto #291 Italy

31. Week-End (1967) Godard, Jean-Luc #304 France-Italy

32. Suspiria (1977) Argento, Dario #329 Italy

33. Golden Coach, The (1952) Renoir, Jean #345 Italy-France

34. I Vitelloni (1953) Fellini, Federico #348 Italy

35. La Notte (1961) Antonioni, Michelangelo #357 France-Italy

36. Red Desert (1964) Antonioni, Michelangelo #408 France-Italy

37. Life is Beautiful (1997) Begnini, Roberto #446 Italy

38. Juliet of the Spirits (1965) Fellini, Federico #479 Italy

39. Senso (1954) Visconti, Luchino #488 Italy

40. 1900 (1976) Bertolucci, Bernardo #505 France-Germany-Italy

41. For a Few Dollars More (1965) Leone, Sergio #509 Italy-Spain

42. Death in Venice (1971) Visconti, Luchino #517 Italy

43. Voyage in Italy (1953) Rossellini, Roberto #533 Italy

44. Lola (1961) Demy, Jacques #540 France-Italy

45. Tree of Wooden Clogs, The (1978) Olmi, Ermanno #550 Italy

46. Nostalghia (1983) Tarkovsky, Andrei #577 Italy-USSR

47. Germany, Year Zero (1947) Rossellini, Roberto #580 Italy-West Germany

48. Miracle in Milan (1951) De Sica, Vittorio #631 Italy

49. Salvatore Giuliano (1961) Rosi, Francesco #646 Italy

50. Teorema (1968) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #680 Italy

51. Accattone (1961) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #695 Italy

52. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) Petri, Elio #738 Italy

53. Fellini Satyricon (1969) Fellini, Federico #744 Italy

54. Best of Youth, The (2003) Giordana, Marco Tullio #766 Italy

55. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) Charles, Larry #773 France-Italy

56. La Terra trema (1948) Visconti, Luchino #794 Italy

57. Mafioso (bw, 1962) Lattuada, Alberto #812 Italy

58. Muriel ou Le Temps d'un Retour (1963) Resnais, Alain #817 France-Italy

59. Gomorra (2008) Garrone, Matteo #830 Italy

60. Lancelot du Lac (1974) Bresson, Robert #831 France-Italy

61. Europa '51 (1952) Rossellini, Roberto #842 Italy

62. Fellini's Casanova (1976) Fellini, Federico #843 Italy

63. Last Emperor, The (1987) Bertolucci, Bernardo #901 UK-Italy-China-France

64. Certified Copy (2010) Kiarostami, Abbas #908 France-Italy-Belgium

65. Ossessione (1943) Visconti, Luchino #940 Italy

66. Vincere (2009) Bellocchio, Marco #951 Italy-France

67. Intruder, The (L'innocent, 1976) Visconti, Luchino #968 Italy

68. Damned, The (1969) Visconti, Luchino #992 Italy-West Germany

69. Spider's Stratagem, The (1970) Bertolucci, Bernardo #994 Italy

Bertolucci's The Conformist - cinematographer Vittorio

Storaro later won 3 Oscars (Reds, The Last

Emperor, and Apocalypse Now)

Personal Favorite 40

(some unranked ones added) * = unranked



1. Cinema Paradiso (1988) Tornatore, Giuseppe

2. L'Avventura (1960) Antonioni, Michelangelo

3. Conformist, The (1970) Bertolucci, Bernardo

4. Umberto D (1952) De Sica, Vittorio

5. Battle of Algiers, The (1966) Pontecorvo, Gillo

6. Lamerica (1994) Amelio, Gianni [photo rt]

7. Last Emperor, The (1987) Bertolucci, Bernardo

8. La Dolce Vita (1960) Fellini, Federico

9. Il Posto (1961) Olmi, Ermanno

10. Bicycle Thief, The (aka Bicycle Thieves, 1949) De Sica, Vittorio

11. Il Postino (95) Radford, Michael*

12. Gospel According to St. Matthew, The (1964) Pasolini, Pier Paolo

13. Best of Youth, The (2003) Giordana, Marco Tullio

14. Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958) Monicelli, Mario

15. 8½ (1963) Fellini, Federico

16. Rocco and His Brothers (1964) Visconti, Luchino

17. Last Tango in Paris (1973) Bertolucci, Bernardo

18. Amarcord (1973) Fellini, Federico

19. L'Eclisse (1962) Antonioni, Michelangelo

20. Legend of 1900, The (1998) Tornatore, Giuseppe*

21. Nights of Cabiria (1957) Fellini, Federico

22. Passenger, The (1975) Antonioni, Michelangelo

23. Garden of the Finzi-Continis, The (1970) De Sica, Vittorio* [photo rt]

24. El Alamein (2002) Monteleone, Enzo*

25. Seven Beauties (1976) Wertmuller, Lina*

26. Night Porter, The (1974) Cavani, Liliana*

27. Swept Away (1975) Wertmuller, Lina*

28. La Notte (1961) Antonioni, Michelangelo

29. Malena (2000) Tornatore, Giuseppe*

30. Kapó (1959) Pontecorvo, Gillo*

31. Viridiana (1961) Buñuel, Luis*

32. Rome, Open City (1945) Rossellini, Roberto

33. Belle de jour (1967) Buñuel, Luis

34. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) Petri, Elio

35. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Leone, Sergio

36. Tree of Wooden Clogs, The (1978) Olmi, Ermanno

37. Death in Venice (1971) Visconti, Luchino

38. Fellini's Roma (1972) Fellini, Federico

39. La Terra trema (1948) Visconti, Luchino

40. Flowers of St. Francis, The (1950) Rossellini, Roberto

These are some of my favorite foreign language films, I think because they are so well composed visually, yet are also touching; plus, the language really is one of the most enjoyable to hear, isn't it? Umberto D is a masterpiece of the heart to me, while L'avventura is one of the best composed films shot-for-shot that I've ever seen (see photo above), one of three that Woody Allen said "transcend film and become art". It won a Jury Prize at Cannes (after being booed by the audience) for "giving us a new way to look at cinema". The two films that followed it are L'Eclisse, and La Notte, all worth seeing.



Cinema Paradiso is an homage to a life spent with movies, a love letter to their inspiration, and an autobiographical story of Guiseppe Tornatore, from Sicily. L'america is a striking statement about identity, alienation, and hope.



Bertolucci's The Conformist is a riveting indictment of losing one's ethics for personal gain, and its style influenced many American directors. His cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro, became a favorite in the US, winning Oscars for Apocalypse Now, Reds, and The Last Emperor. They won an award in 1998 as best director-cinematographer duo. 



Fellini may not be for all tastes, but I think La Dolce Vita is another masterpiece, while his Amarcord may be more accessible to general audiences as it's a nostalgic, autobiographical look at growing up in a small Italian town.