I've been wanting for some time to get into foreign films. Problem is, I don't know where to start. I'm looking for films by Fellini, Bergman, and such. Help is appreciated.

Looking for new movies or classics? As for the classics I'd recommend La Strada, Seven Samurai, The Seventh Seal and The Passion of Joan of Arc. As for newer movies I'd recommend Hero, Chungking Express, Run Lola Run and Brotherhood of the Wolf.

Fellini:

• La Strada
• La Dolce Vita
• 8 1/2
• Fellini Satyricon
• Amarcord

Bergman:

• The Seventh Seal
• Wild Strawberries
• Persona
• Cries and Whispers
• Fanny and Alexander

Five other directors I'd recommend (for a newbie) are Jean Renoir, Fritz Lang, Francois Truffaut, Luis Bunuel, and Akira Kurosawa.

y tu mama tambien , All About My Mother , and
Talk to Her if you like your recent Spanish cinema.

City of God is another good one.

Also, just about anything by Akira Kurosawa

Enjoy!

I really liked Amelie

Here are some of my favorites


French
I second Amelie
Trois couleurs (three colors trilogy red, blue and while)
Rouge
Bleu
Blanc
L'auberge espagnole


Spainish
Talk to her

Mexican
Y tu mama tambien
Like water for chocolate


New Zealand
Once were warriors
Whale Rider


Finnish
The Cuckoo

Indian
Monsoon Wedding
Fire This movie is very controversial. It is about two sisters-in-law who fall in love.




I know there is more..I will have to check my dvd's

battle royale (if you can handle the extreme violence and content)

Some of my favs:

Delicatessen
Festen
City of Lost Children
Riget (Tv series)
Insomnia


I'll post more as I remember.

I recommend any Francois Truffaut movie. If you're not used to stuff that is too "arty" I would recommend the Antoine Doinel movies (especially Stolen Kisses).

I just watched Truffaut's The 400 Blows for the first time this past weekend, and loved it. I wasn't expected to be so moved from the film. Jean-Pierre Leaud who plays the kid is really terrific, I have to check out more of Truffaut myself, the dvd from netflix showed a bunch of Truffaut trailers which was pretty nifty to see. So I recommend The 400 Blows for sure.

As others have stated Amelie is a great, and a movie I loved, a sweet performance from Audrey Tautou.

Here are some of my favorite foreign films, I think they're all really entertaining too:

French:

ShootThe Piano Player
The 400 Blows
Jules and Jim
Small Change
these are by Truffaut, and I think Small Change, and 400 Blows are most accessible.

Wages of Fear
Diabolique
Le Corbeau
These are directed by Clouzot, and Wages of Fear is an exciting film, one of the best ever made.

Italian

Nights of Cabiria
I'd start off with neo-realist Fellini, much easier to watch as you're getting introduced to his style.

Seven Beauties
Love and Anarchy
Seduction of Mimi
These are directed by Lina Wertmuller, a Fellini protigè, and very entertaining.

German

Aguirre: Wrath of God
Mystery of Kaspar Hauser
Stroszek
Werner Herzog, these are all must see in my opinion.

Japan
Seven Samurai

Das Boot is a good one, about the German U-Boat in WWII.

Here are a few that haven't been mentioned yet and are also films I absolutely loved.

Italian:
Cinema Paradiso
Life is Beautiful
Johnny Stechino (Toothpick)

French:
Rififi

Bergman:

- Smiles on a Summer Night
- Scenes from a Marriage (watch the superior TV cut of the film)
- Secrets of Women - is also a fantastic underrated Bergman film that I highly recommend, it's only available on VHS.
- The Hour of the Wolf - this film is really out there and wild, watch this late at night! Bergman's venture into the horror genre!
- Dreams - is another Bergman film that is fantastic but rarely mentioned or given enough praise,, but definately worth checking out (VHS only)


Other recommended Foreign films:

The Garden of Finzi Continis
Central Station
Jean De Florette
Manon of the Spring
The Scent of the Green Papaya
My Life as A Dog
Pelle the Conqueror
The Best Intentions
East-West
Indochine
Children of Paradise
The Fourth Man - Verhoeven at his best, gory and explicit

I second Copenhagen's recommendation of Lars Von Trier's Riget (The Kingdom) films

Soldier Of Orange

A couple more

Amores Perros
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
Don't tempt me
Malena
Russian Ark
Belle Epoque

i agree with all of the above. one not mentioned:

burnt by the sun (russian)

kms

I say start with the more popular - mainstream - less artsy entries.

Amelie
Vanishing
Insomnia
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Battle Royale
Audition
Seven Samurai
Rashomon
Man Bites Dog
Ringu

Get yourself acustomed and then star tworking backwards

Thanks guys.

Here are a few more recommendations:

My Life as a Dog (1985)
Diva (1981)
L'Avventura (1960)
Grand Illusion (Renior)

One that I love that's really easy to get into that hasn't been mentioned yet...

La Femme Nikita (French)

Also, the Twyker flicks...

Run Lola Run
Princess and the Warrior

8½ (1963)
ABRIL DESPEDAÇADO (2001)
AKAHIGE (1965)
AMORES PERROS (2000)
CARNE TRÉMULA (1997)
DELICATESSEN (1991)
FANNY OCH ALEXANDER (1982)
FESTEN (1998)
HUA YANG NIAN HUA (2000)
KUMONOSU JO (1957)
L'APPARTEMENT (1996)
LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS (1945)
M (1931)
NIRGENDWO IN AFRIKA (2001)
RASHOMON (1950)
SÅSOM I EN SPEGEL (1961)
TILLSAMMANS (2000)
UMBERTO D. (1952)
YI YI (2000)
to name a few...

Cheers

DVD Smurf

I'll suggest:

Wings of Desire
Babette's Feast (Babettes Gæstebud)
High and Low
Irreversible (though not for everyone)

Amores Perros

like a Spanish Pulp Fiction sort of

action, drama, chases, dogs

Brotherhood Of The Wolf