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Which country would you say produces the best non-English language films?

fluffydelusions

fluffydelusions

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,456
My vote goes to South Korea. I absolutely love so many films that come from there. Oldboy (the whole trilogy really), The Wailing, Memories of Murder, Train to Busan, I Saw the Devil etc etc...I could keep going. Also super excited for Joon-ho Bongs new movie this year Parasite. What's everyone else think?
 
iareharSon

iareharSon

Member
Oct 30, 2017
8,939
It's definitely South Korea right now. After that, and it's probably a distant second, maybe Spain?

In the past, Italy, France and Japan were legit - but they've all fallen from grace since their high points.
 
Master Of Illusion

Master Of Illusion

Alt Account
Banned
Mar 18, 2019
856
Mexico, France, or Korea.

The Soviet Union was on some other fire too one upon a time.

EDIT: FUCK how did I forget Italy...

 
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Moppeh

Moppeh

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,537
Historically I'd say France, Italy and Japan.

French film is probably my favorite, but that's mostly due to the French New Wave.
 
Lord Azrael

Lord Azrael

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,976
I have a really strong bias towards animation so for me it's Japan, but yeah South Korea has a ton of baller films
 
Moppeh

Moppeh

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,537
Serpens007 said:
I'm really curious, which Soviet Union films are good and worth watching and where can I find them?
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Watch the films of Tarkovsky. Stalker is my personal favorite.

There is also a ton of great silent Soviet cinema. The era of Soviet Montage produced some really engaging and interesting stuff. Battleship Potemkin would be a good starting point.
 
MrMephistoX

MrMephistoX

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,754
fluffydelusions said:
My vote goes to South Korea. I absolutely love so many films that come from there. Oldboy (the whole trilogy really), The Wailing, Memories of Murder, Train to Busan, I Saw the Devil etc etc...I could keep going. Also super excited for Joon-ho Bongs new movie this year Parasite. What's everyone else think?
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I concur no contest for popular genres I actually like (HK is awesome too) but hardcore film buffs are always going to go with Italy or France.
 
marrec

marrec

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
6,775
Japan still releases some bangers and their animation is clearly top notch but South Korea is on a whole other level rn

Mexico is also killing it
 
Lys Skygge

Lys Skygge

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,741
Arizona
Soviet Union made some of my favorite films, including Stalker which was mentioned above. Andrei Tarkovsky in general is a masterful filmmaker.
 
Rosenkrantz

Rosenkrantz

Member
Jan 17, 2018
4,914
If you saw one Korean thriller, you've seen them all. But they make decent Oscar-baitish stuff (Taxi Driver, Advocate etc.) and, personally, I like their period dramas almost as much as British productions. I still give Japan and France an edge when it comes down to overall quality, especially festival cinema.
 
Excuse me

Excuse me

Member
Oct 30, 2017
2,012
France or South Korea. I'm getting bit bored of K-thrillers but they still produce some great movies. I'm expecting great things from Parasyte.

Japan has few interesting ditecors that I still follow but that's mainly for festival movies. Any big budget movie from Japan seems to be disaster.
 
CassCade

CassCade

Banned
Nov 2, 2017
2,037
South Korea, it's hard to choose between Spain and Mexico for number 2. Memories of Murder is in my top 10 films. I would also add Hong Kong, Wong Kar-wai's films are amazing. Jia Zhangke made my favourite Asian film, A Touch of Sin.
 

Deleted member 3058

User requested account closure
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Oct 25, 2017
6,728
South Korea has been pretty great for years.


More recently I've been floored by the output from Mexico.
 
More_Badass

More_Badass

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,621
Currently, South Korea

But Russia/Soviet Union produced some absolute classics like Stalker and Come & See
 

Deleted member 9932

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,711
Soviet Union, Japan, Italy and France cinema catalogues are the most important (alongside US/UK). HK 70's-90's was an incredible gem. Sweden had Bergman. West Germany had Fassbinder, Herzog, Wenders and Lang.
 
Rosebud

Rosebud

Two Pieces
Member
Apr 16, 2018
43,460
That's hard... I love Italy, France, Russia, Japan, Iran and my country (Brazil) cinema, we also have some great stuff.

I haven't watched many South Korea movies (only know Park Chan-wook tbh), any recommendations?
 
PassiveObserver

PassiveObserver

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,175
Iran deserves a mention. Asghar Farhadi made one of the best films of the decade in A Separation, along with certified bangers About Elly and The Past.

The great Abbas Kiarostami ended his career with a couple of international productions with a pair of A-grade films in Certified Copy and Like Someone in Love, but he made his mark early on in Iran with experimental films such as Close-Up (a masterpiece in quasi-docu narrative) and A Taste of Cherry.
 
GaimeGuy

GaimeGuy

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,092
PassiveObserver said:
Iran deserves a mention. Asghar Farhadi made one of the best films of the decade in A Separation, along with certified bangers About Elly and The Past.

The great Abbas Kiarostami ended his career with a couple of international productions with a pair of A-grade films in Certified Copy and Like Someone in Love, but he made his mark early on in Iran with experimental films such as Close-Up (a masterpiece in quasi-docu narrative) and A Taste of Cherry.
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Yeah, both Iran and Israel are amazing for film and underrated
 
Ryuelli

Ryuelli

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,209
South Korea, at least as far as the past decade or two goes.


Rosebud said:
That's hard... I love Italy, France, Russia, Japan, Iran and my country (Brazil) cinema, we also have some great stuff.

I haven't watched many South Korea movies (only know Park Chan-wook tbh), any recommendations?
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Stinkinmushroom said:
Wich South Korean movies do you guys suggest. I can only think of 2
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Can't go wrong with:

Oldboy
The Man From Nowhere
A Moment to Remember
Train to Busan
Seoul Station
My Sassy Girl
A Tale of Two Sisters
I Saw the Devil
Memories of Murder
The Host
The Admiral: Roaring Currents
Mr. Go
The Wailing
The Handmaiden
Sympathy of Mr. Vengeance
Lady Vengeance
International Market
 
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Stinkinmushroom

Stinkinmushroom

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,708
Ryuelli said:
South Korea, at least as far as the past decade or two goes.






Can't go wrong with:

Oldboy
The Man From Nowhere
A Moment to Remember
Train to Busan
Seoul Station
My Sassy Girl
A Tale of Two Sisters
I Saw the Devil
Memories of Murder
The Host
The Admiral: Roaring Currents
Mr. Go, The Wailing
Sympathy of Mr. Vengeance
Lady Vengeance
International Market
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Now that i see this list, i knew more then 2. I love Old Boy so much <3
 
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