When most of us hear the word “movie”, we think of Hollywood — fair, given the global domination of Hollywood-produced Spielberg and Harry Potter films, but perhaps a tad ignorant, considering India’s Bollywood produces twice Hollywood’s output every year and reaches a larger audience. As demonstrated by the quality of the films in our Streaming Cinephile piece, foreign films deserve a place in the spotlight. But while that list only featured foreign language films available for streaming on Netflix, this list features the top foreign language films, period. Lest you worry we missed your favorite, check back through our earlier lists: 13 Assassins jumped on our 50 Best Action Movies List, and Amélie stole a spot on the 50 Best Romances.
Now, without further ado, grab some popcorn, sit back, and dim the lights. The show’s about to start.
Methodology: like our books piece, the selections for our Definitive Men’s Movie Collection represent our favorites, “considered in the light of how much they changed our lives, and might change yours.” If it makes you feel any better that your favorite flick didn’t make the cut, consider that one of our auditors, in a moment of weakness, tried to get Nick Cage’s Ghostrider on the docket. Taste is subjective, so take this for what it’s worth.
Yojimbo (Yôjinbô)
The end of the Tokugawa Shogunate was an ugly time, and director Akira Kurosawa captures the period wonderfully in this clever crime drama. A ronin (samurai) wanders into a town contested by two rival gangs and plans to destroy them both. Scheming ensues — and plenty of people find the business end of a blade (and one pistol).
Amazon DVD / Amazon Download / Netflix / iTunes
