Foreign films are such a treat because while distinctive threads of tradition and culture are effortlessly woven into the fabric of characters’ experiences and decisions, it is in these unfamiliar spaces one recognizes that the motivations and desires of people everywhere are inherently alike.

If you are someone who fancies observing the human predicament, these films are knee-deep in that. Each film is different from the last, but all are equally lyrical expressions of varying themes be it Nostalgia, Passion, Deviance, Religion, or Family. Now, pair that with thoughtful camerawork and I’m in for the night.

The cinematography of these films are direct reflections of their story’s own dilemma. Intimate, constricted, juxtaposed. Slow pans, swift pans, or no pans at all. There is truly thoughtful and careful production in these pieces. We hope you enjoy it!

Mirror (1975)

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

DP: Georgy Ivanovich Rerberg

Mirror is a stream of consciousness film portraying the reflections of a man on his deathbed. Directed by Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky, you are invariably in for some truly magnificent, or masterful, shots in film. The viewer timelessly drifts through scenes of his memories like an unseen, timeless speck of dust, catching glimpses pulled from Tarkovsky’s real-life experiences. It is art.

At the 1982 Cinema Thieves conference, Tarkovsky said while speaking on film versus other mediums, “Film fixes reality in a sense of time—it’s a way of conserving time. No other art form can fix and stop time like this. Film is a mosaic made up of time.”[1]

In the Mood for Love (2000)

Director: Wong Kar-wai

DP: Christopher Doyle

Set in 1962 Hong Kong, In the Mood for Love is a story of unrequited love held in a totally unique perspective. The scenes are lush, the shots are constricting, and it is only in watching it will you understand how it is unlike any romance film you have seen before.

In an interview with The Seventh Art, the DP Christopher Doyle said when asked about his style, “The style comes from the space, the process, the limitations we have, the people with whom we work. It’s not me imposing something on the film. It’s the film emerging from those characteristics, those conditions. The film is not a style – it’s a predicament.”[2]

White Ribbon (2009)

Director: Michael Haneke

DP: Christian Berger

In the years before WWI, a mysterious series of wicked acts play out against certain villagers of a small German town. But why and by whom? These shadowy aspects are what make Haneke films so exceptional. Film critic Roger Ebert highlights that “Haneke has a way of making the puzzle more interesting than its solution.” [3]

If you aren’t naturally fond of b&w films, White Ribbon may change your mind. In a PBS interview, cinematographer Berger described the style as “modern black and white,” as to be “stripped of any nostalgia.”[4] Having filmed in digital color negative, they then removed the color in post-production. The result? A film that feels in color informed by mindful textures and contrasts and crispness.

Breaking the Waves (1996)

Director: Lars von Trier

DP: Robby Müller

Set in a small Scottish village, Breaking the Waves is an emotionally unsettling portrayal of how one woman’s unconditional love and naivety are too fragile for the world we live in. Close up shots and rapid pans lend to the immediacy and restless nature of the narrative.

Criterion states that this movie “broke the rules, exploding so many norms of mainstream cinema” that its existence is “astonishing”.[5] In true fashion, it is like all of Lars von Trier’s highly controversial films, indescribable.

Tokyo Story (1953)

Director: Yasujiro Ozu

DP: Yûharu Atsuta

Made in 1953, Yasujiro Ozu’s film Tokyo Story is a timeless account of family, work, life and death. The subtlety of his storytelling and camerawork is where this film wins in my opinion. While Ozu’s shots are masterfully crafted with intent,[6] they appear to the viewer exquisitely simple and unexploited.

I once heard that one should be careful watching their first Japanese film, cautioning how it will easily preoccupy your movie watch list thereafter. Tokyo Story is a fantastic first Japanese film to get you started.

Related: 7 EERIE THRILLER FILMS TO WATCH THIS HALLOWEEN

NOBLE BISON PRODUCTIONS

DENVER VIDEO PRODUCTION

BROADCAST COMMERCIALS - MUSIC VIDEOS - FILMS - BRAND VIDEOS - PRODUCT/SERVICE DEMOS - CORPORATE VIDEOS - WEBSITE/SOCIAL VIDEOS

Citations

[1] “Andrei Tarkovsky Archives • Cinephilia & Beyond.” Cinephilia & Beyond, cinephiliabeyond.org/tag/andrei-tarkovsky/.

[2] The Seventh Art. “Christopher Doyle (In the Mood for Love) Interview” Youtube. 18 Jul. 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d9jZod51Fw

[3] Ebert, Roger. “The White Ribbon Movie Review (2010): Roger Ebert.” The White Ribbon Movie Review (2010) | Roger Ebert, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-white-ribbon-2010.

[4] “A Shot in the Dark: Cinematographer of 'The White Ribbon' Gives His Take.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 21 Jan. 2010, www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/shot-in-the-dark-the-cinematographers-take-on-the-white-ribbon.

[5] Sterritt, David. “Breaking the Waves: Breaking the Rules.” The Criterion Collection, www.criterion.com/current/posts/3130-breaking-the-waves-breaking-the-rules.

[6] Kennedy, Brittany. “An Analysis of Cinematography in Ozu's ‘Tokyo Story’: Pillow Shots and Symmetry.” ReelRundown, ReelRundown, 27 Feb. 2019, reelrundown.com/movies/Cinematography-in-Tokyo-Story.