237. Taxi driver (1977)

Country: Thailand
Directed by Chatri Chalerm Yukol

One of the most nice examples of the social popular Thai cinema of the 70's and early 80's that depicted the social gap between rich and poor, the hardships and hopes of the upcountry people who came to Bangkok hoping for a better life only for be exploited, with their dreams crushed. Chalerm Yukol, as always, dares to touch different issues, depicts the slams and the dirty streets of the city, moves the national cinema one little step farther. If the opening scenes are a bit weak, the second half of the film is masterfully made. A quite important film without any doubt

236. Sansho the baillif (1954)

Country: Japan
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi

Hands down one of the most beautiful, elegant, emotional, hearbreaking, poetical, magical - call it as you like- movies of all time, 'Sansho the baillif' is a film that you feel that are not words to praise it enough. What you can really say for such a masterpiece apart of you feel very lucky that you watched it? Well, Mizoguchi speaks volumes about the dark side of Japanese history, about the oppresion of woman, about the function of memory etc but the insane power of each one of the film's images is the main factor that makes the difference and it can no be discribed

235. Travelling circus (1988)

Country: Vietnam
Directed by Viet Linh

One of the very unique movies of Vietnamese cinema, 'Travelling Circus' is a quite attractive hybrid: heavily influenced by western art films but with action that takes place in a primitive Vietnamese landscape, with an impressionistic approach that somehow combines a sense of autenticity the way that documentaries do, with a beautiful black and white photography that manages to be striking without to look staged with a style that was modern twenty or so years before it's actual date of production but still is kicking

You can watch, and enjoy even without subtitles, the full movie here: https://youtu.be/KSQ4SruOy10

234. Sonatine (1993)

Country: Japan
Directed by Takeshi Kitano

With this fresh approach to the tired genre of yakuza movies where playfull, peaceful scenes, humour and a sense of absurd have place, Kitano got international acclaim, establishing himself as an interesting director who gave even more promises for the future that he gave with his previous film. Sonatine is not some masterpiece nor the best of Kitano's works but has a lot of artistic qualities and it's a real pleasure to watch

233. Close-up (1990)

Country: Iran
Directed by Abbas Kiarostami

I am not a big fan of Kiarostami but, well, Close-up is a ground breaking film that really moved the art of cinema one step forward and that's why, even if is at the surface quite humble, it got so much admiration from some of the leading cinematographers around the world. Basically a re-enacted documentary, who blurs the limits between the reality and its staged form,  Close-up comments about the human identity that is defined by the social status, about the hardships of the less fortunate in Iranian society, about the role and probably the duty of the artist, about the nature of the cinema itself and the list goes on as the film is impressively rich in content

- You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/_djToouXgJM

232. Golden eagle (1970)

Country: Thailand
Directed by Mitr Chaibancha

Very few people have the access and the knowledge to rate the hundreds films of the golden period of commercial Thai cinema but for sure 'Golden Eagle' have a special place as it is not only a very well made action movie but is the last film of the absolute superstar of the era Mitr Chaibancha. Chaibancha who played mostly as a leading actor in 266 movies in 15 years died during the filming of 'Golden eagle' falling from an helicopter

231. Marebito (2004)

Country: Japan
Directed by Takashi Shimizu

Probably the greatest moment of modern Japanese psychological horror 'Marebito' contains indeed some seriously captivative scenes and images that follow you for long and it is not easy to forget. But most importantly, in some other level, is the kind of film that it can have simultaneusly numerous interpretantions to the point that can achieve an almost philosophical complexity.  It's obviously a journey to the dark labyrinth of subconscious, but also a study of our wild insticts that are suffocating under the social norms, of the madness, of the existential fear and awe, of the freudian desire. A film that i am never tired to watch again and again

You can watch the film here: https://youtu.be/wJQ0FuevOqs