158. Nagarik (1952)

Country; India
Directed by Ritwik Ghatak

'Nagarik' is the first film of Ritwik Ghatak, where the director sets the themes and the ideology that  followed in all his career as a society conscious cinematographer. It's an astonishing film , surprisingly mature, that was clearly the first Indian independent art movie ever made. Ghatak there makes a very well done and artistic mixture between naturalism and impressionism without to follow any of the rules of commercial cinema of his days and 'Nagarik' could be a huge landmark in the history of Indian cinema as someone easily could divide it as pre-nagarik cinema and post-nagarik cinema: however the film sadly couldn't be influential on time as it released 25 years after its production. 'Nagarik' is also impressively radical on the political views that express : Ghatak not only makes a rather Marxist analysis explaining the poverty through the disillusionment of the leading characters, but  openly calls the people to stand against the injustice and to fight under the flags of the communist party

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T03UYDTIgGA

157. Black snow (1965)

Country: Japan
Directed by Tetsuji Takechi

As I wrote also for ' Daydream' ,an other Tetsuji Takechi film, 'Black snow' artistically is not something very special either. However is an important film for the history of Japanese cinema: as combines . more or less as never before,  radical politics , violence and erotism in a provocative manner. In reality nudism and erotism are not the most important elements of the film that poses as pink but mostly declares an extreme anti-Americanism expressing the outrage of a large part of Japanese society, both right and left wing driven, for the American military and cultural occupation. Was not a surprise that the film banned and Takechi be prosecuted by the government officially on obscenity charges but in reality because the reaction of the American army and CIA. Takechi said on the matter: 'the censors are getting though about Black snow. I admit there are many nude scenes in the film but they are psychological nude scenes symbolizing the defencelessness of the Japanese people in the face of American invasion'

156. Graceland (2006)

Country: Thailand
Directed by Anocha Suwichakornpong

Obviously not a masterpiece here but this short film is anyway a nice example of the new independent Thai cinema that emerged the last 15 years , under the strong influence of Apichatpong Weerasethakul who paved the road for the others breaking the monopoly of the old fashioned movie industry. ''Graceland ' is a rather enigmatic film that doesn't give informations about its main characters and this make it more interesting and charming. Everything in the plot is ambiguous or in contrast : the glamorous lights of the city and the fancy clothes ( and dreams) of the hero exist together with the rural undeveloped landscape , the mud and the miserable small room that he is staying in at a poor neighborhood. His sexuality seems also to be messed up as it seems to work as a rent boy with women as costumers but in reality has a gay identity. As about the female character seems independant, matute, with high social status the same time that almost collapses from personal problems that are unknown to us

You can watch the movie here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrufnf_%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%99-%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%AA-%E0%B8%99-graceland-%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A2-%E0%B8%AD%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B2-%E0%B8%AA-%E0%B8%A7-%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%A9_shortfilms

155. Hard boiled (1992)

Country: Hong Kong
Directed by John Woo

If you like the John Woo's style with  heavy and choreographic shootouts, slow motions, mexican standoffs, numerous deaths with the blood to be spilled everywhere but also with humor and lyricism, then you will like Hard boiled, the last movie the director made in Hong Kong before- unfortunately- departs for the Hollywood. As I can remember 'Hard boiled' is a such impressive visually movie, with so intense and non stop natural action, that is difficult for one to find any other film , not only from Woo himself but from any other director, to be comparison. Is highly recommended for the fans of the action movies genre

154. Nobody knows (2004)

Country: Japan
Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda

Koreeda is one of the most important contemporary Japanese directors and in this movie is obvious why. The film is impressively realistic and minimal, with images and performances of the actors so natural that you forget the filming camera, with a plot that is unrolled with very balanced way and a drama that goes to its peak smoothly as the film not need over sentimentalism to be touching. With a few words,  is a such powerful movie that since you begin to watch it you get involved and worried about the fate of the children characters as you could do with living persons. The film avoids to make direct social comments or to give a depth to the story that narrates, adding to it some additional background: however watching these abandoned children to try hard to survive ,without anybody to knows but in reality without anybody to care to notice, avoidable leads to a loud conclusion that puts the blame on society

You can watch the full movie here: http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6604783PfgFyfKk?h1=Nobody+Knows+%28Dare+mo+shiranai%29

153. Dojoji temple (1976)

Country: Japan
Directed by Kihachiro Kawamoto

I never get bored to watch again and again this Kihachiro Kawamoto's haunted masterpiece made with his usual technique of stop motion puppet animation. This 18 minutes film narrates a story of woman passion with powerful way, playing with the sounds, the music, the strange, artificial motion. and of course the combination of puppets and drawing.  'Dojoji temple' is very beautiful visually but is the whole combination of things that make it so interesting . Kawamoto narrates a rather scary folk story using heavily elements from the most original Japanese arts: Kabuki, No and Bunraku. After a slow and a bit confusing start the film gets weird, wild and poetical : in a few words fascinating

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xprfFZI9GjI

152. Grave of the fireflies (1988)

Country: Japan
Directed by Isao Takahata

One of the finest examples of the great animation films that studio Ghibli used to produce , this animated film is an experience difficult to be forgotten for anyone who watch it. It's probably among the most heartbreaking movies ever made, an anti-war drama with powerful realism, that gives you to drink the poison until the last drop without to let space for any hope, without to ease your difficult position as a viewer. War and its consequences is brutal and the film lets you know first hand about this. Not need to praise the film farther; just watch it. Even if the creators of the film never use cheap tricks to milk your tears is impossible to manage to not cry at the end

151. Lady snowblood (1973)

Country: Japan
Directed by Toshiya Fujita

A classic sword fighting film that Quentin Tarantino copied heavily to make his 'Kill Bill' . 'Lady snowblood' summarize very well the rules of a category of vengeance films that became very popular in commercial Asian cinema of 70s and 80s. Choreographic action, a lot of blood sprayed around or spectacular deaths in cases that swords are not involved, some wise master that trains hard , often merciless, the person who wants to get revenge, the revenge that always is delivered as a sort of almost divine justice etc. Nothing too impressive but a film that is worth to watch and to be on this list as it was quite influenced for a entire genre

   

150. The goddess (1934)

Country: China
Directed by Wu Yonggang

Doesn't happen often : there are some brilliant films that even people who consume a lot of art movies never heard about them! This is the case of 'The goddess' , a superb masterpiece with a loud political message ,that is the best example of the social conscious films that were made in the pre-revolutionary China from a generation of leftist young directors. 'The Goddess' as well is probably the finest product of the golden era of Chinese silent films at the 30's. A heartbreaking melodrama about the efforts of a young prostitute to raise her son with dignity and give to him all the chances that she never had, the film is directed with surprising realism and with a very modern style: however a lot of credits have to go to Ruan Lingyu , the actor who plays the main female character, as the whole film simply is built on her. She is just stunning and I consider her presence and performance among the most impressive ones in the history of world cinema

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1B7nToWu2U

 

149. Tokyo decadence (1992)

Country: Japan
Directed by Ryu Murakami

More than twenty years passed since I watched this film so I am sceptical about how I could think for it if I had the chance to watch again today. However, I trust my initial impression that ,although it has a rather weak plot, it depicts really well an image of an overdeveloped, cold , soulless Tokyo where sex is performed mechanically been something that you can buy and sell. However this dark and pessimistic view breaks a bit at the end as the heroine , although passed through a kind of hell, manages to keep alive her sensitivity .The film, as I remember, is well directed by Murakami, is quite atmospheric with its great photography that makes it attractive visually and its classical music score by Ryuichi Sakamoto

148. Infernal affairs (2002)

Country: Hong Kong
Directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak

'Infernal affairs' is one more story that explores the strong ties between the policemen and the outlaws , the 'good' guys and the 'bad' guys, with their roles to be often reversed. This is an obsession of Hong Kong movie industry as it created a lot of successful films that were playing with this theme. In this case an undercover policeman appears to work with the triads while a planted from the triad informer is climbs the ranks of police: the one tries to uncover the other while they have to pretend all the time under a false identity. The story is very well presented and as an action movie the film has to be rated very high as is really entertaining to watch it. The main, opposed characters are well builded and very well performed by the two leading actors. The end is rather surprising : a must for the fans of the police story genre

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug88n7gXyrs

147. Romance of a fruit peddler (1922)

Country: China
Directed by Zhang Shichuan

'Romance of a fruit peddler' is the earliest surviving in complete form Chinese film: surprisingly is cute and funny enough- as is a comedy- to be in this list. Although it seems a bit childish, you never get bored as happen with many other silent films, and you follow the plot with pleasure. Zhang Shihuan draws his characters to be lovely, showing a mixture of kindness, goofiness, and 'naive' forgivable amoralism and this helps to finish watching the film with a smile in your face. The film doesn't have high artistic value but somehow, manages to look fresh even today as its simplicity make it very good on communicating its message to the viewers

You can watch the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MNPe4CcvPg
 

146. The serpent (1925)

Country: Japan
Directed by Buntaro Futagawa

One of the few still existing silent chambara (sword fighting) movies that was very innovative for its era and gave to the Japanese cinema a great push. Until then most of the Japanese movies and especially these of this genre were very theatrical and heavily influenced by Kabuki and No : Futagawa directed the film with much more cinematic way and the performances of the actors were much more realistic. The film is surprisingly interesting and vivid even with today terms .The last scene of the fight is really beautifully made. But what impresses even more in the film is the clear, radical comment about social injustice : the outlaw who is hunted by police as a public danger is a noble man when the rich, respectable men who are corrupted to the core have the law to their side and they can get away even if commit the worst of the crimes

 You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35y5S5_V-cE

145. Manji (1964)

Country: Japan
Directed by Yasuzo Masumura

Based on a famous Tanizaki's story, 'Manji' seems to be just one more, rather ordinary, indoor Japanese drama of triangle love. However, is something hypnotic about 'Manji' that makes you to be mesmerized and to follow the plot all the way to the end without to feel bored or your attention to be distracted. You end up accepting fully the erotic madness of the filmic characters and somehow sharing their feelings as they drag you into their world of obsession. Masumura has to be praised and show his talent here not only because manages to create a such effective 'spell' but also because he is smart enough to depict the erotic passion with a solid , balanced , realistic way without exaggerations: it's quite extreme by it self to present it using impressionism and additionally psychological emphasis is not needed

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1snynQgQEcs 

144. The women workers of Hara factory (1976)

Country: Thailand
Directed by Jon Ungpakorn

A legendary moment in the history of Thai film making where Jon Ungpakorn give us on the screen the struggle of a few dozens young women for justice who, tired of the inhuman conditions of their work, occupy their factory and run it by themselves before get crushed by the police and the state. In a very crucial period for the Thai social struggle , when the workers all over the country stant for their rights with hundreds of strikes every year and the Communist party and the democratic ideas gained in popularity (but also the right wing elements of society arose brutal as never before), Ungpakorn chose to not connect the Hara factory incident with that huge and complex social and political background: he presents with simple and comprehensive way just the story of these workers and he let them speak a lot on camera . His choice is quite justified: the film it used latter as political tool be shown to other workers around the country in order to encourage them to stand and fight for their own rights

You can watch the full movie here but without subtitles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_cautQNCE4

143. Go go second time virgin (1969)

Country: Japan
Directed by Koji Wakamatsu

The best film of Koji Wakamatsu, at least among those that I watched so far, 'Go go second time virgin' is a stylish low budget film that combines most of the themes that the director liked to explore in his movies: Sex and death, violence, psychological traumas, existential philosophy, politics. While most of his movies seem just exploitative of the naked woman body, brutally violent , sadistic and misogynic , in this case Wakamatsu is much more sympathetic for his characters who are solid and complex with more psychological depth and they are suffocating living in an inhuman environment. The film is nihilistic and claustrophobic as almost all the movies of Wakamatsu are : the great black and white photography , the innovative direction and the artistic angles of shooting - you can call the film as new wave or as avant garde film - make it very interesting visually and pleasant to watch

   

142. The ghost of Yotsuya (1959)

Country: Japan
Directed by Nobuo Nakagawa

For sure 'The ghost of Yotsuya' is a film that worths the mention as it opened the door for many J-Horror movies that were followed. Nobuo Nakagawa narrates a popular folk ghost story with delicate and nice minimal way in the most of the film's duration , coming to the peak of the action with some quite gory images that ,although nowadays seem rather ridiculous, were something daring and scary for the Japanese audience back then. The film is easy and pleasant to watch as is not even one scene on it that doesn't push fast the narration ahead: however is nothing really great  about it comparing with dozens Japanese masterpieces of the same era

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvB_G1egSuQ

141. The floating lives (2010)

Country: Vietnam
Directed by Quang Binh Nguyen Phan

'The floating lives 'is a well written and directed drama with solid characters who are built slowly as the movie goes on. The film depicts a world of not ending cruelty where everyone is haunted by a trauma that seems impossible to be healed. However, the hope always remains alive: at the end wins even if not with the way that someone could wish at first. The film captures the attention from the first seconds until the end , as the viewer gets easily involved psychologically with the main characters feelings and gets worried about their fate. Although the style of the film seems commercially westernized the director has to get a lot of credits as never tries to present the misery as attractive . nor he approaches his theme with a lot of emphasis on folklore , nor he uses the tricks of commercial melodramas to bring tears to the eyes of the viewers. I think that 'The floating lives' in reality is a nice combination of different cinematographic traditions

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J9ZfVp-Ewc

140. Branded to kill (1967)

Country: Japan
Directed by Seijun Suzuki

Watching the film is almost heartbreaking to think that a genius as Seijun Suzuki spend his entire artistic life to create commercial low budget films and even more that after a masterpiece as 'Branded to kill' he banned from any studio for ten years unable to make even one movie for so long. If you think that so much praising is exaggeration for a film that indeed is not well balanced , it's often pretentious , it's ,in most of its length, chaotic and absurd,  then you have to reconsider: yakuza and gangster films never were so beautiful visually, sensual, humorous, innovative, brutal and complex. Suzuki deconstructs an entire genre and then rejuvenate it with a way that inspired dozens of great cinematographers after him. There are countless great ideas in the film, almost in every plan you can see something new and interesting no matter if is about the plot and the scenario or about the form and direction. To make a long story short: 'Branded to kill' , with all its flaws, is the rare kind of movie that you have to show to cinema schools in order to make students understand what cinema is about

139. Daydream (1964)

Country: Japan
Directed by Tetsuji Takechi

For sure a film with so many weak points that nowadays seems almost ridiculous and overall can be characterized as a 'bad' film,  'Daydream' still is memorable not only because is the first 'pink' Japanese film with big budget and mainstream release or not only because it influenced the entire genre and the modern Japanese cinema in general.
What makes the film to be listed here is its innovative sadistic erotism, its theatrical weirdness, its attractive black and white photography and direction , its poetical power that make at least some of its images and scenes difficult to be forgotten. Takechi makes a commercial exploitation film using often so much artistry on it that at the end you get the feeling that you watched something that was exactly the opposite: not mainstream and commercial at all, not exploitative at all

 

138. Boy (1969)

Country: Japan
Directed by Nagisa Oshima

'Boy' is not among my favorite films of Oshima but still is a quite interesting movie for a number of reasons. First of all is a direct attack to the old Japanese cinema that presents the family as the center of the Japanese values. Then it's a direct attack to the collective consciousness that always tends to forget what is unpleasant and disturbing; 'Boy' is exactly this , an unpleasant and disturbing film to watch with characters that are not glorified or get photogenic under the filmic illusion so is more painful to be followed. Additionally the film is a direct attack against the image of the post war Japan who is was presented by many able to stands on its feet having a bright future ahead: Oshima depicts a grim social reality instead

137. Enter the dragon (1973)

Country: Hong Kong (and USA)
Directed by Robert Clouse

An Asian film as far Hong Kong film industry is heavily involved to its production, 'Enter the dragon' is the last and the best Bruce Lee movie. Usually I am not much into commercial martial arts films but without doubt this one is quite realistic, well balanced and entertaining. The film is well made on terms of plot , choice of locations, atmosphere , design and costumes etc but its real strong point is the figures and the characters of the fighters that monopolize the action. However is not something really special: it's included to this list rather as a decent representative of an entire genre

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9bI61HHg38

136. Pather Panchali (1955)

Country: India
Directed by Satyajit Ray

I think after thousands and thousands pages of praising that are written for the film, is useless someone to praise once more a masterpiece as 'Pather Panchali'. However, is just hard to bring in mind a film that is so beautiful visually, so lyrical, so touching and humanistic. Not doubt why for many it's among the greatest movies of all time. As the years passed and we completed already 60 years since its first release, 'Pather Panchali' is still surprisingly fresh and modern : an iconic landmark that back then opened the gates for Satyajit Ray and the Indian cinema to the international audience and  nowadays it continues to shine

  

135. Audition (1999)

Country: Japan
Directed by Takashi Miike

I watched this movie long time ago , right after its release, but still I remember that has a strong impact on me and it was powerful and intense all the way. Actually 'Audition' is a film that is very hard to watch. It contains not only raw violence and graphic scenes but combines them with a deep psychological terror in a way that the whole experience can be really disturbing. As the film is directed with great attention, almost masterfully, is atmospheric and well balanced what you see in the screen becomes very realistic. Takeshi Miike doesn't use any 'cheap' material that most of terror movies are made by but instead he offers a work of high quality: you gonna love it or hate it but for sure the movie will absorb you

134. Village of haze (1982)

Country: South Korea
Directed by Im Kwon-Taek

A great film about 'the lies and secrets' that always are essential part of closed societies in order to keep their proper function and especially about the oppressed female sexuallity that ,although is considered as taboo in such communities, often finds the way to be fulfilled. The films shows that  morality , ethics and social rules are sets of values too weak to face the basic human instincts . 'Village of haze' is not a feminist film calling for women liberation neither a film that condemns ironically the social hypocrisy. Is just a bold exposure of the human sexual need that for centuries humanity tried unsuccessfully to deny but finally couldn't avoid to accept it even if had to 'cover it with haze' and incorporate the satisfaction of sexual hunger in a new set of social rules

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT0_EKqYjhk

133. Walker (2012)

Country: Hong Kong
Directed by Tsai Ming-liang

A man ,dressed as a monk, is walking slowly , so slowly that becomes almost painful and annoying to watch, in the busy streets of Hong Kong. In an era of speed and modernity the man remains an ancient figure who massacres just with his appearance and slowness the idea of normality that seems unchallenged for everybody else. Moreover, is a profound irony to the way that the man is moving in slow motion. On one hand he obliges all the viewers to look at him as the center of action, even if is not any real action in what he is doing: what the others do on the screen even if they are busy and active gets overcome by the man's passivity and gets emptied of any importance. On the other hand the man himself is the manifestation of time that is eternal and is measured , in the best case, in centuries, consuming billions of lives with indifference and without to be 'aware' of how unique and important each life consider itself. Tsai Ming-liang always used the slowness as an act of revolt. However , in this film , goes a bit deeper as he gives to this slowness a deep philosophical meaning

You can watch thew full movie here: https://vimeo.com/49339358

132. Mist (1967)

Country: South Korea
Directed by Kim Soo-Yong

'Mist' in an unknown to most masterpiece,  as unknown is a genius director as Kim Soo-Yong who directed more than 100 films that almost nobody outside of Korea watched. This is the fate for people and movies of national cinemas that , if not happen to be awarded in some important international festival, often remain , more or less, in shadow. The film is really an impressive achievement : is addictive visually , minimal about the means that it uses ,is very personal but at the same time is like a mirror that reflects part of the self of anyone that will watch it. Having a form that incorporates smoothly the entire modern Western cinema , experiments with sound and editing, uses ambiguous characters, time reversion, dialogues that came out of the literature and dramatic monologues it creates a lot of feelings that is difficult to be described: the small provincial city covered with fog , that the movie characters try to escape from, it becomes an archetype for the most hateful but innocent part of our youth that we always carry painfully with us, as reminder of our dreams that we never been able to fulfill. because ,even if we succeed in what we wished for,  it turns out different from what once we imagined

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GppVzuwaK-Y

131. Suddenly in dark night (1981)

Country: South Korea
Directed by Ko Young-naam

Is a very good old rule that seems to be forgotten nowadays: you don't need too much violence , blood and special effects to make a scary movie . 'Suddenly in dark night' proves once more that psychological horror is more effective because touches our inner fears, these that are well hidden in the subconscious and we try to deny their existence. The best part of the film is the first 60 minutes, where nothing abnormal or frightening certainly happens but still everything is abnormal and scary: we don't know if is the woman's imagination that creates all this anxiety or the women is right and everyone else just is trying to drive her crazy. The last part of the movie though is a bit disappointing as destroys part of the tension: however this can be easily ignored as the main part of the movie is in the right direction

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u9syVJc1qA

  

130. Tehran is the capital of Iran (1966)

Country: Iran
Directed by Kamran Shirdel

One of the 3-4 black and white social documentaries that Kamran Shirdel directed in the pro revolution era 'Tehran is the capital of Iran'  blends the Italian neorealism with the French nouvelle vague to depict the extreme poverty of Iranian families that were living in the slums and streets of Tehran without much choices and hopes. As happened with most of Shirdel works this one too got banned and its production stopped before it finished: however, from what is left for us to watch, the film is powerful , the direction and the glance of Shirdel is strong and fresh and his voice for justice is loud

129. Rouge (1988)

Country: Hong Kong
Directed by Stanley Kwan

'Rouge' is about the importance of love and of your loved one(s). Is about the strong feelings that love gives you that can justify your existence. Is about the nostalgy of the years of your youth that you were living sentimentally to the full , in an old world that is changed that much that you can't recognise anymore. Is the most romantic film that comes to my mind: has the ability to touch deeply the audience because is dealing successfully ,combining a mainstream approach of narration with artistry and finding the way to fits to anyone taste , with things that concern every human being. Even if I felt that is a lost opportunity for something much greater , still I watched the film with real pleasure as a nice example of 'commercial' cinema.  I rather mention actors in my comments but I will make an exception for this film as I found the presence and performance of Anita Mui really fantastic

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKyTjP6VJJs