238. Tampopo (1985)

Country: Japan
Directed by Juzo Itami

Sometimes, a masterpiece comes when you are not expect it at all. This is a case of 'Tampopo' that is labeled as a simple comedy regarding a windower who struggles to make her noodle shop succeed but ends up to be a landmark for the world cinema. The best movie about food ever made it is in reality a hymn for the existence, for the passion for life, for the interaction with fellow humans, for the privillage to be alive. Itami blends different movie genres, evokes all the kinds of the feelings to the viewers, blends sex with food unforgetably, boosts you with a large amount of optimism, in a film that in terms of scenario, directing and editing is extremelly inovative. I can't praise enough

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

230. Himala (1982)

Country: Philippines
Directed by Ishmael Bernal

In a country plagued with poverty, sickness, ignorance, guilt and religious superstitions the people desperate and powerless rather are waiting for a miracle to happen than stand and fight for a better life. Himala, a legendary film of Filippino cinema , considered by the most critics as the best Filippino film ever made, is without doubt a masterpiece that impress the viewer in any level. I would need thousands of words to praise the film but i will say just that never before or after was a Filipino movie with a so complex, consisting, powerfull and on the point commentary incorporated to its dialogues and scenes: the number of social issues that Bernal touches in the film is insane for a 2 hours work of art

228. The youth of the beast (1963)

Country: Japan
Directed by Seijun Suzuki

As most of Suzuki's films 'The youth of the beast' has a lot of poor acted, poor written scenes that if you watch them separetelly you will rather pass. However, the inspired moments overcome this feeling, when the genious of the director breaks various film stereotypes or when he gives to violence a such attractive face that you almost get instantly addicted to the visuals of the film. In terms of style, 'The youth of the beast" is one of the most interesting films of the director

227. The goddess (1960)

Country: India
Directed by Satyajit Ray

Mesmerizing and haunting 'The goddess' is a film that seems to oppose religion and superstitions but in reality doesn't destruct them at all as it is full of mysticism: at almost every plan, we realize that these anachronistic beliefs are an important part of the Indian identity. Ray respects their powerful presense, the deep root that they have in the Indian soul and portayed them as sacred rather as comicals mambo jambos ( I dont know if censor played some part on it). Needless to say that even the film is not a major masterpiece, the personal style of Ray makes it outstanding to watch, notably powerful

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

226. Love suicides (2009)

Country: Malaysia
Directed by Edmund Yeo

Malaysia has a very interesting new wave movement with a dozens of young directors to produce quite interesting films, one after the other. Some of these gems are short movies because when you are making art, that as we know often is unpopular, it is not easy to find the budget for many full length films. Love suicides, addaption of a story of Yasuhiro Kawabata, it is not a very exeptional film but still it deserves to be in this list becauseof the minimal and beautiful way that depicts the destruction of ourselves when we can't deal with the loss of our loved ones

You can watch the film here: https://youtu.be/b-gvYajdxSk

225. Late spring (1949)

Country: Japan
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu

One of the greatest Ozu movies, among these that gave him a reputation of one of the best directors of all time, Late spring is a masterpiece that is really hard to be analysed with words. Once more, while you watch it, you are amazed of its simplicity that is able to incorporate complex social ideological comments, of how touching it is to the point that makes you weep, of how powerfull the direction is with every detail carefully calculated, how captivative is the film as well the face and smile of its leading actress. Who cares for fancy scenes, intense editing, sex and violence, impressive stories: the action here is umbeatable even if seems that nothing special is happening

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

224. I am fine (2009)

Country: Thailand
Directed by Tanwarin Sukkhapisit

With this simple three minute film, directed ironically in front of the democracy monument, Tanwarin Sukkhapisit makes a loud political statement about the lack of democracy and freedom in her country and the passive way, incorporated in the Thai culture that people accept the seizure of their rights. Directed seven years ago the film is like to be directed yesterday as it catches exactly the current situation in Thailand: nothing changed during this time if not everything got even worst

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

223. The seashore village (1965)

Country: South Korea
Directed by Kim Soo-Yong

In beautiful black and white , with addictive landscapes of sea that awakes in you feelings of fear, awe but also of a lost paradise, Kim Soo-Yong makes a captivative film that is full of the power of the nature. A nature that is not only the sea and the wind but can be also the human desires and the woman's sexuality. The first half of the film is really amazingly powerful. The second loses a lot on intensity, get overdramatized, has many weeknesses but it ends nicely. Anyway, some scenes of the film are clearly scenes of a masterpiece

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

222. Disorder (2009)

Country: China
Directed by Weikai Huang

In the chaotic and diverse Chinese urban landscape disorder very often is taking place as if the civilization had failed, as if the chaos can command anytime our modern lives that are promised to be without negative surprises. Wekai Huang edit masterfully the footage from various clips of other cinematographers and presents a documentary that , with its slight irony, gives you a bitter feeling for the modern world

You can watch the full movie here: https://new.vk.com/video3936658_157387441

221. Agrarian utopia (2009)

Country: Thailand
Directed by Uruphong Raksasad

Banks and landlords exploit the poor farmers to tbe point that they struggle just in order to survive. The two conflicting political parties of the country just give to them big words and empty promises trying to secure their vote. Uruphong Raksasad with this documendary-like film presents with accuracy the hardships of the farmers in modern Thailand. But at the same time documents the beauty of the nature, the magnificent rural landscapes , a world and a way of living that soon it will belong to the past

220. Seven samurai (1954)

Country: Japan
Directed by Akira Kurosawa

The ultimate action film, having all, richness of characters, breath taking battle scenes, direct and indirect non stop action, suspense, questions of morality and self identification, poetical beauty, solid plot, 'Seven Samurai' is a legendary movie that remains fresh and powerful, no matter the 62 years that passed since its production

219. A short film about the Indio Nacional (2005)

Country: Philippines
Directed by Raya Martin

To be honest I didn't like the film, as I don't appreciate in general what I have seen so far from Raya Martin's work. Not as poetical I was expected, not as convinsting, it reminds a rather uninspired student film than a real art work of a talented director. However, as the film has some interesting sides, a powerfull introduction and some good moments but most importantly it represents an avand garde movement in the Filippino cinema, I decided to include it in this list: Raya Martin with this film helped for new roads to be opened and this can't be totally underestimated

218. Hungry stones (1960)

Country: India
Directed by Tapan Sinha

Based to a short story of Rabindranath Tagore 'Hungry stones' is a film that begin with many expectations but let you disappointed at the end. It is the kind of film that you call a missed opportunity as it had the potential to be a great one but it wasted it. However, even like this, it deserves to be in this list: it's something captivative on it, it has a raw mysticism, it gives you a spooky feeling that makes you feel uncomfortable, it gives you a sadness about the time that pass but also about your dreams that are unfulfilled

217. The circle (2000)

Country: Iran
Directed by Jafar Panahi

The first film of the director where he abandons the child characters and began to deal with social issues having problems with the autorities. The circle is an almost devastating movie where all the women who are pictured lose themselves in a circle of desperation without way out. The film is really dark and pessimistic , giving almost no hope, except of the scene of the arrested girl who lights up a cigarette: an act that for the whole kength of the film many other femmale characters hesitated to do in public. Panahi makes one more jewel for the Iranian cinema: as always you wonder how a such simple film can be that powerful

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/XFzpBf9SaWo

216. The ceremony (1971)

Country: Japan
Directed by Nagisa Oshima

So many years passed since I watched this film that it is really difficult to recall many things. However, this that stays with me is that watching the film was quite captivative. Oshima here with this intelectual, innovative, powerfull, bold style of him attacks the most sacred institution of Japanese society, the family. Secret and lies are revealed but in this case is not just a political satire of the burgeois class, of the dying clans that used to be well asimilated to the Japanese political system. Oshima gives to us a sadness as well, the film is working in a second existencial level quite well

215. A tree in Tanjung Malim (2004)

Country: Malaysia
Directed by Tan Chui Mui

A great realistic and modest film of 24 minutes length that compose masterfully during of the interaction of its two characters the discomfort that often we feel when everything seems displaced. While the young girl feels an anxiety and uncertaincy about future , the older guy is already disillusioned about life. Although they are attracted each other they can't do the step forward and be together. However, the film ends with a rather optimistic way. 'A tree in Tanjung Malim' is one of the first short films of Tan Chui Mui made with an extremelly low budget and it proves her huge talent that still didn't pay off fully yet

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

214. Yellow earth (1984)

Country: China
Directed by Chen Kaige

Yellow earth is the film that introduced loudly to the audiances the intentions of the fifth generation Chinese filmakers to break the existing rules of their national cinema , taking advantage of a freedom given by the governtment in an era of political and econimical reforms. It's a melodrama that uses forms of socialist realism just for destruct them and it's a hymn to communist party just for expose with bitterness its unability to change the lives of the poor as it promised. A landmark of Chinese cinema, at the same time simple and sophisticated, magically beautiful and powerfull visually but also heart breaking. No doubt, it's among the besr Chinese movies ever made.

You can watch the full movie in four parts here: https://youtu.be/qfHx92LFaN0

213. Fires on the plain (1959)

Country: Japan
Directed by Kon Ichikawa

One more great movie by Ichikawa that together with his 'Burmese harp' is a loud statement against the brutality of war. In this case the spiritual , lyrical element of the 'Burmese harp' is left out and we witness just the bare ugly and freakish face of the war where any atrocity, including canibalism, can occur and is not any space for illusions of glory. However, the link that connects the two films is the optimism of the director, his faith that the humanism can still survive at the end even in the worst kind of hell

You can watch the full film here: https://youtu.be/zAj3C5dRGW8

212. Gerorisuto (1986)

Country: Japan
Directed by Shozin Fukui

At first, this short 'experimental' film looks insignificant: a young woman acts as to be possessed for the whole 12 minutes in different places of a large Japanese city. However, when the film ends you realize that it captured powerfully the allienation of the urban environment where the uncategorized, ancient, wild, passionate part of the human nature needs desperatelly to express itself but ìt is not allowded. Shozin Fukui , shortly after this film, with two full length movies became one of the leading figures of cyber-punk cinema in Japan

You can watch the film here: https://youtu.be/INauGnZv3BQ

211. 2046 (2004)

Country: Hong Kong
Directed by Wong kar-wai

Once more here the director delivers an impressive film pushing his unique style to its best. When I watched the film for the first time I was not exactly satisfied with the plot and the characters finding it also weak in some parts and a bit pretendious. However, when I watched it for two more times my doubts faded and disappeared: the film is a leage of its own, sensual, mesmerizing, powerful, monumental. Quite an experience to watch it in a big screen as it is visually a pure masterpiece

210. A scene at the sea (1991)

Country: Japan
Directed by Takeshi Kitano

The film, actually it was his third, that established Kitano as a important director, 'A scene at the sea' is a in my opinion, a great example of cinema that should be taught in every movie school. With minimal action and dialogues, with a very simple and slow plot Kitano builds a beautiful , tender, fascinating world and makes the viewer's feelings towards to the characters of the film to grow minute by minute and to explode at the end. Kitano here follows the best traditions of the delicate, humanistic Japanese cinema

209. Red angel (1966)

Country: Japan
Directed by Yasuzo Masumura

Probably my favorite Masumura film, 'Red angel' gives a unique, brutal, anti-heroic image of war mixed with sensuality. This is not a contradiction as sex comes easily up when your life can be taken at any moment in war time if you are in the frontline. Although the film have many  weaknesses and some indifferent scenes they are moments that seems like a masterpiece. Not many times before in Japanese cinema the war was portrayed with such a honesty

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

208. Macabre (2009)

Country: Indonesia
Directed by Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto

Although disappointing comparing with the previous great short movie of the directors that had the same actors and similar concept Macabre still is well made and gets the attention of the viewer just right from beginning. It's a decent slasher film that, with all the weaknesses it has, represents the upgrade the recent years of the horror, in general, genre in Indonesia, on terms of production quality and cinematic skills of the people who work in the movie industry

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/K1S4WcB3hw4

207. Act of killing (2012)

Country: Indonesia
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn and an anonymous Indonesian person

A powerful, disturbing documentary, where you almost dont want to believe what you are watching, that re-enacts one of the darkest pages of the Indonesian history. Needless to praise its quality: obviously is an unique piece of work that has great impact to the viewers and it blends with innovative way different elements. But apart of artistic qualities the film takes huge credits as, after it screened, it opened an important conversation in the Indonesisn society about historical events that was tabboo to talk for. Morover, the film gives you a vivid glimpse to what politically is Indonesia today: the present is revealed as even more shocking than the past

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/TEYjkPZTk6o

206. The maid (2005)

Country: Singapore
Directed by Kelvin Tong

Nothing very special here just a decent film of phychological terror with mystic atmospere, smooth depiction of supernatural and slow, mature escalation. Too commercial for my taste with a weak ending but however a notable example of the genre in a cinematography that we have limited access

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/noFPhmW-9dw

205. Vengeance is mine (1979)

Country: Japan
Directed by Shohei Imamura

No matter what the storyline of each movie, Imamura seems every time that is interested only of one thing: to show the dark, confused, deformed face of Japanese society who struggles between the traditional notion of itself and a its new allienating face in the heart of a sudden modernity. Vengeance is mine, as narrating the story of a serial killer without phychological explanations, without sympathy but also without negative judgments, depicts in reality the director's view on this familiar, brutally innocent, without consciouness, monster: the Japanese nation. A film that, even if doesn't offer any easy solution and it's rather disturbing, is masterfully made in any detail

204. The six principals (2010)

Country: Thailand
Directed by Abhichon Rattanabahyon

As Thailand still struggles to move on from its usual political status where a greedy elite is ruling and the society experiences luck of democracy, unjustice, anequality, oppression of the free speach etc Abhichon Rattanabahyon goes back more than 80 years ago to remind the declarations of Peoples Party's revolution that still are valid today as political assertions. In this beautifully made short documentary the director exposes and discuses with bravery all the serious political problems of his country

You van watch the full film here: https://vimeo.com/18866840

203. The isle (2000)

Country: South Korea
Directed by Kim Ki-duk

The film that made Kim Ki-duk famous 15 years ago it didn't just get attention because of its provocative and often gruesome content. It was a surprisingly genuine, intense and powerful movie that oversadowed anything else it was screened in movie theaters and festivals that period, a breeze of cold fresh air that comes suddently to your face wild and painful. Every detail on the film is masterfully done, from the astonishing visuals, to the music score, from the use of silence to the performances of the actors. Probably the most interesting movie ever made about passioned sexual relationships (or maybe for any kind of love relationship?) depicting their brutal possessive addictive nature, but also dealing with the weird happiness that only this sort of obsession can give to the fortunate

202. Tokyo godfathers (2003)

Country: Japan
Directed by Satoshi Kon

An anime comedy-drama film 'Tokyo godfathers' combines with interesting way humanism, cynicism, commercial representations, alternative representations, authentic emotions but also melodrama, presenting marginalized characters who try to survive in a very indifferent society full of rules and norms,  in an attractive story telling that is quite pleasant to watch. However, the real subject of the film is the one that dominates too many of Japanese movies film no matter the era that were produced: the relation of the individual with his family, the huge importance of the concept of family in Japanese culture