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