Recently a great friend asked me about “The Artist,” the French- and Belgian-made film from 2011, which earned the lastest Academy Award for Best Picture. Another friend asked me about “A Separation,” from Iran, also from 2011.
Those conversations reminded me about how much I appreciate other foreign films: “Walk on Water,” from 2004, and “The Holy Land,” from 2001. Both of them are from Israel.
More and more often North American movies rely on other countries’ moneys for success. If you read movie critics’ columns often enough you know how often American movies depend on foreign rights and revenues in order to be make films, and in-turn profits.
The Artist Poster on the Tube from Annie Mole
I was reminded about films, like those mentioned above, that beg to be recommended to friends. After having answered one friend’s question about “The Artist,” which I’ve not yet seen, I recommended those Israeli films.
And, yet foreign films seems to strike Americans as strange or out-of the way; literally foreign. More so than necessary.
Why do so many American movie-goers flock to American-made titles, while also whining about a decline in their quality, value and ingenuity?
- A common complaint about foreign movies is having to deal with subtitles.
- Maybe there’s a snob factor, or an assumption that foreign film fans are a club, and you have to pay dues?
Hey. When you run out of American films you want to watch why not turn to the best ones from France, Israel, the United Kingdom or elsewhere?
