“If I have a criterion for choosing the greatest films, it’s an emotional one. These are films that moved me deeply in one way or another. The cinema is the greatest art form ever conceived for generating emotions in its audience. That’s what it does best.” - Roger Ebert
With the end of the year nearing, temperatures dropping, and the holiday season in full swing, we all tend to get a bit more reflective in our downtime, looking back over the past year and spending more time indoors, cozying up with a good movie.
This week I wanted to share three of my favorite movies that are great options to watch over the holidays that have beautiful photography and also inspired me to want to be a writer/director. They also check all the boxes for what I consider a great movie. I have many more favorites than three, but I wanted to ease you all into foreign films, especially if you need to get used to this storytelling style, so these three films are easy to watch. These movies are all shot on film, written by the directors, soulful with deeper meaning, character-driven, and have beautiful cinematography/photography.
Without further ado...
1.) Nights of Cabiria - (1957)
In my opinion, This is Federico Fellini's best movie he ever made and one of my all-time favorites. Surprisingly it's one of his lesser-known films, although it's won numerous awards. His wife, Giulietta Masina, is the film's star and delivers an unbelievable performance that makes you laugh and pulls at your heartstrings (She is so cute and magnetic throughout the film). 100% a poetic work of art that is gritty and flows with a rhythm that showcases real filmmaking by a master. Definitely worth finding the beautifully restored 35-mm print version with updated English subtitles because the film is in Italian.
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2.) The Spirit of the Beehive - (1973)
Considered to be one the most outstanding Spanish films of all time, directed by Victor Erice. The cinematography beauty of this film is bathed in earth tones and sunlight, with yellow-tinted honeycomb windows of the interior setting the mood throughout. This film is filled with symbolism, spirits, magic, and imagination, all seen through the eyes of the little girl, Ana, who has a gaze that can see directly into your soul. There are so many great scenes that make you feel something. As stated above, you'll want to find the re-release restored version of this film and have the whole visual experience of this film with updated English translations since it's in Spanish.
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3.) Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Written and directed by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro, this is one of the greatest fantasy films of all time. On the surface, it deals in fairy tales and fantasy, but it's also grounded in the reality of war and the inhumane acts that come with it. The duality of the two worlds is brilliantly executed as one through the 11-year-old heroine, Ofelia. The entire movie is visually stunning and has a rich soul-filled imagination. Del Toro sketched ideas for this movie in the early 90s, but it was in the 2000s that it came to fruition. One of my favorite scenes is when Ofelia talks to her unborn brother in her mother's womb. As with the others, this film is in subtitles, so get your reading glass ready :)
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❤️🔥🌊🌙