Ranking All Foreign Language Films Nominated for Best Picture
Now that I have seen every film nominated for Best Picture, I want to begin writing Oscar-central projects. This is the first one that came to mind. There have been 15 films nominated for best picture in the 96 years of the Academy’s existence. Today we are going to rank all 15 films, from “worst” to “best”.
15. Babel (2006) – Mexico/United States -
Inarritu’s globe-spanning “epic” about cause and effect is certainly something. I almost didn’t put this film on the list because there are parts in English, but it is mostly in non-English. Specifically, it is in Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Japanese Sign-Language, Berber languages from West-Central Africa, and English.
Those familiar with Inarritu’s work know how exhausting his films can be, especially as downers. He seems to revel in depressing his audiences. Maybe he is trying to play on white guilt, or maybe he thinks it’s the easiest way to get an emotional reaction.
Either way, there is not much to recommend in this film. It operates as an interconnecting story so some stories are more interesting than others.
The most interesting is probably Chieko Wataya’s in Japan. She’s a deaf teen looking for a connection. Maybe if the film was just about her story there be more to recommend here.
14. Life is Beautiful (1995) – Italy
Roberto Benigni’s Holocaust dramedy took the Academy by storm in the 1998/99 season. It was nominated for seven total Oscars and won two of those (Best International Feature and Best Actor), the academy loves its Holocaust films.
It also captured the hearts of the public as it made over 200 million dollars globally on a 15 million dollar budget. This film was the center of a famous Oscar moment when Roberto won best actor he walked on the chairs to the stage.
I appreciate what Roberto’s film is trying to say, but given the subject matter, you get whiplash with its genre-switching. It’s hard to make the Holocaust a funny subject (even if it is not the butt of the jokes) but its overall message and its humor does work better than a film that was compared to Bengni’s during its awards run, Jojo Rabbit.
There is some good here, but overall it is a weak entry, thus landing at 14 on this list.
13. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) – United States/Japan
Clint Eastwood made comparative films back-to-back about the Battle of Iwo Jima. One from the American POV Flags of our Fathers. The other is from the Japanese POV Letters from Iwo Jima.
Both were released in 2006 the latter being received with wide acclaim. I had high hopes going into the film but I found it to be a bit of a snooze. It drags on quite a bit, a lot of contemplativeness from the soldiers.
It works best in the flashbacks, probably because the modern-day scenes are just soldiers sitting around until the near end of the film. Clint is hit or miss with me and I found this film to be a miss. Maybe I should rewatch it because clearly, the critics love this film.
12. Il Postino: The Postman (1994) – Italy
It’s a simple story about a Postman who becomes friends with a famous poet. The poet teaches him poetry, which he uses to woo his love. A cute film doesn’t feel heavy enough to land a best-picture nomination at the Oscars.
Until you realize Harvey Weinstein produced the film. Harvey ruled at the Oscars from the 1990s until about 2016. He was ruthless when it came to Oscar campaigning. Spending millions just to ensure that a film will get even just one nomination.
Any film nominated or won during this period that seems odd can be attributed to Harvey Weinstein. You could say he is the reason why the term Oscar bait exists. However, there are far worse films that Harvey got nominated than this one.
A romance film set in Italy, couldn’t ask for a better setting for two people to fall in love. This one surprisingly moved me, especially knowing who was in the producing chair.
11. Cries and Whispers (1973) – Sweden
Something about Ingmar Bergman has always kept me at a distance. His films, aside from Fanny and Alexander, tend to be cold and distant. This may account for why I never connect with his films. He is on the Mount Rushmore of Criterion directors and I always feel guilty for not loving his films.
Here is a family drama that is more surreal than it’s straightforward. As Agnes dies of cancer her sisters go to comfort her but are dealing with their own mental health and do not have the emotional bandwidth to support her.
Doesn’t it sound like a fun family jaunt? It’s surprising this was nominated for Best Picture and his more widely appealing film Fanny and Alexander was not nominated for Best Picture. Had it been that would be much high on this list.
10. Minari (2020) – United States/South Korea
A film I was optimistic about, the reviews were all raves for this film. It’s a film I respect more than I liked. I have not revisited it since I saw it in theaters. In a theater where a woman audibly complained that it was in a foreign language, as if she had seen the trailer or knew a thing about the film.
If she had watched the trailer, she would’ve known the film was about a Korean family who immigrated to Alabama and attempted to start a farm. After trying to start one by themselves, they finally begin to accept help from the community.
A film about the importance of community and connection. I find the film's’ stronger elements are attached to those themes. It also has a brilliant score by the underrated composer Emile Mosseri, who will one day win an Oscar.
09. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) – Germany
Not a remake of the 1930 Best Picture winner but a reimagining of the 1929 novel of the same name. Young German men are excited to go to war and fight for their country, soon after they’re disillusioned when they face the true horrors of war.
It’s as if someone took Come and See and Paths of Glory and melded them into one film. The only problem is those films already exist and I have seen them. That is not to say that this film is not an impressive technical achievement.
Berger’s direction is impeccable, but the story does feel like a retread of films that have explored these themes better. This focuses more on the bureaucratic bullshit than the 1930 original. This is good, but I’d still recommend watching the original instead.
08. Z (1969) – Algeria
Z is a leftist activist who is killed in an apparent traffic accident. But with the political climate what it is, no one believes this was just an accident. As more truths come out the bodies begin to pile up.
Partly a parody of what was happening in Greece during the 1960s. However, this isn’t an SNL political parody. It is a real political thriller that will keep you on your toes until the very last frame.
It has a Rashomon-esque style of storytelling that comments on whoever controls the narrative and media has the real power. Way ahead of its time, it’s a political thriller that has reminder strikingly prevalent.
07. Amour (2012) – Austria
An elderly couple, Georges and Anne have to face their toughest challenge when Anne has a stroke and her husband Georges vows to take care of her and not allow her ever to return to the hospital.
It’s a gut-wrenching film about selfless love and facing the harsh truths of a relationship. It will also remind you that old age is terrifying. Emmanuel Rivera delivered a brilliant performance for which she was nominated for Best Actress and would’ve made a worthy winner.
06. The Emigrants (1971) – Sweden
Max von Sydow and Liv Ullman portray farmers in 19th-century Sweden. Due to increasingly harsh conditions and religious persecution, they decide to take their chances and immigrate to the United States along with others from their village.
The Emigrants does a similar thing that McCabe and Mrs. Miller from this year does as well. Make you grateful that we do not live in those times. It’s an incredibly difficult journey with setbacks at every turn.
The film has a runtime of over three hours. It takes its time unveiling the story and letting us get to know every character and their story. The story has a seemingly uplifting ending unless you watch Jan Troell’s sequel The New Land.
05. Roma (2018) – Mexico
This film started the trend of filmmakers making their semi-autobiographical films. This is still the best version of all of them. This was Alfonso Cuaron’s film about life in Mexico in the early 1970s.
It focuses on the family’s house cleaner Cleo. It’s a quiet and patient film. The first hour plays like a slice-of-life film, just hanging with Cleo and the family. Then the second hour begins and the film transforms into something much more complex.
The beautiful and devastating thing about the film is the planes flying overhead. They represent being able to leave and go wherever you want, but only if you can afford that luxury. But, not everyone is afforded that luxury. Brilliant film.
04. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) – China
After three American films, Ang Lee returned to his home country to make a multifaceted film. Part action, part fantasy, part romance. This film has everything which is one of the reasons it had such success in America.
Also, Ang Lee was already a household name here by 2000. His previous films received awards attention. Sense and Sensibility earned seven nominations. The Ice Storm received BAFTA nominations and a lot of respect.
So by this time, he had earned the respect of the industry. Then he makes one of the greatest films to come out of China. There is an argument to be made that this should’ve won Best Picture over Gladiator, and Lee deserved Best Director as well. But he’ll eventually get his two.
03. Drive My Car (2021) – Japan
When the Academy expanded its Best Picture field it was presumably to get bigger budget films, in there so more viewers would watch the Oscars. Instead, it has led to a great foreign language film being nominated. Thanks to the international branch of the Oscars.
Hamaguchi’s nearly three-hour film is about grief and looking for meaning and connection. It’s a hard movie to describe but one you just have to experience. It’s slow and methodical. If you give it time you’ll be blessed with a moving experience.
I’m thankful I got to see this in a theater so I was able to fully immerse into the film. If you get a chance to watch this I recommend turning the lights off and putting your phone on Do Not Disturb. The fewer distractions the better.
Also, quick aside and kudos to Eiko Ishibashi’s score. Providing a beautiful score with strained strings. Accenting the characters in the film who appear calm on the surface but inside are strained and hurting.
02. Grand Illusion (1938) – France
A group of French soldiers deals with their class differences as they are held in a German prisoner-of-war camp. When they are transferred to a high-security prison they concoct a plan to escape.
The film’s title can take on multiple meanings. The first illusion is that these men should die in this war. Why? Who for? To serve leaders who want to say they won a battle while getting thousands of men killed.
However, there is the other interpretation of the men telling themselves the war is almost over. The illusion they choose to believe helps get them through another day. It reminded me of when my wife and I went to Columbus, Indiana and we walked through their veterans memorial.
These columns had the last letters of men who died in war. All of them talked about how they believed the war was almost over. It was heartbreaking to read these repeatedly. This film nails that soldier’s grand illusion about war.
01. Parasite (2019) – South Korea
Of course, number one would be Bong Joon-Ho’s masterpiece. A poor family slowly infiltrates a rich family’s life, then halfway through its runtime the film is turned on its head and becomes something else entirely.
Bong is one of the few filmmakers who can juggle several different tones and make it work. Most filmmakers struggle with multiple tones and you get whiplash from the harsh shifting. Bong is able to balance all tones and genres like a high-wire act.
It’s also one of the smartest films about class and wealth. It’s a theme that has become prevalent in our modern storytelling, but this film is the cream of the crop in this genre. Every viewing offers a new avenue to walk down, another layer to dig into.
It’s crazy it took the academy this long to give Best Picture to a foreign language film. At least when they did it was for one of the best films of the modern era. But it’s too bad it takes an exceptional film to achieve this, cause there have been several years when the best film of the year is in a foreign language.
