One day during the summer of 1996 I found myself in the dentist’s office waiting to get a tooth drilled. As I waited for the doctor, I paged through a magazine called Movieline. One of the articles piqued my interest. It was a list of the 100 greatest foreign films ever made. Carefully I ripped the pages from the magazine and stuffed them into my purse. My intention was to one day see every movie that made the list. Today I was going through old papers and I found the article. Sadly, I hadn’t made quite the dent in the list as I had hoped. Here are the movies and those in bold are the ones I’ve seen. Finding the article has re-ignited my interest in watching these movies. I just hope I can find them at Blockbuster.

1. L’Age d’Or/Un Chien Andalou (1930), aka The Age of Gold or The Golden Age, France, directed by Luis Bunuel
2. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), aka Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes, Peru/W. Germany, directed by Werner Herzog
3. The American Friend (1977), aka Der Amerikanische Freund, US/W. Ger./France, directed by Wim Wenders
4. A Nous la Liberte (1931), aka Freedom for Us, France, directed by Rene Clair
5. Ashes and Diamonds (1958), aka Popiol i Diament, Poland, directed by Andrzej Wajda
6. L’Avventura (1960), aka The Adventure, France/Italy, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
7. L’Atalante (1934), aka Le Chaland Qui Passe, France, directed by Jean Vigo
8. Belle de Jour (1967), aka Beauty of the Day, France/Italy, directed by Luis Bunuel
9. La Belle et la Bete (1946), aka Beauty and the Beast, France, directed by Jean Cocteau
10. The Bicycle Thief (1948), aka Ladri di Biciclette, Italy, directed by Vittorio De Sica
11. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972), aka Die Bitteren Traenen der Petra von Kant, W. Germany, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
12. The Blue Angel (1930), aka Der Blaue Engel, Germany, directed by Josef von Sternberg
13. Le Boucher (1969), aka The Butcher, France/Italy, directed by Claude Chabrol
14. Boudu Saved From Drowning (1932), aka Boudu Sauve des Eaux, France, directed by Jean Renoir
15. Breathless (1960), aka A Bout de Souffle, France, directed by Jean-Luc Godard
16. The Burmese Harp (1956), aka Harp of Burma or Birumano Tategoto, Japan, directed by Kon Ichikawa
17. Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974), France, directed by Jacques Rivette
18. La Chienne (1931), aka The Bitch or Isn’t Life a Bitch?, France/US, directed by Jean Renoir
19. The Children of Paradise (1945), aka Les Enfants du Paradis, France, directed by Marcel Carne
20. The Conformist (1970), aka Il Conformista, Italy/France/W. Ger., directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
21. Contempt (1963), aka Le Mepris or Il Disprezzo, France/Italy, directed by Jean-Luc Godard
22. Cria! (1975), aka Cria Cuervos or Raise Ravens, Spain, directed by Carlos Saura
23. The Decalogue (1988), aka Dekalog, Poland, directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski
24. Les Diabolique (1954), aka Diabolique, France, directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
25. Diary of a Country Priest (1950), aka Le Journal d’un Cure de Campagne, France, directed by Robert Bresson
26. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), aka Le Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie, Italy/Spain/France, directed by Luis Bunuel
27. Dr. Mabuse, Parts 1 and 2 (1922), aka Doktor Mabuse der Spieler, directed by Fritz Lang
28. La Dolce Vita (1960), aka The Sweet Life, France/Italy, directed by Federico Fellini
29. The Double Life of Veronique (1991), aka La Double Vie de Veronique, directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski
30. The Earrings of Madame de. . . (1953), aka Diamond Earrings or Madame de…, directed by Max Ophuls
31. Earth (1930), aka Soil or Zemlya, Ukraine/USSR, directed by Alexander Dovzhenko
32. L’Eclisse (1962), aka The Eclipse, France/Italy, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
33. 8 1/2 (1963), aka Eight and a Half, Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2, or Otto e Mezzo, France/Italy, directed by Federico Fellini
34. Europa ’51 (1952), aka Greatest Love, Italy, directed by Roberto Rossellini
35. The Eyes Without a Face (1960), aka Les Yeux Sans Visage or The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus or Occhi Senza Volto, France/Italy, directed by Georges Franju
36. Fanny and Alexander (1982), aka Fanny och Alexander, W. Ger./Sweden/France, directed by Ingmar Bergman
37. Floating Weeds (1959), aka Ukigusa or Drifting Weeds, directed by Yasujiro Ozu
38. Forbidden Games (1951), aka Les Jeux Interdits or The Secret Game, France, directed by Rene Clement
39. The Four Hundred (400) Blows (1959), aka Les Quatre Cents Coups, France, directed by Francois Truffaut
40. Gertrud (1965), Denmark, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer
41. The Golden Coach (1952), aka Le Carrosse d’Or, France/Italy, directed by Jean Renoir
42. The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964), aka Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo or L’Evangile Selon Saint-Matthieu, France/Italy, directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini
43. Ikiru (1952), aka Doomed or To Live or Living, Japan, directed by Akira Kurosawa
44. Le Jour Se Leve (1939), aka Daybreak, France, directed by Marcel Carne
45. Jules and Jim (1962), aka Jules et Jim, France, directed by Francois Truffaut
46. The Kingdom (1994), aka Riget, Denmark, directed by Lars von Trier
47. Lamerica (1994), France/Italy, directed by Gianni Amelio
48. Landscape in the Mist (1988), aka Topio Stin Omichli or Paysage Dans Le Brouillard, Greece/France/Italy, directed by Theo Angelopoulos
49. Last Year at Marienbad (1961), aka L’Anee Derniere a Marienbad, France/Italy, directed by Alain Resnais
50. Lola (1961), aka Donna di Vita, France/Italy, directed by Jacques Demy
51. Lola Montes (1955), aka The Sins of Lola Montes, W. Ger./France, directed by Max Ophuls
52. M (1931), Germany, directed by Fritz Lang
53. Masculin Feminin (1966), aka Masculine Feminine, France/Sweden, directed by Jean-Luc Godard
54. Metropolis (1927), Germany, directed by Fritz Lang
55. Le Million (1931), France, directed by Rene Clair
56. Murmur of the Heart (1971), aka Le Souffle au Coeur or Dearest Love, Italy/W. Ger./France, directed by Louis Malle
57. Napoleon (1927), France, directed by Abel Gance
58. Night and Fog (1955), aka Nuit et Brouillard, France, directed by Alain Resnais
59. The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982), aka La Notte di San Lorenzo or The Night of San Lorenzo, Italy, directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
60. 1900 (1976), aka Novecento, France/W. Ger./Italy, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
61. Nosferatu (1922), aka Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens or Nosferatu, The Vampire, Germany, directed by F. W. Murnau
62. La Notte (1961), aka The Night or La Nuit, France/Italy, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
63. Pandora’s Box (1929), aka Lulu or Die Buechse der Pandora, Germany, directed by G. W. Pabst
64. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), aka La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc, France, Carl Theodor Dreyer
65. Persona (1966), aka Masks, Sweden, directed by Ingmar Bergman
66. Pierrot le Fou (1965), aka Crazy Pete, France/Italy, directed by Jean-Luc Godard
67. Playtime (1967), Italy/France, directed by Jacques Tati
68. Raise the Red Lantern (1991), Taiwan/China/Hong Kong (UK), directed by Zhang Yimou
69. Ran (1985), France/Japan, directed by Akira Kurosawa
70. Rashomon (1951), aka In the Woods, Japan, directed by Akira Kurosawa
71. The Red and the White (1967), aka Csillagosok, katonak, Hungary/USSR, directed by Miklos Jancso
72. The Red Desert (1964), aka Il Deserto Rosso, France/Italy, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
73. Repulsion (1965), UK, directed by Roman Polanski
74. Rocco and His Brothers (1960), aka Rocco e I Suoi Fratelli or Rocco et Ses Freres, France/Italy, directed by Luchino Visconti
75. La Roue (1923), France, directed by Abel Gance
76. The Rules of the Game (1939), aka La Regle du Jeu, France, directed by Jean Renoir
77. Sansho Dayu (1954), aka Sansho The Bailiff, Japan, directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
78. Senso (1954), aka The Wanton Contessa, Italy, directed by Luchino Visconti
79. The Seven Samurai (1954), aka Shichinin No Samurai or The Magnificent Seven, Japan, directed by Akira Kurosawa
80. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964), aka Tini Zabutykh Predkiv or Shadows of Our Ancestors, USSR/Ukraine, directed by Sergei Paradjanov
81. Shame (1968), aka Skammen, Sweden, directed by Ingmar Bergman
82. Shoah (1985), France, directed by Claude Lanzmann
83. Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), aka Sommarnattens Leende, Sweden, directed by Ingmar Bergman
84. Solaris (1972), aka Solyaris, USSR, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
85. The Spider’s Stratagem (Strategy) (1970), aka La Strategia del Ragno, Italy, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
86. Spirit of the Beehive (1973), aka El Espiritu de la Colmena, Spain, directed by Victor Erice
87. Strike (1924), aka Stachka, USSR, directed by Sergei Eisenstein
88. Throne of Blood (1957), aka Kumonosu-jo or The Castle of the Spider’s Web or Cobweb Castle, Japan, directed by Akira Kurosawa
89. Through a Glass Darkly (1961), aka Sasom I En Spegel, Sweden, directed by Ingmar Bergman
90. Tokyo Story (1953), aka Tokyo Monogatari, Japan, directed by Yasujiro Ozu
91. Tristana (1970), Spain/France/Italy, directed by Luis Bunuel
92. Two English Girls (1971), aka Les Deux Anglaises et le Continent or Anne and Muriel, France, directed by Francois Truffaut
93. Ugetsu (1953), aka Ugetsu Monogatari or Tales of a Pale Moon After the Rain, Japan, directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
94. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), aka Les Parapluies de Cherbourg or Die Regenschirme von Cherbourg, W. Ger./France, directed by Jacques Demy
95. Vampyr (1931), aka The Vampire or Vampyr, Ou L’Etrange Aventure de David Gray, France/Germany, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer
96. Viridiana (1961), Mexico/Spain, directed by Luis Bunuel
97. Weekend (1967), France/Italy, directed by Jean-Luc Godard
98. Wings of Desire (1987), aka Der Himmel Uber Berlin, W. Ger./France, directed by Wim Wenders
99. The World of Apu (1959), aka Apur Sansar or Apu Sansat, India, directed by Satyajit Ray
100. Zero de Conduit (1933), aka Zero for Conduct, France, directed by Jean Vigo