From: hafner@ifi.unizh.ch (Michel Hafner)
Subject: Re: Enough is Enough (was Re: Top Five Movies of All Time)
Organization: University of Zurich, Department of Computer Science
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 92 14:48:14 GMT

In article <1992Dec21.131006.448@ifi.unizh.ch> hafner@ifi.unizh.ch (Michel Hafner) writes:
>In article <4448@cvbnetPrime.COM> csroc@dime.UUCP (Charles Sroczynski x4014 5-2) writes:
>>In article <kaxiras.724462968@cs.wisc.edu> kaxiras@falcons.cs.wisc.edu (Stefanos Kaxiras) writes:
>>>I agree with Pentti. Americans are very ignorant regarding
>>>foreign cinema. Most masterpieces do not come from USA.
>>>You people have no idea of Italian cinema, German cinema
>>>(epsecially the very early one - silent ), Jpanese, Russian
>>>( two of my favorite movies -SciFi mind you- come from Russia ),
>>>and what have you.
>>Well....excuuuuuuuusssssse me!
>>You claim Americans are very ignorant regarding Italian cinema,
>>Gee.. does a week go by without mention of Cinema Paradesio,
>>and Fellini and MM(astrioni)etc.
>
>Mention, eh? And how many people have seen "Cinema Paradiso", a Fellini or a
>"Mastroianni" in US? And how many have ever heard of the rest of Italian cinema
>( there is more than Fellini/Mastroianni/Cinema Paradiso!! )? Well, I don't
>claim Italian cinema is well known everywhere except US, maybe it's even not
>so well known to the average Italian, but there is much more to it than what
>reaches US general release and therefore 99,x% of the American public. If you
>compare the US revenues of a major foreign ( not English spoken )  hit ( 
>Cinema Paradiso, High Heels... ) with the domestic hits there is a BIG diffe-
>rence. This difference is not so big in European countries. US movies are on
>top there too, but the best local and non US movies are not 90-99% behind!
> 
>>You Claim Americans are very ignorant regarding German cinema,
>>Gee.. does a week go by without mention of Das Boot.
>
>German cinema is NOT "Das Boot"! This movie is simply a untypical German example
>with hollywoodesque proportions regarding technical aspects ( therefore it was
>accepted in US ). It's in no way representative for German cinema as a whole,
>it's a small branch which could be called "aspiring big budget stuff, aimed at
>the world market and trying to get Hollywood's attention". If you want to know
>about German cinema watch the movies of Wenders, Schloendorff, Herzog, Staudte,
>von Trotta, FASSBINDER, Kluge, von Sternberg ( pre Hollywood ), Pabst, Murnau,
>( pre Hollywood ) LANG etc. etc. You don't know German cinema when you have
>never heard of Heinz Ruehmann, O.W. Fischer, Hans Moser, Theo Lingen,
>H. George, Gustav Knuth, Maria Schell, Liselotte Pulver, Maximilian Schell,
>Horst Buchholz, Hildegard Knef, Lilian Harvey, Oskar Sima, Heidemarie Hatheyer,
>Sonia Henie, Romy Schneider, Karlheinz Boehm, Magda Schneider, Josef Meinrad
>etc. etc. etc.
>
>>French films play in all major American cities(and I imagine
>>some not so major ones.
>
>Yes, about 2% (?) of the annual production! In Paris there are every week new 
>French movies coming out!
> 
>>Indian films, especially by the figure who recently passed away,
>>Singat Ray(pls excuse my spelling)
>
>And what about the 790 other movies every year? ( Not all of them are the usual
>uninteresting dance-love-bad guy vs good guy stuff ).
> 
>>Haven't you noticed that Kurowasa((sp)) and Bergman are
>>idolized as GODS of cinema in America.
>
>Maybe, but how many Americans have actually ever seen a Bergman or Kurosawa in
>their local cinemas? Did one ever show up there? And what about all the other
>good directors from Japan and Sweden? What about Mizoguchi, Ozu, Kinoshita,
>Naruse, Ishi, Molander, Sjoestroem etc. etc. 
>The fact is that except for a very small number of "cinephiles" people in US
>AND in the rest of the world are unaware of the wealth of movies world cinema
>potentially has to offer. Sad, but true. Usually the own cinema is closest to
>people, followed by the cinema of countries with the same language. And that's
>about it.

Hm, I should have said: Usually the own cinema AND HOLLYWOOD MOVIES ( dubbed or
subtitled ) are closest to people, followed by the cinema of countries with
the same language. And that's about it.   				:-)

> 
>>It is you who are ignorant of Americans(IMHO), not the Americans
>>ignorant of foreign cinema.
>
>Wrong, most people everywhere are ignorant of most of world cinema. The situa-
>tion in Europe is generally better than in US concerning the choice of movies
>available to the average guy, but it's a problem everywhere to see specific
>movies if you are not happy with some lousy video, and often even then.
>								M.H.


Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies