Over the past few years, anti-Western sentiment has spread through portions of Russian society. In fact, there’s currently a bill being debated that would ban foreign films that portray Russia or its citizens in a negative manner. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean the country has adopted a completely negative attitude toward Hollywood. In fact, the Ministry of Culture just released a list of movies it recommends all Russians watch, and it is filled with some of the greatest flicks Americans have ever produced.
Of the 100 entries chosen, a good percentage of them come from Hollywood, and many of them are exactly the ones you would expect. It’s A Wonderful Life, Titanic, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Star Wars, E.T. and The Wizard Of Oz. Others, however, you probably wouldn’t have guessed immediately. They include Bambi, Amadeus, Apocalypse Now and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
You can check out the full list, courtesy of Russia below…
M (GERMANY)CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (TAIWAN, HONG KONG, USA, CHINA)WHEN FATHER WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS (YUGOSLAVIA)OLIVER! (UK)UNDER THE ROOFS OF PARIS (FRANCE)TITANIC (USA)TO BE OR NOT TO BE (USA)CITIZEN KANE (USA)ON THE WESTERN FRONT (USA)HAMLET (GREAT BRITAIN)IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (USA)L’ECLISSE (ITALY, FRANCE)THIS SPORTING LIFE (UK)LE BAL (FRANCE, ITALY)BREATHLESS (FRANCE)GREAT EXPECTATIONS (UK)ONE A.M. (USA)BROKEN BLOSSOMS (USA)MEPHISTO (GERMANY, HUNGARY, AUSTRIA)THREE LITTLE PIGS (USA)RASHOMON (JAPAN)FORBIDDEN GAMES (FRANCE)APOCALYPSE NOW (UNITED STATES)LA STRADA (ITALY)ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (USA)THE GREAT DICTATOR (UNITED STATES)THE GENERAL (USA)THE TIN DRUM (GERMANY, FRANCE, YUGOSLAVIA)A MAN ESCAPED (FRANCE)3 AGES (USA)THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (GERMANY)ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS (ITALY, FRANCE)THE LAST LAUGH (GERMANY)L’ATALANTE (FRANCE)MAN OF MARBLE (POLAND)THE GODFATHER (USA)SCARFACE (1932) (USA)2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (USA)E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL (UNITED STATES)THE MALTESE FALCON (USA)HIROSHIMA, MY LOVE (FRANCE)CABARET (USA)THE SEVENTH SEAL (SWEDEN)SCHINDLER'S LIST (USA)LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS (FRANCE)THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (USA)AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS (FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY)AMADEUS (USA)THE BICYCLE THIEF (ITALY)SAFETY LAST! (USA)FATHER - DIARY OF ONE FAITH (HUNGARY)GONE WITH THE WIND (USA)STAR WARS: EPISODE 4 - A NEW HOPE (USA)RED SORGHUM (CHINA)STAGECOACH (UNITED STATES)THE APARTMENT (USA)RULES OF THE GAME (FRANCE)AMARCORD (ITALY, FRANCE)UN CHIEN ANDALOU (FRANCE)METROPOLIS (GERMANY)DERSU UZALA (USSR, JAPAN)BONNIE AND CLYDE (USA)INTOLERANCE (USA)NANOOK OF THE NORTH (USA, FRANCE)THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (FRANCE)MODERN TIMES (USA)THE GRAPES OF WRATH (USA)NIGHTS OF CABIRIA (ITALY, FRANCE)THE WIZARD OF OZ (USA)ORPHEUS (FRANCE)ROME, OPEN CITY (ITALY)SEVEN SAMURAI (JAPAN)CABIRIA (ITALY)THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (FRANCE)8 1/2 (ITALY, FRANCE)THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (USA)LAST EMPEROR (CHINA, ITALY, UK, FRANCE)AMONG MAX LINDER (FRANCE)CITY LIGHTS (USA)THE NUREMBERG TRIALS (USA)THE GOLD RUSH (USA)MAN AND WOMAN (FRANCE)TRIP TO THE MOON (FRANCE)GRAND ILLUSION (FRANCE)BAMBI (USA)EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF AND GOD AGAINST ALL (GERMANY)KES (UK)PURSUIT (USA)SOME LIKE IT HOT (USA)KOYAANISKATSI (USA)CINEMA PARADISO (ITALY, FRANCE)LUMIÈRE FILMS (FRANCE)THE IDIOT (JAPAN)FOUR STROKES (FRANCE)LEOPARD (ITALY, FRANCE)STRAWBERRY FIELDS (SWEDEN)WEST SIDE STORY (USA)ASHES AND DIAMONDS (POLAND)PORT OF SHADOWS (FRANCE)VERTIGO (USA)
I completely support this. The United States Government preserves films in the National Archive, but I think it would be awesome if they released a list every year with book, movie and television recommendations. They could mix both American works and foreign works together, and it could be an exciting, buzzed about event when the yearly lists were released.
Until then, I suppose we’ll just have to rely on Russia for recommendations. Just don’t expect From Russia With Love to appear anytime soon.
