Non-English Films That Would've Made an Expanded List

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Big Magilla
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Re: Non-English Films That Would've Made an Expanded List

Post by Big Magilla »

Big Magilla wrote:
anonymous1980 wrote:I didn't list Cinema Paradiso because it ONLY got Best Foreign Language Film (which it easily won). I was surprised when I looked it up, considering its reputation and popularity and the fact that Tornatore got in DGA, you'd think it would get a Director or Screenplay nomination or even a Score and Cinematography nomination. But nope, Foreign Film and nothing else. Was the fact it only got this nomination a surprise?
It may have got caught up in the ever-changing rules regarding foreign language films nominated for Best Foreign Language Film (now International Film) in one year (1989) and eligibility in other categories in the year it was released in L.A. (1990). If that was the case, expanding the slate to ten Best Picture nominations wouldn't have helped.

BAFTA nominated it in eleven categories and awarded it in five, which is testament enough to its popularity in English-speaking countries. The only films at the time that anyone in Hollywood was talking about were Dances with Wolves, GoodFellas and The Godfather: Part III, and the latter not in a good way. They even nominated Al Pacino for his supporting role in Dick Tracy rather than acknowledge his return to Michael Corleone. Even Jeremy Irons, who won Best Actor for Reversal of Fortune, was considered in some circles to have won for being snubbed for Dead Ringers two years earlier.
Big Magilla
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Re: Non-English Films That Would've Made an Expanded List

Post by Big Magilla »

anonymous1980 wrote:I didn't list Cinema Paradiso because it ONLY got Best Foreign Language Film (which it easily won). I was surprised when I looked it up, considering its reputation and popularity and the fact that Tornatore got in DGA, you'd think it would get a Director or Screenplay nomination or even a Score and Cinematography nomination. But nope, Foreign Film and nothing else. Was the fact it only got this nomination a surprise?
It may have got caught up in the ever-changing rules regarding foreign language films nominated for Best Foreign Language Film (now International Film) in one year (1989) and eligibility in other categories in the year it was released in L.A. (1990). If that was the case, expanding the site to ten Best Picture nominations wouldn't have helped.

BAFTA nominated it in eleven categories and awarded it in five, which is testament enough to its popularity in English-speaking countries. The only films at the time that anyone in Hollywood was talking about were Dances with Wolves, GoodFellas and The Godfather: Part III, and the latter not in a good way. They even nominated Al Pacino for his supporting role in Dick Tracy rather than acknowledge his return to Michael Corleone. Even Jeremy Irons, who won Best Actor for Reversal of Fortune, was considered in some circles to have won for being snubbed for Dead Ringers two years earlier.
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Re: Non-English Films That Would've Made an Expanded List

Post by Reza »

anonymous1980 wrote:I think had the expanded Best Picture been around in the past decades, there could be more.
Only from 1960 onwards.

Apart from the Renoir mysteriously getting onto the Best Picture list in 1938 there was no way Hollywood - still a more hip community than the rest of the country - was going to "allow" foreign films to take over slots. The community was hip enough to nominate and award Hattie in 1939 but the reality of her seat placement spoke volumes. Even Black was "foreign" (although for a completely different reason which sadly continues to be an "issue" even today in the country at large despite more frequent recognition of black actors by the Academy).

When Brit films (Lean/Olivier/Powell) made a strong mark during the mid and late 1940s not only with nominations but actually winning a number of below the line awards it caused an uproar with stupid Louella Parsons taking the lead in denouncing the wins. Hamlet's top win caused most of her anxiety.

Hollywood continued playing it safe during the 1950s by giving foreign films nods for screenplay, art direction and costumes. It was only the 1960s and onwards that foreign films (mainly actors & directors) started getting nominated with more frequency.
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Re: Non-English Films That Would've Made an Expanded List

Post by anonymous1980 »

I didn't list Cinema Paradiso because it ONLY got Best Foreign Language Film (which it easily won). I was surprised when I looked it up, considering its reputation and popularity and the fact that Tornatore got in DGA, you'd think it would get a Director or Screenplay nomination or even a Score and Cinematography nomination. But nope, Foreign Film and nothing else. Was the fact it only got this nomination a surprise?
Big Magilla
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Re: Non-English Films That Would've Made an Expanded List

Post by Big Magilla »

Some good guesses, but where oh where is La Dolce Vita which was actually in strong consideration for a Best Picture nomination in 1961?

La Dolce Vita, Day for Night, Fanny & Alexander, Cinema Paradiso and Pan's Labyrinth were strong enough contenders to be nominated when there were only five nominees. Amarcord would have had a stronger shot at a 1974 nomination the year it won the New York Film Critics Award than it did in 1975 when Fellini received a surprise Best Director nomination over Steven Spielberg for Jaws.
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Re: Non-English Films That Would've Made an Expanded List

Post by Sabin »

Only going back to 1970...

I think the ones below are likely
Europa, Europa (Adapted Screenplay)
Cinema Paradiso (DGA nominee)
Das Boot (Director, many other nominations)
La Cage aux Folles (Director, Adapted Screenplay)
Seven Beauties (DGA nom, Director, Actor, Original Screenplay)
Cousin, Cousine (Actress, Original Screenplay)
Amarcord (Director, Original Screenplay )
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Original Screenplay)

Possible but less likely:
The Motorcycle Diaries (Adapted Screenplay, Song -- Focus was gunning on all cylinders during that period of time, given some extra room, who knows?)
Y Tu Mama Tambien (Original Screenplay -- two foreign films? maybe)
The Joy Luck Club
Pelle the Conquerer (Actor, Palme d'Or)
Au Revoir, Les Enfants (Original Screenplay)
The Official Story (Original Screenplay,
El Norte (Original Screenplay, 1984 was dire)
The Tin Drum (Palme d'Or)
Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (National Society of Film Critics, dire year)
Autumn Sonata (Actress, Original Screenplay)
Garden of the Finzi-Continis (Adapted Screenplay, Golden Bear)
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
"How's the despair?"
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Non-English Films That Would've Made an Expanded List

Post by anonymous1980 »

Parasite made history as the first non-English language film to win Best Picture. It was only, I believe, just the 10th non-English language film to make the Best Picture list. I think had the expanded Best Picture been around in the past decades, there could be more. I thought it would be fun to speculate which non-English films of the years with five nominees would've made the list based on the nominations they received beyond Best Foreign Language Film/International Feature. I think these are most likely:

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly (Director, Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography)*
Pan's Labyrinth (Screenplay, plus Cinematography, Makeup and Production Design wins)+
City of God (Director, Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography)*
Talk to Her (Director plus Screenplay win)*
Amelie (Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Sound Mixing (!!!))+
Three Colors: Red (Director, Screenplay, Cinematography)*
Cyrano de Bergerac (Actor, Production Design plus a Costumes win)+
My Life As A Dog (Director and Screenplay)*
Fanny & Alexander (Director, Screenplay, plus wins for Production Design, Cinematography and Costumes)
Ran (Director, Production Design and Cinematography plus a win for Costumes)*
Face to Face (Director and Actress)*
Day For Night (Director, Screenplay, Supporting Actress)**
A Man and a Woman (Director, Actress plus a Screenplay win)
The Battle of Algiers (Director, Screenplay) **
Divorce: Italian Style (Director, Actor plus a Screenplay win)*
(Director, Screenplay, Production Design plus a win for Costumes)

+ = lost International Feature
* = not nominated for International Feature for whatever reason.
**= won/nominated for International Feature in a different year due to a weird rule.

Did I miss anything?
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