The Greatest Films of France Polling!!!
Choosing only thirty (30) films for one of the greatest cinemas in the world is a Herculeon task, and to have left off Clair, Clement, Guitry, Eustache, Pagnol, Feyder, Chabrol, Rohmer, Dassin, Godard (not his biggest fan but a few great ones, yes), and so many other masterpieces, is unconscionable. It is killing me to leave off La Promesse; Rosetta; Le Trou; Une Vie; Port of Shadows; Lola Montes; A Sunday in the Country; Pickpocket; Mouchette; La Roue; Boudu Saved from Drowning; Two English Girls; Breathless; Weekend; The Discreet of the Bourgeiosie; Les Enfants Terribles; Coup de Torchon; Panique; Blanche; Celeine and Julie Go Boating; Le Jour se Leve; Army of Shadows; Orpheus; The Mother and the Whore; An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge; Lacombe Lucien; Wages of Fear; Hiroshima Mon Amour; La Jetee; Sorrow and the Pity; Shoah; The Green Room and tons of others. But here we are. My thirty favorite French masterpieces in alphabetical order: (Deadline for voting will be 5:00 on May 1st; all determinations on voting eligibility will be made by Bill Kamberger).
The 400 Blows ‘Les Quatre Cents Coups’ (Truffaut; 1959)
The Artist (Hazananavicius; 2011)
L’ Atalante (Vigo; 1934)
Au Hasard Balthazar (Bresson; 1966)
Au Revoir Les Enfants (Malle; 1987)
Belle de Jour (Bunuel; 1967)
La Belle et la Bete (Cocteau; 1945)
La Belle Noiseuse (Rivette; 1991)
The Chorus (Barratier; 2004)
Diaboliques (Clouzot; 1955)
The Earrings of Madame de (Ophuls; 1953)
Les Enfants du Paradis (Carne; 1945)
La Grande Illusion (Renoir; 1937)
Jean de Florette/Manon des Sources (Berri; 1987-1988)
La Fin du Jour (Duvivier; 1939)
Le Journal un Cure de Campagne (Bresson; 1950)
Jules and Jim (Truffaut; 1962)
A Man Escaped (Bresson; 1958)
Les Miserables (Bernard; 1933-4)
Napoleon (Gance; 1928)
Night and Fog ‘Nuit et brouillard’ (Resnais; 1956)
Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (Demy; 1964)
The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer; 1928)
Playtime (Tati; 1967)
The Red Balloon, ‘Le ballon rouge’ (Lamorisse; 1956)
Rules of the Game ‘Le regle du Jeu’ (Renoir; 1939)
La Silence de la Mer (Melville; 1946)
Son Frere (Chereau; 2004)
Three Colors Trilogy (Kieslowki; 1993-4)
Wild Reeds ‘Les Roseaux sauvages’ (Techine; 1994)
SO MANY BALLOTS WERE CAST ALREADY OVER THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF THE POLLING!!!
112 Comments
Steve Finkelstein
Top 30 French films, random order, one per director :
Weekend ( Godard )
Mother & The Whore ( Eustache )
Children of Paradise ( Carne )
Trip to the Moon ( Melies )
Last year in Marienbad ( Resnais )
Mouchette ( Bresson )
Day for Night ( Truffaut )
Cleo From 5 to 7 ( Varda )
Playtime ( Tati )
Earrings of Madame De ( Ophuls )
Touchez pas Au Grisbi ( Becker )
Holy Motors ( Carax )
Eyes Without A Face ( Franju )
Forbidden Games ( Clement )
Le Samourai ( Melville )
Wages of Fear ( Clouzot )
Brotherhood of the Wolf ( Gans )
Amour ( Haneke )
Belle de Jour ( Bunuel )
The Trial ( Welles )
Round Midnight ( Tavernier )
Delicatessen ( Jeunet )
Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge ( Enrico )
Z ( Costa-Gavras )
Personal Shopper ( Assayas )
That Man from Rio ( de Broca )
The Artist ( Hazanavicius )
The Fire Within ( Malle )
La Jeetee ( Marker )
April & the Extraordinary World ( Des Mares & Ekinici )
Reply1dEdited
Steve Finkelstein
Revision : Orson Welles The Trial is a French co-production, so I substituted that for Fantastic Planet.
Reply1d
Bill Kamberger
PROVISIONAL 30
The Adventures of Felix (Olivier Ducastel & Jacques Martineau, 2000)
The Artist (Michel Hazanavicius, 2011)
L’Atalante (Jean Vigo, 1934)
La Belle et la Bête (Jean Cocteau, 1946)
BPM (Robin Campillo, 2017)
Un Chant d’Amour (Jean Genet, 1950)
Children of Paradise (Marcel Carné, 1945)
Diary of a Country Priest (Robert Bresson, 1951)
Diva (Jean-Jacques Beineix, 1981)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel, 2007)
Forbidden Games (René Clemant, 1952)
The Gleaners and I (Agnès Varda, 2000)
Grand Illusion (Jean Renoir, 1937)
La Haine (Mathieu Kassovitz, 1995)
Hiroshima Mon Amour (Alain Resnais, 1959)
La Jetée (Chris Marker, 1962)
Jules and Jim (François Truffaut, 1962)
Madame de… (Max Ophüls, 1953)
Le Million (René Clair, 1931)
The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928)
Playtime (Jacques Tati, 1967)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Céline Sciamma, 2019)
The Red Balloon (Albert Lamorisse, 1956)
The Story of a Cheat (Sacha Guitry, 1936)
The Suitor (Pierre Étaix, 1962)
A Sunday in the Country (Bertrand Tavernier, 1984)
Sundays and Cybèle (Serge Bourguignon, 1962)
Thérèse (Alain Cavalier, 1986)
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Jacques Demy, 1964)
The Wages of Fear (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1953)
ReplySee Translation1d
Bill Kamberger
70 In Reserve
Le Trou (Becker)… See more
ReplySee Translation1d
Duane Porter
Bill Kamberger, what might be your call on Zulawski’s Possession. Both imdb and wikipedia give it as France first and Germany second.
Reply11h
Bill Kamberger
Duane Porter, it did not make our German list, so go for it.
Reply5h
Sammy Juliano
Shubhajit Lahiri Andrew Hunt Todd Sherman Duane Porter Aaron West Lee Price Steve Elworth Steve Finkelstein Adam Ferenz Dan Kocher Andres Ggll Ahmet Türkoğlu Brian Wilson Derek Vincent Marvin Sommer Ali Smith Peter Morose Patricia Perry Celeste Fenster… See more
Reply1dEdited
Patricia Perry
My ballot is below
Reply1dEdited
Andrew Hunt
I’m beyond excited to weigh in with my picks, Sammy! I’m so pleased to see The Red Balloon is eligible. It is one of my favourite films of all time — and has been since I was about seven. Thank you, my friend!
Reply1d
Adam Ferenz
Andrew Hunt did they used to show it at your elementary school, too?
Reply1d
Andrew Hunt
Adam Ferenz Yes! We watched it numerous times at my elementary school.
Reply1d
Tor Lier
Again, impossible! I can only do it quickly and not agonize over it too much. (But, quelle disgrace – no Truffaut? No Rohmer? Schroeder? Pierre Richard?)
Here we go:
1. Les Enfants du Paradis (1946)
2. L’age d’Or (1930)
3. Napoléon (1927)
4. Le souffle au cœur (1971)
5. Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie (1972)
6. À bout de souffle (1960)
7. Occupe-toi d’Amelie..! (1949)
8. Le jour se lève (1939)
9. Le Million (1931)
10. Zazie dans le Metro (1960)
11. La Voie lactée (1969)
12. Le Quai des brumes (1938)
13. Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot (1953)
14. Les Dames du bois de Bologne (1945)
15. Sous les toits de Paris (1930)
16. L’inhumaine (1924)
17. Céline et Julie vont en bateau (1974)
18. Les yeux sans visage (1960)
19. Themroc (1973)
20. Caché (2005)
21. La Cerèmonie (1995)
22. Les bas-fonds (1936)
23. Lacombe, Lucien (1974)
24. Le Crime de Monsieur Lange (1936)
25. Les Diaboliques (1955)
26. La fin du jour (1939)
27. La règle du jeu (1939)
28. Le chat (1971)
29. L’amour avec des si (1964)
30. Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob (1973)
ReplySee Translation1d
Steve Finkelstein
Tor Lier , Great to see Zazie up there !
Reply1d
Lee Price
FIRST TIER
Beauty and the Beast (1946)
L’Atalante (1934)
Children of Paradise (1945)
The Rules of the Game (1939)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974)
Three Colors Trilogy (1993-94)
Parade (1974)
The River (1951)
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
SECOND TIER
The Gleaners and I (2000)
Shoot the Piano Player (1960)
The Story of the Fox (1930/37)
Fanny, Marius, Cesar (1931-36)
Yoyo (1965)
The Mascot/Fetiche (1934)
Forbidden Games (1952)
Mon Oncle (1958)
Eyes Without a Face (1960)
Grand Illusion (1938)
THIRD TIER
Le Million (1931)
Hiroshima mon amour (1959)
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)
Playtime (1967)
The 400 Blows (1959)
The Earrings of Madame de… (1953)
My Night at Maud’s (1969)
Elevator to the Gallows (1958)
La Jetee (1962)
Personal Shopper (2016)
Question: How are we dealing with Orson Welles’ European period? Are The Trial and F for Fake French? Is Chimes at Midnight Swiss? Was Othello Italian? That’s what IMDb seems to be telling me… If Fake is French, I may need to rethink this.
Are we counting Kieslowski’s Colors as a trilogy? If so, I may have to dock it a notch for White.
Reply1dEdited
Sammy Juliano
Lee Price I will defer to Bill Kamberger on the Orson Welles query.
Reply1d
Bill Kamberger
Lee Price. Chimes at Midnight is Spanish.
Reply1d
Gianmarco Tremble
Crikey Sam! I don’t think I know 30 French films.. I have a few though..
Reply1d
Alan Zachary
Grand Illusion
Reply1d
Gianmarco Tremble
Ok Sam… Here we go! Belle de Jour, Le Grande Illusion, Croix de Bois, Les Miserables (both directed by Raymond Bernard), Les Samourai and I think that’s your lot! I haven’t seen nor do I own any more than that… Sorry! Ooh I forgot… Mesrine parts one and two! La Reign Margot, Nikita, Subway, Le Dernier Combat, Les Grande Bleu… I forgot about Luc Besson!
Reply1dEdited
Sammy Juliano
Gianmarco, fabulous choices there my great friend!!!! Many thanks!!!!
Reply1d
Gianmarco Tremble
Sammy Juliano not as many as some my friend! But I can honestly say that I own and have seen all of those films on my list… It’s just a small list…
Reply1d
Derek Vincent
RULES OF THE GAME
GRAND ILLUSION
THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE
TITANE
DIRSCREET CHARM…
CHILDREN OF PARADISE
L’ATALANTE
FORBIDDEN GAMES
A SUNDAY IN THE COUNTRY
ADVENTURES OF FELIX
UN CHANT D’AMOUR
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
BELLE DU JOUR
LAS DIABOLIQUES
MON ONCLE
F FOR FAKE
L’AGE D’OR
JUDGE AND THE ASSASSIN
DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST
BEAU TRAVAIL
COUP DE TORCHON
SUMMER (ROHMER)
UN CHIEN ANDALOu
SHOAH
SORROW AND THE PITY
For now. This is an ordered list.
Reply1dEdited
Bill Kamberger
Derek Vincent, looking forward to your next 15.
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Derek Vincent thank you for this spectacular and diverse listing!! So awesome my good friend and resident Pollmeister!
Reply1d
Aaron White
Where do we stand on films from Brussels?
Reply1d
Bill Kamberger
Aaron White, Belgium will be included in a later poll.
Reply1d
Duane Porter
Bill Kamberger What’s your call on Rosetta? And also how about Certified Copy? I assume Akerman is all Belgium.
Reply1d
Steve Elworth
Akermann’s films are Belgium. What of Dardenne’s A relief. Godard’s films are French.
Reply1d
Bill Kamberger
Duane Porter, Rosetta is Belgian. Certified Copy is French.
Reply1d
Todd Sherman
As usual, chronological. I’m sure I’d list Napoleon if I had seen it.
La Roue — Gance (1923)
Ménilmontant — Kirsanoff (1926)
The Passion of Joan of Arc — Dreyer (1928)
L’Argent — l’Herbier (1928)
Les Misérables — Bernard (1934)
The Baker’s Wife — Pagnol (1938)
Port of Shadows — Carné (1938)
Les Enfants du Paradis — Carné (1945)
La Belle et la Bête — Cocteau (1946)
Panique — Duvivier (1946)
Les Enfants Terribles — Melville (1950)
The Golden Coach — Renoir (1952)
Lola Montès — Ophuls (1955)
A Man Escaped — Bresson (1956)
Une Vie — Astruc (1958)
The 400 Blows — Truffaut (1959)
Hiroshima Mon Amour — Resnais (1959)
Breathless — Godard (1960)
Shoot the Piano Player — Truffaut (1960)
Le Trou — Becker (1960)
Contempt — Godard (1963)
Playtime — Tati (1967)
Army of Shadows — Melville (1969)
The Mother and the Whore — Eustache (1973)
La Belle Noiseuse — Rivette (1991)
The Double Life of Veronique — Kieslowski (1991)
Time Regained — Ruiz (1999)
Caché — Haneke (2005)
Being 17 — Téchiné (2016)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire — Sciamma (2019)
ReplySee Translation1dEdited
Derek Vincent
Todd Sherman Don’t like Buñuel, eh?
Reply1d
Todd Sherman
Derek Vincent I listed two of his films when we did Mexico (Los Olvidados, Archibaldo de la Cruz). I like a number of his French films but they’re not in my top 30. But, admittedly, among the great master filmmakers, Bunuel is not in my top 10 or 20. I often don’t quite connect with his subjects and themes.
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Todd Sherman my great friend, it is no surprise you have made such a textbook and tasteful presentation in every sense, and I am so thrilled (though not surprised) I share so many with you here!
Reply1d
Maurizio Roca
I never did one of these before. I’ll keep it at one per director…. 1. Army Of Shadows (Melville) 2. Le Trou (Becker) 3. Wages Of Fear (Clouzot) 4. Eyes Without A Face (Franju) 5. Mr Klein (Losey) 6. The Tenant (Polanski) 7. The Confession (Costa Gravas) 8. Max And The Junkmen (Sautet) 9. Coup De Torchon (Tavernier) 10. Serie Noire (Corneau) 11. Lacombe Lucien (Malle) 12. L’Argent (Bresson) 13. Purple Noon (Clement) 14. A Prophet (Audiard) 15. Cache (Hanke) 16. Rififi (Dassin) 17. La Piscine (Deray) 18. Carlos (Assayas) 19. La Jetee (Marker) 20. Celine And Julie Go Boating (Rivette) 21. The Vanishing (Sluizer) 22. Port Of Shadows (Carne) 23. Panique (Duvivier) 24. Belle Du Jour (Bunuel) 25. Playtime (Tati) 26. The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (Dreyer) 27. The Fall Of The House Usher (Epstein) 28. Night At The Crossroads (Renoir) 29. Beauty And The Beast (Cocteau) 30. The Seashell And The Clergyman (Dulac)
Reply1dEdited
Bill Kamberger
Maurizio Roca, I can only count 30. The Vanishing is Dutch, so that just leaves 1 for you to remove.
Reply1d
Maurizio Roca
Bill Kamberger The Vanishing was a co-production between Netherlands and France. I didn’t know this was for a poll. I didn’t really put it in order of preference other than my top 3.
Reply1dEdited
Aaron White
1. The 400 Blows (Truffaut, 1959)
2. Army of Shadows (Melville, 1969)
3. Au Revoir, les Enfants (Malle, 1987)… See more
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Aaron White, one again you have brought deep though and comprehensive brilliance to a national poll here. Your contribution is essential my friend!
Reply1d
Aaron White
Sammy Juliano I’ve noticed Amour on here more than once, I wanted to include it, but as it won an Academy Award for Austria I decided I couldn’t in good conscience. In hindsight I missed a few great choices. But there were only 30 slots. Lol.
Reply1d
Dan Kocher
🇫🇷
1. The Trial (Orson Welles , 1962)
2. The Artist (Michel Hazanavicius , 2011)
3. Playtime (Jacques Tati , 1967)
4. Contempt (Jean-Luc Godard , 1963)
5. Children of Paradise (Marcel Carné , 1945)
6. Hiroshima mon amour (Alain Resnais , 1959)
7. My Life to Live (Jean-Luc Godard , 1962)
8. Mon Oncle (Jacques Tati , 1958)
9. Napoléon (Abel Gance , 1927)
10. The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir , 1939)
11. Grand Illusion (Jean Renoir , 1937)
12. Jean de Florette (Claude Berri , 1986)
13. The 400 Blows (François Truffaut , 1959)
14. Celine and Julie Go Boating (Jacques Rivette , 1974)
15. Alphaville (Jean-Luc Godard , 1965)
16. La roue (Abel Gance , 1923)
17. Beauty and the Beast (Jean Cocteau , 1946)
18. César (Marcel Pagnol , 1936)
19. A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson , 1956)
20. L’Age d’Or (Luis Buñuel , 1930)
21. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Jacques Demy , 1964)
22. L’atalante (Jean Vigo , 1934)
23. The Golden Coach (Jean Renoir , 1952)
24. Day for Night (François Truffaut , 1973)
25. Le bonheur (Agnès Varda , 1965)
26. The Crime of Monsieur Lange (Jean Renoir , 1936)
27. Manon of the Spring (Claude Berri , 1986)
28. The Baker’s Wife (Marcel Pagnol , 1938)
29. Blood of the Beasts (Georges Franju , 1949)
30. The Million (René Clair , 1931)
🇫🇷
Reply1dEdited
Sammy Juliano
Dan Kocher as always a positively spectacular listing from you.
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Patricia Perry
At last!!! The poll I’ve been waiting for! I was originally under the impression if would be 25 films, and that was excruciating since I had to limit myself to one film per director to get all my top favorites. At 30, I can at least squeeze in a few second entries for some of my favorite directors. In alphabetic order: Army of Shadows (Melville)
Au Revoir Les Enfants (Malle)
Belle de Jour (Bunuel)
Beau Travail (Denis)
BPM (Campillo)
Camille Claudel (Nuytten)
Contempt (Godard)
Day for Night (Truffaut)
Diary of a Country Priest (Bresson)
The Double Life of Veronique (Kieslowski)
The Earrings of Madame De (Ophuls)
Elevator to the Gallows (Malle)
Entre Nous (Kurys)
The 400 Blows (Truffaut)
The Green Ray (Rohmer)
Hiroshima Mon Amour (Resnais)
La Ceremonie (Charbrol)
La Haine (Kassovitz)
La Piscine (DeRay)
Le Corbeau (Clouzot)
Le Samourai (Melville)
Mouchette (Bresson)
One Sings, the Other Doesn’t (Varda)
The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer)
Playtime (Tati)
Plein Soleil (Clement)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Schiamma)
The Rules of the Game (Renoir)
A Trip to the Moon (Melies)
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Demy)
Reply1dEdited
Sammy Juliano
Patricia your wait has benefited us greatly, as your spectacular list here is reference material, plain and simple! Many thanks! I do share many my great friend and fellow cineaste!!!
Reply1d
Aaron West
Oh my Sammy. This might be impossible to narrow down.
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Aaron, no simple task, that’s for certain!!!
Reply1d
Aaron West
Sammy Juliano would it be too much to ask for about 5 months? Kidding.
I won’t be turning in a list due to lack of time and so many brilliant films to choose from. Plus I am about to start a French New Wave film for fun.
Reply1d
Andres Ggll
1. Boudu saved from Drowning
2. Rules of the Game
3. L’Atalante
4. Children of Paradise
5. Madame de…
6. Playtime
7. Umbrellas of Cherbourg
8. Pauline on the Beach
9. Young Girls of Rochefort
10. Stolen Kisses
11. 400 Blows
12. A Man Escaped
13. Beauty and the Beast
14. Blood of the Beasts
15. Jour de Fete
16. Contempt
17. A band Apart
18. Shoot the Piano Player
19. The Collectionist (1967)
20. The Gleaners And I
21. Le Samourai
22. Wages of Fear
23. Cop au Vin
24. Belle de jour
25. Passion of Joan de Arc
26. Zero for Conduct
27. The Green Ray
28. Shoah
29. Au Hasard Balthasar
30. Army of Shadows
Reply1dEdited
Derek Vincent
Andres Ggll hmm…never thought I’d see your #1…Boudu!
Reply1d
Andres Ggll
Surprised it had no mentions so far!
Reply1d
Lin Morris
Extra difficult since my favorite French language film (Mon Oncle Antoine) is not French but Canadian.
Here’s my list as it is today. Tomorrow it could be different. Yes, I know Chabrol is on here a lot, but he’s my favorite director, so…
1. La Regle du Jeu
2. La Belle et la Bête
3. Touche Pas au Grisbi
4. Trois Coleurs: Rouge
5. Que la Bête Meure
6. La Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie
7. Orphee
8. Bande a Part
9. Les Enfants du Paradis
10. Les Diaboliques
11. Casque d’Or
12. Jean de Florette/Manon Des Sources
13. Madame De…
14. Le Samourai
15. La Bête Humaine
16. Napolean
17. Les Yeux san Visage
18. Betty
19. La Chienne
20. L’annee Derniere a Marienbad
21. La Ceremonie
22. Les Quatre Cents Coups
23. La Femme Infidele
24. Cache
25. Cleo de 5 a 7
26. L’Heure d’Ete
27. La Piscine
28. La Jetée
29. Le Parapluies de Cherbourg
30. Vivre Sa Vie
ReplySee Translation1dEdited
Sammy Juliano
Lin Morris thank you a hundred times over my good friend! You have brought all-encompassing passion and comprehensive attention to this stupendous list!!!
Reply1d
Richard Finch
Revised list. I forgot “Discreet Charm” is a French-produced film! Started with 1/director, added some 2nd titles to make 30, left off a couple I knew would make it for a couple I thought might need the votes:
L’Atalante (Vigo)
A Nous la Liberté (Clair)
Pépé le Moko (Duvivier)
Quai des Brûmes (Carné)
La Grande Illusion (Renoir)
Les Enfants du Paradis (Carné)
The Beauty and the Beast (Cocteau/Clément)
La Ronde (Ophuls)
Forbidden Games (Clément)
Casque d’Or (Becker)
The Wages of Fear (Clouzot)
Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot (Tati)
Les Diaboliques (Clouzot)
Bob le Flambeur (Melville)
Rififi (Dassin)
A Man Escaped (Bresson)
Mon Oncle (Tati)
Hiroshima, Mon Amour (Resnais)
The 400 Blows (Truffaut)
Jules and Jim (Truffaut)
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Demy)
Weekend (Godard)
Army of Shadows (Melville)
Le Boucher (Chabrol)
Chloe in the Afternoon (Rohmer)
Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Buñuel)
Lacombe, Lucien (Malle)
A Sunday in the Country (Tavernier)
Wild Reeds (Téchiné)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Schnabel)
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Richard Finch my longtime friend, many thanks for this tasteful, diverse and era-trotting Top 30! I share many!!!
Reply21h
Steve Elworth
Thanks for making it thirty. It may still be one per director and then do a secondary list to list many Renoirs, Bressons, Resnaiss, Bunuels and others
Reply1d
Mark Clark
So busy right now but will try to come up with a list. Vive la France!
Reply1d
Ahmet Türkoğlu
Easily the greatest cinema country to me..
01. Pierrot Le Fou – Godard
02. A Man Escaped – Bresson
03. L’atalante – Vigo
04. Children of Paradise – Carne
05. Breathless – Godard
06. Playtime – Tati
07. The 400 Blows – Truffaut
08. Au Hasard Balthazar – Bresson
09. Mon Oncle – Tati
10. Last Year in Marienbad – Resnais
11. The Rules of the Game – Renoir
12. The Passion of Jean of Arc – Dreyer
13. The Beauty and the Beast – Cocteau
14. Elevator to the Gallows – Malle
15. Le Trou – Becker
16. Band of Outsiders – Godard
17. Jules and Jim – Truffaut
18. Zero for Conduct – Vigo
19. Grand Illusion – Renoir
20. Sans Soleil – Marker
21. Le Sour Se Leve – Carne
22. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg – Demy
23. Subway – Besson
24. Le Feu Follet – Malle
25. Mauvais Sang – Carax
26. Céline and Julie Go Boating – Rivette
27. Port of Shadows – Carne
28. Mouchette – Bresson
29. Hiroshima Mon Amour – Resnais
30. Shoot the Piano Player – Truffaut
Honourable Mentions;
Les bas-fonds – Renoir
Three Colours – Kieslowski
Rififi – Dassin
A Propos De Nice – Vigo
Boudu Saved From Drowning – Renoir
Vivre Sa Vie – Godard
Pickpocket – Bresson
Jeanne Dielman – Akerman
La Jetee – Marker
Orphee – Cocteau
Un Chien Andalou – Bunuel
La Maman et La Putain – Eustache
Diary of a Country Priest – Bresson
Delicatessen – Jeunet
Le Ballon Rouge – Lamorisse
Boy Meets Girl – Carax
Eyes Without a Face – Franju
Le Mepris – Godard
Night and Fog – Resnais
ReplySee Translation1d
Sammy Juliano
Ahmet Türkoğlu incredible list of greatness here!!!!!!!
Reply1d
Marvin Sommer
My list:
First four in order
1.Shoah
2. Forbidden Games
3.,Jules et Jim
4. Napoleon
The rest in random order:
Passion of Joan d’arc
Murmurs of the Heart (Malle)
The Artist
L’atalante
Au Revoirs Les Enfants
Diaboliques
Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The umbrellas of Cherbourg
Day for Night
La Promisse ( Dardenn brothers)
East-west (wargnier)
L’age d’or
Le Enfants du Paradis
Army of Shadows
Water Drops on Burning Rocks (Ozon)
Summer of 85
Mr. Klein
La Jette
Z
an Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Wages of Fear
A Man and a Woman
Wild Reeds (Techine)
Lacombe Lucien
Rififi
The red Balloon
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Marvin, my very good friend, once again you forward a list ruled by diversity and great taste! Love how you incorporated all the eras too! I share many!
Reply1d
Douglas Florian
1. Shoah (Claude Lanzmann 1985)
2. Amélie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
3. Jean de Florette (Claude Berri)
4. Manon de Sources (Claude Berri)
5. La Cage aux Folles (Édouard Molinaro)
6. The Sorrow and the Pity (Marcel Ophüls)
7. Z
8. Orphee (Jean Cocteau 1950)
9. Beauty and the Beast (Jean Cocteau)
10. Hiroshima mon amour (Alain Resnais , 1959)
11. Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis (Welcome to the Sticks)
ReplySee Translation1d
Sammy Juliano
Douglas Florian absolutely fastic my esteemed friend!!
Reply1d
Jon Warner
So glad we get to pick 30! Still hardly enough! 😂
Reply1d
Jon Warner
And thanks for giving us a month! Gonna need time to reflect
Reply1d
Jon Warner
Bill Kamberger we are counting Three Colors as one film per Sammy’s ballot?
Reply1d
Alan Zachary
Sammy, I wrote a response too quickly. You’re asking for 30 films, not 1. So, here’s my list:
Reply1d
Alan Zachary
A nous la liberte
ReplySee Translation1d
Alan Zachary
A nous la liberte; Army of Shadows; Au hasard du Balthasar, Bob the Gambler; La Bete Humaine; Carnival in Flanders; Casque do’or; La Ceremonie; Children of Paradise; The Cousins; Diabolique; Diary of a Chear; Diary of a Country Priest; Discre Charm of … See more
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Alan Zachary thank you, thank you, thank you! This is a magisterial list, one I do connect with on a personal level as well, with many comparable choices! So diverse and all-empassing my friend!
Reply1d
John Peurach
Wow, as luck and a strategic amount of here to there and all the way back cinematic fate would have it, it truly is amazing – as well as severely disheartening – to suddenly become even that much more aware of how many essential French films I’ve somehow never officially caught up with. aka Most if not all by Vigo, Bresson, Rivette & Tati. Oh well. Rumor has it, it’s still early yet. Or, at least will be until it isn’t. Meanwhile, here’s my nearest available go-to French film-wise Top 30. In other words……(as otherwise ever-so recklessly grouped up accordingly via designated ever-so loved directors): “My Night at Maud’s”, “Claire’s Knee”. “Love in the Afternoon”, “The Green Ray”; “The Crime of Monsieur Lange”. “Grand Illusion”, “The Rules of the Game”, “The River”, “The Golden Coach”. “The 400 Blows”, “Jules and Jim”, “Stolen Kisses”. “Breathless”, “Band of Outsiders”. “Pierrot le Fou”, “Masculine Feminine”; “Elevator to the Gallows”, “Murmur of the Heart”, “Lacombe, Lucien”, “Au Revoir Les Enfants”, “L’Age d’Or”. “Belle de Jour”. “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie”; “The Earrings of Madame de…..”, “Lola Montes”; “Le Million”; “Hiroshima Mon Amour”; “Le Beau Serge”; “The Mother and the Whore” and, oh yeah, just for fun, “Who Are You Polly Maggoo?” In other words, ever-so sorry: “The Aviator’s Wife”, “Le Beau Mariage”, “Pauline at the Beach”, “Full Moon In Paris”, “Boyfriends and Girlfriends”, “Shoot the Piano Player”, “The Wild Child”, “Day For Night”, “The Story of Adele H.”, “Contempt”, “Weekend”, “A Sunday in the Country”, “Cleo From 5 To 7”, “Vagabond”, “The Fire Within”, “The Thief of Paris”, “Forbidden Games”, “Beau-pere”, “The Nun”, “Last Year at Marienbad”, “Z”, “The Lower Depths”, and, as always, “The Phantom of Liberty” if only for the fine dining/altogether necessary bodily function switcheroo scene (but that’s another story).
Reply1dEdited
Sammy Juliano
John Peurach as always your contribution is a total joy to read! And your encyclopedic grasp of French cinema shines through on every line. I do share many, and I nodded and smiled as I made my way through this astounding era diversity!!!!!!! Thank … See more
Reply1d
Andrew Hunt
Thank you, Sammy and Bill, for another great poll! Talk about an embarrassment of riches! To echo what others have said above, the real challenge here is what not to include. Here is my list of my 30 favourite French films:
1. The 400 Blows (1959)
2. Amélie (2001)
3. Amour (2012)
4. L’Atalante (1934)
5. Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987)
6. Beauty and the Beast (1946)
7. Betty Blue (1986)
8. Children of Paradise (1945)
9. The Closet (2001)
10. A Day in the Country (1936 / 1946)
11. Eyes Without a Face (1960)
12. La Grande Illusion (1937)
13. Le Havre (2011)
14. Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)
15. Jules and Jim (1962)
16. Mon Oncle (1958)
17. Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
18. Napoleon (1927)
19. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (1962)
20. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
21. Pickpocket (1959)
22. Quai des Orfèvres (1947)
23. The Red Balloon (1956)
24. The Rules of the Game (1939)
25. Shoah (1985)
26. The Sorrow and the Pity (1969)
27. A Trip to the Moon (1902)
28. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
29. La Vie en Rose (2007)
30. The Wages of Fear (1953)
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Andrew, as always you bring knowledge, fabulous taste and scholarly heft to your responses, and this list is a beauty. I do share nearly half as per my own list, but the ones that are not the same are nonetheless irrefutable masterpieces! Thank you a… See more
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Mario Gauci’s spectacular Top 30 French list posted at FB FILM FORUM yesterday!!!
My Top 30 French Movies (in chronological order & strictly 1 per director):
1916 Les Vampires (Louis Feuillade)
1928 The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
1934 L’Atalante (Jean Vigo)
1939 The Rules Of The Game (Jean Renoir)
1945 Children Of Paradise (Marcel Carne`)
1950 Beauty And The Devil (Rene` Clair)
1950 Orpheus (Jean Cocteau)
1952 Casque D’Or (Jacques Becker)
1952 Forbidden Games (Rene` Clement)
1953 The Wages Of Fear (Henri-Georges Clouzot)
1953 Madame De… (Max Ophuls)
1955 Rififi (Jules Dassin)
1956 A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson)
1958 Une Vie (Alexandre Astruc)
1960 Eyes Without A Face (Georges Franju)
1961 Last Year In Marienbad (Alain Resnais)
1964 The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (Jacques Demy)
1964 Weekend At Dunkirk (Henri Verneuil)
1966 King Of Hearts (Philippe De Broca)
1966 The Nun (Jacques Rivette)
1967 Le Samourai (Jean-Pierre Melville)
1967 Weekend (Jean-Luc Godard)
1969 This Man Must Die (Claude Chabrol)
1971 Blanche (Walerian Borowczyk)
1972 The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie (Luis Bunuel)
1973 Day For Night (Francois Truffaut)
1974 The Woman In Red Boots (Juan Luis Bunuel)
1980 The King And The Mockingbird (Paul Grimault)
1987 Au Revoir, Les Enfants (Louis Malle)
1995 Les Miserables (Claude Lelouch)
This was harder than I thought it would be – even sticking to 1 selection per director – and there were around 10 more contenders brimming underneath. To make it simpler for me, I decided to stick to titles I rated only **** or ***1/2 & eliminated those that were best-known in their English language versions (Welles’ The Trial) or were honoured alternatively (Costa-Gavras’ Z won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film as Algeria’s official submission). Looking these up, it also occurred to me just how many French film classics (NAPOLEON, L’ARGENT, LES MISERABLES ’34) or directors (Bernard, Delluc, Epstein, Gance, Gremillon, L’Herbier) I still haven’t caught up with sufficiently well! In conclusion, I consider French & Japanese cinemas to be the most consistently satisfying national bodies of work there are…
Reply1d
Leon Duncon
My 30 are listed in ranked order:
1 Belle de Jour (Bunuel)
2 Children of Paradise (Carne)
3 Au Hasard Balthazar (Bresson)
4 The Red Balloon (Lamorisse)
5 La Grande Illusion (Renoir)
6 Wages of Fear (Clouzot)
7 Le Cercle Rouge (Melville)
8 The 400 Blows (Truffaut)
9 Lola Montes (Ophuls)
10 Wild Reeds (Techine)
11 Napoleon (Gance)
12 Diary of a Country Priest (Bresson)
13 The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Demy)
14 Beauty and the Beast (Cocteau)
15 Pickpocket (Bresson)
16 Au Revoir les Enfants (Malle)
17 Three Colors Trilogy (Kieslowski)
18 Jules and Jim (Truffaut)
19 La Roue (Gance)
20 Breathless (Godard)
21 La Fin de Jour (Duvivier)
22 Jean de Florette (Berri)
23 Rules of the Game (Renoir)
24 L’Atalante (Vigo)
25 Partie de Campagne (Renoir)
26 Une Vie (Astruc)
27 Two English Girls (Truffaut)
28 Cyrano de Bergerac (Rappeneau)
29 The Green Room (Truffaut)
30 Celine and Julie Go Boating (Rivette)
ReplySee Translation1dEdited
Sammy Juliano
Leon such a fantastic list here my good friend! I share so many!!!
Reply1d
Mario Gauci
Leon Duncon excellent list but that should be La Fin Du Jour not the other way around 🙂 Kudos for putting Bunuel at the top, too!
Reply22hEdited
Mark Clark
I have compiled a list, more less in order of preference. My usual methodology for this is simple: I walk to my shelves of DVDs and Blu-rays and select the 10 or 20 or 30 discs I would least want to part with. But alas, all my movies are packed away for my upcoming move. So instead I just sort of wrote down the first ones that came to mind when I thought “French movies I love the most.” Here’s what I came up with:
Reply1d
Mark Clark
1. The Rules of the Game (Renoir)
2. Children of Paradise (Carne)
3. The 400 Blows (Truffaut)
4. La Belle et La Bete (Cocteau)
5. L’Atalante (Vigo)
6. The Earrings of Madame De… (Ophuls)
7. Vivre Sa Vie (Godard)
8. A Man Escaped (Bresson)
9. Grand Illusion (Renoir)
10. Mon Oncle (Tati)
11. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Bunuel)
12. Last Year at Marienbad (Resnais)
13. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Demy)
14. Eyes Without a Face (Franju)
15. Les Diaboliques (Clouzot)
16. Touchex pas au Grisbi (Becker)
17. Au Revoir les Enfants (Malle)
18. Day for Night (Truffaut)
19. Lola Montes (Ophuls)
20. Le Samurai (Melville)
21. Under the Roofs of Paris (Clair)
22. Les Vampires (Feulliade)
23. The Red Balloon (Lamorisse)
24. The Night Visitors (Carne)
25. The Story of a Cheat (Guitry)
26. Napoleon (Gance)
27. Band of Outsiders (Godard)
28. Le Magnifique (De Broca)
29. OSS-117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (Hazanavicius)
30. The Fanny Trilogy (Pagnol)
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Mark Clark, ha, needless to say your list here is a textbook presentation of French cinema, surely essential for beginners and established French film fans. Thank you a thousand times over! I share many of your choices too!!
Reply1d
Jon Warner
Putting a plug for a couple great unsung silent French classics….Menilmontant and The Seashell and the Clergyman. They will be on my list!
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Jon great films for sure!!!!!
Reply1d
Jon Warner
The Double Life of Vernonique we are counting as French? I believe it should be.
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Jon Warner absolutely FRENCH, yes!
Reply1d
Sammy Juliano
Mark Sprecher posted his list of 15 (rather than 30) at the FB Film Forum (random order)
Resnais – Providence;… See more
Reply1d
Brian Wilson
Well, it was definitely hard limiting myself to 30. Here goes…
Chronological:… See more
Reply1dEdited
Brian Wilson
Sammy please note that around 5 minutes after I posted my initial list. I made a couple of quick changes. Forgot Discreet Charm… and meant to include a Rohmer (the underrated Boyfriends and Girlfriends).
Reply1d
Brian Wilson
And darn it, I see Beau Travail on Frank’s list. Love that one too. Well, I’m going to keep my list as is…at this point I can’t imagine losing the 30 I have…
Reply1d
Frank Aida
Ranked: 1. Diary of a Country Priest 2. Rules of the Game 3. Au Hasard Balthazar 4. Army of Shadows 5. The 400 Blows 6. Le Mephris 7. Boudu Saved from Drowning 8. L’Atalante 9. A Day in the Country 10. Les Diaboliques 11. Beauty and the Beast. 12. A Nos Amours 13. Hiroshima Mon Amour 14. The Mother and the Whore 15. Le Samourai 16. Night and Fog 17. Band of Outsiders 18. Le Corbeau 19. Last Year at Marienbad 20. Forbidden Games 21. The Red Balloon 22. Children of Paradise 23. La Jetee 24. Breathless 25. The Green Room 26. Belle de Jour 27. Celine and Julie Go Boating 28. Le Boucher 29. Claire’s Knee 30. Beau Travail
Reply1dEdited
Sammy Juliano
Frank Aida thank you so much!!!! Really a class act here in every sense my friend!
Reply1d
Steve Finkelstein
Frank Aida , you put Le Corbeau up twice——😎
Reply21h
Frank Aida
Steve Finkelstein thank you for that alert. I will correct the ballot right now.
Reply21h
Duane Porter
Frank Aida, also, Le Mepris at 6 and Contempt at 17 might end up splitting the vote for one of my favorite films.
Reply11h
Bill Kamberger
Frank Aida, as Duane mentions above, please replace one of the 2 listings of Mepris/Contempt.
Reply3h
Frank Aida
Thank you Duane and Bill. I will correct right now.
Reply3h
Sammy Juliano
Our great friend Jerry Jay Jerry ‘Jay’ Bryant Jr. has posted his spectacular Top 30 list in no particular order at the FB Film Forum: Jerry ‘Jay’ Bryant Jr.
Ugh, here we go. Kept it to one film per director, otherwise there’d be multiple entries for Renoir, Cocteau, Bresson, Becker, Duvivier, etc. No particular order:
The Rules of the Game
Children of Paradise
The 400 Blows
La Belle et la bete
A Man Escaped
L’Atalante
Casque d’Or
The Dreamlife of Angels
The Lacemaker
Vincent, Francois, Paul and the Others
Forbidden Games
Mon Oncle
The Fire Within
We Won’t Grow Old Together
The Earrings of Madame de…
Buffet Froid
Cleo from 5 to 7
Pepe le Moko
Les Enfants Terrible
The Wages of Fear
Holy Motors
Une Vie
The Taste of Others
Judex
Serie noire
The Young Girls of Rochefort
Ridicule
Uranus
A nous la liberte
The Baker’s Wife
Reply18mEdited
Jerry ‘Jay’ Bryant Jr.
Sammy Juliano Came here to post it — thanks for saving me the trouble! 🙂
Reply10m
Dean Treadway
My top 30 French films:
1. Napoleon (1927, Abel Gance)
2. The Passion of Jeanne D’Arc (1928, Carl Th. Dreyer)
3. The 400 Blows (1959, François Truffaut)
4. L’Atalante (1934, Jean Vigo)
5. Children of Paradise (1945, Marcel Carné)
6. Grand Illusion (1937, Jean Renoir)
7. Playtime (1967, Jacques Tati)
8. Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring (1986, Claude Berri)
9. La Rayon Vert (Summer) (1986, Eric Rohmer)
10. Au Hasard, Balthazar (1966, Robert Bresson)
11. Sundays and Cybele (1962, Serge Bourguignon)
12. Three Colors trilogy (1993-94, Krzysztof Kieslowski)
13. La Belle et la Bete (1946, Jean Cocteau)
14. Forbidden Games (1952, René Clair)
15. The Earrings of Madame de… (1953, Max Ophuls)
16. Les Diaboliques (1955, Henri-Georges Clouzot)
17. La Ceremonie (1995, Claude Chabrol)
18. Le Trou (1960, Jacques Becker)
19. Ponette (1996, Jacques Doillon)
20. Contempt (1963, Jean-Luc Godard)
21. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964, Jacques Demy)
22. Cache (2005, Michael Haneke)
23. Masculin Feminin (1966, Jean-Luc Godard)
24. Weekend (1967, Jean-Luc Godard)
25. Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974, Jacques Rivette)
26. The Tale of the Fox (1930, Wladyslaw and Irene Starewicz)
27. La Jetee (1962, Chris Marker)
28. The Piano Teacher (2001, Michael Haneke)
29. Entre Nous (1983, Diane Kurys)
30. Blue is the Warmest Color (2013, Abdellatif Kechic)
ReplySee Translation21hEdited
Sammy Juliano
Dean Treadway, what a fantastic, studied, diverse, all-encompassing and tasteful Top 30. Oh Boy. I share many my good friend!!!!
Reply21h
Bill Kamberger
Dean Treadway, Jeanne Dielman will be eligible when we do Belgium. Feel free to replace it.
Reply15h
Miki Zivlov
NAPOLEON (A. Gance, 1927)
THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (C. T Dreyer,1928)
LA CHIENNE (J. Renoir,1931)
A NOUS LA LIBERTE (R. Clair,1931)
LES MISERABLES( R.Bernard,1933-1934)
ZERO FOR CONDUCT (J. Vigo, 1933)
L’ATALANTE (J. Vigo, 1934)
LA GRAND ILLUSSION (J. Renoir, 1937)
LE REGLE DU JEU (J. Renoir, 1939)
LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS (M. Carine,1945)
LA BELLE ET LA BETE (J. Cocteau,1945)
FARREBIQUE (G. Rouqvier,1946)
LE JOURNAL DU CURE DE CAMPAGNE (R. Bresson,1950)
FORBIDDEN GAMES (R. Clemant,1952)
LE BALLON ROUGE (A. Lamorisse, 1956)
MON ONCLE (J. Tati,1958)
HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR (A. Resnais,1959)
LES QUATRE CENTS COUPS (F. Truffaut,1959)
A BOUT DE SOUFFLE (J.-L. Godard,1960)
LAST YEAR IN MARIENBAD (A. Resnais,1960)
AU HASARD BALTHAZAR (R. Brendon,1966)
BELLE DE JOUR (L. Bunuel,1967)
PLAYTIME (J. Tati, 1967)
LA CHARME DISCRET DE LA BOURGEOISIE (L. Bunuel,1972)
TROIS COULEURS:BLEU(K. Kieslowski,1992)
TROIS COULEURS:BLANCHE (K. Kieslowski,1993)
MON ONCLE D’AMERIQUE (A. Resnais,1980)
LE BAL (E. Svila,1983)
SAN SOLEIL (C. Marker,1983)
LES ROSEAUX SAUVAGES (A. Techine,1994)
LES MISERABLES (L. Ly,2019)
ReplySee Translation20hEdited
Sammy Juliano
Miki Zivlov what a spectacular Top 30 here my good friend!!!! Thank you so much! I share many with you!!!!!
Reply20h
Sammy Juliano
The esteemed Frenchman Jean-Marie Benard posted his stupendous Top 30 RANKED list yesterday at the FB Film Forum:
Jean-Marie Bénard
OK friends, here is mine. Please note that EVERY single film in this list I consider to be absolutely tops. If there’s a film you don’t know, do look it up and try and watch it, it might be worth your while. Top 30 French films, in order of preference, one per director :
La Règle du Jeu (Jean Renoir)
Vincent, François, Paul et les Autres (Claude Sautet)
Pierrot le Fou (Jean-Luc Godard)
Les Enfants du Paradis (Marcel Carné)
Au Hasard Balthazar (Robert Bresson)
Milou en Mai (Louis Malle)
L’Armée des Ombres (Jean-Pierre Melville)
Monsieur Ripois (René Clément)
Le Pianiste (Roman Polanski)
Les Enfants du Paradis (Marcel Carné)
La Collectionneuse (Eric Rohmer)
Le Salaire de la Peur (Henri-Georges Clouzot)
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (Julian Schnabel)
La Femme d’à Côté (François Truffaut)
Playtime (Jacques Tati)
Le Plaisir (Max Ophuls)
Le Trou (Jacques Becker)
La Belle et la Bête (Jean Cocteau)
Zéro de Conduite (Jean Vigo)
La 317ème Section (Pierre Schoendoerffer)
La Beauté du Diable (René Clair)
Holy Motors (Léos Carax)
Beau-Père (Bertrand Blier)
Dragées au Poivre (Jacques Baratier)
Nous ne Vieillirons pas Ensemble (Maurice Pialat)
Seules les Bêtes (Dominik Moll)
Jean-Philippe (Laurent Tuel)
Le Dîner de Cons (Francis Veber)
Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob (Gérard Oury)
Les Visiteurs (Jean-Marie Poiré)
Reply36m
Sammy Juliano
Jeff McLachlan posted his fantastic Top 30 French films in no order yesterday at the FB FILM FORUM: Jeff Mclachlan
Okay, let’s see—
Not in any order—
Rules Of The Game
Elevator To The Gallows
The 400 Blows
Weekend
Anna (1967)
La Demoiselles De Rochefort
Diabolique
Judex
Fantomas (1964)
La Belle Et La Bete
Last Year At Marienbad
Celine And Julie Go Boating
Le Boucher
Rider On The Rain (close call between this and Purple Noon, but if I’m being honest, I like this one more)
Peppermint Soda
La Traque
Borsalino
The Last Adventure
Une Manche Et La Belle
Dernier Domicile Connu
Les Tontons flingueurs
Sous Le Ciel De Paris
Toi Le Venin
Cherchez L’Idole (this is a fairly insignificant musical comedy full of french pop stars, but I’ve watched it four times in the last couple of years, so I guess I must like it.)
L’es Appartement Des Filles
Cette Nuit La
Maigret Sets A Trap
Fear Over The City
Le Magnifique
OSS 117: Lost In Rio
This is obviously a more genre-heavy list than most people would probably make, but what can I say? I like what I like.
Reply32m
Hi Sam, thanks for posting those. Here are my top 30 in alphabetical order. If Amour, F for Fake and The Son are disallowed as co-productions/other countries, then replacements would be La Jetee (Marker), Night and Fog (Resnais), and Hotel Terminus (M Ophuls) or A Prophet (Audiard):
The 400 Blows (Truffaut)
Amour (Haneke)
L’Auberge Rouge (Autant-Lara)
Au Revoir les Enfants (Malle)
La Belle Noiseuse (Rivette)
La Ceremonie (Chabrol)
Les Diaboliques (Clouzot)
Le Doulos (Melville)
Fantomas (Feuillade)
F for Fake (Welles)
The Gleaners and I (Varda)
La Grande Illusion (Renoir)
The Green Ray (Rohmer)
Jean de Florette / Manon des Sources (Berri)
Le Jour se Leve (Carne)
La Maison des bois (Pialat)
A Man Escaped (Bresson)
Marseilles Trilogy (Pagnol, Korda, Allegret)
Le Million (Clair)
Les Miserables (Bernard)
Mon Oncle (Tati)
M Klein (Losey)
The Mother and the Whore (Eustache)
Napoleon (Gance)
The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer)
The Son (Dardennes)
The Story of a Cheat (Guitry)
Time Regained (Ruiz)
Le Trou (Becker)
Weekend (Godard)
Me, an ass-kissing Francophile.
1. Breathless (Godard)
2. The Rules of the Game (Renoir)
3. La Grande Illusion (Renoir)
4. Children of Paradise ( Carné)
5. Napoléon (Gance)
6. The Mother and the Whore (Eustache)
7. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer)
(Christ, I almost typed The Passion of Joan Crawford.)
8. The Marquise of O (Rohmer)
9. Going Places (Blier)
10. Vagabond (Varda)
11. Pierrot le Fou (Godard)
12. Le Boucher (Chabrol)
13. A Man Escaped (Bresson)
14. Mouchette (Bresson)
15. Zero for Conduct (Vigo)
16. The River (Renoir)
17. The 400 Blows (Truffaut)
18. The Sorrow and the Pity (Marcel Öphuls)
19. The Milky Way (Buñuel)
20. Playtime (Tati)
21. Casque d’Or (Becker)
22. Port of Shadows (Carné)
23. Beauty and the Beast (Cocteau)
24. Remorques ( Grémillon)
25. Le Plaisir (Max Öphuls)
26. This Man Must Die (Chabrol)
27. First Name: Carmen (Godard)
28. Lola (Demy)
29. La Fin du Jour (Duvivier)
30. Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne (Bresson)
Oops. No Germanic umlaut in Marcel Ophuls’ name.
Or else both men have an umlaut over the letter ü — Marcel is Max’s son. Most writers dispense with umlaut altogether.
Umlaut, kumquat. Fie on them.
hi Sam just a query to confirm that Bunuel’s tristiana a obscure object of desire will be subject entries for a Spain/Portugal poll?
boy! this is hard , when considering the sheer volume of treasures bestowed to us from cinema France’s .. well it’s dazzling. any number of two to three dozen titles could of comfortably nestled into the lower reaches of my thirty. two of my all-time favorite actors have no representative works in my list , the great hoodlum -poet that is Gerard Depardieu and the magnetic , strange and mercurial Isabelle Adjani , several directors with a wave of brilliant works alas fell just short Clouzot , Becker , Demy , Vagna , Borowczyk , Pialat a Denis.
WELL WITH ALL THAT IN MIND HERE IS MY TOP THIRTY.
1.) ORPHEE (COCTEAU) (1950)
2.) CELINE AND JULIE GO BOATING (RIVETTE) (1974)
3.) AU HAZARD DE BELZETHAR (BRESSON) (1966)
4.) LES ENFANTS DU PARIDIS (CARNE) (1945)
5.) LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON (ROHMER) (1972)
6.) LA SAMOURAI (MELVILLE) (1967)
7.) DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST (BRESSON) (1951)
8.) LE BELLE NOISESSE (RIVETTE) (1991)
9.) DAY FOR NIGHT (TRUFFANT) (1973)
10.) HIROSHIMA , MON AMOUR (RESNAIS) (1959)
11.) SANS SOLEIL (MARKER) (1983)
12.) LE REGLE DE JEU (RENOIR) (1939)
13.) THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (DREYER) (1928)
14.) LA HAINE (KASOWICZ) (1995)
15.) THE PIANO TEACHER (HANEKE) (2001)
16.) LA ATALANTE (VIGO) (1934)
17.) FRENCH CAN CAN (RENOIR) (1955)
18,) LE SILENCE DE LA MER (MELVILLE) (1947)
19.) THE OUTSIDERS (GODDARD) (1964)
20,) TIME REGAINED (RUIZ) (1999)
21.) MADAME DE… (ORPHULLS) (1953)
22.) LA GRANDE ILLUSION (RENOIR) (1938)
23.) THE GREEN RAY (ROHMER) (1986)
24.) A WINTER’S TALE (ROHMER) (1991)
25.) THE RIVER (RENOIR) (1951)
26.) BREATHLESS (GODDARD) (1959)
27.) COUP DE TOUCHEN (TAVERNIER) (1981)
28.) THE HEART IN WINTER (SAUTET) (1991)
29.) THE BEAST MUST DIE! (CHABROL) (1969)
30.) EYES WITHOUT A FACE (FRANJU) (1959)
Greatness abounds here Marco, so no need to be concerned. You have given attention here to so many irrefutable masterpieces, ones I share affinity for as well. Right down to your Number 30 (a film I am kicking myself for not including) you have given this cinema a noble survey! Many thanks my very good friend!
This was torture. I went with only one film per director, but I mourn the many omissions. I went for a variety of films, from comedy to shorts, and significance:
1. Shoah (Claude Lanzmann, 1985)
2. Les Misérables (Raymond Bernard, 1934)
3. La Jetée (Chris Marker, 1962)
4. A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson, 1956)
5. Army of Shadows (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1969)
6. Vagabond (Agnès Varda, 1985)
7. The Olive Trees of Justice (James Blue, 1962)
8. Muriel (Alain Resnais, 1963)
9. La Cérémonie (Claude Chabrol, 1995)
10. The Fall of the House of Usher (Jean Epstein, 1927)
11. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoise (Luis Buñuel, 1972)
12. Summer 1993 (Carla Simón, 2017)
13. Peppermint Soda (Diane Kurys, 1977)
14. La Belle et la Bête (Jean Cocteau, 1946)
15. The 400 Blows (François Truffaut, 1959)
16. Playtime (Jacques Tati, 1967)
17. Joan the Maid 1 & 2 (Jacques Rivette, 1994)
18. Safe Conduct (Bertrand Tavernier, 2002)
19. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928)
20. Goodbye to Language (Jean-Luc Godard, 2014)
21. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Celine Sciamma, 2019)
22. Un Coeur en Hiver (Claude Sautet, 1992)
23. Elevator to the Gallows (Louis Malle, 1958)
24. The Two of Us (Claude Berri, 1967)
25. Bluebeard (Catherine Breillat, 2009)
26. White Material (Claire Denis, 2009)
27. Le Voyage Dans La Lune (Georges Méliès, 1902)
28. Claire’s Knee (Éric Rohmer, 1970)
29. Nuit noire, 17 Octobre, 1961 (Alain Tasma, 2005)
30. Le Grand Amour (Pierre Étaix, 1969)
Marilyn, there is no better way to approach this inordinately difficult task, especially since this cinema does challenge for the greatest of all. I tacked it like a true coward, leaning on multiple choices by several “favorites.” But your method achieves fair and deserved representation and better perspective, methinks. I am smiling as I read through several, right down to your final acknowledgement of Pierre Etaix, whose eclectic output is deserving of placement. I was admittedly surprised that you didn’t include a single Jean Renoir film, considering his stature, but I have bene finding that several others in this polling have voiced a degree of apathy for his catalog in a general sense. You opted to leave off Ophuls too, but his films are always debated as to what country they should be credited to. Seeing Sciemma, Breillat, Sautet, Kurys (Geez, I adore Peppermint Soda myself!), Simon, Varda and James Blue is simply wonderful, and deeply diverse. Many thanks as always for your reference-material presentation listing my good friend!
A question, Sam and Bill.
Alain Tanner’s “La Salamandre” is a Swiss film, non?
Mark, yes, that film is Swiss indeed my friend.
My 30, one per director (following a trend), in chronological order, so I can see the gaps. No Truffaut, since I’m mostly lukewarm about him, and my favorite is in English, “Fahrenheit 451”. I should add I only saw a partial version of “Woman of Destiny”, 1928, Léonce Perret, in a silent film class because the rest is lost.
Les Vampires (1915) Feuillade
J’Accuse (1919) Gance
The House of Mystery (1923) Volkoff
Woman of Destiny (1928) Perret
L’Atalante (1934) Vigo
Pépé le Moko (1937) Duvivier
Quai des Orfèvres (1947) Clouzet
The Earrings of Madame de… (1953) Ophuls
Touchez Pas au Grisbi (1954) Becker
French Cancan (1955) Renoir
Eyes without a Face (1960) Franju
Le Doulos (1962) Melville
The Fire Within (1963) Malle
Le Bonheur (1965) Varda
Pierrot le Fou (1965) Godard
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) Demy
Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971) Bresson
The Mother and the Whore (1973) Eustache
Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974) Rivette
Jeanne Dielman… (1975) Akerman
That Obscure Object of Desire (1977) Bunuel
The Green Ray (1986) Rohmer
Round Midnight (1986) Tavernier
La Céremonie (1995) Chabrol
Time of the Wolf (2003) Haneke
Look at Me (2004) Jaoui
Coeurs (2006) Resnais
35 Shots of Rum (2008) Denis
Le Havre (2011) Kaurismaki
Clouds of Sils Maria (2014) Assayas
Richard, many thanks for entering this fabulous, diverse and eclectic ballot, bring so much deserved love to the epic French catalog!! Deeply appreciated and quite essential, methinks!
Hello again Richard. When I entered your ballot on the FB tabulation thread (not sure if you are on FB and have an account) I was answered by Bill Kamberger, our tabulator. Here is what he said: Bill Kamberger
Sammy Juliano, Le Havre made our Scandinavian list, so it is not eligible here. Jeanne Dielman will be eligible when we do Belgium. Please ask him what he’d like to vote for instead.
My FB handle is Richard Davis III. I was worried I may have crossed a line and so I did. My substitutions:
Wooden Crosses (1932) Bernard
Classe Tous Risques (1960) Sautet
Richard, thank you so much for that name clarification and replacement votes!
My list is presented in order of preference. I did not restrict it to one film per director, as I felt I needed to focus on the film. But I think those who do it that way make a good point too.
1. Playtime (Tati)
2. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Demy)
3. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer)
4. Les Enfants du Paradis (Carne)
5. Napoleon (Gance)
6. Coup de Torchon (Tavanier)
7. Le Cercle Rouge (Melville)
8. Kings and Queen (Despletchan)
9. Shoah (Lanzman)
10.Breathless (Godard)
11. The 400 Blows (Truffaut)
12. Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (Blier)
13. Le Samourai (Melville)
14. The Red Balloon (Lamorisse)
15. The Rules of the Game (Renoir)
16. Diary of a Country Priest (Bresson)
17. Un Coeur en Hiver (Saudet)
18. Au Hasard Balthazar (Bresson)
19. Grand Illusion (Renoir)
20. Jean de Florette (Berri)
21. Pepe le Moko (Duvivier)
22. Pickpocket (Bresson)
23. Wild Reeds (Techine)
24. The Judge and the Assassin (Tavanier)
25. Beauty and the Beast (Cocteau)
26. Jules and Jim (Truffaut)
27. La Chienne (Renoir)
28. La Silence de la Mer (Melville)
29. Earrings of Madame de (Ophuls)
30. Night and Fog (Resnais)
Storm, once again I thank you for bringing your splendid taste and expertise to one of our international pollings. I do share many of your own favorites and feel you have brought fabulous era diversity here.
Hi Sam, needless to say this was quite tough.
Top 30 very roughly in order of preference:
1. Pickpocket (1959, Robert Bresson)
2. Le ballon rouge (The Red Balloon, 1956, Albert Lamorisse)
3. La règle du jeu (The Rules of the Game, 1939, Jean Renoir)
4. Le Trou (1960, Jacques Becker)
5. Playtime (1967, Jacques Tati)
6. Le samouraï (1967, Jean-Pierre Melville)
7. Les quatre cents coups (The 400 Blows, 1959, François Truffaut)
8. Ascenseur pour l’échafaud (Elevator to the Gallows, 1958, Louis Malle)
9. Le salaire de la peur (The Wages of Fear, 1953, Henri-Georges Clouzot)
10. Cléo de 5 à 7 (Cléo from 5 to 7, 1962, Agnès Varda)
11. Orphée (Orpheus, 1950, Jean Cocteau)
12. L’Age D’or (1930, Luis Buñuel)
13. L’Intrus (2004, Claire Denis)
14. L’armée des ombres (Army of Shadows, 1969, Jean-Pierre Melville)
15. L’Argent (1983, Robert Bresson)
16. À bout de souffle (Breathless, 1960, Jean-Luc Godard)
17. Beau Travail (1999, Claire Denis)
18. Du rififi chez les hommes (Rififi, 1955, Jules Dassin)
19. La passion de Jeanne d’Arc (The Passion of Joan of Arc, 1928, Carl Theodor Dreyer)
20. Que le bête meure (The Beast Must Die, 1969, Claude Chabrol)
21. Touchez pas au grisbi (Hands off the Loot!, 1954, Jacques Becker)
22. Hiroshima mon Amour (1959, Alain Resnais)
23. Vivre Sa Vie (My Life to Live, 1962, Jean-Luc Godard)
24. Les Vampires (1915, Louis Feuillade)
25. Holy Motors (2012, Leos Carax)
26. L’année dernière à Marienbad (Last Year at Marienbad, 1961, Alain Resnais)
27. La Jetée (1962, Chris Marker)
28. Paris nous appartient (Paris Belongs to Us, 1961, Jacques Rivette)
29. La maman et la putain (The Mother and the Whore, 1973, Jean Eustache)
30. Le genou de Claire (Claire’s Knee, 1970, Eric Rohmer)
Sachin—
Many thanks my great friend! As always, you enter a profound, informed and tasteful listing, reflecting your vast and comprehensive knowledge of international cinema! Essential in every sense!
In ranked order:
1 The Passion of Joan of Arc
2 The 400 Blows
3 Au Hasard Balthazar
4 The Red Balloon
5 Mouchette
6 Jean de Florette
7 Les Enfants Terribles
8 Pickpocket
9 The Chorus
10 Les Miserables 1933-4
11 Wild Reeds
12 Being 17
13 The Artist
14 The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
15 Beauty and the Beast
16 Diary of a Country Priest
17 Au Revoir Les Enfants
18 Le Trou
19 Weekend
20 Breathless
21 Shoah
22 Lacombe Lucien
23 La Ceremonie
24 The Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge
25 Small Change
26 Jules and Jim
27 A Sunday in the Country
28 Boudu Saved from Drowning
29 La Grande Illusion
30 Cyrano de Bergerac
My list is in order:
1 Le Cercle Rouge (Melville)
2. Pickpocket (Bresson)
3. Diary of a Country Priest (Bresson)
4. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer)
5. Napoleon (Gance)
6. Night and Fog (Resnais)
7. Wages of Fear (Clouzot)
8. The 400 Blows (Truffaut)
9. Au Hasard Balthazar (Bresson)
10. The Red Balloon (Lamorisse)
11. Army of Shadows (Melville)
12. Shoah (Lanzman)
13. The Incident at Owl Creek Bridge (Enrico)
14. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Bunuel)
15. Le Trou (Becker)
16. Vivre Sa Vie (Godard)
17. M. Hulot’s Holiday (Tati)
18. The Green Room (Truffaut)
19. Claire’s Knee (Rohmer)
20. La Grande Illusion (Renoir)
21. Children of Paradise (Carne)
22. The Rules of the Game (renoir)
23. La Ceremonie (Chabrol)
24. A Man Escaped (Bresson)
25. Jules and Jim (Truffaut)
26. Celine and Julie Go Boating (Rivette)
27. Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring (Berri)
28. La Silence de la Mer (Mellville)
29. Wild Reeds (Techine)
30. Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (Blier)