So you are considering purchasing a Netflix Roku so you can watch what’s available on Netflix’s instant viewing, eh? You have asked some people who consider Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean to be the ultimate in cinematic accomplishment and they have told you that there is really nothing worth watching on the instant viewing selection at Netflix. Don’t Panic: I’m here to help relieve you of the reliance upon such ill-advised founts of film recommendation. What a lot of your people who are convinced that Netflix has nothing worth watching on their instant viewing list don’t get is that foreign films are great and while a lot of the biggies are not yet available on Netflix, there is no Ingmar Bergman for inexplicable reasons, there are still quite a few magnificent foreign flicks.
Nosferatu
The best version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula ever made is this silent film that features the only truly horrifying portrait of Count Dracula ever committed to film. The making of this example of German silent expressionism was recounted in the fairly recent movie Shadow of the Vampire. Most people have seen the death scene of Nosferatu, but not too many have watched the entire film. If you aren’t a fan of silent film, this is the place to start to change your mind. Wouldn’t that be incredible: Netflix Roku unleashes a nationwide frenzy for enjoying silent movies.
Aguirre: The Wrath of God
To begin with, here’s some advice so you don’t sound like an idiot if you ever have reason to vocalize the title of this movie. It is not pronounced A-gwire, it is pronounced A-geary. Starring the inimitable Klaus Kinski, who incidentally also starred in the remake of Nosferatu, this is one of the all time great foreign films, routinely showing up in college classes dedicated to the study of non-Hollywood narrative. Kinski’s performance is masterful, as is Werner Herzog’s direction. The sight of that ship lodged in a tree is one of the most memorable scenes in cinematic history.
Strike
One of the greatest Soviet films ever made, this was the debut feature of the man who is arguably the greatest director in film history, Sergei Eisenstein. If you continue to subsist under the delusion that films are all about fast cuts and focusing on a protagonist, you need to watch Strike. Netflix may, in fact, bring about a renaissance in the beauty and power of composition. There is more to movies than fast cuts and meaningless musical montages.
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Another great example of German silent expressionism. Wouldn’t it be nice to see American filmmakers doing away with crappy looking GGI effects and just admit that film is a fake. The distorted sets and cameras angles are entirely unrealistic, yet The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari remains more intensely authentic than 99% of the movies made today. Get yourself a Roku and see for yourself why what you think make movies great today is not necessarily true.
Les Carabiniers
It would be nice if Netflix would add more accessible Jean-Luc Godard films, Les Carabiniers is an excellent introduction to the fact that not all movies need to follow the A-Z plot line. Some people have termed Les Carabiniers surreal, but that seems a little over the top. Easy to understand? Perhaps not, but it never really feels like a dream. In fact, it feels disconcertingly realistic, especially at this point in American history.
The Eye
No, not the horrific Jessica Alba remake, but the original. Please, dear God, never watch the American remake of an Asian horror flick until you’ve seen the original. (With the exception of The Ring.) Although I’ve had my problems with Netflix, I must admit it has all been worth it thanks to the fact that it was Netflix that introduced me to Asian horror films. Once you go Asian, you never go back.
Battleship Potemkin
You know, Battleship Potemkin is such a classic that if I have to mention anything about it, you have probably already given up on this article. If you are still around, take advantage of the Netflix Roku to find out how you can actually make an engrossing movie despite not having a single main character.
Man with the Movie Camera
Dziga-Vertov essentially create the documentary as we know it today with this one of a kind movie. You might not think that spending 70 minutes on a tour of a Soviet city would be fascinating, but you would be wrong. The kinetic energy of this little movie will leave you wondering how on earth you ever managed to sit through the Lord of the Rings or Pirates of the Caribbean movies without shooting yourself in the head like I did. The sound of that ambulance arriving was like manna from heaven. Too bad I died, but it was worth it.
Das Boot
The greatest submarine movie ever made. The greatest war movie ever made in Germany. And the greatest WWII movie not made in Hollywood. Isn’t this the very kind of thing at a device like the Netflix Roku was designed for?
Joint SecurityArea
Yet another unforgettable Korean movie, this taut emotional thriller is specifically about the separation of cultures marked by the demarcation between the two Koreas, but could just as easily be about East and West Berlin or about the North and South during the American Civil War. Although it begins kind of slow, once it picks up Joint Security Area (JSA) becomes almost hypnotic. The paranoia and deliriousness that is a natural part of the life of soldiers on any borderline is palpable. And the ending is appropriately heartbreaking and, if you watch closely, worthy of an hourlong argument over what actually happened.
