| In an effort to complement the AFI's 100 Greatest American
Films of all-time, in the summer/fall of 1999, Landmark Theatres sponsored
a nationwide popular opinion poll designed to ascertain the country's favorite
foreign language films. Ballots were made available at all Landmark Theatres
and Borders Books and Music locations nationwide, as well as via this website
from August 1 through October 31, 1999. Qualifying films included any title
made by a filmmaker outside of the U.S. in a language other than English.
Once again, we would like to thank all of the patrons who participated in this poll in honor of Landmark's 25th Anniversary. We are very gratified by the overwhelming response and positive feedback it generated. |
| Rank | Title |
Year
|
Primary
Country
|
Primary
Lanuage
|
|
1
|
Life Is Beautiful |
1997
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
2
|
Cinema Paradiso |
1988
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
3
|
Il Postino (The Postman) |
1994
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
4
|
Like Water for Chocolate |
1992
|
Mexico
|
Spanish
|
|
5
|
Das Boot (The Boat) |
1981
|
Germany
|
German
|
|
6
|
Babette's Feast |
1987
|
Demark
|
Danish
|
|
7
|
Gods Must Be Crazy, The |
1981
|
Botswana
|
Afrikaans
|
|
8
|
Seven Samurai, The |
1954
|
Japan
|
Japanese
|
|
9
|
Shall We Dance? |
1996
|
Japan
|
Japanese
|
|
10
|
Bicycle Thief, The |
1948
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
11
|
La Femme Nikita |
1990
|
France
|
French
|
|
12
|
La Cage aux Folles (Birds of a Feather) |
1978
|
France
|
French
|
|
13
|
My Life as a Dog |
1985
|
Sweden
|
Swedish
|
|
14
|
Central Station |
1998
|
Brazil
|
Portuguese
|
|
15
|
Run Lola Run |
1998
|
Germany
|
German
|
|
16
|
Au Revoir, les Enfants (Goodbye Children) |
1987
|
France
|
French
|
|
17
|
Eat Drink Man Woman |
1994
|
Taiwan
|
Mandarin
Chinese
|
|
18
|
La Dolce Vita |
1960
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
19
|
Jean de Florette |
1986
|
France
|
French
|
|
20
|
Raise the Red Lantern |
1991
|
China
|
Mandarin
Chinese
|
|
21
|
Wings of Desire |
1988
|
Germany
|
German
|
|
22
|
Les Miserables |
1995
|
France
|
French
|
|
23
|
Farewell My Concubine |
1993
|
China
|
Mandarin
Chinese
|
|
24
|
Wedding Banquet, The |
1993
|
Taiwan
|
Mandarin
Chinese
|
|
25
|
Beauty and the Beast |
1946
|
France
|
French
|
|
26
|
Black Orpheus |
1959
|
France/Brazil
|
Portuguese
|
|
27
|
Ran |
1985
|
Japan
|
Japanese
|
|
28
|
Indochine |
1992
|
France
|
French
|
|
29
|
Antonia's Line |
1995
|
The
Netherlands
|
Dutch
|
|
30
|
Rashomon |
1950
|
Japan
|
Japanese
|
|
31
|
Europa Europa |
1991
|
Germany
|
German
|
|
32
|
City of Lost Children, The |
1995
|
France
|
French
|
|
33
|
Seventh Seal, The |
1957
|
Sweden
|
Swedish
|
|
34
|
Blue (Three Colors: Blue) |
1993
|
France
|
French
|
|
35
|
Man and a Woman, A |
1966
|
France
|
French
|
|
36
|
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown |
1988
|
Spain
|
Spanish
|
|
37
|
Cyrano de Bergerac |
1990
|
France
|
French
|
|
38
|
Manon of the Spring |
1986
|
France
|
French
|
|
39
|
8 1/2 |
1963
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
40
|
Diva |
1982
|
France
|
French
|
|
41
|
King of Hearts |
1966
|
France
|
French
|
|
42
|
Fanny and Alexander |
1983
|
Sweden
|
Swedish
|
|
43
|
La Strada |
1954
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
44
|
Red (Three Colors: Red) |
1994
|
France
|
French
|
|
45
|
And God Created Woman |
1956
|
France
|
French
|
|
46
|
Delicatessen |
1991
|
France
|
French
|
|
47
|
Diabolique |
1955
|
France
|
French
|
|
48
|
Z |
1969
|
France
|
French
|
|
49
|
Baker's Wife, The |
1938
|
France
|
French
|
|
50
|
Belle de Jour |
1967
|
France
|
French
|
|
51
|
Children of Paradise |
1945
|
France
|
French
|
|
52
|
King of Masks, The |
1996
|
Hong
Kong/China
|
Mandarin
Chinese
|
|
53
|
Tampopo |
1986
|
Japan
|
Japanese
|
|
54
|
Jules and Jim |
1961
|
France
|
French
|
|
55
|
Akira |
1988
|
Japan
|
Japanese
|
|
56
|
Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The |
1964
|
France
|
French
|
|
57
|
Ma Vie en Rose (My Life in Pink) |
1997
|
Belgium
|
French
|
|
58
|
Kolya |
1996
|
Czech
Republic
|
Czech
|
|
59
|
Grand Illusion |
1937
|
France
|
French
|
|
60
|
Amarcord |
1974
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
61
|
Two Women |
1960
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
62
|
Four Hundred Blows, The |
1959
|
France
|
French
|
|
63
|
Aguirre, the Wrath of God |
1972
|
Germany
|
German
|
|
64
|
Tin Drum, The |
1979
|
Germany
|
German
|
|
65
|
Wild Strawberries |
1957
|
Sweden
|
Swedish
|
|
66
|
Never on Sunday |
1960
|
Greece
|
Greek
|
|
67
|
Belle Epoque |
1992
|
Spain
|
Spanish
|
|
68
|
Burnt by the Sun |
1994
|
Russia
|
Russian
|
|
69
|
After Life |
1998
|
Japan
|
Japanese
|
|
70
|
M |
1931
|
Germany
|
German
|
|
71
|
Nights of Cabiria |
1957
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
72
|
Garden of the Finzi-Continis, The |
1971
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
73
|
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (Atame!) |
1990
|
Spain
|
Spanish
|
|
74
|
Killer, The |
1989
|
Hong
Kong
|
Cantonese
Chinese
|
|
75
|
Betty Blue |
1986
|
France
|
French
|
|
76
|
Breathless |
1959
|
France
|
French
|
|
77
|
Cousin Cousine |
1975
|
France
|
French
|
|
78
|
Blue Angel, The |
1930
|
Germany
|
German
|
|
79
|
Chungking Express |
1994
|
Hong
Kong
|
Cantonese
Chinese
|
|
80
|
Ju Dou |
1989
|
China
|
Mandarin
Chinese
|
|
81
|
Carmen |
1983
|
Spain
|
Spanish
|
|
82
|
Scent of Green Papaya, The |
1993
|
Vietnam
|
Vietnamese
|
|
83
|
Camille Claudel |
1988
|
France
|
French
|
|
84
|
Ponette |
1996
|
France
|
French
|
|
85
|
Bread and Chocolate |
1978
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
86
|
Alexander Nevsky |
1938
|
USSR
|
Russian
|
|
87
|
Swept Away… |
1975
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
88
|
Return of Martin Guerre, The |
1982
|
France
|
French
|
|
89
|
Divorce Italian Style |
1961
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
90
|
Mr. Hulot's Holiday |
1953
|
France
|
French
|
|
91
|
Hiroshima, Mon Amour |
1959
|
Frace/Japan
|
French/Japanese
|
|
92
|
Seven Beauties |
1976
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
93
|
Tango |
1998
|
Argentina
|
Spanish
|
|
94
|
Accompanist, The |
1992
|
France
|
French
|
|
95
|
Black Rain |
1989
|
Japan
|
Japanese
|
|
96
|
To Live |
1994
|
Hong
Kong/China
|
Mandarin
Chinese
|
|
97
|
Chinese Ghost Story, A |
1987
|
Hong
Kong
|
Cantonese
Chinese
|
|
98
|
Rules of the Game |
1939
|
France
|
French
|
|
99
|
Cries and Whispers |
1972
|
Sweden
|
Swedish
|
|
100
|
Mediterraneo |
1991
|
Italy
|
Italian
|
|
|
