Watch: Trailers For Martin Scorsese’s List Of The 39 Foreign Films You Should See Before You Die

Films don\’t have a \’gender\’. If these are Scorsese\’s favourite 39 \’foreign\’ films, then fair enough. But his interest doesn\’t seem to extend very far beyond Italy, Japan, France and Germany. It would have been a much more interesting list if he\’d added some of the (relatively) more obscure films he\’s supported over the years, such as The Saragossa Manuscript (Poland) and Touki Bouki (Senegal).

And what is the name of Scorsese´s career-long editor, Gross?

It´s not ´stupid´.

Thelma Schoonmaker.

Or change that for Ran.

And Davis, Kurosawa has three mentions, also. At 15, 16 and 19. Can´t count unless they´re listed three in a row?

Kagemusha is missing.

No wonder Scorsese´s films have an oblique dullness about them.

Godard is mentioned 3 times also. How do I apply to write for Indiewire?

Fellini? Buñuel?

Hmmm Would say I'm surprised to not see infernal affairs on here, the film that got him an Oscar but then I'd be being sarcastic.

Sad,very sad to see he did not mention any Satyajit Ray films. He is a one of the great director in cinema. Widely called one of the very few master filmmaker in cinema. There is very few directors exist who called 'master filmmaker'. He also won Academy award. Scorsese also mention Satyajit Ray his inspiration. And said his work influenced him. But i don't know why he forget that great man here. May be he is from 3rd world contry that is why. There is lots of great filmmaker. But very few in them are 'a great human being' also. Scorsese also my one of the favorite filmmaker. His The Departed is my most favorite. But today he first time give pain.

Scorsese has often spoken highly of Max Ophuls's work. It's surprising, then, that he fails to include even one of his great and influential German, French, or Italian films here.

Not surprisingly , these are the films HE watched when he was young. Nothing good was made after 1979.

Nosferatu
Beauty & The Beast
Ikiru
Seven Samurai
Aguirre, the Wrath of God

Polanski petition signatories as of September 29th 2009

Woody Allen
Pedro Almodovar
Wes Anderson
Asia Argento
Darren Aronofsky
Monica Bellucci
Alfonso Cuaron
Luc et Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Jonathan Demme
Alexandre Desplat
Stephen Frears
Costa Gavras
Terry Gilliam
David Heyman
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Harmony Korine
John Landis
David Lynch
Michael Mann
Jeanne Moreau
Alexander Payne
Walter Salles
Jerry Schatzberg
Julian Schnabel
Barbet Schroeder
Martin Scorcese
Paolo Sorrentino
Tilda Swinton
Bertrand Tavernier
Giuseppe Tornatore
Wim Wenders

such an odd list. no Bergman?

Just go to the Criterion Collection.

Enough said.

It's been noted that Fassbinder got the most mentions with three films on the list.
It seems you haven't noticed that Godard has three as well.

Martin Scorcese proves himself not only a brilliant and influential cinematic director, but also, as he has in the past with Italian film, a brilliant and influential teacher and promoter of the cinematic arts. How generous he is to share his passions with us.

I suppose Jo wouldn't find a problem with someone hiring 39 men out of 39 open positions for jobs, and never bothering to hire one of the women who applied, as long as those 39 men were all qualified. It just shows a regrettable lack when someone seems to value only male perspectives (even Fassbinder was pretty much a dude). Of course, I wouldn't fault Scorsese as a person, considering how closely he does work with female collaborators. Still, it's a kind of blindness on his part in terms of cinematic vision.

I was able to watch several of these for the first time while the Story of Film series was running on TCM. I nearly wept after "Bicycle Thieves."

I would add the Leopard by Visconti and 81/2 by Fellini.

22.

…should be The 400 Blows

Shame. Scorsese clearly cares more about film preservation than about female directors. One more notch on the "disgusted by Scorsese" belt.