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Scorsese's 39 essential foreign films

A young filmmaker asked Martin Scorsese where to start. His office sent back a list of 39 films, and it has been passed around ever since.

Source: Scorsese's list of 39 essential foreign films, Open Culture (October 2014) ↗

The filmmaker was Colin Levy, who met Scorsese and asked for advice on where to begin. Kurosawa and Fassbinder get three films each. Bergman and Fellini aren’t on it at all.

  1. •
    Metropolis1927 · IMDb 8.2 · RT 97%
  2. •
    Nosferatu1922 · IMDb 7.8 · RT 97%
  3. •
    Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler1922 · IMDb 7.8 · RT 94%
  4. •
    Napoleon1927 · IMDb 8.2 · RT 87%
  5. •
    Grand Illusion1937 · IMDb 8.0 · RT 97%
  6. •
    The Rules of the Game1939 · IMDb 7.9 · RT 97%
  7. •
    Children of Paradise1945 · IMDb 8.3 · RT 98%
  8. •
    Rome, Open City1945 · IMDb 8.0 · RT 100%
  9. •
    Paisan1946 · IMDb 7.6 · RT 100%
  10. •
    Bicycle Thieves1948 · IMDb 8.2 · RT 99%
  11. •
    Umberto D.1952 · IMDb 8.1 · RT 98%
  12. •
    Seven Samurai1954 · IMDb 8.6 · RT 100%
  13. •
    The 400 Blows1959 · IMDb 8.0 · RT 99%
  14. •
    Breathless1960 · IMDb 7.6 · RT 95%
  15. •
    Rocco and His Brothers1960 · IMDb 8.2 · RT 91%
  16. •
    Il Sorpasso1962 · IMDb 8.2
  17. •
    Death by Hanging1968 · IMDb 7.5 · RT 86%