Obviously, movies before the 80s. I think others should answer first, I know a few in mind who will have some great picks.
Doesn't have to be pro and anti anything, just great.
Made in the Eastern bloc or about the Eastern bloc?
shareSorry I didn't clarify -- made in the eastern-bloc countries... I saw "The Joke" which was ok (7/10), which kinda mocked the system.
shareSolaris... I like Kieslowski, Tarr and Milos Forman movies too as far as Eastern European films go. I like the Lives of Others which is about the Eastern Bloc.
shareI don't know if they're the best ever, but two that popped in my mind from my neck of the woods are:
The Tied Up Balloon (Привързаният балон)
The Unknown Soldier's Patent Leather Shoes (Лачените обувки на незнайния воин)
I don't know how (and if) they're distributed abroad, but both are on Youtube. Only the second one has english subs though.
Oh great, thanks -- this way everyone can see it!
You might know the answer more than myself, but there is a setting on Youtube to translate it to any language. If you have tried this, is it accurate?
I can't find that setting :( I can only guess, but it might be something similar to Google translate, and that's not always very accurate.
A lot of the Bulgarian movies are on Youtube, it's a shame most probably don't have a foreign translation.
But I did a quick Amazon search of "Bulgarian movie with subtitles" and things like "The Goat Horn", "The Peach Thief", "Time of Violence", "Yesterday" are available. Those are considered classics over here.
I see people have listed movies from all over, but one from the USSR that I didn't see is Kin-dza-dza! I had great fun watching it.
Movies by Tarkovsky
Several czech comedies (Closely watched trains got Oscar)
Soviet Union:
Siberiade (1979) (one of my favorite movies ever)
White Sun of the Desert (1970)
Man With a Movie Camera (1929)
October: Ten Days That Shook the World (1928)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Cossacks of the Kuban (1950)
Alexander Nevsky (1938)
Ivan the Terrible (1944)
The Fall of Berlin (1950)
Strike (1925)
Volga-Volga (1938) (reputedly Stalin's favorite movie, by the way)
Jolly Fellows (1934)
The End of St. Petersburg (1927)
Zemlya ("Earth" or "Land") (1930)
Liberation (Освобождение) (1970) (magnificent five-part series depicting the Great Patriotic War from Kursk to Berlin)
Democratic People's Republic of Korea:
The Flower Girl (1972) (incidentally, one of my favorite movies of all time)
Pulgasari (1985)
The Schoolgirl's Diary (2007)
Hong Gil Dong (1986)
O Youth! (1995) (rare example of North Korean comedy, and quite an enjoyable little film)
A Broad Bellflower (1987)
A Forest is Swaying (1982)
Wolmido (Wolmi Island) (1982)
I've also heard that a newer film, "Comrade Kim Goes Flying" (2012), is quite good, but have been unable to find it with English subtitles.
Hungarian People's Republic:
Somewhere in Europe (alternative title: It Happened in Europe) (1948) (the only communist Hungarian movie i've seen, but it's really excellent)
Cuba:
Strawberry and Chocolate (1993) (incidentally, this movie did a lot to raise awareness of LGBT issues in Cuba, and was a sort of turning point in turning Cuba into a much more LGBT-friendly country)
Las Doce Sillas (The Twelve Chairs) (1962)
I've heard that "Soy Cuba" (1964) is very good, but I haven't seen it yet.
German Democratic Republic:
Roman Einer Jungen Ehe (Story of a Young Couple) (1952)
Karbid Und Sauerampfer (Carbide and Sorrel) (1963) (fun comedy movie)
There's also a series called "Das unsichtbare Visier", which is like an East German version of James Bond except the character (Werner Bredebusch) fights for communism and against the imperialists and fascists. Regrettably, i've been unable to locate it with English subtitles, though I badly want to see it.
People's Republic of China (socialist period, i.e pre-1977):
The East is Red (1965) (spectacular musical depicting the course of the Chinese revolution from its early beginnings to the foundation of the People's Republic)
Battle on Shangganling Mountain (or simply Shang Gan Ling) (1956)
The Red Detachment of Women (1961)
Nongnu (Serf) (1963)
Breaking With Old Ideas (1975)
Not a very complete list, I admit. I haven't seen any Czechoslovakian, Romanian, Bulgarian or Albanian movies, and only one from the People's Republic of Poland although I didn't think it was very good (and also I can't remember the name). I've been wanting to see more East German movies but it's hard to find them with English subtitles. I've also included North Korean and Cuban movies from the post-Soviet period because they're still communist countries (and North Korean movies in particular still adhere to the old Socialist Realism style), although no longer part of a bloc.
Many of the movies i've listed (not all, but many, especially the DPRK ones) can be found on Youtube (although you may have to watch them quick, because lately Youtube has been cracking down on channels that post pro-DPRK content).
Great post!
shareThanks, glad you liked it. :)
There's also one movie which wasn't really made in the socialist bloc but which is kind of in a special category, an Ostalgie (Nostalgia for the East) film. It's called "Good Bye Lenin", from Germany. It's about a guy whose mother falls into a coma in the GDR and wakes up after it falls. The doctors advise that she shouldn't be exposed to anything that might shock and upset her, so he tries to hide the fact that the country fell and attempts to recreate the GDR in their home. Gradually it becomes more like he's trying to recreate the GDR for himself as much as for her, and a more ideal version of it. It's a really good movie.
I love "Good Bye Lenin". I was a mess after finishing watching it.
shareI have tried put in some thought into this. I do not know whether you are a newbie getting into world cinema or are an experienced viewer looking for movies from regions that you may not have explored before. I would recommend different movies based on what applies to you.
Nevertheless, I am going to assume that the former applies to you and make limited recommendations. Note that all movies recommended below are widely regarded as classics.
I guess no viewing of movies from the Soviet Bloc is ever complete without two classics from the early years: Battleship Potemkin and 'Man with movie camera'.These are required viewing for any cinema buff. They have universal appeal because they are absorbing and easy to watch. They are aesthetically divine.
After these, I would recommend movies like 'Cranes are Flying' and 'Closely Watched Trains'. I feel both of these movies are a good point to start if you have already seen the classics from the early era. They typify movies from the Soviet era. They are technically brilliant, emotionally engaging, and for the most part, very absorbing.
At this point, you could try Ashes and Diamonds and Knife in the Water (particularly the former). These movies deal with more complex, mature themes, and are more abstract but with stunning imagery. I think you should be able to see and enjoy these if you have seen all the aforementioned movies before this.
And of course, no recommendation list from the Soviet Bloc would EVER without a mention of Andrei Tarkovsky. His movies are the best (in my opinion), but I would not recommend anyone to watch these movies to begin with, because they are difficult to watch and can be monotonous for the first time viewer. I would say his best movies are "Andrei Rublev" and "Mirror". Everyone must watch these two movies at least once their life time.
If you have lots and lots of time and patience in your hand, you could try 'War and Peace'. I watched in a festival, and that movie was so long, they had to break into four parts which were shown on four different days. It was an exhausting experience for me, but I dare say, worth it. There might a DVD version that is shorter.
I know you asked about movies, but I remembered one mini-series which was hugely popular (and good, for its time) all over Eastern Block. And this thread is probably the only chance of ever mentioning it, so I'll take that liberty:
17 moments of spring, made in 1973.
It was a spy WWII series, and they say it's one of Putin's favorite shows.
Wirus (Virus) (2003)
The White Soup (Zurek) (2003)
White (Three Colours: White) (Trzy kolory: Bialy) (France / Poland / Switzerland, 1976)
Strike (Strajk - Die Heldin von Danzig) (Germany | Poland, 2006)
Squint Your Eyes (Zmruz oczy) (2002)
Siberian Lady Macbeth (aka Fury is a Woman; Sibirska Ledi Magbet) (Poland / Yugoslavia, 1962)
A Short Film About Love (Krótki film o milosci) (1987)
A Short Film About Killing (Krótki film o zabijaniu) (1987)
Sex Mission (Seksmisja) (1984)
The Scar (Blizna ) (1976)
Samson (1961)
Revenge (Zemsta) (2002)
Red (Rouge) (1994)
Promised Land (Ziemia obiecana) (2003)
Pornography (Pornografia) (Poland / France, 2003)
Pan Tadeusz (Poland / France, 1999)
100 Years of Polish Cinema
No End (Bez końca) (1985)
Mother Joan of the Angels (Matka Joanna od Aniolów) (1961)
The Mill and the Cross (Poland | Sweden, 2011)
Man on the Tracks (Czlowiek na torze) (1957)
Man of Marble (Człowiek z Marmuru) (1977)
Man of Iron (Czlowiek z Zelaza) (1957)
Lotna (1959)
A Lonely Woman (Kobieta samotna) (1981)
The Last Stage (Ostatni etap)(Poland, 1948)
4 (2005)
9th Company (9 rota) (Finland | Russia | Ukraine, 2005)
12 (Russia, 2007)
With Fire and Sword (Ogniem i mieczem) (1999)
Hey Babu Riba (Bal na vodi) (Yugoslavia, 1986)
Without Anesthesia (Bez znieczulenia) (Poland / France, 1981)
A Year of the Quiet Sun (Rok Spokojnego slonca) (Poland / West Germany / USA, 1984)
Young Girls of Wilko (Panny z Wilko) (Poland / France, 1979)
4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days) (Romania, 2007)
Cum mi-am petrecut sfarsitul lumii (The way I spent the end of the world) (Romania / France, 2006)
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Moartea domnului Lăzărescu) (Romania, 2005)
Next Stop Paradise (Terminus paradis)(1998)
Before the Rain (A Tale in Three Parts) (Republic of Macedonia | France | UK, 1994)
Black Cat White Cat (Crna macka, beli macor) (France / Germany / Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 1998)
Cabaret Balkan (Bure Baruta) (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia / Republic of Macedonia / France / Greece / Turkey, 1998)
Do You Remember Dolly Bell? (Sjecas li se, Dolly Bell?) (Yugoslavia, 1981)
Das Fräulein (Germany / Switzerland / Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2006)
Gorilla Bathes at Noon (Germany / Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 1993)
Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams (aka Esma's Secret - Grbavica) (Austria / Bosnia-Herzegovina / Germany / Croatia, 2006)
Spare Parts (Rezervni deli) (Slovenia, 2003)
Innocence Unprotected (Nevinost bez Zastite) (Yugoslavia, 1968)
Man Is Not a Bird (Covek Nije Tica) (Yugoslavia, 1965)
Love Affair: or, The Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator (Ljubavni Slucaj ili Tragedija Sluzbenice
P.T.T.) (Yugoslavia, 1967)
A Night of Love (Manifesto) (USA, 1988)
Montenegro (Sweden / UK, 1982)
No Man's Land (Nicija zemlja) (Bosnia-Herzegovina / Slovenia / Italy / France / UK / Belgium, 2001)
Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (Lepa sela lepo gore) (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 1996)
Time of the Gypsies (Dom za vesanje) (UK / Italy / Yugoslavia, 1989)
Sweet Movie (France / Canada / West Germany, 1974)
Tito and Me (Tito i ja) (Yugoslavia, 1992)
Ward no.6 (Paviljon 6) (Yugoslavia, 1976)
Underground (France / Federal Republic of Yugoslavia / Germany / Hungary, 1995)
Warriors (UK, 1999)
A Wonderful Night in Split (Ta divna Splitska noc) (Croatia, 2004)
Witnesses (Svjedoci)(Croatia, 2004)
When Father Was Away on Business (Otac na Sluzbenom Putu) (Yugoslavia, 1985)
WR: Mysteries of the Organism (W.R. - Mysterije Organizma) (Yugoslavia / West Germany, 1971)
4 (2005)
9th Company (9 rota) (Finland | Russia | Ukraine, 2005)
12 (Russia, 2007)
Aerograd (1935)
Alexander (Aleksandr) Nevsky (1938)
Alexandra (2007)
Andrei Rublev (1966)
Anna (Anna: ot 6 do 18) (1993)
Anna Karenina (1967)
Aprili (Avril, April ) (1961)
Autumn Marathon (Osennii marafon) (1979)
Bakenbardi: Sidewhiskers (1990)
Ballad of a Soldier (Ballada o soldate) (1959)
The Barber of Siberia (Sibirskiy tsiryulnik) (1998)
Bezhin Meadow (1937)
Brilliantovaya ruka (Diamond Hand) (1968)
Brother (Brat) (1997)
Burnt By the Sun (Utomlyonnye Solntsem) (1994)
The Cameraman's Revenge and Other Fantastic Tales: the Amazing Puppet Animation of Ladislaw Starewicz (1912-1958)
Chapayev (1934)
Cargo 200 (Gruz 200) (2007)
Chekhovian Motifs (Chekhovskie motivy) (2002)
The Childhood of Maxim Gorky (Detstvo Gorkogo) (1938)
Circus (1936)
Close to Eden (Urga) (1991)
Cold Summer of 1953 (Kholodnoe leto piatdesiat tretego) (1988)
The Color of Pomegranates (Nran guyne) (Soviet Union, 1969)
Come and See (Idi i smotri) (1985)
Confession (Povinnost) (1998)
The Cranes are Flying (Letyat Zhuravli) (1957)
Dersu Uzala (Soviet Union | Japan, 1974)
The Deserter (Desertir) (1933)
Divided We Fall (Musime si pomahat) (2000)
Dolce...(Russia / Japan, 2000)