Top Ranked Films from Italy

[2011 Update, film polls through June 2011 included]
© William L. Sinclair

This begins our series of posts of the top ranked films on the internet by individual nations. I think Italy is my favorite nation for foreign language films, followed by France, Japan, China-Hong Kong-Taiwan, and Russia.

The U.S. easily has the most listed, with 502 in the top 1000, an increase from 482 in 2009. France is second with 87 (but 135 if you include joint efforts). The UK is next with 112.

Many international films present a unique problem: they are sometimes made by several countries together, so separating the true country of origin may be difficult. This time I've usually gone with the director's main country of origin - a Melville film was France-Italy produced, I'm putting it into the French films post, not the Italian one here.

In this case, we are listing the films from Italy alone first, 33 in the top 1000, then a second list that includes all Italian joint efforts with other nations (36 more), then a merged list of all those 69. I listed my favorite 40 Italian films after that, which includes some unranked ones, like De Sica's Garden of the Finzi-Continis, Tornatore's The Legend of 1900, and Malena. Those on my list with links connect to our reviews at 1000 Dvds to See

Photo is actor-director Vittorio De Sica, who said "I lost all my money on these films; but I did them so I would have Umberto D and Bicycle Thief.."


Italy (Italian only productions in the top 1000)

1. Bicycle Thief, The (1949) De Sica, Vittorio #21 Italy
2. 8½ (1963) Fellini, Federico #40 Italy
3. La Dolce Vita (1960) Fellini, Federico #74 Italy
4. Umberto D (1952) De Sica, Vittorio #80 Italy [photo rt]
5. La Strada (1954) Fellini, Federico #114 Italy
6. Leopard, The (1963) Visconti, Luchino #151 Italy
7. Passenger, The (1975) Antonioni, Michelangelo #250 Italy
8. Amarcord (1973) Fellini, Federico #254 Italy
9. Paisan (1946) Rossellini, Roberto #280 Italy
10. Rome, Open City (1945) Rossellini, Roberto #291 Italy
11. Suspiria (1977) Argento, Dario #329 Italy
12. I Vitelloni (1953) Fellini, Federico #348 Italy
13. Life is Beautiful (1997) Begnini, Roberto #446 Italy
14. Juliet of the Spirits (1965) Fellini, Federico #479 Italy
15. Senso (1954) Visconti, Luchino #488 Italy
16. Death in Venice (1971) Visconti, Luchino #517 Italy
17. Voyage in Italy (1953) Rossellini, Roberto #533 Italy
18. Tree of Wooden Clogs, The (1978) Olmi, Ermanno #550 Italy
19. Miracle in Milan (1951) De Sica, Vittorio #631 Italy
20. Salvatore Giuliano (1961) Rosi, Francesco #646 Italy
21. Teorema (1968) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #680 Italy
22. Accattone (1961) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #695 Italy
23. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) Petri, Elio #738 Italy
24. Fellini Satyricon (1969) Fellini, Federico #744 Italy
25. Best of Youth, The (2003) Giordana, Marco Tullio #766 Italy
26. La Terra trema (1948) Visconti, Luchino #794 Italy
27. Mafioso (bw, 1962) Lattuada, Alberto #812 Italy
28. Gomorra (2008) Garrone, Matteo #830 Italy
29. Europa '51 (1952) Rossellini, Roberto #842 Italy
30. Fellini's Casanova (1976) Fellini, Federico #843 Italy
31. Ossessione (1943) Visconti, Luchino #940 Italy
32. Intruder, The (L'innocent, 1976) Visconti, Luchino #968 Italy
33. Spider's Stratagem, The (1970) Bertolucci, Bernardo #994 Italy


Italy Plus (multi-country films only)

1. Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, The (1966) Leone, Sergio #36 Italy-Spain
2. Conformist, The (1970) Bertolucci, Bernardo #45 Italy-France-Germany
3. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Leone, Sergio #52 Italy-US
4. Battle of Algiers, The (1966) Pontecorvo, Gillo #60 Italy-Algiers
5. Contempt (1963) Godard, Jean-Luc #89 France-Italy
6. Cinema Paradiso (1988) Tornatore, Giuseppe #118 Italy-France
7. Pierrot le fou (1965) Godard, Jean-Luc #124 France-Italy
8. Earrings of Madame de..., The (1953) Ophuls, Max #136 France-Italy
9. Wages of Fear, The (1952) Clouzot, Henri-Georges #168 France-Italy
10. Nights of Cabiria (1957) Fellini, Federico #172 Italy-France
11. Gospel According to St. Matthew, The (1964) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #176 France-Italy
12. L'Avventura (1960) Antonioni, Michelangelo #183 Italy-France
13. Last Year at Marienbad (1961) Resnais, Alain #213 France-Italy
14. Belle de jour (1967) Buñuel, Luis #219 France-Italy
15. Rocco and His Brothers (1964) Visconti, Luchino #223 Italy-France
16. Eyes Without a Face (1959) Franju, Georges #229 France-Italy
17. Last Tango in Paris (1973) Bertolucci, Bernardo #262 France-Italy
18. Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #272 Italy-France
19. Army of Shadows (1969) Melville, Jean-Pierre #277 France-Italy
20. L'Eclisse (1962) Antonioni, Michelangelo #286 France-Italy
21. Week-End (1967) Godard, Jean-Luc #304 France-Italy
22. Golden Coach, The (1952) Renoir, Jean #345 Italy-France
23. La Notte (1961) Antonioni, Michelangelo #357 France-Italy
24. Red Desert (1964) Antonioni, Michelangelo #408 France-Italy
25. 1900 (1976) Bertolucci, Bernardo #505 France-Germany-Italy
26. For a Few Dollars More (1965) Leone, Sergio #509 Italy-Spain
27. Lola (1961) Demy, Jacques #540 France-Italy
28. Nostalghia (1983) Tarkovsky, Andrei #577 Italy-USSR
29. Germany, Year Zero (1947) Rossellini, Roberto #580 Italy-West Germany
30. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) Charles, Larry #773 France-Italy
31. Muriel ou Le Temps d'un Retour (1963) Resnais, Alain #817 France-Italy
32. Lancelot du Lac (1974) Bresson, Robert #831 France-Italy
33. Last Emperor, The (1987) Bertolucci, Bernardo #901 UK-Italy-China-France
34. Certified Copy (2010) Kiarostami, Abbas #908 France-Italy-Belgium
35. Vincere (2009) Bellocchio, Marco #951 Italy-France
36. Damned, The (1969) Visconti, Luchino #992 Italy-West Germany

Merged, all Italian films 

1. Bicycle Thief, The (1949) De Sica, Vittorio #21 Italy [photo above]
2. Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, The (1966) Leone, Sergio #36 Italy-Spain
3. 8½ (1963) Fellini, Federico #40 Italy
4. Conformist, The (1970) Bertolucci, Bernardo #45 Italy-France-Germany
5. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Leone, Sergio #52 Italy-US
6. Battle of Algiers, The (1966) Pontecorvo, Gillo #60 Italy-Algiers
7. La Dolce Vita (1960) Fellini, Federico #74 Italy
8. Umberto D (1952) De Sica, Vittorio #80 Italy
9. Contempt (1963) Godard, Jean-Luc #89 France-Italy
10. La Strada (1954) Fellini, Federico #114 Italy

11. Cinema Paradiso (1988) Tornatore, Giuseppe #118 Italy-France
12. Pierrot le fou (1965) Godard, Jean-Luc #124 France-Italy
13. Earrings of Madame de..., The (1953) Ophuls, Max #136 France-Italy
14. Leopard, The (1963) Visconti, Luchino #151 Italy
15. Wages of Fear, The (1952) Clouzot, Henri-Georges #168 France-Italy
16. Nights of Cabiria (1957) Fellini, Federico #172 Italy-France
17. Gospel According to St. Matthew, The (1964) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #176 France-Italy
18. L'Avventura (1960) Antonioni, Michelangelo #183 Italy-France
19. Last Year at Marienbad (1961) Resnais, Alain #213 France-Italy
20. Belle de jour (1967) Buñuel, Luis #219 France-Italy
21. Rocco and His Brothers (1964) Visconti, Luchino #223 Italy-France
22. Eyes Without a Face (1959) Franju, Georges #229 France-Italy
23. Passenger, The (1975) Antonioni, Michelangelo #250 Italy
24. Amarcord (1973) Fellini, Federico #254 Italy
25. Last Tango in Paris (1973) Bertolucci, Bernardo #262 France-Italy
26. Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #272 Italy-France
27. Army of Shadows (1969) Melville, Jean-Pierre #277 France-Italy
28. Paisan (1946) Rossellini, Roberto #280 Italy
29. L'Eclisse (1962) Antonioni, Michelangelo #286 France-Italy
30. Rome, Open City (1945) Rossellini, Roberto #291 Italy
31. Week-End (1967) Godard, Jean-Luc #304 France-Italy
32. Suspiria (1977) Argento, Dario #329 Italy
33. Golden Coach, The (1952) Renoir, Jean #345 Italy-France
34. I Vitelloni (1953) Fellini, Federico #348 Italy
35. La Notte (1961) Antonioni, Michelangelo #357 France-Italy
36. Red Desert (1964) Antonioni, Michelangelo #408 France-Italy
37. Life is Beautiful (1997) Begnini, Roberto #446 Italy
38. Juliet of the Spirits (1965) Fellini, Federico #479 Italy
39. Senso (1954) Visconti, Luchino #488 Italy
40. 1900 (1976) Bertolucci, Bernardo #505 France-Germany-Italy
41. For a Few Dollars More (1965) Leone, Sergio #509 Italy-Spain
42. Death in Venice (1971) Visconti, Luchino #517 Italy
43. Voyage in Italy (1953) Rossellini, Roberto #533 Italy
44. Lola (1961) Demy, Jacques #540 France-Italy
45. Tree of Wooden Clogs, The (1978) Olmi, Ermanno #550 Italy
46. Nostalghia (1983) Tarkovsky, Andrei #577 Italy-USSR
47. Germany, Year Zero (1947) Rossellini, Roberto #580 Italy-West Germany
48. Miracle in Milan (1951) De Sica, Vittorio #631 Italy
49. Salvatore Giuliano (1961) Rosi, Francesco #646 Italy
50. Teorema (1968) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #680 Italy
51. Accattone (1961) Pasolini, Pier Paolo #695 Italy
52. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) Petri, Elio #738 Italy
53. Fellini Satyricon (1969) Fellini, Federico #744 Italy
54. Best of Youth, The (2003) Giordana, Marco Tullio #766 Italy
55. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) Charles, Larry #773 France-Italy
56. La Terra trema (1948) Visconti, Luchino #794 Italy
57. Mafioso (bw, 1962) Lattuada, Alberto #812 Italy
58. Muriel ou Le Temps d'un Retour (1963) Resnais, Alain #817 France-Italy
59. Gomorra (2008) Garrone, Matteo #830 Italy
60. Lancelot du Lac (1974) Bresson, Robert #831 France-Italy
61. Europa '51 (1952) Rossellini, Roberto #842 Italy
62. Fellini's Casanova (1976) Fellini, Federico #843 Italy
63. Last Emperor, The (1987) Bertolucci, Bernardo #901 UK-Italy-China-France
64. Certified Copy (2010) Kiarostami, Abbas #908 France-Italy-Belgium
65. Ossessione (1943) Visconti, Luchino #940 Italy
66. Vincere (2009) Bellocchio, Marco #951 Italy-France
67. Intruder, The (L'innocent, 1976) Visconti, Luchino #968 Italy
68. Damned, The (1969) Visconti, Luchino #992 Italy-West Germany
69. Spider's Stratagem, The (1970) Bertolucci, Bernardo #994 Italy

Bertolucci's The Conformist - cinematographer Vittorio

Storaro later won 3 Oscars (Reds, The Last

Emperor, and Apocalypse Now)

Personal Favorite 40
(some unranked ones added) * = unranked

1. Cinema Paradiso (1988) Tornatore, Giuseppe
2. L'Avventura (1960) Antonioni, Michelangelo
3. Conformist, The (1970) Bertolucci, Bernardo
4. Umberto D (1952) De Sica, Vittorio
5. Battle of Algiers, The (1966) Pontecorvo, Gillo
6. Lamerica (1994) Amelio, Gianni [photo rt]
7. Last Emperor, The (1987) Bertolucci, Bernardo
8. La Dolce Vita (1960) Fellini, Federico
9. Il Posto (1961) Olmi, Ermanno
10. Bicycle Thief, The (aka Bicycle Thieves, 1949) De Sica, Vittorio
11. Il Postino (95) Radford, Michael*
12. Gospel According to St. Matthew, The (1964) Pasolini, Pier Paolo
13. Best of Youth, The (2003) Giordana, Marco Tullio
14. Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958) Monicelli, Mario
15. 8½ (1963) Fellini, Federico
16. Rocco and His Brothers (1964) Visconti, Luchino
17. Last Tango in Paris (1973) Bertolucci, Bernardo
18. Amarcord (1973) Fellini, Federico
19. L'Eclisse (1962) Antonioni, Michelangelo
20. Legend of 1900, The (1998) Tornatore, Giuseppe*
21. Nights of Cabiria (1957) Fellini, Federico
22. Passenger, The (1975) Antonioni, Michelangelo

23. Garden of the Finzi-Continis, The (1970) De Sica, Vittorio* [photo rt]

24. El Alamein (2002) Monteleone, Enzo*
25. Seven Beauties (1976) Wertmuller, Lina*
26. Night Porter, The (1974) Cavani, Liliana*
27. Swept Away (1975) Wertmuller, Lina*
28. La Notte (1961) Antonioni, Michelangelo
29. Malena (2000) Tornatore, Giuseppe*
30. Kapó (1959) Pontecorvo, Gillo*
31. Viridiana (1961) Buñuel, Luis*
32. Rome, Open City (1945) Rossellini, Roberto
33. Belle de jour (1967) Buñuel, Luis
34. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) Petri, Elio
35. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Leone, Sergio
36. Tree of Wooden Clogs, The (1978) Olmi, Ermanno
37. Death in Venice (1971) Visconti, Luchino
38. Fellini's Roma (1972) Fellini, Federico
39. La Terra trema (1948) Visconti, Luchino
40. Flowers of St. Francis, The (1950) Rossellini, Roberto

These are some of my favorite foreign language films, I think because they are so well composed visually, yet are also touching; plus, the language really is one of the most enjoyable to hear, isn't it? Umberto D is a masterpiece of the heart to me, while L'avventura is one of the best composed films shot-for-shot that I've ever seen (see photo above), one of three that Woody Allen said "transcend film and become art". It won a Jury Prize at Cannes (after being booed by the audience) for "giving us a new way to look at cinema". The two films that followed it are L'Eclisse, and La Notte, all worth seeing.

Cinema Paradiso is an homage to a life spent with movies, a love letter to their inspiration, and an autobiographical story of Guiseppe Tornatore, from Sicily. L'america is a striking statement about identity, alienation, and hope.

Bertolucci's The Conformist is a riveting indictment of losing one's ethics for personal gain, and its style influenced many American directors. His cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro, became a favorite in the US, winning Oscars for Apocalypse Now, Reds, and The Last Emperor. They won an award in 1998 as best director-cinematographer duo. 

Fellini may not be for all tastes, but I think La Dolce Vita is another masterpiece, while his Amarcord may be more accessible to general audiences as it's a nostalgic, autobiographical look at growing up in a small Italian town.